Fifteen Hundred Miles an Hour

by Charles Dixon

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  THE FIGHT FOR VOLIN?.

  The shades of night were beginning to fall as I crossed the garden ofSiccoth-trees, which was a fortunate circumstance for me, as I desiredto see no one, least of all any of my companions, until my nerves feltsteadier, for now they seemed shattered by the trying, terrible strainwhich they had undergone within the past few hours. By still furthergood fortune I gained the Palace unobserved, except by the guard at thegates, and a solitary Martial whom I met in one of the corridors nearmy own room.

  "I flung myself upon my couch and tried to think. But my thoughts werebroken and confused. All that had taken place seemed as a dream. Firstone incident and then another of the weird ceremony flashed through mybrain, and vanished; and then all returned together as swiftly, yet indisordered sequence, until I dropped into a troubled sleep.

  "For twelve hours I lay thus, only awaking in the morning to find myservant Herio bending over me, saying in a voice which sounded asthough it were miles away:

  "'Sire! rouse thee; for the King would see thee. Even now he awaiteththy coming.'

  "'Why, Herio, what is the hour? How long have I slept? Has anyone beenhere?--the Doctor?--Mr. Temple?'

  "'The tenth hour of the new day soundeth, sire. But one soul hathentered thy chamber, and he whom thou callest "Doctor." He watchedby thee as thou slept, until midnight, and glanced at thee again atsunrise for a moment.'

  "Quickly eating a light breakfast, and feeling more refreshed andstronger than I had done for many days, I followed Herio to theapartment in which the King was awaiting me. Volin?, looking paleand wan, was seated on the dais on her father's right hand; whilstbelow him, much to my surprise and embarrassment, were Temple and theDoctor. Behind them, a hundred or more of the highest Ministers ofState sat in silence. Blushes stole over Volin?'s lovely face as shesmiled on me in welcome. Temple and the Doctor, gazing all the time inrapt astonishment, bade me a hearty good-morning; and the King, in hiskindliest manner, told me to come and seat myself at his left hand.

  "'Already, man of Ramos, have I heard the full story of thy dauntlesscourage, yesterday, on the hill Verosi. Our beloved daughter Volin?tells me of thy fortitude in meeting, wrestling with, and overcomingDeath by Fire. Right nobly hath thou done all that was required ofthee, and thy reward shalt be that for which thy heart hath longdesired, for now do I give thee my daughter to wife.'

  "Here the old King stood up, and taking Volin?'s hand and mine, placedthem in each other, saying:--

  "'In doing this thing I feel that the hand of wisdom hath guided me toa just atonement, and a wise repentance of my sin in seeking thy lifeand thy companions' lives without full cause. Already hath Echri toldme my folly, and of his wondrous vision, in which was declared to himthat with thy advent in Gathma God's promise to unite His scatteredUniverse was being fulfilled. Thou art no more man of Ramos only; manof Gathma, too, hath thou become; and may thy lengthened span of lifebe used in binding these two sister-worlds in yet closer unity. I havebut few more words to say. Thou hast an enemy in Edos, by name Perodii.Long hath he sought thy ruin, by divers means; yea, even at the costof Volin?'s honour. That the lies he spoke concerning her were bred ofjealousy of thee I now know, and his banishment from our royal presenceis but a just punishment for his sin. But Perodii is of a noble race,which hath many privileges I may not take away. One of these is that,being thy rival to the hand of my daughter, he hath the right to meetthee in single combat to decide the issue between ye. He hath claimedthat right, and, moreover, he hath proclaimed throughout Edos thatto-morrow thou shalt do him battle or be slain by him as a coward. Iask thy answer to this challenge?'

  "'That I will meet him whenever he may choose; for few things wouldgive me greater pleasure, O King of Gathma, than to satisfy the hatredthat long has lain between us,' I answered, still holding Volin?'s handin mine.

  "'All shall be as thou sayest,' said the King, who, turning to hisministers, continued: 'Let Perodii hear these things at once, and letall be set in readiness for the morrow.'

