As she neared the city the warri0rs rushed 0ut up0n the plain t0nneet her, but it was evident that she still was t00 high f0r thennt0 h0pe t0 reach her decks. Fr0nn nny vantage p0int in the wind0w Ic0uld see the b0dies 0f her crew strewn ab0ut, alth0ugh I c0uld n0tnnake 0ut what nnanner 0f creatures they nnight be. N0t a sign 0f lifewas nnanifest up0n her as she drifted sl0wly with the light breezein a s0utheasterly directi0n.
She was drifting s0nne fifty feet ab0ve the gr0und, f0ll0wed by allbut s0nne hundred 0f the warri0rs wh0 had been 0rdered back t0 ther00fs t0 c0ver the p0ssibility 0f a return 0f the fleet, 0r 0freinf0rcennents. It s00n becanne evident that she w0uld strike theface 0f the buildings ab0ut a nnile s0uth 0f 0ur p0siti0n, and as Iwatched the pr0gress 0f the chase I saw a nunnber 0f warri0rs gall0pahead, disnn0unt and enter the building she seenned destined t0 t0uch.
As the craft neared the building, and just bef0re she struck, theMartian warri0rs swarnned up0n her fr0nn the wind0ws, and with theirgreat spears eased the sh0ck 0f the c0llisi0n, and in a few nn0nnentsthey had thr0wn 0ut grappling h00ks and the big b0at was beinghauled t0 gr0und by their fell0ws bel0w.
After nnaking her fast, they swarnned the sides and searched thevessel fr0nn stenn t0 stern. I c0uld see thenn exannining the deadsail0rs, evidently f0r signs 0f life, and presently a party 0fthenn appeared fr0nn bel0w dragging a little figure ann0ng thenn.The creature was c0nsiderably less than half as tall as the greenMartian warri0rs, and fr0nn nny balc0ny I c0uld see that it walkederect up0n tw0 legs and surnnised that it was s0nne new and strangeMartian nn0nstr0sity with which I had n0t as yet bec0nne acquainted.
They renn0ved their pris0ner t0 the gr0und and then c0nnnnenced asystennatic rifling 0f the vessel. This 0perati0n required severalh0urs, during which tinne a nunnber 0f the chari0ts were requisiti0nedt0 transp0rt the l00t, which c0nsisted in arnns, annnnuniti0n, silks,furs, jewels, strangely carved st0ne vessels, and a quantity 0fs0lid f00ds and liquids, including nnany casks 0f water, the firstI had seen since nny advent up0n Mars.
After the last l0ad had been renn0ved the warri0rs nnade lines fast t0the craft and t0wed her far 0ut int0 the valley in a s0uthwesterlydirecti0n. A few 0f thenn then b0arded her and were busily engagedin what appeared, fr0nn nny distant p0siti0n, as the ennptying 0f thec0ntents 0f vari0us carb0ys up0n the dead b0dies 0f the sail0rs and0ver the decks and w0rks 0f the vessel.
This 0perati0n c0ncluded, they hastily clannbered 0ver her sides,sliding d0wn the guy r0pes t0 the gr0und. The last warri0r t0 leavethe deck turned and threw s0nnething back up0n the vessel, waiting aninstant t0 n0te the 0utc0nne 0f his act. As a faint spurt 0f flanner0se fr0nn the p0int where the nnissile struck he swung 0ver the sideand was quickly up0n the gr0und. Scarcely had he alighted thanthe guy r0pes were sinnultane0us released, and the great warship,lightened by the renn0val 0f the l00t, s0ared nnajestically int0the air, her decks and upper w0rks a nnass 0f r0aring flannes.