A Princess of Mars..............................................................................................................................................1

Edgar Rice Burroughs ..............................................................................................................................1

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

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

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 goldbearing 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

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 goodbye he

mounted his horse, and started down the mountainside toward the valley, across which led the first stage of

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My first knowledge that I was on the wrong trail came when I heard the yells of the pursuing savages

I knew then that they had passed to the left of the jagged rock formation at the edge of the plateau, to the right

I drew rein on a little level promontory overlooking the trail below and to my left, and saw the party of

I knew the Indians would soon discover that they were on the wrong trail and that the search for me would be

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

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

It was now morning, and, with the customary lack of dawn which is a startling characteristic of Arizona, it

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

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

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 wellworn 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

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.

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

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

I had not long to wait before a stealthy sound apprised me of their nearness, and then a warbonneted,

paintstreaked 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

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

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, panicstricken. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,

cactistudded 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

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

fascinationit 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 fargone night it seemed to call across the unthinkable void,

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.

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

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

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 quartzbearing 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

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

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

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

The ears, which were slightly above the eyes and closer together, were small, cupshaped antennae,

protruding not more than an inch on these young specimens. Their noses were but longitudinal slits in the

There was no hair on their bodies, which were of a very light yellowishgreen 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

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 fullgrown Martians from behind

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

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

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

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

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 wellformed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 antennaelike ears and

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,

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

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

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

The entire cavalcade then turned and galloped away toward the range of hills in the distance.

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' longdead seas, in the bottom of which my encounter with the Martians had

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

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

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 highset 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

The children were light in color, even lighter than the women, and all looked precisely alike to me, except

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

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 seventynine 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

The average life expectancy of a Martian after the age of maturity is about three hundred years, but would be

nearer the onethousand 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

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

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

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

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, gaycolored feathers and beautifully wrought leather

trappings ingeniously set with precious stones. From his shoulders depended a short cape of white fur lined

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

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

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

peacefulotherwise they would have exchanged shots, or have fought out their introduction with some other

My captor, whose name was Tars Tarkas, was virtually the vicechieftain 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

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

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

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

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

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 olivegreen 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

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

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.

Sola stared into the brute's wickedlooking eyes, muttered a word or two of command, pointed to me, and

left the chamber. I could not but wonder what this ferociouslooking 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

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

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, sunkissed gardensscenes 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

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

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

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

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 onequarter 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 onehalf 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

The further moon revolves about Mars in something over thirty and onequarter 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 farreaching 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

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

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

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

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 shortlived, 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 apelike creature, white and

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

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 nonprotruding; 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

The cudgel was swinging in the arc which ended upon my upturned face when a bolt of myriadlegged

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 watchthing; I cannot bring myself to call so hideous a

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

In accomplishing this the ape was tearing away the entire front of its breast, which was held in the viselike

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

setto 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

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 fearsomelooking 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

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 threewheeled 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

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

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

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

Every one but myselfmen, women, and childrenwere 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

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

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

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

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

I saw that the ceremony, if it could be dignified by such a name, was over, and seeking out Sola I found her

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

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

By careful selection they rear only the hardiest specimens of each species, and with almost supernatural

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 airtight 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

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 semiarid 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 socalled 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

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

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,

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

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.

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,

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 graypainted, swung slowly over the crest of the

nearest hill. Following it came another, and another, and another, until twenty of them, swinging low above

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

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 twentyfive 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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 aweinspiring 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sarkoja, one of the older women who shared our domicile, had been present at the audience as one of the

"When," asked one of the women, "will we enjoy the death throes of the red one? or does Lorquas Ptomel,

"They have decided to carry her with us back to Thark, and exhibit her last agonies at the great games before

"What will be the manner of her going out?" inquired Sola. "She is very small and very beautiful; I had hoped

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

"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

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

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 ageold

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

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

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

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 Marstorture, 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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, wellmodulated 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

"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

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

ageold custom, and as he opened his mouth to speak, a look almost of benignity, of kindliness, momentarily

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 sidesplitting

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

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 shortsword 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

He could not use his shortsword 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

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

"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

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

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

"You speak the tongue of Barsoom quite readily for one who was deaf and dumb to us a few short days ago.