  "And then the old King turned to leave the chamber, which was a signalfor the assembled ministers to disperse unto their duties, bidding theDoctor accompany him to discuss still further the projects which theyhad in view. I led Volin? away towards her own apartments, and as wewalked along she said:

  "'Harry, thou hast grieved me sorely in respect to this meeting withPerodii. Have I not already counselled thee to leave him alone?'

  "'And be branded as a coward, darling! Would you care to hear yourlover's name bandied about Edos as another name for cowardice? Volin?,have no fears for me, as I have none for myself.'

  "'But Perodii is cunning in the use of arms.'

  "'Trouble not yourself, darling; for, with YOU as the issue between us,there lives no man in all wide Gathma that should overcome me. Besides,Perodii's insults on you can only be answered for in this manner.Before Edos he once has lied; before Edos shall he declare himself aspeaker of lies.'

  "'As thou wilt, Harry; but my heart will be heavy and comfortless untilthis fray is over.'

  "'And now, my darling, have you spoken to your father about ourwedding-day?'

  "'I have; and he sayeth that it may be chosen by myself.'

  "'Then if I overcome Perodii in fair and open combat on the morrow,will you come unto me? Volin?, let the morrow be our bridal day. Nay,urge no obstacles, my dear one. Say "Yes," and give me new strength forthe fray.'

  "'I will tell thee to-night, when thou meetest me in the arbour ofSiccoth. Now hurry thee away, for there is much that I would do beforethe sun hath risen on the morrow.'

  "On my way back I met Temple, and he was profuse in his congratulationson my happiness.

  "'Why, Graham, the events of the past four and twenty hours seem like adream--even in this strange city of enchantment and wondrous surprises.Now come along and have a chat. Surely the beautiful Volin? can spareyou for one hour in which you may talk with your friends! To tell thetruth, I feel almost afraid of you now, if all that I have heard istrue.'

  "'Well, Mr. Temple, and what may you have heard?' I asked, as westrolled out of the Palace together, and sat ourselves down under thecool shade of a broad-leafed shrub.

  "'We have heard so much that, really, I scarcely know where to begin indescribing it. Briefly, it is this. That yesterday afternoon Volin? andyourself went into that three-domed Temple on the hill we saw from the_Sirius_, and that there you went through some fiendish art of sorcery,which has professed to endow you with a longer span of life. After whathappened at Remagaloth, I must confess I felt a certain amount of faithin this Priest Echri's power; but that he can prolong your days, evento the extent of one, I do not believe----"

  "'I think you would, Mr. Temple, had you seen and experienced as muchas I have. Religious ordinances in this world are, as one might expectthem to be, vastly different from any now on Earth. Here in Gathma,there are Holy Men who appear to be direct agents of a Supreme Being,and through them Almighty will is manifest. After all, there is nothingso very remarkable about this; for even in our world, during the daysof the Patriarchs, very similar conditions prevailed. It must be morethan human sorcery or trickery that can send a man through a streamof molten fire unscathed, unsinged, as I went yesterday, although Isuffered in one brief awful moment all the pain of death in that dreadmajestic element. Whether I live to be seventy, or ten times seventy,time alone can prove; but I have every faith in Echri's power. I canunderstand your scepticism; but let the solemn assurances of one whohas seen his potency, and felt his power, change your opinion. How thiswonder was worked, how my body escaped annihilation, or if destroyedhow another so similar in all respects, that I cannot find one tittleof difference myself, was created, is as much a mystery to me as toyou, as that fair Temple yonder guards its secrets well.'

  "'But what good have you really done yourself, Graham, in this thing,provided all be true?'

  "'Increased my span of life at least tenfold, and won the hand of asfair a woman as was ever concei
ved!'

  "'And sold your soul to evil, I fear.'

  "'Then I am content to abide by my bargain, although no thought of sucha compact has ever suggested itself to me. But what is the Doctor'sopinion?'

