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diff --git a/old/pmars12.txt b/old/pmars12.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1d46c8a..0000000 --- a/old/pmars12.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7647 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg Etext of Princess of Mars -by Edgar Rice Burroughs -(#1 in The Martian Tales by Edgar Rice Burroughs) - -Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check -the laws for your country before redistributing these files!!! - -Please take a look at the important information in this header. -We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an -electronic path open for the next readers. - -Please do not remove this. - -This should be the first thing seen when anyone opens the book. -Do not change or edit it without written permission. 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Hart -and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] -[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales -of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or -software or any other related product without express permission.] - -*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.07/27/01*END* - - - - - - - - - - - -A Princess Of Mars - -By Edgar Rice Burroughs - - - - - -CHAPTER I - -ON THE ARIZONA HILLS - - - - -I am a very old man; how old I do not know. Possibly I am a hundred, -possibly more; but I cannot tell because I have never aged as other -men, nor do I remember any childhood. So far as I can recollect I -have always been a man, a man of about thirty. I appear today as -I did forty years and more ago, and yet I feel that I cannot go -on living forever; that some day I shall die the real death from -which there is no resurrection. I do not know why I should fear -death, I who have died twice and am still alive; but yet I have -the same horror of it as you who have never died, and it is because -of this terror of death, I believe, that I am so convinced of my -mortality. - -And because of this conviction I have determined to write down -the story of the interesting periods of my life and of my death. -I cannot explain the phenomena; I can only set down here in the -words of an ordinary soldier of fortune a chronicle of the strange -events that befell me during the ten years that my dead body lay -undiscovered in an Arizona cave. - -I have never told this story, nor shall mortal man see this -manuscript until after I have passed over for eternity. I know -that the average human mind will not believe what it cannot grasp, -and so I do not purpose being pilloried by the public, the pulpit, -and the press, and held up as a colossal liar when I am but telling -the simple truths which some day science will substantiate. Possibly -the suggestions which I gained upon Mars, and the knowledge which -I can set down in this chronicle, will aid in an earlier understanding -of the mysteries of our sister planet; mysteries to you, but no -longer mysteries to me. - -My name is John Carter; I am better known as Captain Jack Carter of -Virginia. At the close of the Civil War I found myself possessed -of several hundred thousand dollars (Confederate) and a captain's -commission in the cavalry arm of an army which no longer existed; -the servant of a state which had vanished with the hopes of the -South. Masterless, penniless, and with my only means of livelihood, -fighting, gone, I determined to work my way to the southwest and -attempt to retrieve my fallen fortunes in a search for gold. - -I spent nearly a year prospecting in company with another Confederate -officer, Captain James K. Powell of Richmond. We were extremely -fortunate, for late in the winter of 1865, after many hardships -and privations, we located the most remarkable gold-bearing quartz -vein that our wildest dreams had ever pictured. Powell, who was -a mining engineer by education, stated that we had uncovered over -a million dollars worth of ore in a trifle over three months. - -As our equipment was crude in the extreme we decided that one of us -must return to civilization, purchase the necessary machinery and -return with a sufficient force of men properly to work the mine. - -As Powell was familiar with the country, as well as with the -mechanical requirements of mining we determined that it would be -best for him to make the trip. It was agreed that I was to hold -down our claim against the remote possibility of its being jumped -by some wandering prospector. - -On March 3, 1866, Powell and I packed his provisions on two of our -burros, and bidding me good-bye he mounted his horse, and started -down the mountainside toward the valley, across which led the first -stage of his journey. - -The morning of Powell's departure was, like nearly all Arizona -mornings, clear and beautiful; I could see him and his little pack -animals picking their way down the mountainside toward the valley, -and all during the morning I would catch occasional glimpses of -them as they topped a hog back or came out upon a level plateau. -My last sight of Powell was about three in the afternoon as he -entered the shadows of the range on the opposite side of the valley. - -Some half hour later I happened to glance casually across the valley -and was much surprised to note three little dots in about the same -place I had last seen my friend and his two pack animals. I am -not given to needless worrying, but the more I tried to convince -myself that all was well with Powell, and that the dots I had seen -on his trail were antelope or wild horses, the less I was able to -assure myself. - -Since we had entered the territory we had not seen a hostile Indian, -and we had, therefore, become careless in the extreme, and were -wont to ridicule the stories we had heard of the great numbers of -these vicious marauders that were supposed to haunt the trails, -taking their toll in lives and torture of every white party which -fell into their merciless clutches. - -Powell, I knew, was well armed and, further, an experienced Indian -fighter; but I too had lived and fought for years among the Sioux -in the North, and I knew that his chances were small against a party -of cunning trailing Apaches. Finally I could endure the suspense -no longer, and, arming myself with my two Colt revolvers and a -carbine, I strapped two belts of cartridges about me and catching -my saddle horse, started down the trail taken by Powell in the -morning. - -As soon as I reached comparatively level ground I urged my mount -into a canter and continued this, where the going permitted, until, -close upon dusk, I discovered the point where other tracks joined -those of Powell. They were the tracks of unshod ponies, three of -them, and the ponies had been galloping. - -I followed rapidly until, darkness shutting down, I was forced to -await the rising of the moon, and given an opportunity to speculate -on the question of the wisdom of my chase. Possibly I had conjured -up impossible dangers, like some nervous old housewife, and when -I should catch up with Powell would get a good laugh for my pains. -However, I am not prone to sensitiveness, and the following -of a sense of duty, wherever it may lead, has always been a kind -of fetich with me throughout my life; which may account for the -honors bestowed upon me by three republics and the decorations -and friendships of an old and powerful emperor and several lesser -kings, in whose service my sword has been red many a time. - -About nine o'clock the moon was sufficiently bright for me to -proceed on my way and I had no difficulty in following the trail -at a fast walk, and in some places at a brisk trot until, about -midnight, I reached the water hole where Powell had expected to camp. -I came upon the spot unexpectedly, finding it entirely deserted, -with no signs of having been recently occupied as a camp. - -I was interested to note that the tracks of the pursuing horsemen, -for such I was now convinced they must be, continued after Powell -with only a brief stop at the hole for water; and always at the -same rate of speed as his. - -I was positive now that the trailers were Apaches and that they -wished to capture Powell alive for the fiendish pleasure of the -torture, so I urged my horse onward at a most dangerous pace, hoping -against hope that I would catch up with the red rascals before they -attacked him. - -Further speculation was suddenly cut short by the faint report of -two shots far ahead of me. I knew that Powell would need me now -if ever, and I instantly urged my horse to his topmost speed up -the narrow and difficult mountain trail. - -I had forged ahead for perhaps a mile or more without hearing -further sounds, when the trail suddenly debouched onto a small, -open plateau near the summit of the pass. I had passed through -a narrow, overhanging gorge just before entering suddenly upon -this table land, and the sight which met my eyes filled me with -consternation and dismay. - -The little stretch of level land was white with Indian tepees, and -there were probably half a thousand red warriors clustered around -some object near the center of the camp. Their attention was so -wholly riveted to this point of interest that they did not notice -me, and I easily could have turned back into the dark recesses of the -gorge and made my escape with perfect safety. The fact, however, -that this thought did not occur to me until the following day removes -any possible right to a claim to heroism to which the narration of -this episode might possibly otherwise entitle me. - -I do not believe that I am made of the stuff which constitutes heroes, -because, in all of the hundreds of instances that my voluntary acts -have placed me face to face with death, I cannot recall a single -one where any alternative step to that I took occurred to me -until many hours later. My mind is evidently so constituted that -I am subconsciously forced into the path of duty without recourse -to tiresome mental processes. However that may be, I have never -regretted that cowardice is not optional with me. - -In this instance I was, of course, positive that Powell was the -center of attraction, but whether I thought or acted first I do not -know, but within an instant from the moment the scene broke upon -my view I had whipped out my revolvers and was charging down upon -the entire army of warriors, shooting rapidly, and whooping at the -top of my lungs. Singlehanded, I could not have pursued better -tactics, for the red men, convinced by sudden surprise that not -less than a regiment of regulars was upon them, turned and fled in -every direction for their bows, arrows, and rifles. - -The view which their hurried routing disclosed filled me with -apprehension and with rage. Under the clear rays of the Arizona -moon lay Powell, his body fairly bristling with the hostile arrows of -the braves. That he was already dead I could not but be convinced, -and yet I would have saved his body from mutilation at the hands of -the Apaches as quickly as I would have saved the man himself from -death. - -Riding close to him I reached down from the saddle, and grasping -his cartridge belt drew him up across the withers of my mount. A -backward glance convinced me that to return by the way I had come -would be more hazardous than to continue across the plateau, so, -putting spurs to my poor beast, I made a dash for the opening to -the pass which I could distinguish on the far side of the table -land. - -The Indians had by this time discovered that I was alone and I was -pursued with imprecations, arrows, and rifle balls. The fact that -it is difficult to aim anything but imprecations accurately by -moonlight, that they were upset by the sudden and unexpected manner -of my advent, and that I was a rather rapidly moving target saved -me from the various deadly projectiles of the enemy and permitted -me to reach the shadows of the surrounding peaks before an orderly -pursuit could be organized. - -My horse was traveling practically unguided as I knew that I had -probably less knowledge of the exact location of the trail to the -pass than he, and thus it happened that he entered a defile which -led to the summit of the range and not to the pass which I had -hoped would carry me to the valley and to safety. It is probable, -however, that to this fact I owe my life and the remarkable experiences -and adventures which befell me during the following ten years. - -My first knowledge that I was on the wrong trail came when I heard -the yells of the pursuing savages suddenly grow fainter and fainter -far off to my left. - -I knew then that they had passed to the left of the jagged rock -formation at the edge of the plateau, to the right of which my -horse had borne me and the body of Powell. - -I drew rein on a little level promontory overlooking the trail below -and to my left, and saw the party of pursuing savages disappearing -around the point of a neighboring peak. - -I knew the Indians would soon discover that they were on the wrong -trail and that the search for me would be renewed in the right -direction as soon as they located my tracks. - -I had gone but a short distance further when what seemed to be an -excellent trail opened up around the face of a high cliff. The -trail was level and quite broad and led upward and in the general -direction I wished to go. The cliff arose for several hundred feet -on my right, and on my left was an equal and nearly perpendicular -drop to the bottom of a rocky ravine. - -I had followed this trail for perhaps a hundred yards when a sharp -turn to the right brought me to the mouth of a large cave. The -opening was about four feet in height and three to four feet wide, -and at this opening the trail ended. - -It was now morning, and, with the customary lack of dawn which is -a startling characteristic of Arizona, it had become daylight almost -without warning. - -Dismounting, I laid Powell upon the ground, but the most painstaking -examination failed to reveal the faintest spark of life. I forced -water from my canteen between his dead lips, bathed his face and -rubbed his hands, working over him continuously for the better part -of an hour in the face of the fact that I knew him to be dead. - -I was very fond of Powell; he was thoroughly a man in every respect; -a polished southern gentleman; a staunch and true friend; and it -was with a feeling of the deepest grief that I finally gave up my -crude endeavors at resuscitation. - -Leaving Powell's body where it lay on the ledge I crept into the -cave to reconnoiter. I found a large chamber, possibly a hundred -feet in diameter and thirty or forty feet in height; a smooth and -well-worn floor, and many other evidences that the cave had, at -some remote period, been inhabited. The back of the cave was so -lost in dense shadow that I could not distinguish whether there -were openings into other apartments or not. - -As I was continuing my examination I commenced to feel a pleasant -drowsiness creeping over me which I attributed to the fatigue of -my long and strenuous ride, and the reaction from the excitement -of the fight and the pursuit. I felt comparatively safe in my -present location as I knew that one man could defend the trail to -the cave against an army. - -I soon became so drowsy that I could scarcely resist the strong -desire to throw myself on the floor of the cave for a few moments' -rest, but I knew that this would never do, as it would mean certain -death at the hands of my red friends, who might be upon me at any -moment. With an effort I started toward the opening of the cave -only to reel drunkenly against a side wall, and from there slip -prone upon the floor. - - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE ESCAPE OF THE DEAD - - - - -A sense of delicious dreaminess overcame me, my muscles relaxed, -and I was on the point of giving way to my desire to sleep when -the sound of approaching horses reached my ears. I attempted to -spring to my feet but was horrified to discover that my muscles -refused to respond to my will. I was now thoroughly awake, but as -unable to move a muscle as though turned to stone. It was then, -for the first time, that I noticed a slight vapor filling the cave. -It was extremely tenuous and only noticeable against the opening -which led to daylight. There also came to my nostrils a faintly -pungent odor, and I could only assume that I had been overcome by -some poisonous gas, but why I should retain my mental faculties -and yet be unable to move I could not fathom. - -I lay facing the opening of the cave and where I could see the -short stretch of trail which lay between the cave and the turn of -the cliff around which the trail led. The noise of the approaching -horses had ceased, and I judged the Indians were creeping stealthily -upon me along the little ledge which led to my living tomb. I -remember that I hoped they would make short work of me as I did -not particularly relish the thought of the innumerable things they -might do to me if the spirit prompted them. - -I had not long to wait before a stealthy sound apprised me of their -nearness, and then a war-bonneted, paint-streaked face was thrust -cautiously around the shoulder of the cliff, and savage eyes looked -into mine. That he could see me in the dim light of the cave I -was sure for the early morning sun was falling full upon me through -the opening. - -The fellow, instead of approaching, merely stood and stared; his -eyes bulging and his jaw dropped. And then another savage face -appeared, and a third and fourth and fifth, craning their necks -over the shoulders of their fellows whom they could not pass upon -the narrow ledge. Each face was the picture of awe and fear, but -for what reason I did not know, nor did I learn until ten years -later. That there were still other braves behind those who regarded -me was apparent from the fact that the leaders passed back whispered -word to those behind them. - -Suddenly a low but distinct moaning sound issued from the recesses -of the cave behind me, and, as it reached the ears of the Indians, -they turned and fled in terror, panic-stricken. So frantic were -their efforts to escape from the unseen thing behind me that one of -the braves was hurled headlong from the cliff to the rocks below. -Their wild cries echoed in the canyon for a short time, and then -all was still once more. - -The sound which had frightened them was not repeated, but it had -been sufficient as it was to start me speculating on the possible -horror which lurked in the shadows at my back. Fear is a relative -term and so I can only measure my feelings at that time by what I -had experienced in previous positions of danger and by those that -I have passed through since; but I can say without shame that if -the sensations I endured during the next few minutes were fear, -then may God help the coward, for cowardice is of a surety its own -punishment. - -To be held paralyzed, with one's back toward some horrible and -unknown danger from the very sound of which the ferocious Apache -warriors turn in wild stampede, as a flock of sheep would madly -flee from a pack of wolves, seems to me the last word in fearsome -predicaments for a man who had ever been used to fighting for his -life with all the energy of a powerful physique. - -Several times I thought I heard faint sounds behind me as of -somebody moving cautiously, but eventually even these ceased, and -I was left to the contemplation of my position without interruption. -I could but vaguely conjecture the cause of my paralysis, and my -only hope lay in that it might pass off as suddenly as it had fallen -upon me. - -Late in the afternoon my horse, which had been standing with dragging -rein before the cave, started slowly down the trail, evidently in -search of food and water, and I was left alone with my mysterious -unknown companion and the dead body of my friend, which lay just -within my range of vision upon the ledge where I had placed it in -the early morning. - -From then until possibly midnight all was silence, the silence of -the dead; then, suddenly, the awful moan of the morning broke upon -my startled ears, and there came again from the black shadows the -sound of a moving thing, and a faint rustling as of dead leaves. -The shock to my already overstrained nervous system was terrible -in the extreme, and with a superhuman effort I strove to break my -awful bonds. It was an effort of the mind, of the will, of the -nerves; not muscular, for I could not move even so much as my little -finger, but none the less mighty for all that. And then something -gave, there was a momentary feeling of nausea, a sharp click as -of the snapping of a steel wire, and I stood with my back against -the wall of the cave facing my unknown foe. - -And then the moonlight flooded the cave, and there before me lay -my own body as it had been lying all these hours, with the eyes -staring toward the open ledge and the hands resting limply upon the -ground. I looked first at my lifeless clay there upon the floor of -the cave and then down at myself in utter bewilderment; for there -I lay clothed, and yet here I stood but naked as at the minute of -my birth. - -The transition had been so sudden and so unexpected that it left me -for a moment forgetful of aught else than my strange metamorphosis. -My first thought was, is this then death! Have I indeed passed -over forever into that other life! But I could not well believe -this, as I could feel my heart pounding against my ribs from the -exertion of my efforts to release myself from the anaesthesis which -had held me. My breath was coming in quick, short gasps, cold sweat -stood out from every pore of my body, and the ancient experiment of -pinching revealed the fact that I was anything other than a wraith. - -Again was I suddenly recalled to my immediate surroundings by a -repetition of the weird moan from the depths of the cave. Naked -and unarmed as I was, I had no desire to face the unseen thing -which menaced me. - -My revolvers were strapped to my lifeless body which, for some -unfathomable reason, I could not bring myself to touch. My carbine -was in its boot, strapped to my saddle, and as my horse had wandered -off I was left without means of defense. My only alternative seemed -to lie in flight and my decision was crystallized by a recurrence -of the rustling sound from the thing which now seemed, in the -darkness of the cave and to my distorted imagination, to be creeping -stealthily upon me. - -Unable longer to resist the temptation to escape this horrible -place I leaped quickly through the opening into the starlight of a -clear Arizona night. The crisp, fresh mountain air outside the cave -acted as an immediate tonic and I felt new life and new courage -coursing through me. Pausing upon the brink of the ledge I upbraided -myself for what now seemed to me wholly unwarranted apprehension. -I reasoned with myself that I had lain helpless for many hours within -the cave, yet nothing had molested me, and my better judgment, when -permitted the direction of clear and logical reasoning, convinced -me that the noises I had heard must have resulted from purely -natural and harmless causes; probably the conformation of the cave -was such that a slight breeze had caused the sounds I heard. - -I decided to investigate, but first I lifted my head to fill my -lungs with the pure, invigorating night air of the mountains. As -I did so I saw stretching far below me the beautiful vista of rocky -gorge, and level, cacti-studded flat, wrought by the moonlight into -a miracle of soft splendor and wondrous enchantment. - -Few western wonders are more inspiring than the beauties of an -Arizona moonlit landscape; the silvered mountains in the distance, -the strange lights and shadows upon hog back and arroyo, and the -grotesque details of the stiff, yet beautiful cacti form a picture -at once enchanting and inspiring; as though one were catching -for the first time a glimpse of some dead and forgotten world, so -different is it from the aspect of any other spot upon our earth. - -As I stood thus meditating, I turned my gaze from the landscape to -the heavens where the myriad stars formed a gorgeous and fitting -canopy for the wonders of the earthly scene. My attention was -quickly riveted by a large red star close to the distant horizon. -As I gazed upon it I felt a spell of overpowering fascination--it -was Mars, the god of war, and for me, the fighting man, it had -always held the power of irresistible enchantment. As I gazed at -it on that far-gone night it seemed to call across the unthinkable -void, to lure me to it, to draw me as the lodestone attracts a -particle of iron. - -My longing was beyond the power of opposition; I closed my eyes, -stretched out my arms toward the god of my vocation and felt -myself drawn with the suddenness of thought through the trackless -immensity of space. There was an instant of extreme cold and utter -darkness. - - - - - -CHAPTER III - -MY ADVENT ON MARS - - - - -I opened my eyes upon a strange and weird landscape. I knew that I -was on Mars; not once did I question either my sanity or my wakefulness. -I was not asleep, no need for pinching here; my inner consciousness -told me as plainly that I was upon Mars as your conscious mind -tells you that you are upon Earth. You do not question the fact; -neither did I. - -I found myself lying prone upon a bed of yellowish, mosslike vegetation -which stretched around me in all directions for interminable miles. -I seemed to be lying in a deep, circular basin, along the outer -verge of which I could distinguish the irregularities of low hills. - -It was midday, the sun was shining full upon me and the heat of it -was rather intense upon my naked body, yet no greater than would -have been true under similar conditions on an Arizona desert. Here -and there were slight outcroppings of quartz-bearing rock which -glistened in the sunlight; and a little to my left, perhaps a hundred -yards, appeared a low, walled enclosure about four feet in height. -No water, and no other vegetation than the moss was in evidence, -and as I was somewhat thirsty I determined to do a little exploring. - -Springing to my feet I received my first Martian surprise, for -the effort, which on Earth would have brought me standing upright, -carried me into the Martian air to the height of about three yards. -I alighted softly upon the ground, however, without appreciable -shock or jar. Now commenced a series of evolutions which even -then seemed ludicrous in the extreme. I found that I must learn -to walk all over again, as the muscular exertion which carried me -easily and safely upon Earth played strange antics with me upon -Mars. - -Instead of progressing in a sane and dignified manner, my attempts -to walk resulted in a variety of hops which took me clear of the -ground a couple of feet at each step and landed me sprawling upon -my face or back at the end of each second or third hop. My muscles, -perfectly attuned and accustomed to the force of gravity on Earth, -played the mischief with me in attempting for the first time to -cope with the lesser gravitation and lower air pressure on Mars. - -I was determined, however, to explore the low structure which was -the only evidence of habitation in sight, and so I hit upon the unique -plan of reverting to first principles in locomotion, creeping. I -did fairly well at this and in a few moments had reached the low, -encircling wall of the enclosure. - -There appeared to be no doors or windows upon the side nearest me, -but as the wall was but about four feet high I cautiously gained my -feet and peered over the top upon the strangest sight it had ever -been given me to see. - -The roof of the enclosure was of solid glass about four or five -inches in thickness, and beneath this were several hundred large -eggs, perfectly round and snowy white. The eggs were nearly uniform -in size being about two and one-half feet in diameter. - -Five or six had already hatched and the grotesque caricatures which -sat blinking in the sunlight were enough to cause me to doubt my -sanity. They seemed mostly head, with little scrawny bodies, long -necks and six legs, or, as I afterward learned, two legs and two -arms, with an intermediary pair of limbs which could be used at -will either as arms or legs. Their eyes were set at the extreme -sides of their heads a trifle above the center and protruded in -such a manner that they could be directed either forward or back -and also independently of each other, thus permitting this queer -animal to look in any direction, or in two directions at once, -without the necessity of turning the head. - -The ears, which were slightly above the eyes and closer together, -were small, cup-shaped antennae, protruding not more than an inch -on these young specimens. Their noses were but longitudinal slits -in the center of their faces, midway between their mouths and ears. - -There was no hair on their bodies, which were of a very light -yellowish-green color. In the adults, as I was to learn quite -soon, this color deepens to an olive green and is darker in the -male than in the female. Further, the heads of the adults are not -so out of proportion to their bodies as in the case of the young. - -The iris of the eyes is blood red, as in Albinos, while the pupil -is dark. The eyeball itself is very white, as are the teeth. These -latter add a most ferocious appearance to an otherwise fearsome -and terrible countenance, as the lower tusks curve upward to sharp -points which end about where the eyes of earthly human beings are -located. The whiteness of the teeth is not that of ivory, but of -the snowiest and most gleaming of china. Against the dark background -of their olive skins their tusks stand out in a most striking manner, -making these weapons present a singularly formidable appearance. - -Most of these details I noted later, for I was given but little -time to speculate on the wonders of my new discovery. I had seen -that the eggs were in the process of hatching, and as I stood -watching the hideous little monsters break from their shells I -failed to note the approach of a score of full-grown Martians from -behind me. - -Coming, as they did, over the soft and soundless moss, which covers -practically the entire surface of Mars with the exception of the -frozen areas at the poles and the scattered cultivated districts, -they might have captured me easily, but their intentions were far -more sinister. It was the rattling of the accouterments of the -foremost warrior which warned me. - -On such a little thing my life hung that I often marvel that I -escaped so easily. Had not the rifle of the leader of the party -swung from its fastenings beside his saddle in such a way as to -strike against the butt of his great metal shod spear I should have -snuffed out without ever knowing that death was near me. But the -little sound caused me to turn, and there upon me, not ten feet -from my breast, was the point of that huge spear, a spear forty -feet long, tipped with gleaming metal, and held low at the side of -a mounted replica of the little devils I had been watching. - -But how puny and harmless they now looked beside this huge and -terrific incarnation of hate, of vengeance and of death. The man -himself, for such I may call him, was fully fifteen feet in height -and, on Earth, would have weighed some four hundred pounds. He -sat his mount as we sit a horse, grasping the animal's barrel with -his lower limbs, while the hands of his two right arms held his -immense spear low at the side of his mount; his two left arms were -outstretched laterally to help preserve his balance, the thing he -rode having neither bridle or reins of any description for guidance. - -And his mount! How can earthly words describe it! It towered ten -feet at the shoulder; had four legs on either side; a broad flat -tail, larger at the tip than at the root, and which it held straight -out behind while running; a gaping mouth which split its head from -its snout to its long, massive neck. - -Like its master, it was entirely devoid of hair, but was of a dark -slate color and exceeding smooth and glossy. Its belly was white, -and its legs shaded from the slate of its shoulders and hips to a -vivid yellow at the feet. The feet themselves were heavily padded -and nailless, which fact had also contributed to the noiselessness -of their approach, and, in common with a multiplicity of legs, is -a characteristic feature of the fauna of Mars. The highest type of -man and one other animal, the only mammal existing on Mars, alone -have well-formed nails, and there are absolutely no hoofed animals -in existence there. - -Behind this first charging demon trailed nineteen others, similar -in all respects, but, as I learned later, bearing individual -characteristics peculiar to themselves; precisely as no two of us -are identical although we are all cast in a similar mold. This -picture, or rather materialized nightmare, which I have described -at length, made but one terrible and swift impression on me as I -turned to meet it. - -Unarmed and naked as I was, the first law of nature manifested -itself in the only possible solution of my immediate problem, and -that was to get out of the vicinity of the point of the charging -spear. Consequently I gave a very earthly and at the same time -superhuman leap to reach the top of the Martian incubator, for such -I had determined it must be. - -My effort was crowned with a success which appalled me no less -than it seemed to surprise the Martian warriors, for it carried me -fully thirty feet into the air and landed me a hundred feet from -my pursuers and on the opposite side of the enclosure. - -I alighted upon the soft moss easily and without mishap, and -turning saw my enemies lined up along the further wall. Some were -surveying me with expressions which I afterward discovered marked -extreme astonishment, and the others were evidently satisfying -themselves that I had not molested their young. - -They were conversing together in low tones, and gesticulating and -pointing toward me. Their discovery that I had not harmed the -little Martians, and that I was unarmed, must have caused them to -look upon me with less ferocity; but, as I was to learn later, the -thing which weighed most in my favor was my exhibition of hurdling. - -While the Martians are immense, their bones are very large and they -are muscled only in proportion to the gravitation which they must -overcome. The result is that they are infinitely less agile and -less powerful, in proportion to their weight, than an Earth man, -and I doubt that were one of them suddenly to be transported to -Earth he could lift his own weight from the ground; in fact, I am -convinced that he could not do so. - -My feat then was as marvelous upon Mars as it would have been upon -Earth, and from desiring to annihilate me they suddenly looked -upon me as a wonderful discovery to be captured and exhibited among -their fellows. - -The respite my unexpected agility had given me permitted me to -formulate plans for the immediate future and to note more closely -the appearance of the warriors, for I could not disassociate these -people in my mind from those other warriors who, only the day -before, had been pursuing me. - -I noted that each was armed with several other weapons in addition -to the huge spear which I have described. The weapon which caused -me to decide against an attempt at escape by flight was what was -evidently a rifle of some description, and which I felt, for some -reason, they were peculiarly efficient in handling. - -These rifles were of a white metal stocked with wood, which I learned -later was a very light and intensely hard growth much prized on -Mars, and entirely unknown to us denizens of Earth. The metal of -the barrel is an alloy composed principally of aluminum and steel -which they have learned to temper to a hardness far exceeding that -of the steel with which we are familiar. The weight of these rifles -is comparatively little, and with the small caliber, explosive, -radium projectiles which they use, and the great length of the -barrel, they are deadly in the extreme and at ranges which would -be unthinkable on Earth. The theoretic effective radius of this -rifle is three hundred miles, but the best they can do in actual -service when equipped with their wireless finders and sighters is -but a trifle over two hundred miles. - -This is quite far enough to imbue me with great respect for the Martian -firearm, and some telepathic force must have warned me against an -attempt to escape in broad daylight from under the muzzles of twenty -of these death-dealing machines. - -The Martians, after conversing for a short time, turned and rode -away in the direction from which they had come, leaving one of their -number alone by the enclosure. When they had covered perhaps two -hundred yards they halted, and turning their mounts toward us sat -watching the warrior by the enclosure. - -He was the one whose spear had so nearly transfixed me, and was -evidently the leader of the band, as I had noted that they seemed -to have moved to their present position at his direction. When -his force had come to a halt he dismounted, threw down his spear -and small arms, and came around the end of the incubator toward -me, entirely unarmed and as naked as I, except for the ornaments -strapped upon his head, limbs, and breast. - -When he was within about fifty feet of me he unclasped an enormous -metal armlet, and holding it toward me in the open palm of his -hand, addressed me in a clear, resonant voice, but in a language, -it is needless to say, I could not understand. He then stopped -as though waiting for my reply, pricking up his antennae-like ears -and cocking his strange-looking eyes still further toward me. - -As the silence became painful I concluded to hazard a little -conversation on my own part, as I had guessed that he was making -overtures of peace. The throwing down of his weapons and the -withdrawing of his troop before his advance toward me would have -signified a peaceful mission anywhere on Earth, so why not, then, -on Mars! - -Placing my hand over my heart I bowed low to the Martian and explained -to him that while I did not understand his language, his actions -spoke for the peace and friendship that at the present moment were -most dear to my heart. Of course I might have been a babbling -brook for all the intelligence my speech carried to him, but he -understood the action with which I immediately followed my words. - -Stretching my hand toward him, I advanced and took the armlet from -his open palm, clasping it about my arm above the elbow; smiled -at him and stood waiting. His wide mouth spread into an answering -smile, and locking one of his intermediary arms in mine we turned -and walked back toward his mount. At the same time he motioned -his followers to advance. They started toward us on a wild run, -but were checked by a signal from him. Evidently he feared that -were I to be really frightened again I might jump entirely out of -the landscape. - -He exchanged a few words with his men, motioned to me that I would -ride behind one of them, and then mounted his own animal. The -fellow designated reached down two or three hands and lifted me up -behind him on the glossy back of his mount, where I hung on as best -I could by the belts and straps which held the Martian's weapons -and ornaments. - -The entire cavalcade then turned and galloped away toward the range -of hills in the distance. - - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -A PRISONER - - - - -We had gone perhaps ten miles when the ground began to rise very -rapidly. We were, as I was later to learn, nearing the edge of one -of Mars' long-dead seas, in the bottom of which my encounter with -the Martians had taken place. - -In a short time we gained the foot of the mountains, and after -traversing a narrow gorge came to an open valley, at the far -extremity of which was a low table land upon which I beheld an -enormous city. Toward this we galloped, entering it by what appeared -to be a ruined roadway leading out from the city, but only to the -edge of the table land, where it ended abruptly in a flight of -broad steps. - -Upon closer observation I saw as we passed them that the buildings -were deserted, and while not greatly decayed had the appearance -of not having been tenanted for years, possibly for ages. Toward -the center of the city was a large plaza, and upon this and in the -buildings immediately surrounding it were camped some nine or ten -hundred creatures of the same breed as my captors, for such I now -considered them despite the suave manner in which I had been trapped. - -With the exception of their ornaments all were naked. The women -varied in appearance but little from the men, except that their tusks -were much larger in proportion to their height, in some instances -curving nearly to their high-set ears. Their bodies were smaller -and lighter in color, and their fingers and toes bore the rudiments -of nails, which were entirely lacking among the males. The adult -females ranged in height from ten to twelve feet. - -The children were light in color, even lighter than the women, and -all looked precisely alike to me, except that some were taller than -others; older, I presumed. - -I saw no signs of extreme age among them, nor is there any appreciable -difference in their appearance from the age of maturity, about forty, -until, at about the age of one thousand years, they go voluntarily -upon their last strange pilgrimage down the river Iss, which leads -no living Martian knows whither and from whose bosom no Martian -has ever returned, or would be allowed to live did he return after -once embarking upon its cold, dark waters. - -Only about one Martian in a thousand dies of sickness or disease, -and possibly about twenty take the voluntary pilgrimage. The -other nine hundred and seventy-nine die violent deaths in duels, -in hunting, in aviation and in war; but perhaps by far the greatest -death loss comes during the age of childhood, when vast numbers of -the little Martians fall victims to the great white apes of Mars. - -The average life expectancy of a Martian after the age of maturity -is about three hundred years, but would be nearer the one-thousand -mark were it not for the various means leading to violent death. -Owing to the waning resources of the planet it evidently became -necessary to counteract the increasing longevity which their -remarkable skill in therapeutics and surgery produced, and so human -life has come to be considered but lightly on Mars, as is evidenced -by their dangerous sports and the almost continual warfare between -the various communities. - -There are other and natural causes tending toward a diminution of -population, but nothing contributes so greatly to this end as the -fact that no male or female Martian is ever voluntarily without a -weapon of destruction. - -As we neared the plaza and my presence was discovered we were -immediately surrounded by hundreds of the creatures who seemed anxious -to pluck me from my seat behind my guard. A word from the leader -of the party stilled their clamor, and we proceeded at a trot across -the plaza to the entrance of as magnificent an edifice as mortal -eye has rested upon. - -The building was low, but covered an enormous area. It was -constructed of gleaming white marble inlaid with gold and brilliant -stones which sparkled and scintillated in the sunlight. The main -entrance was some hundred feet in width and projected from the -building proper to form a huge canopy above the entrance hall. -There was no stairway, but a gentle incline to the first floor of -the building opened into an enormous chamber encircled by galleries. - -On the floor of this chamber, which was dotted with highly carved -wooden desks and chairs, were assembled about forty or fifty male -Martians around the steps of a rostrum. On the platform proper -squatted an enormous warrior heavily loaded with metal ornaments, -gay-colored feathers and beautifully wrought leather trappings -ingeniously set with precious stones. From his shoulders depended -a short cape of white fur lined with brilliant scarlet silk. - -What struck me as most remarkable about this assemblage and the -hall in which they were congregated was the fact that the creatures -were entirely out of proportion to the desks, chairs, and other -furnishings; these being of a size adapted to human beings such -as I, whereas the great bulks of the Martians could scarcely have -squeezed into the chairs, nor was there room beneath the desks for -their long legs. Evidently, then, there were other denizens on -Mars than the wild and grotesque creatures into whose hands I had -fallen, but the evidences of extreme antiquity which showed all -around me indicated that these buildings might have belonged to -some long-extinct and forgotten race in the dim antiquity of Mars. - -Our party had halted at the entrance to the building, and at a sign -from the leader I had been lowered to the ground. Again locking -his arm in mine, we had proceeded into the audience chamber. There -were few formalities observed in approaching the Martian chieftain. -My captor merely strode up to the rostrum, the others making way -for him as he advanced. The chieftain rose to his feet and uttered -the name of my escort who, in turn, halted and repeated the name -of the ruler followed by his title. - -At the time, this ceremony and the words they uttered meant nothing -to me, but later I came to know that this was the customary greeting -between green Martians. Had the men been strangers, and therefore -unable to exchange names, they would have silently exchanged -ornaments, had their missions been peaceful--otherwise they would -have exchanged shots, or have fought out their introduction with -some other of their various weapons. - -My captor, whose name was Tars Tarkas, was virtually the vice-chieftain -of the community, and a man of great ability as a statesman and -warrior. He evidently explained briefly the incidents connected -with his expedition, including my capture, and when he had concluded -the chieftain