?' she cries. 'What means this? Oh, Macumazahn, is
it thou? Why lookest thou so wildly? Thou comest as one bearing
evil tidings -- and my lord -- oh, tell me not my lord is dead
-- not dead!' she wailed, wringing her white hands.

'I left Incubu wounded, but leading the advance against Sorais
last night at sundown; therefore let thy heart have rest.
Sorais is beaten back all along her lines, and thy arms prevail.'

'I knew it,' she cried in triumph. 'I knew that he would win;
and they called him Outlander, and shook their wise heads when
I gave him the command! Last night at sundown, sayest thou,
and it is not yet dawn? Surely --'

'Throw a cloak around thee, Nyleptha,' I broke in, 'and give
us wine to drink; ay, and call thy maidens quick if thou wouldst
save thyself alive. Nay, stay not.'

Thus adjured she ran and called through the curtains towards
some room beyond, and then hastily put on her sandals and a thick
cloak, by which time a dozen or so of half-dressed women were
pouring into the room.

'Follow us and be silent,' I said to them as they gazed with
wondering eyes, clinging one to another. So we went into the
first ante-room.

'Now,' I said, 'give us wine to drink and food, if ye have it,
for we are near to death.'

The room was used as a mess-room for the officers of the guards,
and from a cupboard some flagons of wine and some cold flesh
were brought forth, and Umslopogaas and I drank, and felt life
flow back into our veins as the good red wine went down.

'Hark to me, Nyleptha,' I said, as I put down the empty tankard.
'Hast thou here among these thy waiting-ladies any two of discretion?'

'Ay,' she said, 'surely.'

'Then bid them go out by the side entrance to any citizens whom
thou canst bethink thee of as men loyal to thee, and pray them
come armed, with all honest folk that they can gather, to rescue
thee from death. Nay, question not; do as I say, and quickly.
Kara here will let out the maids.'

She turned, and selecting two of the crowd of damsels, repeated
the words I had uttered, giving them besides a list of the names
of the men to whom each should run.

'Go swiftly and secretly; go for your very lives,' I added.

In another moment they had left with Kara, whom I told to rejoin
us at the door leading from the great courtyard on to the stairway
as soon as he had made fast behind the girls. Thither, too,
Umslopogaas and I made our way, followed by the Queen and her
wome