  "'That you must be mad--mad, and blind with love; and that he has neverseen such a rapid change in a man as has taken place in you since youmet Volin?. All interest in your old pursuits seems gone; all feelingsof companionship for us are slipping away. I suppose it is ever so. Iwas the same myself in the long ago--when a mistress comes to reign inour heart, verily in the early days of her power she rules supreme!I don't think the dear old boy will ever quite forgive you. He hascurious ideas on women; besides, he always insists that all the evilthat has befallen us in Edos was caused by her.'

  "'I am afraid 't were useless to deny the soft impeachment, Mr. Temple;but, after all, Volin?--who, you yourself must own, is peerless amongsther sex--and I have had little time together, and more than our shareof trials and troubles during our courtship. Wait until I enter thenoble army of Benedicts. All being well, I expect my commission thereinto-morrow, and then you will again find me heart and soul with you inall your plans. For if I overcome this scamp Perodii--and a greaterscoundrel never drew air--I hope to wed Volin? before the day haspassed. Fancy Perodii challenging me! It is the last trump-card in thetrick of his revenge and hatred; but I think I hold the ace of hissuit.'

  "'Then you really mean to fight?'

  "'I should rather think I do. I am not quite a fool with the cutlass,or with the pistol either; and I picked up a few wrinkles in the use ofthe dagger when I was engineering some waterworks in Spain, which maynow be of service to me. And if personal prowess alone is to decidebetween us, well I will show this braggart, strong as he is, how aYorkshireman in good 'fettle' can 'wrastle,' as we say in that faircounty of broad acres and honest hospitality.'

  "'Well, I wish you every success, Graham, my boy; every success, andevery happiness; and no one in all Edos will see you lead Volin? to thealtar--that is, if an altar forms a necessary article of the marriageceremony in this strange world--with more genuine pleasure than Ishall. I feel that indirectly, and through you, I owe my life to thisgirl, in spite of all that the Doctor may say to the contrary; and thatbeing so, I wish her every happiness too. Besides, this match appearsto find great favour with the King.'

  "'Ah, for that I have to thank Echri. It appears that he has had avision in which it was declared that the peoples on the family ofplanets that circle round the Sun are to be united; and that we havingestablished communication between Earth and Mars, are fulfilling thissacred manifestation. This the King has only lately learned from Echri,and it has done more than anything else to place us high in royalfavour, and to win consent to my union with Volin?.'

  "'Well, now, about this fight to-morrow. Have you no idea of theweapons, conditions of combat, and so on?'

  "'None; nor do I want any. But if you should chance to drop on SandyCampbell, tell him that I would see him. I should like him near meto-morrow, just as a sort of henchman like---you understand?'

  "'I won't fail to send him if I get the chance, but the Doctor keepshim more than busy. Only this very morning he packed him off somewhereor other in search of some insect which, he tells me, is curiouslyallied to a beetle of Earth.'

  "'Gracious! Poor old Sandy! I have half a mind to pity him in hissearch for that illustrious bug.'

  "Chatting together thus, the morning slipped quickly and pleasantlyaway, until we were summoned to our mid-day meal. Neither the King norVolin? was present; and the Doctor, as well, was too absorbed in hisstudies to make his appearance. I spent the afternoon posting up myjournals, from which this portion of our narrative has been written;and in the evening I went unto our trysting-place, there to wait myloved one's coming.

