Thuvia, Maid of Mars

By

Edgar Rice Burroughs

 CONTENTS

 CHAPTER

 I Carthoris and Thuvia II Slavery III Treachery IV A Green Man's Captive V The Fair Race VI The Jeddak of Lothar VII The Phantom Bowmen VIII The Hall of Doom IX The Battle in the Plain X Kar Komak, the Bowman XI Green Men and White Apes XII To Save Dusar XIII Turjun, the Panthan XIV Kulan Tith's Sacrifice Glossary of Names and Terms

THUVIA, MAID OF MARS

CHAPTER I

CARTHORIS AND THUVIA

Upon a massive bench of polished ersite beneath the gorgeous bloomsof a giant pimalia a woman sat. Her shapely, sandalled foot tappedimpatiently upon the jewel-strewn walk that wound beneath thestately sorapus trees across the scarlet sward of the royal gardensof Thuvan Dihn, Jeddak of Ptarth, as a dark-haired, red-skinnedwarrior bent low toward her, whispering heated words close to herear. 

"Ah, Thuvia of Ptarth, " he cried, "you are cold even before thefiery blasts of my consuming love! No harder than your heart, norcolder is the hard, cold ersite of this thrice happy bench whichsupports your divine and fadeless form! Tell me, O Thuvia ofPtarth, that I may still hope--that though you do not love me now, yet some day, some day, my princess, I--"

The girl sprang to her feet with an exclamation of surprise anddispleasure. Her queenly head was poised haughtily upon her smoothred shoulders. Her dark eyes looked angrily into those of the man. 

"You forget yourself, and the customs of Barsoom, Astok, " she said. "I have given you no right thus to address the daughter of ThuvanDihn, nor have you won such a right. "

The man reached suddenly forth and grasped her by the arm. 

"You shall be my princess!" he cried. "By the breast of Issus, thoushalt, nor shall any other come between Astok, Prince of Dusar, and his heart's desire. Tell me that there is another, and I shallcut out his foul heart and fling it to the wild calots of the deadsea-bottoms!"

At touch of the man's hand upon her flesh the girl went pallidbeneath her coppery skin, for the persons of the royal women ofthe courts of Mars are held but little less than sacred. The actof Astok, Prince of Dusar, was profanation. There was no terrorin the eyes of Thuvia of Ptarth--only horror for the thing the manhad done and for its possible consequences. 

"Release me. " Her voice was level--frigid. 

The man muttered incoherently and drew her roughly toward him. 

"Release me!" she repeated sharply, "or I call the guard, and thePrince of Dusar knows what that will mean. "

Quickly he threw his right arm about her shoulders and strove todraw her face to his lips. With a little cry she struck him fullin the mouth with the massive bracelets that circled her free arm. 

"Calot!" she exclaimed, and then: "The guard! The guard! Hastenin protection of the Princess of Ptarth!"

In answer to her call a dozen guardsmen came racing across thescarlet sward, their gleaming long-swords naked in the sun, themetal of their accoutrements clanking against that of their leathernharness, and in their throats hoarse shouts of rage at the sightwhich met their eyes. 

But before they had passed half across the royal garden to whereAstok of Dusar still held the struggling girl in his grasp, anotherfigure sprang from a cluster of dense foliage that half hid a goldenfountain close at hand. A tall, straight youth he was, with blackhair and keen grey eyes; broad of shoulder and narrow of hip; aclean-limbed fighting man. His skin was but faintly tinged withthe copper colour that marks the red men of Mars from the otherraces of the dying planet--he was like them, and yet there was asubtle difference greater even than that which lay in his lighterskin and his grey eyes. 

There was a difference, too, in his movements. He came on in greatleaps that carried him so swiftly over the ground that the speedof the guardsmen was as nothing by comparison. 

Astok still clutched Thuvia's wrist as the young warrior confrontedhim. The new-comer wasted no time and he spoke but a single word. 

"Calot!" he snapped, and then his clenched fist landed beneath theother's chin, lifting him high into the air and depositing him ina crumpled heap within the centre of the pimalia bush beside theersite bench. 

Her champion turned toward the girl. "Kaor, Thuvia of Ptarth!" hecried. "It seems that fate timed my visit well. "

"Kaor, Carthoris of Helium!" the princess returned the young man'sgreeting, "and what less could one expect of the son of such asire?"

He bowed his acknowledgment of the compliment to his father, JohnCarter, Warlord of Mars. And then the guardsmen, panting fromtheir charge, came up just as the Prince of Dusar, bleeding at themouth, and with drawn sword, crawled from the entanglement of thepimalia. 

Astok would have leaped to mortal combat with the son of DejahThoris, but the guardsmen pressed about him, preventing, though itwas clearly evident that naught would have better pleased Carthorisof Helium. 

"But say the word, Thuvia of Ptarth, " he begged, "and naught willgive me greater pleasure than meting to this fellow the punishmenthe has earned. "

"It cannot be, Carthoris, " she replied. "Even though he has forfeitedall claim upon my consideration, yet is he the guest of the jeddak, my father, and to him alone may he account for the unpardonableact he has committed. "

"As you say, Thuvia, " replied the Heliumite. "But afterward heshall account to Carthoris, Prince of Helium, for this affront tothe daughter of my father's friend. " As he spoke, though, thereburned in his eyes a fire that proclaimed a nearer, dearer causefor his championship of this glorious daughter of Barsoom. 

The maid's cheek darkened beneath the satin of her transparent skin, and the eyes of Astok, Prince of Dusar, darkened, too, as he readthat which passed unspoken between the two in the royal gardens ofthe jeddak. 

"And thou to me, " he snapped at Carthoris, answering the youngman's challenge. 

The guard still surrounded Astok. It was a difficult position forthe young officer who commanded it. His prisoner was the son of amighty jeddak; he was the guest of Thuvan Dihn--until but now anhonoured guest upon whom every royal dignity had been showered. To arrest him forcibly could mean naught else than war, and yet hehad done that which in the eyes of the Ptarth warrior merited death. 

The young man hesitated. He looked toward his princess. She, too, guessed all that hung upon the action of the coming moment. Formany years Dusar and Ptarth had been at peace with each other. Their great merchant ships plied back and forth between the largercities of the two nations. Even now, far above the gold-shotscarlet dome of the jeddak's palace, she could see the huge bulkof a giant freighter taking its majestic way through the thinBarsoomian air toward the west and Dusar. 

By a word she might plunge these two mighty nations into a bloodyconflict that would drain them of their bravest blood and theirincalculable riches, leaving them all helpless against the inroadsof their envious and less powerful neighbors, and at last a preyto the savage green hordes of the dead sea-bottoms. 

No sense of fear influenced her decision, for fear is seldom knownto the children of Mars. It was rather a sense of the responsibilitythat she, the daughter of their jeddak, felt for the welfare ofher father's people. 

"I called you, Padwar, " she said to the lieutenant of the guard, "to protect the person of your princess, and to keep the peacethat must not be violated within the royal gardens of the jeddak. That is all. You will escort me to the palace, and the Prince ofHelium will accompany me. "

Without another glance in the direction of Astok she turned, andtaking Carthoris' proffered hand, moved slowly toward the massivemarble pile that housed the ruler of Ptarth and his glitteringcourt. On either side marched a file of guardsmen. Thus Thuviaof Ptarth found a way out of a dilemma, escaping the necessityof placing her father's royal guest under forcible restraint, andat the same time separating the two princes, who otherwise wouldhave been at each other's throat the moment she and the guard haddeparted. 

Beside the pimalia stood Astok, his dark eyes narrowed to mere slitsof hate beneath his lowering brows as he watched the retreatingforms of the woman who had aroused the fiercest passions of hisnature and the man whom he now believed to be the one who stoodbetween his love and its consummation. 

As they disappeared within the structure Astok shrugged his shoulders, and with a murmured oath crossed the gardens toward another wingof the building where he and his retinue were housed. 

That night he took formal leave of Thuvan Dihn, and though nomention was made of the happening within the garden, it was plainto see through the cold mask of the jeddak's courtesy that onlythe customs of royal hospitality restrained him from voicing thecontempt he felt for the Prince of Dusar. 

Carthoris was not present at the leave-taking, nor was Thuvia. Theceremony was as stiff and formal as court etiquette could make it, and when the last of the Dusarians clambered over the rail of thebattleship that had brought them upon this fateful visit to thecourt of Ptarth, and the mighty engine of destruction had risenslowly from the ways of the landing-stage, a note of relief wasapparent in the voice of Thuvan Dihn as he turned to one of hisofficers with a word of comment upon a subject foreign to thatwhich had been uppermost in the minds of all for hours. 

But, after all, was it so foreign?

"Inform Prince Sovan, " he directed, "that it is our wish that thefleet which departed for Kaol this morning be recalled to cruiseto the west of Ptarth. "

As the warship, bearing Astok back to the court of his father, turned toward the west, Thuvia of Ptarth, sitting upon the samebench where the Prince of Dusar had affronted her, watched thetwinkling lights of the craft growing smaller in the distance. Beside her, in the brilliant light of the nearer moon, sat Carthoris. His eyes were not upon the dim bulk of the battleship, but on theprofile of the girl's upturned face. 

"Thuvia, " he whispered. 

The girl turned her eyes toward his. His hand stole out to findhers, but she drew her own gently away. 

"Thuvia of Ptarth, I love you!" cried the young warrior. "Tell methat it does not offend. "

She shook her head sadly. "The love of Carthoris of Helium, " shesaid simply, "could be naught but an honour to any woman; but youmust not speak, my friend, of bestowing upon me that which I maynot reciprocate. "

The young man got slowly to his feet. His eyes were wide inastonishment. It never had occurred to the Prince of Helium thatThuvia of Ptarth might love another. 

"But at Kadabra!" he exclaimed. "And later here at your father'scourt, what did you do, Thuvia of Ptarth, that might have warnedme that you could not return my love?"

"And what did I do, Carthoris of Helium, " she returned, "that mightlead you to believe that I DID return it?"

He paused in thought, and then shook his head. "Nothing, Thuvia, that is true; yet I could have sworn you loved me. Indeed, youwell knew how near to worship has been my love for you. "

"And how might I know it, Carthoris?" she asked innocently. "Didyou ever tell me as much? Ever before have words of love for mefallen from your lips?"

"But you MUST have known it!" he exclaimed. "I am like myfather--witless in matters of the heart, and of a poor way withwomen; yet the jewels that strew these royal garden paths--thetrees, the flowers, the sward--all must have read the love that hasfilled my heart since first my eyes were made new by imaging yourperfect face and form; so how could you alone have been blind toit?"

"Do the maids of Helium pay court to their men?" asked Thuvia. 

"You are playing with me!" exclaimed Carthoris. "Say that you arebut playing, and that after all you love me, Thuvia!"

"I cannot tell you that, Carthoris, for I am promised to another. "

Her tone was level, but was there not within it the hint of aninfinite depth of sadness? Who may say?

"Promised to another?" Carthoris scarcely breathed the words. Hisface went almost white, and then his head came up as befitted himin whose veins flowed the blood of the overlord of a world. 

"Carthoris of Helium wishes you every happiness with the man ofyour choice, " he said. "With--" and then he hesitated, waitingfor her to fill in the name. 

"Kulan Tith, Jeddak of Kaol, " she replied. "My father's friendand Ptarth's most puissant ally. "

The young man looked at her intently for a moment before he spokeagain. 

"You love him, Thuvia of Ptarth?" he asked. 

"I am promised to him, " she replied simply. 

He did not press her. "He is of Barsoom's noblest blood and mightiestfighters, " mused Carthoris. "My father's friend and mine--wouldthat it might have been another!" he muttered almost savagely. Whatthe girl thought was hidden by the mask of her expression, whichwas tinged only by a little shadow of sadness that might have beenfor Carthoris, herself, or for them both. 

Carthoris of Helium did not ask, though he noted it, for hisloyalty to Kulan Tith was the loyalty of the blood of John Carterof Virginia for a friend, greater than which could be no loyalty. 

He raised a jewel-encrusted bit of the girl's magnificent trappingsto his lips. 

"To the honour and happiness of Kulan Tith and the priceless jewelthat has been bestowed upon him, " he said, and though his voicewas husky there was the true ring of sincerity in it. "I told youthat I loved you, Thuvia, before I knew that you were promised toanother. I may not tell you it again, but I am glad that you knowit, for there is no dishonour in it either to you or to Kulan Tithor to myself. My love is such that it may embrace as well KulanTith--if you love him. " There was almost a question in the statement. 

"I am promised to him, " she replied. 

Carthoris backed slowly away. He laid one hand upon his heart, the other upon the pommel of his long-sword. 

"These are yours--always, " he said. A moment later he had enteredthe palace, and was gone from the girl's sight. 

Had he returned at once he would have found her prone upon theersite bench, her face buried in her arms. Was she weeping? Therewas none to see. 

Carthoris of Helium had come all unannounced to the court of hisfather's friend that day. He had come alone in a small flier, sureof the same welcome that always awaited him at Ptarth. As therehad been no formality in his coming there was no need of formalityin his going. 

To Thuvan Dihn he explained that he had been but testing an inventionof his own with which his flier was equipped--a clever improvementof the ordinary Martian air compass, which, when set for a certaindestination, will remain constantly fixed thereon, making it onlynecessary to keep a vessel's prow always in the direction of thecompass needle to reach any given point upon Barsoom by the shortestroute. 

Carthoris' improvement upon this consisted of an auxiliary devicewhich steered the craft mechanically in the direction of thecompass, and upon arrival directly over the point for which thecompass was set, brought the craft to a standstill and lowered it, also automatically, to the ground. 

"You readily discern the advantages of this invention, " he was sayingto Thuvan Dihn, who had accompanied him to the landing-stage uponthe palace roof to inspect the compass and bid his young friendfarewell. 

A dozen officers of the court with several body servants weregrouped behind the jeddak and his guest, eager listeners to theconversation--so eager on the part of one of the servants that hewas twice rebuked by a noble for his forwardness in pushing himselfahead of his betters to view the intricate mechanism of the wonderful"controlling destination compass, " as the thing was called. 

"For example, " continued Carthoris, "I have an all-night trip beforeme, as to-night. I set the pointer here upon the right-hand dialwhich represents the eastern hemisphere of Barsoom, so that thepoint rests upon the exact latitude and longitude of Helium. ThenI start the engine, roll up in my sleeping silks and furs, and withlights burning, race through the air toward Helium, confident thatat the appointed hour I shall drop gently toward the landing-stageupon my own palace, whether I am still asleep or no. "

"Provided, " suggested Thuvan Dihn, "you do not chance to collidewith some other night wanderer in the meanwhile. "

Carthoris smiled. "No danger of that, " he replied. "See here, "and he indicated a device at the right of the destination compass. "This is my 'obstruction evader, ' as I call it. This visible deviceis the switch which throws the mechanism on or off. The instrumentitself is below deck, geared both to the steering apparatus andthe control levers. 

"It is quite simple, being nothing more than a radium generatordiffusing radio-activity in all directions to a distance of ahundred yards or so from the flier. Should this enveloping forcebe interrupted in any direction a delicate instrument immediatelyapprehends the irregularity, at the same time imparting an impulseto a magnetic device which in turn actuates the steering mechanism, diverting the bow of the flier away from the obstacle until the craft'sradio-activity sphere is no longer in contact with the obstruction, then she falls once more into her normal course. Should thedisturbance approach from the rear, as in case of a faster-movingcraft overhauling me, the mechanism actuates the speed control aswell as the steering gear, and the flier shoots ahead and eitherup or down, as the oncoming vessel is upon a lower or higher planethan herself. 

"In aggravated cases, that is when the obstructions are many, orof such a nature as to deflect the bow more than forty-five degreesin any direction, or when the craft has reached its destinationand dropped to within a hundred yards of the ground, the mechanismbrings her to a full stop, at the same time sounding a loud alarmwhich will instantly awaken the pilot. You see I have anticipatedalmost every contingency. "

Thuvan Dihn smiled his appreciation of the marvellous device. Theforward servant pushed almost to the flier's side. His eyes werenarrowed to slits. 

"All but one, " he said. 

The nobles looked at him in astonishment, and one of them graspedthe fellow none too gently by the shoulder to push him back to hisproper place. Carthoris raised his hand. 

"Wait, " he urged. "Let us hear what the man has to say--no creationof mortal mind is perfect. Perchance he has detected a weaknessthat it will be well to know at once. Come, my good fellow, andwhat may be the one contingency I have overlooked?"

As he spoke Carthoris observed the servant closely for the firsttime. He saw a man of giant stature and handsome, as are all thoseof the race of Martian red men; but the fellow's lips were thinand cruel, and across one cheek was the faint, white line of asword-cut from the right temple to the corner of the mouth. 

"Come, " urged the Prince of Helium. "Speak!"

The man hesitated. It was evident that he regretted the temeritythat had made him the centre of interested observation. But atlast, seeing no alternative, he spoke. 

"It might be tampered with, " he said, "by an enemy. "

Carthoris drew a small key from his leathern pocket-pouch. 

"Look at this, " he said, handing it to the man. "If you know aughtof locks, you will know that the mechanism which this unlooses isbeyond the cunning of a picker of locks. It guards the vitals ofthe instrument from crafty tampering. Without it an enemy musthalf wreck the device to reach its heart, leaving his handiworkapparent to the most casual observer. "

The servant took the key, glanced at it shrewdly, and then as hemade to return it to Carthoris dropped it upon the marble flagging. Turning to look for it he planted the sole of his sandal full uponthe glittering object. For an instant he bore all his weight uponthe foot that covered the key, then he stepped back and with anexclamation as of pleasure that he had found it, stooped, recoveredit, and returned it to the Heliumite. Then he dropped back to hisstation behind the nobles and was forgotten. 

A moment later Carthoris had made his adieux to Thuvan Dihn andhis nobles, and with lights twinkling had risen into the star-shotvoid of the Martian night. 

CHAPTER II

SLAVERY

As the ruler of Ptarth, followed by his courtiers, descended fromthe landing-stage above the palace, the servants dropped into theirplaces in the rear of their royal or noble masters, and behind theothers one lingered to the last. Then quickly stooping he snatchedthe sandal from his right foot, slipping it into his pocket-pouch. 

When the party had come to the lower levels, and the jeddak haddispersed them by a sign, none noticed that the forward fellow whohad drawn so much attention to himself before the Prince of Heliumdeparted, was no longer among the other servants. 

To whose retinue he had been attached none had thought to inquire, for the followers of a Martian noble are many, coming and goingat the whim of their master, so that a new face is scarcely everquestioned, as the fact that a man has passed within the palacewalls is considered proof positive that his loyalty to the jeddakis beyond question, so rigid is the examination of each who seeksservice with the nobles of the court. 

A good rule that, and only relaxed by courtesy in favour of theretinue of visiting royalty from a friendly foreign power. 

It was late in the morning of the next day that a giant serving manin the harness of the house of a great Ptarth noble passed out intothe city from the palace gates. Along one broad avenue and thenanother he strode briskly until he had passed beyond the districtof the nobles and had come to the place of shops. Here he soughta pretentious building that rose spire-like toward the heavens, its outer walls elaborately wrought with delicate carvings andintricate mosaics. 

It was the Palace of Peace in which were housed the representativesof the foreign powers, or rather in which were located theirembassies; for the ministers themselves dwelt in gorgeous palaceswithin the district occupied by the nobles. 

Here the man sought the embassy of Dusar. A clerk arose questioninglyas he entered, and at his request to have a word with the ministerasked his credentials. The visitor slipped a plain metal armletfrom above his elbow, and pointing to an inscription upon its innersurface, whispered a word or two to the clerk. 

The latter's eyes went wide, and his attitude turned at once toone of deference. He bowed the stranger to a seat, and hastenedto an inner room with the armlet in his hand. A moment laterhe reappeared and conducted the caller into the presence of theminister. 

For a long time the two were closeted together, and when at lastthe giant serving man emerged from the inner office his expressionwas cast in a smile of sinister satisfaction. From the Palace ofPeace he hurried directly to the palace of the Dusarian minister. 

That night two swift fliers left the same palace top. One spedits rapid course toward Helium; the other--

Thuvia of Ptarth strolled in the gardens of her father's palace, aswas her nightly custom before retiring. Her silks and furs weredrawn about her, for the air of Mars is chill after the sun hastaken his quick plunge beneath the planet's western verge. 

The girl's thoughts wandered from her impending nuptials, thatwould make her empress of Kaol, to the person of the trim youngHeliumite who had laid his heart at her feet the preceding day. 

Whether it was pity or regret that saddened her expression as shegazed toward the southern heavens where she had watched the lightsof his flier disappear the previous night, it would be difficultto say. 

So, too, is it impossible to conjecture just what her emotions mayhave been as she discerned the lights of a flier speeding rapidlyout of the distance from that very direction, as though impelledtoward her garden by the very intensity of the princess' thoughts. 

She saw it circle lower above the palace until she was positivethat it but hovered in preparation for a landing. 

Presently the powerful rays of its searchlight shot downward fromthe bow. They fell upon the landing-stage for a brief instant, revealing the figures of the Ptarthian guard, picking into brilliantpoints of fire the gems upon their gorgeous harnesses. 

Then the blazing eye swept onward across the burnished domes andgraceful minarets, down into court and park and garden to pause atlast upon the ersite bench and the girl standing there beside it, her face upturned full toward the flier. 

For but an instant the searchlight halted upon Thuvia of Ptarth, then it was extinguished as suddenly as it had come to life. Theflier passed on above her to disappear beyond a grove of loftyskeel trees that grew within the palace grounds. 

The girl stood for some time as it had left her, except that herhead was bent and her eyes downcast in thought. 

Who but Carthoris could it have been? She tried to feel angerthat he should have returned thus, spying upon her; but she foundit difficult to be angry with the young prince of Helium. 

What mad caprice could have induced him so to transgress theetiquette of nations? For lesser things great powers had gone towar. 

The princess in her was shocked and angered--but what of the girl!

And the guard--what of them? Evidently they, too, had been so muchsurprised by the unprecedented action of the stranger that theyhad not even challenged; but that they had no thought to let thething go unnoticed was quickly evidenced by the skirring of motorsupon the landing-stage and the quick shooting airward of a long-linedpatrol boat. 

Thuvia watched it dart swiftly eastward. So, too, did other eyeswatch. 

Within the dense shadows of the skeel grove, in a wide avenuebeneath o'erspreading foliage, a flier hung a dozen feet above theground. From its deck keen eyes watched the far-fanning searchlightof the patrol boat. No light shone from the enshadowed craft. Uponits deck was the silence of the tomb. Its crew of a half-dozenred warriors watched the lights of the patrol boat diminishing inthe distance. 

"The intellects of our ancestors are with us to-night, " said onein a low tone. 

"No plan ever carried better, " returned another. "They did preciselyas the prince foretold. "

He who had first spoken turned toward the man who squatted beforethe control board. 

"Now!" he whispered. There was no other order given. Every manupon the craft had evidently been well schooled in each detailof that night's work. Silently the dark hull crept beneath thecathedral arches of the dark and silent grove. 

Thuvia of Ptarth, gazing toward the east, saw the blacker blotagainst the blackness of the trees as the craft topped the buttressedgarden wall. She saw the dim bulk incline gently downward towardthe scarlet sward of the garden. 

She knew that men came not thus with honourable intent. Yet shedid not cry aloud to alarm the near-by guardsmen, nor did she fleeto the safety of the palace. 

Why?

I can see her shrug her shapely shoulders in reply as she voicesthe age-old, universal answer of the woman: Because!

Scarce had the flier touched the ground when four men leaped fromits deck. They ran forward toward the girl. 

Still she made no sign of alarm, standing as though hypnotized. Or could it have been as one who awaited a welcome visitor?

Not until they were quite close to her did she move. Then thenearer moon, rising above the surrounding foliage, touched theirfaces, lighting all with the brilliancy of her silver rays. 

Thuvia of Ptarth saw only strangers--warriors in the harness ofDusar. Now she took fright, but too late!

Before she could voice but a single cry, rough hands seized her. A heavy silken scarf was wound about her head. She was liftedin strong arms and borne to the deck of the flier. There was thesudden whirl of propellers, the rushing of air against her body, and, from far beneath the shouting and the challenge from the guard. 

Racing toward the south another flier sped toward Helium. In itscabin a tall red man bent over the soft sole of an upturned sandal. With delicate instruments he measured the faint imprint of a smallobject which appeared there. Upon a pad beside him was the outlineof a key, and here he noted the results of his measurements. 

A smile played upon his lips as he completed his task and turnedto one who waited at the opposite side of the table. 

"The man is a genius, " he remarked. 

"Only a genius could have evolved such a lock as this is designedto spring. Here, take the sketch, Larok, and give all thine owngenius full and unfettered freedom in reproducing it in metal. "

The warrior-artificer bowed. "Man builds naught, " he said, "thatman may not destroy. " Then he left the cabin with the sketch. 

As dawn broke upon the lofty towers which mark the twin citiesof Helium--the scarlet tower of one and the yellow tower of itssister--a flier floated lazily out of the north. 

Upon its bow was emblazoned the signia of a lesser noble of afar city of the empire of Helium. Its leisurely approach and theevident confidence with which it moved across the city aroused nosuspicion in the minds of the sleepy guard. Their round of dutynearly done, they had little thought beyond the coming of thosewho were to relieve them. 

Peace reigned throughout Helium. Stagnant, emasculating peace. Helium had no enemies. There was naught to fear. 

Without haste the nearest air patrol swung sluggishly about andapproached the stranger. At easy speaking distance the officerupon her deck hailed the incoming craft. 

The cheery "Kaor!" and the plausible explanation that the owner hadcome from distant parts for a few days of pleasure in gay Heliumsufficed. The air-patrol boat sheered off, passing again upon itsway. The stranger continued toward a public landing-stage, whereshe dropped into the ways and came to rest. 

At about the same time a warrior entered her cabin. 

"It is done, Vas Kor, " he said, handing a small metal key to thetall noble who had just risen from his sleeping silks and furs. 

"Good!" exclaimed the latter. "You must have worked upon it allduring the night, Larok. "

The warrior nodded. 

"Now fetch me the Heliumetic metal you wrought some days since, "commanded Vas Kor. 

This done, the warrior assisted his master to replace the handsomejewelled metal of his harness with the plainer ornaments of anordinary fighting man of Helium, and with the insignia of the samehouse that appeared upon the bow of the flier. 

Vas Kor breakfasted on board. Then he emerged upon the aerial dock, entered an elevator, and was borne quickly to the street below, where he was soon engulfed by the early morning throng of workershastening to their daily duties. 

Among them his warrior trappings were no more remarkable than isa pair of trousers upon Broadway. All Martian men are warriors, save those physically unable to bear arms. The tradesman andhis clerk clank with their martial trappings as they pursue theirvocations. The schoolboy, coming into the world, as he does, almostadult from the snowy shell that has encompassed his developmentfor five long years, knows so little of life without a sword athis hip that he would feel the same discomfiture at going abroadunarmed that an Earth boy would experience in walking the streetsknicker-bockerless. 

Vas Kor's destination lay in Greater Helium, which lies someseventy-five miles across the level plain from Lesser Helium. Hehad landed at the latter city because the air patrol is lesssuspicious and alert than that above the larger metropolis wherelies the palace of the jeddak. 

As he moved with the throng in the parklike canyon of the thoroughfarethe life of an awakening Martian city was in evidence about him. Houses, raised high upon their slender metal columns for the nightwere dropping gently toward the ground. Among the flowers upon thescarlet sward which lies about the buildings children were alreadyplaying, and comely women laughing and chatting with their neighboursas they culled gorgeous blossoms for the vases within doors. 

The pleasant "kaor" of the Barsoomian greeting fell continuallyupon the ears of the stranger as friends and neighbours took upthe duties of a new day. 

The district in which he had landed was residential--a district ofmerchants of the more prosperous sort. Everywhere were evidencesof luxury and wealth. Slaves appeared upon every housetop withgorgeous silks and costly furs, laying them in the sun for airing. Jewel-encrusted women lolled even thus early upon the carvenbalconies before their sleeping apartments. Later in the day theywould repair to the roofs when the slaves had arranged couches andpitched silken canopies to shade them from the sun. 

