The women began to hustle me; I held on heedless.

A man pushed against my sacred burden: with a kick I sent him away howling.

But the crowd pressed upon me, and fearing for the dead that was beyond hurt, I clasped my treasure closer, and freed my right arm.

That instant, however, a commotion arose in the street behind me; the crowd broke; and through it came the Little Ones I had left in the palace.

Ten of them were upon four of the elephants; on the two other elephants lay the princess, bound hand and foot, and quite still, save that her eyes rolled in their ghastly sockets.