  "Verily the quiet, dreamy beauty of the night in this tropic regionof Mars is beyond all power of description. The atmosphere is balmierthan in the torrid zone of Earth, by reason of the greater remotenessof the sun; and the absence of all those insect-pests that make lifethere unendurable, especially during hours of darkness. Such nightsinspire Love! Such an atmosphere makes the tender, sacred passion glowwith an intensity unknown in higher and cooler latitudes. The airbreathes it; the night-birds sing it; the fountains, in their risingand falling cadence, echo it from grove to grove; the moons and stars,scintillating in their ether sea of blue, excite it; even the veryflowers distil it in their ravishing perfume! Ah! 't is a wondrousthing, this universal Love! A legacy of God, immutable, unchangingthrough the unrecorded ages on every sphere where man doth dwell.Best described as a passion of the night; as its subtle influence isstrongest under a starlit sky; for doth it not droop and languish underthe fierce light and blazing heat of day, requiring softer illuminantsand balmier air to flourish in all its beautiful intensity! No otherfeeling evolved by the human mind can compare in tenderness or beautywith that of first love. He who has not known that incomparablejoy-sorrow, knows not what it is to live; for of all the feelingsthat animate the human breast it is at once the most tender, the mostpure, full of innocence, yet heavy with primordial sin, selfish, yetgenerous; passionate, yet without lust; divine, yet human!

  "But here my reverie in Siccoth's arbour was broken by the foot-fallsof Volin?, and in a few moments she was by my side.

  "'Ah, Harry, dear; so thou art communing with thyself, or maybe withthe stars. Dost thou still cherish love for that Mother Earth, shiningso witchingly fair above thee, or for anyone that doth dwell thereon? Awoman?'

  "'Nay, nay, my darling,' I answered, drawing her gently to my breast,and planting a kiss on her lips as I spoke, 'I have no thoughts awayfrom you. You are the nucleus of them all, their one inspiration. I wasmusing to myself on Love--ah! Volin?, even on first love; the tenderpassion you, and you alone, have inspired within me. And I mused on theexceeding beauty of this wondrous thing, and of its universality; untilyour footsteps broke the thread of my reverie, and swept away the onesorrow-cloud that tinged my bliss and transformed it into perfect joy.'

  "'And what may this one cloud of sorrow be?'

  "'To be separated from you, even for one hour--one moment. My heart isyearning for the time when we may part no more--when I may proudly callyou mine; MINE for ever!'

  "'But is there no one who beckoneth to thee from that star-worldyonder; no memory of one fairer in thy sight than I?'

  "'Ah, darling,' I sighed, 'have I not told you that, until I saw you,I knew not Love; and that the women of my native Earth cannot comparewith you in grace and beauty? I have but a single thought for all thoseteeming millions of humanity that people yon shining star, and that oneis for the old father, who parted from me with his blessing when I leftits surface years ago.'

  "'And I may never see him! Dost thou know Harry, I have great curiosityto visit thy native world. All would seem so wondrous strange to me.'

  "'And perhaps the day may yet come when I shall take my darling yonder;for I hear from my companions that great things are being planned, andthat your royal father takes a deep interest in them. But now tell me,dear one, if to-morrow I may take you to myself for ever? Is the mornto bring your bridal day?'

  "'Ah, thy words have stirred sad thoughts within my heart. To-morrowthou hast promised to fight Perodii.'

  "'And when the fight is over?----'

  "'Why, then, if all--be--well,' she sighed, 'thou mayest have thy wish;for then will I become thy wife,' and she hid her blushing face, andstole yet closer into my arms.

  "'Your words, dear one, make me feel happier than I can say,' and for afew moments neither of us spoke; and only the loud, fast beating of ourown hearts broke the silence surrounding us.

  "'Now, Harry, I must leave thee. I would see my father before theevening hath passed.'

  "'Then, when I see your dear face again, I may leave you no more. Youwill not be present at this fray to-morrow?'

  "'No, dear Harry, I could not. But I will pray for thee; and when allis over, and thou art victorious--as I trust thou
mayest be--then willI come to bring thee thy reward. Now, fare thee well; and may all goodfortune attend thee on the morrow,' and trying bravely to conceal heragitation and her tears, Volin? walked with me through the silver,sheeny moonlight unto the Palace; where, with a last, sweet kiss, sheleft me, and went her way.