"You, yourself, are responsible, Tars Tarkas," I replied, "in that you furnished me with an instructress of

"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

"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 selfdefense 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 fullfledged 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

"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

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

Tars Tarkas himself seemed pleased with my reply, but his only comment was more or less enigmatical

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.

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

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

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

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

"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 selfdefense, and thus win

I laughed, and changed the subject. I had no particular desire to kill Lorquas Ptomel, and less to be a jed

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

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

"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

"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 iceclad south to the iceclad 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

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

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

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

"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

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

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 differentbut 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

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

"If, then, you are so familiar with earthly things," I asked, "why is it that you do not recognize me as identical

"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

"The fact that you wore no ornaments is a strong proof of your unBarsoomian origin, while the absence of

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

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 fairhaired 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

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

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 socalled Martian

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

As I entered and saluted, Lorquas Ptomel signaled me to advance, and, fixing his great, hideous eyes upon

"You have been with us a few days, yet during that time you have by your prowess won a high position

"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

"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 selfdefense, should you attack one of us, or were you apprehended in an attempt to

"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

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,

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

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

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

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

"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

"Come with me," he directed, and together we moved off across the plaza to a building which I was glad to

"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

I thanked him, but assured him that I could get alone 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

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

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

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

While the court was entirely overgrown with the yellow, mosslike vegetation which blankets practically the

entire surface of Mars, yet numerous fountains, statuary, benches, and pergolalike contraptions bore witness

to the beauty which the court must have presented in bygone times, when graced by the fairhaired, laughing

people whom stern and unalterable cosmic laws had driven not only from their homes, but from all except the

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

"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

"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,

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

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

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,

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

"Sarkoja told Sola that you had become a true Thark," she said, "and that I would now see no more of you

"Sarkoja is a liar of the first magnitude," I replied, "notwithstanding the proud claim of the Tharks to absolute

"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,

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

"Have they ever subjected you to cruelty and ignominy, Dejah Thoris?" I asked, feeling the hot blood of my

"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 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

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

gazed upon me with dilated eyes and quickening breath, and then, with an odd little laugh, which brought

"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

"I presume that should you accidentally wound an enemy you would take him home and nurse him back to

"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

I was very curious to know what I had said or done to cause her so much perturbation a moment before and

"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,

It was all Greek to me, but the more I begged her to explain the more positive became her denials of my

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

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

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

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

"Do people kiss, then, upon Barsoom?" I asked, when she had explained the word she used, in answer to my

"Parents, brothers, and sisters, yes; and," she added in a low, thoughtful tone, "lovers."

"The man of Barsoom," she finally ventured, "does not ask personal questions of women, except his mother,

"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

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 crosslegged, and

crosstempered, 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

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

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

crosslegged 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 worldold 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

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

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

"Sarkoja thought it best," she answered, her face betokening her disapproval of the procedure.

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

"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."

He smiled, and said no more, but that night as we were making camp I saw him unfasten Dejah Thoris' fetters

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

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

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

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

"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

"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

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

twentyfive 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

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

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 shortswords. 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

"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 fiveyear 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 fourfoot infants emerging from. As a matter of fact, the newlaid 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

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

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 longsword, and my only choice was to draw my own and meet him in fair

This latter alternative is always permissible, therefore I could have used my shortsword, 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

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

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

sidestepped 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, needlelike 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

My enemy had recovered from his thrust and was making it extremely interesting for me, so I reluctantly

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.

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

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

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

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

"Is she injured?" I asked of sola, indicating Dejah Thoris by an inclination of my head.