Strains of inspiring music broke pleasantly from open windows, for the Martians have solved the problem of attuning the nervespleasantly to the sudden transition from sleep to waking that provesso difficult a thing for most Earth folk. 

Above him raced the long, light passenger fliers, plying, each inits proper plane, between the numerous landing-stages for internalpassenger traffic. Landing-stages that tower high into the heavensare for the great international passenger liners. Freighters haveother landing-stages at various lower levels, to within a coupleof hundred feet of the ground; nor dare any flier rise or drop fromone plane to another except in certain restricted districts wherehorizontal traffic is forbidden. 

Along the close-cropped sward which paves the avenue ground flierswere moving in continuous lines in opposite directions. For thegreater part they skimmed along the surface of the sward, soaringgracefully into the air at times to pass over a slower-going driverahead, or at intersections, where the north and south traffic hasthe right of way and the east and west must rise above it. 

From private hangars upon many a roof top fliers were darting intothe line of traffic. Gay farewells and parting admonitions mingledwith the whirring of motors and the subdued noises of the city. 

Yet with all the swift movement and the countless thousands rushinghither and thither, the predominant suggestion was that of luxuriousease and soft noiselessness. 

Martians dislike harsh, discordant clamour. The only loud noisesthey can abide are the martial sounds of war, the clash of arms, the collision of two mighty dreadnoughts of the air. To them thereis no sweeter music than this. 

At the intersection of two broad avenues Vas Kor descended from thestreet level to one of the great pneumatic stations of the city. Here he paid before a little wicket the fare to his destinationwith a couple of the dull, oval coins of Helium. 

Beyond the gatekeeper he came to a slowly moving line of what toEarthly eyes would have appeared to be conical-nosed, eight-footprojectiles for some giant gun. In slow procession the thingsmoved in single file along a grooved track. A half dozen attendantsassisted passengers to enter, or directed these carriers to theirproper destination. 

Vas Kor approached one that was empty. Upon its nose was a dialand a pointer. He set the pointer for a certain station in GreaterHelium, raised the arched lid of the thing, stepped in and lay downupon the upholstered bottom. An attendant closed the lid, whichlocked with a little click, and the carrier continued its slow way. 

Presently it switched itself automatically to another track, toenter, a moment later, one of the series of dark-mouthed tubes. 

The instant that its entire length was within the black apertureit sprang forward with the speed of a rifle ball. There was aninstant of whizzing--a soft, though sudden, stop, and slowly thecarrier emerged upon another platform, another attendant raisedthe lid and Vas Kor stepped out at the station beneath the centreof Greater Helium, seventy-five miles from the point at which hehad embarked. 

Here he sought the street level, stepping immediately into a waitingground flier. He spoke no word to the slave sitting in the driver'sseat. It was evident that he had been expected, and that the fellowhad received his instructions before his coming. 

Scarcely had Vas Kor taken his seat when the flier went quicklyinto the fast-moving procession, turning presently from the broadand crowded avenue into a less congested street. Presently it leftthe thronged district behind to enter a section of small shops, where it stopped before the entrance to one which bore the sign ofa dealer in foreign silks. 

Vas Kor entered the low-ceiling room. A man at the far endmotioned him toward an inner apartment, giving no further sign ofrecognition until he had passed in after the caller and closed thedoor. 

Then he faced his visitor, saluting deferentially. 

"Most noble--" he commenced, but Vas Kor silenced him with a gesture. 

"No formalities, " he said. "We must forget that I am aught otherthan your slave. If all has been as carefully carried out as ithas been planned, we have no time to waste. Instead we should beupon our way to the slave market. Are you ready?"

The merchant nodded, and, turning to a great chest, producedthe unemblazoned trappings of a slave. These Vas Kor immediatelydonned. Then the two passed from the shop through a rear door, traversed a winding alley to an avenue beyond, where they entereda flier which awaited them. 

Five minutes later the merchant was leading his slave to the publicmarket, where a great concourse of people filled the great openspace in the centre of which stood the slave block. 

The crowds were enormous to-day, for Carthoris, Prince of Helium, was to be the principal bidder. 

One by one the masters mounted the rostrum beside the slave blockupon which stood their chattels. Briefly and clearly each recountedthe virtues of his particular offering. 

When all were done, the major-domo of the Prince of Helium recalledto the block such as had favourably impressed him. For such hehad made a fair offer. 

There was little haggling as to price, and none at all when VasKor was placed upon the block. His merchant-master accepted thefirst offer that was made for him, and thus a Dusarian noble enteredthe household of Carthoris. 

CHAPTER III

TREACHERY

The day following the coming of Vas Kor to the palace of the Princeof Helium great excitement reigned throughout the twin cities, reaching its climax in the palace of Carthoris. Word had come ofthe abduction of Thuvia of Ptarth from her father's court, and withit the veiled hint that the Prince of Helium might be suspectedof considerable knowledge of the act and the whereabouts of theprincess. 

In the council chamber of John Carter, Warlord of Mars, was TardosMors, Jeddak of Helium; Mors Kajak, his son, Jed of Lesser Helium;Carthoris, and a score of the great nobles of the empire. 

"There must be no war between Ptarth and Helium, my son, " said JohnCarter. "That you are innocent of the charge that has been placedagainst you by insinuation, we well know; but Thuvan Dihn must knowit well, too. 

"There is but one who may convince him, and that one be you. Youmust hasten at once to the court of Ptarth, and by your presencethere as well as by your words assure him that his suspicions aregroundless. Bear with you the authority of the Warlord of Barsoom, and of the Jeddak of Helium to offer every resource of the alliedpowers to assist Thuvan Dihn to recover his daughter and punishher abductors, whomsoever they may be. 

"Go! I know that I do not need to urge upon you the necessity forhaste. "

Carthoris left the council chamber, and hastened to his palace. 

Here slaves were busy in a moment setting things to rights for thedeparture of their master. Several worked about the swift flierthat would bear the Prince of Helium rapidly toward Ptarth. 

At last all was done. But two armed slaves remained on guard. The setting sun hung low above the horizon. In a moment darknesswould envelop all. 

One of the guardsmen, a giant of a fellow across whose right cheekthere ran a thin scar from temple to mouth, approached his companion. His gaze was directed beyond and above his comrade. When he hadcome quite close he spoke. 

"What strange craft is that?" he asked. 

The other turned about quickly to gaze heavenward. Scarce was hisback turned toward the giant than the short-sword of the latterwas plunged beneath his left shoulder blade, straight through hisheart. 

Voiceless, the soldier sank in his tracks--stone dead. Quicklythe murderer dragged the corpse into the black shadows within thehangar. Then he returned to the flier. 

Drawing a cunningly wrought key from his pocket-pouch, he removedthe cover of the right-hand dial of the controlling destinationcompass. For a moment he studied the construction of the mechanismbeneath. Then he returned the dial to its place, set the pointer, and removed it again to note the resultant change in the positionof the parts affected by the act. 

A smile crossed his lips. With a pair of cutters he snipped offthe projection which extended through the dial from the externalpointer--now the latter might be moved to any point upon the dialwithout affecting the mechanism below. In other words, the easternhemisphere dial was useless. 

Now he turned his attention to the western dial. This he set upona certain point. Afterward he removed the cover of this dial also, and with keen tool cut the steel finger from the under side of thepointer. 

As quickly as possible he replaced the second dial cover, and resumedhis place on guard. To all intents and purposes the compass wasas efficient as before; but, as a matter of fact, the moving of thepointers upon the dials resulted now in no corresponding shift ofthe mechanism beneath--and the device was set, immovably, upon adestination of the slave's own choosing. 

Presently came Carthoris, accompanied by but a handful of hisgentlemen. He cast but a casual glance upon the single slave whostood guard. The fellow's thin, cruel lips, and the sword-cut thatran from temple to mouth aroused the suggestion of an unpleasantmemory within him. He wondered where Saran Tal had found the man--then the matter faded from his thoughts, and in another moment thePrince of Helium was laughing and chatting with his companions, though below the surface his heart was cold with dread, for whatcontingencies confronted Thuvia of Ptarth he could not even guess. 

First to his mind, naturally, had sprung the thought that Astokof Dusar had stolen the fair Ptarthian; but almost simultaneouslywith the report of the abduction had come news of the great fetesat Dusar in honour of the return of the jeddak's son to the courtof his father. 

It could not have been he, thought Carthoris, for on the very nightthat Thuvia was taken Astok had been in Dusar, and yet--

He entered the flier, exchanging casual remarks with his companionsas he unlocked the mechanism of the compass and set the pointerupon the capital city of Ptarth. 

With a word of farewell he touched the button which controlled therepulsive rays, and as the flier rose lightly into the air, theengine purred in answer to the touch of his finger upon a secondbutton, the propellers whirred as his hand drew back the speedlever, and Carthoris, Prince of Helium, was off into the gorgeousMartian night beneath the hurtling moons and the million stars. 

Scarce had the flier found its speed ere the man, wrapping hissleeping silks and furs about him, stretched at full length uponthe narrow deck to sleep. 

But sleep did not come at once at his bidding. 

Instead, his thoughts ran riot in his brain, driving sleep away. He recalled the words of Thuvia of Ptarth, words that had halfassured him that she loved him; for when he had asked her if sheloved Kulan Tith, she had answered only that she was promised tohim. 

Now he saw that her reply was open to more than a single construction. It might, of course, mean that she did not love Kulan Tith; andso, by inference, be taken to mean that she loved another. 

But what assurance was there that the other was Carthoris of Helium?

The more he thought upon it the more positive he became that notonly was there no assurance in her words that she loved him, butnone either in any act of hers. No, the fact was, she did not lovehim. She loved another. She had not been abducted--she had fledwillingly with her lover. 

With such pleasant thoughts filling him alternately with despairand rage, Carthoris at last dropped into the sleep of utter mentalexhaustion. 

The breaking of the sudden dawn found him still asleep. His flierwas rushing swiftly above a barren, ochre plain--the world-oldbottom of a long-dead Martian sea. 

In the distance rose low hills. Toward these the craft was headed. As it approached them, a great promontory might have been seen fromits deck, stretching out into what had once been a mighty ocean, and circling back once more to enclose the forgotten harbour of aforgotten city, which still stretched back from its deserted quays, an imposing pile of wondrous architecture of a long-dead past. 

The countless dismal windows, vacant and forlorn, stared, sightless, from their marble walls; the whole sad city taking on the semblanceof scattered mounds of dead men's sun-bleached skulls--the casementshaving the appearance of eyeless sockets, the portals, grinningjaws. 

Closer came the flier, but now its speed was diminishing--yet thiswas not Ptarth. 

Above the central plaza it stopped, slowly settling Marsward. Within a hundred yards of the ground it came to rest, floatinggently in the light air, and at the same instant an alarm soundedat the sleeper's ear. 

Carthoris sprang to his feet. Below him he looked to see theteeming metropolis of Ptarth. Beside him, already, there shouldhave been an air patrol. 

He gazed about in bewildered astonishment. There indeed was agreat city, but it was not Ptarth. No multitudes surged throughits broad avenues. No signs of life broke the dead monotony ofits deserted roof tops. No gorgeous silks, no priceless furs lentlife and colour to the cold marble and the gleaming ersite. 

No patrol boat lay ready with its familiar challenge. Silent andempty lay the great city--empty and silent the surrounding air. 

What had happened?

Carthoris examined the dial of his compass. The pointer was setupon Ptarth. Could the creature of his genius have thus betrayedhim? He would not believe it. 

Quickly he unlocked the cover, turning it back upon its hinge. Asingle glance showed him the truth, or at least a part of it--thesteel projection that communicated the movement of the pointer uponthe dial to the heart of the mechanism beneath had been severed. 

Who could have done the thing--and why?

Carthoris could not hazard even a faint guess. But the thing nowwas to learn in what portion of the world he was, and then take uphis interrupted journey once more. 

If it had been the purpose of some enemy to delay him, he hadsucceeded well, thought Carthoris, as he unlocked the cover of thesecond dial the first having shown that its pointer had not beenset at all. 

Beneath the second dial he found the steel pin severed as in theother, but the controlling mechanism had first been set for a pointupon the western hemisphere. 

He had just time to judge his location roughly at some placesouth-west of Helium, and at a considerable distance from the twincities, when he was startled by a woman's scream beneath him. 

Leaning over the side of the flier, he saw what appeared to be a redwoman being dragged across the plaza by a huge green warrior--oneof those fierce, cruel denizens of the dead sea-bottoms and desertedcities of dying Mars. 

Carthoris waited to see no more. Reaching for the control board, he sent his craft racing plummet-like toward the ground. 

The green man was hurrying his captive toward a huge thoat thatbrowsed upon the ochre vegetation of the once scarlet-gorgeousplaza. At the same instant a dozen red warriors leaped from theentrance of a nearby ersite palace, pursuing the abductor withnaked swords and shouts of rageful warning. 

Once the woman turned her face upward toward the falling flier, and in the single swift glance Carthoris saw that it was Thuvia ofPtarth!

CHAPTER IV

A GREEN MAN'S CAPTIVE

When the light of day broke upon the little craft to whose deckthe Princess of Ptarth had been snatched from her father's garden, Thuvia saw that the night had wrought a change in her abductors. 

No longer did their trappings gleam with the metal of Dusar, butinstead there was emblazoned there the insignia of the Prince ofHelium. 

The girl felt renewed hope, for she could not believe that in theheart of Carthoris could lie intent to harm her. 

She spoke to the warrior squatting before the control board. 

"Last night you wore the trappings of a Dusarian, " she said. "Nowyour metal is that of Helium. What means it?"

The man looked at her with a grin. 

"The Prince of Helium is no fool, " he said. 

Just then an officer emerged from the tiny cabin. He reprimandedthe warrior for conversing with the prisoner, nor would he himselfreply to any of her inquiries. 

No harm was offered her during the journey, and so they came at lastto their destination with the girl no wiser as to her abductors ortheir purpose than at first. 

Here the flier settled slowly into the plaza of one of those mutemonuments of Mars' dead and forgotten past--the deserted citiesthat fringe the sad ochre sea-bottoms where once rolled the mightyfloods upon whose bosoms moved the maritime commerce of the peoplesthat are gone for ever. 

Thuvia of Ptarth was no stranger to such places. During herwanderings in search of the River Iss, that time she had set outupon what, for countless ages, had been the last, long pilgrimageof Martians, toward the Valley Dor, where lies the Lost Sea ofKorus, she had encountered several of these sad reminders of thegreatness and the glory of ancient Barsoom. 

And again, during her flight from the temples of the Holy Thernswith Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark, she had seen them, with theirweird and ghostly inmates, the great white apes of Barsoom. 

She knew, too, that many of them were used now by the nomadic tribesof green men, but that among them all was no city that the redmen did not shun, for without exception they stood amidst vast, waterless tracts, unsuited for the continued sustenance of thedominant race of Martians. 

Why, then, should they be bringing her to such a place? There wasbut a single answer. Such was the nature of their work that theymust needs seek the seclusion that a dead city afforded. The girltrembled at thought of her plight. 

For two days her captors kept her within a huge palace that even indecay reflected the splendour of the age which its youth had known. 

Just before dawn on the third day she had been aroused by the voicesof two of her abductors. 

"He should be here by dawn, " one was saying. "Have her in readinessupon the plaza--else he will never land. The moment he finds thathe is in a strange country he will turn about--methinks the prince'splan is weak in this one spot. "

"There was no other way, " replied the other. "It is wondrous workto get them both here at all, and even if we do not succeed inluring him to the ground, we shall have accomplished much. "

Just then the speaker caught the eyes of Thuvia upon him, revealedby the quick-moving patch of light cast by Thuria in her mad racethrough the heavens. 

With a quick sign to the other, he ceased speaking, and advancingtoward the girl, motioned her to rise. Then he led her out intothe night toward the centre of the great plaza. 

"Stand here, " he commanded, "until we come for you. We shallbe watching, and should you attempt to escape it will go ill withyou--much worse than death. Such are the prince's orders. "

Then he turned and retraced his steps toward the palace, leavingher alone in the midst of the unseen terrors of the haunted city, for in truth these places are haunted in the belief of many Martianswho still cling to an ancient superstition which teaches that thespirits of Holy Therns who die before their allotted one thousandyears, pass, on occasions, into the bodies of the great white apes. 

To Thuvia, however, the real danger of attack by one of theseferocious, manlike beasts was quite sufficient. She no longerbelieved in the weird soul transmigration that the therns had taughther before she was rescued from their clutches by John Carter; butshe well knew the horrid fate that awaited her should one of theterrible beasts chance to spy her during its nocturnal prowlings. 

What was that?

Surely she could not be mistaken. Something had moved, stealthily, in the shadow of one of the great monoliths that line the avenuewhere it entered the plaza opposite her!

Thar Ban, jed among the hordes of Torquas, rode swiftly across theochre vegetation of the dead sea-bottom toward the ruins of ancientAaanthor. 

He had ridden far that night, and fast, for he had but come fromthe despoiling of the incubator of a neighbouring green horde withwhich the hordes of Torquas were perpetually warring. 

His giant thoat was far from jaded, yet it would be well, thoughtThar Ban, to permit him to graze upon the ochre moss which grows togreater height within the protected courtyards of deserted cities, where the soil is richer than on the sea-bottoms, and the plantspartly shaded from the sun during the cloudless Martian day. 

Within the tiny stems of this dry-seeming plant is sufficientmoisture for the needs of the huge bodies of the mighty thoats, which can exist for months without water, and for days without eventhe slight moisture which the ochre moss contains. 

As Thar Ban rode noiselessly up the broad avenue which leads fromthe quays of Aaanthor to the great central plaza, he and his mountmight have been mistaken for spectres from a world of dreams, sogrotesque the man and beast, so soundless the great thoat's padded, nailless feet upon the moss-grown flagging of the ancient pavement. 

The man was a splendid specimen of his race. Fully fifteen feettowered his great height from sole to pate. The moonlight glistenedagainst his glossy green hide, sparkling the jewels of his heavyharness and the ornaments that weighted his four muscular arms, while the upcurving tusks that protruded from his lower jaw gleamedwhite and terrible. 

At the side of his thoat were slung his long radium rifle and hisgreat, forty-foot, metal-shod spear, while from his own harnessdepended his long-sword and his short-sword, as well as his lesserweapons. 

His protruding eyes and antennae-like ears were turning constantlyhither and thither, for Thar Ban was yet in the country of theenemy, and, too, there was always the menace of the great whiteapes, which, John Carter was wont to say, are the only creaturesthat can arouse in the breasts of these fierce denizens of the deadsea-bottoms even the remotest semblance of fear. 

As the rider neared the plaza, he reined suddenly in. His slender, tubular ears pointed rigidly forward. An unwonted sound had reachedthem. Voices! And where there were voices, outside of Torquas, there, too, were enemies. All the world of wide Barsoom containednaught but enemies for the fierce Torquasians. 

Thar Ban dismounted. Keeping in the shadows of the great monolithsthat line the Avenue of Quays of sleeping Aaanthor, he approachedthe plaza. Directly behind him, as a hound at heel, came theslate-grey thoat, his white belly shadowed by his barrel, his vividyellow feet merging into the yellow of the moss beneath them. 

In the centre of the plaza Thar Ban saw the figure of a red woman. A red warrior was conversing with her. Now the man turned andretraced his steps toward the palace at the opposite side of theplaza. 

Thar Ban watched until he had disappeared within the yawningportal. Here was a captive worth having! Seldom did a female oftheir hereditary enemies fall to the lot of a green man. Thar Banlicked his thin lips. 

Thuvia of Ptarth watched the shadow behind the monolith at theopening to the avenue opposite her. She hoped that it might bebut the figment of an overwrought imagination. 

But no! Now, clearly and distinctly, she saw it move. It camefrom behind the screening shelter of the ersite shaft. 

The sudden light of the rising sun fell upon it. The girl trembled. The THING was a huge green warrior!

Swiftly it sprang toward her. She screamed and tried to flee;but she had scarce turned toward the palace when a giant hand fellupon her arm, she was whirled about, and half dragged, half carriedtoward a huge thoat that was slowly grazing out of the avenue'smouth on to the ochre moss of the plaza. 

At the same instant she turned her face upward toward the whirringsound of something above her, and there she saw a swift flierdropping toward her, the head and shoulders of a man leaning farover the side; but the man's features were deeply shadowed, so thatshe did not recognize them. 

Now from behind her came the shouts of her red abductors. Theywere racing madly after him who dared to steal what they alreadyhad stolen. 

As Thar Ban reached the side of his mount he snatched his longradium rifle from its boot, and, wheeling, poured three shots intothe oncoming red men. 

Such is the uncanny marksmanship of these Martian savages that threered warriors dropped in their tracks as three projectiles explodedin their vitals. 

The others halted, nor did they dare return the fire for fear ofwounding the girl. 

Then Thar Ban vaulted to the back of his thoat, Thuvia of Ptarthstill in his arms, and with a savage cry of triumph disappeareddown the black canyon of the Avenue of Quays between the sullenpalaces of forgotten Aaanthor. 

Carthoris' flier had not touched the ground before he had sprungfrom its deck to race after the swift thoat, whose eight long legswere sending it down the avenue at the rate of an express train;but the men of Dusar who still remained alive had no mind to permitso valuable a capture to escape them. 

They had lost the girl. That would be a difficult thing to explainto Astok; but some leniency might be expected could they carry thePrince of Helium to their master instead. 

So the three who remained set upon Carthoris with their long-swords, crying to him to surrender; but they might as successfully have criedaloud to Thuria to cease her mad hurtling through the Barsoomiansky, for Carthoris of Helium was a true son of the Warlord of Marsand his incomparable Dejah Thoris. 

Carthoris' long-sword had been already in his hand as he leaped fromthe deck of the flier, so the instant that he realized the menaceof the three red warriors, he wheeled to face them, meeting theironslaught as only John Carter himself might have done. 

So swift his sword, so mighty and agile his half-earthly muscles, that one of his opponents was down, crimsoning the ochre moss withhis life-blood, when he had scarce made a single pass at Carthoris. 

Now the two remaining Dusarians rushed simultaneously upon theHeliumite. Three long-swords clashed and sparkled in the moonlight, until the great white apes, roused from their slumbers, creptto the lowering windows of the dead city to view the bloody scenebeneath them. 

Thrice was Carthoris touched, so that the red blood ran down hisface, blinding him and dyeing his broad chest. With his free handhe wiped the gore from his eyes, and with the fighting smile of hisfather touching his lips, leaped upon his antagonists with renewedfury. 

A single cut of his heavy sword severed the head of one of them, andthen the other, backing away clear of that point of death, turnedand fled toward the palace at his back. 

Carthoris made no step to pursue. He had other concern than themeting of even well-deserved punishment to strange men who masqueradedin the metal of his own house, for he had seen that these men weretricked out in the insignia that marked his personal followers. 

Turning quickly toward his flier, he was soon rising from the plazain pursuit of Thar Ban. 

The red warrior whom he had put to flight turned in the entranceto the palace, and, seeing Carthoris' intent, snatched a rifle fromthose that he and his fellows had left leaning against the wallas they had rushed out with drawn swords to prevent the theft oftheir prisoner. 

Few red men are good shots, for the sword is their chosen weapon;so now as the Dusarian drew bead upon the rising flier, and touchedthe button upon his rifle's stock, it was more to chance thanproficiency that he owed the partial success of his aim. 

The projectile grazed the flier's side, the opaque coating breakingsufficiently to permit daylight to strike in upon the powder phialwithin the bullet's nose. There was a sharp explosion. Carthorisfelt his craft reel drunkenly beneath him, and the engine stopped. 

The momentum the air boat had gained carried her on over the citytoward the sea-bottom beyond. 

The red warrior in the plaza fired several more shots, none ofwhich scored. Then a lofty minaret shut the drifting quarry fromhis view. 

In the distance before him Carthoris could see the green warriorbearing Thuvia of Ptarth away upon his mighty thoat. The directionof his flight was toward the north-west of Aaanthor, where lay amountainous country little known to red men. 

The Heliumite now gave his attention to his injured craft. A closeexamination revealed the fact that one of the buoyancy tanks hadbeen punctured, but the engine itself was uninjured. 

A splinter from the projectile had damaged one of the control leversbeyond the possibility of repair outside a machine shop; but afterconsiderable tinkering, Carthoris was able to propel his woundedflier at low speed, a rate which could not approach the rapid gaitof the thoat, whose eight long, powerful legs carried it over theochre vegetation of the dead sea-bottom at terrific speed. 

The Prince of Helium chafed and fretted at the slowness of hispursuit, yet he was thankful that the damage was no worse, for nowhe could at least move more rapidly than on foot. 

But even this meagre satisfaction was soon to be denied him, forpresently the flier commenced to sag toward the port and by the bow. The damage to the buoyancy tanks had evidently been more grievousthan he had at first believed. 

All the balance of that long day Carthoris crawled erratically throughthe still air, the bow of the flier sinking lower and lower, andthe list to port becoming more and more alarming, until at last, near dark, he was floating almost bowdown, his harness buckled toa heavy deck ring to keep him from being precipitated to the groundbelow. 

His forward movement was now confined to a slow drifting with thegentle breeze that blew out of the south-east, and when this dieddown with the setting of the sun, he let the flier sink gently tothe mossy carpet beneath. 

Far before him loomed the mountains toward which the green man hadbeen fleeing when last he had seen him, and with dogged resolutionthe son of John Carter, endowed with the indomitable will of hismighty sire, took up the pursuit on foot. 

All that night he forged ahead until, with the dawning of a newday, he entered the low foothills that guard the approach to thefastness of the mountains of Torquas. 

Rugged, granitic walls towered before him. Nowhere could he discernan opening through the formidable barrier; yet somewhere into thisinhospitable world of stone the green warrior had borne the womanof the red man's heart's desire. 

Across the yielding moss of the sea-bottom there had been no spoorto follow, for the soft pads of the thoat but pressed down in hisswift passage the resilient vegetation which sprang up again behindhis fleeting feet, leaving no sign. 

But here in the hills, where loose rock occasionally strewed theway; where black loam and wild flowers partially replaced the sombremonotony of the waste places of the lowlands, Carthoris hoped tofind some sign that would lead him in the right direction. 

Yet, search as he would, the baffling mystery of the trail seemedlikely to remain for ever unsolved. 

It was drawing toward the day's close once more when the keen eyesof the Heliumite discerned the tawny yellow of a sleek hide movingamong the boulders several hundred yards to his left. 

Crouching quickly behind a large rock, Carthoris watched the thingbefore him. It was a huge banth, one of those savage Barsoomianlions that roam the desolate hills of the dying planet. 

The creature's nose was close to the ground. It was evident thathe was following the spoor of meat by scent. 

As Carthoris watched him, a great hope leaped into the man's heart. Here, possibly, might lie the solution to the mystery he had beenendeavouring to solve. This hungry carnivore, keen always for theflesh of man, might even now be trailing the two whom Carthorissought. 

Cautiously the youth crept out upon the trail of the man-eater. Along the foot of the perpendicular cliff the creature moved, sniffing at the invisible spoor, and now and then emitting the lowmoan of the hunting banth. 

Carthoris had followed the creature for but a few minutes when itdisappeared as suddenly and mysteriously as though dissolved intothin air. 

The man leaped to his feet. Not again was he to be cheated as theman had cheated him. He sprang forward at a reckless pace to thespot at which he last had seen the great, skulking brute. 

Before him loomed the sheer cliff, its face unbroken by any apertureinto which the huge banth might have wormed its great carcass. Beside him was a small, flat boulder, not larger than the deck ofa ten-man flier, nor standing to a greater height than twice hisown stature. 

Perhaps the banth was in hiding behind this? The brute might havediscovered the man upon his trail, and even now be lying in waitfor his easy prey. 

