these strangers move quite fast."

It was even so; and at that same instant one of them swung directly
above our heads, so close that I could hear the hum of a powerful
engine. So it was only a trick! I shook myself together.

"Attention!" My staff drew up at the word. "They are but few; fear them
not! We waste no more time here! Pack up the machines, and follow!"

And thus we charged upon Klow.

I found that my men had entirely surrounded the city. Klow's men were
putting up a plucky fight, and showing no signs of fearing us. Seeing
this, I blew a blast on my engine's whistle, so that my bullies might
know that I had come.

Immediately the word ran up and down the line, so that within a few
minutes Klow was facing a roaring crowd of half-mad terrors. I myself
set the example by charging the nearest group of the enemy, all of whom
were mounted within the rather small and perfectly circular chariots
which they preferred. They were quick, but slippery. Also, they could
not stand before a determined rush, as several of them learned after
vainly trying to slip some balls through my windows and, failing in
that, striving to get away from me.

But I ran them down, and toppled them over, and dropped suffocation
bombs into their little cages with such vigor and disregard of their
volleys that my men could not resist the example. We charged all along
that vast circular line, and we cheered mightily when the whole front
broke, turned tail, and ran before us.