"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

"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 unBarsoomian story

come to the chariot tonight, John Carter, and I will tell you that of which I have never spoken in all my life

"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

Sola mounted the chariot, which was swinging into its place in line, and I hastened to my waiting thoat and

We made a most imposing and aweinspiring 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

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

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

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 cheeselike 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

"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

"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

"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;

"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

"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 iceclad south, to

make war upon the natives there and despoil them of their furs, for such is the manner of the green

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

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

"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

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, socalled 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 highwalled fields when the

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

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

Just thirty days after my advent upon Barsoom we entered the ancient city of Thark, from whose

longforgotten people this horde of green men have stolen even their name. The hordes of Thark number

some thirty thousand souls, and are divided into twentyfive 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

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

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

When I had finally put my house in order, or rather seen that I 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

"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

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

"Look down at your feet, Dejah Thoris; it lies there now where it has lain since that other night at Korad, and

She took a little step toward me, her beautiful hands outstretched in a strange, groping gesture.

"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

Further conversation of a personal nature was prevented by the entrance of Sola, who was much agitated and

"That horrible Sarkoja has been before Tal Hajus," she cried, "and from what I heard upon the plaza there is

"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

"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

"Is there no other way we might reach Helium?" I asked. "Can you not draw me a rough map of the country

"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

"Yes," she answered, "but it is two hundred miles north of us; it is one of the waterways we crossed on the

"They would never suspect that we would try for that distant waterway," I answered, "and that is why I think

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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 mosslike 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

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

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

secondstory 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

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

"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

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

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 domelike 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

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

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 greatsword 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

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

"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

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 shortsword, 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

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

No word was spoken until we had left the city far behind, but I could hear the quiet sobbing of Dejah Thoris

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

Presently it swung full upon us andstopped. 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,

"Goodbye, my princess," I whispered, "we may meet in Helium yet. I have escaped from worse plights than

"How may I, Dejah Thoris? Someone must hold these fellows off for a while, and I can better escape them

She sprang quickly from the thoat and, throwing her dear arms about my neck, turned to Sola, saying with

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

My respite was shortlived 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

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

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 longsword 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.

It must have been several hours before I regained consciousness and I well remember the feeling of surprise

I was lying among a pile of sleeping silks and furs in the corner of a small room in which were several green

"'Tis well," replied the one so addressed, rising and approaching my couch, "he should render rare sport for

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

His reference to the great games of which I had heard so much while among the Tharks convinced me that I

After a few more words with the female, during which she assured him that I was now fully fit to travel, the

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

He entirely omitted the usual formal salutation as we entered the presence of the jeddak, and as he pushed me

"I have brought a strange creature wearing the metal of a Thark whom it is my pleasure to have battle with a

"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

waterhearted 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

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

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

The dead jeddak's hands and head were removed to be added to the ornaments of his conqueror, and then his

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

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

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

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

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.

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

"Dejah Thoris and sola entered the hills not five miles from a great waterway and are now probably quite

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,

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

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

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

Kantos Kan had been detailed to one of the small oneman 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next a mad zitidar was loosed among the remaining dogs, and so it went throughout the long, hot, horrible

During the day I was pitted against first men and then beasts, but as I was armed with a longsword 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

Finally there were but three of us left, a great green warrior of some far northern horde, Kantos Kan, and

The other two were to battle and then I to fight the conqueror for the liberty which was accorded the final

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

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

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.

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

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

longsword 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

What manner of thing was upon me I did not know, but that it was large and heavy and manylegged 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, viselike, 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

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

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

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

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

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

"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."