Cautiously, with drawn long-sword, Carthoris crept around thecorner of the rock. There was no banth there, but something whichsurprised him infinitely more than would the presence of twentybanths. 

Before him yawned the mouth of a dark cave leading downward intothe ground. Through this the banth must have disappeared. Wasit his lair? Within its dark and forbidding interior might therenot lurk not one but many of the fearsome creatures?

Carthoris did not know, nor, with the thought that had been spurringhim onward upon the trail of the creature uppermost in his mind, did he much care; for into this gloomy cavern he was sure the banthhad trailed the green man and his captive, and into it he, too, would follow, content to give his life in the service of the womanhe loved. 

Not an instant did he hesitate, nor yet did he advance rashly; butwith ready sword and cautious steps, for the way was dark, he stoleon. As he advanced, the obscurity became impenetrable blackness. 

CHAPTER V

THE FAIR RACE

Downward along a smooth, broad floor led the strange tunnel, forsuch Carthoris was now convinced was the nature of the shaft he atfirst had thought but a cave. 

Before him he could hear the occasional low moans of the banth, andpresently from behind came a similar uncanny note. Another banthhad entered the passageway on HIS trail!

His position was anything but pleasant. His eyes could not penetratethe darkness even to the distinguishing of his hand before his face, while the banths, he knew, could see quite well, though absence oflight were utter. 

No other sounds came to his ears than the dismal, bloodthirstymoanings of the beast ahead and the beast behind. 

The tunnel had led straight, from where he had entered it beneaththe side of the rock furthest from the unscaleable cliffs, towardthe mighty barrier that had baffled him so long. 

Now it was running almost level, and presently he noted a gradualascent. 

The beast behind him was gaining upon him, crowding him perilouslyclose upon the heels of the beast in front. Presently he shouldhave to do battle with one, or both. More firmly he gripped hisweapon. 

Now he could hear the breathing of the banth at his heels. Notfor much longer could he delay the encounter. 

Long since he had become assured that the tunnel led beneath thecliffs to the opposite side of the barrier, and he had hoped thathe might reach the moonlit open before being compelled to grapplewith either of the monsters. 

The sun had been setting as he entered the tunnel, and the wayhad been sufficiently long to assure him that darkness now reignedupon the world without. He glanced behind him. Blazing out ofthe darkness, seemingly not ten paces behind, glared two flamingpoints of fire. As the savage eyes met his, the beast emitted afrightful roar and then he charged. 

To face that savage mountain of onrushing ferocity, to stand unshakenbefore the hideous fangs that he knew were bared in slaveringblood-thirstiness, though he could not see them, required nervesof steel; but of such were the nerves of Carthoris of Helium. 

He had the brute's eyes to guide his point, and, as true as thesword hand of his mighty sire, his guided the keen point to one ofthose blazing orbs, even as he leaped lightly to one side. 

With a hideous scream of pain and rage, the wounded banth hurtled, clawing, past him. Then it turned to charge once more; but thistime Carthoris saw but a single gleaming point of fiery hate directedupon him. 

Again the needle point met its flashing target. Again the horridcry of the stricken beast reverberated through the rocky tunnel, shocking in its torture-laden shrillness, deafening in its terrificvolume. 

But now, as it turned to charge again, the man had no guide wherebyto direct his point. He heard the scraping of the padded feet uponthe rocky floor. He knew the thing was charging down upon him onceagain, but he could see nothing. 

Yet, if he could not see his antagonist, neither could his antagonistnow see him. 

Leaping, as he thought, to the exact centre of the tunnel, he heldhis sword point ready on a line with the beast's chest. It wasall that he could do, hoping that chance might send the point intothe savage heart as he went down beneath the great body. 

So quickly was the thing over that Carthoris could scarce believehis senses as the mighty body rushed madly past him. Either hehad not placed himself in the centre of the tunnel, or else theblinded banth had erred in its calculations. 

However, the huge body missed him by a foot, and the creaturecontinued on down the tunnel as though in pursuit of the prey thathad eluded him. 

Carthoris, too, followed the same direction, nor was it long beforehis heart was gladdened by the sight of the moonlit exit from thelong, dark passage. 

Before him lay a deep hollow, entirely surrounded by giganticcliffs. The surface of the valley was dotted with enormous trees, a strange sight so far from a Martian waterway. The ground itselfwas clothed in brilliant scarlet sward, picked out with innumerablepatches of gorgeous wild flowers. 

Beneath the glorious effulgence of the two moons the scene was oneof indescribable loveliness, tinged with the weirdness of strangeenchantment. 

For only an instant, however, did his gaze rest upon the naturalbeauties outspread before him. Almost immediately they were rivetedupon the figure of a great banth standing across the carcass of anew-killed thoat. 

The huge beast, his tawny mane bristling around his hideous head, kept his eyes fixed upon another banth that charged erraticallyhither and thither, with shrill screams of pain, and horrid roarsof hate and rage. 

Carthoris quickly guessed that the second brute was the one he hadblinded during the fight in the tunnel, but it was the dead thoatthat centred his interest more than either of the savage carnivores. 

The harness was still upon the body of the huge Martian mount, andCarthoris could not doubt but that this was the very animal uponwhich the green warrior had borne away Thuvia of Ptarth. 

But where were the rider and his prisoner? The Prince of Heliumshuddered as he thought upon the probability of the fate that hadovertaken them. 

Human flesh is the food most craved by the fierce Barsoomian lion, whose great carcass and giant thews require enormous quantities ofmeat to sustain them. 

Two human bodies would have but whetted the creature's appetite, and that he had killed and eaten the green man and the red girlseemed only too likely to Carthoris. He had left the carcassof the mighty thoat to be devoured after having consumed the moretooth-some portion of his banquet. 

Now the sightless banth, in its savage, aimless charging andcounter-charging, had passed beyond the kill of its fellow, andthere the light breeze that was blowing wafted the scent of newblood to its nostrils. 

No longer were its movements erratic. With outstretched tail andfoaming jaws it charged straight as an arrow, for the body of thethoat and the mighty creature of destruction that stood with forepawsupon the slate-grey side, waiting to defend its meat. 

When the charging banth was twenty paces from the dead thoat thekiller gave vent to its hideous challenge, and with a mighty springleaped forward to meet it. 

The battle that ensued awed even the warlike Barsoomian. Themad rending, the hideous and deafening roaring, the implacablesavagery of the blood-stained beasts held him in the paralysisof fascination, and when it was over and the two creatures, theirheads and shoulders torn to ribbons, lay with their dead jawsstill buried in each other's bodies, Carthoris tore himself fromthe spell only by an effort of the will. 

Hurrying to the side of the dead thoat, he searched for traces ofthe girl he feared had shared the thoat's fate, but nowhere couldhe discover anything to confirm his fears. 

With slightly lightened heart he started out to explore the valley, but scarce a dozen steps had he taken when the glistening of ajewelled bauble lying on the sward caught his eye. 

As he picked it up his first glance showed him that it was awoman's hair ornament, and emblazoned upon it was the insignia ofthe royal house of Ptarth. 

But, sinister discovery, blood, still wet, splotched the magnificentjewels of the setting. 

Carthoris half choked as the dire possibilities which the thingsuggested presented themselves to his imagination. Yet he couldnot, would not believe it. 

It was impossible that that radiant creature could have met sohideous an end. It was incredible that the glorious Thuvia shouldever cease to be. 

Upon his already jewel-encrusted harness, to the strap that crossedhis great chest beneath which beat his loyal heart, Carthoris, Prince of Helium, fastened the gleaming thing that Thuvia of Ptarthhad worn, and wearing, had made holy to the Heliumite. 

Then he proceeded upon his way into the heart of the unknown valley. 

For the most part the giant trees shut off his view to any but themost limited distances. Occasionally he caught glimpses of thetowering hills that bounded the valley upon every side, and thoughthey stood out clear beneath the light of the two moons, he knew thatthey were far off, and that the extent of the valley was immense. 

For half the night he continued his search, until presently he wasbrought to a sudden halt by the distant sound of squealing thoats. 

Guided by the noise of these habitually angry beasts, he stoleforward through the trees until at last he came upon a level, treeless plain, in the centre of which a mighty city reared itsburnished domes and vividly coloured towers. 

About the walled city the red man saw a huge encampment of thegreen warriors of the dead sea-bottoms, and as he let his eyesrove carefully over the city he realized that here was no desertedmetropolis of a dead past. 

But what city could it be? His studies had taught him that in thislittle-explored portion of Barsoom the fierce tribe of Torquasiangreen men ruled supreme, and that as yet no red man had succeededin piercing to the heart of their domain to return again to theworld of civilization. 

The men of Torquas had perfected huge guns with which their uncannymarksmanship had permitted them to repulse the few determinedefforts that near-by red nations had made to explore their countryby means of battle fleets of airships. 

That he was within the boundary of Torquas, Carthoris was sure, butthat there existed there such a wondrous city he never had dreamed, nor had the chronicles of the past even hinted at such a possibility, for the Torquasians were known to live, as did the other green menof Mars, within the deserted cities that dotted the dying planet, nor ever had any green horde built so much as a single edifice, other than the low-walled incubators where their young are hatchedby the sun's heat. 

The encircling camp of green warriors lay about five hundred yardsfrom the city's walls. Between it and the city was no semblanceof breastwork or other protection against rifle or cannon fire;yet distinctly now in the light of the rising sun Carthoris couldsee many figures moving along the summit of the high wall, and uponthe roof tops beyond. 

That they were beings like himself he was sure, though they were attoo great distance from him for him to be positive that they werered men. 

Almost immediately after sunrise the green warriors commenced firingupon the little figures upon the wall. To Carthoris' surprisethe fire was not returned, but presently the last of the city'sinhabitants had sought shelter from the weird marksmanship of thegreen men, and no further sign of life was visible beyond the wall. 

Then Carthoris, keeping within the shelter of the trees that fringedthe plain, began circling the rear of the besiegers' line, hopingagainst hope that somewhere he would obtain sight of Thuvia ofPtarth, for even now he could not believe that she was dead. 

That he was not discovered was a miracle, for mounted warriors wereconstantly riding back and forth from the camp into the forest; butthe long day wore on and still he continued his seemingly fruitlessquest, until, near sunset, he came opposite a mighty gate in thecity's western wall. 

Here seemed to be the principal force of the attacking horde. Here a great platform had been erected whereon Carthoris could seesquatting a huge green warrior, surrounded by others of his kind. 

This, then, must be the notorious Hortan Gur, Jeddak of Torquas, the fierce old ogre of the south-western hemisphere, as only fora jeddak are platforms raised in temporary camps or upon the marchby the green hordes of Barsoom. 

As the Heliumite watched he saw another green warrior push his wayforward toward the rostrum. Beside him he dragged a captive, andas the surrounding warriors parted to let the two pass, Carthoriscaught a fleeting glimpse of the prisoner. 

His heart leaped in rejoicing. Thuvia of Ptarth still lived!

It was with difficulty that Carthoris restrained the impulse torush forward to the side of the Ptarthian princess; but in the endhis better judgment prevailed, for in the face of such odds he knewthat he should have been but throwing away, uselessly, any futureopportunity he might have to succour her. 

He saw her dragged to the foot of the rostrum. He saw Hortan Guraddress her. He could not hear the creature's words, nor Thuvia'sreply; but it must have angered the green monster, for Carthorissaw him leap toward the prisoner, striking her a cruel blow acrossthe face with his metal-banded arm. 

Then the son of John Carter, Jeddak of Jeddaks, Warlord of Barsoom, went mad. The old, blood-red haze through which his sire had glaredat countless foes, floated before his eyes. 

His half-Earthly muscles, responding quickly to his will, senthim in enormous leaps and bounds toward the green monster that hadstruck the woman he loved. 

The Torquasians were not looking in the direction of the forest. All eyes had been upon the figures of the girl and their jeddak, and loud was the hideous laughter that rang out in appreciation ofthe wit of the green emperor's reply to his prisoner's appeal forliberty. 

Carthoris had covered about half the distance between the forestand the green warriors, when a new factor succeeded in still furtherdirecting the attention of the latter from him. 

Upon a high tower within the beleaguered city a man appeared. Fromhis upturned mouth there issued a series of frightful shrieks;uncanny shrieks that swept, shrill and terrifying, across the city'swalls, over the heads of the besiegers, and out across the forestto the uttermost confines of the valley. 

Once, twice, thrice the fearsome sound smote upon the ears of thelistening green men and then far, far off across the broad woodscame sharp and clear from the distance an answering shriek. 

It was but the first. From every point rose similar savage cries, until the world seemed to tremble to their reverberations. 

The green warriors looked nervously this way and that. They knewnot fear, as Earth men may know it; but in the face of the unusualtheir wonted self-assurance deserted them. 

And then the great gate in the city wall opposite the platform ofHortan Gur swung suddenly wide. From it issued as strange a sightas Carthoris ever had witnessed, though at the moment he had timeto cast but a single fleeting glance at the tall bowmen emergingthrough the portal behind their long, oval shields; to note theirflowing auburn hair; and to realize that the growling things attheir side were fierce Barsoomian lions. 

Then he was in the midst of the astonished Torquasians. Withdrawn long-sword he was among them, and to Thuvia of Ptarth, whosestartled eyes were the first to fall upon him, it seemed that shewas looking upon John Carter himself, so strangely similar to thefighting of the father was that of the son. 

Even to the famous fighting smile of the Virginian was the resemblancetrue. And the sword arm! Ah, the subtleness of it, and the speed!

All about was turmoil and confusion. Green warriors were leapingto the backs of their restive, squealing thoats. Calots weregrowling out their savage gutturals, whining to be at the throatsof the oncoming foemen. 

Thar Ban and another by the side of the rostrum had been the firstto note the coming of Carthoris, and it was with them he battledfor possession of the red girl, while the others hastened to meetthe host advancing from the beleaguered city. 

Carthoris sought both to defend Thuvia of Ptarth and reach theside of the hideous Hortan Gur that he might avenge the blow thecreature had struck the girl. 

He succeeded in reaching the rostrum, over the dead bodies oftwo warriors who had turned to join Thar Ban and his companion inrepulsing this adventurous red man, just as Hortan Gur was aboutto leap from it to the back of his thoat. 

The attention of the green warriors turned principally uponthe bowmen advancing upon them from the city, and upon the savagebanths that paced beside them--cruel beasts of war, infinitely moreterrible than their own savage calots. 

As Carthoris leaped to the rostrum he drew Thuvia up beside him, and then he turned upon the departing jeddak with an angry challengeand a sword thrust. 

As the Heliumite's point pricked his green hide, Hortan Gur turnedupon his adversary with a snarl, but at the same instant twoof his chieftains called to him to hasten, for the charge of thefair-skinned inhabitants of the city was developing into a moreserious matter than the Torquasians had anticipated. 

Instead of remaining to battle with the red man, Hortan Gur promisedhim his attention after he had disposed of the presumptuous citizensof the walled city, and, leaping astride his thoat, galloped offto meet the rapidly advancing bowmen. 

The other warriors quickly followed their jeddak, leaving Thuviaand Carthoris alone upon the platform. 

Between them and the city raged a terrific battle. The fair-skinnedwarriors, armed only with their long bows and a kind of short-handledwar-axe, were almost helpless beneath the savage mounted green menat close quarters; but at a distance their sharp arrows did fullyas much execution as the radium projectiles of the green men. 

But if the warriors themselves were outclassed, not so their savagecompanions, the fierce banths. Scarce had the two lines cometogether when hundreds of these appalling creatures had leapedamong the Torquasians, dragging warriors from their thoats--draggingdown the huge thoats themselves, and bringing consternation to allbefore them. 

The numbers of the citizenry, too, was to their advantage, forit seemed that scarce a warrior fell but his place was taken by ascore more, in such a constant stream did they pour from the city'sgreat gate. 

And so it came, what with the ferocity of the banths and thenumbers of the bowmen, that at last the Torquasians fell back, until presently the platform upon which stood Carthoris and Thuvialay directly in the centre of the fight. 

That neither was struck by a bullet or an arrow seemed a miracleto both; but at last the tide had rolled completely past them, sothat they were alone between the fighters and the city, except forthe dying and the dead, and a score or so of growling banths, lesswell trained than their fellows, who prowled among the corpsesseeking meat. 

To Carthoris the strangest part of the battle had been the terrifictoll taken by the bowmen with their relatively puny weapons. Nowherethat he could see was there a single wounded green man, but thecorpses of their dead lay thick upon the field of battle. 

Death seemed to follow instantly the slightest pinprick of a bowman'sarrow, nor apparently did one ever miss its goal. There could bebut one explanation: the missiles were poison-tipped. 

Presently the sounds of conflict died in the distant forest. Quiet reigned, broken only by the growling of the devouring banths. Carthoris turned toward Thuvia of Ptarth. As yet neither hadspoken. 

"Where are we, Thuvia?" he asked. 

The girl looked at him questioningly. His very presence had seemedto proclaim a guilty knowledge of her abduction. How else mighthe have known the destination of the flier that brought her!

"Who should know better than the Prince of Helium?" she asked inreturn. "Did he not come hither of his own free will?"

"From Aaanthor I came voluntarily upon the trail of the green manwho had stolen you, Thuvia, " he replied; "but from the time I leftHelium until I awoke above Aaanthor I thought myself bound forPtarth. 

"It had been intimated that I had guilty knowledge of your abduction, "he explained simply, "and I was hastening to the jeddak, yourfather, to convince him of the falsity of the charge, and to give myservice to your recovery. Before I left Helium some one tamperedwith my compass, so that it bore me to Aaanthor instead of toPtarth. That is all. You believe me?"

"But the warriors who stole me from the garden!" she exclaimed. "After we arrived at Aaanthor they wore the metal of the Prince ofHelium. When they took me they were trapped in Dusarian harness. There seemed but a single explanation. Whoever dared the outragewished to put the onus upon another, should he be detected in theact; but once safely away from Ptarth he felt safe in having hisminions return to their own harness. "

"You believe that I did this thing, Thuvia?" he asked. 

"Ah, Carthoris, " she replied sadly, "I did not wish to believe it;but when everything pointed to you--even then I would not believeit. "

"I did not do it, Thuvia, " he said. "But let me be entirely honestwith you. As much as I love your father, as much as I respect KulanTith, to whom you are betrothed, as well as I know the frightfulconsequences that must have followed such an act of mine, hurlinginto war, as it would, three of the greatest nations of Barsoom--yet, notwithstanding all this, I should not have hesitated to take youthus, Thuvia of Ptarth, had you even hinted that it would not havedispleased YOU. 

"But you did nothing of the kind, and so I am here, not in my ownservice, but in yours, and in the service of the man to whom youare promised, to save you for him, if it lies within the power ofman to do so, " he concluded, almost bitterly. 

Thuvia of Ptarth looked into his face for several moments. Herbreast was rising and falling as though to some resistless emotion. She half took a step toward him. Her lips parted as though tospeak--swiftly and impetuously. 

And then she conquered whatever had moved her. 

"The future acts of the Prince of Helium, " she said coldly, "mustconstitute the proof of his past honesty of purpose. "

Carthoris was hurt by the girl's tone, as much as by the doubt asto his integrity which her words implied. 

He had half hoped that she might hint that his love would beacceptable--certainly there was due him at least a little gratitudefor his recent acts in her behalf; but the best he received wascold skepticism. 

The Prince of Helium shrugged his broad shoulders. The girl notedit, and the little smile that touched his lips, so that it becameher turn to be hurt. 

Of course she had not meant to hurt him. He might have known thatafter what he had said she could not do anything to encourage him!But he need not have made his indifference quite so palpable. Themen of Helium were noted for their gallantry--not for boorishness. Possibly it was the Earth blood that flowed in his veins. 

How could she know that the shrug was but Carthoris' way ofattempting, by physical effort, to cast blighting sorrow from hisheart, or that the smile upon his lips was the fighting smile of hisfather with which the son gave outward evidence of the determinationhe had reached to submerge his own great love in his efforts tosave Thuvia of Ptarth for another, because he believed that sheloved this other!

He reverted to his original question. 

"Where are we?" he asked. "I do not know. "

"Nor I, " replied the girl. "Those who stole me from Ptarth spokeamong themselves of Aaanthor, so that I thought it possible thatthe ancient city to which they took me was that famous ruin; butwhere we may be now I have no idea. "

"When the bowmen return we shall doubtless learn all that there isto know, " said Carthoris. "Let us hope that they prove friendly. What race may they be? Only in the most ancient of our legendsand in the mural paintings of the deserted cities of the deadsea-bottoms are depicted such a race of auburn-haired, fair-skinnedpeople. Can it be that we have stumbled upon a surviving city ofthe past which all Barsoom believes buried beneath the ages?"

Thuvia was looking toward the forest into which the green men andthe pursuing bowmen had disappeared. From a great distance camethe hideous cries of banths, and an occasional shot. 

"It is strange that they do not return, " said the girl. 

"One would expect to see the wounded limping or being carried backto the city, " replied Carthoris, with a puzzled frown. "But howabout the wounded nearer the city? Have they carried them within?"

Both turned their eyes toward the field between them and the walledcity, where the fighting had been most furious. 

There were the banths, still growling about their hideous feast. 

Carthoris looked at Thuvia in astonishment. Then he pointed towardthe field. 

"Where are they?" he whispered. "WHAT HAS BECOME OF THEIR DEADAND WOUNDED?"

CHAPTER VI

THE JEDDAK OF LOTHAR

The girl looked her incredulity. 

"They lay in piles, " she murmured. "There were thousands of thembut a minute ago. "

"And now, " continued Carthoris, "there remain but the banths andthe carcasses of the green men. "

"They must have sent forth and carried the dead bowmen away whilewe were talking, " said the girl. 

"It is impossible!" replied Carthoris. "Thousands of dead laythere upon the field but a moment since. It would have requiredmany hours to have removed them. The thing is uncanny. "

"I had hoped, " said Thuvia, "that we might find an asylum withthese fair-skinned people. Notwithstanding their valour upon thefield of battle, they did not strike me as a ferocious or warlikepeople. I had been about to suggest that we seek entrance to thecity, but now I scarce know if I care to venture among people whosedead vanish into thin air. "

"Let us chance it, " replied Carthoris. "We can be no worse off withintheir walls than without. Here we may fall prey to the banths orthe no less fierce Torquasians. There, at least, we shall findbeings moulded after our own images. 

"All that causes me to hesitate, " he added, "is the danger of takingyou past so many banths. A single sword would scarce prevail wereeven a couple of them to charge simultaneously. "

"Do not fear on that score, " replied the girl, smiling. "The banthswill not harm us. "

As she spoke she descended from the platform, and with Carthorisat her side stepped fearlessly out upon the bloody field in thedirection of the walled city of mystery. 

They had advanced but a short distance when a banth, looking upfrom its gory feast, descried them. With an angry roar the beastwalked quickly in their direction, and at the sound of its voicea score of others followed its example. 

Carthoris drew his long-sword. The girl stole a quick glanceat his face. She saw the smile upon his lips, and it was as wineto sick nerves; for even upon warlike Barsoom where all men arebrave, woman reacts quickly to quiet indifference to danger--todare-deviltry that is without bombast. 

"You may return your sword, " she said. "I told you that the banthswould not harm us. Look!" and as she spoke she stepped quicklytoward the nearest animal. 

Carthoris would have leaped after her to protect her, but with agesture she motioned him back. He heard her calling to the banthsin a low, singsong voice that was half purr. 

Instantly the great heads went up and all the wicked eyeswere riveted upon the figure of the girl. Then, stealthily, theycommenced moving toward her. She had stopped now and was standingwaiting them. 

One, closer to her than the others, hesitated. She spoke to himimperiously, as a master might speak to a refractory hound. 

The great carnivore let its head droop, and with tail between itslegs came slinking to the girl's feet, and after it came the othersuntil she was entirely surrounded by the savage maneaters. 

Turning she led them to where Carthoris stood. They growled a littleas they neared the man, but a few sharp words of command put themin their places. 

"How do you do it?" exclaimed Carthoris. 

"Your father once asked me that same question in the galleries ofthe Golden Cliffs within the Otz Mountains, beneath the temples ofthe therns. I could not answer him, nor can I answer you. I donot know whence comes my power over them, but ever since the daythat Sator Throg threw me among them in the banth pit of the HolyTherns, and the great creatures fawned upon instead of devouringme, I ever have had the same strange power over them. They comeat my call and do my bidding, even as the faithful Woola does thebidding of your mighty sire. "

With a word the girl dispersed the fierce pack. Roaring, theyreturned to their interrupted feast, while Carthoris and Thuviapassed among them toward the walled city. 

As they advanced the man looked with wonder upon the dead bodiesof those of the green men that had not been devoured or mauled bythe banths. 

He called the girl's attention to them. No arrows protruded fromthe great carcasses. Nowhere upon any of them was the sign ofmortal wound, nor even slightest scratch or abrasion. 

Before the bowmen's dead had disappeared the corpses of the Torquasianshad bristled with the deadly arrows of their foes. Where had theslender messengers of death departed? What unseen hand had pluckedthem from the bodies of the slain?

Despite himself Carthoris could scarce repress a shudder ofapprehension as he glanced toward the silent city before them. Nolonger was sign of life visible upon wall or roof top. All wasquiet--brooding, ominous quiet. 

Yet he was sure that eyes watched them from somewhere behind thatblank wall. 

He glanced at Thuvia. She was advancing with wide eyes fixed uponthe city gate. He looked in the direction of her gaze, but sawnothing. 

His gaze upon her seemed to arouse her as from a lethargy. Sheglanced up at him, a quick, brave smile touching her lips, and then, as though the act was involuntary, she came close to his side andplaced one of her hands in his. 

He guessed that something within her that was beyond her consciouscontrol was appealing to him for protection. He threw an arm abouther, and thus they crossed the field. She did not draw away fromhim. It is doubtful that she realized that his arm was there, soengrossed was she in the mystery of the strange city before them. 

They stopped before the gate. It was a mighty thing. From itsconstruction Carthoris could but dimly speculate upon its unthinkableantiquity. 

It was circular, closing a circular aperture, and the Heliumite knewfrom his study of ancient Barsoomian architecture that it rolledto one side, like a huge wheel, into an aperture in the wall. 

Even such world-old cities as ancient Aaanthor were as yet undreamedof when the races lived that built such gates as these. 

As he stood speculating upon the identity of this forgotten city, a voice spoke to them from above. Both looked up. There, leaningover the edge of the high wall, was a man. 

His hair was auburn, his skin fair--fairer even than that of JohnCarter, the Virginian. His forehead was high, his eyes large andintelligent. 

The language that he used was intelligible to the two below, yet there was a marked difference between it and their Barsoomiantongue. 

"Who are you?" he asked. "And what do you here before the gate ofLothar?"

"We are friends, " replied Carthoris. "This be the princess, Thuvia of Ptarth, who was captured by the Torquasian horde. I amCarthoris of Helium, Prince of the house of Tardos Mors, Jeddak ofHelium, and son of John Carter, Warlord of Mars, and of his wife, Dejah Thoris. "

"'Ptarth'?" repeated the man. "'Helium'?" He shook his head. "Inever have heard of these places, nor did I know that there dweltupon Barsoom a race of thy strange colour. Where may these citieslie, of which you speak? From our loftiest tower we have neverseen another city than Lothar. "

Carthoris pointed toward the north-east. 

"In that direction lie Helium and Ptarth, " he said. "Helium is overeight thousand haads from Lothar, while Ptarth lies nine thousandfive hundred haads north-east of Helium. "[1]

[1]On Barsoom the AD is the basis of linear measurement. It isthe equivalent of an Earthly foot, measuring about 11. 694 Earthinches. As has been my custom in the past, I have generallytranslated Barsoomian symbols of time, distance, etc. , into theirEarthly equivalent, as being more easily understood by Earth readers. For those of a more studious turn of mind it may be interestingto know the Martian table of linear measurement, and so I give ithere:

 10 sofads = 1 ad 200 ads = 1 haad 100 haads = 1 karad 360 karads = 1 circumference of Mars at equator. 

