Fifteen Hundred Miles An Hour 15
We afterwards learned that the most serious part of our case was the
slaying of the Martial; and as the old minister told this part of his
story, one of the guards advanced and pointed with his brass tube to
Sandy, indicating that he was the actual culprit. A long and animated
discussion took place, in which the King occasionally joined, or was
appealed to for his advice. Then a long interval of silence followed,
in which the King was evidently considering the facts which had been
laid before him. Our hearts beat fast; each one's right hand clasped
the revolver concealed within his breast; for each had mentally
determined to fight for life unto the bitter end.
"Courage," whispered Dr. Hermann, "and for the love of heaven do not
fire until I give the signal. I am going to try and make these people
understand a little of our history."
A moment after, the Doctor advanced a few steps towards the King,
bowing low and with hands extended as if in welcome. The King watched
him curiously, and so did we; for we had not the slightest idea
what his intentions were. He then pointed to the open entrance, up
into the night sky, where the planet Earth, by some miraculous good
fortune, chanced to be shining with unusual splendour almost alone in
the firmament. Then by various signs he attempted to explain how we
had come from that particular star; that we were friends, and were
anxious to gain their good will. We afterwards learned that the King
had comprehended much of what the Doctor had sought to convey; but
prejudice ran high, and though personally inclined to befriend us, he
was biassed by his ministers.
The Doctor rejoined us once more, and almost directly afterwards
the King began to speak. As one man, the mighty throng saluted him
and bowed in reverence. Then the multitude, all standing, listening
intently to his words, which were as follows:
"Beloved subjects and children: a great event hath happened amongst us,
such as hath never been known to you, my people, throughout the long
and glorious history of our race. Five strange beings have made their
appearance amongst us--from whence they come we know not; who they
are, or what their object is in coming here, are also mysteries which
we cannot readily solve. By shedding the blood of our poor brother
yesterday, we fear these beings are of evil repute, and therefore
should be treated as enemies of our race, and die. Their leader, by
sundry signs, hath sought to tell us that they come from the star-world
Ramos, which they call 'Earth.' If this were true, and their hands were
not stained in blood, we would welcome them as brothers, for our wise
men have long suspected that beings fashioned like ourselves do dwell
thereon. Wisdom cometh slowly, and knowledge is gained by degrees. We
will wait and see, my people, if these strangers can prove that what
they say by signs is true. We of this world do nothing hurriedly,
nor do we take life without just cause. We know not these strangers'
tongues; nor they ours. Justice bids us wait. Forty days of grace will
we allow them; then here, in this our Hall of Justice, shall they take
their trial, and their fate be decided. We have spoken these words
with such wisdom as God hath given us, and may He still continue to
preserve my people from all harm."
Amidst shouts of approval the King ceased speaking, and as we
understood not a word of what he had said, we concluded that our doom
was decided. In all that mighty throng we had not one to befriend us.
Each face was stern and of forbidding aspect! Yet, stay, there was one
whose eyes were even wet with tears at our misfortune, and whose shy,
pitying glances steeled our nerves anew. The lady by the King's side
breathed hope in her glances. Her lovely eyes were dimmed with tears
for us, and we felt as men once more. Love's all-potent power was
working. By what attractive force was the latent spark of compassion
ignited in that fair Martial breast? She alone of all that multitude
was drawn towards us by a bond of sympathy! Who knows but that, all
unconsciously, her spirit and ours may have mingled in that Silent
World of shadows, where language, race, or creed form no barrier to
friendly intercourse, and where the inconveniences of space, as we
experience them in our mortal shapes, are unknown? Who, after this,
shall say that lives may not be governed and influenced by beings on
other worlds, in other spheres, just as the attraction of one planet
can sway another from its course across the sky?
By some subtle influence, we felt reassured; all thoughts of fighting
for our lives departed, and when Kaosp and his guards stepped forward,
we followed them even cheerfully back to our prison, Rover being
allowed to trot behind at our heels.
CHAPTER XI.
LOVE AND JEALOUSY.
Once more we were ushered into the large and lofty room which was to
be our prison house. Our guards withdrew, the massive door swung back,
moved by hidden automatic action, and we were left to our own sad
reflections.
"Oh, for the good _Sirius_, with everything in order!" sighed Graham.
"We would soon show these Martial hosts that we are not the poor weak
fools they take us to be."