addressed me at some length. - -I replied in our good old English tongue merely to convince him -that neither of us could understand the other; but I noticed that -when I smiled slightly on concluding, he did likewise. This fact, -and the similar occurrence during my first talk with Tars Tarkas, -convinced me that we had at least something in common; the ability -to smile, therefore to laugh; denoting a sense of humor. But I was -to learn that the Martian smile is merely perfunctory, and that the -Martian laugh is a thing to cause strong men to blanch in horror. - -The ideas of humor among the green men of Mars are widely at variance -with our conceptions of incitants to merriment. The death agonies -of a fellow being are, to these strange creatures provocative of -the wildest hilarity, while their chief form of commonest amusement -is to inflict death on their prisoners of war in various ingenious -and horrible ways. - -The assembled warriors and chieftains examined me closely, feeling -my muscles and the texture of my skin. The principal chieftain then -evidently signified a desire to see me perform, and, motioning me -to follow, he started with Tars Tarkas for the open plaza. - -Now, I had made no attempt to walk, since my first signal failure, -except while tightly grasping Tars Tarkas' arm, and so now I went -skipping and flitting about among the desks and chairs like some -monstrous grasshopper. After bruising myself severely, much to -the amusement of the Martians, I again had recourse to creeping, -but this did not suit them and I was roughly jerked to my feet by -a towering fellow who had laughed most heartily at my misfortunes. - -As he banged me down upon my feet his face was bent close to mine -and I did the only thing a gentleman might do under the circumstances -of brutality, boorishness, and lack of consideration for a stranger's -rights; I swung my fist squarely to his jaw and he went down like a -felled ox. As he sunk to the floor I wheeled around with my back -toward the nearest desk, expecting to be overwhelmed by the vengeance -of his fellows, but determined to give them as good a battle as -the unequal odds would permit before I gave up my life. - -My fears were groundless, however, as the other Martians, at first -struck dumb with wonderment, finally broke into wild peals of -laughter and applause. I did not recognize the applause as such, -but later, when I had become acquainted with their customs, I learned -that I had won what they seldom accord, a manifestation of approbation. - -The fellow whom I had struck lay where he had fallen, nor did any -of his mates approach him. Tars Tarkas advanced toward me, holding -out one of his arms, and we thus proceeded to the plaza without -further mishap. I did not, of course, know the reason for which -we had come to the open, but I was not long in being enlightened. -They first repeated the word "sak" a number of times, and then -Tars Tarkas made several jumps, repeating the same word before each -leap; then, turning to me, he said, "sak!" I saw what they were -after, and gathering myself together I "sakked" with such marvelous -success that I cleared a good hundred and fifty feet; nor did I -this time, lose my equilibrium, but landed squarely upon my feet -without falling. I then returned by easy jumps of twenty-five or -thirty feet to the little group of warriors. - -My exhibition had been witnessed by several hundred lesser Martians, -and they immediately broke into demands for a repetition, which -the chieftain then ordered me to make; but I was both hungry and -thirsty, and determined on the spot that my only method of salvation -was to demand the consideration from these creatures which they -evidently would not voluntarily accord. I therefore ignored the -repeated commands to "sak," and each time they were made I motioned -to my mouth and rubbed my stomach. - -Tars Tarkas and the chief exchanged a few words, and the former, -calling to a young female among the throng, gave her some instructions -and motioned me to accompany her. I grasped her proffered arm and -together we crossed the plaza toward a large building on the far -side. - -My fair companion was about eight feet tall, having just -arrived at maturity, but not yet to her full height. She was of -a light olive-green color, with a smooth, glossy hide. Her name, -as I afterward learned, was Sola, and she belonged to the retinue -of Tars Tarkas. She conducted me to a spacious chamber in one of -the buildings fronting on the plaza, and which, from the litter of -silks and furs upon the floor, I took to be the sleeping quarters -of several of the natives. - -The room was well lighted by a number of large windows and was -beautifully decorated with mural paintings and mosaics, but upon -all there seemed to rest that indefinable touch of the finger -of antiquity which convinced me that the architects and builders -of these wondrous creations had nothing in common with the crude -half-brutes which now occupied them. - -Sola motioned me to be seated upon a pile of silks near the center -of the room, and, turning, made a peculiar hissing sound, as though -signaling to someone in an adjoining room. In response to her call -I obtained my first sight of a new Martian wonder. It waddled in -on its ten short legs, and squatted down before the girl like an -obedient puppy. The thing was about the size of a Shetland pony, -but its head bore a slight resemblance to that of a frog, except -that the jaws were equipped with three rows of long, sharp tusks. - - - - - -CHAPTER V - -I ELUDE MY WATCH DOG - - - - -Sola stared into the brute's wicked-looking eyes, muttered a word -or two of command, pointed to me, and left the chamber. I could -not but wonder what this ferocious-looking monstrosity might do -when left alone in such close proximity to such a relatively tender -morsel of meat; but my fears were groundless, as the beast, after -surveying me intently for a moment, crossed the room to the only -exit which led to the street, and lay down full length across the -threshold. - -This was my first experience with a Martian watch dog, but it was -destined not to be my last, for this fellow guarded me carefully -during the time I remained a captive among these green men; twice -saving my life, and never voluntarily being away from me a moment. - -While Sola was away I took occasion to examine more minutely the -room in which I found myself captive. The mural painting depicted -scenes of rare and wonderful beauty; mountains, rivers, lake, -ocean, meadow, trees and flowers, winding roadways, sun-kissed -gardens--scenes which might have portrayed earthly views but for -the different colorings of the vegetation. The work had evidently -been wrought by a master hand, so subtle the atmosphere, so perfect -the technique; yet nowhere was there a representation of a living -animal, either human or brute, by which I could guess at the likeness -of these other and perhaps extinct denizens of Mars. - -While I was allowing my fancy to run riot in wild conjecture on -the possible explanation of the strange anomalies which I had so -far met with on Mars, Sola returned bearing both food and drink. -These she placed on the floor beside me, and seating herself a -short ways off regarded me intently. The food consisted of about -a pound of some solid substance of the consistency of cheese and -almost tasteless, while the liquid was apparently milk from some -animal. It was not unpleasant to the taste, though slightly acid, -and I learned in a short time to prize it very highly. It came, -as I later discovered, not from an animal, as there is only one -mammal on Mars and that one very rare indeed, but from a large -plant which grows practically without water, but seems to distill -its plentiful supply of milk from the products of the soil, the -moisture of the air, and the rays of the sun. A single plant of -this species will give eight or ten quarts of milk per day. - -After I had eaten I was greatly invigorated, but feeling the need -of rest I stretched out upon the silks and was soon asleep. I -must have slept several hours, as it was dark when I awoke, and I -was very cold. I noticed that someone had thrown a fur over me, -but it had become partially dislodged and in the darkness I could -not see to replace it. Suddenly a hand reached out and pulled the -fur over me, shortly afterwards adding another to my covering. - -I presumed that my watchful guardian was Sola, nor was I wrong. -This girl alone, among all the green Martians with whom I came in -contact, disclosed characteristics of sympathy, kindliness, and -affection; her ministrations to my bodily wants were unfailing, and -her solicitous care saved me from much suffering and many hardships. - -As I was to learn, the Martian nights are extremely cold, and as -there is practically no twilight or dawn, the changes in temperature -are sudden and most uncomfortable, as are the transitions from -brilliant daylight to darkness. The nights are either brilliantly -illumined or very dark, for if neither of the two moons of Mars -happen to be in the sky almost total darkness results, since the -lack of atmosphere, or, rather, the very thin atmosphere, fails to -diffuse the starlight to any great extent; on the other hand, if -both of the moons are in the heavens at night the surface of the -ground is brightly illuminated. - -Both of Mars' moons are vastly nearer her than is our moon to Earth; -the nearer moon being but about five thousand miles distant, while -the further is but little more than fourteen thousand miles away, -against the nearly one-quarter million miles which separate us -from our moon. The nearer moon of Mars makes a complete revolution -around the planet in a little over seven and one-half hours, so -that she may be seen hurtling through the sky like some huge meteor -two or three times each night, revealing all her phases during each -transit of the heavens. - -The further moon revolves about Mars in something over thirty and -one-quarter hours, and with her sister satellite makes a nocturnal -Martian scene one of splendid and weird grandeur. And it is well -that nature has so graciously and abundantly lighted the Martian -night, for the green men of Mars, being a nomadic race without -high intellectual development, have but crude means for artificial -lighting; depending principally upon torches, a kind of candle, -and a peculiar oil lamp which generates a gas and burns without a -wick. - -This last device produces an intensely brilliant far-reaching -white light, but as the natural oil which it requires can only be -obtained by mining in one of several widely separated and remote -localities it is seldom used by these creatures whose only thought -is for today, and whose hatred for manual labor has kept them in -a semi-barbaric state for countless ages. - -After Sola had replenished my coverings I again slept, nor did I -awaken until daylight. The other occupants of the room, five in -number, were all females, and they were still sleeping, piled high -with a motley array of silks and furs. Across the threshold lay -stretched the sleepless guardian brute, just as I had last seen -him on the preceding day; apparently he had not moved a muscle; his -eyes were fairly glued upon me, and I fell to wondering just what -might befall me should I endeavor to escape. I have ever been prone -to seek adventure and to investigate and experiment where wiser -men would have left well enough alone. It therefore now occurred -to me that the surest way of learning the exact attitude of this -beast toward me would be to attempt to leave the room. I felt -fairly secure in my belief that I could escape him should he pursue -me once I was outside the building, for I had begun to take great -pride in my ability as a jumper. Furthermore, I could see from -the shortness of his legs that the brute himself was no jumper and -probably no runner. - -Slowly and carefully, therefore, I gained my feet, only to see that -my watcher did the same; cautiously I advanced toward him, finding -that by moving with a shuffling gait I could retain my balance as -well as make reasonably rapid progress. As I neared the brute he -backed cautiously away from me, and when I had reached the open he -moved to one side to let me pass. He then fell in behind me and -followed about ten paces in my rear as I made my way along the -deserted street. - -Evidently his mission was to protect me only, I thought, but when -we reached the edge of the city he suddenly sprang before me, -uttering strange sounds and baring his ugly and ferocious tusks. -Thinking to have some amusement at his expense, I rushed toward -him, and when almost upon him sprang into the air, alighting far -beyond him and away from the city. He wheeled instantly and charged -me with the most appalling speed I had ever beheld. I had thought -his short legs a bar to swiftness, but had he been coursing with -greyhounds the latter would have appeared as though asleep on a -door mat. As I was to learn, this is the fleetest animal on Mars, -and owing to its intelligence, loyalty, and ferocity is used in -hunting, in war, and as the protector of the Martian man. - -I quickly saw that I would have difficulty in escaping the fangs -of the beast on a straightaway course, and so I met his charge by -doubling in my tracks and leaping over him as he was almost upon -me. This maneuver gave me a considerable advantage, and I was able -to reach the city quite a bit ahead of him, and as he came tearing -after me I jumped for a window about thirty feet from the ground -in the face of one of the buildings overlooking the valley. - -Grasping the sill I pulled myself up to a sitting posture without -looking into the building, and gazed down at the baffled animal -beneath me. My exultation was short-lived, however, for scarcely -had I gained a secure seat upon the sill than a huge hand grasped -me by the neck from behind and dragged me violently into the room. -Here I was thrown upon my back, and beheld standing over me a colossal -ape-like creature, white and hairless except for an enormous shock -of bristly hair upon its head. - - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -A FIGHT THAT WON FRIENDS - - - - -The thing, which more nearly resembled our earthly men than it did -the Martians I had seen, held me pinioned to the ground with one -huge foot, while it jabbered and gesticulated at some answering -creature behind me. This other, which was evidently its mate, -soon came toward us, bearing a mighty stone cudgel with which it -evidently intended to brain me. - -The creatures were about ten or fifteen feet tall, standing erect, -and had, like the green Martians, an intermediary set of arms or -legs, midway between their upper and lower limbs. Their eyes were -close together and non-protruding; their ears were high set, but -more laterally located than those of the Martians, while their -snouts and teeth were strikingly like those of our African gorilla. -Altogether they were not unlovely when viewed in comparison with -the green Martians. - -The cudgel was swinging in the arc which ended upon my upturned -face when a bolt of myriad-legged horror hurled itself through the -doorway full upon the breast of my executioner. With a shriek of -fear the ape which held me leaped through the open window, but its -mate closed in a terrific death struggle with my preserver, which -was nothing less than my faithful watch-thing; I cannot bring myself -to call so hideous a creature a dog. - -As quickly as possible I gained my feet and backing against the wall -I witnessed such a battle as it is vouchsafed few beings to see. -The strength, agility, and blind ferocity of these two creatures -is approached by nothing known to earthly man. My beast had an -advantage in his first hold, having sunk his mighty fangs far into -the breast of his adversary; but the great arms and paws of the -ape, backed by muscles far transcending those of the Martian men -I had seen, had locked the throat of my guardian and slowly were -choking out his life, and bending back his head and neck upon his -body, where I momentarily expected the former to fall limp at the -end of a broken neck. - -In accomplishing this the ape was tearing away the entire front of -its breast, which was held in the vise-like grip of the powerful -jaws. Back and forth upon the floor they rolled, neither one -emitting a sound of fear or pain. Presently I saw the great eyes -of my beast bulging completely from their sockets and blood flowing -from its nostrils. That he was weakening perceptibly was evident, -but so also was the ape, whose struggles were growing momentarily -less. - -Suddenly I came to myself and, with that strange instinct which -seems ever to prompt me to my duty, I seized the cudgel, which had -fallen to the floor at the commencement of the battle, and swinging -it with all the power of my earthly arms I crashed it full upon -the head of the ape, crushing his skull as though it had been an -eggshell. - -Scarcely had the blow descended when I was confronted with a new -danger. The ape's mate, recovered from its first shock of terror, -had returned to the scene of the encounter by way of the interior -of the building. I glimpsed him just before he reached the doorway -and the sight of him, now roaring as he perceived his lifeless -fellow stretched upon the floor, and frothing at the mouth, in -the extremity of his rage, filled me, I must confess, with dire -forebodings. - -I am ever willing to stand and fight when the odds are not too -overwhelmingly against me, but in this instance I perceived neither -glory nor profit in pitting my relatively puny strength against -the iron muscles and brutal ferocity of this enraged denizen of an -unknown world; in fact, the only outcome of such an encounter, so -far as I might be concerned, seemed sudden death. - -I was standing near the window and I knew that once in the street -I might gain the plaza and safety before the creature could overtake -me; at least there was a chance for safety in flight, against almost -certain death should I remain and fight however desperately. - -It is true I held the cudgel, but what could I do with it against -his four great arms? Even should I break one of them with my first -blow, for I figured that he would attempt to ward off the cudgel, -he could reach out and annihilate me with the others before I could -recover for a second attack. - -In the instant that these thoughts passed through my mind I had -turned to make for the window, but my eyes alighting on the form -of my erstwhile guardian threw all thoughts of flight to the four -winds. He lay gasping upon the floor of the chamber, his great eyes -fastened upon me in what seemed a pitiful appeal for protection. -I could not withstand that look, nor could I, on second thought, -have deserted my rescuer without giving as good an account of myself -in his behalf as he had in mine. - -Without more ado, therefore, I turned to meet the charge of the -infuriated bull ape. He was now too close upon me for the cudgel -to prove of any effective assistance, so I merely threw it as -heavily as I could at his advancing bulk. It struck him just below -the knees, eliciting a howl of pain and rage, and so throwing him -off his balance that he lunged full upon me with arms wide stretched -to ease his fall. - -Again, as on the preceding day, I had recourse to earthly tactics, and -swinging my right fist full upon the point of his chin I followed -it with a smashing left to the pit of his stomach. The effect -was marvelous, for, as I lightly sidestepped, after delivering the -second blow, he reeled and fell upon the floor doubled up with pain -and gasping for wind. Leaping over his prostrate body, I seized the -cudgel and finished the monster before he could regain his feet. - -As I delivered the blow a low laugh rang out behind me, and, turning, -I beheld Tars Tarkas, Sola, and three or four warriors standing in -the doorway of the chamber. As my eyes met theirs I was, for the -second time, the recipient of their zealously guarded applause. - -My absence had been noted by Sola on her awakening, and she had -quickly informed Tars Tarkas, who had set out immediately with a -handful of warriors to search for me. As they had approached the -limits of the city they had witnessed the actions of the bull ape -as he bolted into the building, frothing with rage. - -They had followed immediately behind him, thinking it barely -possible that his actions might prove a clew to my whereabouts and -had witnessed my short but decisive battle with him. This encounter, -together with my set-to with the Martian warrior on the previous -day and my feats of jumping placed me upon a high pinnacle in their -regard. Evidently devoid of all the finer sentiments of friendship, -love, or affection, these people fairly worship physical prowess and -bravery, and nothing is too good for the object of their adoration -as long as he maintains his position by repeated examples of his -skill, strength, and courage. - -Sola, who had accompanied the searching party of her own volition, -was the only one of the Martians whose face had not been twisted -in laughter as I battled for my life. She, on the contrary, was -sober with apparent solicitude and, as soon as I had finished the -monster, rushed to me and carefully examined my body for possible -wounds or injuries. Satisfying herself that I had come off unscathed -she smiled quietly, and, taking my hand, started toward the door -of the chamber. - -Tars Tarkas and the other warriors had entered and were standing -over the now rapidly reviving brute which had saved my life, and -whose life I, in turn, had rescued. They seemed to be deep in -argument, and finally one of them addressed me, but remembering -my ignorance of his language turned back to Tars Tarkas, who, with -a word and gesture, gave some command to the fellow and turned to -follow us from the room. - -There seemed something menacing in their attitude toward my beast, -and I hesitated to leave until I had learned the outcome. It was -well I did so, for the warrior drew an evil looking pistol from -its holster and was on the point of putting an end to the creature -when I sprang forward and struck up his arm. The bullet striking -the wooden casing of the window exploded, blowing a hole completely -through the wood and masonry. - -I then knelt down beside the fearsome-looking thing, and raising -it to its feet motioned for it to follow me. The looks of surprise -which my actions elicited from the Martians were ludicrous; they -could not understand, except in a feeble and childish way, such -attributes as gratitude and compassion. The warrior whose gun -I had struck up looked enquiringly at Tars Tarkas, but the latter -signed that I be left to my own devices, and so we returned to the -plaza with my great beast following close at heel, and Sola grasping -me tightly by the arm. - -I had at least two friends on Mars; a young woman who watched over -me with motherly solicitude, and a dumb brute which, as I later -came to know, held in its poor ugly carcass more love, more loyalty, -more gratitude than could have been found in the entire five million -green Martians who rove the deserted cities and dead sea bottoms -of Mars. - - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -CHILD-RAISING ON MARS - - - - -After a breakfast, which was an exact replica of the meal -of the preceding day and an index of practically every meal which -followed while I was with the green men of Mars, Sola escorted me -to the plaza, where I found the entire community engaged in watching -or helping at the harnessing of huge mastodonian animals to great -three-wheeled chariots. There were about two hundred and fifty of -these vehicles, each drawn by a single animal, any one of which, -from their appearance, might easily have drawn the entire wagon -train when fully loaded. - -The chariots themselves were large, commodious, and gorgeously -decorated. In each was seated a female Martian loaded with ornaments -of metal, with jewels and silks and furs, and upon the back of each -of the beasts which drew the chariots was perched a young Martian -driver. Like the animals upon which the warriors were mounted, the -heavier draft animals wore neither bit nor bridle, but were guided -entirely by telepathic means. - -This power is wonderfully developed in all Martians, and accounts -largely for the simplicity of their language and the relatively -few spoken words exchanged even in long conversations. It is the -universal language of Mars, through the medium of which the higher -and lower animals of this world of paradoxes are able to communicate -to a greater or less extent, depending upon the intellectual sphere -of the species and the development of the individual. - -As the cavalcade took up the line of march in single file, Sola -dragged me into an empty chariot and we proceeded with the procession -toward the point by which I had entered the city the day before. -At the head of the caravan rode some two hundred warriors, five -abreast, and a like number brought up the rear, while twenty-five -or thirty outriders flanked us on either side. - -Every one but myself--men, women, and children--were heavily armed, -and at the tail of each chariot trotted a Martian hound, my own -beast following closely behind ours; in fact, the faithful creature -never left me voluntarily during the entire ten years I spent on -Mars. Our way led out across the little valley before the city, -through the hills, and down into the dead sea bottom which I -had traversed on my journey from the incubator to the plaza. The -incubator, as it proved, was the terminal point of our journey this -day, and, as the entire cavalcade broke into a mad gallop as soon -as we reached the level expanse of sea bottom, we were soon within -sight of our goal. - -On reaching it the chariots were parked with military precision -on the four sides of the enclosure, and half a score of warriors, -headed by the enormous chieftain, and including Tars Tarkas and -several other lesser chiefs, dismounted and advanced toward it. -I could see Tars Tarkas explaining something to the principal -chieftain, whose name, by the way, was, as nearly as I can translate -it into English, Lorquas Ptomel, Jed; jed being his title. - -I was soon appraised of the subject of their conversation, as, -calling to Sola, Tars Tarkas signed for her to send me to him. I -had by this time mastered the intricacies of walking under Martian -conditions, and quickly responding to his command I advanced to -the side of the incubator where the warriors stood. - -As I reached their side a glance showed me that all but a very few -eggs had hatched, the incubator being fairly alive with the hideous -little devils. They ranged in height from three to four feet, and -were moving restlessly about the enclosure as though searching for -food. - -As I came to a halt before him, Tars Tarkas pointed over the -incubator and said, "Sak." I saw that he wanted me to repeat my -performance of yesterday for the edification of Lorquas Ptomel, and, -as I must confess that my prowess gave me no little satisfaction, -I responded quickly, leaping entirely over the parked chariots -on the far side of the incubator. As I returned, Lorquas Ptomel -grunted something at me, and turning to his warriors gave a few -words of command relative to the incubator. They paid no further -attention to me and I was thus permitted to remain close and watch -their operations, which consisted in breaking an opening in the -wall of the incubator large enough to permit of the exit of the -young Martians. - -On either side of this opening the women and the younger Martians, -both male and female, formed two solid walls leading out through -the chariots and quite away into the plain beyond. Between these -walls the little Martians scampered, wild as deer; being permitted -to run the full length of the aisle, where they were captured one -at a time by the women and older children; the last in the line -capturing the first little one to reach the end of the gauntlet, -her opposite in the line capturing the second, and so on until all -the little fellows had left the enclosure and been appropriated -by some youth or female. As the women caught the young they fell -out of line and returned to their respective chariots, while those -who fell into the hands of the young men were later turned over to -some of the women. - -I saw that the ceremony, if it could be dignified by such a name, -was over, and seeking out Sola I found her in our chariot with a -hideous little creature held tightly in her arms. - -The work of rearing young, green Martians consists solely in teaching -them to talk, and to use the weapons of warfare with which they -are loaded down from the very first year of their lives. Coming -from eggs in which they have lain for five years, the period -of incubation, they step forth into the world perfectly developed -except in size. Entirely unknown to their mothers, who, in turn, -would have difficulty in pointing out the fathers with any degree -of accuracy, they are the common children of the community, and -their education devolves upon the females who chance to capture -them as they leave the incubator. - -Their foster mothers may not even have had an egg in the incubator, -as was the case with Sola, who had not commenced to lay, until -less than a year before she became the mother of another woman's -offspring. But this counts for little among the green Martians, -as parental and filial love is as unknown to them as it is common -among us. I believe this horrible system which has been carried on -for ages is the direct cause of the loss of all the finer feelings -and higher humanitarian instincts among these poor creatures. From -birth they know no father or mother love, they know not the meaning -of the word home; they are taught that they are only suffered to -live until they can demonstrate by their physique and ferocity that -they are fit to live. Should they prove deformed or defective in -any way they are promptly shot; nor do they see a tear shed for -a single one of the many cruel hardships they pass through from -earliest infancy. - -I do not mean that the adult Martians are unnecessarily or intentionally -cruel to the young, but theirs is a hard and pitiless struggle for -existence upon a dying planet, the natural resources of which have -dwindled to a point where the support of each additional life means -an added tax upon the community into which it is thrown. - -By careful selection they rear only the hardiest specimens of each -species, and with almost supernatural foresight they regulate the -birth rate to merely offset the loss by death. - -Each adult Martian female brings forth about thirteen eggs each -year, and those which meet the size, weight, and specific gravity -tests are hidden in the recesses of some subterranean vault where -the temperature is too low for incubation. Every year these eggs -are carefully examined by a council of twenty chieftains, and all -but about one hundred of the most perfect are destroyed out of each -yearly supply. At the end of five years about five hundred almost -perfect eggs have been chosen from the thousands brought forth. -These are then placed in the almost air-tight incubators to be -hatched by the sun's rays after a period of another five years. The -hatching which we had witnessed today was a fairly representative -event of its kind, all but about one per cent of the eggs hatching -in two days. If the remaining eggs ever hatched we knew nothing -of the fate of the little Martians. They were not wanted, as their -offspring might inherit and transmit the tendency to prolonged -incubation, and thus upset the system which has maintained for ages -and which permits the adult Martians to figure the proper time for -return to the incubators, almost to an hour. - -The incubators are built in remote fastnesses, where there is little -or no likelihood of their being discovered by other tribes. The -result of such a catastrophe would mean no children in the community -for another five years. I was later to witness the results of the -discovery of an alien incubator. - -The community of which the green Martians with whom my lot was cast -formed a part was composed of some thirty thousand souls. They -roamed an enormous tract of arid and semi-arid land between forty -and eighty degrees south latitude, and bounded on the east and -west by two large fertile tracts. Their headquarters lay in the -southwest corner of this district, near the crossing of two of the -so-called Martian canals. - -As the incubator had been placed far north of their own territory -in a supposedly uninhabited and unfrequented area, we had before -us a tremendous journey, concerning which I, of course, knew nothing. - -After our return to the dead city I passed several days in comparative -idleness. On the day following our return all the warriors had -ridden forth early in the morning and had not returned until just -before darkness fell. As I later learned, they had been to the -subterranean vaults in which the eggs were kept and had transported -them to the incubator, which they had then walled up for another -five years, and which, in all probability, would not be visited -again during that period. - -The vaults which hid the eggs until they were ready for the -incubator were located many miles south of the incubator, and would -be visited yearly by the council of twenty chieftains. Why they -did not arrange to build their vaults and incubators nearer home -has always been a mystery to me, and, like many other Martian -mysteries, unsolved and unsolvable by earthly reasoning and customs. - -Sola's duties were now doubled, as she was compelled to care for -the young Martian as well as for me, but neither one of us required -much attention, and as we were both about equally advanced in -Martian education, Sola took it upon herself to train us together. - -Her prize consisted in a male about four feet tall, very strong and -physically perfect; also, he learned quickly, and we had considerable -amusement, at least I did, over the keen rivalry we displayed. The -Martian language, as I have said, is extremely simple, and in a week -I could make all my wants known and understand nearly everything -that was said to me. Likewise, under Sola's tutelage, I developed -my telepathic powers so that I shortly could sense practically -everything that went on around me. - -What surprised Sola most in me was that while I could catch telepathic -messages easily from others, and often when they were not intended -for me, no one could read a jot from my mind under any circumstances. -At first this vexed me, but later I was very glad of it, as it gave -me an undoubted advantage over the Martians. - - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -A FAIR CAPTIVE FROM THE SKY - - - - -The third day after the incubator ceremony we set forth toward -home, but scarcely had the head of the procession debouched into -the open ground before the city than orders were given for an -immediate and hasty return. As though trained for years in this -particular evolution, the green Martians melted like mist into -the spacious doorways of the nearby buildings, until, in less than -three minutes, the entire cavalcade of chariots, mastodons and -mounted warriors was nowhere to be seen. - -Sola and I had entered a building upon the front of the city, in -fact, the same one in which I had had my encounter with the apes, -and, wishing to see what had caused the sudden retreat, I mounted -to an upper floor and peered from the window out over the valley -and the hills beyond; and there I saw the cause of their sudden -scurrying to cover. A huge craft, long, low, and gray-painted, -swung slowly over the crest of the nearest hill. Following it came -another, and another, and another, until twenty of them, swinging -low above the ground, sailed slowly and majestically toward us. - -Each carried a strange banner swung from stem to stern above the -upper works, and upon the prow of each was painted some odd device -that gleamed in the sunlight and showed plainly even at the distance -at which we were from the vessels. I could see figures crowding -the forward decks and upper works of the air craft. Whether they -had discovered us or simply were looking at the deserted city -I could not say, but in any event they received a rude reception, -for suddenly and without warning the green Martian warriors fired -a terrific volley from the windows of the buildings facing the little -valley across which the great ships were so peacefully advancing. - -Instantly the scene changed as by magic; the foremost vessel swung -broadside toward us, and bringing her guns into play returned our -fire, at the same time moving parallel to our front for a short distance -and then turning back with the evident intention of completing a -great circle which would bring her up to position once more opposite -our firing line; the other vessels followed in her wake, each one -opening upon us as she swung into position. Our own fire never -diminished, and I doubt if twenty-five per cent of our shots went -wild. It had never been given me to see such deadly accuracy of -aim, and it seemed as though a little figure on one of the craft -dropped at the explosion of each bullet, while the banners and upper -works dissolved in spurts of flame as the irresistible projectiles -of our warriors mowed through them. - -The fire from the vessels was most ineffectual, owing, as I afterward -learned, to the unexpected suddenness of the first volley, which -caught the ship's crews entirely unprepared and the sighting apparatus -of the guns unprotected from the deadly aim of our warriors. - -It seems that each green warrior has certain objective points for -his fire under relatively identical circumstances of warfare. For -example, a proportion of them, always the best marksmen, direct their -fire entirely upon the wireless finding and sighting apparatus of -the big guns of an attacking naval force; another detail attends -to the smaller guns in the same way; others pick off the gunners; -still others the officers; while certain other quotas concentrate -their attention upon the other members of the crew, upon the upper -works, and upon the steering gear and propellers. - -Twenty minutes after the first volley the great fleet swung trailing -off in the direction from which it had first appeared. Several -of the craft were limping perceptibly, and seemed but barely under -the control of their depleted crews. Their fire had ceased entirely -and all their energies seemed focused upon escape. Our warriors -then rushed up to the roofs of the buildings which we occupied -and followed the retreating armada with a continuous fusillade of -deadly fire. - -One by one, however, the ships managed to dip below the crests of -the outlying hills until only one barely moving craft was in sight. -This had received the brunt of our fire and seemed to be entirely -unmanned, as not a moving figure was visible upon her decks. Slowly -she swung from her course, circling back toward us in an erratic -and pitiful manner. Instantly the warriors ceased firing, for it -was quite apparent that the vessel was entirely helpless, and, far -from being in a position to inflict harm upon us, she could not -even control herself sufficiently to escape. - -As she neared the city the warriors rushed out upon the plain to -meet her, but it was evident that she still was too high for them -to hope to reach her decks. From my vantage point in the window -I could see the bodies of her crew strewn about, although I could -not make out what manner of creatures they might be. Not a sign -of life was manifest upon her as she drifted slowly with the light -breeze in a southeasterly direction. - -She was drifting some fifty feet above the ground, followed by all -but some hundred of the warriors who had been ordered back to the -roofs to cover the possibility of a return of the fleet, or of -reinforcements. It soon became evident that she would strike the -face of the buildings about a mile south of our position, and as I -watched the progress of the chase I saw a number of warriors gallop -ahead, dismount and enter the building she seemed destined to touch. - -As the craft neared the building, and just before she struck, the -Martian warriors swarmed upon her from the windows, and with their -great spears eased the shock of the collision, and in a few moments -they had thrown out grappling hooks and the big boat was being -hauled to ground by their fellows below. - -After making her fast, they swarmed the sides and searched the vessel -from stem to stern. I could see them examining the dead sailors, -evidently for signs of life, and presently a party of them appeared -from below dragging a little figure among them. The creature was -considerably less than half as tall as the green Martian warriors, -and from my balcony I could see that it walked erect upon two legs -and surmised that it was some new and strange Martian monstrosity -with which I had not as yet become acquainted. - -They removed their prisoner to the ground and then commenced a -systematic rifling of the vessel. This operation required several -hours, during which time a number of the chariots were requisitioned -to transport the loot, which consisted in arms, ammunition, silks, -furs, jewels, strangely carved stone vessels, and a quantity of -solid foods and liquids, including many casks of water, the first -I had seen since my advent upon Mars. - -After the last load had been removed the warriors made lines fast -to the craft and towed her far out into the valley in a southwesterly -direction. A few of them then boarded her and were busily engaged -in what appeared, from my distant position, as the emptying of the -contents of various carboys upon the dead bodies of the sailors -and over the decks and works of the vessel. - -This operation concluded, they hastily clambered over her sides, -sliding down the guy ropes to the ground. The last warrior to leave -the deck turned and threw something back upon the vessel, waiting -an instant to note the outcome of his act. As a faint spurt of -flame rose from the point where the missile struck he swung over -the side and was quickly upon the ground. Scarcely had he alighted -than the guy ropes were simultaneous released, and the great warship, -lightened by the removal of the loot, soared majestically into the -air, her decks and upper works a mass of roaring flames. - -Slowly she drifted to the southeast, rising higher and higher -as the flames ate away her wooden parts and diminished the weight -upon her. Ascending to the roof of the building I watched her for -hours, until finally she was lost in the dim vistas of the distance. -The sight was awe-inspiring in the extreme as one contemplated -this mighty floating funeral pyre, drifting unguided and unmanned -through the lonely wastes of the Martian heavens; a derelict of -death and destruction, typifying the life story of these strange -and ferocious creatures into whose unfriendly hands fate had carried -it. - -Much depressed, and, to me, unaccountably so, I slowly descended -to the street. The scene I had witnessed seemed to mark the defeat -and annihilation of the forces of a kindred people, rather than -the routing by our green warriors of a horde of similar, though -unfriendly, creatures. I could not fathom the seeming hallucination, -nor could I free myself from it; but somewhere in the innermost -recesses of my soul I felt a strange yearning toward these unknown -foemen, and a mighty hope surged through me that the fleet would -return and demand a reckoning from the green warriors who had so -ruthlessly and wantonly attacked it. - -Close at my heel, in his now accustomed place, followed Woola, -the hound, and as I emerged upon the street Sola rushed up to me -as though I had been the object of some search on her part. The -cavalcade was returning to the plaza, the homeward march having -been given up for that day; nor, in fact, was it recommenced for -more than a week, owing to the fear of a return attack by the air -craft. - -Lorquas Ptomel was too astute an old warrior to be caught upon -the open plains with a caravan of chariots and children, and so we -remained at the deserted city until the danger seemed passed. - -As Sola and I entered the plaza a sight met my eyes which filled my -whole being with a great surge of mingled hope, fear, exultation, -and depression, and yet most dominant was a subtle sense of relief and -happiness; for just as we neared the throng of Martians I caught a -glimpse of the prisoner from the battle craft who was being roughly -dragged into a nearby building by a couple of green Martian females. - -And the sight which met my eyes was that of a slender, girlish -figure, similar in every detail to the earthly women of my past -life. She did not see me at first, but just as she was disappearing -through the portal of the building which was to be her prison she -turned, and her eyes met mine. Her face was oval and beautiful in -the extreme, her every feature was finely chiseled and exquisite, -her eyes large and lustrous and her head surmounted by a mass of -coal black, waving hair, caught loosely into a strange yet becoming -coiffure. Her skin was of a light reddish copper color, against -which the crimson glow of her cheeks and the ruby of her beautifully -molded lips shone with a strangely enhancing effect. - -She was as destitute of clothes as the green Martians who accompanied -her; indeed, save for her highly wrought ornaments she was entirely -naked, nor could any apparel have enhanced the beauty of her perfect -and symmetrical figure. - -As her gaze rested on me her eyes opened wide in astonishment, and -she made a little sign with her free hand; a sign which I did not, -of course, understand. Just a moment we gazed upon each other, -and then the look of hope and renewed courage which had glorified -her face as she discovered me, faded into one of utter dejection, -mingled with loathing and contempt. I realized I had not