"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

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

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, threequarters 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,

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

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 twentyfour and

onehalf Earth hours. He has one assistant who divides the watch with him. Half a Martian year, about three

hundred and fortyfour 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

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

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 newfound 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,

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

"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 menthough we do not trust ourselves to their hands if we can avoid it,"

"And so goodnight, my friend," he continued, "may you have a long and restful sleepyes, 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,

As he closed the door of my chamber behind him his thoughts were cut off from me as was the sight of him,

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 planetall, 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

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

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,

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

As he passed through the great hall and disappeared down the runway which led to the pumproom, I stole

stealthily from my hiding place and crossed to the great door, the inner of the three which stood between me

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

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

Some time later I was awakened by his frightful growlings and opened my eyes to see three red Martians

"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

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 redMartian 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

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

They were the personification of cordiality and hospitality and I spent several days with them, resting and

When they had heard my storyI 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

"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

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 fullfledged red Martian. My metal and

ornaments were also renewed in the style of a Zodangan gentleman, attached to the house of Ptor, which was

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,

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

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

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

On this trip I tasted the first meat I had eaten since leaving Earthlarge, juicy steaks and chops from the

wellfed 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

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

"Why," he added, "the people really worship the ground she walks upon and since her loss on that illstarred

"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

"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

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

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

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

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 everpresent 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

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

Like lightning he wheeled and before I could so much as lower my hand the point of his longsword was at

"Who are you?" he growled, and then as a backward leap carried me fifty feet from his sword he dropped the

"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 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

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 airscout 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

"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

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 oneman 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

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

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

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

The fourth day after my arrival at Zodanga I made my first flight, and as a result of it I won a promotion

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

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

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

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 metalshod 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

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

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

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

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

He was wounded and down with the huge foot of his antagonist upon his throat and the great longsword

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

Quickly completing the repairs we rose together into the still, cloudless Martian sky, and at great speed and

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 gaycolored 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 lowlying 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

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.

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

"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

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 airscout squadron, and with an orderly from the palace to

The majordomo 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

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

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

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

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

Sab Than, Prince of Zodanga, advanced to meet her, and hand in hand they approached close to the jeddak.

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

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."

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

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

"The only order I require, my friend, to enter where I will, hangs at my side," I answered, tapping my

For reply he whipped out his own sword, calling to the others to join him, and thus the four stood, with drawn

"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

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

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

"Who are you, Zodangan?" she whispered. "Another enemy to harass me in my misery?"

"No friend of Helium's princess wears that metal," she replied, "and yet the voice! I have heard it before; it is

"It is, though, my Princess, none other than John Carter," I said. "Do you not recognize, even through paint

As I came close to her she swayed toward me with outstretched hands, but as I reached to take her in my arms

"Too late, too late," she grieved. "O my chieftain that was, and whom I thought dead, had you but returned

"What do you mean, Dejah Thoris?" I cried. "That you would not have promised yourself to the Zodangan

"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

"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

"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!

"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

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

"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

"No, John Carter, it is useless," she cried, hopelessly, "I may never be yours while Sab Than lives."

"Nor that either," she hastened to explain. "I may not wed the man who slays my husband, even in

selfdefense. 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. Goodbye, 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

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

In a moment the entire palace was alive with people. Guardsmen, officers, courtiers, servants, and slaves ran

helterskelter through the corridors and apartments carrying messages and orders, and searching for signs of

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

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 bowllike 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.

"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

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

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.

"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

"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

"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

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 airscout 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

"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

"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

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

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,

"What can be done, John Carter?" he continued. "You are a resourceful man. Can you not think of some way

"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."

"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

"How?" I asked. "You are strongly guarded and a quadruple force patrols the sky."

"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

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 airscout squadron, who, in common with all

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

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

The top floor was alight, and filled with soldiers engaged in the pastimes of their kind; I could not, therefore,

There was one slight, desperate chance, and that I decided I must takeit was for Dejah Thoris, and no man

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

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

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

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

"I am an air scout, friend, and very near a dead one, for just by the merest chance I escaped falling to the

"But how came you upon the roof, man? No one has landed or come up from the building for the past hour.

