re, then down on her knees went that poor waif
of a worn-out civilisation and kissed my hands in humble farewell, and
I, blushing to be so saluted, and after all but a sailor, got her by
the rosy fingers and lifted her up shoulder high, and getting one hand
under her chin and the other behind her head kissed her twice upon her
pretty cheeks; and so, I say, we parted.

CHAPTER X

Off into the forest I went, feeling a boyish elation to be so free nor
taking heed or count of the reckless adventure before me. The Martian
weather for the moment was lovely and the many-coloured grass lush and
soft under foot. Mile after mile I went, heeding the distance lightly,
the air was so elastic. Now pressing forward as the main interest of
my errand took the upper hand, and remembrance of poor Heru like a
crushed white flower in the red grip of those cruel ravishers came upon
me, and then pausing to sigh with pleasure or stand agape--forgetful
even of her--in wonder of the unknown loveliness about me.

And well might I stare! Everything in that forest was wonderful!
There were plants which turned from colour to colour with the varying
hours of the day. While others had a growth so swift it was dangerous
to sit in their neighbourhood since the long, succulent tendrils
clambering from the parent stem would weave you into a helpless tangle
while you gazed, fascinated, upon them. There were plants that climbed
and walked; sighing plants who called the winged things of the air to
them with a noise so like to a girl sobbing that again and again I
stopped in the tangled path to listen. There were green bladder-mosses
which swam about the surface of the still pools like gigantic
frog-broods. There were on the ridges warrior trees burning in the
vindictiveness of a long forgotten cause--a blaze of crimson scimitar
thorns from root to topmost twig; and down again in the cool hollows
were lady-bushes making twilight of the green gloom with their cloudy
ivory blossoms and filling the shadows with such a heavy scent that
head and heart reeled with fatal pleasure as one pushed aside their
branches. Every river-bed was full of mighty reeds, whose stems
clattered together when the wind blew like swords on shields, and every
now and then a bit of forest was woven together with the ropey stems of
giant creepers till no man or beast could have passed save for the
paths which constant use had kept open through the mazes.

All day long I w