answered -her signal, and ignorant as I was of Martian customs, I intuitively -felt that she had made an appeal for succor and protection which -my unfortunate ignorance had prevented me from answering. And then -she was dragged out of my sight into the depths of the deserted -edifice. - - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -I LEARN THE LANGUAGE - - - - -As I came back to myself I glanced at Sola, who had witnessed this -encounter and I was surprised to note a strange expression upon -her usually expressionless countenance. What her thoughts were I -did not know, for as yet I had learned but little of the Martian -tongue; enough only to suffice for my daily needs. - -As I reached the doorway of our building a strange surprise awaited -me. A warrior approached bearing the arms, ornaments, and full -accouterments of his kind. These he presented to me with a few -unintelligible words, and a bearing at once respectful and menacing. - -Later, Sola, with the aid of several of the other women, remodeled -the trappings to fit my lesser proportions, and after they completed -the work I went about garbed in all the panoply of war. - -From then on Sola instructed me in the mysteries of the various -weapons, and with the Martian young I spent several hours each day -practicing upon the plaza. I was not yet proficient with all the -weapons, but my great familiarity with similar earthly weapons made -me an unusually apt pupil, and I progressed in a very satisfactory -manner. - -The training of myself and the young Martians was conducted solely -by the women, who not only attend to the education of the young -in the arts of individual defense and offense, but are also the -artisans who produce every manufactured article wrought by the -green Martians. They make the powder, the cartridges, the firearms; -in fact everything of value is produced by the females. In time -of actual warfare they form a part of the reserves, and when the -necessity arises fight with even greater intelligence and ferocity -than the men. - -The men are trained in the higher branches of the art of war; in -strategy and the maneuvering of large bodies of troops. They make -the laws as they are needed; a new law for each emergency. They are -unfettered by precedent in the administration of justice. Customs -have been handed down by ages of repetition, but the punishment for -ignoring a custom is a matter for individual treatment by a jury -of the culprit's peers, and I may say that justice seldom misses -fire, but seems rather to rule in inverse ratio to the ascendency -of law. In one respect at least the Martians are a happy people; -they have no lawyers. - -I did not see the prisoner again for several days subsequent to -our first encounter, and then only to catch a fleeting glimpse of -her as she was being conducted to the great audience chamber where -I had had my first meeting with Lorquas Ptomel. I could not but -note the unnecessary harshness and brutality with which her guards -treated her; so different from the almost maternal kindliness which -Sola manifested toward me, and the respectful attitude of the few -green Martians who took the trouble to notice me at all. - -I had observed on the two occasions when I had seen her that the -prisoner exchanged words with her guards, and this convinced me -that they spoke, or at least could make themselves understood by -a common language. With this added incentive I nearly drove Sola -distracted by my importunities to hasten on my education and within a -few more days I had mastered the Martian tongue sufficiently well -to enable me to carry on a passable conversation and to fully -understand practically all that I heard. - -At this time our sleeping quarters were occupied by three or four -females and a couple of the recently hatched young, beside Sola -and her youthful ward, myself, and Woola the hound. After they had -retired for the night it was customary for the adults to carry on -a desultory conversation for a short time before lapsing into sleep, -and now that I could understand their language I was always a keen -listener, although I never proffered any remarks myself. - -On the night following the prisoner's visit to the audience chamber -the conversation finally fell upon this subject, and I was all -ears on the instant. I had feared to question Sola relative to the -beautiful captive, as I could not but recall the strange expression -I had noted upon her face after my first encounter with the prisoner. -That it denoted jealousy I could not say, and yet, judging all -things by mundane standards as I still did, I felt it safer to -affect indifference in the matter until I learned more surely Sola's -attitude toward the object of my solicitude. - -Sarkoja, one of the older women who shared our domicile, had been -present at the audience as one of the captive's guards, and it was -toward her the question turned. - -"When," asked one of the women, "will we enjoy the death throes of -the red one? or does Lorquas Ptomel, Jed, intend holding her for -ransom?" - -"They have decided to carry her with us back to Thark, and exhibit -her last agonies at the great games before Tal Hajus," replied -Sarkoja. - -"What will be the manner of her going out?" inquired Sola. "She -is very small and very beautiful; I had hoped that they would hold -her for ransom." - -Sarkoja and the other women grunted angrily at this evidence of -weakness on the part of Sola. - -"It is sad, Sola, that you were not born a million years ago," -snapped Sarkoja, "when all the hollows of the land were filled -with water, and the peoples were as soft as the stuff they sailed -upon. In our day we have progressed to a point where such sentiments -mark weakness and atavism. It will not be well for you to permit -Tars Tarkas to learn that you hold such degenerate sentiments, as -I doubt that he would care to entrust such as you with the grave -responsibilities of maternity." - -"I see nothing wrong with my expression of interest in this red -woman," retorted Sola. "She has never harmed us, nor would she -should we have fallen into her hands. It is only the men of her -kind who war upon us, and I have ever thought that their attitude -toward us is but the reflection of ours toward them. They live at -peace with all their fellows, except when duty calls upon them to -make war, while we are at peace with none; forever warring among -our own kind as well as upon the red men, and even in our own -communities the individuals fight amongst themselves. Oh, it is -one continual, awful period of bloodshed from the time we break the -shell until we gladly embrace the bosom of the river of mystery, -the dark and ancient Iss which carries us to an unknown, but at -least no more frightful and terrible existence! Fortunate indeed -is he who meets his end in an early death. Say what you please to -Tars Tarkas, he can mete out no worse fate to me than a continuation -of the horrible existence we are forced to lead in this life." - -This wild outbreak on the part of Sola so greatly surprised and -shocked the other women, that, after a few words of general reprimand, -they all lapsed into silence and were soon asleep. One thing the -episode had accomplished was to assure me of Sola's friendliness -toward the poor girl, and also to convince me that I had been -extremely fortunate in falling into her hands rather than those -of some of the other females. I knew that she was fond of me, and -now that I had discovered that she hated cruelty and barbarity I -was confident that I could depend upon her to aid me and the girl -captive to escape, provided of course that such a thing was within -the range of possibilities. - -I did not even know that there were any better conditions to escape -to, but I was more than willing to take my chances among people -fashioned after my own mold rather than to remain longer among the -hideous and bloodthirsty green men of Mars. But where to go, and -how, was as much of a puzzle to me as the age-old search for the -spring of eternal life has been to earthly men since the beginning -of time. - -I decided that at the first opportunity I would take Sola into my -confidence and openly ask her to aid me, and with this resolution -strong upon me I turned among my silks and furs and slept the -dreamless and refreshing sleep of Mars. - - - - - -CHAPTER X - -CHAMPION AND CHIEF - - - - -Early the next morning I was astir. Considerable freedom was allowed -me, as Sola had informed me that so long as I did not attempt to -leave the city I was free to go and come as I pleased. She had warned -me, however, against venturing forth unarmed, as this city, like -all other deserted metropolises of an ancient Martian civilization, -was peopled by the great white apes of my second day's adventure. - -In advising me that I must not leave the boundaries of the city -Sola had explained that Woola would prevent this anyway should I -attempt it, and she warned me most urgently not to arouse his fierce -nature by ignoring his warnings should I venture too close to the -forbidden territory. His nature was such, she said, that he would -bring me back into the city dead or alive should I persist in -opposing him; "preferably dead," she added. - -On this morning I had chosen a new street to explore when suddenly -I found myself at the limits of the city. Before me were low hills -pierced by narrow and inviting ravines. I longed to explore the -country before me, and, like the pioneer stock from which I sprang, -to view what the landscape beyond the encircling hills might disclose -from the summits which shut out my view. - -It also occurred to me that this would prove an excellent opportunity -to test the qualities of Woola. I was convinced that the brute -loved me; I had seen more evidences of affection in him than in any -other Martian animal, man or beast, and I was sure that gratitude -for the acts that had twice saved his life would more than outweigh -his loyalty to the duty imposed upon him by cruel and loveless -masters. - -As I approached the boundary line Woola ran anxiously before me, -and thrust his body against my legs. His expression was pleading -rather than ferocious, nor did he bare his great tusks or utter his -fearful guttural warnings. Denied the friendship and companionship -of my kind, I had developed considerable affection for Woola and -Sola, for the normal earthly man must have some outlet for his natural -affections, and so I decided upon an appeal to a like instinct in -this great brute, sure that I would not be disappointed. - -I had never petted nor fondled him, but now I sat upon the ground -and putting my arms around his heavy neck I stroked and coaxed him, -talking in my newly acquired Martian tongue as I would have to my -hound at home, as I would have talked to any other friend among -the lower animals. His response to my manifestation of affection -was remarkable to a degree; he stretched his great mouth to its -full width, baring the entire expanse of his upper rows of tusks -and wrinkling his snout until his great eyes were almost hidden by -the folds of flesh. If you have ever seen a collie smile you may -have some idea of Woola's facial distortion. - -He threw himself upon his back and fairly wallowed at my feet; -jumped up and sprang upon me, rolling me upon the ground by his -great weight; then wriggling and squirming around me like a playful -puppy presenting its back for the petting it craves. I could not -resist the ludicrousness of the spectacle, and holding my sides -I rocked back and forth in the first laughter which had passed my -lips in many days; the first, in fact, since the morning Powell -had left camp when his horse, long unused, had precipitately and -unexpectedly bucked him off headforemost into a pot of frijoles. - -My laughter frightened Woola, his antics ceased and he crawled -pitifully toward me, poking his ugly head far into my lap; and then -I remembered what laughter signified on Mars--torture, suffering, -death. Quieting myself, I rubbed the poor old fellow's head and -back, talked to him for a few minutes, and then in an authoritative -tone commanded him to follow me, and arising started for the hills. - -There was no further question of authority between us; Woola was my -devoted slave from that moment hence, and I his only and undisputed -master. My walk to the hills occupied but a few minutes, and I found -nothing of particular interest to reward me. Numerous brilliantly -colored and strangely formed wild flowers dotted the ravines and -from the summit of the first hill I saw still other hills stretching -off toward the north, and rising, one range above another, until -lost in mountains of quite respectable dimensions; though I afterward -found that only a few peaks on all Mars exceed four thousand feet -in height; the suggestion of magnitude was merely relative. - -My morning's walk had been large with importance to me for it had -resulted in a perfect understanding with Woola, upon whom Tars Tarkas -relied for my safe keeping. I now knew that while theoretically -a prisoner I was virtually free, and I hastened to regain the city -limits before the defection of Woola could be discovered by his -erstwhile masters. The adventure decided me never again to leave -the limits of my prescribed stamping grounds until I was ready to -venture forth for good and all, as it would certainly result in a -curtailment of my liberties, as well as the probable death of Woola, -were we to be discovered. - -On regaining the plaza I had my third glimpse of the captive girl. -She was standing with her guards before the entrance to the audience -chamber, and as I approached she gave me one haughty glance and -turned her back full upon me. The act was so womanly, so earthly -womanly, that though it stung my pride it also warmed my heart with -a feeling of companionship; it was good to know that someone else -on Mars beside myself had human instincts of a civilized order, -even though the manifestation of them was so painful and mortifying. - -Had a green Martian woman desired to show dislike or contempt she -would, in all likelihood, have done it with a sword thrust or a -movement of her trigger finger; but as their sentiments are mostly -atrophied it would have required a serious injury to have aroused -such passions in them. Sola, let me add, was an exception; I -never saw her perform a cruel or uncouth act, or fail in uniform -kindliness and good nature. She was indeed, as her fellow Martian -had said of her, an atavism; a dear and precious reversion to a -former type of loved and loving ancestor. - -Seeing that the prisoner seemed the center of attraction I halted -to view the proceedings. I had not long to wait for presently Lorquas -Ptomel and his retinue of chieftains approached the building and, -signing the guards to follow with the prisoner entered the audience -chamber. Realizing that I was a somewhat favored character, and -also convinced that the warriors did not know of my proficiency in -their language, as I had pleaded with Sola to keep this a secret -on the grounds that I did not wish to be forced to talk with the -men until I had perfectly mastered the Martian tongue, I chanced -an attempt to enter the audience chamber and listen to the proceedings. - -The council squatted upon the steps of the rostrum, while below -them stood the prisoner and her two guards. I saw that one of the -women was Sarkoja, and thus understood how she had been present -at the hearing of the preceding day, the results of which she had -reported to the occupants of our dormitory last night. Her attitude -toward the captive was most harsh and brutal. When she held her, -she sunk her rudimentary nails into the poor girl's flesh, or -twisted her arm in a most painful manner. When it was necessary -to move from one spot to another she either jerked her roughly, -or pushed her headlong before her. She seemed to be venting upon -this poor defenseless creature all the hatred, cruelty, ferocity, -and spite of her nine hundred years, backed by unguessable ages of -fierce and brutal ancestors. - -The other woman was less cruel because she was entirely indifferent; -if the prisoner had been left to her alone, and fortunately she -was at night, she would have received no harsh treatment, nor, by -the same token would she have received any attention at all. - -As Lorquas Ptomel raised his eyes to address the prisoner they -fell on me and he turned to Tars Tarkas with a word, and gesture of -impatience. Tars Tarkas made some reply which I could not catch, -but which caused Lorquas Ptomel to smile; after which they paid no -further attention to me. - -"What is your name?" asked Lorquas Ptomel, addressing the prisoner. - -"Dejah Thoris, daughter of Mors Kajak of Helium." - -"And the nature of your expedition?" he continued. - -"It was a purely scientific research party sent out by my father's -father, the Jeddak of Helium, to rechart the air currents, and to -take atmospheric density tests," replied the fair prisoner, in a -low, well-modulated voice. - -"We were unprepared for battle," she continued, "as we were -on a peaceful mission, as our banners and the colors of our craft -denoted. The work we were doing was as much in your interests as -in ours, for you know full well that were it not for our labors and -the fruits of our scientific operations there would not be enough -air or water on Mars to support a single human life. For ages we -have maintained the air and water supply at practically the same -point without an appreciable loss, and we have done this in the -face of the brutal and ignorant interference of your green men. - -"Why, oh, why will you not learn to live in amity with your fellows, -must you ever go on down the ages to your final extinction but -little above the plane of the dumb brutes that serve you! A people -without written language, without art, without homes, without -love; the victim of eons of the horrible community idea. Owning -everything in common, even to your women and children, has resulted -in your owning nothing in common. You hate each other as you hate -all else except yourselves. Come back to the ways of our common -ancestors, come back to the light of kindliness and fellowship. The -way is open to you, you will find the hands of the red men stretched -out to aid you. Together we may do still more to regenerate our -dying planet. The grand-daughter of the greatest and mightiest of -the red jeddaks has asked you. Will you come?" - -Lorquas Ptomel and the warriors sat looking silently and intently -at the young woman for several moments after she had ceased speaking. -What was passing in their minds no man may know, but that they -were moved I truly believe, and if one man high among them had been -strong enough to rise above custom, that moment would have marked -a new and mighty era for Mars. - -I saw Tars Tarkas rise to speak, and on his face was such -an expression as I had never seen upon the countenance of a green -Martian warrior. It bespoke an inward and mighty battle with self, -with heredity, with age-old custom, and as he opened his mouth -to speak, a look almost of benignity, of kindliness, momentarily -lighted up his fierce and terrible countenance. - -What words of moment were to have fallen from his lips were never -spoken, as just then a young warrior, evidently sensing the trend -of thought among the older men, leaped down from the steps of the -rostrum, and striking the frail captive a powerful blow across -the face, which felled her to the floor, placed his foot upon her -prostrate form and turning toward the assembled council broke into -peals of horrid, mirthless laughter. - -For an instant I thought Tars Tarkas would strike him dead, nor did -the aspect of Lorquas Ptomel augur any too favorably for the brute, -but the mood passed, their old selves reasserted their ascendency, -and they smiled. It was portentous however that they did not laugh -aloud, for the brute's act constituted a side-splitting witticism -according to the ethics which rule green Martian humor. - -That I have taken moments to write down a part of what occurred as -that blow fell does not signify that I remained inactive for any -such length of time. I think I must have sensed something of what -was coming, for I realize now that I was crouched as for a spring -as I saw the blow aimed at her beautiful, upturned, pleading face, -and ere the hand descended I was halfway across the hall. - -Scarcely had his hideous laugh rang out but once, when I was upon -him. The brute was twelve feet in height and armed to the teeth, -but I believe that I could have accounted for the whole roomful -in the terrific intensity of my rage. Springing upward, I struck -him full in the face as he turned at my warning cry and then as -he drew his short-sword I drew mine and sprang up again upon his -breast, hooking one leg over the butt of his pistol and grasping -one of his huge tusks with my left hand while I delivered blow -after blow upon his enormous chest. - -He could not use his short-sword to advantage because I was too -close to him, nor could he draw his pistol, which he attempted to -do in direct opposition to Martian custom which says that you may -not fight a fellow warrior in private combat with any other than -the weapon with which you are attacked. In fact he could do nothing -but make a wild and futile attempt to dislodge me. With all his -immense bulk he was little if any stronger than I, and it was but -the matter of a moment or two before he sank, bleeding and lifeless, -to the floor. - -Dejah Thoris had raised herself upon one elbow and was watching -the battle with wide, staring eyes. When I had regained my feet -I raised her in my arms and bore her to one of the benches at the -side of the room. - -Again no Martian interfered with me, and tearing a piece of silk -from my cape I endeavored to staunch the flow of blood from her -nostrils. I was soon successful as her injuries amounted to little -more than an ordinary nosebleed, and when she could speak she placed -her hand upon my arm and looking up into my eyes, said: - -"Why did you do it? You who refused me even friendly recognition -in the first hour of my peril! And now you risk your life and kill -one of your companions for my sake. I cannot understand. What -strange manner of man are you, that you consort with the green men, -though your form is that of my race, while your color is little -darker than that of the white ape? Tell me, are you human, or are -you more than human?" - -"It is a strange tale," I replied, "too long to attempt to tell you -now, and one which I so much doubt the credibility of myself that -I fear to hope that others will believe it. Suffice it, for the -present, that I am your friend, and, so far as our captors will -permit, your protector and your servant." - -"Then you too are a prisoner? But why, then, those arms and the -regalia of a Tharkian chieftain? What is your name? Where your -country?" - -"Yes, Dejah Thoris, I too am a prisoner; my name is John Carter, -and I claim Virginia, one of the United States of America, Earth, -as my home; but why I am permitted to wear arms I do not know, nor -was I aware that my regalia was that of a chieftain." - -We were interrupted at this juncture by the approach of one of the -warriors, bearing arms, accouterments and ornaments, and in a flash -one of her questions was answered and a puzzle cleared up for me. -I saw that the body of my dead antagonist had been stripped, and -I read in the menacing yet respectful attitude of the warrior who -had brought me these trophies of the kill the same demeanor as that -evinced by the other who had brought me my original equipment, and -now for the first time I realized that my blow, on the occasion of -my first battle in the audience chamber had resulted in the death -of my adversary. - -The reason for the whole attitude displayed toward me was now -apparent; I had won my spurs, so to speak, and in the crude justice, -which always marks Martian dealings, and which, among other things, -has caused me to call her the planet of paradoxes, I was accorded -the honors due a conqueror; the trappings and the position of the -man I killed. In truth, I was a Martian chieftain, and this I -learned later was the cause of my great freedom and my toleration -in the audience chamber. - -As I had turned to receive the dead warrior's chattels I had noticed -that Tars Tarkas and several others had pushed forward toward -us, and the eyes of the former rested upon me in a most quizzical -manner. Finally he addressed me: - -"You speak the tongue of Barsoom quite readily for one who was deaf -and dumb to us a few short days ago. Where did you learn it, John -Carter?" - -"You, yourself, are responsible, Tars Tarkas," I replied, "in that -you furnished me with an instructress of remarkable ability; I have -to thank Sola for my learning." - -"She has done well," he answered, "but your education in other respects -needs considerable polish. Do you know what your unprecedented -temerity would have cost you had you failed to kill either of the -two chieftains whose metal you now wear?" - -"I presume that that one whom I had failed to kill, would have -killed me," I answered, smiling. - -"No, you are wrong. Only in the last extremity of self-defense -would a Martian warrior kill a prisoner; we like to save them for -other purposes," and his face bespoke possibilities that were not -pleasant to dwell upon. - -"But one thing can save you now," he continued. "Should you, in -recognition of your remarkable valor, ferocity, and prowess, be -considered by Tal Hajus as worthy of his service you may be taken -into the community and become a full-fledged Tharkian. Until we -reach the headquarters of Tal Hajus it is the will of Lorquas Ptomel -that you be accorded the respect your acts have earned you. You -will be treated by us as a Tharkian chieftain, but you must not -forget that every chief who ranks you is responsible for your safe -delivery to our mighty and most ferocious ruler. I am done." - -"I hear you, Tars Tarkas," I answered. "As you know I am not -of Barsoom; your ways are not my ways, and I can only act in the -future as I have in the past, in accordance with the dictates of -my conscience and guided by the standards of mine own people. If -you will leave me alone I will go in peace, but if not, let the -individual Barsoomians with whom I must deal either respect my -rights as a stranger among you, or take whatever consequences may -befall. Of one thing let us be sure, whatever may be your ultimate -intentions toward this unfortunate young woman, whoever would offer -her injury or insult in the future must figure on making a full -accounting to me. I understand that you belittle all sentiments -of generosity and kindliness, but I do not, and I can convince your -most doughty warrior that these characteristics are not incompatible -with an ability to fight." - -Ordinarily I am not given to long speeches, nor ever before had I -descended to bombast, but I had guessed at the keynote which would -strike an answering chord in the breasts of the green Martians, -nor was I wrong, for my harangue evidently deeply impressed them, -and their attitude toward me thereafter was still further respectful. - -Tars Tarkas himself seemed pleased with my reply, but his only -comment was more or less enigmatical--"And I think I know Tal -Hajus, Jeddak of Thark." - -I now turned my attention to Dejah Thoris, and assisting her to -her feet I turned with her toward the exit, ignoring her hovering -guardian harpies as well as the inquiring glances of the chieftains. -Was I not now a chieftain also! Well, then, I would assume the -responsibilities of one. They did not molest us, and so Dejah -Thoris, Princess of Helium, and John Carter, gentleman of Virginia, -followed by the faithful Woola, passed through utter silence from -the audience chamber of Lorquas Ptomel, Jed among the Tharks of -Barsoom. - - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -WITH DEJAH THORIS - - - - -As we reached the open the two female guards who had been detailed -to watch over Dejah Thoris hurried up and made as though to assume -custody of her once more. The poor child shrank against me and -I felt her two little hands fold tightly over my arm. Waving the -women away, I informed them that Sola would attend the captive -hereafter, and I further warned Sarkoja that any more of her cruel -attentions bestowed upon Dejah Thoris would result in Sarkoja's -sudden and painful demise. - -My threat was unfortunate and resulted in more harm than good to -Dejah Thoris, for, as I learned later, men do not kill women upon -Mars, nor women, men. So Sarkoja merely gave us an ugly look and -departed to hatch up deviltries against us. - -I soon found Sola and explained to her that I wished her to guard -Dejah Thoris as she had guarded me; that I wished her to find -other quarters where they would not be molested by Sarkoja, and I -finally informed her that I myself would take up my quarters among -the men. - -Sola glanced at the accouterments which were carried in my hand -and slung across my shoulder. - -"You are a great chieftain now, John Carter," she said, "and I -must do your bidding, though indeed I am glad to do it under any -circumstances. The man whose metal you carry was young, but he -was a great warrior, and had by his promotions and kills won his -way close to the rank of Tars Tarkas, who, as you know, is second -to Lorquas Ptomel only. You are eleventh, there are but ten -chieftains in this community who rank you in prowess." - -"And if I should kill Lorquas Ptomel?" I asked. - -"You would be first, John Carter; but you may only win that honor -by the will of the entire council that Lorquas Ptomel meet you in -combat, or should he attack you, you may kill him in self-defense, -and thus win first place." - -I laughed, and changed the subject. I had no particular desire to -kill Lorquas Ptomel, and less to be a jed among the Tharks. - -I accompanied Sola and Dejah Thoris in a search for new quarters, -which we found in a building nearer the audience chamber and of -far more pretentious architecture than our former habitation. We -also found in this building real sleeping apartments with ancient -beds of highly wrought metal swinging from enormous gold chains -depending from the marble ceilings. The decoration of the walls -was most elaborate, and, unlike the frescoes in the other buildings -I had examined, portrayed many human figures in the compositions. -These were of people like myself, and of a much lighter color than -Dejah Thoris. They were clad in graceful, flowing robes, highly -ornamented with metal and jewels, and their luxuriant hair was -of a beautiful golden and reddish bronze. The men were beardless -and only a few wore arms. The scenes depicted for the most part, -a fair-skinned, fair-haired people at play. - -Dejah Thoris clasped her hands with an exclamation of rapture as -she gazed upon these magnificent works of art, wrought by a people -long extinct; while Sola, on the other hand, apparently did not -see them. - -We decided to use this room, on the second floor and overlooking -the plaza, for Dejah Thoris and Sola, and another room adjoining -and in the rear for the cooking and supplies. I then dispatched -Sola to bring the bedding and such food and utensils as she might -need, telling her that I would guard Dejah Thoris until her return. - -As Sola departed Dejah Thoris turned to me with a faint smile. - -"And whereto, then, would your prisoner escape should you leave -her, unless it was to follow you and crave your protection, and -ask your pardon for the cruel thoughts she has harbored against -you these past few days?" - -"You are right," I answered, "there is no escape for either of us -unless we go together." - -"I heard your challenge to the creature you call Tars Tarkas, and -I think I understand your position among these people, but what I -cannot fathom is your statement that you are not of Barsoom." - -"In the name of my first ancestor, then," she continued, "where -may you be from? You are like unto my people, and yet so unlike. -You speak my language, and yet I heard you tell Tars Tarkas that you -had but learned it recently. All Barsoomians speak the same tongue -from the ice-clad south to the ice-clad north, though their written -languages differ. Only in the valley Dor, where the river Iss empties -into the lost sea of Korus, is there supposed to be a different -language spoken, and, except in the legends of our ancestors, there -is no record of a Barsoomian returning up the river Iss, from the -shores of Korus in the valley of Dor. Do not tell me that you -have thus returned! They would kill you horribly anywhere upon -the surface of Barsoom if that were true; tell me it is not!" - -Her eyes were filled with a strange, weird light; her voice was -pleading, and her little hands, reached up upon my breast, were -pressed against me as though to wring a denial from my very heart. - -"I do not know your customs, Dejah Thoris, but in my own Virginia -a gentleman does not lie to save himself; I am not of Dor; I have -never seen the mysterious Iss; the lost sea of Korus is still lost, -so far as I am concerned. Do you believe me?" - -And then it struck me suddenly that I was very anxious that she -should believe me. It was not that I feared the results which would -follow a general belief that I had returned from the Barsoomian -heaven or hell, or whatever it was. Why was it, then! Why should -I care what she thought? I looked down at her; her beautiful face -upturned, and her wonderful eyes opening up the very depth of her -soul; and as my eyes met hers I knew why, and--I shuddered. - -A similar wave of feeling seemed to stir her; she drew away from -me with a sigh, and with her earnest, beautiful face turned up to -mine, she whispered: "I believe you, John Carter; I do not know -what a 'gentleman' is, nor have I ever he does not wish to speak -the truth he is silent. Where is this Virginia, your country, John -Carter?" she asked, and it seemed that this fair name of my fair -land had never sounded more beautiful than as it fell from those -perfect lips on that far-gone day. - -"I am of another world," I answered, "the great planet Earth, which -revolves about our common sun and next within the orbit of your -Barsoom, which we know as Mars. How I came here I cannot tell -you, for I do not know; but here I am, and since my presence has -permitted me to serve Dejah Thoris I am glad that I am here." - -She gazed at me with troubled eyes, long and questioningly. That -it was difficult to believe my statement I well knew, nor could I -hope that she would do so however much I craved her confidence and -respect. I would much rather not have told her anything of my -antecedents, but no man could look into the depth of those eyes -and refuse her slightest behest. - -Finally she smiled, and, rising, said: "I shall have to believe -even though I cannot understand. I can readily perceive that you -are not of the Barsoom of today; you are like us, yet different--but -why should I trouble my poor head with such a problem, when my -heart tells me that I believe because I wish to believe!" - -It was good logic, good, earthly, feminine logic, and if it -satisfied her I certainly could pick no flaws in it. As a matter -of fact it was about the only kind of logic that could be brought -to bear upon my problem. We fell into a general conversation then, -asking and answering many questions on each side. She was curious -to learn of the customs of my people and displayed a remarkable -knowledge of events on Earth. When I questioned her closely on this -seeming familiarity with earthly things she laughed, and cried out: - -"Why, every school boy on Barsoom knows the geography, and much -concerning the fauna and flora, as well as the history of your -planet fully as well as of his own. Can we not see everything which -takes place upon Earth, as you call it; is it not hanging there in -the heavens in plain sight?" - -This baffled me, I must confess, fully as much as my statements had -confounded her; and I told her so. She then explained in general -the instruments her people had used and been perfecting for ages, -which permit them to throw upon a screen a perfect image of what -is transpiring upon any planet and upon many of the stars. These -pictures are so perfect in detail that, when photographed and -enlarged, objects no greater than a blade of grass may be distinctly -recognized. I afterward, in Helium, saw many of these pictures, -as well as the instruments which produced them. - -"If, then, you are so familiar with earthly things," I asked, "why -is it that you do not recognize me as identical with the inhabitants -of that planet?" - -She smiled again as one might in bored indulgence of a questioning -child. - -"Because, John Carter," she replied, "nearly every planet and star -having atmospheric conditions at all approaching those of Barsoom, -shows forms of animal life almost identical with you and me; and, -further, Earth men, almost without exception, cover their bodies -with strange, unsightly pieces of cloth, and their heads with hideous -contraptions the purpose of which we have been unable to conceive; -while you, when found by the Tharkian warriors, were entirely -undisfigured and unadorned. - -"The fact that you wore no ornaments is a strong proof of your -un-Barsoomian origin, while the absence of grotesque coverings -might cause a doubt as to your earthliness." - -I then narrated the details of my departure from the Earth, explaining -that my body there lay fully clothed in all the, to her, strange -garments of mundane dwellers. At this point Sola returned with our -meager belongings and her young Martian protege, who, of course, -would have to share the quarters with them. - -Sola asked us if we had had a visitor during her absence, and -seemed much surprised when we answered in the negative. It seemed -that as she had mounted the approach to the upper floors where our -quarters were located, she had met Sarkoja descending. We decided -that she must have been eavesdropping, but as we could recall -nothing of importance that had passed between us we dismissed the -matter as of little consequence, merely promising ourselves to be -warned to the utmost caution in the future. - -Dejah Thoris and I then fell to examining the architecture -and decorations of the beautiful chambers of the building we were -occupying. She told me that these people had presumably flourished over -a hundred thousand years before. They were the early progenitors -of her race, but had mixed with the other great race of early Martians, -who were very dark, almost black, and also with the reddish yellow -race which had flourished at the same time. - -These three great divisions of the higher Martians had been forced -into a mighty alliance as the drying up of the Martian seas had -compelled them to seek the comparatively few and always diminishing -fertile areas, and to defend themselves, under new conditions of -life, against the wild hordes of green men. - -Ages of close relationship and intermarrying had resulted in the -race of red men, of which Dejah Thoris was a fair and beautiful -daughter. During the ages of hardships and incessant warring between -their own various races, as well as with the green men, and before -they had fitted themselves to the changed conditions, much of the -high civilization and many of the arts of the fair-haired Martians -had become lost; but the red race of today has reached a point -where it feels that it has made up in new discoveries and in a more -practical civilization for all that lies irretrievably buried with -the ancient Barsoomians, beneath the countless intervening ages. - -These ancient Martians had been a highly cultivated and literary -race, but during the vicissitudes of those trying centuries -of readjustment to new conditions, not only did their advancement -and production cease entirely, but practically all their archives, -records, and literature were lost. - -Dejah Thoris related many interesting facts and legends concerning -this lost race of noble and kindly people. She said that the -city in which we were camping was supposed to have been a center -of commerce and culture known as Korad. It had been built upon a -beautiful, natural harbor, landlocked by magnificent hills. The -little valley on the west front of the city, she explained, was -all that remained of the harbor, while the pass through the hills -to the old sea bottom had been the channel through which the shipping -passed up to the city's gates. - -The shores of the ancient seas were dotted with just such cities, -and lesser ones, in diminishing numbers, were to be found converging -toward the center of the oceans, as the people had found it necessary -to follow the receding waters until necessity had forced upon them -their ultimate salvation, the so-called Martian canals. - -We had been so engrossed in exploration of the building and in our -conversation that it was late in the afternoon before we realized -it. We were brought back to a realization of our present conditions -by a messenger bearing a summons from Lorquas Ptomel directing -me to appear before him forthwith. Bidding Dejah Thoris and Sola -farewell, and commanding Woola to remain on guard, I hastened to -the audience chamber, where I found Lorquas Ptomel and Tars Tarkas -seated upon the rostrum. - - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -A PRISONER WITH POWER - - - - -As I entered and saluted, Lorquas Ptomel signaled me to advance, -and, fixing his great, hideous eyes upon me, addressed me thus: - -"You have been with us a few days, yet during that time you have -by your prowess won a high position among us. Be that as it may, -you are not one of us; you owe us no allegiance. - -"Your position is a peculiar one," he continued; "you are a prisoner -and yet you give commands which must be obeyed; you are an alien -and yet you are a Tharkian chieftain; you are a midget and yet you -can kill a mighty warrior with one blow of your fist. And now you -are reported to have been plotting to escape with another prisoner -of another race; a prisoner who, from her own admission, half -believes you are returned from the valley of Dor. Either one of -these accusations, if proved, would be sufficient grounds for your -execution, but we are a just people and you shall have a trial on -our return to Thark, if Tal Hajus so commands. - -"But," he continued, in his fierce guttural tones, "if you run off -with the red girl it is I who shall have to account to Tal Hajus; -it is I who shall have to face Tars Tarkas, and either demonstrate -my right to command, or the metal from my dead carcass will go to -a better man, for such is the custom of the Tharks. - -"I have no quarrel with Tars Tarkas; together we rule supreme -the greatest of the lesser communities among the green men; we do -not wish to fight between ourselves; and so if you were dead, John -Carter, I should be glad. Under two conditions only, however, -may you be killed by us without orders from Tal Hajus; in personal -combat in self-defense, should you attack one of us, or were you -apprehended in an attempt to escape. - -"As a matter of justice I must warn you that we only await one of -these two excuses for ridding ourselves of so great a responsibility. -The safe delivery of the red girl to Tal Hajus is of the greatest -importance. Not in a thousand years have the Tharks made such -a capture; she is the granddaughter of the greatest of the red -jeddaks, who is also our bitterest enemy. I have spoken. The red -girl told us that we were without the softer sentiments of humanity, -but we are a just and truthful race. You may go." - -Turning, I left the audience chamber. So this was the beginning of -Sarkoja's persecution! I knew that none other could be responsible -for this report which had reached the ears of Lorquas Ptomel -so quickly, and now I recalled those portions of our conversation -which had touched upon escape and upon my origin. - -Sarkoja was at this time Tars Tarkas' oldest and most trusted -female. As such she was a mighty power behind the throne, for no -warrior had the confidence of Lorquas Ptomel to such an extent as -did his ablest lieutenant, Tars Tarkas. - -However, instead of putting thoughts of possible escape from -my mind, my audience with Lorquas Ptomel only served to center my -every faculty on this subject. Now, more than before, the absolute -necessity for escape, in so far as Dejah Thoris was concerned, -was impressed upon me, for I was convinced that some horrible fate -awaited her at the headquarters of Tal Hajus. - -As described by Sola, this monster was the exaggerated personification -of all the ages of cruelty, ferocity, and brutality from which he -had descended. Cold, cunning, calculating; he was, also, in marked -contrast to most of his fellows, a slave to that brute passion -which the waning demands for procreation upon their dying planet -has almost stilled in the Martian breast. - -The thought that the divine Dejah Thoris might fall into the clutches -of such an abysmal atavism started the cold sweat upon me. Far -better that we save friendly bullets for ourselves at the last moment, -as did those brave frontier women of my lost land, who took their -own lives rather than fall into the hands of the Indian braves. - -As I wandered about the plaza lost in my gloomy forebodings Tars -Tarkas approached me on his way from the audience chamber. His -demeanor toward me was unchanged, and he greeted me as though we -had not just parted a few moments before. - -"Where are your quarters, John Carter?" he asked. - -"I have selected none," I replied. "It seemed best that I quartered -either by myself or among the other warriors, and I was awaiting -an opportunity to ask your advice. As you know," and I smiled, "I -am not yet familiar with all the customs of the Tharks." - -"Come with me," he directed, and together we moved off across the -plaza to a building which I was glad to see adjoined that occupied -by Sola and her charges. - -"My quarters are on the first floor of this