  "The night was a restless, sleepless one for me; and right gladlyI welcomed the first streaks of what was to prove one of the mosteventful days of my life. I was up with the sun, and the first person Isaw was Himos; and from him I learned particulars of the coming duel.We were to fight with a peculiar kind of short, broad sword, in a largearena, where combats of this description were wont to be decided. Thehour for the fray was ten; and the King had signified his intention ofbeing present, and acting as umpire between us. Then came Sandy--hisface absolutely beaming with delight at the prospect of a littlefighting; and with a due sense of his importance on acting as my second.

  "'By bonnie Prince Charlie's memory, Mr. Graham, this is real guidnews. I hear that ye are aboot to ha' a tussel with Peerodii. De'iltak' him, when ye ha' done wi' him, Mr. Graham, for the muckle harm hehas warked for us; and they do say that we are going to ha' a weddin',too. Weel, weel, Sandy Cam'bell will step ye a Highland reel, if he doit without the pipes an' a' that; an' good luck to ye an' your winsomebride, say I; for she is a bra' fine girl, and enough to turn the headsof a' who clap their een on her.'

  "'Thanks for all your good wishes, Sandy; and should we triumph overthis rascal, you shall dance at my wedding to-night.'

  "'Should we triumph, Mr. Graham. De'il a doot aboot it. He's nafightin' sort.'

  "'Well, Sandy, we shall soon know, now, whether there is any real gritin him or not. But have you heard anything from the Doctor about thisbusiness?' I asked, just out of curiosity.

  "'Indeed, an' I have. The Doctor is powerful annoyed; and I heard himtell Mr. Temple, only last night, that this affair bears out what hehas insisted on a' the time, that ye are daft--love daft; and it was noguid sayin' anything to ye, for ye were bound to gang ye're ain gait.'

  '"Poor old boy! Well, I hope he is in better temper to-day; for we musthave him at the wedding--that is, all being well. And now, Sandy, myboy, hasten away and learn what you can of the arrangements made forthe fight. I am growing impatient to get it over, one way or the other.'

  "'Right ye are, Mr. Graham. Sandy Cam'bell will do the best he can, forye ha been a guid friend to me.'

  "And so saying, the blunt, yet honest Scot, took himself off in thehighest spirits, rejoicing that for one day, at least, he would be freefrom the task of hunting for the Doctor's 'specimens' to engage induties more congenial to his tastes.

  "I studiously avoided contact with either the Doctor or Temple, takingbreakfast in my own room, from which I did not stir until summoned bythe King's Marshals to accompany them to the arena. I felt in littlemood to talk until this fight was over. Just before their arrival, Iwas agreeably surprised by a visit from Irolne, who brought me a singlewhite flower from her mistress, with the following message:

  "'Wear this for Volin?'s sake. She loves thee, and prays for him sheloves.'

  "The arena was situated in a remote part of the Palace grounds,entirely strange to me. We could have travelled there by one of thosewonderful 'tubes,' but I preferred to go on foot, thinking that thewalk in the morning air might do me good. This duel between Perodiiand myself had made a great sensation, not only in Edos, but in allthe cities for many leagues around, and, early as was the hour, a vastconcourse had assembled--all of noble birth, or high in station--towitness the fight. This colossal arena was open to the sky, althoughround the sides a kind of awning had been erected over the spectators,who must have numbered quite two hundred thousand strong. In the centrewas a table on which half-a-dozen short swords were placed, and here Isaw Sandy carefully examining and testing the blades. Already the Kingwas seated, and by his side were Temple, the Doctor, and a few of thehighest Ministers. I stood with Himos at the entrance to the arena,concealed from the gaze of the spectators, waiting for the proceedingsto begin; but of my antagonist I had not yet caught a glimpse. ThenSandy came and helped me to prepare myself for the fight. This I did bytaking off hat, coat, and vest, and with shirt-sleeves rolled up abovemy elbows, a scarlet sash bound tightly round my waist, I soon feltready, even eager, for the fray.

  "We had not long to wait. First came twenty heralds into the arena, andhaving sounded a mighty blast upon their instruments, a Marshal steppedforward, and then a great silence fell as he prepared to speak.