A haad, or Barsoomian mile, contains about 2, 339 Earth feet. Akarad is one degree. A sofad about 1. 17 Earth inches. 

Still the man shook his head. 

"I know of nothing beyond the Lotharian hills, " he said. "Naughtmay live there beside the hideous green hordes of Torquas. Theyhave conquered all Barsoom except this single valley and the cityof Lothar. Here we have defied them for countless ages, thoughperiodically they renew their attempts to destroy us. From whenceyou come I cannot guess unless you be descended from the slavesthe Torquasians captured in early times when they reduced the outerworld to their vassalage; but we had heard that they destroyed allother races but their own. "

Carthoris tried to explain that the Torquasians ruled but arelatively tiny part of the surface of Barsoom, and even this onlybecause their domain held nothing to attract the red race; but theLotharian could not seem to conceive of anything beyond the valleyof Lothar other than a trackless waste peopled by the ferociousgreen hordes of Torquas. 

After considerable parleying he consented to admit them to thecity, and a moment later the wheel-like gate rolled back withinits niche, and Thuvia and Carthoris entered the city of Lothar. 

All about them were evidences of fabulous wealth. The facades ofthe buildings fronting upon the avenue within the wall were richlycarven, and about the windows and doors were ofttimes set foot-wideborders of precious stones, intricate mosaics, or tablets of beatengold bearing bas-reliefs depicting what may have been bits of thehistory of this forgotten people. 

He with whom they had conversed across the wall was in the avenueto receive them. About him were a hundred or more men of the samerace. All were clothed in flowing robes and all were beardless. 

Their attitude was more of fearful suspicion than antagonism. Theyfollowed the new-comers with their eyes; but spoke no word to them. 

Carthoris could not but notice the fact that though the city hadbeen but a short time before surrounded by a horde of bloodthirstydemons yet none of the citizens appeared to be armed, nor was theresign of soldiery about. 

He wondered if all the fighting men had sallied forth in one supremeeffort to rout the foe, leaving the city all unguarded. He askedtheir host. 

The man smiled. 

"No creature other than a score or so of our sacred banths has leftLothar to-day, " he replied. 

"But the soldiers--the bowmen!" exclaimed Carthoris. "We sawthousands emerge from this very gate, overwhelming the hordes ofTorquas and putting them to rout with their deadly arrows and theirfierce banths. "

Still the man smiled his knowing smile. 

"Look!" he cried, and pointed down a broad avenue before him. 

Carthoris and Thuvia followed the direction indicated, and there, marching bravely in the sunlight, they saw advancing toward thema great army of bowmen. 

"Ah!" exclaimed Thuvia. "They have returned through another gate, or perchance these be the troops that remained to defend the city?"

Again the fellow smiled his uncanny smile. 

"There are no soldiers in Lothar, " he said. "Look!"

Both Carthoris and Thuvia had turned toward him while he spoke, and now as they turned back again toward the advancing regimentstheir eyes went wide in astonishment, for the broad avenue beforethem was as deserted as the tomb. 

"And those who marched out upon the hordes to-day?" whisperedCarthoris. "They, too, were unreal?"

The man nodded. 

"But their arrows slew the green warriors, " insisted Thuvia. 

"Let us go before Tario, " replied the Lotharian. "He will tell youthat which he deems it best you know. I might tell you too much. "

"Who is Tario?" asked Carthoris. 

"Jeddak of Lothar, " replied the guide, leading them up the broadavenue down which they had but a moment since seen the phantom armymarching. 

For half an hour they walked along lovely avenues between the mostgorgeous buildings that the two had ever seen. Few people were inevidence. Carthoris could not but note the deserted appearance ofthe mighty city. 

At last they came to the royal palace. Carthoris saw it from adistance, and guessing the nature of the magnificent pile wonderedthat even here there should be so little sign of activity and life. 

Not even a single guard was visible before the great entrance gate, nor in the gardens beyond, into which he could see, was there signof the myriad life that pulses within the precincts of the royalestates of the red jeddaks. 

"Here, " said their guide, "is the palace of Tario. "

As he spoke Carthoris again let his gaze rest upon the wondrouspalace. With a startled exclamation he rubbed his eyes and lookedagain. No! He could not be mistaken. Before the massive gatestood a score of sentries. Within, the avenue leading to the mainbuilding was lined on either side by ranks of bowmen. The gardenswere dotted with officers and soldiers moving quickly to and fro, as though bent upon the duties of the minute. 

What manner of people were these who could conjure an army outof thin air? He glanced toward Thuvia. She, too, evidently hadwitnessed the transformation. 

With a little shudder she pressed more closely toward him. 

"What do you make of it?" she whispered. "It is most uncanny. "

"I cannot account for it, " replied Carthoris, "unless we have gonemad. "

Carthoris turned quickly toward the Lotharian. The fellow wassmiling broadly. 

"I thought that you just said that there were no soldiers inLothar, " said the Heliumite, with a gesture toward the guardsmen. "What are these?"

"Ask Tario, " replied the other. "We shall soon be before him. "

Nor was it long before they entered a lofty chamber at one end ofwhich a man reclined upon a rich couch that stood upon a high dais. 

As the trio approached, the man turned dreamy eyes sleepily uponthem. Twenty feet from the dais their conductor halted, and, whispering to Thuvia and Carthoris to follow his example, threwhimself headlong to the floor. Then rising to hands and knees, he commenced crawling toward the foot of the throne, swinging hishead to and fro and wiggling his body as you have seen a hound dowhen approaching its master. 

Thuvia glanced quickly toward Carthoris. He was standing erect, with high-held head and arms folded across his broad chest. Ahaughty smile curved his lips. 

The man upon the dais was eyeing him intently, and Carthoris ofHelium was looking straight in the other's face. 

"Who be these, Jav?" asked the man of him who crawled upon hisbelly along the floor. 

"O Tario, most glorious Jeddak, " replied Jav, "these be strangerswho came with the hordes of Torquas to our gates, saying that theywere prisoners of the green men. They tell strange tales of citiesfar beyond Lothar. "

"Arise, Jav, " commanded Tario, "and ask these two why they shownot to Tario the respect that is his due. "

Jav arose and faced the strangers. At sight of their erect positionshis face went livid. He leaped toward them. 

"Creatures!" he screamed. "Down! Down upon your bellies beforethe last of the jeddaks of Barsoom!"

CHAPTER VII

THE PHANTOM BOWMEN

As Jav leaped toward him Carthoris laid his hand upon the hilt ofhis long-sword. The Lotharian halted. The great apartment wasempty save for the four at the dais, yet as Jav stepped back fromthe menace of the Heliumite's threatening attitude the latter foundhimself surrounded by a score of bowmen. 

From whence had they sprung? Both Carthoris and Thuvia lookedtheir astonishment. 

Now the former's sword leaped from its scabbard, and at the sameinstant the bowmen drew back their slim shafts. 

Tario had half raised himself upon one elbow. For the first timehe saw the full figure of Thuvia, who had been concealed behindthe person of Carthoris. 

"Enough!" cried the jeddak, raising a protesting hand, but atthat very instant the sword of the Heliumite cut viciously at itsnearest antagonist. 

As the keen edge reached its goal Carthoris let the point fall tothe floor, as with wide eyes he stepped backward in consternation, throwing the back of his left hand across his brow. His steelhad cut but empty air--his antagonist had vanished--there were nobowmen in the room!

"It is evident that these are strangers, " said Tario to Jav. "Letus first determine that they knowingly affronted us before we takemeasures for punishment. "

Then he turned to Carthoris, but ever his gaze wandered to theperfect lines of Thuvia's glorious figure, which the harness of aBarsoomian princess accentuated rather than concealed. 

"Who are you, " he asked, "who knows not the etiquette of the courtof the last of jeddaks?"

"I am Carthoris, Prince of Helium, " replied the Heliumite. "Andthis is Thuvia, Princess of Ptarth. In the courts of our fathersmen do not prostrate themselves before royalty. Not since the FirstBorn tore their immortal goddess limb from limb have men crawledupon their bellies to any throne upon Barsoom. Now think you thatthe daughter of one mighty jeddak and the son of another would sohumiliate themselves?"

Tario looked at Carthoris for a long time. At last he spoke. 

"There is no other jeddak upon Barsoom than Tario, " he said. "Thereis no other race than that of Lothar, unless the hordes of Torquasmay be dignified by such an appellation. Lotharians are white;your skins are red. There are no women left upon Barsoom. Yourcompanion is a woman. "

He half rose from the couch, leaning far forward and pointing anaccusing finger at Carthoris. 

"You are a lie!" he shrieked. "You are both lies, and you dare tocome before Tario, last and mightiest of the jeddaks of Barsoom, and assert your reality. Some one shall pay well for this, Jav, and unless I mistake it is yourself who has dared thus flippantlyto trifle with the good nature of your jeddak. 

"Remove the man. Leave the woman. We shall see if both be lies. And later, Jav, you shall suffer for your temerity. There be fewof us left, but--Komal must be fed. Go!"

Carthoris could see that Jav trembled as he prostrated himself oncemore before his ruler, and then, rising, turned toward the Princeof Helium. 

"Come!" he said. 

"And leave the Princess of Ptarth here alone?" cried Carthoris. 

Jav brushed closely past him, whispering:

"Follow me--he cannot harm her, except to kill; and that he can dowhether you remain or not. We had best go now--trust me. "

Carthoris did not understand, but something in the urgency of theother's tone assured him, and so he turned away, but not without aglance toward Thuvia in which he attempted to make her understandthat it was in her own interest that he left her. 

For answer she turned her back full upon him, but not without firstthrowing him such a look of contempt that brought the scarlet tohis cheek. 

Then he hesitated, but Jav seized him by the wrist. 

"Come!" he whispered. "Or he will have the bowmen upon you, andthis time there will be no escape. Did you not see how futile isyour steel against thin air!"

Carthoris turned unwillingly to follow. As the two left the roomhe turned to his companion. 

"If I may not kill thin air, " he asked, "how, then, shall I fearthat thin air may kill me?"

"You saw the Torquasians fall before the bowmen?" asked Jav. 

Carthoris nodded. 

"So would you fall before them, and without one single chance forself-defence or revenge. "

As they talked Jav led Carthoris to a small room in one of thenumerous towers of the palace. Here were couches, and Jav bid theHeliumite be seated. 

For several minutes the Lotharian eyed his prisoner, for suchCarthoris now realized himself to be. 

"I am half convinced that you are real, " he said at last. 

Carthoris laughed. 

"Of course I am real, " he said. "What caused you to doubt it? Canyou not see me, feel me?"

"So may I see and feel the bowmen, " replied Jav, "and yet we allknow that they, at least, are not real. "

Carthoris showed by the expression of his face his puzzlement ateach new reference to the mysterious bowmen--the vanishing soldieryof Lothar. 

"What, then, may they be?" he asked. 

"You really do not know?" asked Jav. 

Carthoris shook his head negatively. 

"I can almost believe that you have told us the truth and that youare really from another part of Barsoom, or from another world. Buttell me, in your own country have you no bowmen to strike terrorto the hearts of the green hordesmen as they slay in company withthe fierce banths of war?"

"We have soldiers, " replied Carthoris. "We of the red race areall soldiers, but we have no bowmen to defend us, such as yours. We defend ourselves. "

"You go out and get killed by your enemies!" cried Jav incredulously. 

"Certainly, " replied Carthoris. "How do the Lotharians?"

"You have seen, " replied the other. "We send out our deathlessarchers--deathless because they are lifeless, existing only in theimaginations of our enemies. It is really our giant minds thatdefend us, sending out legions of imaginary warriors to materializebefore the mind's eye of the foe. 

"They see them--they see their bows drawn back--they see theirslender arrows speed with unerring precision toward their hearts. And they die--killed by the power of suggestion. "

"But the archers that are slain?" exclaimed Carthoris. "You callthem deathless, and yet I saw their dead bodies piled high uponthe battlefield. How may that be?"

"It is but to lend reality to the scene, " replied Jav. "We picturemany of our own defenders killed that the Torquasians may not guessthat there are really no flesh and blood creatures opposing them. 

"Once that truth became implanted in their minds, it is the theoryof many of us, no longer would they fall prey to the suggestionof the deadly arrows, for greater would be the suggestion of thetruth, and the more powerful suggestion would prevail--it is law. "

"And the banths?" questioned Carthoris. "They, too, were butcreatures of suggestion?"

"Some of them were real, " replied Jav. "Those that accompaniedthe archers in pursuit of the Torquasians were unreal. Like thearchers, they never returned, but, having served their purpose, vanished with the bowmen when the rout of the enemy was assured. 

"Those that remained about the field were real. Those we loosedas scavengers to devour the bodies of the dead of Torquas. Thisthing is demanded by the realists among us. I am a realist. Tariois an etherealist. 

"The etherealists maintain that there is no such thing asmatter--that all is mind. They say that none of us exists, exceptin the imagination of his fellows, other than as an intangible, invisible mentality. 

"According to Tario, it is but necessary that we all unite inimagining that there are no dead Torquasians beneath our walls, and there will be none, nor any need of scavenging banths. "

"You, then, do not hold Tario's beliefs?" asked Carthoris. 

"In part only, " replied the Lotharian. "I believe, in fact I know, that there are some truly ethereal creatures. Tario is one, I amconvinced. He has no existence except in the imaginations of hispeople. 

"Of course, it is the contention of all us realists that alletherealists are but figments of the imagination. They contendthat no food is necessary, nor do they eat; but any one of the mostrudimentary intelligence must realize that food is a necessity tocreatures having actual existence. "

"Yes, " agreed Carthoris, "not having eaten to-day I can readilyagree with you. "

"Ah, pardon me, " exclaimed Jav. "Pray be seated and satisfy yourhunger, " and with a wave of his hand he indicated a bountifullyladen table that had not been there an instant before he spoke. Ofthat Carthoris was positive, for he had searched the room diligentlywith his eyes several times. 

"It is well, " continued Jav, "that you did not fall into the handsof an etherealist. Then, indeed, would you have gone hungry. "

"But, " exclaimed Carthoris, "this is not real food--it was not herean instant since, and real food does not materialize out of thinair. "

Jav looked hurt. 

"There is no real food or water in Lothar, " he said; "nor has therebeen for countless ages. Upon such as you now see before you havewe existed since the dawn of history. Upon such, then, may youexist. "

"But I thought you were a realist, " exclaimed Carthoris. 

"Indeed, " cried Jav, "what more realistic than this bounteous feast?It is just here that we differ most from the etherealists. Theyclaim that it is unnecessary to imagine food; but we have foundthat for the maintenance of life we must thrice daily sit down tohearty meals. 

"The food that one eats is supposed to undergo certain chemicalchanges during the process of digestion and assimilation, theresult, of course, being the rebuilding of wasted tissue. 

"Now we all know that mind is all, though we may differ in theinterpretation of its various manifestations. Tario maintainsthat there is no such thing as substance, all being created fromthe substanceless matter of the brain. 

"We realists, however, know better. We know that mind has thepower to maintain substance even though it may not be able to createsubstance--the latter is still an open question. And so we knowthat in order to maintain our physical bodies we must cause allour organs properly to function. 

"This we accomplish by materializing food-thoughts, and by partakingof the food thus created. We chew, we swallow, we digest. All ourorgans function precisely as if we had partaken of material food. And what is the result? What must be the result? The chemicalchanges take place through both direct and indirect suggestion, and we live and thrive. "

Carthoris eyed the food before him. It seemed real enough. Helifted a morsel to his lips. There was substance indeed. Andflavour as well. Yes, even his palate was deceived. 

Jav watched him, smiling, as he ate. 

"Is it not entirely satisfying?" he asked. 

"I must admit that it is, " replied Carthoris. "But tell me, howdoes Tario live, and the other etherealists who maintain that foodis unnecessary?"

Jav scratched his head. 

"That is a question we often discuss, " he replied. "It is thestrongest evidence we have of the non-existence of the etherealists;but who may know other than Komal?"

"Who is Komal?" asked Carthoris. "I heard your jeddak speak ofhim. "

Jav bent low toward the ear of the Heliumite, looking fearfullyabout before he spoke. 

"Komal is the essence, " he whispered. "Even the etherealistsadmit that mind itself must have substance in order to transmit toimaginings the appearance of substance. For if there really wasno such thing as substance it could not be suggested--what neverhas been cannot be imagined. Do you follow me?"

"I am groping, " replied Carthoris dryly. 

"So the essence must be substance, " continued Jav. "Komal is theessence of the All, as it were. He is maintained by substance. He eats. He eats the real. To be explicit, he eats the realists. That is Tario's work. 

"He says that inasmuch as we maintain that we alone are real weshould, to be consistent, admit that we alone are proper food forKomal. Sometimes, as to-day, we find other food for him. He isvery fond of Torquasians. "

"And Komal is a man?" asked Carthoris. 

"He is All, I told you, " replied Jav. "I know not how to explainhim in words that you will understand. He is the beginning andthe end. All life emanates from Komal, since the substance whichfeeds the brain with imaginings radiates from the body of Komal. 

"Should Komal cease to eat, all life upon Barsoom would cease to be. He cannot die, but he might cease to eat, and, thus, to radiate. "

"And he feeds upon the men and women of your belief?" cried Carthoris. 

"Women!" exclaimed Jav. "There are no women in Lothar. The lastof the Lotharian females perished ages since, upon that cruel andterrible journey across the muddy plains that fringed the half-driedseas, when the green hordes scourged us across the world to thisour last hiding-place--our impregnable fortress of Lothar. 

"Scarce twenty thousand men of all the countless millions of ourrace lived to reach Lothar. Among us were no women and no children. All these had perished by the way. 

"As time went on, we, too, were dying and the race fast approachingextinction, when the Great Truth was revealed to us, that mind isall. Many more died before we perfected our powers, but at lastwe were able to defy death when we fully understood that death wasmerely a state of mind. 

"Then came the creation of mind-people, or rather the materializationof imaginings. We first put these to practical use when theTorquasians discovered our retreat, and fortunate for us it wasthat it required ages of search upon their part before they foundthe single tiny entrance to the valley of Lothar. 

"That day we threw our first bowmen against them. The intentionwas purely to frighten them away by the vast numbers of bowmen whichwe could muster upon our walls. All Lothar bristled with the bowsand arrows of our ethereal host. 

"But the Torquasians did not frighten. They are lower than thebeasts--they know no fear. They rushed upon our walls, and standingupon the shoulders of others they built human approaches to thewall tops, and were on the very point of surging in upon us andoverwhelming us. 

"Not an arrow had been discharged by our bowmen--we did but causethem to run to and fro along the wall top, screaming taunts andthreats at the enemy. 

"Presently I thought to attempt the thing--THE GREAT THING. I centredall my mighty intellect upon the bowmen of my own creation--eachof us produces and directs as many bowmen as his mentality andimagination is capable of. 

"I caused them to fit arrows to their bows for the first time. Imade them take aim at the hearts of the green men. I made thegreen men see all this, and then I made them see the arrows fly, and I made them think that the points pierced their hearts. 

"It was all that was necessary. By hundreds they toppled fromour walls, and when my fellows saw what I had done they were quickto follow my example, so that presently the hordes of Torquas hadretreated beyond the range of our arrows. 

"We might have killed them at any distance, but one rule of war wehave maintained from the first--the rule of realism. We do nothing, or rather we cause our bowmen to do nothing within sight of theenemy that is beyond the understanding of the foe. Otherwise theymight guess the truth, and that would be the end of us. 

"But after the Torquasians had retreated beyond bowshot, they turnedupon us with their terrible rifles, and by constant popping at usmade life miserable within our walls. 

"So then I bethought the scheme to hurl our bowmen through thegates upon them. You have seen this day how well it works. Forages they have come down upon us at intervals, but always with thesame results. "

"And all this is due to your intellect, Jav?" asked Carthoris. "Ishould think that you would be high in the councils of your people. "

"I am, " replied Jav, proudly. "I am next to Tario. "

"But why, then, your cringing manner of approaching the throne?"

"Tario demands it. He is jealous of me. He only awaits theslightest excuse to feed me to Komal. He fears that I may someday usurp his power. "

Carthoris suddenly sprang from the table. 

"Jav!" he exclaimed. "I am a beast! Here I have been eating myfill, while the Princess of Ptarth may perchance be still withoutfood. Let us return and find some means of furnishing her withnourishment. "

The Lotharian shook his head. 

"Tario would not permit it, " he said. "He will, doubtless, makean etherealist of her. "

"But I must go to her, " insisted Carthoris. "You say that thereare no women in Lothar. Then she must be among men, and if thisbe so I intend to be near where I may defend her if the need arises. "

"Tario will have his way, " insisted Jav. "He sent you away andyou may not return until he sends for you. "

"Then I shall go without waiting to be sent for. "

"Do not forget the bowmen, " cautioned Jav. 

"I do not forget them, " replied Carthoris, but he did not tellJav that he remembered something else that the Lotharian had letdrop--something that was but a conjecture, possibly, and yet onewell worth pinning a forlorn hope to, should necessity arise. 

Carthoris started to leave the room. Jav stepped before him, barring his way. 

"I have learned to like you, red man, " he said; "but do not forgetthat Tario is still my jeddak, and that Tario has commanded thatyou remain here. "

Carthoris was about to reply, when there came faintly to the earsof both a woman's cry for help. 

With a sweep of his arm the Prince of Helium brushed the Lotharianaside, and with drawn sword sprang into the corridor without. 

CHAPTER VIII

THE HALL OF DOOM

As Thuvia of Ptarth saw Carthoris depart from the presence of Tario, leaving her alone with the man, a sudden qualm of terror seizedher. 

There was an air of mystery pervading the stately chamber. Itsfurnishings and appointments bespoke wealth and culture, andcarried the suggestion that the room was often the scene of royalfunctions which filled it to its capacity. 

And yet nowhere about her, in antechamber or corridor, was theresign of any other being than herself and the recumbent figure ofTario, the jeddak, who watched her through half-closed eyes fromthe gorgeous trappings of his regal couch. 

For a time after the departure of Jav and Carthoris the man eyedher intently. Then he spoke. 

"Come nearer, " he said, and, as she approached: "Whose creatureare you? Who has dared materialize his imaginings of woman? It iscontrary to the customs and the royal edicts of Lothar. Tell me, woman, from whose brain have you sprung? Jav's? No, do not denyit. I know that it could be no other than that envious realist. Heseeks to tempt me. He would see me fall beneath the spell of yourcharms, and then he, your master, would direct my destiny and--myend. I see it all! I see it all!"

The blood of indignation and anger had been rising to Thuvia'sface. Her chin was up, a haughty curve upon her perfect lips. 

"I know naught, " she cried, "of what you are prating! I am Thuvia, Princess of Ptarth. I am no man's 'creature. ' Never before to-daydid I lay eyes upon him you call Jav, nor upon your ridiculous city, of which even the greatest nations of Barsoom have never dreamed. 

"My charms are not for you, nor such as you. They are not forsale or barter, even though the price were a real throne. And asfor using them to win your worse than futile power--" She endedher sentence with a shrug of her shapely shoulders, and a littlescornful laugh. 

When she had finished Tario was sitting upon the edge of hiscouch, his feet upon the floor. He was leaning forward with eyesno longer half closed, but wide with a startled expression in them. 

He did not seem to note the LESE MAJESTE of her words and manner. There was evidently something more startling and compelling abouther speech than that. 

Slowly he came to his feet. 

"By the fangs of Komal!" he muttered. "But you are REAL! A REALwoman! No dream! No vain and foolish figment of the mind!"

He took a step toward her, with hands outstretched. 

"Come!" he whispered. "Come, woman! For countless ages have Idreamed that some day you would come. And now that you are hereI can scarce believe the testimony of my eyes. Even now, knowingthat you are real, I still half dread that you may be a lie. "

Thuvia shrank back. She thought the man mad. Her hand stole tothe jewelled hilt of her dagger. The man saw the move, and stopped. A cunning expression entered his eyes. Then they became at oncedreamy and penetrating as they fairly bored into the girl's brain. 

Thuvia suddenly felt a change coming over her. What the cause ofit she did not guess; but somehow the man before her began to assumea new relationship within her heart. 

No longer was he a strange and mysterious enemy, but an old andtrusted friend. Her hand slipped from the dagger's hilt. Tariocame closer. He spoke gentle, friendly words, and she answeredhim in a voice that seemed hers and yet another's. 

He was beside her now. His hand was up her shoulder. His eyeswere down-bent toward hers. She looked up into his face. Hisgaze seemed to bore straight through her to some hidden spring ofsentiment within her. 

Her lips parted in sudden awe and wonder at the strange revealmentof her inner self that was being laid bare before her consciousness. She had known Tario for ever. He was more than friend to her. She moved a little closer to him. In one swift flood of light sheknew the truth. She loved Tario, Jeddak of Lothar! She had alwaysloved him. 

The man, seeing the success of his strategy, could not restrain afaint smile of satisfaction. Whether there was something in theexpression of his face, or whether from Carthoris of Helium in afar chamber of the palace came a more powerful suggestion, who maysay? But something there was that suddenly dispelled the strange, hypnotic influence of the man. 

As though a mask had been torn from her eyes, Thuvia suddenly sawTario as she had formerly seen him, and, accustomed as she was tothe strange manifestations of highly developed mentality which arecommon upon Barsoom, she quickly guessed enough of the truth toknow that she was in grave danger. 

Quickly she took a step backward, tearing herself from his grasp. But the momentary contact had aroused within Tario all the long-buriedpassions of his loveless existence. 

With a muffled cry he sprang upon her, throwing his arms about herand attempting to drag her lips to his. 

"Woman!" he cried. "Lovely woman! Tario would make you queen ofLothar. Listen to me! Listen to the love of the last jeddaks ofBarsoom. "

Thuvia struggled to free herself from his embrace. 

"Stop, creature!" she cried. "Stop! I do not love you. Stop, orI shall scream for help!"

Tario laughed in her face. 

"'Scream for help, '" he mimicked. "And who within the halls ofLothar is there who might come in answer to your call? Who woulddare enter the presence of Tario, unsummoned?"

"There is one, " she replied, "who would come, and, coming, dareto cut you down upon your own throne, if he thought that you hadoffered affront to Thuvia of Ptarth!"

"Who, Jav?" asked Tario. 

"Not Jav, nor any other soft-skinned Lotharian, " she replied; "buta real man, a real warrior--Carthoris of Helium!"

Again the man laughed at her. 

"You forget the bowmen, " he reminded her. "What could your redwarrior accomplish against my fearless legions?"

Again he caught her roughly to him, dragging her towards his couch. 

"If you will not be my queen, " he said, "you shall be my slave. "

"Neither!" cried the girl. 

As she spoke the single word there was a quick move of her righthand; Tario, releasing her, staggered back, both hands pressed tohis side. At the same instant the room filled with bowmen, andthen the jeddak of Lothar sank senseless to the marble floor. 

At the instant that he lost consciousness the bowmen were about torelease their arrows into Thuvia's heart. Involuntarily she gavea single cry for help, though she knew that not even Carthoris ofHelium could save her now. 

Then she closed her eyes and waited for the end. No slender shaftspierced her tender side. She raised her lids to see what stayedthe hand of her executioners. 

The room was empty save for herself and the still form of the jeddakof Lothar lying at her feet, a little pool of crimson staining thewhite marble of the floor beside him. Tario was unconscious. 

Thuvia was amazed. Where were the bowmen? Why had they not loosedtheir shafts? What could it all mean?

An instant before the room had been mysteriously filled witharmed men, evidently called to protect their jeddak; yet now, withthe evidence of her deed plain before them, they had vanished asmysteriously as they had come, leaving her alone with the body oftheir ruler, into whose side she had slipped her long, keen blade. 

The girl glanced apprehensively about, first for signs of the returnof the bowmen, and then for some means of escape. 

The wall behind the dais was pierced by two small doorways, hiddenby heavy hangings. Thuvia was running quickly towards one ofthese when she heard the clank of a warrior's metal at the end ofthe apartment behind her. 

Ah, if she had but an instant more of time she could have reachedthat screening arras and, perchance, have found some avenue ofescape behind it; but now it was too late--she had been discovered!