building," he said, -"and the second floor also is fully occupied by warriors, but the -third floor and the floors above are vacant; you may take your -choice of these. - -"I understand," he continued, "that you have given up your woman -to the red prisoner. Well, as you have said, your ways are not -our ways, but you can fight well enough to do about as you please, -and so, if you wish to give your woman to a captive, it is your -own affair; but as a chieftain you should have those to serve you, -and in accordance with our customs you may select any or all the -females from the retinues of the chieftains whose metal you now -wear." - -I thanked him, but assured him that I could get along very nicely -without assistance except in the matter of preparing food, and so -he promised to send women to me for this purpose and also for the -care of my arms and the manufacture of my ammunition, which he said -would be necessary. I suggested that they might also bring some -of the sleeping silks and furs which belonged to me as spoils of -combat, for the nights were cold and I had none of my own. - -He promised to do so, and departed. Left alone, I ascended the -winding corridor to the upper floors in search of suitable quarters. -The beauties of the other buildings were repeated in this, and, as -usual, I was soon lost in a tour of investigation and discovery. - -I finally chose a front room on the third floor, because this brought -me nearer to Dejah Thoris, whose apartment was on the second floor -of the adjoining building, and it flashed upon me that I could rig -up some means of communication whereby she might signal me in case -she needed either my services or my protection. - -Adjoining my sleeping apartment were baths, dressing rooms, and -other sleeping and living apartments, in all some ten rooms on -this floor. The windows of the back rooms overlooked an enormous -court, which formed the center of the square made by the buildings -which faced the four contiguous streets, and which was now given -over to the quartering of the various animals belonging to the -warriors occupying the adjoining buildings. - -While the court was entirely overgrown with the yellow, moss-like -vegetation which blankets practically the entire surface of -Mars, yet numerous fountains, statuary, benches, and pergola-like -contraptions bore witness to the beauty which the court must have -presented in bygone times, when graced by the fair-haired, laughing -people whom stern and unalterable cosmic laws had driven not only -from their homes, but from all except the vague legends of their -descendants. - -One could easily picture the gorgeous foliage of the luxuriant Martian -vegetation which once filled this scene with life and color; the -graceful figures of the beautiful women, the straight and handsome -men; the happy frolicking children--all sunlight, happiness and -peace. It was difficult to realize that they had gone; down through -ages of darkness, cruelty, and ignorance, until their hereditary -instincts of culture and humanitarianism had risen ascendant once -more in the final composite race which now is dominant upon Mars. - -My thoughts were cut short by the advent of several young females -bearing loads of weapons, silks, furs, jewels, cooking utensils, -and casks of food and drink, including considerable loot from the -air craft. All this, it seemed, had been the property of the two -chieftains I had slain, and now, by the customs of the Tharks, it -had become mine. At my direction they placed the stuff in one of -the back rooms, and then departed, only to return with a second -load, which they advised me constituted the balance of my goods. -On the second trip they were accompanied by ten or fifteen other -women and youths, who, it seemed, formed the retinues of the two -chieftains. - -They were not their families, nor their wives, nor their servants; -the relationship was peculiar, and so unlike anything known to -us that it is most difficult to describe. All property among the -green Martians is owned in common by the community, except the -personal weapons, ornaments and sleeping silks and furs of the -individuals. These alone can one claim undisputed right to, nor -may he accumulate more of these than are required for his actual -needs. The surplus he holds merely as custodian, and it is passed -on to the younger members of the community as necessity demands. - -The women and children of a man's retinue may be likened to a -military unit for which he is responsible in various ways, as in -matters of instruction, discipline, sustenance, and the exigencies -of their continual roamings and their unending strife with other -communities and with the red Martians. His women are in no sense -wives. The green Martians use no word corresponding in meaning with -this earthly word. Their mating is a matter of community interest -solely, and is directed without reference to natural selection. -The council of chieftains of each community control the matter as -surely as the owner of a Kentucky racing stud directs the scientific -breeding of his stock for the improvement of the whole. - -In theory it may sound well, as is often the case with theories, -but the results of ages of this unnatural practice, coupled with the -community interest in the offspring being held paramount to that -of the mother, is shown in the cold, cruel creatures, and their -gloomy, loveless, mirthless existence. - -It is true that the green Martians are absolutely virtuous, both -men and women, with the exception of such degenerates as Tal Hajus; -but better far a finer balance of human characteristics even at -the expense of a slight and occasional loss of chastity. - -Finding that I must assume responsibility for these creatures, -whether I would or not, I made the best of it and directed them to -find quarters on the upper floors, leaving the third floor to me. -One of the girls I charged with the duties of my simple cuisine, -and directed the others to take up the various activities which had -formerly constituted their vocations. Thereafter I saw little of -them, nor did I care to. - - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -LOVE-MAKING ON MARS - - - - -Following the battle with the air ships, the community remained -within the city for several days, abandoning the homeward march -until they could feel reasonably assured that the ships would not -return; for to be caught on the open plains with a cavalcade of -chariots and children was far from the desire of even so warlike -a people as the green Martians. - -During our period of inactivity, Tars Tarkas had instructed -me in many of the customs and arts of war familiar to the Tharks, -including lessons in riding and guiding the great beasts which bore -the warriors. These creatures, which are known as thoats, are as -dangerous and vicious as their masters, but when once subdued are -sufficiently tractable for the purposes of the green Martians. - -Two of these animals had fallen to me from the warriors whose metal -I wore, and in a short time I could handle them quite as well as -the native warriors. The method was not at all complicated. If the -thoats did not respond with sufficient celerity to the telepathic -instructions of their riders they were dealt a terrific blow between -the ears with the butt of a pistol, and if they showed fight this -treatment was continued until the brutes either were subdued, or -had unseated their riders. - -In the latter case it became a life and death struggle between the -man and the beast. If the former were quick enough with his pistol -he might live to ride again, though upon some other beast; if not, -his torn and mangled body was gathered up by his women and burned -in accordance with Tharkian custom. - -My experience with Woola determined me to attempt the experiment of -kindness in my treatment of my thoats. First I taught them that -they could not unseat me, and even rapped them sharply between -the ears to impress upon them my authority and mastery. Then, by -degrees, I won their confidence in much the same manner as I had -adopted countless times with my many mundane mounts. I was ever a -good hand with animals, and by inclination, as well as because it -brought more lasting and satisfactory results, I was always kind -and humane in my dealings with the lower orders. I could take a -human life, if necessary, with far less compunction than that of -a poor, unreasoning, irresponsible brute. - -In the course of a few days my thoats were the wonder of the entire -community. They would follow me like dogs, rubbing their great -snouts against my body in awkward evidence of affection, and respond -to my every command with an alacrity and docility which caused the -Martian warriors to ascribe to me the possession of some earthly -power unknown on Mars. - -"How have you bewitched them?" asked Tars Tarkas one afternoon, -when he had seen me run my arm far between the great jaws of one -of my thoats which had wedged a piece of stone between two of his -teeth while feeding upon the moss-like vegetation within our court -yard. - -"By kindness," I replied. "You see, Tars Tarkas, the softer -sentiments have their value, even to a warrior. In the height of -battle as well as upon the march I know that my thoats will obey -my every command, and therefore my fighting efficiency is enhanced, -and I am a better warrior for the reason that I am a kind master. -Your other warriors would find it to the advantage of themselves -as well as of the community to adopt my methods in this respect. -Only a few days since you, yourself, told me that these great -brutes, by the uncertainty of their tempers, often were the means -of turning victory into defeat, since, at a crucial moment, they -might elect to unseat and rend their riders." - -"Show me how you accomplish these results," was Tars Tarkas' only -rejoinder. - -And so I explained as carefully as I could the entire method of -training I had adopted with my beasts, and later he had me repeat -it before Lorquas Ptomel and the assembled warriors. That moment -marked the beginning of a new existence for the poor thoats, and -before I left the community of Lorquas Ptomel I had the satisfaction -of observing a regiment of as tractable and docile mounts as one -might care to see. The effect on the precision and celerity of the -military movements was so remarkable that Lorquas Ptomel presented -me with a massive anklet of gold from his own leg, as a sign of -his appreciation of my service to the horde. - -On the seventh day following the battle with the air craft we again -took up the march toward Thark, all probability of another attack -being deemed remote by Lorquas Ptomel. - -During the days just preceding our departure I had seen but little -of Dejah Thoris, as I had been kept very busy by Tars Tarkas with -my lessons in the art of Martian warfare, as well as in the training -of my thoats. The few times I had visited her quarters she had -been absent, walking upon the streets with Sola, or investigating -the buildings in the near vicinity of the plaza. I had warned them -against venturing far from the plaza for fear of the great white -apes, whose ferocity I was only too well acquainted with. However, -since Woola accompanied them on all their excursions, and as Sola -was well armed, there was comparatively little cause for fear. - -On the evening before our departure I saw them approaching along -one of the great avenues which lead into the plaza from the east. -I advanced to meet them, and telling Sola that I would take the -responsibility for Dejah Thoris' safekeeping, I directed her to -return to her quarters on some trivial errand. I liked and trusted -Sola, but for some reason I desired to be alone with Dejah Thoris, -who represented to me all that I had left behind upon Earth -in agreeable and congenial companionship. There seemed bonds of -mutual interest between us as powerful as though we had been born -under the same roof rather than upon different planets, hurtling -through space some forty-eight million miles apart. - -That she shared my sentiments in this respect I was positive, for -on my approach the look of pitiful hopelessness left her sweet -countenance to be replaced by a smile of joyful welcome, as she -placed her little right hand upon my left shoulder in true red -Martian salute. - -"Sarkoja told Sola that you had become a true Thark," she said, -"and that I would now see no more of you than of any of the other -warriors." - -"Sarkoja is a liar of the first magnitude," I replied, "notwithstanding -the proud claim of the Tharks to absolute verity." - -Dejah Thoris laughed. - -"I knew that even though you became a member of the community you -would not cease to be my friend; 'A warrior may change his metal, -but not his heart,' as the saying is upon Barsoom." - -"I think they have been trying to keep us apart," she continued, -"for whenever you have been off duty one of the older women of Tars -Tarkas' retinue has always arranged to trump up some excuse to get -Sola and me out of sight. They have had me down in the pits below -the buildings helping them mix their awful radium powder, and -make their terrible projectiles. You know that these have to be -manufactured by artificial light, as exposure to sunlight always -results in an explosion. You have noticed that their bullets explode -when they strike an object? Well, the opaque, outer coating is -broken by the impact, exposing a glass cylinder, almost solid, in -the forward end of which is a minute particle of radium powder. -The moment the sunlight, even though diffused, strikes this powder -it explodes with a violence which nothing can withstand. If you -ever witness a night battle you will note the absence of these -explosions, while the morning following the battle will be filled -at sunrise with the sharp detonations of exploding missiles fired -the preceding night. As a rule, however, non-exploding projectiles -are used at night."[1] - -[1]I have used the word radium in describing this powder because -in the light of recent discoveries on Earth I believe it to be a -mixture of which radium is the base. In Captain Carter's manuscript -it is mentioned always by the name used in the written language of -Helium and is spelled in hieroglyphics which it would be difficult -and useless to reproduce. - -While I was much interested in Dejah Thoris' explanation of this -wonderful adjunct to Martian warfare, I was more concerned by -the immediate problem of their treatment of her. That they were -keeping her away from me was not a matter for surprise, but that -they should subject her to dangerous and arduous labor filled me -with rage. - -"Have they ever subjected you to cruelty and ignominy, Dejah Thoris?" -I asked, feeling the hot blood of my fighting ancestors leap in my -veins as I awaited her reply. - -"Only in little ways, John Carter," she answered. "Nothing that -can harm me outside my pride. They know that I am the daughter -of ten thousand jeddaks, that I trace my ancestry straight back -without a break to the builder of the first great waterway, and -they, who do not even know their own mothers, are jealous of me. At -heart they hate their horrid fates, and so wreak their poor spite -on me who stand for everything they have not, and for all they -most crave and never can attain. Let us pity them, my chieftain, -for even though we die at their hands we can afford them pity, -since we are greater than they and they know it." - -Had I known the significance of those words "my chieftain," -as applied by a red Martian woman to a man, I should have had the -surprise of my life, but I did not know at that time, nor for many -months thereafter. Yes, I still had much to learn upon Barsoom. - -"I presume it is the better part of wisdom that we bow to our -fate with as good grace as possible, Dejah Thoris; but I hope, -nevertheless, that I may be present the next time that any Martian, -green, red, pink, or violet, has the temerity to even so much as -frown on you, my princess." - -Dejah Thoris caught her breath at my last words, and gazed upon -me with dilated eyes and quickening breath, and then, with an odd -little laugh, which brought roguish dimples to the corners of her -mouth, she shook her head and cried: - -"What a child! A great warrior and yet a stumbling little child." - -"What have I done now?" I asked, in sore perplexity. - -"Some day you shall know, John Carter, if we live; but I may not -tell you. And I, the daughter of Mors Kajak, son of Tardos Mors, -have listened without anger," she soliloquized in conclusion. - -Then she broke out again into one of her gay, happy, laughing moods; -joking with me on my prowess as a Thark warrior as contrasted with -my soft heart and natural kindliness. - -"I presume that should you accidentally wound an enemy you would -take him home and nurse him back to health," she laughed. - -"That is precisely what we do on Earth," I answered. "At least -among civilized men." - -This made her laugh again. She could not understand it, for, with -all her tenderness and womanly sweetness, she was still a Martian, -and to a Martian the only good enemy is a dead enemy; for every -dead foeman means so much more to divide between those who live. - -I was very curious to know what I had said or done to cause her so -much perturbation a moment before and so I continued to importune -her to enlighten me. - -"No," she exclaimed, "it is enough that you have said it and that -I have listened. And when you learn, John Carter, and if I be -dead, as likely I shall be ere the further moon has circled Barsoom -another twelve times, remember that I listened and that I--smiled." - -It was all Greek to me, but the more I begged her to explain the -more positive became her denials of my request, and, so, in very -hopelessness, I desisted. - -Day had now given away to night and as we wandered along the great -avenue lighted by the two moons of Barsoom, and with Earth looking -down upon us out of her luminous green eye, it seemed that we were -alone in the universe, and I, at least, was content that it should -be so. - -The chill of the Martian night was upon us, and removing my silks I -threw them across the shoulders of Dejah Thoris. As my arm rested -for an instant upon her I felt a thrill pass through every fiber -of my being such as contact with no other mortal had even produced; -and it seemed to me that she had leaned slightly toward me, but -of that I was not sure. Only I knew that as my arm rested there -across her shoulders longer than the act of adjusting the silk -required she did not draw away, nor did she speak. And so, in -silence, we walked the surface of a dying world, but in the breast -of one of us at least had been born that which is ever oldest, yet -ever new. - -I loved Dejah Thoris. The touch of my arm upon her naked shoulder -had spoken to me in words I would not mistake, and I knew that I -had loved her since the first moment that my eyes had met hers that -first time in the plaza of the dead city of Korad. - - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -A DUEL TO THE DEATH - - - - -My first impulse was to tell her of my love, and then I thought -of the helplessness of her position wherein I alone could lighten -the burdens of her captivity, and protect her in my poor way against -the thousands of hereditary enemies she must face upon our arrival -at Thark. I could not chance causing her additional pain or sorrow -by declaring a love which, in all probability she did not return. -Should I be so indiscreet, her position would be even more unbearable -than now, and the thought that she might feel that I was taking -advantage of her helplessness, to influence her decision was the -final argument which sealed my lips. - -"Why are you so quiet, Dejah Thoris?" I asked. "Possibly you would -rather return to Sola and your quarters." - -"No," she murmured, "I am happy here. I do not know why it is -that I should always be happy and contented when you, John Carter, -a stranger, are with me; yet at such times it seems that I am safe -and that, with you, I shall soon return to my father's court and -feel his strong arms about me and my mother's tears and kisses on -my cheek." - -"Do people kiss, then, upon Barsoom?" I asked, when she had explained -the word she used, in answer to my inquiry as to its meaning. - -"Parents, brothers, and sisters, yes; and," she added in a low, -thoughtful tone, "lovers." - -"And you, Dejah Thoris, have parents and brothers and sisters?" - -"Yes." - -"And a--lover?" - -She was silent, nor could I venture to repeat the question. - -"The man of Barsoom," she finally ventured, "does not ask personal -questions of women, except his mother, and the woman he has fought -for and won." - -"But I have fought--" I started, and then I wished my tongue had -been cut from my mouth; for she turned even as I caught myself and -ceased, and drawing my silks from her shoulder she held them out -to me, and without a word, and with head held high, she moved with -the carriage of the queen she was toward the plaza and the doorway -of her quarters. - -I did not attempt to follow her, other than to see that she reached -the building in safety, but, directing Woola to accompany her, I -turned disconsolately and entered my own house. I sat for hours -cross-legged, and cross-tempered, upon my silks meditating upon -the queer freaks chance plays upon us poor devils of mortals. - -So this was love! I had escaped it for all the years I had roamed -the five continents and their encircling seas; in spite of beautiful -women and urging opportunity; in spite of a half-desire for love -and a constant search for my ideal, it had remained for me to -fall furiously and hopelessly in love with a creature from another -world, of a species similar possibly, yet not identical with mine. -A woman who was hatched from an egg, and whose span of life might -cover a thousand years; whose people had strange customs and ideas; -a woman whose hopes, whose pleasures, whose standards of virtue and -of right and wrong might vary as greatly from mine as did those of -the green Martians. - -Yes, I was a fool, but I was in love, and though I was suffering the -greatest misery I had ever known I would not have had it otherwise -for all the riches of Barsoom. Such is love, and such are lovers -wherever love is known. - -To me, Dejah Thoris was all that was perfect; all that was virtuous -and beautiful and noble and good. I believed that from the bottom -of my heart, from the depth of my soul on that night in Korad as -I sat cross-legged upon my silks while the nearer moon of Barsoom -raced through the western sky toward the horizon, and lighted up -the gold and marble, and jeweled mosaics of my world-old chamber, -and I believe it today as I sit at my desk in the little study -overlooking the Hudson. Twenty years have intervened; for ten of -them I lived and fought for Dejah Thoris and her people, and for -ten I have lived upon her memory. - -The morning of our departure for Thark dawned clear and hot, as do -all Martian mornings except for the six weeks when the snow melts -at the poles. - -I sought out Dejah Thoris in the throng of departing chariots, but -she turned her shoulder to me, and I could see the red blood mount -to her cheek. With the foolish inconsistency of love I held my peace -when I might have plead ignorance of the nature of my offense, or -at least the gravity of it, and so have effected, at worst, a half -conciliation. - -My duty dictated that I must see that she was comfortable, and so -I glanced into her chariot and rearranged her silks and furs. In -doing so I noted with horror that she was heavily chained by one -ankle to the side of the vehicle. - -"What does this mean?" I cried, turning to Sola. - -"Sarkoja thought it best," she answered, her face betokening her -disapproval of the procedure. - -Examining the manacles I saw that they fastened with a massive -spring lock. - -"Where is the key, Sola? Let me have it." - -"Sarkoja wears it, John Carter," she answered. - -I turned without further word and sought out Tars Tarkas, to whom -I vehemently objected to the unnecessary humiliations and cruelties, -as they seemed to my lover's eyes, that were being heaped upon -Dejah Thoris. - -"John Carter," he answered, "if ever you and Dejah Thoris escape -the Tharks it will be upon this journey. We know that you will not -go without her. You have shown yourself a mighty fighter, and we -do not wish to manacle you, so we hold you both in the easiest way -that will yet ensure security. I have spoken." - -I saw the strength of his reasoning at a flash, and knew that it -were futile to appeal from his decision, but I asked that the key -be taken from Sarkoja and that she be directed to leave the prisoner -alone in future. - -"This much, Tars Tarkas, you may do for me in return for the -friendship that, I must confess, I feel for you." - -"Friendship?" he replied. "There is no such thing, John Carter; -but have your will. I shall direct that Sarkoja cease to annoy -the girl, and I myself will take the custody of the key." - -"Unless you wish me to assume the responsibility," I said, smiling. - -He looked at me long and earnestly before he spoke. - -"Were you to give me your word that neither you nor Dejah Thoris -would attempt to escape until after we have safely reached the court -of Tal Hajus you might have the key and throw the chains into the -river Iss." - -"It were better that you held the key, Tars Tarkas," I replied - -He smiled, and said no more, but that night as we were making camp -I saw him unfasten Dejah Thoris' fetters himself. - -With all his cruel ferocity and coldness there was an undercurrent -of something in Tars Tarkas which he seemed ever battling to subdue. -Could it be a vestige of some human instinct come back from an -ancient forbear to haunt him with the horror of his people's ways! - -As I was approaching Dejah Thoris' chariot I passed Sarkoja, and -the black, venomous look she accorded me was the sweetest balm I -had felt for many hours. Lord, how she hated me! It bristled from -her so palpably that one might almost have cut it with a sword. - -A few moments later I saw her deep in conversation with a warrior -named Zad; a big, hulking, powerful brute, but one who had never -made a kill among his own chieftains, and a second name only with -the metal of some chieftain. It was this custom which entitled -me to the names of either of the chieftains I had killed; in fact, -some of the warriors addressed me as Dotar Sojat, a combination of -the surnames of the two warrior chieftains whose metal I had taken, -or, in other words, whom I had slain in fair fight. - -As Sarkoja talked with Zad he cast occasional glances in my -direction, while she seemed to be urging him very strongly to some -action. I paid little attention to it at the time, but the next -day I had good reason to recall the circumstances, and at the same -time gain a slight insight into the depths of Sarkoja's hatred and -the lengths to which she was capable of going to wreak her horrid -vengeance on me. - -Dejah Thoris would have none of me again on this evening, and though -I spoke her name she neither replied, nor conceded by so much as -the flutter of an eyelid that she realized my existence. In my -extremity I did what most other lovers would have done; I sought -word from her through an intimate. In this instance it was Sola -whom I intercepted in another part of camp. - -"What is the matter with Dejah Thoris?" I blurted out at her. "Why -will she not speak to me?" - -Sola seemed puzzled herself, as though such strange actions on the -part of two humans were quite beyond her, as indeed they were, poor -child. - -"She says you have angered her, and that is all she will say, -except that she is the daughter of a jed and the grand-daughter of -a jeddak and she has been humiliated by a creature who could not -polish the teeth of her grandmother's sorak." - -I pondered over this report for some time, finally asking, "What -might a sorak be, Sola?" - -"A little animal about as big as my hand, which the red Martian -women keep to play with," explained Sola. - -Not fit to polish the teeth of her grandmother's cat! I must rank -pretty low in the consideration of Dejah Thoris, I thought; but I -could not help laughing at the strange figure of speech, so homely -and in this respect so earthly. It made me homesick, for it sounded -very much like "not fit to polish her shoes." And then commenced -a train of thought quite new to me. I began to wonder what my -people at home were doing. I had not seen them for years. There -was a family of Carters in Virginia who claimed close relationship -with me; I was supposed to be a great uncle, or something of the kind -equally foolish. I could pass anywhere for twenty-five to thirty -years of age, and to be a great uncle always seemed the height -of incongruity, for my thoughts and feelings were those of a boy. -There was two little kiddies in the Carter family whom I had loved -and who had thought there was no one on Earth like Uncle Jack; I -could see them just as plainly, as I stood there under the moonlit -skies of Barsoom, and I longed for them as I had never longed for -any mortals before. By nature a wanderer, I had never known the -true meaning of the word home, but the great hall of the Carters -had always stood for all that the word did mean to me, and now my -heart turned toward it from the cold and unfriendly peoples I had -been thrown amongst. For did not even Dejah Thoris despise me! -I was a low creature, so low in fact that I was not even fit to -polish the teeth of her grandmother's cat; and then my saving sense -of humor came to my rescue, and laughing I turned into my silks and -furs and slept upon the moon-haunted ground the sleep of a tired -and healthy fighting man. - -We broke camp the next day at an early hour and marched with only -a single halt until just before dark. Two incidents broke the -tediousness of the march. About noon we espied far to our right -what was evidently an incubator, and Lorquas Ptomel directed -Tars Tarkas to investigate it. The latter took a dozen warriors, -including myself, and we raced across the velvety carpeting of moss -to the little enclosure. - -It was indeed an incubator, but the eggs were very small in comparison -with those I had seen hatching in ours at the time of my arrival -on Mars. - -Tars Tarkas dismounted and examined the enclosure minutely, finally -announcing that it belonged to the green men of Warhoon and that -the cement was scarcely dry where it had been walled up. - -"They cannot be a day's march ahead of us," he exclaimed, the light -of battle leaping to his fierce face. - -The work at the incubator was short indeed. The warriors tore open -the entrance and a couple of them, crawling in, soon demolished all -the eggs with their short-swords. Then remounting we dashed back -to join the cavalcade. During the ride I took occasion to ask -Tars Tarkas if these Warhoons whose eggs we had destroyed were a -smaller people than his Tharks. - -"I noticed that their eggs were so much smaller than those I saw -hatching in your incubator," I added. - -He explained that the eggs had just been placed there; but, like -all green Martian eggs, they would grow during the five-year period -of incubation until they obtained the size of those I had seen -hatching on the day of my arrival on Barsoom. This was indeed -an interesting piece of information, for it had always seemed -remarkable to me that the green Martian women, large as they were, -could bring forth such enormous eggs as I had seen the four-foot -infants emerging from. As a matter of fact, the new-laid egg -is but little larger than an ordinary goose egg, and as it does -not commence to grow until subjected to the light of the sun the -chieftains have little difficulty in transporting several hundreds -of them at one time from the storage vaults to the incubators. - -Shortly after the incident of the Warhoon eggs we halted to rest -the animals, and it was during this halt that the second of the -day's interesting episodes occurred. I was engaged in changing -my riding cloths from one of my thoats to the other, for I divided -the day's work between them, when Zad approached me, and without -a word struck my animal a terrific blow with his long-sword. - -I did not need a manual of green Martian etiquette to know what -reply to make, for, in fact, I was so wild with anger that I could -scarcely refrain from drawing my pistol and shooting him down for -the brute he was; but he stood waiting with drawn long-sword, and -my only choice was to draw my own and meet him in fair fight with -his choice of weapons or a lesser one. - -This latter alternative is always permissible, therefore I could -have used my short-sword, my dagger, my hatchet, or my fists had -I wished, and been entirely within my rights, but I could not use -firearms or a spear while he held only his long-sword. - -I chose the same weapon he had drawn because I knew he prided -himself upon his ability with it, and I wished, if I worsted him -at all, to do it with his own weapon. The fight that followed was -a long one and delayed the resumption of the march for an hour. -The entire community surrounded us, leaving a clear space about -one hundred feet in diameter for our battle. - -Zad first attempted to rush me down as a bull might a wolf, but I -was much too quick for him, and each time I side-stepped his rushes -he would go lunging past me, only to receive a nick from my sword -upon his arm or back. He was soon streaming blood from a half -dozen minor wounds, but I could not obtain an opening to deliver -an effective thrust. Then he changed his tactics, and fighting -warily and with extreme dexterity, he tried to do by science what -he was unable to do by brute strength. I must admit that he was a -magnificent swordsman, and had it not been for my greater endurance -and the remarkable agility the lesser gravitation of Mars lent me -I might not have been able to put up the creditable fight I did -against him. - -We circled for some time without doing much damage on either side; -the long, straight, needle-like swords flashing in the sunlight, -and ringing out upon the stillness as they crashed together with -each effective parry. Finally Zad, realizing that he was tiring -more than I, evidently decided to close in and end the battle in a -final blaze of glory for himself; just as he rushed me a blinding -flash of light struck full in my eyes, so that I could not see his -approach and could only leap blindly to one side in an effort to -escape the mighty blade that it seemed I could already feel in my -vitals. I was only partially successful, as a sharp pain in my -left shoulder attested, but in the sweep of my glance as I sought -to again locate my adversary, a sight met my astonished gaze which -paid me well for the wound the temporary blindness had caused me. -There, upon Dejah Thoris' chariot stood three figures, for the -purpose evidently of witnessing the encounter above the heads of -the intervening Tharks. There were Dejah Thoris, Sola, and Sarkoja, -and as my fleeting glance swept over them a little tableau was -presented which will stand graven in my memory to the day of my -death. - -As I looked, Dejah Thoris turned upon Sarkoja with the fury of a -young tigress and struck something from her upraised hand; something -which flashed in the sunlight as it spun to the ground. Then I -knew what had blinded me at that crucial moment of the fight, and -how Sarkoja had found a way to kill me without herself delivering -the final thrust. Another thing I saw, too, which almost lost my -life for me then and there, for it took my mind for the fraction -of an instant entirely from my antagonist; for, as Dejah Thoris -struck the tiny mirror from her hand, Sarkoja, her face livid with -hatred and baffled rage, whipped out her dagger and aimed a terrific -blow at Dejah Thoris; and then Sola, our dear and faithful Sola, -sprang between them; the last I saw was the great knife descending -upon her shielding breast. - -My enemy had recovered from his thrust and was making it extremely -interesting for me, so I reluctantly gave my attention to the work -in hand, but my mind was not upon the battle. - -We rushed each other furiously time after time, 'til suddenly, -feeling the sharp point of his sword at my breast in a thrust I could -neither parry nor escape, I threw myself upon him with outstretched -sword and with all the weight of my body, determined that I would -not die alone if I could prevent it. I felt the steel tear into -my chest, all went black before me, my head whirled in dizziness, -and I felt my knees giving beneath me. - - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -SOLA TELLS ME HER STORY - - - - -When consciousness returned, and, as I soon learned, I was down -but a moment, I sprang quickly to my feet searching for my sword, -and there I found it, buried to the hilt in the green breast of Zad, -who lay stone dead upon the ochre moss of the ancient sea bottom. -As I regained my full senses I found his weapon piercing my left -breast, but only through the flesh and muscles which cover my -ribs, entering near the center of my chest and coming out below the -shoulder. As I had lunged I had turned so that his sword merely -passed beneath the muscles, inflicting a painful but not dangerous -wound. - -Removing the blade from my body I also regained my own, and turning -my back upon his ugly carcass, I moved, sick, sore, and disgusted, -toward the chariots which bore my retinue and my belongings. A -murmur of Martian applause greeted me, but I cared not for it. - -Bleeding and weak I reached my women, who, accustomed to such -happenings, dressed my wounds, applying the wonderful healing and -remedial agents which make only the most instantaneous of death -blows fatal. Give a Martian woman a chance and death must take a -back seat. They soon had me patched up so that, except for weakness -from loss of blood and a little soreness around the wound, I suffered -no great distress from this thrust which, under earthly treatment, -undoubtedly would have put me flat on my back for days. - -As soon as they were through with me I hastened to the chariot of -Dejah Thoris, where I found my poor Sola with her chest swathed in -bandages, but apparently little the worse for her encounter with -Sarkoja, whose dagger it seemed had struck the edge of one of -Sola's metal breast ornaments and, thus deflected, had inflicted -but a slight flesh wound. - -As I approached I found Dejah Thoris lying prone upon her silks -and furs, her lithe form wracked with sobs. She did not notice my -presence, nor did she hear me speaking with Sola, who was standing -a short distance from the vehicle. - -"Is she injured?" I asked of Sola, indicating Dejah Thoris by an -inclination of my head. - -"No," she answered, "she thinks that you are dead." - -"And that her grandmother's cat may now have no one to polish its -teeth?" I queried, smiling. - -"I think you wrong her, John Carter," said Sola. "I do not understand -either her ways or yours, but I am sure the granddaughter of ten -thousand jeddaks would never grieve like this over any who held -but the highest claim upon her affections. They are a proud race, -but they are just, as are all Barsoomians, and you must have hurt -or wronged her grievously that she will not admit your existence -living, though she mourns you dead. - -"Tears are a strange sight upon Barsoom," she continued, "and so it -is difficult for me to interpret them. I have seen but two people -weep in all my life, other than Dejah Thoris; one wept from sorrow, -the other from baffled rage. The first was my mother, years ago -before they killed her; the other was Sarkoja, when they dragged -her from me today." - -"Your mother!" I exclaimed, "but, Sola, you could not have known -your mother, child." - -"But I did. And my father also," she added. "If you would like -to hear the strange and un-Barsoomian story come to the chariot -tonight, John Carter, and I will tell you that of which I have -never spoken in all my life before. And now the signal has been -given to resume the march, you must go." - -"I will come tonight, Sola," I promised. "Be sure to tell Dejah -Thoris I am alive and well. I shall not force myself upon her, -and be sure that you do not let her know I saw her tears. If she -would speak with me I but await her command." - -Sola mounted the chariot, which was swinging into its place in -line, and I hastened to my waiting thoat and galloped to my station -beside Tars Tarkas at the rear of the column. - -We made a most imposing and awe-inspiring spectacle as we strung -out across the yellow landscape; the two hundred and fifty ornate -and brightly colored chariots, preceded by an advance guard of some -two hundred mounted warriors and chieftains riding five abreast -and one hundred yards apart, and followed by a like number in the -same formation, with a score or more of flankers on either side; -the fifty extra mastodons, or heavy draught animals, known as -zitidars, and the five or six hundred extra thoats of the warriors -running loose within the hollow square formed by the surrounding -warriors. The gleaming metal and jewels of the gorgeous ornaments -of the men and women, duplicated in the trappings of the zitidars -and thoats, and interspersed with the flashing colors of magnificent -silks and furs and feathers, lent a barbaric splendor to the caravan -which would have turned an East Indian potentate green with envy. - -The enormous broad tires of the chariots and the padded feet of the -animals brought forth no sound from the moss-covered sea bottom; -and so we moved in utter silence, like some huge phantasmagoria, -except when the stillness was broken by the guttural growling of -a goaded zitidar, or the squealing of fighting thoats. The green -Martians converse but little, and then usually in monosyllables, -low and like the faint rumbling of distant thunder. - -We traversed a trackless waste of moss which, bending to the pressure -of broad tire or padded foot, rose up again behind us, leaving no -sign that we had passed. We might indeed have been the wraiths of -the departed dead upon the dead sea of that dying planet for all -the sound or sign we made in passing. It was the first march of -a large body of men and animals I had ever witnessed which raised -no dust and left no spoor; for there is no dust upon Mars except -in the cultivated districts during the winter months, and even then -the absence of high winds renders it almost unnoticeable. - -We camped that night at the foot of the hills we had been -approaching for two days and which marked the southern boundary of -this particular sea. Our animals had been two days without drink, -nor had they had water for nearly two months, not since shortly -after leaving Thark; but, as Tars Tarkas explained to me, they -require but little and can live almost indefinitely upon the moss -which covers Barsoom, and which, he told me, holds in its tiny stems -sufficient moisture to meet the limited demands of the animals. -After partaking of my evening meal of cheese-like food and vegetable -milk I sought out Sola, whom I found working by the light of -a torch upon some of Tars Tarkas' trappings. She looked up at my -approach, her face lighting with pleasure and with welcome. - -"I am glad you came," she said; "Dejah Thoris sleeps and I am -lonely. Mine own people do not care for me, John Carter; I am too -unlike them. It is a sad fate, since I must live my life amongst -them, and I often wish that I were a true green Martian woman, -without love and without hope; but I have known love and so I am -lost. - -"I promised to tell you my story, or rather the story of my parents. -From what I have learned of you and the ways of your people I am -sure that the tale will not seem strange to you, but among green -Martians it has no parallel within the memory of the oldest living -Thark, nor do our legends hold many similar tales. - -"My mother was rather small, in fact too small to be allowed the -responsibilities of maternity, as our chieftains breed principally -for size. She was also less cold and cruel than most green Martian -women, and caring little for their society, she often roamed the -deserted avenues of Thark alone, or went and sat among the wild -flowers that deck the nearby hills, thinking thoughts and wishing -wishes which I believe I alone among Tharkian women today may -understand, for am I not the child of my mother? - -"And there among the hills she met a young warrior, whose duty -it was to guard the feeding zitidars and thoats and see that they -roamed not beyond the hills. They spoke at first only of such -things as interest a community of Tharks, but gradually, as they -came to meet more often, and, as was now quite evident to both, no -longer by chance, they talked about themselves, their likes, their -ambitions and their hopes. She trusted him and told him of the -awful repugnance she felt for the cruelties of their kind, for the -hideous, loveless lives they must ever lead, and then she waited -for the storm of denunciation to break from his cold, hard lips; -but instead he took her in his arms and kissed her. - -"They kept their love a secret for six long years. She, my mother, -was of the retinue of the great Tal Hajus, while her lover was -a simple warrior, wearing only his own metal. Had their defection -from the traditions of the Tharks been discovered both would -have paid the penalty in the great arena before Tal Hajus and the -assembled hordes. - -"The egg from which I came was hidden beneath a great glass vessel -upon the highest and most inaccessible of the partially ruined -towers of ancient Thark. Once each year my mother visited it for -the five long years it lay there in the process of incubation. She -dared not come oftener, for in the mighty guilt of her conscience -she feared that her every move was watched. During this period -my father gained great distinction as a warrior and had taken the -metal from several chieftains. His love for my mother had never -diminished, and his own ambition in