e simple for
me to make an exit in the opposite direction.

But here we were reckoning without the inevitable busybody. A dozen
pairs of feet splashing through the wet came up to the side of the
little temple, and cried loudly that Nais should join the audience. She
had eloquence of tongue, it appeared, and they feared lest this speaker
who had taken his stand on the war engine should make schisms amongst
their ranks unless some skilled person stood up also to refute his
arguments.

Here, then, it seemed to me that I must be elbowed into my skirmish by
the most unexpected of chances, but Nais was firmly minded that there
should be no fight, if courage on her part could turn it. "Come out with
me," she whispered, "and keep distant from the light of the fires."

"But how explain my being here?"

"There is no reason to explain anything," she said bitterly. "They will
take you for my lover. There is nothing remarkable in that: it is the
mode here. But oh, why did not the Gods make you wear a beard, and curl
it, even as other men? Then you could have been gone and safe these two
hours."

"A smooth chin pleases me better."

"So it does me," I heard her murmur as she leaned her weight on the
stone which hung in the doorway, and pushed it ajar; "your chin." The
ragged men outside--there were women with them also--did not wait to
watch me very closely. A coarse jest or two flew (which I could have
found good heart to have repaid with a sword-thrust) and they stepped
off into the darkness, just turning from time to time to make sure we
followed. On all sides others were pressing in the same direction--black
shadows against the night; the rain spat noisily on the camp fires as we
passed them; and from behind us came up others. There were no sleepers
in the camp now; all were pressing on to hear this preacher who stood on
the pedestal of the war engine; and if we had tried to swerve from the
straight course, we should have been marked at once.

So we held on through the darkness, and presently came within earshot.

Still it was little enough of the preacher's words we could make out at
first. "Who are your chiefs?" came the question at the end of a fervid
harangue, and immediately all further rational talk was drowned in
uproar. "We have no chiefs," the people shouted, "we are done with
chiefs; we are all equal here. Take away your silly magic. You may kill
us with magic if you choose, but rule us you shall not. Nor shall