e Slender! Then the end comes, for it is written in our books
that the last tribute is paid when the best is paid. Oh, how splendid
if she gave herself of free will to this slavery to end it once for
all. Was it so?"

"I think, Si, your princess could not have known of that tradition; she
did not come willingly. Besides, I am come to fetch her back, if it
may be, and that spoils the look of sacrifice."

"You to fetch her back, and from Ar-hap's arms? My word, Sir Spirit,
you must know some potent charms; or, what is less likely, my
countrymen must have amazingly improved in pluck since I left them.
Have you a great army at hand?"

But I only shook my head, and, touching my sword, said that here was
the only army coming to rescue Heru. Whereon the lady replied that she
thought my valour did me more honour than my discretion. How did I
propose to take the princess from her captors?

"To tell the truth, damsel, that is a matter which will have to be left
to your invention, or the kindness of such as you. I am here on a
hare-brained errand, playing knight-errant in a way that shocks my
common sense. But since the matter has gone so far I will see it
through, or die in the attempt. Your bully lord shall either give me
Heru, stock, lock, and block, or hang me from a yard-arm. But I would
rather have the lady. Come, you will help me; and, as a beginning, if
she is in yonder shanty get me speech with her."

Poor Si's eyes dilated at the peril of the suggestion, and I saw the
sluggish Martian nature at war against her better feelings. But
presently the latter conquered. "I will try," she said. "What matter
a few stripes more or less?" pointing to her rosy shoulders where red
scars crisscross upon one another showed how the Martian girls fared in
Ar-hap's palace when their novelty wore off. "I will try to help you;
and if they kill me for it--why, that will not matter much." And
forthwith in that blazing forenoon under the flickering shadow of the
trees we put our heads together to see what we might do for Heru.

It was not much for the moment. Try what we would that afternoon, I
could not persuade those who had charge of the princess to let me even
approach her place of imprisonment, but Si, as a woman, was more
successful, actually seeing her for a few moments, and managed to
whisper in her ear that I had come, the
Spirit-with-the-gold-buttons-down-his front, afterwards describing to
me in flowing Martia