life was to reach a point -where he might wrest the metal from Tal Hajus himself, and thus, -as ruler of the Tharks, be free to claim her as his own, as well -as, by the might of his power, protect the child which otherwise -would be quickly dispatched should the truth become known. - -"It was a wild dream, that of wresting the metal from Tal Hajus -in five short years, but his advance was rapid, and he soon stood -high in the councils of Thark. But one day the chance was lost -forever, in so far as it could come in time to save his loved ones, -for he was ordered away upon a long expedition to the ice-clad -south, to make war upon the natives there and despoil them of their -furs, for such is the manner of the green Barsoomian; he does not -labor for what he can wrest in battle from others. - -"He was gone for four years, and when he returned all had been -over for three; for about a year after his departure, and shortly -before the time for the return of an expedition which had gone forth -to fetch the fruits of a community incubator, the egg had hatched. -Thereafter my mother continued to keep me in the old tower, visiting -me nightly and lavishing upon me the love the community life would -have robbed us both of. She hoped, upon the return of the expedition -from the incubator, to mix me with the other young assigned to the -quarters of Tal Hajus, and thus escape the fate which would surely -follow discovery of her sin against the ancient traditions of the -green men. - -"She taught me rapidly the language and customs of my kind, and one -night she told me the story I have told to you up to this point, -impressing upon me the necessity for absolute secrecy and the great -caution I must exercise after she had placed me with the other -young Tharks to permit no one to guess that I was further advanced -in education than they, nor by any sign to divulge in the presence -of others my affection for her, or my knowledge of my parentage; -and then drawing me close to her she whispered in my ear the name -of my father. - -"And then a light flashed out upon the darkness of the tower -chamber, and there stood Sarkoja, her gleaming, baleful eyes fixed -in a frenzy of loathing and contempt upon my mother. The torrent -of hatred and abuse she poured out upon her turned my young heart -cold in terror. That she had heard the entire story was apparent, -and that she had suspected something wrong from my mother's long -nightly absences from her quarters accounted for her presence there -on that fateful night. - -"One thing she had not heard, nor did she know, the whispered name -of my father. This was apparent from her repeated demands upon my -mother to disclose the name of her partner in sin, but no amount -of abuse or threats could wring this from her, and to save me from -needless torture she lied, for she told Sarkoja that she alone knew -nor would she even tell her child. - -"With final imprecations, Sarkoja hastened away to Tal Hajus to -report her discovery, and while she was gone my mother, wrapping -me in the silks and furs of her night coverings, so that I was -scarcely noticeable, descended to the streets and ran wildly away -toward the outskirts of the city, in the direction which led to -the far south, out toward the man whose protection she might not -claim, but on whose face she wished to look once more before she -died. - -"As we neared the city's southern extremity a sound came to us from -across the mossy flat, from the direction of the only pass through -the hills which led to the gates, the pass by which caravans from -either north or south or east or west would enter the city. The -sounds we heard were the squealing of thoats and the grumbling of -zitidars, with the occasional clank of arms which announced the -approach of a body of warriors. The thought uppermost in her mind -was that it was my father returned from his expedition, but the -cunning of the Thark held her from headlong and precipitate flight -to greet him. - -"Retreating into the shadows of a doorway she awaited the coming -of the cavalcade which shortly entered the avenue, breaking its -formation and thronging the thoroughfare from wall to wall. As -the head of the procession passed us the lesser moon swung clear of -the overhanging roofs and lit up the scene with all the brilliancy -of her wondrous light. My mother shrank further back into the -friendly shadows, and from her hiding place saw that the expedition -was not that of my father, but the returning caravan bearing the -young Tharks. Instantly her plan was formed, and as a great chariot -swung close to our hiding place she slipped stealthily in upon the -trailing tailboard, crouching low in the shadow of the high side, -straining me to her bosom in a frenzy of love. - -"She knew, what I did not, that never again after that night would -she hold me to her breast, nor was it likely we would ever look -upon each other's face again. In the confusion of the plaza she -mixed me with the other children, whose guardians during the journey -were now free to relinquish their responsibility. We were herded -together into a great room, fed by women who had not accompanied -the expedition, and the next day we were parceled out among the -retinues of the chieftains. - -"I never saw my mother after that night. She was imprisoned by Tal -Hajus, and every effort, including the most horrible and shameful -torture, was brought to bear upon her to wring from her lips the -name of my father; but she remained steadfast and loyal, dying at -last amidst the laughter of Tal Hajus and his chieftains during -some awful torture she was undergoing. - -"I learned afterwards that she told them that she had killed me to -save me from a like fate at their hands, and that she had thrown my -body to the white apes. Sarkoja alone disbelieved her, and I feel -to this day that she suspects my true origin, but does not dare -expose me, at the present, at all events, because she also guesses, -I am sure, the identity of my father. - -"When he returned from his expedition and learned the story of my -mother's fate I was present as Tal Hajus told him; but never by -the quiver of a muscle did he betray the slightest emotion; only he -did not laugh as Tal Hajus gleefully described her death struggles. -From that moment on he was the cruelest of the cruel, and I am -awaiting the day when he shall win the goal of his ambition, and -feel the carcass of Tal Hajus beneath his foot, for I am as sure -that he but waits the opportunity to wreak a terrible vengeance, -and that his great love is as strong in his breast as when it first -transfigured him nearly forty years ago, as I am that we sit here -upon the edge of a world-old ocean while sensible people sleep, -John Carter." - -"And your father, Sola, is he with us now?" I asked. - -"Yes," she replied, "but he does not know me for what I am, nor -does he know who betrayed my mother to Tal Hajus. I alone know my -father's name, and only I and Tal Hajus and Sarkoja know that it -was she who carried the tale that brought death and torture upon -her he loved." - -We sat silent for a few moments, she wrapped in the gloomy thoughts -of her terrible past, and I in pity for the poor creatures whom the -heartless, senseless customs of their race had doomed to loveless -lives of cruelty and of hate. Presently she spoke. - -"John Carter, if ever a real man walked the cold, dead bosom of -Barsoom you are one. I know that I can trust you, and because the -knowledge may someday help you or him or Dejah Thoris or myself, I -am going to tell you the name of my father, nor place any restrictions -or conditions upon your tongue. When the time comes, speak the -truth if it seems best to you. I trust you because I know that you -are not cursed with the terrible trait of absolute and unswerving -truthfulness, that you could lie like one of your own Virginia -gentlemen if a lie would save others from sorrow or suffering. My -father's name is Tars Tarkas." - - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -WE PLAN ESCAPE - - - - -The remainder of our journey to Thark was uneventful. We were -twenty days upon the road, crossing two sea bottoms and passing -through or around a number of ruined cities, mostly smaller than -Korad. Twice we crossed the famous Martian waterways, or canals, -so-called by our earthly astronomers. When we approached these -points a warrior would be sent far ahead with a powerful field -glass, and if no great body of red Martian troops was in sight we -would advance as close as possible without chance of being seen and -then camp until dark, when we would slowly approach the cultivated -tract, and, locating one of the numerous, broad highways which cross -these areas at regular intervals, creep silently and stealthily -across to the arid lands upon the other side. It required five -hours to make one of these crossings without a single halt, and -the other consumed the entire night, so that we were just leaving -the confines of the high-walled fields when the sun broke out upon -us. - -Crossing in the darkness, as we did, I was unable to see but little, -except as the nearer moon, in her wild and ceaseless hurtling through -the Barsoomian heavens, lit up little patches of the landscape from -time to time, disclosing walled fields and low, rambling buildings, -presenting much the appearance of earthly farms. There were many -trees, methodically arranged, and some of them were of enormous -height; there were animals in some of the enclosures, and they -announced their presence by terrified squealings and snortings as -they scented our queer, wild beasts and wilder human beings. - -Only once did I perceive a human being, and that was at the -intersection of our crossroad with the wide, white turnpike which -cuts each cultivated district longitudinally at its exact center. -The fellow must have been sleeping beside the road, for, as I came -abreast of him, he raised upon one elbow and after a single glance -at the approaching caravan leaped shrieking to his feet and fled -madly down the road, scaling a nearby wall with the agility of a -scared cat. The Tharks paid him not the slightest attention; they -were not out upon the warpath, and the only sign that I had that -they had seen him was a quickening of the pace of the caravan as -we hastened toward the bordering desert which marked our entrance -into the realm of Tal Hajus. - -Not once did I have speech with Dejah Thoris, as she sent no word -to me that I would be welcome at her chariot, and my foolish pride -kept me from making any advances. I verily believe that a man's -way with women is in inverse ratio to his prowess among men. The -weakling and the saphead have often great ability to charm the fair -sex, while the fighting man who can face a thousand real dangers -unafraid, sits hiding in the shadows like some frightened child. - -Just thirty days after my advent upon Barsoom we entered the ancient -city of Thark, from whose long-forgotten people this horde of green -men have stolen even their name. The hordes of Thark number some -thirty thousand souls, and are divided into twenty-five communities. -Each community has its own jed and lesser chieftains, but all are -under the rule of Tal Hajus, Jeddak of Thark. Five communities -make their headquarters at the city of Thark, and the balance are -scattered among other deserted cities of ancient Mars throughout -the district claimed by Tal Hajus. - -We made our entry into the great central plaza early in the -afternoon. There were no enthusiastic friendly greetings for the -returned expedition. Those who chanced to be in sight spoke the -names of warriors or women with whom they came in direct contact, -in the formal greeting of their kind, but when it was discovered -that they brought two captives a greater interest was aroused, and -Dejah Thoris and I were the centers of inquiring groups. - -We were soon assigned to new quarters, and the balance of the day -was devoted to settling ourselves to the changed conditions. My -home now was upon an avenue leading into the plaza from the south, -the main artery down which we had marched from the gates of the city. -I was at the far end of the square and had an entire building to -myself. The same grandeur of architecture which was so noticeable -a characteristic of Korad was in evidence here, only, if that were -possible, on a larger and richer scale. My quarters would have -been suitable for housing the greatest of earthly emperors, but to -these queer creatures nothing about a building appealed to them but -its size and the enormity of its chambers; the larger the building, -the more desirable; and so Tal Hajus occupied what must have been -an enormous public building, the largest in the city, but entirely -unfitted for residence purposes; the next largest was reserved for -Lorquas Ptomel, the next for the jed of a lesser rank, and so on -to the bottom of the list of five jeds. The warriors occupied the -buildings with the chieftains to whose retinues they belonged; or, -if they preferred, sought shelter among any of the thousands of -untenanted buildings in their own quarter of town; each community -being assigned a certain section of the city. The selection of -building had to be made in accordance with these divisions, except -in so far as the jeds were concerned, they all occupying edifices -which fronted upon the plaza. - -When I had finally put my house in order, or rather seen that it -had been done, it was nearing sunset, and I hastened out with the -intention of locating Sola and her charges, as I had determined -upon having speech with Dejah Thoris and trying to impress on her -the necessity of our at least patching up a truce until I could -find some way of aiding her to escape. I searched in vain until -the upper rim of the great red sun was just disappearing behind -the horizon and then I spied the ugly head of Woola peering from a -second-story window on the opposite side of the very street where -I was quartered, but nearer the plaza. - -Without waiting for a further invitation I bolted up the winding -runway which led to the second floor, and entering a great chamber -at the front of the building was greeted by the frenzied Woola, who -threw his great carcass upon me, nearly hurling me to the floor; -the poor old fellow was so glad to see me that I thought he would -devour me, his head split from ear to ear, showing his three rows -of tusks in his hobgoblin smile. - -Quieting him with a word of command and a caress, I looked hurriedly -through the approaching gloom for a sign of Dejah Thoris, and then, -not seeing her, I called her name. There was an answering murmur -from the far corner of the apartment, and with a couple of quick -strides I was standing beside her where she crouched among the furs -and silks upon an ancient carved wooden seat. As I waited she rose -to her full height and looking me straight in the eye said: - -"What would Dotar Sojat, Thark, of Dejah Thoris his captive?" - -"Dejah Thoris, I do not know how I have angered you. It was -furtherest from my desire to hurt or offend you, whom I had hoped -to protect and comfort. Have none of me if it is your will, but -that you must aid me in effecting your escape, if such a thing be -possible, is not my request, but my command. When you are safe -once more at your father's court you may do with me as you please, -but from now on until that day I am your master, and you must obey -and aid me." - -She looked at me long and earnestly and I thought that she was -softening toward me. - -"I understand your words, Dotar Sojat," she replied, "but you I -do not understand. You are a queer mixture of child and man, of -brute and noble. I only wish that I might read your heart." - -"Look down at your feet, Dejah Thoris; it lies there now where it -has lain since that other night at Korad, and where it will ever -lie beating alone for you until death stills it forever." - -She took a little step toward me, her beautiful hands outstretched -in a strange, groping gesture. - -"What do you mean, John Carter?" she whispered. "What are you -saying to me?" - -"I am saying what I had promised myself that I would not say to -you, at least until you were no longer a captive among the green -men; what from your attitude toward me for the past twenty days I -had thought never to say to you; I am saying, Dejah Thoris, that -I am yours, body and soul, to serve you, to fight for you, and to -die for you. Only one thing I ask of you in return, and that is -that you make no sign, either of condemnation or of approbation of -my words until you are safe among your own people, and that whatever -sentiments you harbor toward me they be not influenced or colored -by gratitude; whatever I may do to serve you will be prompted solely -from selfish motives, since it gives me more pleasure to serve you -than not." - -"I will respect your wishes, John Carter, because I understand -the motives which prompt them, and I accept your service no more -willingly than I bow to your authority; your word shall be my -law. I have twice wronged you in my thoughts and again I ask your -forgiveness." - -Further conversation of a personal nature was prevented by the -entrance of Sola, who was much agitated and wholly unlike her usual -calm and possessed self. - -"That horrible Sarkoja has been before Tal Hajus," she cried, "and -from what I heard upon the plaza there is little hope for either -of you." - -"What do they say?" inquired Dejah Thoris. - -"That you will be thrown to the wild calots [dogs] in the great -arena as soon as the hordes have assembled for the yearly games." - -"Sola," I said, "you are a Thark, but you hate and loathe the -customs of your people as much as we do. Will you not accompany -us in one supreme effort to escape? I am sure that Dejah Thoris -can offer you a home and protection among her people, and your fate -can be no worse among them than it must ever be here." - -"Yes," cried Dejah Thoris, "come with us, Sola, you will be better -off among the red men of Helium than you are here, and I can promise -you not only a home with us, but the love and affection your nature -craves and which must always be denied you by the customs of your -own race. Come with us, Sola; we might go without you, but your -fate would be terrible if they thought you had connived to aid us. -I know that even that fear would not tempt you to interfere in our -escape, but we want you with us, we want you to come to a land of -sunshine and happiness, amongst a people who know the meaning of -love, of sympathy, and of gratitude. Say that you will, Sola; tell -me that you will." - -"The great waterway which leads to Helium is but fifty miles to the -south," murmured Sola, half to herself; "a swift thoat might make -it in three hours; and then to Helium it is five hundred miles, -most of the way through thinly settled districts. They would know -and they would follow us. We might hide among the great trees for -a time, but the chances are small indeed for escape. They would -follow us to the very gates of Helium, and they would take toll of -life at every step; you do not know them." - -"Is there no other way we might reach Helium?" I asked. "Can you -not draw me a rough map of the country we must traverse, Dejah -Thoris?" - -"Yes," she replied, and taking a great diamond from her hair she -drew upon the marble floor the first map of Barsoomian territory -I had ever seen. It was crisscrossed in every direction with long -straight lines, sometimes running parallel and sometimes converging -toward some great circle. The lines, she said, were waterways; -the circles, cities; and one far to the northwest of us she pointed -out as Helium. There were other cities closer, but she said she -feared to enter many of them, as they were not all friendly toward -Helium. - -Finally, after studying the map carefully in the moonlight which -now flooded the room, I pointed out a waterway far to the north of -us which also seemed to lead to Helium. - -"Does not this pierce your grandfather's territory?" I asked. - -"Yes," she answered, "but it is two hundred miles north of us; it -is one of the waterways we crossed on the trip to Thark." - -"They would never suspect that we would try for that distant -waterway," I answered, "and that is why I think that it is the best -route for our escape." - -Sola agreed with me, and it was decided that we should leave Thark -this same night; just as quickly, in fact, as I could find and -saddle my thoats. Sola was to ride one and Dejah Thoris and I the -other; each of us carrying sufficient food and drink to last us for -two days, since the animals could not be urged too rapidly for so -long a distance. - -I directed Sola to proceed with Dejah Thoris along one of the less -frequented avenues to the southern boundary of the city, where I -would overtake them with the thoats as quickly as possible; then, -leaving them to gather what food, silks, and furs we were to need, -I slipped quietly to the rear of the first floor, and entered the -courtyard, where our animals were moving restlessly about, as was -their habit, before settling down for the night. - -In the shadows of the buildings and out beneath the radiance of -the Martian moons moved the great herd of thoats and zitidars, the -latter grunting their low gutturals and the former occasionally -emitting the sharp squeal which denotes the almost habitual state -of rage in which these creatures passed their existence. They were -quieter now, owing to the absence of man, but as they scented me -they became more restless and their hideous noise increased. It -was risky business, this entering a paddock of thoats alone and at -night; first, because their increasing noisiness might warn the -nearby warriors that something was amiss, and also because for -the slightest cause, or for no cause at all some great bull thoat -might take it upon himself to lead a charge upon me. - -Having no desire to awaken their nasty tempers upon such a night -as this, where so much depended upon secrecy and dispatch, I hugged -the shadows of the buildings, ready at an instant's warning to leap -into the safety of a nearby door or window. Thus I moved silently -to the great gates which opened upon the street at the back of the -court, and as I neared the exit I called softly to my two animals. -How I thanked the kind providence which had given me the foresight -to win the love and confidence of these wild dumb brutes, for presently -from the far side of the court I saw two huge bulks forcing their -way toward me through the surging mountains of flesh. - -They came quite close to me, rubbing their muzzles against my body -and nosing for the bits of food it was always my practice to reward -them with. Opening the gates I ordered the two great beasts to -pass out, and then slipping quietly after them I closed the portals -behind me. - -I did not saddle or mount the animals there, but instead walked -quietly in the shadows of the buildings toward an unfrequented -avenue which led toward the point I had arranged to meet Dejah Thoris -and Sola. With the noiselessness of disembodied spirits we moved -stealthily along the deserted streets, but not until we were within -sight of the plain beyond the city did I commence to breathe freely. -I was sure that Sola and Dejah Thoris would find no difficulty in -reaching our rendezvous undetected, but with my great thoats I was -not so sure for myself, as it was quite unusual for warriors to -leave the city after dark; in fact there was no place for them to -go within any but a long ride. - -I reached the appointed meeting place safely, but as Dejah Thoris -and Sola were not there I led my animals into the entrance hall -of one of the large buildings. Presuming that one of the other -women of the same household may have come in to speak to Sola, and -so delayed their departure, I did not feel any undue apprehension -until nearly an hour had passed without a sign of them, and by the -time another half hour had crawled away I was becoming filled with -grave anxiety. Then there broke upon the stillness of the night -the sound of an approaching party, which, from the noise, I knew -could be no fugitives creeping stealthily toward liberty. Soon the -party was near me, and from the black shadows of my entranceway I -perceived a score of mounted warriors, who, in passing, dropped a -dozen words that fetched my heart clean into the top of my head. - -"He would likely have arranged to meet them just without the city, -and so--" I heard no more, they had passed on; but it was enough. -Our plan had been discovered, and the chances for escape from now -on to the fearful end would be small indeed. My one hope now was -to return undetected to the quarters of Dejah Thoris and learn what -fate had overtaken her, but how to do it with these great monstrous -thoats upon my hands, now that the city probably was aroused by -the knowledge of my escape was a problem of no mean proportions. - -Suddenly an idea occurred to me, and acting on my knowledge of the -construction of the buildings of these ancient Martian cities with -a hollow court within the center of each square, I groped my way -blindly through the dark chambers, calling the great thoats after -me. They had difficulty in negotiating some of the doorways, but -as the buildings fronting the city's principal exposures were all -designed upon a magnificent scale, they were able to wriggle through -without sticking fast; and thus we finally made the inner court -where I found, as I had expected, the usual carpet of moss-like -vegetation which would prove their food and drink until I could -return them to their own enclosure. That they would be as quiet -and contented here as elsewhere I was confident, nor was there -but the remotest possibility that they would be discovered, as the -green men had no great desire to enter these outlying buildings, -which were frequented by the only thing, I believe, which caused -them the sensation of fear--the great white apes of Barsoom. - -Removing the saddle trappings, I hid them just within the rear -doorway of the building through which we had entered the court, -and, turning the beasts loose, quickly made my way across the court -to the rear of the buildings upon the further side, and thence to -the avenue beyond. Waiting in the doorway of the building until -I was assured that no one was approaching, I hurried across to the -opposite side and through the first doorway to the court beyond; -thus, crossing through court after court with only the slight chance -of detection which the necessary crossing of the avenues entailed, -I made my way in safety to the courtyard in the rear of Dejah -Thoris' quarters. - -Here, of course, I found the beasts of the warriors who quartered -in the adjacent buildings, and the warriors themselves I might -expect to meet within if I entered; but, fortunately for me, I had -another and safer method of reaching the upper story where Dejah -Thoris should be found, and, after first determining as nearly -as possible which of the buildings she occupied, for I had never -observed them before from the court side, I took advantage of my -relatively great strength and agility and sprang upward until I -grasped the sill of a second-story window which I thought to be in -the rear of her apartment. Drawing myself inside the room I moved -stealthily toward the front of the building, and not until I had -quite reached the doorway of her room was I made aware by voices -that it was occupied. - -I did not rush headlong in, but listened without to assure myself -that it was Dejah Thoris and that it was safe to venture within. It -was well indeed that I took this precaution, for the conversation I -heard was in the low gutturals of men, and the words which finally -came to me proved a most timely warning. The speaker was a chieftain -and he was giving orders to four of his warriors. - -"And when he returns to this chamber," he was saying, "as he surely -will when he finds she does not meet him at the city's edge, you -four are to spring upon him and disarm him. It will require the -combined strength of all of you to do it if the reports they bring -back from Korad are correct. When you have him fast bound bear him -to the vaults beneath the jeddak's quarters and chain him securely -where he may be found when Tal Hajus wishes him. Allow him to speak -with none, nor permit any other to enter this apartment before he -comes. There will be no danger of the girl returning, for by this -time she is safe in the arms of Tal Hajus, and may all her ancestors -have pity upon her, for Tal Hajus will have none; the great Sarkoja -has done a noble night's work. I go, and if you fail to capture -him when he comes, I commend your carcasses to the cold bosom of -Iss." - - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -A COSTLY RECAPTURE - - - - -As the speaker ceased he turned to leave the apartment by the door -where I was standing, but I needed to wait no longer; I had heard -enough to fill my soul with dread, and stealing quietly away -I returned to the courtyard by the way I had come. My plan of -action was formed upon the instant, and crossing the square and -the bordering avenue upon the opposite side I soon stood within -the courtyard of Tal Hajus. - -The brilliantly lighted apartments of the first floor told me where -first to seek, and advancing to the windows I peered within. I -soon discovered that my approach was not to be the easy thing -I had hoped, for the rear rooms bordering the court were filled -with warriors and women. I then glanced up at the stories above, -discovering that the third was apparently unlighted, and so decided -to make my entrance to the building from that point. It was the -work of but a moment for me to reach the windows above, and soon -I had drawn myself within the sheltering shadows of the unlighted -third floor. - -Fortunately the room I had selected was untenanted, and creeping -noiselessly to the corridor beyond I discovered a light in the -apartments ahead of me. Reaching what appeared to be a doorway I -discovered that it was but an opening upon an immense inner chamber -which towered from the first floor, two stories below me, to the -dome-like roof of the building, high above my head. The floor of -this great circular hall was thronged with chieftains, warriors -and women, and at one end was a great raised platform upon which -squatted the most hideous beast I had ever put my eyes upon. He -had all the cold, hard, cruel, terrible features of the green -warriors, but accentuated and debased by the animal passions to -which he had given himself over for many years. There was not a -mark of dignity or pride upon his bestial countenance, while his -enormous bulk spread itself out upon the platform where he squatted -like some huge devil fish, his six limbs accentuating the similarity -in a horrible and startling manner. - -But the sight that froze me with apprehension was that of Dejah -Thoris and Sola standing there before him, and the fiendish leer -of him as he let his great protruding eyes gloat upon the lines of -her beautiful figure. She was speaking, but I could not hear what -she said, nor could I make out the low grumbling of his reply. She -stood there erect before him, her head high held, and even at the -distance I was from them I could read the scorn and disgust upon -her face as she let her haughty glance rest without sign of fear -upon him. She was indeed the proud daughter of a thousand jeddaks, -every inch of her dear, precious little body; so small, so frail -beside the towering warriors around her, but in her majesty dwarfing -them into insignificance; she was the mightiest figure among them -and I verily believe that they felt it. - -Presently Tal Hajus made a sign that the chamber be cleared, and -that the prisoners be left alone before him. Slowly the chieftains, -the warriors and the women melted away into the shadows of the -surrounding chambers, and Dejah Thoris and Sola stood alone before -the jeddak of the Tharks. - -One chieftain alone had hesitated before departing; I saw him -standing in the shadows of a mighty column, his fingers nervously -toying with the hilt of his great-sword and his cruel eyes bent in -implacable hatred upon Tal Hajus. It was Tars Tarkas, and I could -read his thoughts as they were an open book for the undisguised -loathing upon his face. He was thinking of that other woman who, -forty years ago, had stood before this beast, and could I have -spoken a word into his ear at that moment the reign of Tal Hajus -would have been over; but finally he also strode from the room, not -knowing that he left his own daughter at the mercy of the creature -he most loathed. - -Tal Hajus arose, and I, half fearing, half anticipating his -intentions, hurried to the winding runway which led to the floors -below. No one was near to intercept me, and I reached the main -floor of the chamber unobserved, taking my station in the shadow -of the same column that Tars Tarkas had but just deserted. As I -reached the floor Tal Hajus was speaking. - -"Princess of Helium, I might wring a mighty ransom from your people -would I but return you to them unharmed, but a thousand times rather -would I watch that beautiful face writhe in the agony of torture; -it shall be long drawn out, that I promise you; ten days of pleasure -were all too short to show the love I harbor for your race. The -terrors of your death shall haunt the slumbers of the red men through -all the ages to come; they will shudder in the shadows of the night -as their fathers tell them of the awful vengeance of the green -men; of the power and might and hate and cruelty of Tal Hajus. But -before the torture you shall be mine for one short hour, and word -of that too shall go forth to Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium, your -grandfather, that he may grovel upon the ground in the agony of -his sorrow. Tomorrow the torture will commence; tonight thou art -Tal Hajus'; come!" - -He sprang down from the platform and grasped her roughly by the -arm, but scarcely had he touched her than I leaped between them. -My short-sword, sharp and gleaming was in my right hand; I could -have plunged it into his putrid heart before he realized that I -was upon him; but as I raised my arm to strike I thought of Tars -Tarkas, and, with all my rage, with all my hatred, I could not -rob him of that sweet moment for which he had lived and hoped all -these long, weary years, and so, instead, I swung my good right -fist full upon the point of his jaw. Without a sound he slipped -to the floor as one dead. - -In the same deathly silence I grasped Dejah Thoris by the hand, -and motioning Sola to follow we sped noiselessly from the chamber -and to the floor above. Unseen we reached a rear window and with -the straps and leather of my trappings I lowered, first Sola and -then Dejah Thoris to the ground below. Dropping lightly after them -I drew them rapidly around the court in the shadows of the buildings, -and thus we returned over the same course I had so recently followed -from the distant boundary of the city. - -We finally came upon my thoats in the courtyard where I had left -them, and placing the trappings upon them we hastened through the -building to the avenue beyond. Mounting, Sola upon one beast, and -Dejah Thoris behind me upon the other, we rode from the city of -Thark through the hills to the south. - -Instead of circling back around the city to the northwest and toward -the nearest waterway which lay so short a distance from us, we -turned to the northeast and struck out upon the mossy waste across -which, for two hundred dangerous and weary miles, lay another main -artery leading to Helium. - -No word was spoken until we had left the city far behind, but -I could hear the quiet sobbing of Dejah Thoris as she clung to me -with her dear head resting against my shoulder. - -"If we make it, my chieftain, the debt of Helium will be a mighty -one; greater than she can ever pay you; and should we not make -it," she continued, "the debt is no less, though Helium will never -know, for you have saved the last of our line from worse than -death." - -I did not answer, but instead reached to my side and pressed the -little fingers of her I loved where they clung to me for support, -and then, in unbroken silence, we sped over the yellow, moonlit -moss; each of us occupied with his own thoughts. For my part -I could not be other than joyful had I tried, with Dejah Thoris' -warm body pressed close to mine, and with all our unpassed danger -my heart was singing as gaily as though we were already entering -the gates of Helium. - -Our earlier plans had been so sadly upset that we now found ourselves -without food or drink, and I alone was armed. We therefore urged -our beasts to a speed that must tell on them sorely before we could -hope to sight the ending of the first stage of our journey. - -We rode all night and all the following day with only a few short -rests. On the second night both we and our animals were completely -fagged, and so we lay down upon the moss and slept for some five -or six hours, taking up the journey once more before daylight. All -the following day we rode, and when, late in the afternoon we had -sighted no distant trees, the mark of the great waterways throughout -all Barsoom, the terrible truth flashed upon us--we were lost. - -Evidently we had circled, but which way it was difficult to say, -nor did it seem possible with the sun to guide us by day and the -moons and stars by night. At any rate no waterway was in sight, -and the entire party was almost ready to drop from hunger, thirst -and fatigue. Far ahead of us and a trifle to the right we could -distinguish the outlines of low mountains. These we decided to -attempt to reach in the hope that from some ridge we might discern -the missing waterway. Night fell upon us before we reached our -goal, and, almost fainting from weariness and weakness, we lay down -and slept. - -I was awakened early in the morning by some huge body pressing close -to mine, and opening my eyes with a start I beheld my blessed old -Woola snuggling close to me; the faithful brute had followed us -across that trackless waste to share our fate, whatever it might -be. Putting my arms about his neck I pressed my cheek close to -his, nor am I ashamed that I did it, nor of the tears that came to -my eyes as I thought of his love for me. Shortly after this Dejah -Thoris and Sola awakened, and it was decided that we push on at -once in an effort to gain the hills. - -We had gone scarcely a mile when I noticed that my thoat was commencing -to stumble and stagger in a most pitiful manner, although we had -not attempted to force them out of a walk since about noon of the -preceding day. Suddenly he lurched wildly to one side and pitched -violently to the ground. Dejah Thoris and I were thrown clear of -him and fell upon the soft moss with scarcely a jar; but the poor -beast was in a pitiable condition, not even being able to rise, -although relieved of our weight. Sola told me that the coolness -of the night, when it fell, together with the rest would doubtless -revive him, and so I decided not to kill him, as was my first -intention, as I had thought it cruel to leave him alone there to -die of hunger and thirst. Relieving him of his trappings, which -I flung down beside him, we left the poor fellow to his fate, and -pushed on with the one thoat as best we could. Sola and I walked, -making Dejah Thoris ride, much against her will. In this way we had -progressed to within about a mile of the hills we were endeavoring -to reach when Dejah Thoris, from her point of vantage upon the -thoat, cried out that she saw a great party of mounted men filing -down from a pass in the hills several miles away. Sola and I both -looked in the direction she indicated, and there, plainly discernible, -were several hundred mounted warriors. They seemed to be headed -in a southwesterly direction, which would take them away from us. - -They doubtless were Thark warriors who had been sent out to capture -us, and we breathed a great sigh of relief that they were traveling -in the opposite direction. Quickly lifting Dejah Thoris from the -thoat, I commanded the animal to lie down and we three did the same, -presenting as small an object as possible for fear of attracting -the attention of the warriors toward us. - -We could see them as they filed out of the pass, just for an -instant, before they were lost to view behind a friendly ridge; to -us a most providential ridge; since, had they been in view for any -great length of time, they scarcely could have failed to discover -us. As what proved to be the last warrior came into view from -the pass, he halted and, to our consternation, threw his small but -powerful fieldglass to his eye and scanned the sea bottom in all -directions. Evidently he was a chieftain, for in certain marching -formations among the green men a chieftain brings up the extreme -rear of the column. As his glass swung toward us our hearts stopped -in our breasts, and I could feel the cold sweat start from every -pore in my body. - -Presently it swung full upon us and--stopped. The tension on -our nerves was near the breaking point, and I doubt if any of us -breathed for the few moments he held us covered by his glass; and -then he lowered it and we could see him shout a command to the -warriors who had passed from our sight behind the ridge. He did -not wait for them to join him, however, instead he wheeled his -thoat and came tearing madly in our direction. - -There was but one slight chance and that we must take quickly. Raising -my strange Martian rifle to my shoulder I sighted and touched the -button which controlled the trigger; there was a sharp explosion -as the missile reached its goal, and the charging chieftain pitched -backward from his flying mount. - -Springing to my feet I urged the thoat to rise, and directed Sola -to take Dejah Thoris with her upon him and make a mighty effort -to reach the hills before the green warriors were upon us. I knew -that in the ravines and gullies they might find a temporary hiding -place, and even though they died there of hunger and thirst it -would be better so than that they fell into the hands of the Tharks. -Forcing my two revolvers upon them as a slight means of protection, -and, as a last resort, as an escape for themselves from the horrid -death which recapture would surely mean, I lifted Dejah Thoris in -my arms and placed her upon the thoat behind Sola, who had already -mounted at my command. - -"Good-bye, my princess," I whispered, "we may meet in Helium yet. -I have escaped from worse plights than this," and I tried to smile -as I lied. - -"What," she cried, "are you not coming with us?" - -"How may I, Dejah Thoris? Someone must hold these fellows off for -a while, and I can better escape them alone than could the three -of us together." - -She sprang quickly from the thoat and, throwing her dear arms about -my neck, turned to Sola, saying with quiet dignity: "Fly, Sola! -Dejah Thoris remains to die with the man she loves." - -Those words are engraved upon my heart. Ah, gladly would I give -up my life a thousand times could I only hear them once again; but -I could not then give even a second to the rapture of her sweet -embrace, and pressing my lips to hers for the first time, I picked -her up bodily and tossed her to her seat behind Sola again, commanding -the latter in peremptory tones to hold her there by force, and -then, slapping the thoat upon the flank, I saw them borne away; -Dejah Thoris struggling to the last to free herself from Sola's -grasp. - -Turning, I beheld the green warriors mounting the ridge and looking -for their chieftain. In a moment they saw him, and then me; but -scarcely had they discovered me than I commenced firing, lying -flat upon my belly in the moss. I had an even hundred rounds in -the magazine of my rifle, and another hundred in the belt at my -back, and I kept up a continuous stream of fire until I saw all -of the warriors who had been first to return from behind the ridge -either dead or scurrying to cover. - -My respite was short-lived however, for soon the entire party, -numbering some thousand men, came charging into view, racing madly -toward me. I fired until my rifle was empty and they were almost -upon me, and then a glance showing me that Dejah Thoris and Sola -had disappeared among the hills, I sprang up, throwing down my -useless gun, and started away in the direction opposite to that -taken by Sola and her charge. - -If ever Martians had an exhibition of jumping, it was granted those -astonished warriors on that day long years ago, but while it led -them away from Dejah Thoris it did not distract their attention -from endeavoring to capture me. - -They raced wildly after me until, finally, my foot struck -a projecting piece of quartz, and down I went sprawling upon the -moss. As I looked up they were upon me, and although I drew my -long-sword in an attempt to sell my life as dearly as possible, -it was soon over. I reeled beneath their blows which fell upon me -in perfect torrents; my head swam; all was black, and I went down -beneath them to oblivion. - - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -CHAINED IN WARHOON - - - - -It must have been several hours before I regained consciousness -and I well remember the feeling of surprise which swept over me as -I realized that I was not dead. - -I was lying among a pile of sleeping silks and furs in the corner -of a small room in which were several green warriors, and bending -over me was an ancient and ugly female. - -As I opened my eyes she turned to one of the warriors, saying, - -"He will live, O Jed." - -"'Tis well," replied the one so addressed, rising and approaching -my couch, "he should render rare sport for the great games." - -And now as my eyes fell upon him, I saw that he was no Thark, for -his ornaments and metal were not of that horde. He was a huge -fellow, terribly scarred about the face and chest, and with one -broken tusk and a missing ear. Strapped on either breast were -human skulls and depending from these a number of dried human hands. - -His reference