"Tut, tut, Graham," said the Doctor, cheerily. "The game seems against
us now, but we may hold the trump cards yet, man! Besides, you have
evidently made a conquest," he continued, with sly humour, "and that
fair Martial maiden may yet prove a guardian angel."
"Ah, Doctor, sanguine as ever! What a hopeful old boy you are! But I,
for one, seem to think we are in a deuce of a hole this time," said
Temple, with just a tinge of irritation in his voice.
"I don't see the least call for any such joke at my expense, Doctor,"
said Graham, smilingly. "But there, it is best to look on the bright
side of things."
"Ah, now I was right, after all! Graham, the fair lady who seems so
grieved about us, little dreams that she has made a conquest too!"
"Doctor, I feel peckish mysel', and I ken puir old Rover misses his
supper. Surely they dinna mean starvin' o' us!"
"All in good time, Sandy; all in good time. Here's a biscuit for Rover,
I happened to put in my pocket this morning," remarked the Doctor,
good-humouredly.
"Well, Temple," he continued, "we have evidently been respited for
some reason or other. That looks as though these strange people were
not altogether unfriendly disposed towards us. We must make a lot of
allowance for them, after all. Think what a fuss five beings from Mars
would make, were they to drop from the sky into Trafalgar Square or
Palace Yard, some fine day; and that, mind you, after killing in cold
blood an innocent farm-labourer at Ealing or Hendon! Why, all London
would be wild with excitement, and a righteously incensed populace
would be clamouring for their immediate trial and execution--the
evening papers, especially! We take these inoffensive people by
surprise, and, really, we are fortunate in having been able so far to
conciliate them as to gain time--and that is all we want. We shall
be----"
But the Doctor was interrupted by the door swinging open, and Kaosp
making his appearance once more, accompanied by the two attendant
guards, and five servants bearing dishes. These dishes were of the
costliest description, evidently of fine gold, beautifully chased, with
curiously-shaped leaves and flowers, the like of which we had never
seen before. Each servant bore his dish in silent state, and placed it
upon the inlaid marble table, then, bowing low, withdrew. The guards
stationed themselves one on either side of the doorway, and then Kaosp
advanced, and in his unknown tongue, assisted by signs, conveyed to us
the fact that it was by the King's desire that this food was brought,
and that we were to sit down and eat. We began to look on Kaosp almost
as a friend; he seemed equally to be kindly disposed towards us, for he
smiled and smote his breast--evidently a salute--as he and his guards
departed.
"Come, come," said the Doctor, "this is not so bad, after all. We must
try and pick up their language, and then I have no doubt, by being able
to explain ourselves, we shall be safe with these people. Now, Sandy,
uncover our dishes, and let us see on what strange food we are expected
to fare."
"Do, Doctor, be serious!" remarked Temple. "What are you going to do?"
"Why, eat, of course, man, since these captors of ours have
condescended to supply us with the wherewithal to do so. I must
confess, in spite of our bad luck, I begin to feel uncommonly hungry,"
said the Doctor.
It was all no good, however; Temple seemed thoroughly cast down, and
all that we could do or say failed to arouse him from his despondent
mood.
Sandy was soon at work, and we found that under each larger cover was a
dish divided into compartments, in which a variety of tempting-looking
food was placed. We had flesh of various kinds, a liquor like clear
soup, fruits, and square tablets of what appeared to be bread, yet
very fruity to the taste. The large vase-like vessel contained pure
water, and round the lower rim were hung several smaller vases, which
were evidently to be used as drinking-cups. Two curious instruments
were attached to each dish, which took us some time to comprehend their
use. The larger was fashioned something like a spoon, fastened in a
carved wooden handle, yet one edge was sharp, and it was ultimately
discovered that this served the purpose of knife and spoon in one. The
other, a sharply-pointed piece of gold, also set in a handle of carved
wood, we took to be a fork, and used it as such. We found the flesh,
and one of the dishes of green vegetables, excellent, but the fruit,
and what we must call bread, was not very palatable to us.
"I doubt not that if we live here long," remarked Graham, "we shall
acquire a taste for the other viands. We can't expect to find
everything suited to the tastes and customs of the men of Earth."
"That's true, Graham," said Temple, who was fast recovering his
spirits, and beginning to take a more cheerful view of our situation.
"It's astonishing what a difference a little food makes, in a hungry,
even in a despondent man."
Our meal was quickly finished, Sandy taking good care that Rover had a
plentiful portion of the feast. Then Graham produced his well-filled
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