oyal barge, there came a log of black
wood twenty feet long and as thick as the mainmast of an old
three-decker.

Hath's boat could no more escape than if it had been planted on a rocky
pedestal, garlands and curtains trailing in the water hung so heavy on
it. The gilded paddles of the slender rowers were so feeble--they had
but made a half-turn from that great javelin's road when down it came
upon them, knocking the first few pretty oarsmen head over heels and
crackling through their oars like a bull through dry maize stalks. I
sprang forward, and snatching a pole from a half-hearted slave, jammed
the end into the head of the log and bore with all my weight upon it,
diverting it a little, and thereby perhaps saving the ship herself, but
not enough. As it flashed by a branch caught upon the trailing
tapestry, hurling me to the deck, and tearing away with it all that
finery. Then the great spar, tossing half its dripping length into the
air, went plunging downstream with shreds of silk and flowers trailing
from it, and white water bubbling in its rear.

When I scrambled to my feet all was ludicrous confusion on board. Hath
still stood by his throne--an island in a sea of disorder--staring at
me; all else was chaos. The rowers and courtiers were kicking and
wallowing in the "waist" of the ship like fish newly shot out of a
trawl net, but the princess was gone. Where was she? I brushed the
spray from my eyes, and stared overboard. She was not in the bubbling
blue water alongside. Then I glanced aft to where the log, now fifteen
yards away, was splashing through the sunshine, and, as I looked, a
fair arm came up from underneath and white fingers clutched
convulsively at the sky. What man could need more? Down the barge I
rushed, and dropping only my swordbelt, leapt in to her rescue. The
gentle Martians were too numb to raise a hand in help; but it was not
necessary. I had the tide with me, and gained at every stroke.
Meanwhile that accursed tree, with poor Heru's skirts caught on a
branch, was drowning her at its leisure; lifting her up as it rose upon
the crests, a fair, helpless bundle, and then sousing her in its fall
into the nether water, where I could see her gleam now and again like
pink coral.

I redoubled my efforts and got alongside, clutching the rind of that
old stump, and swimming and scrambling, at last was within reach of the
princess. Thereon the log lifted her playfully to my arms, and when I