to the great games of which I had heard so much while -among the Tharks convinced me that I had but jumped from purgatory -into gehenna. - -After a few more words with the female, during which she assured -him that I was now fully fit to travel, the jed ordered that we -mount and ride after the main column. - -I was strapped securely to as wild and unmanageable a thoat as I -had ever seen, and, with a mounted warrior on either side to prevent -the beast from bolting, we rode forth at a furious pace in pursuit -of the column. My wounds gave me but little pain, so wonderfully -and rapidly had the applications and injections of the female -exercised their therapeutic powers, and so deftly had she bound -and plastered the injuries. - -Just before dark we reached the main body of troops shortly after -they had made camp for the night. I was immediately taken before -the leader, who proved to be the jeddak of the hordes of Warhoon. - -Like the jed who had brought me, he was frightfully scarred, and -also decorated with the breastplate of human skulls and dried dead -hands which seemed to mark all the greater warriors among the -Warhoons, as well as to indicate their awful ferocity, which greatly -transcends even that of the Tharks. - -The jeddak, Bar Comas, who was comparatively young, was the object -of the fierce and jealous hatred of his old lieutenant, Dak Kova, -the jed who had captured me, and I could not but note the almost -studied efforts which the latter made to affront his superior. - -He entirely omitted the usual formal salutation as we entered the -presence of the jeddak, and as he pushed me roughly before the -ruler he exclaimed in a loud and menacing voice. - -"I have brought a strange creature wearing the metal of a Thark -whom it is my pleasure to have battle with a wild thoat at the -great games." - -"He will die as Bar Comas, your jeddak, sees fit, if at all," -replied the young ruler, with emphasis and dignity. - -"If at all?" roared Dak Kova. "By the dead hands at my throat but -he shall die, Bar Comas. No maudlin weakness on your part shall -save him. O, would that Warhoon were ruled by a real jeddak rather -than by a water-hearted weakling from whom even old Dak Kova could -tear the metal with his bare hands!" - -Bar Comas eyed the defiant and insubordinate chieftain for an -instant, his expression one of haughty, fearless contempt and hate, -and then without drawing a weapon and without uttering a word he -hurled himself at the throat of his defamer. - -I never before had seen two green Martian warriors battle with -nature's weapons and the exhibition of animal ferocity which ensued -was as fearful a thing as the most disordered imagination could -picture. They tore at each others' eyes and ears with their hands -and with their gleaming tusks repeatedly slashed and gored until -both were cut fairly to ribbons from head to foot. - -Bar Comas had much the better of the battle as he was stronger, -quicker and more intelligent. It soon seemed that the encounter -was done saving only the final death thrust when Bar Comas slipped -in breaking away from a clinch. It was the one little opening that -Dak Kova needed, and hurling himself at the body of his adversary -he buried his single mighty tusk in Bar Comas' groin and with a last -powerful effort ripped the young jeddak wide open the full length -of his body, the great tusk finally wedging in the bones of Bar -Comas' jaw. Victor and vanquished rolled limp and lifeless upon -the moss, a huge mass of torn and bloody flesh. - -Bar Comas was stone dead, and only the most herculean efforts on -the part of Dak Kova's females saved him from the fate he deserved. -Three days later he walked without assistance to the body of Bar -Comas which, by custom, had not been moved from where it fell, and -placing his foot upon the neck of his erstwhile ruler he assumed -the title of Jeddak of Warhoon. - -The dead jeddak's hands and head were removed to be added to -the ornaments of his conqueror, and then his women cremated what -remained, amid wild and terrible laughter. - -The injuries to Dak Kova had delayed the march so greatly that -it was decided to give up the expedition, which was a raid upon -a small Thark community in retaliation for the destruction of the -incubator, until after the great games, and the entire body of -warriors, ten thousand in number, turned back toward Warhoon. - -My introduction to these cruel and bloodthirsty people was but an -index to the scenes I witnessed almost daily while with them. They -are a smaller horde than the Tharks but much more ferocious. Not -a day passed but that some members of the various Warhoon communities -met in deadly combat. I have seen as high as eight mortal duels -within a single day. - -We reached the city of Warhoon after some three days march and -I was immediately cast into a dungeon and heavily chained to the -floor and walls. Food was brought me at intervals but owing to -the utter darkness of the place I do not know whether I lay there -days, or weeks, or months. It was the most horrible experience -of all my life and that my mind did not give way to the terrors of -that inky blackness has been a wonder to me ever since. The place -was filled with creeping, crawling things; cold, sinuous bodies -passed over me when I lay down, and in the darkness I occasionally -caught glimpses of gleaming, fiery eyes, fixed in horrible -intentness upon me. No sound reached me from the world above and -no word would my jailer vouchsafe when my food was brought to me, -although I at first bombarded him with questions. - -Finally all the hatred and maniacal loathing for these awful -creatures who had placed me in this horrible place was centered by -my tottering reason upon this single emissary who represented to -me the entire horde of Warhoons. - -I had noticed that he always advanced with his dim torch to where -he could place the food within my reach and as he stooped to place -it upon the floor his head was about on a level with my breast. -So, with the cunning of a madman, I backed into the far corner of -my cell when next I heard him approaching and gathering a little -slack of the great chain which held me in my hand I waited his -coming, crouching like some beast of prey. As he stooped to place -my food upon the ground I swung the chain above my head and crashed -the links with all my strength upon his skull. Without a sound he -slipped to the floor, stone dead. - -Laughing and chattering like the idiot I was fast becoming I fell -upon his prostrate form my fingers feeling for his dead throat. -Presently they came in contact with a small chain at the end of -which dangled a number of keys. The touch of my fingers on these -keys brought back my reason with the suddenness of thought. No -longer was I a jibbering idiot, but a sane, reasoning man with the -means of escape within my very hands. - -As I was groping to remove the chain from about my victim's neck -I glanced up into the darkness to see six pairs of gleaming eyes -fixed, unwinking, upon me. Slowly they approached and slowly I -shrank back from the awful horror of them. Back into my corner I -crouched holding my hands palms out, before me, and stealthily on -came the awful eyes until they reached the dead body at my feet. -Then slowly they retreated but this time with a strange grating -sound and finally they disappeared in some black and distant recess -of my dungeon. - - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -BATTLING IN THE ARENA - - - - -Slowly I regained my composure and finally essayed again to attempt -to remove the keys from the dead body of my former jailer. But as -I reached out into the darkness to locate it I found to my horror -that it was gone. Then the truth flashed on me; the owners of -those gleaming eyes had dragged my prize away from me to be devoured -in their neighboring lair; as they had been waiting for days, for -weeks, for months, through all this awful eternity of my imprisonment -to drag my dead carcass to their feast. - -For two days no food was brought me, but then a new messenger -appeared and my incarceration went on as before, but not again did -I allow my reason to be submerged by the horror of my position. - -Shortly after this episode another prisoner was brought in and -chained near me. By the dim torch light I saw that he was a red -Martian and I could scarcely await the departure of his guards -to address him. As their retreating footsteps died away in the -distance, I called out softly the Martian word of greeting, kaor. - -"Who are you who speaks out of the darkness?" he answered - -"John Carter, a friend of the red men of Helium." - -"I am of Helium," he said, "but I do not recall your name." - -And then I told him my story as I have written it here, omitting -only any reference to my love for Dejah Thoris. He was much excited -by the news of Helium's princess and seemed quite positive that she -and Sola could easily have reached a point of safety from where they -left me. He said that he knew the place well because the defile -through which the Warhoon warriors had passed when they discovered -us was the only one ever used by them when marching to the south. - -"Dejah Thoris and Sola entered the hills not five miles from a -great waterway and are now probably quite safe," he assured me. - -My fellow prisoner was Kantos Kan, a padwar (lieutenant) in the -navy of Helium. He had been a member of the ill-fated expedition -which had fallen into the hands of the Tharks at the time of Dejah -Thoris' capture, and he briefly related the events which followed -the defeat of the battleships. - -Badly injured and only partially manned they had limped slowly toward -Helium, but while passing near the city of Zodanga, the capital -of Helium's hereditary enemies among the red men of Barsoom, they -had been attacked by a great body of war vessels and all but the -craft to which Kantos Kan belonged were either destroyed or captured. -His vessel was chased for days by three of the Zodangan war ships -but finally escaped during the darkness of a moonless night. - -Thirty days after the capture of Dejah Thoris, or about the time -of our coming to Thark, his vessel had reached Helium with about -ten survivors of the original crew of seven hundred officers and -men. Immediately seven great fleets, each of one hundred mighty -war ships, had been dispatched to search for Dejah Thoris, and -from these vessels two thousand smaller craft had been kept out -continuously in futile search for the missing princess. - -Two green Martian communities had been wiped off the face of -Barsoom by the avenging fleets, but no trace of Dejah Thoris had -been found. They had been searching among the northern hordes, -and only within the past few days had they extended their quest to -the south. - -Kantos Kan had been detailed to one of the small one-man fliers -and had had the misfortune to be discovered by the Warhoons while -exploring their city. The bravery and daring of the man won my -greatest respect and admiration. Alone he had landed at the city's -boundary and on foot had penetrated to the buildings surrounding -the plaza. For two days and nights he had explored their quarters -and their dungeons in search of his beloved princess only to fall -into the hands of a party of Warhoons as he was about to leave, -after assuring himself that Dejah Thoris was not a captive there. - -During the period of our incarceration Kantos Kan and I became well -acquainted, and formed a warm personal friendship. A few days only -elapsed, however, before we were dragged forth from our dungeon for -the great games. We were conducted early one morning to an enormous -amphitheater, which instead of having been built upon the surface -of the ground was excavated below the surface. it had partially -filled with debris so that how large it had originally been was -difficult to say. In its present condition it held the entire -twenty thousand Warhoons of the assembled hordes. - -The arena was immense but extremely uneven and unkempt. Around -it the Warhoons had piled building stone from some of the ruined -edifices of the ancient city to prevent the animals and the -captives from escaping into the audience, and at each end had been -constructed cages to hold them until their turns came to meet some -horrible death upon the arena. - -Kantos Kan and I were confined together in one of the cages. In -the others were wild calots, thoats, mad zitidars, green warriors, -and women of other hordes, and many strange and ferocious wild -beasts of Barsoom which I had never before seen. The din of their -roaring, growling and squealing was deafening and the formidable -appearance of any one of them was enough to make the stoutest heart -feel grave forebodings. - -Kantos Kan explained to me that at the end of the day one of these -prisoners would gain freedom and the others would lie dead about -the arena. The winners in the various contests of the day would -be pitted against each other until only two remained alive; the -victor in the last encounter being set free, whether animal or -man. The following morning the cages would be filled with a new -consignment of victims, and so on throughout the ten days of the -games. - -Shortly after we had been caged the amphitheater began to fill -and within an hour every available part of the seating space was -occupied. Dak Kova, with his jeds and chieftains, sat at the center -of one side of the arena upon a large raised platform. - -At a signal from Dak Kova the doors of two cages were thrown open -and a dozen green Martian females were driven to the center of the -arena. Each was given a dagger and then, at the far end, a pack -of twelve calots, or wild dogs were loosed upon them. - -As the brutes, growling and foaming, rushed upon the almost -defenseless women I turned my head that I might not see the horrid -sight. The yells and laughter of the green horde bore witness to -the excellent quality of the sport and when I turned back to the -arena, as Kantos Kan told me it was over, I saw three victorious -calots, snarling and growling over the bodies of their prey. The -women had given a good account of themselves. - -Next a mad zitidar was loosed among the remaining dogs, and so it -went throughout the long, hot, horrible day. - -During the day I was pitted against first men and then beasts, but as -I was armed with a long-sword and always outclassed my adversary in -agility and generally in strength as well, it proved but child's play -to me. Time and time again I won the applause of the bloodthirsty -multitude, and toward the end there were cries that I be taken from -the arena and be made a member of the hordes of Warhoon. - -Finally there were but three of us left, a great green warrior of -some far northern horde, Kantos Kan, and myself. - -The other two were to battle and then I to fight the conqueror for -the liberty which was accorded the final winner. - -Kantos Kan had fought several times during the day and like myself -had always proven victorious, but occasionally by the smallest of -margins, especially when pitted against the green warriors. I had -little hope that he could best his giant adversary who had mowed -down all before him during the day. The fellow towered nearly -sixteen feet in height, while Kantos Kan was some inches under six -feet. As they advanced to meet one another I saw for the first -time a trick of Martian swordsmanship which centered Kantos Kan's -every hope of victory and life on one cast of the dice, for, as he -came to within about twenty feet of the huge fellow he threw his -sword arm far behind him over his shoulder and with a mighty sweep -hurled his weapon point foremost at the green warrior. It flew -true as an arrow and piercing the poor devil's heart laid him dead -upon the arena. - -Kantos Kan and I were now pitted against each other but as -we approached to the encounter I whispered to him to prolong the -battle until nearly dark in the hope that we might find some means -of escape. The horde evidently guessed that we had no hearts to -fight each other and so they howled in rage as neither of us placed -a fatal thrust. Just as I saw the sudden coming of dark I whispered -to Kantos Kan to thrust his sword between my left arm and my body. -As he did so I staggered back clasping the sword tightly with my arm -and thus fell to the ground with his weapon apparently protruding -from my chest. Kantos Kan perceived my coup and stepping quickly -to my side he placed his foot upon my neck and withdrawing his -sword from my body gave me the final death blow through the neck -which is supposed to sever the jugular vein, but in this instance -the cold blade slipped harmlessly into the sand of the arena. In -the darkness which had now fallen none could tell but that he had -really finished me. I whispered to him to go and claim his freedom -and then look for me in the hills east of the city, and so he left -me. - -When the amphitheater had cleared I crept stealthily to the top and -as the great excavation lay far from the plaza and in an untenanted -portion of the great dead city I had little trouble in reaching -the hills beyond. - - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -IN THE ATMOSPHERE FACTORY - - - - -For two days I waited there for Kantos Kan, but as he did not come -I started off on foot in a northwesterly direction toward a point -where he had told me lay the nearest waterway. My only food consisted -of vegetable milk from the plants which gave so bounteously of this -priceless fluid. - -Through two long weeks I wandered, stumbling through the nights -guided only by the stars and hiding during the days behind some -protruding rock or among the occasional hills I traversed. Several -times I was attacked by wild beasts; strange, uncouth monstrosities -that leaped upon me in the dark, so that I had ever to grasp my -long-sword in my hand that I might be ready for them. Usually my -strange, newly acquired telepathic power warned me in ample time, -but once I was down with vicious fangs at my jugular and a hairy -face pressed close to mine before I knew that I was even threatened. - -What manner of thing was upon me I did not know, but that it was -large and heavy and many-legged I could feel. My hands were at its -throat before the fangs had a chance to bury themselves in my neck, -and slowly I forced the hairy face from me and closed my fingers, -vise-like, upon its windpipe. - -Without sound we lay there, the beast exerting every effort to reach -me with those awful fangs, and I straining to maintain my grip and -choke the life from it as I kept it from my throat. Slowly my arms -gave to the unequal struggle, and inch by inch the burning eyes -and gleaming tusks of my antagonist crept toward me, until, as -the hairy face touched mine again, I realized that all was over. -And then a living mass of destruction sprang from the surrounding -darkness full upon the creature that held me pinioned to the ground. -The two rolled growling upon the moss, tearing and rending one -another in a frightful manner, but it was soon over and my preserver -stood with lowered head above the throat of the dead thing which -would have killed me. - -The nearer moon, hurtling suddenly above the horizon and lighting -up the Barsoomian scene, showed me that my preserver was Woola, -but from whence he had come, or how found me, I was at a loss to -know. That I was glad of his companionship it is needless to say, -but my pleasure at seeing him was tempered by anxiety as to the -reason of his leaving Dejah Thoris. Only her death I felt sure, -could account for his absence from her, so faithful I knew him to -be to my commands. - -By the light of the now brilliant moons I saw that he was but -a shadow of his former self, and as he turned from my caress and -commenced greedily to devour the dead carcass at my feet I realized -that the poor fellow was more than half starved. I, myself, was -in but little better plight but I could not bring myself to eat the -uncooked flesh and I had no means of making a fire. When Woola had -finished his meal I again took up my weary and seemingly endless -wandering in quest of the elusive waterway. - -At daybreak of the fifteenth day of my search I was overjoyed to -see the high trees that denoted the object of my search. About -noon I dragged myself wearily to the portals of a huge building -which covered perhaps four square miles and towered two hundred -feet in the air. It showed no aperture in the mighty walls other -than the tiny door at which I sank exhausted, nor was there any -sign of life about it. - -I could find no bell or other method of making my presence known -to the inmates of the place, unless a small round role in the wall -near the door was for that purpose. It was of about the bigness -of a lead pencil and thinking that it might be in the nature of a -speaking tube I put my mouth to it and was about to call into it -when a voice issued from it asking me whom I might be, where from, -and the nature of my errand. - -I explained that I had escaped from the Warhoons and was dying of -starvation and exhaustion. - -"You wear the metal of a green warrior and are followed by a calot, -yet you are of the figure of a red man. In color you are neither -green nor red. In the name of the ninth day, what manner of creature -are you?" - -"I am a friend of the red men of Barsoom and I am starving. In -the name of humanity open to us," I replied. - -Presently the door commenced to recede before me until it had sunk -into the wall fifty feet, then it stopped and slid easily to the -left, exposing a short, narrow corridor of concrete, at the further -end of which was another door, similar in every respect to the one -I had just passed. No one was in sight, yet immediately we passed -the first door it slid gently into place behind us and receded -rapidly to its original position in the front wall of the building. -As the door had slipped aside I had noted its great thickness, fully -twenty feet, and as it reached its place once more after closing -behind us, great cylinders of steel had dropped from the ceiling -behind it and fitted their lower ends into apertures countersunk -in the floor. - -A second and third door receded before me and slipped to one side -as the first, before I reached a large inner chamber where I found -food and drink set out upon a great stone table. A voice directed -me to satisfy my hunger and to feed my calot, and while I was thus -engaged my invisible host put me through a severe and searching -cross-examination. - -"Your statements are most remarkable," said the voice, on concluding -its questioning, "but you are evidently speaking the truth, and it -is equally evident that you are not of Barsoom. I can tell that -by the conformation of your brain and the strange location of your -internal organs and the shape and size of your heart." - -"Can you see through me?" I exclaimed. - -"Yes, I can see all but your thoughts, and were you a Barsoomian -I could read those." - -Then a door opened at the far side of the chamber and a strange, -dried up, little mummy of a man came toward me. He wore but -a single article of clothing or adornment, a small collar of gold -from which depended upon his chest a great ornament as large as -a dinner plate set solid with huge diamonds, except for the exact -center which was occupied by a strange stone, an inch in diameter, -that scintillated nine different and distinct rays; the seven -colors of our earthly prism and two beautiful rays which, to me, -were new and nameless. I cannot describe them any more than you -could describe red to a blind man. I only know that they were -beautiful in the extreme. - -The old man sat and talked with me for hours, and the strangest -part of our intercourse was that I could read his every thought -while he could not fathom an iota from my mind unless I spoke. - -I did not apprise him of my ability to sense his mental operations, -and thus I learned a great deal which proved of immense value to -me later and which I would never have known had he suspected my -strange power, for the Martians have such perfect control of their -mental machinery that they are able to direct their thoughts with -absolute precision. - -The building in which I found myself contained the machinery which -produces that artificial atmosphere which sustains life on Mars. -The secret of the entire process hinges on the use of the ninth -ray, one of the beautiful scintillations which I had noted emanating -from the great stone in my host's diadem. - -This ray is separated from the other rays of the sun by means -of finely adjusted instruments placed upon the roof of the huge -building, three-quarters of which is used for reservoirs in which -the ninth ray is stored. This product is then treated electrically, -or rather certain proportions of refined electric vibrations are -incorporated with it, and the result is then pumped to the five -principal air centers of the planet where, as it is released, -contact with the ether of space transforms it into atmosphere. - -There is always sufficient reserve of the ninth ray stored in the -great building to maintain the present Martian atmosphere for a -thousand years, and the only fear, as my new friend told me, was -that some accident might befall the pumping apparatus. - -He led me to an inner chamber where I beheld a battery of twenty -radium pumps any one of which was equal to the task of furnishing -all Mars with the atmosphere compound. For eight hundred years, -he told me, he had watched these pumps which are used alternately -a day each at a stretch, or a little over twenty-four and one-half -Earth hours. He has one assistant who divides the watch with him. -Half a Martian year, about three hundred and forty-four of our -days, each of these men spend alone in this huge, isolated plant. - -Every red Martian is taught during earliest childhood the principles -of the manufacture of atmosphere, but only two at one time ever hold -the secret of ingress to the great building, which, built as it is -with walls a hundred and fifty feet thick, is absolutely unassailable, -even the roof being guarded from assault by air craft by a glass -covering five feet thick. - -The only fear they entertain of attack is from the green Martians -or some demented red man, as all Barsoomians realize that the -very existence of every form of life of Mars is dependent upon the -uninterrupted working of this plant. - -One curious fact I discovered as I watched his thoughts was that -the outer doors are manipulated by telepathic means. The locks are -so finely adjusted that the doors are released by the action of a -certain combination of thought waves. To experiment with my new-found -toy I thought to surprise him into revealing this combination and -so I asked him in a casual manner how he had managed to unlock the -massive doors for me from the inner chambers of the building. As -quick as a flash there leaped to his mind nine Martian sounds, but -as quickly faded as he answered that this was a secret he must not -divulge. - -From then on his manner toward me changed as though he feared that -he had been surprised into divulging his great secret, and I read -suspicion and fear in his looks and thoughts, though his words were -still fair. - -Before I retired for the night he promised to give me a letter to -a nearby agricultural officer who would help me on my way to Zodanga, -which he said, was the nearest Martian city. - -"But be sure that you do not let them know you are bound for Helium -as they are at war with that country. My assistant and I are of no -country, we belong to all Barsoom and this talisman which we wear -protects us in all lands, even among the green men--though we do -not trust ourselves to their hands if we can avoid it," he added. - -"And so good-night, my friend," he continued, "may you have a long -and restful sleep--yes, a long sleep." - -And though he smiled pleasantly I saw in his thoughts the wish that -he had never admitted me, and then a picture of him standing over -me in the night, and the swift thrust of a long dagger and the half -formed words, "I am sorry, but it is for the best good of Barsoom." - -As he closed the door of my chamber behind him his thoughts were -cut off from me as was the sight of him, which seemed strange to -me in my little knowledge of thought transference. - -What was I to do? How could I escape through these mighty walls? -Easily could I kill him now that I was warned, but once he was -dead I could no more escape, and with the stopping of the machinery -of the great plant I should die with all the other inhabitants of -the planet--all, even Dejah Thoris were she not already dead. For -the others I did not give the snap of my finger, but the thought -of Dejah Thoris drove from my mind all desire to kill my mistaken -host. - -Cautiously I opened the door of my apartment and, followed by Woola, -sought the inner of the great doors. A wild scheme had come to -me; I would attempt to force the great locks by the nine thought -waves I had read in my host's mind. - -Creeping stealthily through corridor after corridor and down -winding runways which turned hither and thither I finally reached -the great hall in which I had broken my long fast that morning. -Nowhere had I seen my host, nor did I know where he kept himself -by night. - -I was on the point of stepping boldly out into the room when a -slight noise behind me warned me back into the shadows of a recess -in the corridor. Dragging Woola after me I crouched low in the -darkness. - -Presently the old man passed close by me, and as he entered the dimly -lighted chamber which I had been about to pass through I saw that -he held a long thin dagger in his hand and that he was sharpening -it upon a stone. In his mind was the decision to inspect the radium -pumps, which would take about thirty minutes, and then return to -my bed chamber and finish me. - -As he passed through the great hall and disappeared down the runway -which led to the pump-room, I stole stealthily from my hiding place -and crossed to the great door, the inner of the three which stood -between me and liberty. - -Concentrating my mind upon the massive lock I hurled the nine -thought waves against it. In breathless expectancy I waited, when -finally the great door moved softly toward me and slid quietly to -one side. One after the other the remaining mighty portals opened -at my command and Woola and I stepped forth into the darkness, free, -but little better off than we had been before, other than that we -had full stomachs. - -Hastening away from the shadows of the formidable pile I made for -the first crossroad, intending to strike the central turnpike as -quickly as possible. This I reached about morning and entering -the first enclosure I came to I searched for some evidences of a -habitation. - -There were low rambling buildings of concrete barred with heavy -impassable doors, and no amount of hammering and hallooing brought -any response. Weary and exhausted from sleeplessness I threw myself -upon the ground commanding Woola to stand guard. - -Some time later I was awakened by his frightful growlings and opened -my eyes to see three red Martians standing a short distance from -us and covering me with their rifles. - -"I am unarmed and no enemy," I hastened to explain. "I have been -a prisoner among the green men and am on my way to Zodanga. All -I ask is food and rest for myself and my calot and the proper -directions for reaching my destination." - -They lowered their rifles and advanced pleasantly toward me placing -their right hands upon my left shoulder, after the manner of their -custom of salute, and asking me many questions about myself and my -wanderings. They then took me to the house of one of them which -was only a short distance away. - -The buildings I had been hammering at in the early morning were -occupied only by stock and farm produce, the house proper standing -among a grove of enormous trees, and, like all red-Martian homes, -had been raised at night some forty or fifty feet from the ground -on a large round metal shaft which slid up or down within a sleeve -sunk in the ground, and was operated by a tiny radium engine in -the entrance hall of the building. Instead of bothering with bolts -and bars for their dwellings, the red Martians simply run them up -out of harm's way during the night. They also have private means -for lowering or raising them from the ground without if they wish -to go away and leave them. - -These brothers, with their wives and children, occupied three -similar houses on this farm. They did no work themselves, being -government officers in charge. The labor was performed by convicts, -prisoners of war, delinquent debtors and confirmed bachelors who -were too poor to pay the high celibate tax which all red-Martian -governments impose. - -They were the personification of cordiality and hospitality and I -spent several days with them, resting and recuperating from my long -and arduous experiences. - -When they had heard my story--I omitted all reference to Dejah Thoris -and the old man of the atmosphere plant--they advised me to color -my body to more nearly resemble their own race and then attempt to -find employment in Zodanga, either in the army or the navy. - -"The chances are small that your tale will be believed until after -you have proven your trustworthiness and won friends among the -higher nobles of the court. This you can most easily do through -military service, as we are a warlike people on Barsoom," explained -one of them, "and save our richest favors for the fighting man." - -When I was ready to depart they furnished me with a small domestic -bull thoat, such as is used for saddle purposes by all red Martians. -The animal is about the size of a horse and quite gentle, but in -color and shape an exact replica of his huge and fierce cousin of -the wilds. - -The brothers had supplied me with a reddish oil with which I anointed -my entire body and one of them cut my hair, which had grown quite -long, in the prevailing fashion of the time, square at the back and -banged in front, so that I could have passed anywhere upon Barsoom -as a full-fledged red Martian. My metal and ornaments were also -renewed in the style of a Zodangan gentleman, attached to the house -of Ptor, which was the family name of my benefactors. - -They filled a little sack at my side with Zodangan money. The -medium of exchange upon Mars is not dissimilar from our own except -that the coins are oval. Paper money is issued by individuals as -they require it and redeemed twice yearly. If a man issues more -than he can redeem, the government pays his creditors in full and -the debtor works out the amount upon the farms or in mines, which -are all owned by the government. This suits everybody except -the debtor as it has been a difficult thing to obtain sufficient -voluntary labor to work the great isolated farm lands of Mars, -stretching as they do like narrow ribbons from pole to pole, through -wild stretches peopled by wild animals and wilder men. - -When I mentioned my inability to repay them for their kindness to -me they assured me that I would have ample opportunity if I lived -long upon Barsoom, and bidding me farewell they watched me until -I was out of sight upon the broad white turnpike. - - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -AN AIR SCOUT FOR ZODANGA - - - - -As I proceeded on my journey toward Zodanga many strange and -interesting sights arrested my attention, and at the several farm -houses where I stopped I learned a number of new and instructive -things concerning the methods and manners of Barsoom. - -The water which supplies the farms of Mars is collected in immense -underground reservoirs at either pole from the melting ice caps, -and pumped through long conduits to the various populated centers. -Along either side of these conduits, and extending their entire -length, lie the cultivated districts. These are divided into tracts -of about the same size, each tract being under the supervision of -one or more government officers. - -Instead of flooding the surface of the fields, and thus wasting -immense quantities of water by evaporation, the precious liquid is -carried underground through a vast network of small pipes directly -to the roots of the vegetation. The crops upon Mars are always -uniform, for there are no droughts, no rains, no high winds, and -no insects, or destroying birds. - -On this trip I tasted the first meat I had eaten since leaving -Earth--large, juicy steaks and chops from the well-fed domestic -animals of the farms. Also I enjoyed luscious fruits and vegetables, -but not a single article of food which was exactly similar to -anything on Earth. Every plant and flower and vegetable and animal -has been so refined by ages of careful, scientific cultivation and -breeding that the like of them on Earth dwindled into pale, gray, -characterless nothingness by comparison. - -At a second stop I met some highly cultivated people of the noble -class and while in conversation we chanced to speak of Helium. One -of the older men had been there on a diplomatic mission several -years before and spoke with regret of the conditions which seemed -destined ever to keep these two countries at war. - -"Helium," he said, "rightly boasts the most beautiful women of -Barsoom, and of all her treasures the wondrous daughter of Mors -Kajak, Dejah Thoris, is the most exquisite flower. - -"Why," he added, "the people really worship the ground she walks -upon and since her loss on that ill-starred expedition all Helium -has been draped in mourning. - -"That our ruler should have attacked the disabled fleet as it was -returning to Helium was but another of his awful blunders which I -fear will sooner or later compel Zodanga to elevate a wiser man to -his place." - -"Even now, though our victorious armies are surrounding Helium, -the people of Zodanga are voicing their displeasure, for the war -is not a popular one, since it is not based on right or justice. -Our forces took advantage of the absence of the principal fleet of -Helium on their search for the princess, and so we have been able -easily to reduce the city to a sorry plight. it is said she will -fall within the next few passages of the further moon." - -"And what, think you, may have been the fate of the princess, Dejah -Thoris?" I asked as casually as possible. - -"She is dead," he answered. "This much was learned from a green -warrior recently captured by our forces in the south. She escaped -from the hordes of Thark with a strange creature of another world, -only to fall into the hands of the Warhoons. Their thoats were found -wandering upon the sea bottom and evidences of a bloody conflict -were discovered nearby." - -While this information was in no way reassuring, neither was -it at all conclusive proof of the death of Dejah Thoris, and so I -determined to make every effort possible to reach Helium as quickly -as I could and carry to Tardos Mors such news of his granddaughter's -possible whereabouts as lay in my power. - -Ten days after leaving the three Ptor brothers I arrived at Zodanga. -From the moment that I had come in contact with the red inhabitants -of Mars I had noticed that Woola drew a great amount of unwelcome -attention to me, since the huge brute belonged to a species which -is never domesticated by the red men. Were one to stroll down -Broadway with a Numidian lion at his heels the effect would be -somewhat similar to that which I should have produced had I entered -Zodanga with Woola. - -The very thought of parting with the faithful fellow caused me -so great regret and genuine sorrow that I put it off until just -before we arrived at the city's gates; but then, finally, it became -imperative that we separate. Had nothing further than my own -safety or pleasure been at stake no argument could have prevailed -upon me to turn away the one creature upon Barsoom that had never -failed in a demonstration of affection and loyalty; but as I would -willingly have offered my life in the service of her in search of -whom I was about to challenge the unknown dangers of this, to me, -mysterious city, I could not permit even Woola's life to threaten -the success of my venture, much less his momentary happiness, for -I doubted not he soon would forget me. And so I bade the poor -beast an affectionate farewell, promising him, however, that if I -came through my adventure in safety that in some way I should find -the means to search him out. - -He seemed to understand me fully, and when I pointed back in the -direction of Thark he turned sorrowfully away, nor could I bear to -watch him go; but resolutely set my face toward Zodanga and with -a touch of heartsickness approached her frowning walls. - -The letter I bore from them gained me immediate entrance to the -vast, walled city. It was still very early in the morning and the -streets were practically deserted. The residences, raised high upon -their metal columns, resembled huge rookeries, while the uprights -themselves presented the appearance of steel tree trunks. The -shops as a rule were not raised from the ground nor were their -doors bolted or barred, since thievery is practically unknown upon -Barsoom. Assassination is the ever-present fear of all Barsoomians, -and for this reason alone their homes are raised high above the -ground at night, or in times of danger. - -The Ptor brothers had given me explicit directions for reaching the -point of the city where I could find living accommodations and be -near the offices of the government agents to whom they had given -me letters. My way led to the central square or plaza, which is -a characteristic of all Martian cities. - -The plaza of Zodanga covers a square mile and is bounded by the -palaces of the jeddak, the jeds, and other members of the royalty -and nobility of Zodanga, as well as by the principal public buildings, -cafes, and shops. - -As I was crossing the great square lost in wonder and admiration -of the magnificent architecture and the gorgeous scarlet vegetation -which carpeted the broad lawns I discovered a red Martian walking -briskly toward me from one of the avenues. He paid not the -slightest attention to me, but as he came abreast I recognized him, -and turning I placed my hand upon his shoulder, calling out: - -"Kaor, Kantos Kan!" - -Like lightning he wheeled and before I could so much as lower my -hand the point of his long-sword was at my breast. - -"Who are you?" he growled, and then as a backward leap carried me -fifty feet from his sword he dropped the point to the ground and -exclaimed, laughing, - -"I do not need a better reply, there is but one man upon all Barsoom -who can bounce about like a rubber ball. By the mother of the -further moon, John Carter, how came you here, and have you become -a Darseen that you can change your color at will?" - -"You gave me a bad half minute my friend," he continued, after I -had briefly outlined my adventures since parting with him in the -arena at Warhoon. "Were my name and city known to the Zodangans -I would shortly be sitting on the banks of the lost sea of Korus -with my revered and departed ancestors. I am here in the interest -of Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium, to discover the whereabouts of -Dejah Thoris, our princess. Sab Than, prince of Zodanga, has her -hidden in the city and has fallen madly in love with her. His father, -Than Kosis, Jeddak of Zodanga, has made her voluntary marriage to -his son the price of peace between our countries, but Tardos Mors -will not accede to the demands and has sent word that he and his -people would rather look upon the dead face of their princess than -see her wed to any than her own choice, and that personally he would -prefer being engulfed in the ashes of a lost and burning Helium to -joining the metal of his house with that of Than Kosis. His reply -was the deadliest affront he could have put upon Than Kosis and the -Zodangans, but his people love him the more for it and his strength -in Helium is greater today than ever. - -"I have been here three days," continued Kantos Kan, "but I have -not yet found where Dejah Thoris is imprisoned. Today I join the -Zodangan navy as an air scout and I hope in this way to win the -confidence of Sab Than, the prince, who is commander of this division -of the navy, and thus learn the whereabouts of Dejah Thoris. I am -glad that you are here, John Carter, for I know your loyalty to my -princess and two of us working together should be able to accomplish -much." - -The plaza was now commencing to fill with people going and coming -upon the daily activities of their duties. The shops were opening -and the cafes filling with early morning patrons. Kantos Kan led -me to one of these gorgeous eating places where we were served -entirely by mechanical apparatus. No hand touched the food from -the time it entered the building in its raw state until it emerged -hot and delicious upon the tables before the guests, in response -to the touching of tiny buttons to indicate their desires. - -After our meal, Kantos Kan took me with him to the headquarters -of the air-scout squadron and introducing me to his superior asked -that I be enrolled as a member of the corps. In accordance with -custom an examination was necessary, but Kantos Kan had told me to -have no fear on this score as he would attend to that part of the -matter. He accomplished this by taking my order for examination -to the examining officer and representing himself as John Carter. - -"This ruse will be discovered later," he cheerfully explained, -"when they check up my weights, measurements, and other personal -identification data, but it will be several months before this is -done and our mission should be accomplished or have failed long -before that time." - -The next few days were spent by Kantos Kan in teaching me the -intricacies of flying and of repairing the dainty little contrivances -which the Martians use for this purpose. The body of the one-man -air craft is about sixteen feet long, two feet wide and three inches -thick, tapering to a point at each end. The driver sits on top of -this plane upon a