THE SIEGE OF SUR
Myles the from the of the Vairking. Then female hands the away, as the earth-man in of his find.
There be no of it. This was a steel-jacketed bullet, with those used in the of the ant-men. How came such a in the hands of the and Roies?
It was that these had New Formia and the of the ant-men. No, the only possible was that the Formians had an with the Roies, and were either them or at least had them with a firearms, the use of which they had them.
But this last idea was improbable, to the well-known of and at Yuriana, of the new empire. No, if the ant-men were in with these savages, there must be ant-men present with the besiegers, and the in question must have been by the of a Formian.
This opened up new terrors for the village of Sur and its inhabitants. Myles at the southern sky, to see and the approach of a Formian plane, but the was by any black speck. Sur was safe for the moment.
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His thus completed, Myles to the public to this to Crota and the village authorities. He the already there in with Crota.
Said Myles, the bullet: “Here is one of the magic by one of my own magic sling-shots, which is of from the ground to the top of your and your palisade. It is big magic! With its aid, the Roies can overcome us. Without it, I am powerless. Therefore, we must secure of it. What do you suggest?”
Crota replied: “It is now sunset. Let us select a of and try to the of the enemy.”
“No, no!” the of Sur in horror. “Never have our men to attack the Roies by dark.”
“Do the Roies know this?” Myles asked with interest.
“Most certainly,” was the reply.
“Then,” he said, “all the more for attempting it They will be unprepared.”
The his with: “If you can any men of Sur to attempt anything so foolhardy, I shall no objection.”
Within a of a day, Crota had twenty scouts, and with Myles Cabot, they had all the of the narrow path the of the cliff. Before starting, they had the direction of the Roy camp-fires on one of the hills; so now they toward that hill, and then slowly up to its crest.
In of the of the Porovian night, they were able to their way, by starting in the direction and then by the lights of their own village always them.
As Cabot had from the of the headman, there were no on post, for the enemy were on the well-known Vairking of the unknown terrors of the dark. Indeed, it spoke for the of the twenty-one members of this venture, and for their in their earth-man leader, that they had to come.
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Finally, the party from the at the top of the hill, a score of from the and camp-fires of the Roies. There, the others to where they were until he gave a signal, Myles forward, always in the of some tent, until he was able to through a small one of the tents, directly at the group around one of the camp-fires.
Just as Cabot at this post, a Roy was declaiming: “I told you it would work, for had I not it to me? You yourselves saw it kill. Now will you not me?”
Another spoke: “I cannot its principle. How can a kill afar, and yet not either a or a bow?”
And another: “Show us how it works, friend. Then we may be persuaded.”
And a third: “I do not that he has it.”
Whereat, the original speaker, nettled, spoke again: “It is in my there, you doubters,” the one which Cabot crouched.
Quick as a flash, Cabot the of the into its interior. The light, through the opening in front, nothing but on the floor, and ordinary to the pole; so the among the bedding. The continued.
“Prove, or be silent!” said a voice.
“You saw the Vairking fall, did you not?” the original replied.
“True, but I did not see you any pebble.”
Meanwhile, Cabot his search. At last, it was rewarded. In one of the tent, his closed upon a Formian and a of cartridges. A ran through him at the touch.
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“To prove it to you,” the voice was saying, angrily, “I will it for you; and if you do not me, I shall you with it. That ought to be proof for a one like you. I have said it!”
“The for my exit,” Myles said to himself, as he to out through the of the tent, but then he reflected: “No, I want more than this gun and ammunition; I want information.”
So he remained.
As the Roy entered the and for the rifle, the earth-man himself upon him; and the one a gasp, closed upon his windpipe, off all sound. The was over in a moments.
When Myles Cabot out of the enemy tent, it was with a under one arm, and a and a across his shoulders.
The at the fire continued.
One of the was saying: “Our friend takes long to his sling-shot. Methinks he was and not to us.”
Said another voice: “Let us him from his and him with his perfidy.”
At this, Myles to his and ran to the which his followers.
“Rush in among them as we planned,” he urged, “while you two come with me.”
Then on he the the lights of Sur with his and and two previously-picked members of the band, while Crota and the eighteen into the of the Roy camp, tents, fires, and about them with their swords. Straight through the they charged, shouting: “Make way for Att the Terrible!” Then they the hill under of the and Myles.
