of the Martian wines longer than it seemed, for already it was late in
the afternoon, the shadows of trees were lying deep and far-reaching
over the motley crowds of people. Out here as the day waned they had
developed some sort of method in their sports. In front of us was a
broad, grassy course marked off with garlanded finger-posts, and in
this space rallies of workfolk were taking part in all manner of games
under the eyes of a great concourse of spectators, doing the Martians'
pleasures for them as they did their labours. An led me gently on,
leaning on my arm heavier, I thought, than she had done in the morning,
and ever and anon turning her gazelle-like eyes upon me with a look I
could not understand. As we sauntered forward I noticed all about lesser
circles where the yellow-girted ones were drawing delighted laughter
from good-tempered crowds by tricks of sleight-of-hand, and posturing,
or tossing gilded cups and balls as though they were catering, as indeed
they were, for outgrown children. Others fluted or sang songs in chorus
to the slow clapping of hands, while others were doing I knew not what,
sitting silent amongst silent spectators who every now and then burst out
laughing for no cause that I could see. But An would not let me stop,
and so we pushed on through the crowd till we came to the main enclosures
where a dozen slaves had run a race for the amusement of those too lazy
to race themselves, and were sitting panting on the grass.

To give them time to get their breath, perhaps, a man stepped out of the
crowd dressed in a dark blue tunic, a strange vacuous-looking fellow,
and throwing down a sheaf of javelins marched off a dozen paces, then,
facing round, called out loudly he would give sixteen suits of "summer
cloth" to any one who could prick him with a javelin from the heap.

"Why," I said in amazement, "this is the best of fools--no one could
miss from such a distance."