seat constructed over the small, noiseless radium -engine which propels it. The medium of buoyancy is contained -within the thin metal walls of the body and consists of the eighth -Barsoomian ray, or ray of propulsion, as it may be termed in view -of its properties. - -This ray, like the ninth ray, is unknown on Earth, but the Martians -have discovered that it is an inherent property of all light no -matter from what source it emanates. They have learned that it -is the solar eighth ray which propels the light of the sun to the -various planets, and that it is the individual eighth ray of each -planet which "reflects," or propels the light thus obtained out -into space once more. The solar eighth ray would be absorbed by -the surface of Barsoom, but the Barsoomian eighth ray, which tends -to propel light from Mars into space, is constantly streaming out -from the planet constituting a force of repulsion of gravity which -when confined is able to life enormous weights from the surface of -the ground. - -It is this ray which has enabled them to so perfect aviation that -battle ships far outweighing anything known upon Earth sail as -gracefully and lightly through the thin air of Barsoom as a toy -balloon in the heavy atmosphere of Earth. - -During the early years of the discovery of this ray many strange -accidents occurred before the Martians learned to measure and -control the wonderful power they had found. In one instance, some -nine hundred years before, the first great battle ship to be built -with eighth ray reservoirs was stored with too great a quantity -of the rays and she had sailed up from Helium with five hundred -officers and men, never to return. - -Her power of repulsion for the planet was so great that it had -carried her far into space, where she can be seen today, by the aid -of powerful telescopes, hurtling through the heavens ten thousand -miles from Mars; a tiny satellite that will thus encircle Barsoom -to the end of time. - -The fourth day after my arrival at Zodanga I made my first flight, -and as a result of it I won a promotion which included quarters in -the palace of Than Kosis. - -As I rose above the city I circled several times, as I had seen -Kantos Kan do, and then throwing my engine into top speed I raced -at terrific velocity toward the south, following one of the great -waterways which enter Zodanga from that direction. - -I had traversed perhaps two hundred miles in a little less than an -hour when I descried far below me a party of three green warriors -racing madly toward a small figure on foot which seemed to be trying -to reach the confines of one of the walled fields. - -Dropping my machine rapidly toward them, and circling to the rear -of the warriors, I soon saw that the object of their pursuit was -a red Martian wearing the metal of the scout squadron to which I -was attached. A short distance away lay his tiny flier, surrounded -by the tools with which he had evidently been occupied in repairing -some damage when surprised by the green warriors. - -They were now almost upon him; their flying mounts charging down -on the relatively puny figure at terrific speed, while the warriors -leaned low to the right, with their great metal-shod spears. Each -seemed striving to be the first to impale the poor Zodangan and -in another moment his fate would have been sealed had it not been -for my timely arrival. - -Driving my fleet air craft at high speed directly behind the warriors -I soon overtook them and without diminishing my speed I rammed -the prow of my little flier between the shoulders of the nearest. -The impact sufficient to have torn through inches of solid steel, -hurled the fellow's headless body into the air over the head of -his thoat, where it fell sprawling upon the moss. The mounts of -the other two warriors turned squealing in terror, and bolted in -opposite directions. - -Reducing my speed I circled and came to the ground at the feet of -the astonished Zodangan. He was warm in his thanks for my timely -aid and promised that my day's work would bring the reward it merited, -for it was none other than a cousin of the jeddak of Zodanga whose -life I had saved. - -We wasted no time in talk as we knew that the warriors would -surely return as soon as they had gained control of their mounts. -Hastening to his damaged machine we were bending every effort to -finish the needed repairs and had almost completed them when we -saw the two green monsters returning at top speed from opposite -sides of us. When they had approached within a hundred yards their -thoats again became unmanageable and absolutely refused to advance -further toward the air craft which had frightened them. - -The warriors finally dismounted and hobbling their animals advanced -toward us on foot with drawn long-swords. - -I advanced to meet the larger, telling the Zodangan to do the best -he could with the other. Finishing my man with almost no effort, -as had now from much practice become habitual with me, I hastened -to return to my new acquaintance whom I found indeed in desperate -straits. - -He was wounded and down with the huge foot of his antagonist upon -his throat and the great long-sword raised to deal the final thrust. -With a bound I cleared the fifty feet intervening between us, and -with outstretched point drove my sword completely through the body -of the green warrior. His sword fell, harmless, to the ground and -he sank limply upon the prostrate form of the Zodangan. - -A cursory examination of the latter revealed no mortal injuries -and after a brief rest he asserted that he felt fit to attempt the -return voyage. He would have to pilot his own craft, however, as -these frail vessels are not intended to convey but a single person. - -Quickly completing the repairs we rose together into the still, -cloudless Martian sky, and at great speed and without further mishap -returned to Zodanga. - -As we neared the city we discovered a mighty concourse of civilians -and troops assembled upon the plain before the city. The sky was -black with naval vessels and private and public pleasure craft, -flying long streamers of gay-colored silks, and banners and flags -of odd and picturesque design. - -My companion signaled that I slow down, and running his machine close -beside mine suggested that we approach and watch the ceremony, which, -he said, was for the purpose of conferring honors on individual -officers and men for bravery and other distinguished service. He -then unfurled a little ensign which denoted that his craft bore -a member of the royal family of Zodanga, and together we made our -way through the maze of low-lying air vessels until we hung directly -over the jeddak of Zodanga and his staff. All were mounted upon -the small domestic bull thoats of the red Martians, and their -trappings and ornamentation bore such a quantity of gorgeously -colored feathers that I could not but be struck with the startling -resemblance the concourse bore to a band of the red Indians of my -own Earth. - -One of the staff called the attention of Than Kosis to the presence -of my companion above them and the ruler motioned for him to descend. -As they waited for the troops to move into position facing the -jeddak the two talked earnestly together, the jeddak and his staff -occasionally glancing up at me. I could not hear their conversation -and presently it ceased and all dismounted, as the last body of -troops had wheeled into position before their emperor. A member -of the staff advanced toward the troops, and calling the name of -a soldier commanded him to advance. The officer then recited the -nature of the heroic act which had won the approval of the jeddak, -and the latter advanced and placed a metal ornament upon the left -arm of the lucky man. - -Ten men had been so decorated when the aide called out, - -"John Carter, air scout!" - -Never in my life had I been so surprised, but the habit of military -discipline is strong within me, and I dropped my little machine -lightly to the ground and advanced on foot as I had seen the others -do. As I halted before the officer, he addressed me in a voice -audible to the entire assemblage of troops and spectators. - -"In recognition, John Carter," he said, "of your remarkable courage -and skill in defending the person of the cousin of the jeddak Than -Kosis and, singlehanded, vanquishing three green warriors, it is -the pleasure of our jeddak to confer on you the mark of his esteem." - -Than Kosis then advanced toward me and placing an ornament upon -me, said: - -"My cousin has narrated the details of your wonderful achievement, -which seems little short of miraculous, and if you can so well -defend a cousin of the jeddak how much better could you defend the -person of the jeddak himself. You are therefore appointed a padwar -of The Guards and will be quartered in my palace hereafter." - -I thanked him, and at his direction joined the members of his -staff. After the ceremony I returned my machine to its quarters -on the roof of the barracks of the air-scout squadron, and with an -orderly from the palace to guide me I reported to the officer in -charge of the palace. - - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -I FIND DEJAH - - - - -The major-domo to whom I reported had been given instructions -to station me near the person of the jeddak, who, in time of war, -is always in great danger of assassination, as the rule that all -is fair in war seems to constitute the entire ethics of Martian -conflict. - -He therefore escorted me immediately to the apartment in which -Than Kosis then was. The ruler was engaged in conversation with -his son, Sab Than, and several courtiers of his household, and did -not perceive my entrance. - -The walls of the apartment were completely hung with splendid -tapestries which hid any windows or doors which may have pierced -them. The room was lighted by imprisoned rays of sunshine held -between the ceiling proper and what appeared to be a ground-glass -false ceiling a few inches below. - -My guide drew aside one of the tapestries, disclosing a passage -which encircled the room, between the hangings and the walls of -the chamber. Within this passage I was to remain, he said, so long -as Than Kosis was in the apartment. When he left I was to follow. -My only duty was to guard the ruler and keep out of sight as much -as possible. I would be relieved after a period of four hours. -The major-domo then left me. - -The tapestries were of a strange weaving which gave the appearance -of heavy solidity from one side, but from my hiding place I could -perceive all that took place within the room as readily as though -there had been no curtain intervening. - -Scarcely had I gained my post than the tapestry at the opposite end -of the chamber separated and four soldiers of The Guard entered, -surrounding a female figure. As they approached Than Kosis the -soldiers fell to either side and there standing before the jeddak -and not ten feet from me, her beautiful face radiant with smiles, -was Dejah Thoris. - -Sab Than, Prince of Zodanga, advanced to meet her, and hand in -hand they approached close to the jeddak. Than Kosis looked up in -surprise, and, rising, saluted her. - -"To what strange freak do I owe this visit from the Princess of -Helium, who, two days ago, with rare consideration for my pride, -assured me that she would prefer Tal Hajus, the green Thark, to my -son?" - -Dejah Thoris only smiled the more and with the roguish dimples -playing at the corners of her mouth she made answer: - -"From the beginning of time upon Barsoom it has been the prerogative -of woman to change her mind as she listed and to dissemble in -matters concerning her heart. That you will forgive, Than Kosis, -as has your son. Two days ago I was not sure of his love for me, -but now I am, and I have come to beg of you to forget my rash words -and to accept the assurance of the Princess of Helium that when -the time comes she will wed Sab Than, Prince of Zodanga." - -"I am glad that you have so decided," replied Than Kosis. "It -is far from my desire to push war further against the people of -Helium, and, your promise shall be recorded and a proclamation to -my people issued forthwith." - -"It were better, Than Kosis," interrupted Dejah Thoris, "that the -proclamation wait the ending of this war. It would look strange -indeed to my people and to yours were the Princess of Helium to -give herself to her country's enemy in the midst of hostilities." - -"Cannot the war be ended at once?" spoke Sab Than. "It requires -but the word of Than Kosis to bring peace. Say it, my father, -say the word that will hasten my happiness, and end this unpopular -strife." - -"We shall see," replied Than Kosis, "how the people of Helium take -to peace. I shall at least offer it to them." - -Dejah Thoris, after a few words, turned and left the apartment, -still followed by her guards. - -Thus was the edifice of my brief dream of happiness dashed, broken, -to the ground of reality. The woman for whom I had offered my life, -and from whose lips I had so recently heard a declaration of love -for me, had lightly forgotten my very existence and smilingly given -herself to the son of her people's most hated enemy. - -Although I had heard it with my own ears I could not believe it. -I must search out her apartments and force her to repeat the cruel -truth to me alone before I would be convinced, and so I deserted my -post and hastened through the passage behind the tapestries toward -the door by which she had left the chamber. Slipping quietly through -this opening I discovered a maze of winding corridors, branching -and turning in every direction. - -Running rapidly down first one and then another of them I soon became -hopelessly lost and was standing panting against a side wall when -I heard voices near me. Apparently they were coming from the opposite -side of the partition against which I leaned and presently I made -out the tones of Dejah Thoris. I could not hear the words but I -knew that I could not possibly be mistaken in the voice. - -Moving on a few steps I discovered another passageway at the end -of which lay a door. Walking boldly forward I pushed into the room -only to find myself in a small ante-chamber in which were the four -guards who had accompanied her. One of them instantly arose and -accosted me, asking the nature of my business. - -"I am from Than Kosis," I replied, "and wish to speak privately -with Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium." - -"And your order?" asked the fellow. - -I did not know what he meant, but replied that I was a member of -The Guard, and without waiting for a reply from him I strode toward -the opposite door of the ante-chamber, behind which I could hear -Dejah Thoris conversing. - -But my entrance was not to be so easily accomplished. The guardsman -stepped before me, saying, - -"No one comes from Than Kosis without carrying an order or the -password. You must give me one or the other before you may pass." - -"The only order I require, my friend, to enter where I will, hangs -at my side," I answered, tapping my long-sword; "will you let me -pass in peace or no?" - -For reply he whipped out his own sword, calling to the others to -join him, and thus the four stood, with drawn weapons, barring my -further progress. - -"You are not here by the order of Than Kosis," cried the one -who had first addressed me, "and not only shall you not enter the -apartments of the Princess of Helium but you shall go back to Than -Kosis under guard to explain this unwarranted temerity. Throw down -your sword; you cannot hope to overcome four of us," he added with -a grim smile. - -My reply was a quick thrust which left me but three antagonists -and I can assure you that they were worthy of my metal. They had -me backed against the wall in no time, fighting for my life. Slowly -I worked my way to a corner of the room where I could force them to -come at me only one at a time, and thus we fought upward of twenty -minutes; the clanging of steel on steel producing a veritable bedlam -in the little room. - -The noise had brought Dejah Thoris to the door of her apartment, -and there she stood throughout the conflict with Sola at her back -peering over her shoulder. Her face was set and emotionless and -I knew that she did not recognize me, nor did Sola. - -Finally a lucky cut brought down a second guardsman and then, with -only two opposing me, I changed my tactics and rushed them down -after the fashion of my fighting that had won me many a victory. -The third fell within ten seconds after the second, and the last -lay dead upon the bloody floor a few moments later. They were brave -men and noble fighters, and it grieved me that I had been forced -to kill them, but I would have willingly depopulated all Barsoom -could I have reached the side of my Dejah Thoris in no other way. - -Sheathing my bloody blade I advanced toward my Martian Princess, -who still stood mutely gazing at me without sign of recognition. - -"Who are you, Zodangan?" she whispered. "Another enemy to harass -me in my misery?" - -"I am a friend," I answered, "a once cherished friend." - -"No friend of Helium's princess wears that metal," she replied, -"and yet the voice! I have heard it before; it is not--it cannot -be--no, for he is dead." - -"It is, though, my Princess, none other than John Carter," I said. -"Do you not recognize, even through paint and strange metal, the -heart of your chieftain?" - -As I came close to her she swayed toward me with outstretched -hands, but as I reached to take her in my arms she drew back with -a shudder and a little moan of misery. - -"Too late, too late," she grieved. "O my chieftain that was, and -whom I thought dead, had you but returned one little hour before--but -now it is too late, too late." - -"What do you mean, Dejah Thoris?" I cried. "That you would not -have promised yourself to the Zodangan prince had you known that -I lived?" - -"Think you, John Carter, that I would give my heart to you yesterday -and today to another? I thought that it lay buried with your ashes -in the pits of Warhoon, and so today I have promised my body to -another to save my people from the curse of a victorious Zodangan -army." - -"But I am not dead, my princess. I have come to claim you, and -all Zodanga cannot prevent it." - -"It is too late, John Carter, my promise is given, and on Barsoom -that is final. The ceremonies which follow later are but meaningless -formalities. They make the fact of marriage no more certain than -does the funeral cortege of a jeddak again place the seal of death -upon him. I am as good as married, John Carter. No longer may -you call me your princess. No longer are you my chieftain." - -"I know but little of your customs here upon Barsoom, Dejah Thoris, -but I do know that I love you, and if you meant the last words you -spoke to me that day as the hordes of Warhoon were charging down -upon us, no other man shall ever claim you as his bride. You meant -them then, my princess, and you mean them still! Say that it is -true." - -"I meant them, John Carter," she whispered. "I cannot repeat them -now for I have given myself to another. Ah, if you had only known -our ways, my friend," she continued, half to herself, "the promise -would have been yours long months ago, and you could have claimed -me before all others. It might have meant the fall of Helium, but -I would have given my empire for my Tharkian chief." - -Then aloud she said: "Do you remember the night when you offended -me? You called me your princess without having asked my hand of -me, and then you boasted that you had fought for me. You did not -know, and I should not have been offended; I see that now. But -there was no one to tell you what I could not, that upon Barsoom -there are two kinds of women in the cities of the red men. The one -they fight for that they may ask them in marriage; the other kind -they fight for also, but never ask their hands. When a man has -won a woman he may address her as his princess, or in any of the -several terms which signify possession. You had fought for me, -but had never asked me in marriage, and so when you called me your -princess, you see," she faltered, "I was hurt, but even then, John -Carter, I did not repulse you, as I should have done, until you made -it doubly worse by taunting me with having won me through combat." - -"I do not need ask your forgiveness now, Dejah Thoris," I cried. -"You must know that my fault was of ignorance of your Barsoomian -customs. What I failed to do, through implicit belief that -my petition would be presumptuous and unwelcome, I do now, Dejah -Thoris; I ask you to be my wife, and by all the Virginian fighting -blood that flows in my veins you shall be." - -"No, John Carter, it is useless," she cried, hopelessly, "I may -never be yours while Sab Than lives." - -"You have sealed his death warrant, my princess--Sab Than dies." - -"Nor that either," she hastened to explain. "I may not wed the -man who slays my husband, even in self-defense. It is custom. We -are ruled by custom upon Barsoom. It is useless, my friend. You -must bear the sorrow with me. That at least we may share in common. -That, and the memory of the brief days among the Tharks. You must -go now, nor ever see me again. Good-bye, my chieftain that was." - -Disheartened and dejected, I withdrew from the room, but I was not -entirely discouraged, nor would I admit that Dejah Thoris was lost -to me until the ceremony had actually been performed. - -As I wandered along the corridors, I was as absolutely lost in -the mazes of winding passageways as I had been before I discovered -Dejah Thoris' apartments. - -I knew that my only hope lay in escape from the city of Zodanga, for -the matter of the four dead guardsmen would have to be explained, -and as I could never reach my original post without a guide, -suspicion would surely rest on me so soon as I was discovered -wandering aimlessly through the palace. - -Presently I came upon a spiral runway leading to a lower floor, and -this I followed downward for several stories until I reached the -doorway of a large apartment in which were a number of guardsmen. -The walls of this room were hung with transparent tapestries behind -which I secreted myself without being apprehended. - -The conversation of the guardsmen was general, and awakened no -interest in me until an officer entered the room and ordered four -of the men to relieve the detail who were guarding the Princess of -Helium. Now, I knew, my troubles would commence in earnest and -indeed they were upon me all too soon, for it seemed that the squad -had scarcely left the guardroom before one of their number burst in -again breathlessly, crying that they had found their four comrades -butchered in the antechamber. - -In a moment the entire palace was alive with people. Guardsmen, -officers, courtiers, servants, and slaves ran helter-skelter -through the corridors and apartments carrying messages and orders, -and searching for signs of the assassin. - -This was my opportunity and slim as it appeared I grasped it, for -as a number of soldiers came hurrying past my hiding place I fell -in behind them and followed through the mazes of the palace until, -in passing through a great hall, I saw the blessed light of day -coming in through a series of larger windows. - -Here I left my guides, and, slipping to the nearest window, sought -for an avenue of escape. The windows opened upon a great balcony -which overlooked one of the broad avenues of Zodanga. The ground -was about thirty feet below, and at a like distance from the building -was a wall fully twenty feet high, constructed of polished glass -about a foot in thickness. To a red Martian escape by this path -would have appeared impossible, but to me, with my earthly strength -and agility, it seemed already accomplished. My only fear was in -being detected before darkness fell, for I could not make the leap -in broad daylight while the court below and the avenue beyond were -crowded with Zodangans. - -Accordingly I searched for a hiding place and finally found one -by accident, inside a huge hanging ornament which swung from the -ceiling of the hall, and about ten feet from the floor. Into the -capacious bowl-like vase I sprang with ease, and scarcely had I -settled down within it than I heard a number of people enter the -apartment. The group stopped beneath my hiding place and I could -plainly overhear their every word. - -"It is the work of Heliumites," said one of the men. - -"Yes, O Jeddak, but how had they access to the palace? I could -believe that even with the diligent care of your guardsmen a single -enemy might reach the inner chambers, but how a force of six or -eight fighting men could have done so unobserved is beyond me. We -shall soon know, however, for here comes the royal psychologist." - -Another man now joined the group, and, after making his formal -greetings to his ruler, said: - -"O mighty Jeddak, it is a strange tale I read in the dead minds -of your faithful guardsmen. They were felled not by a number of -fighting men, but by a single opponent." - -He paused to let the full weight of this announcement impress his -hearers, and that his statement was scarcely credited was evidenced -by the impatient exclamation of incredulity which escaped the lips -of Than Kosis. - -"What manner of weird tale are you bringing me, Notan?" he cried. - -"It is the truth, my Jeddak," replied the psychologist. "In fact -the impressions were strongly marked on the brain of each of the -four guardsmen. Their antagonist was a very tall man, wearing the -metal of one of your own guardsmen, and his fighting ability was -little short of marvelous for he fought fair against the entire -four and vanquished them by his surpassing skill and superhuman -strength and endurance. Though he wore the metal of Zodanga, -my Jeddak, such a man was never seen before in this or any other -country upon Barsoom. - -"The mind of the Princess of Helium whom I have examined and -questioned was a blank to me, she has perfect control, and I could -not read one iota of it. She said that she witnessed a portion -of the encounter, and that when she looked there was but one man -engaged with the guardsmen; a man whom she did not recognize as -ever having seen." - -"Where is my erstwhile savior?" spoke another of the party, and I -recognized the voice of the cousin of Than Kosis, whom I had rescued -from the green warriors. "By the metal of my first ancestor," he -went on, "but the description fits him to perfection, especially -as to his fighting ability." - -"Where is this man?" cried Than Kosis. "Have him brought to me at -once. What know you of him, cousin? It seemed strange to me now -that I think upon it that there should have been such a fighting -man in Zodanga, of whose name, even, we were ignorant before today. -And his name too, John Carter, who ever heard of such a name upon -Barsoom!" - -Word was soon brought that I was nowhere to be found, either in the -palace or at my former quarters in the barracks of the air-scout -squadron. Kantos Kan, they had found and questioned, but he knew -nothing of my whereabouts, and as to my past, he had told them he -knew as little, since he had but recently met me during our captivity -among the Warhoons. - -"Keep your eyes on this other one," commanded Than Kosis. "He -also is a stranger and likely as not they both hail from Helium, -and where one is we shall sooner or later find the other. Quadruple -the air patrol, and let every man who leaves the city by air or -ground be subjected to the closest scrutiny." - -Another messenger now entered with word that I was still within -the palace walls. - -"The likeness of every person who has entered or left the palace -grounds today has been carefully examined," concluded the fellow, -"and not one approaches the likeness of this new padwar of the -guards, other than that which was recorded of him at the time he -entered." - -"Then we will have him shortly," commented Than Kosis contentedly, -"and in the meanwhile we will repair to the apartments of the -Princess of Helium and question her in regard to the affair. She -may know more than she cared to divulge to you, Notan. Come." - -They left the hall, and, as darkness had fallen without, I slipped -lightly from my hiding place and hastened to the balcony. Few -were in sight, and choosing a moment when none seemed near I sprang -quickly to the top of the glass wall and from there to the avenue -beyond the palace grounds. - - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -LOST IN THE SKY - - - - -Without effort at concealment I hastened to the vicinity of our -quarters, where I felt sure I should find Kantos Kan. As I neared -the building I became more careful, as I judged, and rightly, that -the place would be guarded. Several men in civilian metal loitered -near the front entrance and in the rear were others. My only means -of reaching, unseen, the upper story where our apartments were -situated was through an adjoining building, and after considerable -maneuvering I managed to attain the roof of a shop several doors -away. - -Leaping from roof to roof, I soon reached an open window in the -building where I hoped to find the Heliumite, and in another moment -I stood in the room before him. He was alone and showed no surprise -at my coming, saying he had expected me much earlier, as my tour -of duty must have ended some time since. - -I saw that he knew nothing of the events of the day at the palace, -and when I had enlightened him he was all excitement. The news -that Dejah Thoris had promised her hand to Sab Than filled him with -dismay. - -"It cannot be," he exclaimed. "It is impossible! Why no man in all -Helium but would prefer death to the selling of our loved princess -to the ruling house of Zodanga. She must have lost her mind to have -assented to such an atrocious bargain. You, who do not know how we -of Helium love the members of our ruling house, cannot appreciate -the horror with which I contemplate such an unholy alliance." - -"What can be done, John Carter?" he continued. "You are a -resourceful man. Can you not think of some way to save Helium from -this disgrace?" - -"If I can come within sword's reach of Sab Than," I answered, "I -can solve the difficulty in so far as Helium is concerned, but for -personal reasons I would prefer that another struck the blow that -frees Dejah Thoris." - -Kantos Kan eyed me narrowly before he spoke. - -"You love her!" he said. "Does she know it?" - -"She knows it, Kantos Kan, and repulses me only because she is -promised to Sab Than." - -The splendid fellow sprang to his feet, and grasping me by the -shoulder raised his sword on high, exclaiming: - -"And had the choice been left to me I could not have chosen a more -fitting mate for the first princess of Barsoom. Here is my hand -upon your shoulder, John Carter, and my word that Sab Than shall -go out at the point of my sword for the sake of my love for Helium, -for Dejah Thoris, and for you. This very night I shall try to -reach his quarters in the palace." - -"How?" I asked. "You are strongly guarded and a quadruple force -patrols the sky." - -He bent his head in thought a moment, then raised it with an air -of confidence. - -"I only need to pass these guards and I can do it," he said at -last. "I know a secret entrance to the palace through the pinnacle -of the highest tower. I fell upon it by chance one day as I was -passing above the palace on patrol duty. In this work it is required -that we investigate any unusual occurrence we may witness, and a -face peering from the pinnacle of the high tower of the palace was, -to me, most unusual. I therefore drew near and discovered that -the possessor of the peering face was none other than Sab Than. -He was slightly put out at being detected and commanded me to keep -the matter to myself, explaining that the passage from the tower -led directly to his apartments, and was known only to him. If I -can reach the roof of the barracks and get my machine I can be in -Sab Than's quarters in five minutes; but how am I to escape from -this building, guarded as you say it is?" - -"How well are the machine sheds at the barracks guarded?" I asked. - -"There is usually but one man on duty there at night upon the roof." - -"Go to the roof of this building, Kantos Kan, and wait me there." - -Without stopping to explain my plans I retraced my way to the -street and hastened to the barracks. I did not dare to enter the -building, filled as it was with members of the air-scout squadron, -who, in common with all Zodanga, were on the lookout for me. - -The building was an enormous one, rearing its lofty head fully -a thousand feet into the air. But few buildings in Zodanga were -higher than these barracks, though several topped it by a few -hundred feet; the docks of the great battleships of the line standing -some fifteen hundred feet from the ground, while the freight and -passenger stations of the merchant squadrons rose nearly as high. - -It was a long climb up the face of the building, and one fraught -with much danger, but there was no other way, and so I essayed the -task. The fact that Barsoomian architecture is extremely ornate -made the feat much simpler than I had anticipated, since I found -ornamental ledges and projections which fairly formed a perfect -ladder for me all the way to the eaves of the building. Here I -met my first real obstacle. The eaves projected nearly twenty feet -from the wall to which I clung, and though I encircled the great -building I could find no opening through them. - -The top floor was alight, and filled with soldiers engaged in the -pastimes of their kind; I could not, therefore, reach the roof -through the building. - -There was one slight, desperate chance, and that I decided I must -take--it was for Dejah Thoris, and no man has lived who would not -risk a thousand deaths for such as she. - -Clinging to the wall with my feet and one hand, I unloosened one -of the long leather straps of my trappings at the end of which -dangled a great hook by which air sailors are hung to the sides -and bottoms of their craft for various purposes of repair, and by -means of which landing parties are lowered to the ground from the -battleships. - -I swung this hook cautiously to the roof several times before it -finally found lodgment; gently I pulled on it to strengthen its -hold, but whether it would bear the weight of my body I did not -know. It might be barely caught upon the very outer verge of the -roof, so that as my body swung out at the end of the strap it would -slip off and launch me to the pavement a thousand feet below. - -An instant I hesitated, and then, releasing my grasp upon -the supporting ornament, I swung out into space at the end of the -strap. Far below me lay the brilliantly lighted streets, the hard -pavements, and death. There was a little jerk at the top of the -supporting eaves, and a nasty slipping, grating sound which turned -me cold with apprehension; then the hook caught and I was safe. - -Clambering quickly aloft I grasped the edge of the eaves and drew -myself to the surface of the roof above. As I gained my feet I was -confronted by the sentry on duty, into the muzzle of whose revolver -I found myself looking. - -"Who are you and whence came you?" he cried. - -"I am an air scout, friend, and very near a dead one, for just by -the merest chance I escaped falling to the avenue below," I replied. - -"But how came you upon the roof, man? No one has landed or come -up from the building for the past hour. Quick, explain yourself, -or I call the guard." - -"Look you here, sentry, and you shall see how I came and how close -a shave I had to not coming at all," I answered, turning toward -the edge of the roof, where, twenty feet below, at the end of my -strap, hung all my weapons. - -The fellow, acting on impulse of curiosity, stepped to my side and -to his undoing, for as he leaned to peer over the eaves I grasped -him by his throat and his pistol arm and threw him heavily to the -roof. The weapon dropped from his grasp, and my fingers choked -off his attempted cry for assistance. I gagged and bound him and -then hung him over the edge of the roof as I myself had hung a -few moments before. I knew it would be morning before he would be -discovered, and I needed all the time that I could gain. - -Donning my trappings and weapons I hastened to the sheds, and soon -had out both my machine and Kantos Kan's. Making his fast behind -mine I started my engine, and skimming over the edge of the roof I -dove down into the streets of the city far below the plane usually -occupied by the air patrol. In less than a minute I was settling -safely upon the roof of our apartment beside the astonished Kantos -Kan. - -I lost no time in explanation, but plunged immediately into a -discussion of our plans for the immediate future. It was decided -that I was to try to make Helium while Kantos Kan was to enter the -palace and dispatch Sab Than. If successful he was then to follow -me. He set my compass for me, a clever little device which will -remain steadfastly fixed upon any given point on the surface of -Barsoom, and bidding each other farewell we rose together and sped -in the direction of the palace which lay in the route which I must -take to reach Helium. - -As we neared the high tower a patrol shot down from above, throwing -its piercing searchlight full upon my craft, and a voice roared -out a command to halt, following with a shot as I paid no attention -to his hail. Kantos Kan dropped quickly into the darkness, while -I rose steadily and at terrific speed raced through the Martian -sky followed by a dozen of the air-scout craft which had joined the -pursuit, and later by a swift cruiser carrying a hundred men and -a battery of rapid-fire guns. By twisting and turning my little -machine, now rising and now falling, I managed to elude their -search-lights most of the time, but I was also losing ground by these -tactics, and so I decided to hazard everything on a straight-away -course and leave the result to fate and the speed of my machine. - -Kantos Kan had shown me a trick of gearing, which is known only -to the navy of Helium, that greatly increased the speed of our -machines, so that I felt sure I could distance my pursuers if I -could dodge their projectiles for a few moments. - -As I sped through the air the screeching of the bullets around me -convinced me that only by a miracle could I escape, but the die was -cast, and throwing on full speed I raced a straight course toward -Helium. Gradually I left my pursuers further and further behind, -and I was just congratulating myself on my lucky escape, when a -well-directed shot from the cruiser exploded at the prow of my little -craft. The concussion nearly capsized her, and with a sickening -plunge she hurtled downward through the dark night. - -How far I fell before I regained control of the plane I do not -know, but I must have been very close to the ground when I started -to rise again, as I plainly heard the squealing of animals below -me. Rising again I scanned the heavens for my pursuers, and finally -making out their lights far behind me, saw that they were landing, -evidently in search of me. - -Not until their lights were no longer discernible did I -venture to flash my little lamp upon my compass, and then I found -to my consternation that a fragment of the projectile had utterly -destroyed my only guide, as well as my speedometer. It was true -I could follow the stars in the general direction of Helium, but -without knowing the exact location of the city or the speed at -which I was traveling my chances for finding it were slim. - -Helium lies a thousand miles southwest of Zodanga, and with my -compass intact I should have made the trip, barring accidents, in -between four and five hours. As it turned out, however, morning -found me speeding over a vast expanse of dead sea bottom after -nearly six hours of continuous flight at high speed. Presently a -great city showed below me, but it was not Helium, as that alone -of all Barsoomian metropolises consists in two immense circular -walled cities about seventy-five miles apart and would have been -easily distinguishable from the altitude at which I was flying. - -Believing that I had come too far to the north and west, I turned -back in a southeasterly direction, passing during the forenoon -several other large cities, but none resembling the description which -Kantos Kan had given me of Helium. In addition to the twin-city -formation of Helium, another distinguishing feature is the two -immense towers, one of vivid scarlet rising nearly a mile into -the air from the center of one of the cities, while the other, of -bright yellow and of the same height, marks her sister. - - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -TARS TARKAS FINDS A FRIEND - - - - -About noon I passed low over a great dead city of ancient Mars, and -as I skimmed out across the plain beyond I came full upon several -thousand green warriors engaged in a terrific battle. Scarcely had -I seen them than a volley of shots was directed at me, and with -the almost unfailing accuracy of their aim my little craft was -instantly a ruined wreck, sinking erratically to the ground. - -I fell almost directly in the center of the fierce combat, among -warriors who had not seen my approach so busily were they engaged -in life and death struggles. The men were fighting on foot with -long-swords, while an occasional shot from a sharpshooter on the -outskirts of the conflict would bring down a warrior who might for -an instant separate himself from the entangled mass. - -As my machine sank among them I realized that it was fight or die, -with good chances of dying in any event, and so I struck the ground -with drawn long-sword ready to defend myself as I could. - -I fell beside a huge monster who was engaged with three antagonists, -and as I glanced at his fierce face, filled with the light of -battle, I recognized Tars Tarkas the Thark. He did not see me, as -I was a trifle behind him, and just then the three warriors opposing -him, and whom I recognized as Warhoons, charged simultaneously. -The mighty fellow made quick work of one of them, but in stepping -back for another thrust he fell over a dead body behind him and was -down and at the mercy of his foes in an instant. Quick as lightning -they were upon him, and Tars Tarkas would have been gathered to his -fathers in short order had I not sprung before his prostrate form -and engaged his adversaries. I had accounted for one of them when -the mighty Thark regained his feet and quickly settled the other. - -He gave me one look, and a slight smile touched his grim lip as, -touching my shoulder, he said, - -"I would scarcely recognize you, John Carter, but there is no other -mortal upon Barsoom who would have done what you have for me. I -think I have learned that there is such a thing as friendship, my -friend." - -He said no more, nor was there opportunity, for the Warhoons were -closing in about us, and together we fought, shoulder to shoulder, -during all that long, hot afternoon, until the tide of battle -turned and the remnant of the fierce Warhoon horde fell back upon -their thoats, and fled into the gathering darkness. - -Ten thousand men had been engaged in that titanic struggle, and -upon the field of battle lay three thousand dead. Neither side -asked or gave quarter, nor did they attempt to take prisoners. - -On our return to the city after the battle we had gone directly to -Tars Tarkas' quarters, where I was left alone while the chieftain -attended the customary council which immediately follows an -engagement. - -As I sat awaiting the return of the green warrior I heard something -move in an adjoining apartment, and as I glanced up there rushed -suddenly upon me a huge and hideous creature which bore me backward -upon the pile of silks and furs upon which I had been reclining. -It was Woola--faithful, loving Woola. He had found his way back -to Thark and, as Tars Tarkas later told me, had gone immediately to -my former quarters where he had taken up his pathetic and seemingly -hopeless watch for my return. - -"Tal Hajus knows that you are here, John Carter," said Tars Tarkas, -on his return from the jeddak's quarters; "Sarkoja saw and recognized -you as we were returning. Tal Hajus has ordered me to bring you -before him tonight. I have ten thoats, John Carter; you may take -your choice from among them, and I will accompany you to the nearest -waterway that leads to Helium. Tars Tarkas may be a cruel green -warrior, but he can be a friend as well. Come, we must start." - -"And when you return, Tars Tarkas?" I asked. - -"The wild calots, possibly, or worse," he replied. "Unless I should -chance to have the opportunity I have so long waited of battling -with Tal Hajus." - -"We will stay, Tars Tarkas, and see Tal Hajus tonight. You shall -not sacrifice yourself, and it may be that tonight you can have -the chance you wait." - -He objected strenuously, saying that Tal Hajus often flew into wild -fits of passion at the mere thought of the blow I had dealt him, -and that if ever he laid his hands upon me I would be subjected to -the most horrible tortures. - -While we were eating I repeated to Tars Tarkas the story which -Sola had told me that night upon the sea bottom during the march -to Thark. - -He said but little, but the great muscles of his face worked in -passion and in agony at recollection of the horrors which had been -heaped upon the only thing he had ever loved in all his cold, cruel, -terrible existence. - -He no longer demurred when I suggested that we go before Tal Hajus, -only saying that he would like to speak to Sarkoja first. At his -request I accompanied him to her quarters, and the look of venomous -hatred she cast upon me was almost adequate recompense for any -future misfortunes this accidental return to Thark might bring me. - -"Sarkoja," said Tars Tarkas, "forty years ago you were instrumental -in bringing about the torture and death of a woman named Gozava. -I have just discovered that the warrior who loved that woman has -learned of your part in the transaction. He may not kill