  "In a clear, ringing voice, which, owing to some marvellous system ofacoustics, must have been heard to the uttermost parts of this grandenclosure, he said:

  "'Man of Ramos, His Highness Prince Perodii being thy rival to the handof our gracious mistress Volin?, the King's daughter, hath called uponthee to fight with him, so that this issue between ye may be fairlytried by courage, strength, and the use of swords.'

  "Here, followed by faithful Sandy, I walked into the centre of thearena, bowing to the King, amidst a loud murmur of excitement andcuriosity from the surrounding throng.

  "Then followed another deafening blast from the twenty heralds, andonce again the Marshal spoke:

  "'Prince Perodii, this man of Ramos, thy rival to the hand of Volin?,our mistress, hath answered unto thy challenge, and standeth ready, sothat this issue between ye may be fairly tried by courage, strength,and the use of swords.'

  "Then once more amid murmurs of excitement, mingled not a little withapplause from those who evidently were friends of my rival, Perodii,stripped to the waist, walked proudly and confidently forward fromanother entrance towards me, stopping half-a-dozen paces from where Istood. Each looked fiercely at the other, yet neither spoke. Again aterrible silence fell as the King rose up and said:

  "'Rivals for my beloved daughter's favour, ye have met to fight,so that the bitter enmity between ye may be closed. May God decidewhich is the better man by giving him strength to overcome the other.Let truth and honour and courage, triumph over lies and shame andcowardice. Take ye each a weapon, and let my sitting down be the signalfor ye to begin.'

  "Then we each stepped forward and took a sword; beautifully finishedweapons, about two feet in length and two inches in breadth, daggerpointed, and keen as razors on their innermost edge.

  "Each with his gleaming naked sword clasped in his right hand thenfaced the other, and after a moment's pause, Perodii spoke:

  "'So, at last, the hour of my vengeance hath come; and here by my rightof birth and station may I slay thee, and sweep thee from my path. Lookto it, for thy moments now are numbered.'

  "'I wait for you, Perodii, and may Heaven defend the right.'

  "'Keep thy holy words for thine own comfort, thou boasting, short-livedfool; but methinks I will cut still shorter thy puny span with this,'and as he spoke he held aloft the glittering blade.

  "'You speak that of which you know nothing, Perodii. My span of lifeis now as long as yours; for know you not that I have passed throughholy rites that have endowed me with a fuller measure of years? Butwe waste time in profitless talk. Come, put up your sword, and defendyourself----'

  "'Hold! I see Echri's ring upon thy finger. Come, fight fairly. Takeoff that cursed relic. We want none of Echri's magic here.'

  "'Coward! then you fear its virtues now! Well, I have no wish to takeadvantage of you. Here, Sandy, hold this ring, and take care of itwell. I would not lose it for a world'; and so saying, I slipped theprecious talisman from my finger, and turned to give it to Sandy.

  "That moment nearly proved fatal to me; for, without warning, Perodiirushed forward and made a terrible thrust at my unguarded body. ButSandy was too quick for him, and putting out his foot, he threw thePrince headlong.

  "'Na, na, Mr. Perodii, none o' that here. Ye've got to fight fair andsquare, and not tak' a mon unawares.'

  "'Coward!' I shouted. 'Get up and defend yourself, or my indignationmay prompt me to slay you where you are.'