With a feeling that was akin to apathy she turned to meet her fate, and there, before her, running swiftly across the broad chamber toher side, was Carthoris, his naked long-sword gleaming in his hand. 

For days she had doubted his intentions of the Heliumite. Shehad thought him a party to her abduction. Since Fate had thrownthem together she had scarce favoured him with more than the mostperfunctory replies to his remarks, unless at such times as theweird and uncanny happenings at Lothar had surprised her out ofher reserve. 

She knew that Carthoris of Helium would fight for her; but whetherto save her for himself or another, she was in doubt. 

He knew that she was promised to Kulan Tith, Jeddak of Kaol, butif he had been instrumental in her abduction, his motives couldnot be prompted by loyalty to his friend, or regard for her honour. 

And yet, as she saw him coming across the marble floor of the audiencechamber of Tario of Lothar, his fine eyes filled with apprehensionfor her safety, his splendid figure personifying all that is finestin the fighting men of martial Mars, she could not believe thatany faintest trace of perfidy lurked beneath so glorious an exterior. 

Never, she thought, in all her life had the sight of any man beenso welcome to her. It was with difficulty that she refrained fromrushing forward to meet him. 

She knew that he loved her; but, in time, she recalled that she waspromised to Kulan Tith. Not even might she trust herself to showtoo great gratitude to the Heliumite, lest he misunderstand. 

Carthoris was by her side now. His quick glance had taken in thescene within the room--the still figure of the jeddak sprawled uponthe floor--the girl hastening toward a shrouded exit. 

"Did he harm you, Thuvia?" he asked. 

She held up her crimsoned blade that he might see it. 

"No, " she said, "he did not harm me. "

A grim smile lighted Carthoris' face. 

"Praised be our first ancestor!" he murmured. "And now let us seeif we may not make good our escape from this accursed city beforethe Lotharians discover that their jeddak is no more. "

With the firm authority that sat so well upon him in whose veinsflowed the blood of John Carter of Virginia and Dejah Thorisof Helium, he grasped her hand and, turning back across the hall, strode toward the great doorway through which Jav had brought theminto the presence of the jeddak earlier in the day. 

They had almost reached the threshold when a figure sprang into theapartment through another entrance. It was Jav. He, too, took inthe scene within at a glance. 

Carthoris turned to face him, his sword ready in his hand, and hisgreat body shielding the slender figure of the girl. 

"Come, Jav of Lothar!" he cried. "Let us face the issue at once, for only one of us may leave this chamber alive with Thuvia ofPtarth. " Then, seeing that the man wore no sword, he exclaimed:"Bring on your bowmen, then, or come with us as my prisoner untilwe have safely passed the outer portals of thy ghostly city. "

"You have killed Tario!" exclaimed Jav, ignoring the other'schallenge. "You have killed Tario! I see his blood upon thefloor--real blood--real death. Tario was, after all, as real as I. Yet he was an etherealist. He would not materialize his sustenance. Can it be that they are right? Well, we, too, are right. And allthese ages we have been quarrelling--each saying that the otherwas wrong!

"However, he is dead now. Of that I am glad. Now shall Jav comeinto his own. Now shall Jav be Jeddak of Lothar!"

As he finished, Tario opened his eyes and then quickly sat up. 

"Traitor! Assassin!" he screamed, and then: "Kadar! Kadar!"which is the Barsoomian for guard. 

Jav went sickly white. He fell upon his belly, wriggling towardTario. 

"Oh, my Jeddak, my Jeddak!" he whimpered. "Jav had no hand inthis. Jav, your faithful Jav, but just this instant entered theapartment to find you lying prone upon the floor and these twostrangers about to leave. How it happened I know not. Believe me, most glorious Jeddak!"

"Cease, knave!" cried Tario. "I heard your words: 'However, heis dead now. Of that I am glad. Now shall Jav come into his own. Now shall Jav be Jeddak of Lothar. '

"At last, traitor, I have found you out. Your own words havecondemned you as surely as the acts of these red creatures havesealed their fates--unless--" He paused. "Unless the woman--"

But he got no further. Carthoris guessed what he would have said, and before the words could be uttered he had sprung forward andstruck the man across the mouth with his open palm. 

Tario frothed in rage and mortification. 

"And should you again affront the Princess of Ptarth, " warned theHeliumite, "I shall forget that you wear no sword--not for evermay I control my itching sword hand. "

Tario shrank back toward the little doorways behind the dais. Hewas trying to speak, but so hideously were the muscles of his faceworking that he could utter no word for several minutes. At lasthe managed to articulate intelligibly. 

"Die!" he shrieked. "Die!" and then he turned toward the exit athis back. 

Jav leaped forward, screaming in terror. 

"Have pity, Tario! Have pity! Remember the long ages that I haveserved you faithfully. Remember all that I have done for Lothar. Do not condemn me now to the death hideous. Save me! Save me!"

But Tario only laughed a mocking laugh and continued to back towardthe hangings that hid the little doorway. 

Jav turned toward Carthoris. 

"Stop him!" he screamed. "Stop him! If you love life, let himnot leave this room, " and as he spoke he leaped in pursuit of hisjeddak. 

Carthoris followed Jav's example, but the "last of the jeddaksof Barsoom" was too quick for them. By the time they reached thearras behind which he had disappeared, they found a heavy stonedoor blocking their further progress. 

Jav sank to the floor in a spasm of terror. 

"Come, man!" cried Carthoris. "We are not dead yet. Let ushasten to the avenues and make an attempt to leave the city. Weare still alive, and while we live we may yet endeavour to directour own destinies. Of what avail, to sink spineless to the floor?Come, be a man!"

Jav but shook his head. 

"Did you not hear him call the guards?" he moaned. "Ah, if wecould have but intercepted him! Then there might have been hope;but, alas, he was too quick for us. "

"Well, well, " exclaimed Carthoris impatiently. "What if he didcall the guards? There will be time enough to worry about thatafter they come--at present I see no indication that they have anyidea of over-exerting themselves to obey their jeddak's summons. "

Jav shook his head mournfully. 

"You do not understand, " he said. "The guards have alreadycome--and gone. They have done their work and we are lost. Lookto the various exits. "

Carthoris and Thuvia turned their eyes in the direction of theseveral doorways which pierced the walls of the great chamber. Each was tightly closed by huge stone doors. 

"Well?" asked Carthoris. 

"We are to die the death, " whispered Jav faintly. 

Further than that he would not say. He just sat upon the edge ofthe jeddak's couch and waited. 

Carthoris moved to Thuvia's side, and, standing there with nakedsword, he let his brave eyes roam ceaselessly about the greatchamber, that no foe might spring upon them unseen. 

For what seemed hours no sound broke the silence of their livingtomb. No sign gave their executioners of the time or manner oftheir death. The suspense was terrible. Even Carthoris of Heliumbegan to feel the terrible strain upon his nerves. If he couldbut know how and whence the hand of death was to strike, he couldmeet it unafraid, but to suffer longer the hideous tension of thisblighting ignorance of the plans of their assassins was tellingupon him grievously. 

Thuvia of Ptarth drew quite close to him. She felt safer with thefeel of his arm against hers, and with the contact of her the mantook a new grip upon himself. With his old-time smile he turnedtoward her. 

"It would seem that they are trying to frighten us to death, " hesaid, laughing; "and, shame be upon me that I should confess it, I think they were close to accomplishing their designs upon me. "

She was about to make some reply when a fearful shriek broke fromthe lips of the Lotharian. 

"The end is coming!" he cried. "The end is coming! The floor!The floor! Oh, Komal, be merciful!"

Thuvia and Carthoris did not need to look at the floor to be awareof the strange movement that was taking place. 

Slowly the marble flagging was sinking in all directions towardthe centre. At first the movement, being gradual, was scarcenoticeable; but presently the angle of the floor became such thatone might stand easily only by bending one knee considerably. 

Jav was shrieking still, and clawing at the royal couch that hadalready commenced to slide toward the centre of the room, where bothThuvia and Carthoris suddenly noted a small orifice which grew indiameter as the floor assumed more closely a funnel-like contour. 

Now it became more and more difficult to cling to the dizzyinclination of the smooth and polished marble. 

Carthoris tried to support Thuvia, but himself commenced to slideand slip toward the ever-enlarging aperture. 

Better to cling to the smooth stone he kicked off his sandalsof zitidar hide and with his bare feet braced himself against thesickening tilt, at the same time throwing his arms supportinglyabout the girl. 

In her terror her own hands clasped about the man's neck. Hercheek was close to his. Death, unseen and of unknown form, seemedclose upon them, and because unseen and unknowable infinitely moreterrifying. 

"Courage, my princess, " he whispered. 

She looked up into his face to see smiling lips above hers andbrave eyes, untouched by terror, drinking deeply of her own. 

Then the floor sagged and tilted more swiftly. There was a suddenslipping rush as they were precipitated toward the aperture. 

Jav's screams rose weird and horrible in their ears, and then thethree found themselves piled upon the royal couch of Tario, whichhad stuck within the aperture at the base of the marble funnel. 

For a moment they breathed more freely, but presently they discoveredthat the aperture was continuing to enlarge. The couch slippeddownward. Jav shrieked again. There was a sickening sensation asthey felt all let go beneath them, as they fell through darknessto an unknown death. 

CHAPTER IX

THE BATTLE IN THE PLAIN

The distance from the bottom of the funnel to the floor of thechamber beneath it could not have been great, for all three of thevictims of Tario's wrath alighted unscathed. 

Carthoris, still clasping Thuvia tightly to his breast, came tothe ground catlike, upon his feet, breaking the shock for the girl. Scarce had his feet touched the rough stone flagging of this newchamber than his sword flashed out ready for instant use. Butthough the room was lighted, there was no sign of enemy about. 

Carthoris looked toward Jav. The man was pasty white with fear. 

"What is to be our fate?" asked the Heliumite. "Tell me, man!Shake off your terror long enough to tell me, so I may be preparedto sell my life and that of the Princess of Ptarth as dearly aspossible. "

"Komal!" whispered Jav. "We are to be devoured by Komal!"

"Your deity?" asked Carthoris. 

The Lotharian nodded his head. Then he pointed toward a low doorwayat one end of the chamber. 

"From thence will he come upon us. Lay aside your puny sword, fool. It will but enrage him the more and make our sufferings the worse. "

Carthoris smiled, gripping his long-sword the more firmly. 

Presently Jav gave a horrified moan, at the same time pointingtoward the door. 

"He has come, " he whimpered. 

Carthoris and Thuvia looked in the direction the Lotharian hadindicated, expecting to see some strange and fearful creature inhuman form; but to their astonishment they saw the broad head andgreat-maned shoulders of a huge banth, the largest that either everhad seen. 

Slowly and with dignity the mighty beast advanced into the room. Jav had fallen to the floor, and was wriggling his body in the sameservile manner that he had adopted toward Tario. He spoke to thefierce beast as he would have spoken to a human being, pleadingwith it for mercy. 

Carthoris stepped between Thuvia and the banth, his sword ready tocontest the beast's victory over them. Thuvia turned toward Jav. 

"Is this Komal, your god?" she asked. 

Jav nodded affirmatively. The girl smiled, and then, brushing pastCarthoris, she stepped swiftly toward the growling carnivore. 

In low, firm tones she spoke to it as she had spoken to the banthsof the Golden Cliffs and the scavengers before the walls of Lothar. 

The beast ceased its growling. With lowered head and catlike purr, it came slinking to the girl's feet. Thuvia turned toward Carthoris. 

"It is but a banth, " she said. "We have nothing to fear from it. "

Carthoris smiled. 

"I did not fear it, " he replied, "for I, too, believed it to beonly a banth, and I have my long-sword. "

Jav sat up and gazed at the spectacle before him--the slender girlweaving her fingers in the tawny mane of the huge creature that hehad thought divine, while Komal rubbed his hideous snout againsther side. 

"So this is your god!" laughed Thuvia. 

Jav looked bewildered. He scarce knew whether he dare chanceoffending Komal or not, for so strong is the power of superstitionthat even though we know that we have been reverencing a sham, yetstill we hesitate to admit the validity of our new-found convictions. 

"Yes, " he said, "this is Komal. For ages the enemies of Tario havebeen hurled to this pit to fill his maw, for Komal must be fed. "

"Is there any way out of this chamber to the avenues of the city?"asked Carthoris. 

Jav shrugged. 

"I do not know, " he replied. "Never have I been here before, norever have I cared to do so. "

"Come, " suggested Thuvia, "let us explore. There must be a wayout. "

Together the three approached the doorway through which Komal hadentered the apartment that was to have witnessed their deaths. Beyond was a low-roofed lair, with a small door at the far end. 

This, to their delight, opened to the lifting of an ordinary latch, letting them into a circular arena, surrounded by tiers of seats. 

"Here is where Komal is fed in public, " explained Jav. "Had Tariodared it would have been here that our fates had been sealed; buthe feared too much thy keen blade, red man, and so he hurled usall downward to the pit. I did not know how closely connected werethe two chambers. Now we may easily reach the avenues and the citygates. Only the bowmen may dispute the right of way, and, knowingtheir secret, I doubt that they have power to harm us. "

Another door led to a flight of steps that rose from the arenalevel upward through the seats to an exit at the back of the hall. Beyond this was a straight, broad corridor, running directly throughthe palace to the gardens at the side. 

No one appeared to question them as they advanced, mighty Komalpacing by the girl's side. 

"Where are the people of the palace--the jeddak's retinue?" askedCarthoris. "Even in the city streets as we came through I scarcesaw sign of a human being, yet all about are evidences of a mightypopulation. "

Jav sighed. 

"Poor Lothar, " he said. "It is indeed a city of ghosts. There arescarce a thousand of us left, who once were numbered in the millions. Our great city is peopled by the creatures of our own imaginings. For our own needs we do not take the trouble to materialize thesepeoples of our brain, yet they are apparent to us. 

"Even now I see great throngs lining the avenue, hastening to andfro in the round of their duties. I see women and children laughingon the balconies--these we are forbidden to materialize; but yetI see them--they are here. . . . But why not?" he mused. "Nolonger need I fear Tario--he has done his worst, and failed. Whynot indeed?

"Stay, friends, " he continued. "Would you see Lothar in all herglory?"

Carthoris and Thuvia nodded their assent, more out of courtesy thanbecause they fully grasped the import of his mutterings. 

Jav gazed at them penetratingly for an instant, then, with a waveof his hand, cried: "Look!"

The sight that met them was awe-inspiring. Where before therehad been naught but deserted pavements and scarlet swards, yawningwindows and tenantless doors, now swarmed a countless multitude ofhappy, laughing people. 

"It is the past, " said Jav in a low voice. "They do not see us--theybut live the old dead past of ancient Lothar--the dead and crumbledLothar of antiquity, which stood upon the shore of Throxus, mightiestof the five oceans. 

"See those fine, upstanding men swinging along the broad avenue?See the young girls and the women smile upon them? See the mengreet them with love and respect? Those be seafarers coming upfrom their ships which lie at the quays at the city's edge. 

"Brave men, they--ah, but the glory of Lothar has faded! See theirweapons. They alone bore arms, for they crossed the five seas tostrange places where dangers were. With their passing passed themartial spirit of the Lotharians, leaving, as the ages rolled by, a race of spineless cowards. 

"We hated war, and so we trained not our youth in warlike ways. Thus followed our undoing, for when the seas dried and the greenhordes encroached upon us we could do naught but flee. But weremembered the seafaring bowmen of the days of our glory--it isthe memory of these which we hurl upon our enemies. "

As Jav ceased speaking, the picture faded, and once more, the threetook up their way toward the distant gates, along deserted avenues. 

Twice they sighted Lotharians of flesh and blood. At sight ofthem and the huge banth which they must have recognized as Komal, the citizens turned and fled. 

"They will carry word of our flight to Tario, " cried Jav, "and soonhe will send his bowmen after us. Let us hope that our theory iscorrect, and that their shafts are powerless against minds cognizantof their unreality. Otherwise we are doomed. 

"Explain, red man, to the woman the truths that I have explained toyou, that she may meet the arrows with a stronger counter-suggestionof immunity. "

Carthoris did as Jav bid him; but they came to the great gateswithout sign of pursuit developing. Here Jav set in motion themechanism that rolled the huge, wheel-like gate aside, and a momentlater the three, accompanied by the banth, stepped out into theplain before Lothar. 

Scarce had they covered a hundred yards when the sound of many menshouting arose behind them. As they turned they saw a company ofbowmen debouching upon the plain from the gate through which theyhad but just passed. 

Upon the wall above the gate were a number of Lotharians, among whomJav recognized Tario. The jeddak stood glaring at them, evidentlyconcentrating all the forces of his trained mind upon them. Thathe was making a supreme effort to render his imaginary creaturesdeadly was apparent. 

Jav turned white, and commenced to tremble. At the crucial momenthe appeared to lose the courage of his conviction. The great banthturned back toward the advancing bowmen and growled. Carthorisplaced himself between Thuvia and the enemy and, facing them, awaited the outcome of their charge. 

Suddenly an inspiration came to Carthoris. 

"Hurl your own bowmen against Tario's!" he cried to Jav. "Let ussee a materialized battle between two mentalities. "

The suggestion seemed to hearten the Lotharian, and in anothermoment the three stood behind solid ranks of huge bowmen who hurledtaunts and menaces at the advancing company emerging from the walledcity. 

Jav was a new man the moment his battalions stood between him andTario. One could almost have sworn the man believed these creaturesof his strange hypnotic power to be real flesh and blood. 

With hoarse battle cries they charged the bowmen of Tario. Barbedshafts flew thick and fast. Men fell, and the ground was red withgore. 

Carthoris and Thuvia had difficulty in reconciling the reality ofit all with their knowledge of the truth. They saw utan after utanmarch from the gate in perfect step to reinforce the outnumberedcompany which Tario had first sent forth to arrest them. 

They saw Jav's forces grow correspondingly until all about themrolled a sea of fighting, cursing warriors, and the dead lay inheaps about the field. 

Jav and Tario seemed to have forgotten all else beside the strugglingbowmen that surged to and fro, filling the broad field between theforest and the city. 

The wood loomed close behind Thuvia and Carthoris. The latter casta glance toward Jav. 

"Come!" he whispered to the girl. "Let them fight out their emptybattle--neither, evidently, has power to harm the other. They arelike two controversialists hurling words at one another. While theyare engaged we may as well be devoting our energies to an attemptto find the passage through the cliffs to the plain beyond. "

As he spoke, Jav, turning from the battle for an instant, caughthis words. He saw the girl move to accompany the Heliumite. Acunning look leaped to the Lotharian's eyes. 

The thing that lay beyond that look had been deep in his heartsince first he had laid eyes upon Thuvia of Ptarth. He had notrecognized it, however, until now that she seemed about to passout of his existence. 

He centred his mind upon the Heliumite and the girl for an instant. 

Carthoris saw Thuvia of Ptarth step forward with outstretchedhand. He was surprised at this sudden softening toward him, andit was with a full heart that he let his fingers close upon hers, as together they turned away from forgotten Lothar, into the woods, and bent their steps toward the distant mountains. 

As the Lotharian had turned toward them, Thuvia had been surprisedto hear Carthoris suddenly voice a new plan. 

"Remain here with Jav, " she had heard him say, "while I go to searchfor the passage through the cliffs. "

She had dropped back in surprise and disappointment, for she knewthat there was no reason why she should not have accompanied him. Certainly she should have been safer with him than left here alonewith the Lotharian. 

And Jav watched the two and smiled his cunning smile. 

When Carthoris had disappeared within the wood, Thuvia seatedherself apathetically upon the scarlet sward to watch the seeminglyinterminable struggles of the bowmen. 

The long afternoon dragged its weary way toward darkness, and stillthe imaginary legions charged and retreated. The sun was about toset when Tario commenced to withdraw his troops slowly toward thecity. 

His plan for cessation of hostilities through the night evidentlymet with Jav's entire approval, for he caused his forces to formthemselves in orderly utans and march just within the edge ofthe wood, where they were soon busily engaged in preparing theirevening meal, and spreading down their sleeping silks and furs forthe night. 

Thuvia could scarce repress a smile as she noted the scrupulouscare with which Jav's imaginary men attended to each tiny detailof deportment as truly as if they had been real flesh and blood. 

Sentries were posted between the camp and the city. Officersclanked hither and thither issuing commands and seeing to it thatthey were properly carried out. 

Thuvia turned toward Jav. 

"Why is it, " she asked, "that you observe such careful nicety inthe regulation of your creatures when Tario knows quite as well asyou that they are but figments of your brain? Why not permit themsimply to dissolve into thin air until you again require theirfutile service?"

"You do not understand them, " replied Jav. "While they exist theyare real. I do but call them into being now, and in a way directtheir general actions. But thereafter, until I dissolve them, theyare as actual as you or I. Their officers command them, under myguidance. I am the general--that is all. And the psychologicaleffect upon the enemy is far greater than were I to treat themmerely as substanceless vagaries. 

"Then, too, " continued the Lotharian, "there is always the hope, which with us is little short of belief, that some day thesematerializations will merge into the real--that they will remain, some of them, after we have dissolved their fellows, and that thuswe shall have discovered a means for perpetuating our dying race. 

"Some there are who claim already to have accomplished the thing. It is generally supposed that the etherealists have quite a fewamong their number who are permanent materializations. It is evensaid that such is Tario, but that cannot be, for he existed beforewe had discovered the full possibilities of suggestion. 

"There are others among us who insist that none of us is real. Thatwe could not have existed all these ages without material food andwater had we ourselves been material. Although I am a realist, Irather incline toward this belief myself. 

"It seems well and sensibly based upon the belief that our ancientforbears developed before their extinction such wondrous mentalitiesthat some of the stronger minds among them lived after the deathof their bodies--that we are but the deathless minds of individualslong dead. 

"It would appear possible, and yet in so far as I am concerned Ihave all the attributes of corporeal existence. I eat, I sleep"--hepaused, casting a meaning look upon the girl--"I love!"

Thuvia could not mistake the palpable meaning of his words andexpression. She turned away with a little shrug of disgust thatwas not lost upon the Lotharian. 

He came close to her and seized her arm. 

"Why not Jav?" he cried. "Who more honourable than the second ofthe world's most ancient race? Your Heliumite? He has gone. Hehas deserted you to your fate to save himself. Come, be Jav's!"

Thuvia of Ptarth rose to her full height, her lifted shoulder turnedtoward the man, her haughty chin upraised, a scornful twist to herlips. 

"You lie!" she said quietly, "the Heliumite knows less of disloyaltythan he knows of fear, and of fear he is as ignorant as the unhatchedyoung. "

"Then where is he?" taunted the Lotharian. "I tell you he has fledthe valley. He has left you to your fate. But Jav will see thatit is a pleasant one. To-morrow we shall return into Lothar at thehead of my victorious army, and I shall be jeddak and you shall bemy consort. Come!" And he attempted to crush her to his breast. 

The girl struggled to free herself, striking at the man with hermetal armlets. Yet still he drew her toward him, until both weresuddenly startled by a hideous growl that rumbled from the darkwood close behind them. 

CHAPTER X

KAR KOMAK, THE BOWMAN

As Carthoris moved through the forest toward the distant cliffswith Thuvia's hand still tight pressed in his, he wondered a littleat the girl's continued silence, yet the contact of her cool palmagainst his was so pleasant that he feared to break the spell ofher new-found reliance in him by speaking. 

Onward through the dim wood they passed until the shadows of thequick coming Martian night commenced to close down upon them. Thenit was that Carthoris turned to speak to the girl at his side. 

They must plan together for the future. It was his idea to passthrough the cliffs at once if they could locate the passage, andhe was quite positive that they were now close to it; but he wantedher assent to the proposition. 

As his eyes rested upon her, he was struck by her strangely etherealappearance. She seemed suddenly to have dissolved into the tenuoussubstance of a dream, and as he continued to gaze upon her, shefaded slowly from his sight. 

For an instant he was dumbfounded, and then the whole truth flashedsuddenly upon him. Jav had caused him to believe that Thuvia wasaccompanying him through the wood while, as a matter of fact, hehad detained the girl for himself!

Carthoris was horrified. He cursed himself for his stupidity, andyet he knew that the fiendish power which the Lotharian had invokedto confuse him might have deceived any. 

Scarce had he realized the truth than he had started to retracehis steps toward Lothar, but now he moved at a trot, the Earthlythews that he had inherited from his father carrying him swiftlyover the soft carpet of fallen leaves and rank grass. 

Thuria's brilliant light flooded the plain before the walled cityof Lothar as Carthoris broke from the wood opposite the great gatethat had given the fugitives egress from the city earlier in theday. 

At first he saw no indication that there was another than himselfanywhere about. The plain was deserted. No myriad bowmen campednow beneath the overhanging verdure of the giant trees. No goryheaps of tortured dead defaced the beauty of the scarlet sward. All was silence. All was peace. 

The Heliumite, scarce pausing at the forest's verge, pushedon across the plain toward the city, when presently he descried ahuddled form in the grass at his feet. 

It was the body of a man, lying prone. Carthoris turned the figureover upon its back. It was Jav, but torn and mangled almost beyondrecognition. 

The prince bent low to note if any spark of life remained, and ashe did so the lids raised and dull, suffering eyes looked up intohis. 

"The Princess of Ptarth!" cried Carthoris. "Where is she? Answerme, man, or I complete the work that another has so well begun. "

"Komal, " muttered Jav. "He sprang upon me . . . And would havedevoured me but for the girl. Then they went away together intothe wood--the girl and the great banth . . . Her fingers twined inhis tawny mane. "

"Which way went they?" asked Carthoris. 

"There, " replied Jav faintly, "toward the passage through thecliffs. "

The Prince of Helium waited to hear no more, but springing to hisfeet, raced back again into the forest. 

It was dawn when he reached the mouth of the dark tunnel that wouldlead him to the other world beyond this valley of ghostly memoriesand strange hypnotic influences and menaces. 

Within the long, dark passages he met with no accident or obstacle, coming at last into the light of day beyond the mountains, andno great distance from the southern verge of the domains of theTorquasians, not more than one hundred and fifty haad at the most. 

From the boundary of Torquas to the city of Aaanthor is a distanceof some two hundred haads, so that the Heliumite had before him ajourney of more than one hundred and fifty Earth miles between himand Aaanthor. 

He could at best but hazard a chance guess that toward AaanthorThuvia would take her flight. There lay the nearest water, andthere might be expected some day a rescuing party from her father'sempire; for Carthoris knew Thuvan Dihn well enough to know that hewould leave no stone unturned until he had tracked down the truthas to his daughter's abduction, and learned all that there mightbe to learn of her whereabouts. 

He realized, of course, that the trick which had laid suspicionupon him would greatly delay the discovery of the truth, but littledid he guess to what vast proportions had the results of the villainyof Astok of Dusar already grown. 

Even as he emerged from the mouth of the passage to look acrossthe foothills in the direction of Aaanthor, a Ptarth battle fleetwas winging its majestic way slowly toward the twin cities ofHelium, while from far distant Kaol raced another mighty armada tojoin forces with its ally. 

He did not know that in the face of the circumstantial evidenceagainst him even his own people had commenced to entertain suspicionsthat he might have stolen the Ptarthian princess. 

He did not know of the lengths to which the Dusarians had gone todisrupt the friendship and alliance which existed between the threegreat powers of the eastern hemisphere--Helium, Ptarth and Kaol. 

How Dusarian emissaries had found employment in important posts inthe foreign offices of the three great nations, and how, through thesemen, messages from one jeddak to another were altered and garbleduntil the patience and pride of the three rulers and former friendscould no longer endure the humiliations and insults contained inthese falsified papers--not any of this he knew. 

Nor did he know how even to the last John Carter, Warlord of Mars, had refused to permit the jeddak of Helium to declare war againsteither Ptarth or Kaol, because of his implicit belief in his son, and that eventually all would be satisfactorily explained. 

And now two great fleets were moving upon Helium, while the Dusarianspies at the court of Tardos Mors saw to it that the twin citiesremained in ignorance of their danger. 

