quicker on the trigger than he was on the hammer,
and with a cry the first Martian to suffer by gunpowder fell to the
ground. I sprang for his rifle just as some one from inside snatched it
away and pointed it at me again. Whoever had it, stood half behind the
door and out of range. But I aimed at his fingers on the rifle barrel,
and by a lucky chance I hit them, for the rifle dropped and the body
staggered into full view. Another quick shot sent this fellow to the
ground, but as I reached for his rifle, it was snatched away again.

Now I saw the absolute necessity of possessing myself of another
firearm, for I had but one load left in the revolver. I felt little fear
of their awkward aim, therefore I made bold to rush inside on the chance
of seizing the first gun I could lay my hands on. At the same time I
would be able to see the position of the doctor. He must be gagged, for
he had made no answer to my frequent cries to him in English. Once
inside, I saw that the room was full of soldiers--twenty at least. They
had a prisoner, true enough, but not the doctor. It was my servant, whom
they had forced to disclose the location of the arms.

The soldiers quickly blocked the door and began closing in on me. One
seized me by each arm, but with a quick shake I threw them off. Then a
third fellow clutched my left arm so tightly I could not loosen him. Had
I taken my eyes or my revolver off the crowd in front, they would have
been upon me in a body; yet with my left arm I was able slowly to turn
the clinging soldier around in front of me and to bring him gradually
within close range of my revolver. When he saw its gleaming muzzle, he
broke from me and fled to the others.

Little did they know that I could not afford to sacrifice my remaining
load to kill a single man. I must use it to capture the other revolver,
for rifles were of no use at such short range. I man[oe]uvred cautiously
to keep most of the soldiers in front of me, and stealthily backed
toward the door, where a soldier stood guard with the other weapon. I
was reckoning on the cowardice of most of those in front of me, but I
had failed to count on the men I had shot. As I now backed quickly
towards the door, I suddenly felt the arms of the fallen man about my
legs, and I stumbled backwards over him. In a twinkling the whole crowd
was upon me, my revolver was seized, my arms were pinned to the ground,
and the dying soldier clutched my legs in his last frenzy. I exp