"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

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 airscout craft which had joined the pursuit, and later by a swift

cruiser carrying a hundred men and a battery of rapidfire 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

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

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

welldirected shot from the cruiser exploded at the prow of my little craft. The concussion nearly capsized

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

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

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 seventyfive miles apart and would have been easily

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 twincity 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,

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

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 longswords, while

an occasional shot from a sharpshooter on the outskirts of the conflict would bring down a warrior who might

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 longsword 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

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 Woolafaithful, 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

"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

"The wild calots, possibly, or worse," he replied. "Unless I should chance to have the opportunity I have so

"We will stay, Tars Tarkas, and see Tal Hajus tonight. You shall not sacrifice yourself, and it may be that

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

While we were eating I repeated to Tars Tarkas the story which Sola had told me that night upon the sea

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

"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."

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

"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

"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

"Justice, Tal Hajus," exclaimed Lorquas Ptomel. "Who are you to set aside the customs of ages among the

"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?"

"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

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

"Chieftains," continued Lorquas Ptomel, "shall the jeddak, Tal Hajus, prove his fitness to rule over Tars

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 longsword and advanced to meet

The combat was soon over, and, with his foot upon the neck of the dead monster, Tars Tarkas became jeddak

His first act was to make me a fullfledged chieftain with the rank I had won by my combats the first few

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

"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

"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

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

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

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 seventyfive 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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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 longsword 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 longsword 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 ageold 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 longsword pointed to the far end of

All eyes turned in the direction I had indicated, and there, forging through the portals of the entranceway rode

A cry of alarm and amazement broke from the assemblage, but no word of fear, and in a moment the soldiers

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 longsword. In an instant we were

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

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

The bravery of the Zodangans was aweinspiring, 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

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

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

Fortunately among the first I examined I found his jailer, and soon we had Kantos Kan with us in the throne

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

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

"The answer is easy, Dejah Thoris," I replied smiling. "It was not I who did it, it was love, love for Dejah

"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 myselffor 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

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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 oncoming fleet with volley

The twin cities of Helium, perceiving that we were friends, sent out hundreds of vessels to aid us, and then

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

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

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

There was an extremely pathetic side to the surrender of these mighty fliers, the result of an ageold 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,

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

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

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

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

"Lay your hands upon the shoulder of John Carter," she said to them, turning toward me, "the man to whom

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,

"You owe your thanks more to another man than to me," I said, "and here he is; meet one of Barsoom's

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

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

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

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

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

As soon as the last thoat was unloaded Tars Tarkas gave the command to advance, and in three parties we

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 battleenraged thoats we

We did not catch them napping, but found a wellentrenched battle line confronting us. Time after time we

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

Just at noon we heard heavy firing all along the line between the Zodangans and the cities, and we knew then

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

"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

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

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

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

In a golden incubator upon the roof of our palace lay a snowwhite 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

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

In the distance we saw the brightwhite 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

Flashing the signals which proclaimed it a dispatch bearer for the jeddak, it circled impatiently awaiting the

Ten minutes after it touched at the palace a message called me to the council chamber, which I found filling

On the raised platform of the throne was Tardos Mors, pacing back and forth with tensedrawn face. When

"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

"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 Barsoomthe engine has stopped."

There was absolute silence for several minutes, and then a young noble arose, and with his drawn sword held

"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

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

"We have been very happy, John Carter," she said, "and I thank whatever fate overtakes us that it permits us

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

The little incubator had been brought from the roof of our palace at request of Dejah Thoris and now she sat

"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

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.

"Kiss me, John Carter," she murmured. "I love you! I love you! It is cruel that we must be torn apart who

As I pressed her dear lips to mine the old feeling of unconquerable power and authority rose in me. The

"It shall not be, my princess," I cried. "There is, there must be some way, and John Carter, who has fought his

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 methe key to the three

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 oneman, airscout machine that the

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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

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.

It was dark when I opened my eyes again. Strange, stiff garments were upon my body; garments that cracked

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

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

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

The sight that met my eyes as I stepped out upon a small ledge which ran before the entrance of the cave

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 cactistudded valley below me were not of Mars. I could scarcely

believe my eyes, but the truth slowly forced itself upon meI was looking upon Arizona from the same

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, fortyeight 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

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

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 blackhaired 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

I believe that they are waiting there for me, and something tells me that I shall soon know.