War had been declared by Thuvan Dihn, but the messenger who hadbeen dispatched with the proclamation had been a Dusarian who hadseen to it that no word of warning reached the twin cities of theapproach of a hostile fleet. 

For several days diplomatic relations had been severed betweenHelium and her two most powerful neighbors, and with the departureof the ministers had come a total cessation of wireless communicationbetween the disputants, as is usual upon Barsoom. 

But of all this Carthoris was ignorant. All that interested himat present was the finding of Thuvia of Ptarth. Her trail besidethat of the huge banth had been well marked to the tunnel, and wasonce more visible leading southward into the foothills. 

As he followed rapidly downward toward the dead sea-bottom, wherehe knew he must lose the spoor in the resilient ochre vegetation, he was suddenly surprised to see a naked man approaching him fromthe north-east. 

As the fellow drew closer, Carthoris halted to await his coming. He knew that the man was unarmed, and that he was apparently aLotharian, for his skin was white and his hair auburn. 

He approached the Heliumite without sign of fear, and when quiteclose called out the cheery Barsoomian "kaor" of greeting. 

"Who are you?" asked Carthoris. 

"I am Kar Komak, odwar of the bowmen, " replied the other. "Astrange thing has happened to me. For ages Tario has been bringingme into existence as he needed the services of the army of hismind. Of all the bowmen it has been Kar Komak who has been oftenestmaterialized. 

"For a long time Tario has been concentrating his mind upon mypermanent materialization. It has been an obsession with him thatsome day this thing could be accomplished and the future of Lotharassured. He asserted that matter was nonexistent except in theimagination of man--that all was mental, and so he believed thatby persisting in his suggestion he could eventually make of me apermanent suggestion in the minds of all creatures. 

"Yesterday he succeeded, but at such a time! It must have come allunknown to him, as it came to me without my knowledge, as, with myhorde of yelling bowmen, I pursued the fleeing Torquasians back totheir ochre plains. 

"As darkness settled and the time came for us to fade once moreinto thin air, I suddenly found myself alone upon the edge of thegreat plain which lies yonder at the foot of the low hills. 

"My men were gone back to the nothingness from which they hadsprung, but I remained--naked and unarmed. 

"At first I could not understand, but at last came a realization ofwhat had occurred. Tario's long suggestions had at last prevailed, and Kar Komak had become a reality in the world of men; but myharness and my weapons had faded away with my fellows, leaving menaked and unarmed in a hostile country far from Lothar. "

"You wish to return to Lothar?" asked Carthoris. 

"No!" replied Kar Komak quickly. "I have no love for Tario. Beinga creature of his mind, I know him too well. He is cruel andtyrannical--a master I have no desire to serve. Now that he hassucceeded in accomplishing my permanent materialization, he willbe unbearable, and he will go on until he has filled Lothar withhis creatures. I wonder if he has succeeded as well with the maidof Lothar. "

"I thought there were no women there, " said Carthoris. 

"In a hidden apartment in the palace of Tario, " replied Kar Komak, "the jeddak has maintained the suggestion of a beautiful girl, hopingthat some day she would become permanent. I have seen her there. She is wonderful! But for her sake I hope that Tario succeeds notso well with her as he has with me. 

"Now, red man, I have told you of myself--what of you?"

Carthoris liked the face and manner of the bowman. There had beenno sign of doubt or fear in his expression as he had approachedthe heavily-armed Heliumite, and he had spoken directly and to thepoint. 

So the Prince of Helium told the bowman of Lothar who he was andwhat adventure had brought him to this far country. 

"Good!" exclaimed the other, when he had done. "Kar Komak willaccompany you. Together we shall find the Princess of Ptarth andwith you Kar Komak will return to the world of men--such a worldas he knew in the long-gone past when the ships of mighty Lotharploughed angry Throxus, and the roaring surf beat against thebarrier of these parched and dreary hills. "

"What mean you?" asked Carthoris. "Had you really a former actualexistence?"

"Most assuredly, " replied Kar Komak. "In my day I commanded thefleets of Lothar--mightiest of all the fleets that sailed the fivesalt seas. 

"Wherever men lived upon Barsoom there was the name of Kar Komakknown and respected. Peaceful were the land races in those distantdays--only the seafarers were warriors; but now has the glory ofthe past faded, nor did I think until I met you that there remainedupon Barsoom a single person of our own mould who lived and lovedand fought as did the ancient seafarers of my time. 

"Ah, but it will seem good to see men once again--real men! Neverhad I much respect for the landsmen of my day. They remained intheir walled cities wasting their time in play, depending for theirprotection entirely upon the sea race. And the poor creatures whoremain, the Tarios and Javs of Lothar, are even worse than theirancient forbears. "

Carthoris was a trifle skeptical as to the wisdom of permittingthe stranger to attach himself to him. There was always the chancethat he was but the essence of some hypnotic treachery which Tarioor Jav was attempting to exert upon the Heliumite; and yet, sosincere had been the manner and the words of the bowman, so muchthe fighting man did he seem, but Carthoris could not find it inhis heart to doubt him. 

The outcome of the matter was that he gave the naked odwar leave toaccompany him, and together they set out upon the spoor of Thuviaand Komal. 

Down to the ochre sea-bottom the trail led. There it disappeared, as Carthoris had known that it would; but where it entered the plainits direction had been toward Aaanthor and so toward Aaanthor thetwo turned their faces. 

It was a long and tedious journey, fraught with many dangers. Thebowman could not travel at the pace set by Carthoris, whose musclescarried him with great rapidity over the face of the small planet, the force of gravity of which exerts so much less retarding powerthan that of the Earth. Fifty miles a day is a fair average fora Barsoomian, but the son of John Carter might easily have covereda hundred or more miles had he cared to desert his new-found comrade. 

All the way they were in constant danger of discovery by rovingbands of Torquasians, and especially was this true before theyreached the boundary of Torquas. 

Good fortune was with them, however, and although they sighted twodetachments of the savage green men, they were not themselves seen. 

And so they came, upon the morning of the third day, within sightof the glistening domes of distant Aaanthor. Throughout the journeyCarthoris had ever strained his eyes ahead in search of Thuvia andthe great banth; but not till now had he seen aught to give himhope. 

This morning, far ahead, half-way between themselves and Aaanthor, the men saw two tiny figures moving toward the city. For a momentthey watched them intently. Then Carthoris, convinced, leapedforward at a rapid run, Kar Komak following as swiftly as he could. 

The Heliumite shouted to attract the girl's attention, and presentlyhe was rewarded by seeing her turn and stand looking toward him. At her side the great banth stood with up-pricked ears, watchingthe approaching man. 

Not yet could Thuvia of Ptarth have recognized Carthoris, thoughthat it was he she must have been convinced, for she waited therefor him without sign of fear. 

Presently he saw her point toward the northwest, beyond him. Without slackening his pace, he turned his eyes in the directionshe indicated. 

Racing silently over the thick vegetation, not half a mile behind, came a score of fierce green warriors, charging him upon theirmighty thoats. 

To their right was Kar Komak, naked and unarmed, yet runningvaliantly toward Carthoris and shouting warning as though he, too, had but just discovered the silent, menacing company that moved soswiftly forward with couched spears and ready long-swords. 

Carthoris shouted to the Lotharian, warning him back, for he knewthat he could but uselessly sacrifice his life by placing himself, all unarmed, in the path of the cruel and relentless savages. 

But Kar Komak never hesitated. With shouts of encouragement tohis new friend, he hurried onward toward the Prince of Helium. Thered man's heart leaped in response to this exhibition of courageand self-sacrifice. He regretted now that he had not thought togive Kar Komak one of his swords; but it was too late to attemptit, for should he wait for the Lotharian to overtake him or returnto meet him, the Torquasians would reach Thuvia of Ptarth beforehe could do so. 

Even as it was, it would be nip and tuck as to who came first toher side. 

Again he turned his face in her direction, and now, from Aaanthorway, he saw a new force hastening toward them--two medium-sizedwar craft--and even at the distance they still were from him hediscerned the device of Dusar upon their bows. 

Now, indeed, seemed little hope for Thuvia of Ptarth. Withsavage warriors of the hordes of Torquas charging toward her fromone direction, and no less implacable enemies, in the form of thecreatures of Astok, Prince of Dusar, bearing down upon her fromanother, while only a banth, a red warrior, and an unarmed bowmanwere near to defend her, her plight was quite hopeless and hercause already lost ere ever it was contested. 

As Thuvia saw Carthoris approaching, she felt again that unaccountablesensation of entire relief from responsibility and fear that shehad experienced upon a former occasion. Nor could she account forit while her mind still tried to convince her heart that the Princeof Helium had been instrumental in her abduction from her father'scourt. She only knew that she was glad when he was by her side, and that with him there all things seemed possible--even suchimpossible things as escape from her present predicament. 

Now had he stopped, panting, before her. A brave smile ofencouragement lit his face. 

"Courage, my princess, " he whispered. 

To the girl's memory flashed the occasion upon which he had usedthose same words--in the throne-room of Tario of Lothar as they hadcommenced to slip down the sinking marble floor toward an unknownfate. 

Then she had not chidden him for the use of that familiar salutation, nor did she chide him now, though she was promised to another. She wondered at herself--flushing at her own turpitude; for uponBarsoom it is a shameful thing for a woman to listen to those twowords from another than her husband or her betrothed. 

Carthoris saw her flush of mortification, and in an instant regrettedhis words. There was but a moment before the green warriors wouldbe upon them. 

"Forgive me!" said the man in a low voice. "Let my great love bemy excuse--that, and the belief that I have but a moment more oflife, " and with the words he turned to meet the foremost of thegreen warriors. 

The fellow was charging with couched spear, but Carthoris leaped toone side, and as the great thoat and its rider hurtled harmlesslypast him he swung his long-sword in a mighty cut that clove thegreen carcass in twain. 

At the same moment Kar Komak leaped with bare hands clawing at theleg of another of the huge riders; the balance of the horde racedin to close quarters, dismounting the better to wield their favouritelong-swords; the Dusarian fliers touched the soft carpet of theochre-clad sea-bottom, disgorging fifty fighting men from theirbowels; and into the swirling sea of cutting, slashing swords sprangKomal, the great banth. 

CHAPTER XI

GREEN MEN AND WHITE APES

A Torquasian sword smote a glancing blow across the forehead ofCarthoris. He had a fleeting vision of soft arms about his neck, and warm lips close to his before he lost consciousness. 

How long he lay there senseless he could not guess; but when heopened his eyes again he was alone, except for the bodies of thedead green men and Dusarians, and the carcass of a great banth thatlay half across his own. 

Thuvia was gone, nor was the body of Kar Komak among the dead. 

Weak from loss of blood, Carthoris made his way slowly towardAaanthor, reaching its outskirts at dark. 

He wanted water more than any other thing, and so he kept on upa broad avenue toward the great central plaza, where he knew theprecious fluid was to be found in a half-ruined building oppositethe great palace of the ancient jeddak, who once had ruled thismighty city. 

Disheartened and discouraged by the strange sequence of eventsthat seemed fore-ordained to thwart his every attempt to servethe Princess of Ptarth, he paid little or no attention to hissurroundings, moving through the deserted city as though no greatwhite apes lurked in the black shadows of the mystery-haunted pilesthat flanked the broad avenues and the great plaza. 

But if Carthoris was careless of his surroundings, not so othereyes that watched his entrance into the plaza, and followed his slowfootsteps toward the marble pile that housed the tiny, half-chokedspring whose water one might gain only by scratching a deep holein the red sand that covered it. 

And as the Heliumite entered the small building a dozen mighty, grotesque figures emerged from the doorway of the palace to speednoiselessly across the plaza toward him. 

For half an hour Carthoris remained in the building, digging forwater and gaining the few much-needed drops which were the fruitsof his labour. Then he rose and slowly left the structure. Scarcehad he stepped beyond the threshold than twelve Torquasian warriorsleaped upon him. 

No time then to draw long-sword; but swift from his harness flewhis long, slim dagger, and as he went down beneath them more thana single green heart ceased beating at the bite of that keen point. 

Then they overpowered him and took his weapons away; but only nineof the twelve warriors who had crossed the plaza returned withtheir prize. 

They dragged their prisoner roughly to the palace pits, wherein utter darkness they chained him with rusty links to the solidmasonry of the wall. 

"To-morrow Thar Ban will speak with you, " they said. "Nowhe sleeps. But great will be his pleasure when he learns who haswandered amongst us--and great will be the pleasure of Hortan Gurwhen Thar Ban drags before him the mad fool who dared prick thegreat jeddak with his sword. "

Then they left him to the silence and the darkness. 

For what seemed hours Carthoris squatted upon the stone floor ofhis prison, his back against the wall in which was sunk the heavyeye-bolt that secured the chain which held him. 

Then, from out of the mysterious blackness before him, therecame to his ears the sound of naked feet moving stealthily uponstone--approaching nearer and nearer to where he lay, unarmed anddefenceless. 

Minutes passed--minutes that seemed hours--during which timeperiods of sepulchral silence would be followed by a repetition ofthe uncanny scraping of naked feet slinking warily upon him. 

At last he heard a sudden rush of unshod soles across the emptyblackness, and at a little distance a scuffling sound, heavybreathing, and once what he thought the muttered imprecation ofa man battling against great odds. Then the clanging of a chain, and a noise as of the snapping back against stone of a broken link. 

Again came silence. But for a moment only. Now he heard oncemore the soft feet approaching him. He thought that he discernedwicked eyes gleaming fearfully at him through the darkness. Heknew that he could hear the heavy breathing of powerful lungs. 

Then came the rush of many feet toward him, and the THINGS wereupon him. 

Hands terminating in manlike fingers clutched at his throat andarms and legs. Hairy bodies strained and struggled against hisown smooth hide as he battled in grim silence against these horridfoemen in the darkness of the pits of ancient Aaanthor. 

Thewed like some giant god was Carthoris of Helium, yet in theclutches of these unseen creatures of the pit's Stygian night hewas helpless as a frail woman. 

Yet he battled on, striking futile blows against great, hispidbreasts he could not see; feeling thick, squat throats beneath hisfingers; the drool of saliva upon his cheek, and hot, foul breathin his nostrils. 

Fangs, too, mighty fangs, he knew were close, and why they did notsink into his flesh he could not guess. 

At last he became aware of the mighty surging of a number of hisantagonists back and forth upon the great chain that held him, andpresently came the same sound that he had heard at a little distancefrom him a short time before he had been attacked--his chain hadparted and the broken end snapped back against the stone wall. 

Now he was seized upon either side and dragged at a rapid pace throughthe dark corridors--toward what fate he could not even guess. 

At first he had thought his foes might be of the tribe of Torquas, but their hairy bodies belied that belief. Now he was at lastquite sure of their identity, though why they had not killed anddevoured him at once he could not imagine. 

After half an hour or more of rapid racing through the undergroundpassages that are a distinguishing feature of all Barsoomian cities, modern as well as ancient, his captors suddenly emerged into themoonlight of a courtyard, far from the central plaza. 

Immediately Carthoris saw that he was in the power of a tribe ofthe great white apes of Barsoom. All that had caused him doubtbefore as to the identity of his attackers was the hairiness oftheir breasts, for the white apes are entirely hairless except fora great shock bristling from their heads. 

Now he saw the cause of that which had deceived him--across thechest of each of them were strips of hairy hide, usually of banth, in imitation of the harness of the green warriors who so oftencamped at their deserted city. 

Carthoris had read of the existence of tribes of apes that seemedto be progressing slowly toward higher standards of intelligence. Into the hands of such, he realized, he had fallen; but--what weretheir intentions toward him?

As he glanced about the courtyard, he saw fully fifty of the hideousbeasts, squatting on their haunches, and at a little distance fromhim another human being, closely guarded. 

As his eyes met those of his fellow-captive a smile lit the other'sface, and: "Kaor, red man!" burst from his lips. It was Kar Komak, the bowman. 

"Kaor!" cried Carthoris, in response. "How came you here, and whatbefell the princess?"

"Red men like yourself descended in mighty ships that sailed theair, even as the great ships of my distant day sailed the five seas, "replied Kar Komak. "They fought with the green men of Torquas. They slew Komal, god of Lothar. I thought they were your friends, and I was glad when finally those of them who survived the battlecarried the red girl to one of the ships and sailed away with herinto the safety of the high air. 

"Then the green men seized me, and carried me to a great, emptycity, where they chained me to a wall in a black pit. Afterwardcame these and dragged me hither. And what of you, red man?"

Carthoris related all that had befallen him, and as the two mentalked the great apes squatted about them watching them intently. 

"What are we to do now?" asked the bowman. 

"Our case looks rather hopeless, " replied Carthoris ruefully. "These creatures are born man-eaters. Why they have not alreadydevoured us I cannot imagine--there!" he whispered. "See? Theend is coming. "

Kar Komak looked in the direction Carthoris indicated to see a hugeape advancing with a mighty bludgeon. 

"It is thus they like best to kill their prey, " said Carthoris. 

"Must we die without a struggle?" asked Kar Komak. 

"Not I, " replied Carthoris, "though I know how futile our bestdefence must be against these mighty brutes! Oh, for a long-sword!"

"Or a good bow, " added Kar Komak, "and a utan of bowmen. "

At the words Carthoris half sprang to his feet, only to be draggedroughly down by his guard. 

"Kar Komak!" he cried. "Why cannot you do what Tario and Jav did?They had no bowmen other than those of their own creation. Youmust know the secret of their power. Call forth your own utan, Kar Komak!"

The Lotharian looked at Carthoris in wide-eyed astonishment as thefull purport of the suggestion bore in upon his understanding. 

"Why not?" he murmured. 

The savage ape bearing the mighty bludgeon was slinking towardCarthoris. The Heliumite's fingers were working as he kept hiseyes upon his executioner. Kar Komak bent his gaze penetratinglyupon the apes. The effort of his mind was evidenced in the sweatupon his contracted brows. 

The creature that was to slay the red man was almost within arm'sreach of his prey when Carthoris heard a hoarse shout from the oppositeside of the courtyard. In common with the squatting apes and thedemon with the club he turned in the direction of the sound, to seea company of sturdy bowmen rushing from the doorway of a near-bybuilding. 

With screams of rage the apes leaped to their feet to meet thecharge. A volley of arrows met them half-way, sending a dozenrolling lifeless to the ground. Then the apes closed with theiradversaries. All their attention was occupied by the attackers--eventhe guard had deserted the prisoners to join in the battle. 

"Come!" whispered Kar Komak. "Now may we escape while theirattention is diverted from us by my bowmen. "

"And leave those brave fellows leaderless?" cried Carthoris, whoseloyal nature revolted at the merest suggestion of such a thing. 

Kar Komak laughed. 

"You forget, " he said, "that they are but thin air--figments of mybrain. They will vanish, unscathed, when we have no further needfor them. Praised be your first ancestor, redman, that you thoughtof this chance in time! It would never have occurred to me to imaginethat I might wield the same power that brought me into existence. "

"You are right, " said Carthoris. "Still, I hate to leave them, though there is naught else to do, " and so the two turned fromthe courtyard, and making their way into one of the broad avenues, crept stealthily in the shadows of the building toward the greatcentral plaza upon which were the buildings occupied by the greenwarriors when they visited the deserted city. 

When they had come to the plaza's edge Carthoris halted. 

"Wait here, " he whispered. "I go to fetch thoats, since on footwe may never hope to escape the clutches of these green fiends. "

To reach the courtyard where the thoats were kept it was necessaryfor Carthoris to pass through one of the buildings which surroundedthe square. Which were occupied and which not he could not evenguess, so he was compelled to take considerable chances to gainthe enclosure in which he could hear the restless beasts squealingand quarrelling among themselves. 

Chance carried him through a dark doorway into a large chamber inwhich lay a score or more green warriors wrapped in their sleepingsilks and furs. Scarce had Carthoris passed through the shorthallway that connected the door of the building and the great roombeyond it than he became aware of the presence of something or someone in the hallway through which he had but just passed. 

He heard a man yawn, and then, behind him, he saw the figure of asentry rise from where the fellow had been dozing, and stretchinghimself resume his wakeful watchfulness. 

Carthoris realized that he must have passed within a foot of thewarrior, doubtless rousing him from his slumber. To retreat nowwould be impossible. Yet to cross through that roomful of sleepingwarriors seemed almost equally beyond the pale of possibility. 

Carthoris shrugged his broad shoulders and chose the lesser evil. Warily he entered the room. At his right, against the wall, leaned several swords and rifles and spears--extra weapons whichthe warriors had stacked here ready to their hands should therebe a night alarm calling them suddenly from slumber. Beside eachsleeper lay his weapon--these were never far from their owners fromchildhood to death. 

The sight of the swords made the young man's palm itch. He steppedquickly to them, selecting two short-swords--one for Kar Komak, the other for himself; also some trappings for his naked comrade. 

Then he started directly across the centre of the apartment amongthe sleeping Torquasians. 

Not a man of them moved until Carthoris had completed more than halfof the short though dangerous journey. Then a fellow directly inhis path turned restlessly upon his sleeping silks and furs. 

The Heliumite paused above him, one of the short-swords in readinessshould the warrior awaken. For what seemed an eternity to the youngprince the green man continued to move uneasily upon his couch, then, as though actuated by springs, he leaped to his feet andfaced the red man. 

Instantly Carthoris struck, but not before a savage grunt escapedthe other's lips. In an instant the room was in turmoil. Warriorsleaped to their feet, grasping their weapons as they rose, andshouting to one another for an explanation of the disturbance. 

To Carthoris all within the room was plainly visible in the dimlight reflected from without, for the further moon stood directlyat zenith; but to the eyes of the newly-awakened green men objectsas yet had not taken on familiar forms--they but saw vaguely thefigures of warriors moving about their apartment. 

Now one stumbled against the corpse of him whom Carthoris hadslain. The fellow stooped and his hand came in contact with thecleft skull. He saw about him the giant figures of other greenmen, and so he jumped to the only conclusion that was open to him. 

"The Thurds!" he cried. "The Thurds are upon us! Rise, warriorsof Torquas, and drive home your swords within the hearts of Torquas'ancient enemies!"

Instantly the green men began to fall upon one another with nakedswords. Their savage lust of battle was aroused. To fight, tokill, to die with cold steel buried in their vitals! Ah, that tothem was Nirvana. 

Carthoris was quick to guess their error and take advantage of it. He knew that in the pleasure of killing they might fight on longafter they had discovered their mistake, unless their attentionwas distracted by sight of the real cause of the altercation, andso he lost no time in continuing across the room to the doorwayupon the opposite side, which opened into the inner court, wherethe savage thoats were squealing and fighting among themselves. 

Once here he had no easy task before him. To catch and mount oneof these habitually rageful and intractable beasts was no child'splay under the best of conditions; but now, when silence and timewere such important considerations, it might well have seemed quitehopeless to a less resourceful and optimistic man than the son ofthe great warlord. 

From his father he had learned much concerning the traits of thesemighty beasts, and from Tars Tarkas, also, when he had visited thatgreat green jeddak among his horde at Thark. So now he centredupon the work in hand all that he had ever learned about them fromothers and from his own experience, for he, too, had ridden andhandled them many times. 

The temper of the thoats of Torquas appeared even shorter than theirvicious cousins among the Tharks and Warhoons, and for a time itseemed unlikely that he should escape a savage charge on the partof a couple of old bulls that circled, squealing, about him; butat last he managed to get close enough to one of them to touch thebeast. With the feel of his hand upon the sleek hide the creaturequieted, and in answer to the telepathic command of the red mansank to its knees. 

In a moment Carthoris was upon its back, guiding it toward thegreat gate that leads from the courtyard through a large buildingat one end into an avenue beyond. 

The other bull, still squealing and enraged, followed after hisfellow. There was no bridle upon either, for these strange creaturesare controlled entirely by suggestion--when they are controlled atall. 

Even in the hands of the giant green men bridle reins would behopelessly futile against the mad savagery and mastodonic strengthof the thoat, and so they are guided by that strange telepathicpower with which the men of Mars have learned to communicate in acrude way with the lower orders of their planet. 

With difficulty Carthoris urged the two beasts to the gate, where, leaning down, he raised the latch. Then the thoat that he wasriding placed his great shoulder to the skeel-wood planking, pushedthrough, and a moment later the man and the two beasts were swingingsilently down the avenue to the edge of the plaza, where Kar Komakhid. 

Here Carthoris found considerable difficulty in subduing the secondthoat, and as Kar Komak had never before ridden one of the beasts, it seemed a most hopeless job; but at last the bowman managed toscramble to the sleek back, and again the two beasts fled softlydown the moss-grown avenues toward the open sea-bottom beyond thecity. 

All that night and the following day and the second night theyrode toward the north-east. No indication of pursuit developed, and at dawn of the second day Carthoris saw in the distance thewaving ribbon of great trees that marked one of the long Barsoomianwater-ways. 

Immediately they abandoned their thoats and approached the cultivateddistrict on foot. Carthoris also discarded the metal from hisharness, or such of it as might serve to identify him as a Heliumite, or of royal blood, for he did not know to what nation belonged thiswaterway, and upon Mars it is always well to assume every man andnation your enemy until you have learned the contrary. 

It was mid-forenoon when the two at last entered one of the roadsthat cut through the cultivated districts at regular intervals, joining the arid wastes on either side with the great, white, central highway that follows through the centre from end to end ofthe far-reaching, threadlike farm lands. 

The high wall surrounding the fields served as a protection againstsurprise by raiding green hordes, as well as keeping the savagebanths and other carnivora from the domestic animals and the humanbeings upon the farms. 

Carthoris stopped before the first gate he came to, pounding foradmission. The young man who answered his summons greeted thetwo hospitably, though he looked with considerable wonder upon thewhite skin and auburn hair of the bowman. 

After he had listened for a moment to a partial narration of theirescape from the Torquasians, he invited them within, took them tohis house and bade the servants there prepare food for them. 

As they waited in the low-ceiled, pleasant living room of thefarmhouse until the meal should be ready, Carthoris drew his hostinto conversation that he might learn his nationality, and thusthe nation under whose dominion lay the waterway where circumstancehad placed him. 

"I am Hal Vas, " said the young man, "son of Vas Kor, of Dusar, anoble in the retinue of Astok, Prince of Dusar. At present I amDwar of the Road for this district. "

Carthoris was very glad that he had not disclosed his identity, forthough he had no idea of anything that had transpired since he hadleft Helium, or that Astok was at the bottom of all his misfortunes, he well knew that the Dusarian had no love for him, and that hecould hope for no assistance within the dominions of Dusar. 

"And who are you?" asked Hal Vas. "By your appearance I take youfor a fighting man, but I see no insignia upon your harness. Canit be that you are a panthan?"

Now, these wandering soldiers of fortune are common upon Barsoom, where most men love to fight. They sell their services whereverwar exists, and in the occasional brief intervals when there isno organized warfare between the red nations, they join one of thenumerous expeditions that are constantly being dispatched againstthe green men in protection of the waterways that traverse thewilder portions of the globe. 

When their service is over they discard the metal of the nationthey have been serving until they shall have found a new master. In the intervals they wear no insignia, their war-worn harness andgrim weapons being sufficient to attest their calling. 

The suggestion was a happy one, and Carthoris embraced the chanceit afforded to account satisfactorily for himself. There was, however, a single drawback. In times of war such panthans as happened tobe within the domain of a belligerent nation were compelled to donthe insignia of that nation and fight with her warriors. 

As far as Carthoris knew Dusar was not at war with any othernation, but there was never any telling when one red nation wouldbe flying at the throat of a neighbour, even though the great andpowerful alliance at the head of which was his father, John Carter, had managed to maintain a long peace upon the greater portion ofBarsoom. 

A pleasant smile lighted Hal Vas' face as Carthoris admitted hisvocation. 