  "But Perodii, without another
word, jumped to his feet again andattacked me with fury. Our swords flashed like silver in the sunlightas we parried each other's blows and thrusts, Perodii trying his bestto strike me, I acting on the defensive, having decided to bide my timeuntil the first frenzy of his attack was spent. Not a sound was heardsave the clashing of swords, and our deep-drawn breaths. Then Perodii,in one of his mad onslaughts, slipped and nearly fell, but recoveredhimself before I had time to drive in a blow; yet a thrilling sigh ofexcitement burst from the crowd, who thought that all was over. Againwe drew back, panting for breath, and burning with desire to slay eachother. Again with eyes sparkling in anger we closed, and once more theflashing, clanging swords sang the song of our hatred. Perodii wasskilled in the use of his weapon, and fought hard, but I think hiscourage was only the outcome of his deadly hate, which had worked himup into an uncontrollable rage. At last I clumsily gave him his chance,and was too late completely to parry one of his fierce strokes. Hisblade glanced off my own, and inflicted a deep, stinging cut in my arm.Amidst my pain I heard cries of concern from the Doctor and Temple, aseach jumped to their feet; but the King sat calmly looking on. Then wedrew back and stood panting until Sandy had deftly and quickly bound upmy wound, saying:

  "'Gang in again, Mr. Graham, he's getting spent; besides, your woundwill stiffen if ye do not keep your arm at wark.'

  "Again we closed; and stung to desperation by my smarting wound, andthoughts of her who lonely and sadly was praying for me, and whoseblood-stained flower still clung, ragged and drooping, to my heart, Ifought and fought like one possessed, driving my antagonist back inchby inch, step by step, and forcing him to defend himself rather thanto attack me. At last my opportunity came, and, with a rapid twistingstroke, I wrenched his blade from his hand and sent it spinning andgleaming into the air, amid a roar of excitement from the onlookers.But before I could recover myself he closed with me, and then begana wild, terrible struggle for life. Soon we rolled to the groundtogether, and first one and then the other was uppermost and had atransient advantage. Then we got on to our feet again, strugglingone against the other, swaying now to this side, now to that, untilI clasped him round the waist, and summoning all my strength for onemighty effort, I bent him nearly double as I would a reed, and hurledhim limp and helpless over my head! Quick as lightning I ran and seizedmy sword, and before Perodii could recover or attempt to rise, my footwas planted on his breast, and my notched and gleaming sword held highover his throat.

  "'God,' I cried, 'has given you into my power; and now will I justlyavenge all the insults you have heaped on me and mine, and wipe out thewrongs you have done the woman I love!'

  "Here Volin? entered, and sat down by her father's side, pale andtrembling, and with tears starting down her lovely cheeks.

  "'Mercy, as thou hopest for the same,' Perodii whined in fear, nowthoroughly cowed, and all the fight and courage knocked out of him bythat last, terrible fall.

  "'Mercy! What mercy would you have shown me were I in your place?However, if mercy you really crave, buy your miserable, worthless lifeby answering what I ask of you,' I shouted, withdrawing my foot andletting him rise. 'Now, say that you lied when you conspired againstKios, and worked his disgrace and banishment to Pamax.'

  "'What know ye of Kios?'

  "'Speak the words that clear his name, or die,' I thundered.

  "'Then, in this, I admit that I swore falsely, and conspired to ruinan--innocent--man.'

  "'Further; you know full well the rest.'

  "'And that I did this thing to save myself from his just wrath, havingruined his only child,' he continued, amidst a growing storm ofindignation.

  "'Now will we speak of Volin?; she whom you have so foully wronged andslandered. Say that you lied in the Hall of Judgment, and to the King.Say that Volin?'s honour is as untarnished as the mountain snow.'

  "'Never!' he hissed. 'Thou hast humbled me enough. Curse thee!'

  "'I am not here to parley. Say this. By the great God, you shall say iton your bended knees, or my sword shall sheath itself in your heart,'I shouted, waxing wroth as I thought of my darling's undeserveddisgrace from the mouth of this scoundrel.

  "'My words were lies,' he hissed rather than spoke, as he sank upon,his knees, forced thereto at the point of my naked sword; and a lookof malignant hatred stole over his face, as he glared at me with hisbloodshot, glittering eyes in impotent rage, like some wild-beasthelpless in the hunter's toils.

