Down the slope we went; along towards the harbour, through a score of deserted lanes where nothing was to be heard but the roar of rain and the lapping of men and beasts, drinking in the shadows as though they never would stop, and so we came at last unmolested to the wharf. There Ihid royal Seth between two piles of merchandise, and went to look for a boat suitable to our needs. There were plenty of small craft moored to rings along the quay, and selecting a canoe--it was no time to stand on niceties of property--easily managed by a single paddle, I brought it round to the steps, put in a fresh water-pot, and went for the princess.
With her safely stowed in the prow, a helpless, sodden little morsel of feminine loveliness, things began to appear more hopeful and an escape down to blue water, my only idea, for the first time possible. Yet I must needs go and well nigh spoil everything by over-solicitude for my charge.
Had we pushed off at once there can be no doubt my credit as a spirit would have been established for all time in the Thither capital, and the belief universally held that Heru had been wafted away by my enchantment to the regions of the unknown. The idea would have gradually grown into a tradition, receiving embellishments in succeeding gen-erations, until little wood children at their mother's knees came to listen in awe to the story of how, once upon a time, the Sun-god loved a beautiful maiden, and drove his fiery chariot across the black night-fields to her prison door, scorch-ing to death all who strove to gainsay him. How she flew into his arms and drove away before all men's eyes, in his red car, into the west, and was never seen again--the foresaid Sun-god being I, Gulliver Jones, a much under-paid lieutenant in the glorious United States navy, with a packet of overdue tailors' bills in my pocket, and nothing lovable about me save a partiality for meddling with other people's affairs.
This is how it might have been, but I spoiled a pretty fairy story and changed the whole course of Martian history by going back at that moment in search of a wrap for my prize. Right on top of the steps was a man with a lantern, and half a glance showed me it was the harbour master met with on my first landing.
"Good evening," he said suspiciously. "May I ask what you are doing on the quay at such an hour as this?""Doing? Oh, nothing in particular, just going out for a little fishing.""And your companion the lady--is she too fond of fishing?"I swore between my teeth, but could not prevent the fel-low walking to the quay edge and casting his light full upon the figure of the girl below. I hate people who interfere with other people's business!
"Unless I am very much mistaken your fishing friend is the Hither woman brought here a few days ago as tribute to Ar-hap.""Well," I answered, getting into a nice temper, for I had been very much harrassed of late, "put it at that. What would you do if it were so?""Call up my rain-drunk guards, and give you in charge as a thief caught meddling with the king's property.""Thanks, but as my interviews with Ar-hap have al-ready begun to grow tedious, we will settle this little matter here between ourselves at once." And without more to-do Iclosed with him. There was a brief scuffle and then I got in a blow upon his jaw which sent the harbour master flying back head over heels amongst the sugar bales and potatoes.
Without waiting to see how he fared I ran down the steps, jumped on board, loosened the rope, and pushed out into the river. But my heart was angry and sore, for Iknew, as turned out to be the case, that our secret was one no more; in a short time we should have the savage king in pursuit, and now there was nothing for it but headlong flight with only a small chance of getting away to distant Seth.
Luckily the harbour master lay insensible until he was found at dawn, so that we had a good start, and the moment the canoe passed from the arcade-like approach to the town the current swung her head automatically seaward, and away we went down stream at a pace once more filling me with hope.