"It is well, " exclaimed the young man, "that you chanced to comehither, for here you will find the means of obtaining service inshort order. My father, Vas Kor, is even now with me, having comehither to recruit a force for the new war against Helium. "

CHAPTER XII

TO SAVE DUSAR

Thuvia of Ptarth, battling for more than life against the lust ofJav, cast a quick glance over her shoulder toward the forest fromwhich had rumbled the fierce growl. Jav looked, too. 

What they saw filled each with apprehension. It was Komal, thebanth-god, rushing wide-jawed upon them!

Which had he chosen for his prey? Or was it to be both?

They had not long to wait, for though the Lotharian attempted tohold the girl between himself and the terrible fangs, the greatbeast found him at last. 

Then, shrieking, he attempted to fly toward Lothar, after pushingThuvia bodily into the face of the man-eater. But his flight wasof short duration. In a moment Komal was upon him, rending histhroat and chest with demoniacal fury. 

The girl reached their side a moment later, but it was with difficultythat she tore the mad beast from its prey. Still growling andcasting hungry glances back upon Jav, the banth at last permitteditself to be led away into the wood. 

With her giant protector by her side Thuvia set forth to find thepassage through the cliffs, that she might attempt the seeminglyimpossible feat of reaching far-distant Ptarth across the more thanseventeen thousand haads of savage Barsoom. 

She could not believe that Carthoris had deliberately deserted her, and so she kept a constant watch for him; but as she bore too farto the north in her search for the tunnel she passed the Heliumiteas he was returning to Lothar in search of her. 

Thuvia of Ptarth was having difficulty in determining the exactstatus of the Prince of Helium in her heart. She could not admiteven to herself that she loved him, and yet she had permitted himto apply to her that term of endearment and possession to whicha Barsoomian maid should turn deaf ears when voiced by other lipsthan those of her husband or fiance--"my princess. "

Kulan Tith, Jeddak of Kaol, to whom she was affianced, commandedher respect and admiration. Had it been that she had surrenderedto her father's wishes because of pique that the handsome Heliumitehad not taken advantage of his visits to her father's courtto push the suit for her hand that she had been quite sure he hadcontemplated since that distant day the two had sat together uponthe carved seat within the gorgeous Garden of the Jeddaks thatgraced the inner courtyard of the palace of Salensus Oll at Kadabra?

Did she love Kulan Tith? Bravely she tried to believe that shedid; but all the while her eyes wandered through the coming darknessfor the figure of a clean-limbed fighting man--black-haired andgrey-eyed. Black was the hair of Kulan Tith; but his eyes werebrown. 

It was almost dark when she found the entrance to the tunnel. Safelyshe passed through to the hills beyond, and here, under the brightlight of Mars' two moons, she halted to plan her future action. 

Should she wait here in the hope that Carthoris would return insearch of her? Or should she continue her way north-east towardPtarth? Where, first, would Carthoris have gone after leaving thevalley of Lothar?

Her parched throat and dry tongue gave her the answer--towardAaanthor and water. Well, she, too, would go first to Aaanthor, where she might find more than the water she needed. 

With Komal by her side she felt little fear, for he would protecther from all other savage beasts. Even the great white apes wouldflee the mighty banth in terror. Men only need she fear, but shemust take this and many other chances before she could hope toreach her father's court again. 

When at last Carthoris found her, only to be struck down by thelong-sword of a green man, Thuvia prayed that the same fate mightovertake her. 

The sight of the red warriors leaping from their fliers had, for amoment, filled her with renewed hope--hope that Carthoris of Heliummight be only stunned and that they would rescue him; but when shesaw the Dusarian metal upon their harness, and that they soughtonly to escape with her alone from the charging Torquasians, shegave up. 

Komal, too, was dead--dead across the body of the Heliumite. Shewas, indeed, alone now. There was none to protect her. 

The Dusarian warriors dragged her to the deck of the nearest flier. All about them the green warriors surged in an attempt to wresther from the red. 

At last those who had not died in the conflict gained the decksof the two craft. The engines throbbed and purred--the propellerswhirred. Quickly the swift boats shot heavenward. 

Thuvia of Ptarth glanced about her. A man stood near, smiling downinto her face. With a gasp of recognition she looked full intohis eyes, and then with a little moan of terror and understandingshe buried her face in her hands and sank to the polished skeel-wooddeck. It was Astok, Prince of Dusar, who bent above her. 

Swift were the fliers of Astok of Dusar, and great the need forreaching his father's court as quickly as possible, for the fleetsof war of Helium and Ptarth and Kaol were scattered far and wideabove Barsoom. Nor would it go well with Astok or Dusar shouldany one of them discover Thuvia of Ptarth a prisoner upon his ownvessel. 

Aaanthor lies in fifty south latitude, and forty east of Horz, thedeserted seat of ancient Barsoomian culture and learning, whileDusar lies fifteen degrees north of the equator and twenty degreeseast from Horz. 

Great though the distance is, the fliers covered it without a stop. Long before they had reached their destination Thuvia of Ptarth hadlearned several things that cleared up the doubts that had assailedher mind for many days. Scarce had they risen above Aaanthor thanshe recognized one of the crew as a member of the crew of that otherflier that had borne her from her father's gardens to Aaanthor. The presence of Astok upon the craft settled the whole question. She had been stolen by emissaries of the Dusarian prince--Carthorisof Helium had had nothing to do with it. 

Nor did Astok deny the charge when she accused him. He only smiledand pleaded his love for her. 

"I would sooner mate with a white ape!" she cried, when he wouldhave urged his suit. 

Astok glowered sullenly upon her. 

"You shall mate with me, Thuvia of Ptarth, " he growled, "or, byyour first ancestor, you shall have your preference--and mate witha white ape. "

The girl made no reply, nor could he draw her into conversationduring the balance of the journey. 

As a matter of fact Astok was a trifle awed by the proportionsof the conflict which his abduction of the Ptarthian princess hadinduced, nor was he over comfortable with the weight of responsibilitywhich the possession of such a prisoner entailed. 

His one thought was to get her to Dusar, and there let his fatherassume the responsibility. In the meantime he would be as carefulas possible to do nothing to affront her, lest they all might becaptured and he have to account for his treatment of the girl toone of the great jeddaks whose interest centred in her. 

And so at last they came to Dusar, where Astok hid his prisoner ina secret room high in the east tower of his own palace. He hadsworn his men to silence in the matter of the identity of the girl, for until he had seen his father, Nutus, Jeddak of Dusar, he darednot let any one know whom he had brought with him from the south. 

But when he appeared in the great audience chamber before thecruel-lipped man who was his sire, he found his courage oozing, and he dared not speak of the princess hid within his palace. Itoccurred to him to test his father's sentiments upon the subject, and so he told a tale of capturing one who claimed to know thewhereabouts of Thuvia of Ptarth. 

"And if you command it, Sire, " he said, "I will go and captureher--fetching her here to Dusar. "

Nutus frowned and shook his head. 

"You have done enough already to set Ptarth and Kaol and Heliumall three upon us at once should they learn your part in the theftof the Ptarth princess. That you succeeded in shifting the guiltupon the Prince of Helium was fortunate, and a masterly move ofstrategy; but were the girl to know the truth and ever return toher father's court, all Dusar would have to pay the penalty, and tohave her here a prisoner amongst us would be an admission of guiltfrom the consequences of which naught could save us. It would costme my throne, Astok, and that I have no mind to lose. 

"If we had her here--" the elder man suddenly commenced to muse, repeating the phrase again and again. "If we had her here, Astok, "he exclaimed fiercely. "Ah, if we but had her here and none knewthat she was here! Can you not guess, man? The guilt of Dusarmight be for ever buried with her bones, " he concluded in a low, savage whisper. 

Astok, Prince of Dusar, shuddered. 

Weak he was; yes, and wicked, too; but the suggestion that hisfather's words implied turned him cold with horror. 

Cruel to their enemies are the men of Mars; but the word "enemies"is commonly interpreted to mean men only. Assassination runs riotin the great Barsoomian cities; yet to murder a woman is a crimeso unthinkable that even the most hardened of the paid assassinswould shrink from you in horror should you suggest such a thing tohim. 

Nutus was apparently oblivious to his son's all-too-patent terrorat his suggestion. Presently he continued:

"You say that you know where the girl lies hid, since she was stolenfrom your people at Aaanthor. Should she be found by any one ofthe three powers, her unsupported story would be sufficient to turnthem all against us. 

"There is but one way, Astok, " cried the older man. "You must returnat once to her hiding-place and fetch her hither in all secrecy. And, look you here! Return not to Dusar without her, upon pain ofdeath!"

Astok, Prince of Dusar, well knew his royal father's temper. Heknew that in the tyrant's heart there pulsed no single throb oflove for any creature. 

Astok's mother had been a slave woman. Nutus had never loved her. He had never loved another. In youth he had tried to find a brideat the courts of several of his powerful neighbours, but theirwomen would have none of him. 

After a dozen daughters of his own nobility had sought self-destructionrather than wed him he had given up. And then it had been thathe had legally wed one of his slaves that he might have a son tostand among the jeds when Nutus died and a new jeddak was chosen. 

Slowly Astok withdrew from the presence of his father. With whiteface and shaking limbs he made his way to his own palace. As hecrossed the courtyard his glance chanced to wander to the greateast tower looming high against the azure of the sky. 

At sight of it beads of sweat broke out upon his brow. 

Issus! No other hand than his could be trusted to do the horridthing. With his own fingers he must crush the life from thatperfect throat, or plunge the silent blade into the red, red heart. 

Her heart! The heart that he had hoped would brim with love forhim!

But had it done so? He recalled the haughty contempt with which hisprotestations of love had been received. He went cold and then hotto the memory of it. His compunctions cooled as the self-satisfactionof a near revenge crowded out the finer instincts that had fora moment asserted themselves--the good that he had inherited fromthe slave woman was once again submerged in the bad blood that hadcome down to him from his royal sire; as, in the end, it alwayswas. 

A cold smile supplanted the terror that had dilated his eyes. Heturned his steps toward the tower. He would see her before he setout upon the journey that was to blind his father to the fact thatthe girl was already in Dusar. 

Quietly he passed in through the secret way, ascending a spiralrunway to the apartment in which the Princess of Ptarth was immured. 

As he entered the room he saw the girl leaning upon the sill ofthe east casement, gazing out across the roof tops of Dusar towarddistant Ptarth. He hated Ptarth. The thought of it filled himwith rage. Why not finish her now and have it done with?

At the sound of his step she turned quickly toward him. Ah, howbeautiful she was! His sudden determination faded beneath theglorious light of her wondrous beauty. He would wait until he hadreturned from his little journey of deception--maybe there mightbe some other way then. Some other hand to strike the blow--withthat face, with those eyes before him, he could never do it. Ofthat he was positive. He had always gloried in the cruelty of hisnature, but, Issus! he was not that cruel. No, another must befound--one whom he could trust. 

He was still looking at her as she stood there before him meetinghis gaze steadily and unafraid. He felt the hot passion of hislove mounting higher and higher. 

Why not sue once more? If she would relent, all might yet bewell. Even if his father could not be persuaded, they could flyto Ptarth, laying all the blame of the knavery and intrigue thathad thrown four great nations into war, upon the shoulders of Nutus. And who was there that would doubt the justice of the charge?

"Thuvia, " he said, "I come once again, for the last time, to laymy heart at your feet. Ptarth and Kaol and Dusar are battling withHelium because of you. Wed me, Thuvia, and all may yet be as itshould be. "

The girl shook her head. 

"Wait!" he commanded, before she could speak. "Know the truthbefore you speak words that may seal, not only your own fate, butthat of the thousands of warriors who battle because of you. 

"Refuse to wed me willingly, and Dusar would be laid waste shouldever the truth be known to Ptarth and Kaol and Helium. They wouldraze our cities, leaving not one stone upon another. They wouldscatter our peoples across the face of Barsoom from the frozen northto the frozen south, hunting them down and slaying them, until thisgreat nation remained only as a hated memory in the minds of men. 

"But while they are exterminating the Dusarians, countless thousandsof their own warriors must perish--and all because of the stubbornnessof a single woman who would not wed the prince who loves her. 

"Refuse, Thuvia of Ptarth, and there remains but a singlealternative--no man must ever know your fate. Only a handful ofloyal servitors besides my royal father and myself know that youwere stolen from the gardens of Thuvan Dihn by Astok, Prince ofDusar, or that to-day you be imprisoned in my palace. 

"Refuse, Thuvia of Ptarth, and you must die to save Dusar--thereis no other way. Nutus, the jeddak, has so decreed. I have spoken. "

For a long moment the girl let her level gaze rest full upon theface of Astok of Dusar. Then she spoke, and though the words werefew, the unimpassioned tone carried unfathomable depths of coldcontempt. 

"Better all that you have threatened, " she said, "than you. "

Then she turned her back upon him and went to stand once more beforethe east window, gazing with sad eyes toward distant Ptarth. 

Astok wheeled and left the room, returning after a short intervalof time with food and drink. 

"Here, " he said, "is sustenance until I return again. The next toenter this apartment will be your executioner. Commend yourself toyour ancestors, Thuvia of Ptarth, for within a few days you shallbe with them. "

Then he was gone. 

Half an hour later he was interviewing an officer high in the navyof Dusar. 

"Whither went Vas Kor?" he asked. "He is not at his palace. "

"South, to the great waterway that skirts Torquas, " replied theother. "His son, Hal Vas, is Dwar of the Road there, and thitherhas Vas Kor gone to enlist recruits among the workers on the farms. "

"Good, " said Astok, and a half-hour more found him rising aboveDusar in his swiftest flier. 

CHAPTER XIII

TURJUN, THE PANTHAN

The face of Carthoris of Helium gave no token of the emotions thatconvulsed him inwardly as he heard from the lips of Hal Vas thatHelium was at war with Dusar, and that fate had thrown him intothe service of the enemy. 

That he might utilize this opportunity to the good of Helium scarcesufficed to outweigh the chagrin he felt that he was not fightingin the open at the head of his own loyal troops. 

To escape the Dusarians might prove an easy matter; and then againit might not. Should they suspect his loyalty (and the loyaltyof an impressed panthan was always open to suspicion), he mightnot find an opportunity to elude their vigilance until after thetermination of the war, which might occur within days, or, again, only after long and weary years of bloodshed. 

He recalled that history recorded wars in which actual militaryoperations had been carried on without cessation for five or sixhundred years, and even now there were nations upon Barsoom withwhich Helium had made no peace within the history of man. 

The outlook was not cheering. He could not guess that within afew hours he would be blessing the fate that had thrown him intothe service of Dusar. 

"Ah!" exclaimed Hal Vas. "Here is my father now. Kaor! Vas Kor. Here is one you will be glad to meet--a doughty panthan--" Hehesitated. 

"Turjun, " interjected Carthoris, seizing upon the first appellationthat occurred to him. 

As he spoke his eyes crossed quickly to the tall warrior who wasentering the room. Where before had he seen that giant figure, that taciturn countenance, and the livid sword-cut from temple tomouth?

"Vas Kor, " repeated Carthoris mentally. "Vas Kor!" Where had heseen the man before?

And then the noble spoke, and like a flash it all came back toCarthoris--the forward servant upon the landing-stage at Ptarththat time that he had been explaining the intricacies of his newcompass to Thuvan Dihn; the lone slave that had guarded his own hangarthat night he had left upon his ill-fated journey for Ptarth--thejourney that had brought him so mysteriously to far Aaanthor. 

"Vas Kor, " he repeated aloud, "blessed be your ancestors for thismeeting, " nor did the Dusarian guess the wealth of meaning that laybeneath that hackneyed phrase with which a Barsoomian acknowledgesan introduction. 

"And blessed be yours, Turjun, " replied Vas Kor. 

Now came the introduction of Kar Komak to Vas Kor, and as Carthoriswent through the little ceremony there came to him the onlyexplanation he might make to account for the white skin and auburnhair of the bowman; for he feared that the truth might not bebelieved and thus suspicion be cast upon them both from the beginning. 

"Kar Komak, " he explained, "is, as you can see, a thern. Hehas wandered far from his icebound southern temples in search ofadventure. I came upon him in the pits of Aaanthor; but thoughI have known him so short a time, I can vouch for his bravery andloyalty. "

Since the destruction of the fabric of their false religion byJohn Carter, the majority of the therns had gladly accepted thenew order of things, so that it was now no longer uncommon to seethem mingling with the multitudes of red men in any of the greatcities of the outer world, so Vas Kor neither felt nor expressedany great astonishment. 

All during the interview Carthoris watched, catlike, for someindication that Vas Kor recognized in the battered panthan theerstwhile gorgeous Prince of Helium; but the sleepless nights, thelong days of marching and fighting, the wounds and the dried bloodhad evidently sufficed to obliterate the last remnant of his likenessto his former self; and then Vas Kor had seen him but twice in allhis life. Little wonder that he did not know him. 

During the evening Vas Kor announced that on the morrow they shoulddepart north toward Dusar, picking up recruits at various stationsalong the way. 

In a great field behind the house a flier lay--a fair-sizedcruiser-transport that would accommodate many men, yet swift andwell armed also. Here Carthoris slept, and Kar Komak, too, withthe other recruits, under guard of the regular Dusarian warriorsthat manned the craft. 

Toward midnight Vas Kor returned to the vessel from his son'shouse, repairing at once to his cabin. Carthoris, with one of theDusarians, was on watch. It was with difficulty that the Heliumiterepressed a cold smile as the noble passed within a foot ofhim--within a foot of the long, slim, Heliumitic blade that swungin his harness. 

How easy it would have been! How easy to avenge the cowardlytrick that had been played upon him--to avenge Helium and Ptarthand Thuvia!

But his hand moved not toward the dagger's hilt, for first Vas Kormust serve a better purpose--he might know where Thuvia of Ptarthlay hidden now, if it had truly been Dusarians that had spiritedher away during the fight before Aaanthor. 

And then, too, there was the instigator of the entire foul plot. HE must pay the penalty; and who better than Vas Kor could leadthe Prince of Helium to Astok of Dusar?

Faintly out of the night there came to Carthoris's ears the purringof a distant motor. He scanned the heavens. 

Yes, there it was far in the north, dimly outlined against thedark void of space that stretched illimitably beyond it, the faintsuggestion of a flier passing, unlighted, through the Barsoomiannight. 

Carthoris, knowing not whether the craft might be friend or foeof Dusar, gave no sign that he had seen, but turned his eyes inanother direction, leaving the matter to the Dusarian who stoodwatch with him. 

Presently the fellow discovered the oncoming craft, and soundedthe low alarm which brought the balance of the watch and an officerfrom their sleeping silks and furs upon the deck near by. 

The cruiser-transport lay without lights, and, resting as she wasupon the ground, must have been entirely invisible to the oncomingflier, which all presently recognized as a small craft. 

It soon became evident that the stranger intended making a landing, for she was now spiraling slowly above them, dropping lower andlower in each graceful curve. 

"It is the Thuria, " whispered one of the Dusarian warriors. "Iwould know her in the blackness of the pits among ten thousandother craft. "

"Right you are!" exclaimed Vas Kor, who had come on deck. And thenhe hailed:

"Kaor, Thuria!"

"Kaor!" came presently from above after a brief silence. Then:"What ship?"

"Cruiser-transport Kalksus, Vas Kor of Dusar. "

"Good!" came from above. "Is there safe landing alongside?"

"Yes, close in to starboard. Wait, we will show our lights, " anda moment later the smaller craft settled close beside the Kalksus, and the lights of the latter were immediately extinguished oncemore. 

Several figures could be seen slipping over the side of the Thuriaand advancing toward the Kalksus. Ever suspicious, the Dusariansstood ready to receive the visitors as friends or foes as closerinspection might prove them. Carthoris stood quite near the rail, ready to take sides with the new-comers should chance have it thatthey were Heliumites playing a bold stroke of strategy upon thislone Dusarian ship. He had led like parties himself, and knew thatsuch a contingency was quite possible. 

But the face of the first man to cross the rail undeceived himwith a shock that was not at all unpleasurable--it was the face ofAstok, Prince of Dusar. 

Scarce noticing the others upon the deck of the Kalksus, Astokstrode forward to accept Vas Kor's greeting, then he summoned thenoble below. The warriors and officers returned to their sleepingsilks and furs, and once more the deck was deserted except for theDusarian warrior and Turjun, the panthan, who stood guard. 

The latter walked quietly to and fro. The former leaned acrossthe rail, wishing for the hour that would bring him relief. Hedid not see his companion approach the lights of the cabin of VasKor. He did not see him stoop with ear close pressed to a tinyventilator. 

"May the white apes take us all, " cried Astok ruefully, "if we arenot in as ugly a snarl as you have ever seen! Nutus thinks thatwe have her in hiding far away from Dusar. He has bidden me bringher here. "

He paused. No man should have heard from his lips the thing he wastrying to tell. It should have been for ever the secret of Nutusand Astok, for upon it rested the safety of a throne. With thatknowledge any man could wrest from the Jeddak of Dusar whatever helisted. 

But Astok was afraid, and he wanted from this older man the suggestionof an alternative. He went on. 

"I am to kill her, " he whispered, looking fearfully around. "Nutusmerely wishes to see the body that he may know his commands havebeen executed. I am now supposed to be gone to the spot where wehave her hidden that I may fetch her in secrecy to Dusar. Noneis to know that she has ever been in the keeping of a Dusarian. Ido not need to tell you what would befall Dusar should Ptarth andHelium and Kaol ever learn the truth. "

The jaws of the listener at the ventilator clicked together witha vicious snap. Before he had but guessed at the identity of thesubject of this conversation. Now he knew. And they were to killher! His muscular fingers clenched until the nails bit into thepalms. 

"And you wish me to go with you while you fetch her to Dusar, " VasKor was saying. "Where is she?"

Astok bent close and whispered into the other's ear. The suggestionof a smile crossed the cruel features of Vas Kor. He realized thepower that lay within his grasp. He should be a jed at least. 

"And how may I help you, my Prince?" asked the older man suavely. 

"I cannot kill her, " said Astok. "Issus! I cannot do it! Whenshe turns those eyes upon me my heart becomes water. "

Vas Kor's eyes narrowed. 

"And you wish--" He paused, the interrogation unfinished, yetcomplete. 

Astok nodded. 

"YOU do not love her, " he said. 

"But I love my life--though I am only a lesser noble, " he concludedmeaningly. 

"You shall be a greater noble--a noble of the first rank!" exclaimedAstok. 

"I would be a jed, " said Vas Kor bluntly. 

Astok hesitated. 

"A jed must die before there can be another jed, " he pleaded. 

"Jeds have died before, " snapped Vas Kor. "It would doubtless benot difficult for you to find a jed you do not love, Astok--thereare many who do not love you. "

Already Vas Kor was commencing to presume upon his power over theyoung prince. Astok was quick to note and appreciate the subtlechange in his lieutenant. A cunning scheme entered his weak andwicked brain. 

"As you say, Vas Kor!" he exclaimed. "You shall be a jed whenthe thing is done, " and then, to himself: "Nor will it then bedifficult for me to find a jed I do not love. "

"When shall we return to Dusar?" asked the noble. 

"At once, " replied Astok. "Let us get under way now--there isnaught to keep you here?"

"I had intended sailing on the morrow, picking up such recruits asthe various Dwars of the Roads might have collected for me, as wereturned to Dusar. "

"Let the recruits wait, " said Astok. "Or, better still, come youto Dusar upon the Thuria, leaving the Kalksus to follow and pickup the recruits. "

"Yes, " acquiesced Vas Kor; "that is the better plan. Come; I amready, " and he rose to accompany Astok to the latter's flier. 

The listener at the ventilator came to his feet slowly, like anold man. His face was drawn and pinched and very white beneaththe light copper of his skin. She was to die! And he helpless toavert the tragedy. He did not even know where she was imprisoned. 

The two men were ascending from the cabin to the deck. Turjun, the panthan, crept close to the companionway, his sinuous fingersclosing tightly upon the hilt of his dagger. Could he despatchthem both before he was overpowered? He smiled. He could slay anentire utan of her enemies in his present state of mind. 

They were almost abreast of him now. Astok was speaking. 

"Bring a couple of your men along, Vas Kor, " he said. "We areshort-handed upon the Thuria, so quickly did we depart. "

The panthan's fingers dropped from the dagger's hilt. His quickmind had grasped here a chance for succouring Thuvia of Ptarth. He might be chosen as one to accompany the assassins, and once hehad learned where the captive lay he could dispatch Astok and VasKor as well as now. To kill them before he knew where Thuvia washid was simply to leave her to death at the hands of others; forsooner or later Nutus would learn her whereabouts, and Nutus, Jeddakof Dusar, could not afford to let her live. 

Turjun put himself in the path of Vas Kor that he might not beoverlooked. The noble aroused the men sleeping upon the deck, butalways before him the strange panthan whom he had recruited thatsame day found means for keeping himself to the fore. 

Vas Kor turned to his lieutenant, giving instruction for the bringingof the Kalksus to Dusar, and the gathering up of the recruits; thenhe signed to two warriors who stood close behind the padwar. 

"You two accompany us to the Thuria, " he said, "and put yourselvesat the disposal of her dwar. "

It was dark upon the deck of the Kalksus, so Vas Kor had not a goodlook at the faces of the two he chose; but that was of no moment, for they were but common warriors to assist with the ordinary dutiesupon a flier, and to fight if need be. 

One of the two was Kar Komak, the bowman. The other was notCarthoris. 

The Heliumite was mad with disappointment. He snatched his daggerfrom his harness; but already Astok had left the deck of the Kalksus, and he knew that before he could overtake him, should he dispatchVas Kor, he would be killed by the Dusarian warriors, who now werethick upon the deck. With either one of the two alive Thuvia wasin as great danger as though both lived--it must be both!

As Vas Kor descended to the ground Carthoris boldly followed him, nor did any attempt to halt him, thinking, doubtless, that he wasone of the party. 

After him came Kar Komak and the Dusarian warrior who had beendetailed to duty upon the Thuria. Carthoris walked close to theleft side of the latter. Now they came to the dense shadow underthe side of the Thuria. It was very dark there, so that they hadto grope for the ladder. 

Kar Komak preceded the Dusarian. The latter reached upward forthe swinging rounds, and as he did so steel fingers closed uponhis windpipe and a steel blade pierced the very centre of his heart. 

Turjun, the panthan, was the last to clamber over the rail of theThuria, drawing the rope ladder in after him. 

A moment later the flier was rising rapidly, headed for the north. 

At the rail Kar Komak turned to speak to the warrior who had beendetailed to accompany him. His eyes went wide as they restedupon the face of the young man whom he had met beside the granitecliffs that guard mysterious Lothar. How had he come in place ofthe Dusarian?

A quick sign, and Kar Komak turned once more to find the Thuria'sdwar that he might report himself for duty. Behind him followedthe panthan. 

Carthoris blessed the chance that had caused Vas Kor to choose thebowman of all others, for had it been another Dusarian there wouldhave been questions to answer as to the whereabouts of the warriorwho lay so quietly in the field beyond the residence of Hal Vas, Dwar of the Southern Road; and Carthoris had no answer to thatquestion other than his sword point, which alone was scarce adequateto convince the entire crew of the Thuria. 

The journey to Dusar seemed interminable to the impatient Carthoris, though as a matter of fact it was quickly accomplished. Sometime before they reached their destination they met and spoke withanother Dusarian war flier. From it they learned that a greatbattle was soon to be fought south-east of Dusar. 

The combined navies of Dusar, Ptarth and Kaol had been interceptedin their advance toward Helium by the mighty Heliumitic navy--themost formidable upon Barsoom, not alone in numbers and armament, but in the training and courage of its officers and warriors, andthe zitidaric proportions of many of its monster battleships. 

Not for many a day had there been the promise of such a battle. Four jeddaks were in direct command of their own fleets--Kulan Tithof Kaol, Thuvan Dihn of Ptarth, and Nutus of Dusar upon one side;while upon the other was Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium. With thelatter was John Carter, Warlord of Mars. 

From the far north another force was moving south across the barriercliffs--the new navy of Talu, Jeddak of Okar, coming in responseto the call from the warlord. Upon the decks of the sullen shipsof war black-bearded yellow men looked over eagerly toward thesouth. Gorgeous were they in their splendid cloaks of orluk andapt. Fierce, formidable fighters from the hothouse cities of thefrozen north. 