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The Roies were taken by surprise. From the of Crota and his followers, they that the were Roies, of Att the Terrible, them for being of Grod the Silent. As they came out of their tents, or from such as had been wrecked, they met others of their own camp, or crawling, and them for enemies, started to fight.
The was complete, and for a moment did the that the whole trouble had been by a of Vairkings.
Truly, as Poblath the Philosopher has said, “While dispute, the is at peace.”
While the Roy of Grod the Silent among themselves until they that there was no one there themselves, Myles Cabot and his Vairkings safely the Village of Sur with the rifle, the ammunition, and the still Roy warrior.
In the public hall, under the of Vairking maidens—who would have a knife into him—the his and looked around him in bewilderment.
“Where am I?” he asked, his eyes.
“In Sur,” some one replied.
“Then are we victorious? For has a Roy set in Sur.”
“No, your are not victorious,” Crota answered. “You are a prisoner. And it is only by the of Cabot the Minorian that you are permitted to come here as a prisoner. For the men of Sur take no prisoners, and give no quarter.”
In reply, Myles himself forward.
“I myself, am Cabot the Minorian,” he said.
To which Crota added impressively: “The of two worlds!”
The his head.
“I know of only one world,” he asserted, “and this man me is as a common soldier, as are all of you.”
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“Know then, O of Poros,” the earth-man admonished, “that there are other worlds the skies, and that in the world from which I come, all soldiers are gentlemen.”
But the Roy was not to be by language. “How did I come here?” he asked.
“You did not come here,” Myles answered. “You were brought. I you.”
“But how?”
“By magic.”
“What magic?”
“My magic which through the air as a through the of a lake.”
“True,” the Roy mused, “there be such wagons, for I have them near the city of the of the south.”
“Mark well!” Myles to the assembled Vairkings, then to the again: “I you you the magic sling-shot, and to use it on one of my own men. This not be permitted to go unpunished; hence your capture. The is now mine, and you are my prisoner.”
“What do you to do with me?” the asked. “I to ask you some questions,” Myles evaded. “First where did you the magic sling-shot?”
“The great everything,” the Roy replied, with a sneer. “Why, then, should I to tell him anything?”
But the earth-man unruffled. “You are correct,” he countered. “I ask, not I do not already know, but I wish to test it is possible for one of your to tell the truth.”
“Why test that?” came the Roy, “for you, who know everything, know that, too.”
Myles not help the with which this man of his captors.
“Who are you, one?” he asked.
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The himself up proudly, with arms, and answered: “I am Otto the Bold, son of Grod the Silent.”
“Ah,” Myles said, “the son of a king. And I am the father of a king. Well, then, as one man to another, tell me where you got this gun.”
“Gun?” Otto queried. “Is that the name of this of omen? Know then that I got it from you when I you the tree the at the of the mountains, the Vairkings of Jud the Excuse-Maker me off. I have spoken!”
“And spoken truly,” Cabot replied, his with difficulty. Of course. Why had he not it before? But there were still some more points to clear up, so he continued: “Why did you shoot those two at me in the house at the top of the mountains?”
“Because we to the house. But you killed my companion, I to kill you in revenge, and to the noisy ‘gun’—and is that the right word? So I you. The you know.”
“Remember, I know everything,” Myles said, grinning. “But did you see any one but me shoot the gun?”
“You know I did,” was the reply. “No one on Poros, save Cabot the Magician and Otto the Bold, has done this big magic. I saw the results, but not the means, when you killed my companion; so I for myself after I had your gun, and soon I learned how, after which I the magic until last night when I one of the Vairkings of Sur, so as to give visible proof of my magic powers to my comrades.”
The earth-man a of relief. There as yet no the Formians and the Roies. Pray Heaven that such a would itself to the minds of either race; for if so, then to Vairkingia!
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“Son of a king,” he said, “return to your people and your father. Give him my greetings, and tell them that you are the friend of a great magician, who you his ‘gun’, who you through the air the of Sur, where no Roy has or will stand, and who last night to attack your under the of of Att the Terrible. Go now. My men will give you safe to the plain below.”
“And what is the price of this freedom?” Otto inquired.
“The of a king’s father for a king’s son,” Myles Cabot with dignity.
The two themselves up proudly and each other eye-to-eye for a moment.
“It is well,” Otto the Bold declared. “Good-by.” And he under the of a Vairking guard.