you, -Sarkoja, it is not our custom, but there is nothing to prevent him -tying one end of a strap about your neck and the other end to a wild -thoat, merely to test your fitness to survive and help perpetuate -our race. Having heard that he would do this on the morrow, I -thought it only right to warn you, for I am a just man. The river -Iss is but a short pilgrimage, Sarkoja. Come, John Carter." - -The next morning Sarkoja was gone, nor was she ever seen after. - -In silence we hastened to the jeddak's palace, where we were -immediately admitted to his presence; in fact, he could scarcely -wait to see me and was standing erect upon his platform glowering -at the entrance as I came in. - -"Strap him to that pillar," he shrieked. "We shall see who it is -dares strike the mighty Tal Hajus. Heat the irons; with my own -hands I shall burn the eyes from his head that he may not pollute -my person with his vile gaze." - -"Chieftains of Thark," I cried, turning to the assembled council -and ignoring Tal Hajus, "I have been a chief among you, and today -I have fought for Thark shoulder to shoulder with her greatest -warrior. You owe me, at least, a hearing. I have won that much -today. You claim to be just people--" - -"Silence," roared Tal Hajus. "Gag the creature and bind him as I -command." - -"Justice, Tal Hajus," exclaimed Lorquas Ptomel. "Who are you to -set aside the customs of ages among the Tharks." - -"Yes, justice!" echoed a dozen voices, and so, while Tal Hajus -fumed and frothed, I continued. - -"You are a brave people and you love bravery, but where was your -mighty jeddak during the fighting today? I did not see him in the -thick of battle; he was not there. He rends defenseless women and -little children in his lair, but how recently has one of you seen -him fight with men? Why, even I, a midget beside him, felled -him with a single blow of my fist. Is it of such that the Tharks -fashion their jeddaks? There stands beside me now a great Thark, -a mighty warrior and a noble man. Chieftains, how sounds, Tars -Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark?" - -A roar of deep-toned applause greeted this suggestion. - -"It but remains for this council to command, and Tal Hajus must -prove his fitness to rule. Were he a brave man he would invite -Tars Tarkas to combat, for he does not love him, but Tal Hajus is -afraid; Tal Hajus, your jeddak, is a coward. With my bare hands -I could kill him, and he knows it." - -After I ceased there was tense silence, as all eyes were riveted -upon Tal Hajus. He did not speak or move, but the blotchy green -of his countenance turned livid, and the froth froze upon his lips. - -"Tal Hajus," said Lorquas Ptomel in a cold, hard voice, "never -in my long life have I seen a jeddak of the Tharks so humiliated. -There could be but one answer to this arraignment. We wait it." -And still Tal Hajus stood as though electrified. - -"Chieftains," continued Lorquas Ptomel, "shall the jeddak, Tal -Hajus, prove his fitness to rule over Tars Tarkas?" - -There were twenty chieftains about the rostrum, and twenty swords -flashed high in assent. - -There was no alternative. That decree was final, and so Tal Hajus -drew his long-sword and advanced to meet Tars Tarkas. - -The combat was soon over, and, with his foot upon the neck of the -dead monster, Tars Tarkas became jeddak among the Tharks. - -His first act was to make me a full-fledged chieftain with the rank -I had won by my combats the first few weeks of my captivity among -them. - -Seeing the favorable disposition of the warriors toward Tars -Tarkas, as well as toward me, I grasped the opportunity to enlist -them in my cause against Zodanga. I told Tars Tarkas the story of -my adventures, and in a few words had explained to him the thought -I had in mind. - -"John Carter has made a proposal," he said, addressing the council, -"which meets with my sanction. I shall put it to you briefly. -Dejah Thoris, the Princess of Helium, who was our prisoner, is now -held by the jeddak of Zodanga, whose son she must wed to save her -country from devastation at the hands of the Zodangan forces. - -"John Carter suggests that we rescue her and return her to Helium. -The loot of Zodanga would be magnificent, and I have often thought -that had we an alliance with the people of Helium we could obtain -sufficient assurance of sustenance to permit us to increase the -size and frequency of our hatchings, and thus become unquestionably -supreme among the green men of all Barsoom. What say you?" - -It was a chance to fight, an opportunity to loot, and they rose to -the bait as a speckled trout to a fly. - -For Tharks they were wildly enthusiastic, and before another half -hour had passed twenty mounted messengers were speeding across dead -sea bottoms to call the hordes together for the expedition. - -In three days we were on the march toward Zodanga, one hundred -thousand strong, as Tars Tarkas had been able to enlist the services -of three smaller hordes on the promise of the great loot of Zodanga. - -At the head of the column I rode beside the great Thark while at -the heels of my mount trotted my beloved Woola. - -We traveled entirely by night, timing our marches so that we camped -during the day at deserted cities where, even to the beasts, we -were all kept indoors during the daylight hours. On the march Tars -Tarkas, through his remarkable ability and statesmanship, enlisted -fifty thousand more warriors from various hordes, so that, ten days -after we set out we halted at midnight outside the great walled -city of Zodanga, one hundred and fifty thousand strong. - -The fighting strength and efficiency of this horde of ferocious -green monsters was equivalent to ten times their number of red -men. Never in the history of Barsoom, Tars Tarkas told me, had -such a force of green warriors marched to battle together. It was -a monstrous task to keep even a semblance of harmony among them, -and it was a marvel to me that he got them to the city without a -mighty battle among themselves. - -But as we neared Zodanga their personal quarrels were submerged by -their greater hatred for the red men, and especially for the Zodangans, -who had for years waged a ruthless campaign of extermination against -the green men, directing special attention toward despoiling their -incubators. - -Now that we were before Zodanga the task of obtaining entry to the -city devolved upon me, and directing Tars Tarkas to hold his forces -in two divisions out of earshot of the city, with each division -opposite a large gateway, I took twenty dismounted warriors and -approached one of the small gates that pierced the walls at short -intervals. These gates have no regular guard, but are covered by -sentries, who patrol the avenue that encircles the city just within -the walls as our metropolitan police patrol their beats. - -The walls of Zodanga are seventy-five feet in height and fifty feet -thick. They are built of enormous blocks of carborundum, and the -task of entering the city seemed, to my escort of green warriors, -an impossibility. The fellows who had been detailed to accompany -me were of one of the smaller hordes, and therefore did not know -me. - -Placing three of them with their faces to the wall and arms locked, -I commanded two more to mount to their shoulders, and a sixth I -ordered to climb upon the shoulders of the upper two. The head of -the topmost warrior towered over forty feet from the ground. - -In this way, with ten warriors, I built a series of three steps -from the ground to the shoulders of the topmost man. Then starting -from a short distance behind them I ran swiftly up from one tier -to the next, and with a final bound from the broad shoulders of -the highest I clutched the top of the great wall and quietly drew -myself to its broad expanse. After me I dragged six lengths of -leather from an equal number of my warriors. These lengths we had -previously fastened together, and passing one end to the topmost -warrior I lowered the other end cautiously over the opposite side of -the wall toward the avenue below. No one was in sight, so, lowering -myself to the end of my leather strap, I dropped the remaining -thirty feet to the pavement below. - -I had learned from Kantos Kan the secret of opening these gates, -and in another moment my twenty great fighting men stood within -the doomed city of Zodanga. - -I found to my delight that I had entered at the lower boundary of -the enormous palace grounds. The building itself showed in the -distance a blaze of glorious light, and on the instant I determined -to lead a detachment of warriors directly within the palace itself, -while the balance of the great horde was attacking the barracks of -the soldiery. - -Dispatching one of my men to Tars Tarkas for a detail of fifty Tharks, -with word of my intentions, I ordered ten warriors to capture and -open one of the great gates while with the nine remaining I took -the other. We were to do our work quietly, no shots were to be -fired and no general advance made until I had reached the palace -with my fifty Tharks. Our plans worked to perfection. The two -sentries we met were dispatched to their fathers upon the banks of -the lost sea of Korus, and the guards at both gates followed them -in silence. - - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -THE LOOTING OF ZODANGA - - - - -As the great gate where I stood swung open my fifty Tharks, headed -by Tars Tarkas himself, rode in upon their mighty thoats. I led them -to the palace walls, which I negotiated easily without assistance. -Once inside, however, the gate gave me considerable trouble, but I -finally was rewarded by seeing it swing upon its huge hinges, and -soon my fierce escort was riding across the gardens of the jeddak -of Zodanga. - -As we approached the palace I could see through the great windows -of the first floor into the brilliantly illuminated audience chamber -of Than Kosis. The immense hall was crowded with nobles and their -women, as though some important function was in progress. There -was not a guard in sight without the palace, due, I presume, to the -fact that the city and palace walls were considered impregnable, -and so I came close and peered within. - -At one end of the chamber, upon massive golden thrones encrusted with -diamonds, sat Than Kosis and his consort, surrounded by officers -and dignitaries of state. Before them stretched a broad aisle -lined on either side with soldiery, and as I looked there entered -this aisle at the far end of the hall, the head of a procession -which advanced to the foot of the throne. - -First there marched four officers of the jeddak's Guard bearing -a huge salver on which reposed, upon a cushion of scarlet silk, a -great golden chain with a collar and padlock at each end. Directly -behind these officers came four others carrying a similar salver -which supported the magnificent ornaments of a prince and princess -of the reigning house of Zodanga. - -At the foot of the throne these two parties separated and halted, -facing each other at opposite sides of the aisle. Then came more -dignitaries, and the officers of the palace and of the army, and -finally two figures entirely muffled in scarlet silk, so that not a -feature of either was discernible. These two stopped at the foot -of the throne, facing Than Kosis. When the balance of the procession had -entered and assumed their stations Than Kosis addressed the couple -standing before him. I could not hear his words, but presently -two officers advanced and removed the scarlet robe from one of the -figures, and I saw that Kantos Kan had failed in his mission, for -it was Sab Than, Prince of Zodanga, who stood revealed before me. - -Than Kosis now took a set of the ornaments from one of the salvers -and placed one of the collars of gold about his son's neck, springing -the padlock fast. After a few more words addressed to Sab Than -he turned to the other figure, from which the officers now removed -the enshrouding silks, disclosing to my now comprehending view -Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium. - -The object of the ceremony was clear to me; in another moment Dejah -Thoris would be joined forever to the Prince of Zodanga. It was an -impressive and beautiful ceremony, I presume, but to me it seemed -the most fiendish sight I had ever witnessed, and as the ornaments -were adjusted upon her beautiful figure and her collar of gold -swung open in the hands of Than Kosis I raised my long-sword above -my head, and, with the heavy hilt, I shattered the glass of the -great window and sprang into the midst of the astonished assemblage. -With a bound I was on the steps of the platform beside Than Kosis, -and as he stood riveted with surprise I brought my long-sword down -upon the golden chain that would have bound Dejah Thoris to another. - -In an instant all was confusion; a thousand drawn swords menaced -me from every quarter, and Sab Than sprang upon me with a jeweled -dagger he had drawn from his nuptial ornaments. I could have killed -him as easily as I might a fly, but the age-old custom of Barsoom -stayed my hand, and grasping his wrist as the dagger flew toward -my heart I held him as though in a vise and with my long-sword -pointed to the far end of the hall. - -"Zodanga has fallen," I cried. "Look!" - -All eyes turned in the direction I had indicated, and there, forging -through the portals of the entranceway rode Tars Tarkas and his -fifty warriors on their great thoats. - -A cry of alarm and amazement broke from the assemblage, but no word -of fear, and in a moment the soldiers and nobles of Zodanga were -hurling themselves upon the advancing Tharks. - -Thrusting Sab Than headlong from the platform, I drew Dejah Thoris -to my side. Behind the throne was a narrow doorway and in this Than -Kosis now stood facing me, with drawn long-sword. In an instant -we were engaged, and I found no mean antagonist. - -As we circled upon the broad platform I saw Sab Than rushing up -the steps to aid his father, but, as he raised his hand to strike, -Dejah Thoris sprang before him and then my sword found the spot -that made Sab Than jeddak of Zodanga. As his father rolled dead -upon the floor the new jeddak tore himself free from Dejah Thoris' -grasp, and again we faced each other. He was soon joined by a -quartet of officers, and, with my back against a golden throne, I -fought once again for Dejah Thoris. I was hard pressed to defend -myself and yet not strike down Sab Than and, with him, my last -chance to win the woman I loved. My blade was swinging with the -rapidity of lightning as I sought to parry the thrusts and cuts of -my opponents. Two I had disarmed, and one was down, when several -more rushed to the aid of their new ruler, and to avenge the death -of the old. - -As they advanced there were cries of "The woman! The woman! Strike -her down; it is her plot. Kill her! Kill her!" - -Calling to Dejah Thoris to get behind me I worked my way toward -the little doorway back of the throne, but the officers realized -my intentions, and three of them sprang in behind me and blocked -my chances for gaining a position where I could have defended Dejah -Thoris against any army of swordsmen. - -The Tharks were having their hands full in the center of the room, -and I began to realize that nothing short of a miracle could save -Dejah Thoris and myself, when I saw Tars Tarkas surging through -the crowd of pygmies that swarmed about him. With one swing of -his mighty longsword he laid a dozen corpses at his feet, and so he -hewed a pathway before him until in another moment he stood upon -the platform beside me, dealing death and destruction right and -left. - -The bravery of the Zodangans was awe-inspiring, not one attempted -to escape, and when the fighting ceased it was because only Tharks -remained alive in the great hall, other than Dejah Thoris and -myself. - -Sab Than lay dead beside his father, and the corpses of the flower -of Zodangan nobility and chivalry covered the floor of the bloody -shambles. - -My first thought when the battle was over was for Kantos Kan, and -leaving Dejah Thoris in charge of Tars Tarkas I took a dozen warriors -and hastened to the dungeons beneath the palace. The jailers had -all left to join the fighters in the throne room, so we searched -the labyrinthine prison without opposition. - -I called Kantos Kan's name aloud in each new corridor and compartment, -and finally I was rewarded by hearing a faint response. Guided by -the sound, we soon found him helpless in a dark recess. - -He was overjoyed at seeing me, and to know the meaning of the -fight, faint echoes of which had reached his prison cell. He told -me that the air patrol had captured him before he reached the high -tower of the palace, so that he had not even seen Sab Than. - -We discovered that it would be futile to attempt to cut away the -bars and chains which held him prisoner, so, at his suggestion I -returned to search the bodies on the floor above for keys to open -the padlocks of his cell and of his chains. - -Fortunately among the first I examined I found his jailer, and soon -we had Kantos Kan with us in the throne room. - -The sounds of heavy firing, mingled with shouts and cries, came to -us from the city's streets, and Tars Tarkas hastened away to direct -the fighting without. Kantos Kan accompanied him to act as guide, -the green warriors commencing a thorough search of the palace for -other Zodangans and for loot, and Dejah Thoris and I were left -alone. - -She had sunk into one of the golden thrones, and as I turned to -her she greeted me with a wan smile. - -"Was there ever such a man!" she exclaimed. "I know that Barsoom -has never before seen your like. Can it be that all Earth men are -as you? Alone, a stranger, hunted, threatened, persecuted, you -have done in a few short months what in all the past ages of Barsoom -no man has ever done: joined together the wild hordes of the sea -bottoms and brought them to fight as allies of a red Martian people." - -"The answer is easy, Dejah Thoris," I replied smiling. "It was -not I who did it, it was love, love for Dejah Thoris, a power that -would work greater miracles than this you have seen." - -A pretty flush overspread her face and she answered, - -"You may say that now, John Carter, and I may listen, for I am -free." - -"And more still I have to say, ere it is again too late," I returned. -"I have done many strange things in my life, many things that wiser -men would not have dared, but never in my wildest fancies have -I dreamed of winning a Dejah Thoris for myself--for never had I -dreamed that in all the universe dwelt such a woman as the Princess -of Helium. That you are a princess does not abash me, but that -you are you is enough to make me doubt my sanity as I ask you, my -princess, to be mine." - -"He does not need to be abashed who so well knew the answer to his -plea before the plea were made," she replied, rising and placing -her dear hands upon my shoulders, and so I took her in my arms and -kissed her. - -And thus in the midst of a city of wild conflict, filled with the -alarms of war; with death and destruction reaping their terrible -harvest around her, did Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, true -daughter of Mars, the God of War, promise herself in marriage to -John Carter, Gentleman of Virginia. - - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -THROUGH CARNAGE TO JOY - - - - -Sometime later Tars Tarkas and Kantos Kan returned to report that -Zodanga had been completely reduced. Her forces were entirely -destroyed or captured, and no further resistance was to be expected -from within. Several battleships had escaped, but there were -thousands of war and merchant vessels under guard of Thark warriors. - -The lesser hordes had commenced looting and quarreling among -themselves, so it was decided that we collect what warriors we -could, man as many vessels as possible with Zodangan prisoners and -make for Helium without further loss of time. - -Five hours later we sailed from the roofs of the dock buildings -with a fleet of two hundred and fifty battleships, carrying nearly -one hundred thousand green warriors, followed by a fleet of transports -with our thoats. - -Behind us we left the stricken city in the fierce and brutal clutches -of some forty thousand green warriors of the lesser hordes. They -were looting, murdering, and fighting amongst themselves. In -a hundred places they had applied the torch, and columns of dense -smoke were rising above the city as though to blot out from the -eye of heaven the horrid sights beneath. - -In the middle of the afternoon we sighted the scarlet and yellow -towers of Helium, and a short time later a great fleet of Zodangan -battleships rose from the camps of the besiegers without the city, -and advanced to meet us. - -The banners of Helium had been strung from stem to stern of each -of our mighty craft, but the Zodangans did not need this sign to -realize that we were enemies, for our green Martian warriors had -opened fire upon them almost as they left the ground. With their -uncanny marksmanship they raked the on-coming fleet with volley -after volley. - -The twin cities of Helium, perceiving that we were friends, sent -out hundreds of vessels to aid us, and then began the first real -air battle I had ever witnessed. - -The vessels carrying our green warriors were kept circling above -the contending fleets of Helium and Zodanga, since their batteries -were useless in the hands of the Tharks who, having no navy, have -no skill in naval gunnery. Their small-arm fire, however, was most -effective, and the final outcome of the engagement was strongly -influenced, if not wholly determined, by their presence. - -At first the two forces circled at the same altitude, pouring -broadside after broadside into each other. Presently a great hole -was torn in the hull of one of the immense battle craft from the -Zodangan camp; with a lurch she turned completely over, the little -figures of her crew plunging, turning and twisting toward the ground -a thousand feet below; then with sickening velocity she tore after -them, almost completely burying herself in the soft loam of the -ancient sea bottom. - -A wild cry of exultation arose from the Heliumite squadron, and with -redoubled ferocity they fell upon the Zodangan fleet. By a pretty -maneuver two of the vessels of Helium gained a position above their -adversaries, from which they poured upon them from their keel bomb -batteries a perfect torrent of exploding bombs. - -Then, one by one, the battleships of Helium succeeded in rising -above the Zodangans, and in a short time a number of the beleaguering -battleships were drifting hopeless wrecks toward the high scarlet -tower of greater Helium. Several others attempted to escape, but -they were soon surrounded by thousands of tiny individual fliers, -and above each hung a monster battleship of Helium ready to drop -boarding parties upon their decks. - -Within but little more than an hour from the moment the victorious -Zodangan squadron had risen to meet us from the camp of the besiegers -the battle was over, and the remaining vessels of the conquered -Zodangans were headed toward the cities of Helium under prize crews. - -There was an extremely pathetic side to the surrender of these -mighty fliers, the result of an age-old custom which demanded that -surrender should be signalized by the voluntary plunging to earth -of the commander of the vanquished vessel. One after another the -brave fellows, holding their colors high above their heads, leaped -from the towering bows of their mighty craft to an awful death. - -Not until the commander of the entire fleet took the fearful plunge, -thus indicating the surrender of the remaining vessels, did the -fighting cease, and the useless sacrifice of brave men come to an -end. - -We now signaled the flagship of Helium's navy to approach, and -when she was within hailing distance I called out that we had the -Princess Dejah Thoris on board, and that we wished to transfer her -to the flagship that she might be taken immediately to the city. - -As the full import of my announcement bore in upon them a great -cry arose from the decks of the flagship, and a moment later the -colors of the Princess of Helium broke from a hundred points upon -her upper works. When the other vessels of the squadron caught the -meaning of the signals flashed them they took up the wild acclaim -and unfurled her colors in the gleaming sunlight. - -The flagship bore down upon us, and as she swung gracefully to and -touched our side a dozen officers sprang upon our decks. As their -astonished gaze fell upon the hundreds of green warriors, who now -came forth from the fighting shelters, they stopped aghast, but at -sight of Kantos Kan, who advanced to meet them, they came forward, -crowding about him. - -Dejah Thoris and I then advanced, and they had no eyes for other -than her. She received them gracefully, calling each by name, for -they were men high in the esteem and service of her grandfather, -and she knew them well. - -"Lay your hands upon the shoulder of John Carter," she said to -them, turning toward me, "the man to whom Helium owes her princess -as well as her victory today." - -They were very courteous to me and said many kind and complimentary -things, but what seemed to impress them most was that I had won -the aid of the fierce Tharks in my campaign for the liberation of -Dejah Thoris, and the relief of Helium. - -"You owe your thanks more to another man than to me," I said, "and -here he is; meet one of Barsoom's greatest soldiers and statesmen, -Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark." - -With the same polished courtesy that had marked their manner toward -me they extended their greetings to the great Thark, nor, to my -surprise, was he much behind them in ease of bearing or in courtly -speech. Though not a garrulous race, the Tharks are extremely -formal, and their ways lend themselves amazingly well to dignified -and courtly manners. - -Dejah Thoris went aboard the flagship, and was much put out that -I would not follow, but, as I explained to her, the battle was but -partly won; we still had the land forces of the besieging Zodangans -to account for, and I would not leave Tars Tarkas until that had -been accomplished. - -The commander of the naval forces of Helium promised to arrange to -have the armies of Helium attack from the city in conjunction with -our land attack, and so the vessels separated and Dejah Thoris -was borne in triumph back to the court of her grandfather, Tardos -Mors, Jeddak of Helium. - -In the distance lay our fleet of transports, with the thoats of the -green warriors, where they had remained during the battle. Without -landing stages it was to be a difficult matter to unload these -beasts upon the open plain, but there was nothing else for it, and -so we put out for a point about ten miles from the city and began -the task. - -It was necessary to lower the animals to the ground in slings and -this work occupied the remainder of the day and half the night. -Twice we were attacked by parties of Zodangan cavalry, but with -little loss, however, and after darkness shut down they withdrew. - -As soon as the last thoat was unloaded Tars Tarkas gave the command -to advance, and in three parties we crept upon the Zodangan camp -from the north, the south and the east. - -About a mile from the main camp we encountered their outposts and, -as had been prearranged, accepted this as the signal to charge. -With wild, ferocious cries and amidst the nasty squealing of -battle-enraged thoats we bore down upon the Zodangans. - -We did not catch them napping, but found a well-entrenched battle -line confronting us. Time after time we were repulsed until, toward -noon, I began to fear for the result of the battle. - -The Zodangans numbered nearly a million fighting men, gathered -from pole to pole, wherever stretched their ribbon-like waterways, -while pitted against them were less than a hundred thousand green -warriors. The forces from Helium had not arrived, nor could we -receive any word from them. - -Just at noon we heard heavy firing all along the line between the -Zodangans and the cities, and we knew then that our much-needed -reinforcements had come. - -Again Tars Tarkas ordered the charge, and once more the mighty thoats -bore their terrible riders against the ramparts of the enemy. At -the same moment the battle line of Helium surged over the opposite -breastworks of the Zodangans and in another moment they were being -crushed as between two millstones. Nobly they fought, but in vain. - -The plain before the city became a veritable shambles ere the last -Zodangan surrendered, but finally the carnage ceased, the prisoners -were marched back to Helium, and we entered the greater city's -gates, a huge triumphal procession of conquering heroes. - -The broad avenues were lined with women and children, among which -were the few men whose duties necessitated that they remain within -the city during the battle. We were greeted with an endless round -of applause and showered with ornaments of gold, platinum, silver, -and precious jewels. The city had gone mad with joy. - -My fierce Tharks caused the wildest excitement and enthusiasm. -Never before had an armed body of green warriors entered the gates -of Helium, and that they came now as friends and allies filled the -red men with rejoicing. - -That my poor services to Dejah Thoris had become known to the -Heliumites was evidenced by the loud crying of my name, and by the -loads of ornaments that were fastened upon me and my huge thoat -as we passed up the avenues to the palace, for even in the face of -the ferocious appearance of Woola the populace pressed close about -me. - -As we approached this magnificent pile we were met by a party of -officers who greeted us warmly and requested that Tars Tarkas and -his jeds with the jeddaks and jeds of his wild allies, together -with myself, dismount and accompany them to receive from Tardos -Mors an expression of his gratitude for our services. - -At the top of the great steps leading up to the main portals of -the palace stood the royal party, and as we reached the lower steps -one of their number descended to meet us. - -He was an almost perfect specimen of manhood; tall, straight as -an arrow, superbly muscled and with the carriage and bearing of a -ruler of men. I did not need to be told that he was Tardos Mors, -Jeddak of Helium. - -The first member of our party he met was Tars Tarkas and his first -words sealed forever the new friendship between the races. - -"That Tardos Mors," he said, earnestly, "may meet the greatest -living warrior of Barsoom is a priceless honor, but that he may -lay his hand on the shoulder of a friend and ally is a far greater -boon." - -"Jeddak of Helium," returned Tars Tarkas, "it has remained for -a man of another world to teach the green warriors of Barsoom the -meaning of friendship; to him we owe the fact that the hordes of -Thark can understand you; that they can appreciate and reciprocate -the sentiments so graciously expressed." - -Tardos Mors then greeted each of the green jeddaks and jeds, and -to each spoke words of friendship and appreciation - -As he approached me he laid both hands upon my shoulders. - -"Welcome, my son," he said; "that you are granted, gladly, and -without one word of opposition, the most precious jewel in all -Helium, yes, on all Barsoom, is sufficient earnest of my esteem." - -We were then presented to Mors Kajak, Jed of lesser Helium, and -father of Dejah Thoris. He had followed close behind Tardos Mors -and seemed even more affected by the meeting than had his father. - -He tried a dozen times to express his gratitude to me, but his -voice choked with emotion and he could not speak, and yet he had, -as I was to later learn, a reputation for ferocity and fearlessness -as a fighter that was remarkable even upon warlike Barsoom. In -common with all Helium he worshiped his daughter, nor could he -think of what she had escaped without deep emotion. - - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -FROM JOY TO DEATH - - - - -For ten days the hordes of Thark and their wild allies were feasted -and entertained, and, then, loaded with costly presents and escorted -by ten thousand soldiers of Helium commanded by Mors Kajak, they -started on the return journey to their own lands. The jed of lesser -Helium with a small party of nobles accompanied them all the way -to Thark to cement more closely the new bonds of peace and friendship. - -Sola also accompanied Tars Tarkas, her father, who before all his -chieftains had acknowledged her as his daughter. - -Three weeks later, Mors Kajak and his officers, accompanied by Tars -Tarkas and Sola, returned upon a battleship that had been dispatched -to Thark to fetch them in time for the ceremony which made Dejah -Thoris and John Carter one. - -For nine years I served in the councils and fought in the armies of -Helium as a prince of the house of Tardos Mors. The people seemed -never to tire of heaping honors upon me, and no day passed that -did not bring some new proof of their love for my princess, the -incomparable Dejah Thoris. - -In a golden incubator upon the roof of our palace lay a snow-white -egg. For nearly five years ten soldiers of the jeddak's Guard had -constantly stood over it, and not a day passed when I was in the -city that Dejah Thoris and I did not stand hand in hand before -our little shrine planning for the future, when the delicate shell -should break. - -Vivid in my memory is the picture of the last night as we sat -there talking in low tones of the strange romance which had woven -our lives together and of this wonder which was coming to augment -our happiness and fulfill our hopes. - -In the distance we saw the bright-white light of an approaching -airship, but we attached no special significance to so common a -sight. Like a bolt of lightning it raced toward Helium until its -very speed bespoke the unusual. - -Flashing the signals which proclaimed it a dispatch bearer for -the jeddak, it circled impatiently awaiting the tardy patrol boat -which must convoy it to the palace docks. - -Ten minutes after it touched at the palace a message called me to -the council chamber, which I found filling with the members of that -body. - -On the raised platform of the throne was Tardos Mors, pacing back -and forth with tense-drawn face. When all were in their seats he -turned toward us. - -"This morning," he said, "word reached the several governments of -Barsoom that the keeper of the atmosphere plant had made no wireless -report for two days, nor had almost ceaseless calls upon him from -a score of capitals elicited a sign of response. - -"The ambassadors of the other nations asked us to take the matter -in hand and hasten the assistant keeper to the plant. All day a -thousand cruisers have been searching for him until just now one -of them returns bearing his dead body, which was found in the pits -beneath his house horribly mutilated by some assassin. - -"I do not need to tell you what this means to Barsoom. It would -take months to penetrate those mighty walls, in fact the work has -already commenced, and there would be little to fear were the engine -of the pumping plant to run as it should and as they all have for -hundreds of years now; but the worst, we fear, has happened. The -instruments show a rapidly decreasing air pressure on all parts of -Barsoom--the engine has stopped." - -"My gentlemen," he concluded, "we have at best three days to live." - -There was absolute silence for several minutes, and then a young -noble arose, and with his drawn sword held high above his head -addressed Tardos Mors. - -"The men of Helium have prided themselves that they have ever shown -Barsoom how a nation of red men should live, now is our opportunity -to show them how they should die. Let us go about our duties as -though a thousand useful years still lay before us." - -The chamber rang with applause and as there was nothing better to -do than to allay the fears of the people by our example we went our -ways with smiles upon our faces and sorrow gnawing at our hearts. - -When I returned to my palace I found that the rumor already had -reached Dejah Thoris, so I told her all that I had heard. - -"We have been very happy, John Carter," she said, "and I thank -whatever fate overtakes us that it permits us to die together." - -The next two days brought no noticeable change in the supply of -air, but on the morning of the third day breathing became difficult -at the higher altitudes of the rooftops. The avenues and plazas -of Helium were filled with people. All business had ceased. For -the most part the people looked bravely into the face of their -unalterable doom. Here and there, however, men and women gave way -to quiet grief. - -Toward the middle of the day many of the weaker commenced to succumb -and within an hour the people of Barsoom were sinking by thousands -into the unconsciousness which precedes death by asphyxiation. - -Dejah Thoris and I with the other members of the royal family -had collected in a sunken garden within an inner courtyard of the -palace. We conversed in low tones, when we conversed at all, as the -awe of the grim shadow of death crept over us. Even Woola seemed -to feel the weight of the impending calamity, for he pressed close -to Dejah Thoris and to me, whining pitifully. - -The little incubator had been brought from the roof of our palace -at request of Dejah Thoris and now she sat gazing longingly upon -the unknown little life that now she would never know. - -As it was becoming perceptibly difficult to breathe Tardos Mors -arose, saying, - -"Let us bid each other farewell. The days of the greatness of -Barsoom are over. Tomorrow's sun will look down upon a dead world -which through all eternity must go swinging through the heavens -peopled not even by memories. It is the end." - -He stooped and kissed the women of his family, and laid his strong -hand upon the shoulders of the men. - -As I turned sadly from him my eyes fell upon Dejah Thoris. Her head -was drooping upon her breast, to all appearances she was lifeless. -With a cry I sprang to her and raised her in my arms. - -Her eyes opened and looked into mine. - -"Kiss me, John Carter," she murmured. "I love you! I love you! -It is cruel that we must be torn apart who were just starting upon -a life of love and happiness." - -As I pressed her dear lips to mine the old feeling of unconquerable -power and authority rose in me. The fighting blood of Virginia -sprang to life in my veins. - -"It shall not be, my princess," I cried. "There is, there must be -some way, and John Carter, who has fought his way through a strange -world for love of you, will find it." - -And with my words there crept above the threshold of my conscious -mind a series of nine long forgotten sounds. Like a flash of -lightning in the darkness their full purport dawned upon me--the -key to the three great doors of the atmosphere plant! - -Turning suddenly toward Tardos Mors as I still clasped my dying -love to my breast I cried. - -"A flier, Jeddak! Quick! Order your swiftest flier to the palace -top. I can save Barsoom yet." - -He did not wait to question, but in an instant a guard was racing -to the nearest dock and though the air was thin and almost gone at -the rooftop they managed to launch the fastest one-man, air-scout -machine that the skill of Barsoom had ever produced. - -Kissing Dejah Thoris a dozen times and commanding Woola, who would -have followed me, to remain and guard her, I bounded with my old -agility and strength to the high ramparts of the palace, and in -another moment I was headed toward the goal of the hopes of all -Barsoom. - -I had to fly low to get sufficient air to breathe, but I took a -straight course across an old sea bottom and so had to rise only -a few feet above the ground. - -I traveled with awful velocity for my errand was a race against -time with death. The face of Dejah Thoris hung always before me. -As I turned for a last look as I left the palace garden I had seen -her stagger and sink upon the ground beside the little incubator. -That she had dropped into the last coma which would end in death, -if the air supply remained unreplenished, I well knew, and so, -throwing caution to the winds, I flung overboard everything but -the engine and compass, even to my ornaments, and lying on my belly -along the deck with one hand on the steering wheel and the other -pushing the speed lever to its last notch I split the thin air of -dying Mars with the speed of a meteor. - -An hour before dark the great walls of the atmosphere plant loomed -suddenly before me, and with a sickening thud I plunged to the -ground before the small door which was withholding the spark of -life from the inhabitants of an entire planet. - -Beside the door a great crew of men had been laboring to pierce -the wall, but they had scarcely scratched the flint-like surface, -and now most of them lay in the last sleep from which not even air -would awaken them. - -Conditions seemed much worse here than at Helium, and it was with -difficulty that I breathed at all. There were a few men still -conscious, and to one of these I spoke. - -"If I can open these doors is there a man who can start the engines?" -I asked. - -"I can," he replied, "if you open quickly. I can last but a few -moments more. But it is useless, they are both dead and no one -else upon Barsoom knew the secret of these awful locks. For three -days men crazed with fear have surged about this portal in vain -attempts to solve its mystery." - -I had no time to talk, I was becoming very weak and it was with -difficulty that I controlled my mind at all. - -But, with a final effort, as I sank weakly to my knees I hurled -the nine thought waves at that awful thing before me. The Martian -had crawled to my side and with staring eyes fixed on the single -panel before us we waited in the silence of death. - -Slowly the mighty door receded before us. I attempted to rise and -follow it but I was too weak. - -"After it," I cried to my companion, "and if you reach the pump -room turn loose all the pumps. It is the only chance Barsoom has -to exist tomorrow!" - -From where I lay I opened the second door, and then the third, and -as I saw the hope of Barsoom crawling weakly on hands and knees -through the last doorway I sank unconscious upon the ground. - - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -AT THE ARIZONA CAVE - - - - -It was dark when I opened my eyes again. Strange, stiff garments -were upon my body; garments that cracked and powdered away from me -as I rose to a sitting posture. - -I felt myself over from head to foot and from head to foot I was -clothed, though when I fell unconscious at the little doorway I -had been naked. Before me was a small patch of moonlit sky which -showed through a ragged aperture. - -As my hands passed over my body they came in contact with pockets -and in one of these a small parcel of matches wrapped in oiled -paper. One of these matches I struck, and its dim flame lighted -up what appeared to be a huge cave, toward the back of which I -discovered a strange, still figure huddled over a tiny bench. As -I approached it I saw that it was the dead and mummified remains -of a little old woman with long black hair, and the thing it leaned -over was a small charcoal burner upon which rested a round copper -vessel containing a small quantity of greenish powder. - -Behind her, depending from the roof upon rawhide thongs, and -stretching entirely across the cave, was a row of human skeletons. -From the thong which held them stretched another to the dead hand -of the little old woman; as I touched the cord the skeletons swung -to the motion with a noise as of the rustling of dry leaves. - -It was a most grotesque and horrid tableau and I hastened out into -the fresh air; glad to escape from so gruesome a place. - -The sight that met my eyes as I stepped out upon a small ledge -which ran before the entrance of the cave filled me with consternation. - -A new heaven and a new landscape met my gaze. The silvered mountains -in the distance, the almost stationary moon hanging in the sky, the -cacti-studded valley below me were not of Mars. I could scarcely -believe my eyes, but the truth slowly forced itself upon me--I -was looking upon Arizona from the same ledge from which ten years -before I had gazed with longing upon Mars. - -Burying my head in my arms I turned, broken, and sorrowful, down -the trail from the cave. - -Above me shone the red eye of Mars holding her awful secret, -forty-eight million miles away. - -Did the Martian reach the pump room? Did the vitalizing air reach -the people of that distant planet in time to save them? Was my -Dejah Thoris alive, or did her beautiful body lie cold in death -beside the tiny golden incubator in the sunken garden of the inner -courtyard of the palace of Tardos Mors, the jeddak of Helium? - -For ten years I have waited and prayed for an answer to my questions. -For ten years I have waited and prayed to be taken back to the -world of my lost love. I would rather lie dead beside her there -than live on Earth all those millions of terrible miles from her. - -The old mine, which I found untouched, has made me fabulously -wealthy; but what care I for wealth! - -As I sit here tonight in my little study overlooking the Hudson, -just twenty years have elapsed since I first opened my eyes upon -Mars. - -I can see her shining in the sky through the little window by -my desk, and tonight she seems calling to me again as she has not -called before since that long dead night, and I think I can see, -across that awful abyss of space, a beautiful black-haired woman -standing in the garden of a palace, and at her side is a little -boy who puts his arm around her as she points into the sky toward -the planet Earth, while at their feet is a huge and hideous creature -with a heart of gold. - -I believe that they are waiting there for me, and something tells -me that I shall soon know. - - -End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of Princess of Mars -by Edgar Rice Burroughs - |