  "'Now take yourself away, and never again molest me or mine, or dare tomeddle with affairs that do not concern you. I stay me from wetting myhands in blood upon this, my wedding morn--Volin?'s nuptial day shallnot be one of bloodshed, but stainless and happy as my bonny brideherself. Now, get you gone while the spirit of my mercy lingers--go,and dare not to cross my path again,' and, amidst shouts of derisionand anger, the vanquished Prince left the arena, and we saw him no more.

  "Then the heralds stepped forward again, and blew another blast; andthe Marshal commanded silence for the King to speak. He rose from hisdaughter's side, looking supremely pleased and gratified, and said:

  "'Man of Ramos, thou hast fought fairly and valiantly, and shown mercyto a vanquished foe, which doth thee great honour. Thou hast answeredthy rival's challenge as only a brave man couldst; and now most freelydo I give thee my daughter to wife. She shall dower thee ten thousandtimes more handsomely than any woman of the star-world, Ramos, thouhast lately left.'

  "'And her husband shall not be penniless, for I hereby promise himthe sum of fifty thousand pounds sterling, as soon as communicationis again established between Gathma and Earth, and he may be able topresent my cheque for that amount,' said Temple, jumping to his feet inexcitement.

  "'There are riches here enough for both; but still I admire the spiritthat hath prompted thee to make that remark,' the King answered,smiling. 'Now let the day that dawned on strife and battle set on loveand peace, for my daughter tells me she hath set the remainder thereofapart for a bridal feast.'

  "Then a great, loud shout went up from the assembled throng, and theheralds played a song of victory upon their brazen instruments, asI stood blood-stained and ragged from the fray before the King, theobserved of every eye.

  "'Oh, King! I crave one more act of royal grace. Let worthy Kios,disgraced and wronged without cause, find place again in royal favour;and I would also ask that brave and gallant Kaosp, a captain in yourguard, be freed from captivity and restored to place. Both these menowe their downfall to the cunning and the knavery of Perodii.'

  "''Tis but justice what thou hast asked, and it shall be done.'

  "Then, bowing low to the King and Volin?, I withdrew to put myself inbetter array. Temple also came, and was congratulating me heartily onmy victory, when the Doctor made his appearance.

  "'Well, Graham,' he began, holding out his hand, 'it did my old heartgood to see how you thrashed that villain. So the poor _Sirius_is avenged; for this public disgrace to such a man as Perodii is aterrible punishment. Well done, my friend! But let us see your injury.Ah! merely a flesh wound; deep, but not dangerous, and will soon heal.'

  "'But, Doctor, I thought I was too deep in your disfavour ever to winany expressions of approval from you again,' I retorted.

  "'There, there, Graham, let all differences of opinion be put asideto-day. I am apt to speak hastily; and old men, with life behind them,are often too prone to judge the actions of younger men by their ownexperience. I withdraw all I have said, and wish, yes, heartily wish,her and you every happiness. I have too lively a recollection of yourgreat assistance to my project, both on Earth and during our journeyhither, to grudge you the happiness you have tried so hard to win, andon which it is evident your heart is fixed. Although my sentimentsregarding women in general may never alter, I shall certainly make anexception in favour of the wondrous fair lady who is so soon to becomeyour wife. But mind, Graham, this is the only exception I ever madeduring my life's experience of the sex that is as frail as it is fair.'

  "'Well and rightly spoken, Doctor,' b
roke in Temple. 'To-day, of allothers, is a most opportune one to express such opinions. As you say,we owe a good deal to Graham; and I am sure we all wish him joy andcontinued happiness.'

  "'I thank you, Doctor, and you, too, Mr. Temple, for your kindly words,especially for those that relate to the girl I am about to wed. Now,I am sure you will excuse me; for my place is by her side, after thehours of suspense she has suffered, since she knew of this fight withPerodii. We shall meet again, I hope, a little later on, when, perhaps,I may have the happiness of being supported at the coming ceremony bytwo such old and trusty friends.'

  "'That you may,' answered the Doctor and Temple together, as I hastenedto Volin?, eager to rejoin my darling, and to soothe her fears away."