“The master best,” Crota remarked, sadly his head, “but I should have the through the body.”
The next Cabot thanked the of Sur for his hospitality, and took up the return for Vairkingi, the in his ranks being by the of soldiers from Sur. The party had gone but a when they the way by a of Roies. But these came bow-shot a from Cabot’s two of them to the ground, the and precipitately.
Later in the day a in the road them upon a warrior. Myles fired, and the man to the ground. But when they the there was not a to be on it; the had missed.
“Dead of fright,” Myles thought; but no, for the was still beating, although faintly, and the were still functioning.
“Sit up there!” Myles ordered.
“Can’t,” The Roy replied. “I’m dead.”
“Then I’ll make you alive again,” his declared, his hands on the of the Roy. “Abra camunya.”
Thereat the soldier sat up with a of relief, and opened his eyes.
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“Stand up!” Myles ordered.
For reply the Roy jumped to his and started for cover.
“Halt!” the earth-man commanded. “Halt, or I’ll kill you again!”
The man stopped.
“Return!”
The man returned, like a sleep walker.
“What do you by away? Now intently. Are you one of the men of Grod?”
“Yes.”
“Then go to Otto, the son of Grod, and tell him that it is the order of Cabot the Magician that Vairking into these mountains, in search of and other minerals, be unmolested. Tell Otto that he can my by the which they will hereafter. Now go. I have spoken.”
The Roy ran up the and this time was not halted.
“Another mistake,” Crota remarked, to himself.
The of the return to Vairkingi was without event. On the way the radio man notes of the best deposits of quartz, limestone, and fluorspar. Also he with him a large of mica. But he no of galena, ore, or platinum. These would at least one expedition.
Crota no language in to Jud the of Cabot the Minorian in the of the village of Sur; and Jud the with to Theoph the Grim. Also the long sleight-of-hand performance was at the palace, to the great of the white-furred king.
Arkilu did not up to the occasion. In fact, little Quivven reported that her sister was very at the earth-man for with her affections, and had to Jud in her pique. Needless to say, Jud had taken every possible of Cabot’s to himself with the chestnut-furred princess. But neither Myles Quivven appeared to any very great at this turn of affairs.
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So long as Arkilu’s did not active, the support of Jud and Theoph ought to prove sufficient.
The of Cabot the Minorian as a was now well established, and Jud the Excuse-Maker and Theoph the Grim were to him all possible in the of the materials with which he was to perform his magic, radio.
Theoph a upon all the nobles, and over to the earth-man of five hundred soldiers with their proper and equipment. Jud (himself,) Quivven (still unknown to her father), and Crota (the soldier who had on the an above his social class), were as laboratory assistants. Several Cabot’s were and into factories, in one of which were a pair of such as the Vairkings use in of their food.
Myles his men into three groups. One group, under Crota, he at the deposits to the of the city, to make and charcoal.
The second group, under Jud, were in the operations, copper ore, rock, fluorspar, limestone, and sand, at points in the mountains, and some of the to the brickyard, and the with the other to Vairkingi. The with them to the all the necessary for the expeditions.
The third group, under Quivven, were in setting up the mill, and in other and operations.
At the the operation was to off the surface and spread it out thin in the open air, so it would age fast.
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The limestone, upon its at the brickyard, was in ovens, and then to Vairkingi, to be ground at the mill. It was then to the plant, where it was mixed with the clay—first screened—molded into bricks, baked, burned, and to Vairkingi, to be ground into cement.
Some of the ground was at Vairkingi for use in later glass-making, and some of the for purposes.
Other was screened, moistened, molded, and to ordinary brick. Fire-brick was by the of white ground at Vairkingi, but this of had to be much more slowly.
Thus only a week or two after this whole had begun, the radio man was in of fire-brick and fire-clay with which to start the of the furnaces.
Meanwhile Myles Cabot, with a small bodyguard, traveling from one job to another, to the work. And when was well under way he set out on another in search of galena, ore, and platinum.
Quivven had the for this by that the of a large river, which ran from west to east, about a day’s north of Vairkingi, might the which he sought. So he set out one morning, with and a of soldiers.
All day they across the level plains. Toward they a small of the main stream, and there they camped.
As the sky in the west Myles Cabot ran this to the of the river, which but a away.
The pink to crimson, and then purple. The up out of the east, and the whole of the into and black. But Myles Cabot did not return to the place.
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