ten on mine with a startled grasp as the words died away upon her
lips.

Even as the girl spoke, the sphere, which had been beaming in the
centre of the silent square like a mighty white jewel, began to flush
with angry red. Redder and redder grew the gleam--a fiery glow which
seemed curdling in the interior of the round as though it were filled
with flame; redder and redder, until the princess, staring into it,
seemed turned against the jet-black night behind, into a form of molten
metal. A spasm of terror passed across her as she stared; her limbs
stiffened; her frightened hands were clutched in front, and she stood
cowering under that great crimson nucleus like one bereft of power and
life, and lost to every sense but that of agony. Not a syllable came
from her lips, not a movement stirred her body, only that dumb, stupid
stare of horror, at the something she saw in the globe. What could I
do? I could not sit and see her soul come out at her frightened eyes,
and not a Martian moved a finger to her rescue; the red shine gleamed
on empty faces, tier above tier, and flung its broad flush over the
endless rank of open-mouthed spectators, then back I looked to
Heru--that winsome little lady for whom, you will remember, I had
already more than a passing fancy--and saw with a thrill of emotion
that while she still kept her eyes on the flaming globe like one in a
horrible dream her hands were slowly, very slowly, rising in
supplication to ME! It was not vanity. There was no mistaking the
direction of that silent, imploring appeal.

Not a man of her countrymen moved, not even black Hath! There was not
a sound in the world, it seemed, but the noisy clatter of my own
shoenails on the marble flags. In the great red eye of that unholy
globe the Martians glimmered like a picture multitude under the red
cliff of their ruined palace. I glared round at them with contempt for
a minute, then sprang forward and snatched the princess up. It was
like pulling a flower up by the roots. She was stiff and stark when I
lay hold of her, but when I tore her from the magic ground she suddenly
gave a piercing shriek, and fainted in my arms.

Then as I turned upon my heels with her upon my breast my foot caught
upon the cloths still wound about the tripod of the sphere. Over went
that implement of a thousand years of sorcery, and out went the red
fire. But little I cared--the princess was safe! And up the palace
steps, amidst a low, w