And from the distant south, from the sea of Omean and the cliffsof gold, from the temples of the therns and the garden of Issus, other thousands sailed into the north at the call of the great manthey all had learned to respect, and, respecting, love. Pacing theflagship of this mighty fleet, second only to the navy of Helium, was the ebon Xodar, Jeddak of the First Born, his heart beatingstrong in anticipation of the coming moment when he should hurl hissavage crews and the weight of his mighty ships upon the enemiesof the warlord. 

But would these allies reach the theatre of war in time to be ofavail to Helium? Or, would Helium need them?

Carthoris, with the other members of the crew of the Thuria, heardthe gossip and the rumours. None knew of the two fleets, the onefrom the south and the other from the north, that were coming tosupport the ships of Helium, and all of Dusar were convinced thatnothing now could save the ancient power of Helium from being wipedfor ever from the upper air of Barsoom. 

Carthoris, too, loyal son of Helium that he was, felt that evenhis beloved navy might not be able to cope successfully with thecombined forces of three great powers. 

Now the Thuria touched the landing-stage above the palace of Astok. Hurriedly the prince and Vas Kor disembarked and entered the dropthat would carry them to the lower levels of the palace. 

Close beside it was another drop that was utilized by commonwarriors. Carthoris touched Kar Komak upon the arm. 

"Come!" he whispered. "You are my only friend among a nation ofenemies. Will you stand by me?"

"To the death, " replied Kar Komak. 

The two approached the drop. A slave operated it. 

"Where are your passes?" he asked. 

Carthoris fumbled in his pocket pouch as though in search of them, at the same time entering the cage. Kar Komak followed him, closingthe door. The slave did not start the cage downward. Every secondcounted. They must reach the lower level as soon as possible afterAstok and Vas Kor if they would know whither the two went. 

Carthoris turned suddenly upon the slave, hurling him to the oppositeside of the cage. 

"Bind and gag him, Kar Komak!" he cried. 

Then he grasped the control lever, and as the cage shot downwardat sickening speed, the bowman grappled with the slave. Carthoriscould not leave the control to assist his companion, for shouldthey touch the lowest level at the speed at which they were going, all would be dashed to instant death. 

Below him he could now see the top of Astok's cage in the parallelshaft, and he reduced the speed of his to that of the other. Theslave commenced to scream. 

"Silence him!" cried Carthoris. 

A moment later a limp form crumpled to the floor of the cage. 

"He is silenced, " said Kar Komak. 

Carthoris brought the cage to a sudden stop at one of the higherlevels of the palace. Opening the door, he grasped the still formof the slave and pushed it out upon the floor. Then he banged thegate and resumed the downward drop. 

Once more he sighted the top of the cage that held Astok and VasKor. An instant later it had stopped, and as he brought his carto a halt, he saw the two men disappear through one of the exitsof the corridor beyond. 

CHAPTER XIV

KULAN TITH'S SACRIFICE

The morning of the second day of her incarceration in the east towerof the palace of Astok, Prince of Dusar, found Thuvia of Ptarthwaiting in dull apathy the coming of the assassin. 

She had exhausted every possibility of escape, going over and overagain the door and the windows, the floor and the walls. 

The solid ersite slabs she could not even scratch; the toughBarsoomian glass of the windows would have shattered to nothingless than a heavy sledge in the hands of a strong man. The doorand the lock were impregnable. There was no escape. And they hadstripped her of her weapons so that she could not even anticipatethe hour of her doom, thus robbing them of the satisfaction ofwitnessing her last moments. 

When would they come? Would Astok do the deed with his own hands?She doubted that he had the courage for it. At heart he was acoward--she had known it since first she had heard him brag as, avisitor at the court of her father, he had sought to impress herwith his valour. 

She could not help but compare him with another. And with whomwould an affianced bride compare an unsuccessful suitor? With herbetrothed? And did Thuvia of Ptarth now measure Astok of Dusar bythe standards of Kulan Tith, Jeddak of Kaol?

She was about to die; her thoughts were her own to do with asshe pleased; yet furthest from them was Kulan Tith. Instead thefigure of the tall and comely Heliumite filled her mind, crowdingtherefrom all other images. 

She dreamed of his noble face, the quiet dignity of his bearing, the smile that lit his eyes as he conversed with his friends, andthe smile that touched his lips as he fought with his enemies--thefighting smile of his Virginian sire. 

And Thuvia of Ptarth, true daughter of Barsoom, found her breathquickening and heart leaping to the memory of this other smile--thesmile that she would never see again. With a little half-sobthe girl sank to the pile of silks and furs that were tumbled inconfusion beneath the east windows, burying her face in her arms. 

In the corridor outside her prison-room two men had paused in heatedargument. 

"I tell you again, Astok, " one was saying, "that I shall not dothis thing unless you be present in the room. "

There was little of the respect due royalty in the tone of thespeaker's voice. The other, noting it, flushed. 

"Do not impose too far upon my friendship for you, Vas Kor, " hesnapped. "There is a limit to my patience. "

"There is no question of royal prerogative here, " returned VasKor. "You ask me to become an assassin in your stead, and againstyour jeddak's strict injunctions. You are in no position, Astok, to dictate to me; but rather should you be glad to accede to myreasonable request that you be present, thus sharing the guilt withme. Why should I bear it all?"

The younger man scowled, but he advanced toward the locked door, and as it swung in upon its hinges, he entered the room beyond atthe side of Vas Kor. 

Across the chamber the girl, hearing them enter, rose to her feetand faced them. Under the soft copper of her skin she blanchedjust a trifle; but her eyes were brave and level, and the haughtytilt of her firm little chin was eloquent of loathing and contempt. 

"You still prefer death?" asked Astok. 

"To YOU, yes, " replied the girl coldly. 

The Prince of Dusar turned to Vas Kor and nodded. The noble drewhis short-sword and crossed the room toward Thuvia. 

"Kneel!" he commanded. 

"I prefer to die standing, " she replied. 

"As you will, " said Vas Kor, feeling the point of his blade withhis left thumb. "In the name of Nutus, Jeddak of Dusar!" he cried, and ran quickly toward her. 

"In the name of Carthoris, Prince of Helium!" came in low tonesfrom the doorway. 

Vas Kor turned to see the panthan he had recruited at his son'shouse leaping across the floor toward him. The fellow brushed pastAstok with an: "After him, you--calot!"

Vas Kor wheeled to meet the charging man. 

"What means this treason?" he cried. 

Astok, with bared sword, leaped to Vas Kor's assistance. Thepanthan's sword clashed against that of the noble, and in the firstencounter Vas Kor knew that he faced a master swordsman. 

Before he half realized the stranger's purpose he found the manbetween himself and Thuvia of Ptarth, at bay facing the two swords ofthe Dusarians. But he fought not like a man at bay. Ever was hethe aggressor, and though always he kept his flashing blade betweenthe girl and her enemies, yet he managed to force them hither andthither about the room, calling to the girl to follow close behindhim. 

Until it was too late neither Vas Kor nor Astok dreamed of thatwhich lay in the panthan's mind; but at last as the fellow stoodwith his back toward the door, both understood--they were penned intheir own prison, and now the intruder could slay them at his will, for Thuvia of Ptarth was bolting the door at the man's direction, first taking the key from the opposite side, where Astok had leftit when they had entered. 

Astok, as was his way, finding that the enemy did not fall immediatelybefore their swords, was leaving the brunt of the fighting toVas Kor, and now as his eyes appraised the panthan carefully theypresently went wider and wider, for slowly he had come to recognizethe features of the Prince of Helium. 

The Heliumite was pressing close upon Vas Kor. The noble wasbleeding from a dozen wounds. Astok saw that he could not for longwithstand the cunning craft of that terrible sword hand. 

"Courage, Vas Kor!" he whispered in the other's ear. "I have aplan. Hold him but a moment longer and all will be well, " but thebalance of the sentence, "with Astok, Prince of Dusar, " he did notvoice aloud. 

Vas Kor, dreaming no treachery, nodded his head, and for a momentsucceeded in holding Carthoris at bay. Then the Heliumite and thegirl saw the Dusarian prince run swiftly to the opposite side ofthe chamber, touch something in the wall that sent a great panelswinging inward, and disappear into the black vault beyond. 

It was done so quickly that by no possibility could they haveintercepted him. Carthoris, fearful lest Vas Kor might similarlyelude him, or Astok return immediately with reinforcements, sprangviciously in upon his antagonist, and a moment later the headlessbody of the Dusarian noble rolled upon the ersite floor. 

"Come!" cried Carthoris. "There is no time to be lost. Astok willbe back in a moment with enough warriors to overpower me. "

But Astok had no such plan in mind, for such a move would havemeant the spreading of the fact among the palace gossips that thePtarthian princess was a prisoner in the east tower. Quickly wouldthe word have come to his father, and no amount of falsifying couldhave explained away the facts that the jeddak's investigation wouldhave brought to light. 

Instead Astok was racing madly through a long corridor to reachthe door of the tower-room before Carthoris and Thuvia left theapartment. He had seen the girl remove the key and place it inher pocket-pouch, and he knew that a dagger point driven into thekeyhole from the opposite side would imprison them in the secretchamber till eight dead worlds circled a cold, dead sun. 

As fast as he could run Astok entered the main corridor that ledto the tower chamber. Would he reach the door in time? What ifthe Heliumite should have already emerged and he should run uponhim in the passageway? Astok felt a cold chill run up his spine. He had no stomach to face that uncanny blade. 

He was almost at the door. Around the next turn of the corridorit stood. No, they had not left the apartment. Evidently Vas Korwas still holding the Heliumite!

Astok could scarce repress a grin at the clever manner in which hehad outwitted the noble and disposed of him at the same time. Andthen he rounded the turn and came face to face with an auburn-haired, white giant. 

The fellow did not wait to ask the reason for his coming; insteadhe leaped upon him with a long-sword, so that Astok had to parry adozen vicious cuts before he could disengage himself and flee backdown the runway. 

A moment later Carthoris and Thuvia entered the corridor from thesecret chamber. 

"Well, Kar Komak?" asked the Heliumite. 

"It is fortunate that you left me here, red man, " said the bowman. "I but just now intercepted one who seemed over-anxious to reachthis door--it was he whom they call Astok, Prince of Dusar. "

Carthoris smiled. 

"Where is he now?" he asked. 

"He escaped my blade, and ran down this corridor, " replied KarKomak. 

"We must lose no time, then!" exclaimed Carthoris. "He will havethe guard upon us yet!"

Together the three hastened along the winding passages through whichCarthoris and Kar Komak had tracked the Dusarians by the marks ofthe latter's sandals in the thin dust that overspread the floorsof these seldom-used passage-ways. 

They had come to the chamber at the entrances to the lifts beforethey met with opposition. Here they found a handful of guardsmen, and an officer, who, seeing that they were strangers, questionedtheir presence in the palace of Astok. 

Once more Carthoris and Kar Komak had recourse to their blades, and before they had won their way to one of the lifts the noise ofthe conflict must have aroused the entire palace, for they heardmen shouting, and as they passed the many levels on their quickpassage to the landing-stage they saw armed men running hither andthither in search of the cause of the commotion. 

Beside the stage lay the Thuria, with three warriors on guard. Again the Heliumite and the Lotharian fought shoulder to shoulder, but the battle was soon over, for the Prince of Helium alone wouldhave been a match for any three that Dusar could produce. 

Scarce had the Thuria risen from the ways ere a hundred or morefighting men leaped to view upon the landing-stage. At their headwas Astok of Dusar, and as he saw the two he had thought so safelyin his power slipping from his grasp, he danced with rage andchagrin, shaking his fists and hurling abuse and vile insults atthem. 

With her bow inclined upward at a dizzy angle, the Thuria shotmeteor-like into the sky. From a dozen points swift patrol boatsdarted after her, for the scene upon the landing-stage above thepalace of the Prince of Dusar had not gone unnoticed. 

A dozen times shots grazed the Thuria's side, and as Carthoris couldnot leave the control levers, Thuvia of Ptarth turned the muzzlesof the craft's rapid-fire guns upon the enemy as she clung to thesteep and slippery surface of the deck. 

It was a noble race and a noble fight. One against a score now, forother Dusarian craft had joined in the pursuit; but Astok, Princeof Dusar, had built well when he built the Thuria. None in thenavy of his sire possessed a swifter flier; no other craft so wellarmoured or so well armed. 

One by one the pursuers were distanced, and as the last of themfell out of range behind, Carthoris dropped the Thuria's nose to ahorizontal plane, as with lever drawn to the last notch, she torethrough the thin air of dying Mars toward the east and Ptarth. 

Thirteen and a half thousand haads away lay Ptarth--a stiffthirty-hour journey for the swiftest of fliers, and between Dusarand Ptarth might lie half the navy of Dusar, for in this directionwas the reported seat of the great naval battle that even now mightbe in progress. 

Could Carthoris have known precisely where the great fleets ofthe contending nations lay, he would have hastened to them withoutdelay, for in the return of Thuvia to her sire lay the greatesthope of peace. 

Half the distance they covered without sighting a single warship, and then Kar Komak called Carthoris's attention to a distant craftthat rested upon the ochre vegetation of the great dead sea-bottom, above which the Thuria was speeding. 

About the vessel many figures could be seen swarming. With theaid of powerful glasses, the Heliumite saw that they were greenwarriors, and that they were repeatedly charging down upon the crewof the stranded airship. The nationality of the latter he couldnot make out at so great a distance. 

It was not necessary to change the course of the Thuria to permitof passing directly above the scene of battle, but Carthoris droppedhis craft a few hundred feet that he might have a better and closerview. 

If the ship was of a friendly power, he could do no less than stopand direct his guns upon her enemies, though with the preciousfreight he carried he scarcely felt justified in landing, forhe could offer but two swords in reinforcement--scarce enough towarrant jeopardizing the safety of the Princess of Ptarth. 

As they came close above the stricken ship, they could see thatit would be but a question of minutes before the green horde wouldswarm across the armoured bulwarks to glut the ferocity of theirbloodlust upon the defenders. 

"It would be futile to descend, " said Carthoris to Thuvia. "Thecraft may even be of Dusar--she shows no insignia. All that wemay do is fire upon the hordesmen"; and as he spoke he stepped toone of the guns and deflected its muzzle toward the green warriorsat the ship's side. 

At the first shot from the Thuria those upon the vessel belowevidently discovered her for the first time. Immediately a devicefluttered from the bow of the warship on the ground. Thuvia ofPtarth caught her breath quickly, glancing at Carthoris. 

The device was that of Kulan Tith, Jeddak of Kaol--the man to whomthe Princess of Ptarth was betrothed!

How easy for the Heliumite to pass on, leaving his rival to the fatethat could not for long be averted! No man could accuse him ofcowardice or treachery, for Kulan Tith was in arms against Helium, and, further, upon the Thuria were not enough swords to delay eventemporarily the outcome that already was a foregone conclusion inthe minds of the watchers. 

What would Carthoris, Prince of Helium, do?

Scarce had the device broken to the faint breeze ere the bow ofthe Thuria dropped at a sharp angle toward the ground. 

"Can you navigate her?" asked Carthoris of Thuvia. 

The girl nodded. 

"I am going to try to take the survivors aboard, " he continued. "It will need both Kar Komak and myself to man the guns whilethe Kaolians take to the boarding tackle. Keep her bow depressedagainst the rifle fire. She can bear it better in her forwardarmour, and at the same time the propellers will be protected. "

He hurried to the cabin as Thuvia took the control. A moment laterthe boarding tackle dropped from the keel of the Thuria, and froma dozen points along either side stout, knotted leathern linestrailed downward. At the same time a signal broke from her bow:

"Prepare to board us. "

A shout arose from the deck of the Kaolian warship. Carthoris, who by this time had returned from the cabin, smiled sadly. He wasabout to snatch from the jaws of death the man who stood betweenhimself and the woman he loved. 

"Take the port bow gun, Kar Komak, " he called to the bowman, andhimself stepped to the gun upon the starboard bow. 

*They could now feel the sharp shock of the explosions of the greenwarriors vomited their hail of death and destruction at the sidesof the staunch Thuria. * [This paragraph needs to be verified fromearly editions]

It was a forlorn hope at best. At any moment the repulsive raytanks might be pierced. The men upon the Kaolian ship were battlingwith renewed hope. In the bow stood Kulan Tith, a brave figurefighting beside his brave warriors, beating back the ferociousgreen men. 

The Thuria came low above the other craft. The Kaolians were formingunder their officers in readiness to board, and then a sudden fiercefusillade from the rifles of the green warriors vomited their hailof death and destruction into the side of the brave flier. 

Like a wounded bird she dived suddenly Marsward careening drunkenly. Thuvia turned the bow upward in an effort to avert the imminenttragedy, but she succeeded only in lessening the shock of theflier's impact as she struck the ground beside the Kaolian ship. 

When the green men saw only two warriors and a woman upon the deckof the Thuria, a savage shout of triumph arose from their ranks, while an answering groan broke from the lips of the Kaolians. 

The former now turned their attention upon the new arrival, forthey saw her defenders could soon be overcome and that from herdeck they could command the deck of the better-manned ship. 

As they charged a shout of warning came from Kulan Tith, upon thebridge of his own ship, and with it an appreciation of the valourof the act that had put the smaller vessel in these sore straits. 

"Who is it, " he cried, "that offers his life in the service ofKulan Tith? Never was wrought a nobler deed of self-sacrifice uponBarsoom!"

The green horde was scrambling over the Thuria's side as therebroke from the bow the device of Carthoris, Prince of Helium, inreply to the query of the jeddak of Kaol. None upon the smallerflier had opportunity to note the effect of this announcement uponthe Kaolians, for their attention was claimed slowly now by thatwhich was transpiring upon their own deck. 

Kar Komak stood behind the gun he had been operating, staring withwide eyes at the onrushing hideous green warriors. Carthoris, seeing him thus, felt a pang of regret that, after all, this manthat he had thought so valorous should prove, in the hour of need, as spineless as Jav or Tario. 

"Kar Komak--the man!" he shouted. "Grip yourself! Remember thedays of the glory of the seafarers of Lothar. Fight! Fight, man!Fight as never man fought before. All that remains to us is todie fighting. "

Kar Komak turned toward the Heliumite, a grim smile upon his lips. 

"Why should we fight, " he asked. "Against such fearful odds?There is another way--a better way. Look!" He pointed toward thecompanion-way that led below deck. 

The green men, a handful of them, had already reached the Thuria'sdeck, as Carthoris glanced in the direction the Lotharian hadindicated. The sight that met his eyes set his heart to thumpingin joy and relief--Thuvia of Ptarth might yet be saved? For frombelow there poured a stream of giant bowmen, grim and terrible. Not the bowmen of Tario or Jav, but the bowmen of an odwar ofbowmen--savage fighting men, eager for the fray. 

The green warriors paused in momentary surprise and consternation, but only for a moment. Then with horrid war-cries they leapedforward to meet these strange, new foemen. 

A volley of arrows stopped them in their tracks. In a moment theonly green warriors upon the deck of the Thuria were dead warriors, and the bowmen of Kar Komak were leaping over the vessel's sidesto charge the hordesmen upon the ground. 

Utan after utan tumbled from the bowels of the Thuria to launchthemselves upon the unfortunate green men. Kulan Tith and hisKaolians stood wide-eyed and speechless with amazement as theysaw thousands of these strange, fierce warriors emerge from thecompanion-way of the small craft that could not comfortably haveaccommodated more than fifty. 

At last the green men could withstand the onslaught of overwhelmingnumbers no longer. Slowly, at first, they fell back across theochre plain. The bowmen pursued them. Kar Komak, standing uponthe deck of the Thuria, trembled with excitement. 

At the top of his lungs he voiced the savage war-cry of his forgottenday. He roared encouragement and commands at his battling utans, and then, as they charged further and further from the Thuria, hecould no longer withstand the lure of battle. 

Leaping over the ship's side to the ground, he joined the last ofhis bowmen as they raced off over the dead sea-bottom in pursuitof the fleeing green horde. 

Beyond a low promontory of what once had been an island the greenmen were disappearing toward the west. Close upon their heelsraced the fleet bowmen of a bygone day, and forging steadily aheadamong them Carthoris and Thuvia could see the mighty figure of KarKomak, brandishing aloft the Torquasian short-sword with which hewas armed, as he urged his creatures after the retreating enemy. 

As the last of them disappeared behind the promontory, Carthoristurned toward Thuvia of Ptarth. 

"They have taught me a lesson, these vanishing bowmen of Lothar, "he said. "When they have served their purpose they remain notto embarrass their masters by their presence. Kulan Tith and hiswarriors are here to protect you. My acts have constituted theproof of my honesty of purpose. Good-bye, " and he knelt at herfeet, raising a bit of her harness to his lips. 

The girl reached out a hand and laid it upon the thick black hairof the head bent before her. Softly she asked:

"Where are you going, Carthoris?"

"With Kar Komak, the bowman, " he replied. "There will be fightingand forgetfulness. "

The girl put her hands before her eyes, as though to shut out somemighty temptation from her sight. 

"May my ancestors have mercy upon me, " she cried, "if I say thething I have no right to say; but I cannot see you cast your lifeaway, Carthoris, Prince of Helium! Stay, my chieftain. Stay--Ilove you!"

A cough behind them brought both about, and there they saw standing, not two paces from them Kulan Tith, Jeddak of Kaol. 

For a long moment none spoke. Then Kulan Tith cleared his throat. 

"I could not help hearing all that passed, " he said. "I am no fool, to be blind to the love that lies between you. Nor am I blind tothe lofty honour that has caused you, Carthoris, to risk your lifeand hers to save mine, though you thought that that very act wouldrob you of the chance to keep her for your own. 

"Nor can I fail to appreciate the virtue that has kept your lipssealed against words of love for this Heliumite, Thuvia, for I knowthat I have but just heard the first declaration of your passionfor him. I do not condemn you. Rather should I have condemnedyou had you entered a loveless marriage with me. 

"Take back your liberty, Thuvia of Ptarth, " he cried, "and bestowit where your heart already lies enchained, and when the goldencollars are clasped about your necks you will see that Kulan Tith'sis the first sword to be raised in declaration of eternal friendshipfor the new Princess of Helium and her royal mate!"

A GLOSSARY OF NAMES AND TERMS USED IN THE MARTIAN BOOKS

Aaanthor. A dead city of ancient Mars. 

Aisle of Hope. An aisle leading to the court-room in Helium. 

Apt. An Arctic monster. A huge, white-furred creature with six limbs, four of which, short and heavy, carry it over the snow and ice; the other two, which grow forward from its shoulders on either side of its long, powerful neck, terminate in white, hairless hands with which it seizes and holds its prey. Its head and mouth are similar in appearance to those of a hippopotamus, except that from the sides of the lower jawbone two mighty horns curve slightly downward toward the front. Its two huge eyes extend in two vast oval patches from the centre of the top of the cranium down either side of the head to below the roots of the horns, so that these weapons really grow out from the lower part of the eyes, which are composed of several thousand ocelli each. Each ocellus is furnished with its own lid, and the apt can, at will, close as many of the facets of his huge eyes as he chooses. (See THE WARLORD OF MARS. )

Astok. Prince of Dusar. 

Avenue of Ancestors. A street in Helium. 

Banth. Barsoomian lion. A fierce beast of prey that roams the low hills surrounding the dead seas of ancient Mars. It is almost hairless, having only a great, bristly mane about its thick neck. Its long, lithe body is supported by ten powerful legs, its enormous jaws are equipped with several rows of long needle-like fangs, and its mouth reaches to a point far back of its tiny ears. It has enormous protruding eyes of green. (See THE GODS OF MARS. )

Bar Comas. Jeddak of Warhoon. (See A PRINCESS OF MARS. )

Barsoom. MARS

Black pirates of Barsoom. Men six feet and over in height. Have clear-cut and handsome features; their eyes are well set and large, though a slight narrowness lends them a crafty appearance. The iris is extremely black while the eyeball itself is quite white and clear. Their skin has the appearance of polished ebony. (See THE GODS OF MARS. )

Calot. A dog. About the size of a Shetland pony and has ten short legs. The head bears a slight resemblance to that of a frog, except that the jaws are equipped with three rows of long, sharp tusks. (See A PRINCESS OF MARS. )

Carter, John. Warlord of Mars. 

Carthoris of Helium. Son of John Carter and Dejah Thoris. 

Dak Kova. Jed among the Warhoons (later jeddak). 

Darseen. Chameleon-like reptile. 

Dator. Chief or prince among the First Born. 

Dejah Thoris. Princess of Helium. 

Djor Kantos. Son of Kantos Kan; padwar of the Fifth Utan. 

Dor. Valley of Heaven. 

Dotar Sojat. John Carter's Martian name, from the surnames of the first two warrior chieftains he killed. 

Dusar. A Martian kingdom. 

Dwar. Captain. 

Ersite. A kind of stone. 

Father of Therns. High Priest of religious cult. 

First Born. Black race; black pirates. 

Kar Komak. Odwar of Lotharian bowmen. 

Gate of Jeddaks. A gate in Helium. 

Gozava. Tars Tarkas' dead wife. 

Gur Tus. Dwar of the Tenth Utan. 

Haad. Martian mile. 

Hal Vas. Son of Vas Kor the Dusarian noble. 

Hastor. A city of Helium. 

Hekkador. Title of Father of Therns. 

Helium. The empire of the grandfather of Dejah Thoris. 

Holy Therns. A Martian religious cult. 

Hortan Gur. Jeddak of Torquas. 

Hor Vastus. Padwar in the navy of Helium. 

Horz. Deserted city; Barsoomian Greenwich. 

Illall. A city of Okar. 

Iss. River of Death. (See A PRINCESS OF MARS. )

Issus. Goddess of Death, whose abode is upon the banks of the Lost Sea of Korus. (See THE GODS OF MARS. )

Jav. A Lotharian. 

Jed. King. 

Jeddak. Emperor. 

Kab Kadja. Jeddak of the Warhoons of the south. 

Kadabra. Capital of Okar. 

Kadar. Guard. 

Kalksus. Cruiser; transport under Vas Kor. 

Kantos Kan. Padwar in the Helium navy. 

Kaol. A Martian kingdom in the eastern hemisphere. 

Kaor. Greeting. 

Karad. Martian degree. 

Komal. The Lotharian god; a huge banth. 

Korad. A dead city of ancient Mars. (See A PRINCESS OF MARS. )

Korus. The Lost Sea of Dor. 

Kulan Tith. Jeddak of Kaol. (See THE WARLORD OF MARS. )

Lakor. A thern. 

Larok. A Dusarian warrior; artificer. 

Lorquas Ptomel. Jed among the Tharks. (See A PRINCESS OF MARS. )

Lothar. The forgotten city. 

Marentina. A principality of Okar. 

Matai Shang. Father of Therns. (See THE GODS OF MARS. )

Mors Kajak. A jed of lesser Helium. 

Notan. Royal Psychologist of Zodanga. 

Nutus. Jeddak of Dusar. 

Od. Martian foot. 

Odwar. A commander, or general. 

Okar. Land of the yellow men. 

Old Ben (or Uncle Ben). The writer's body-servant (coloured). 

Omad. Man with one name. 

Omean. The buried sea. 

Orluk. A black and yellow striped Arctic monster. 

Otz Mountains. Surrounding the Valley Dor and the Lost Sea of Korus. 

Padwar. Lieutenant. 

Panthan. A soldier of fortune. 

Parthak. The Zodangan who brought food to John Carter in the pits of Zat Arras. (See THE GODS OF MARS. )

Pedestal of Truth. Within the courtroom of Helium. 

Phaidor. Daughter of Matai Shang. (See THE GODS OF MARS. )

Pimalia. Gorgeous flowering plant. 

Plant men of Barsoom. A race inhabiting the Valley Dor. They are ten or twelve feet in height when standing erect; their arms are very short and fashioned after the manner of an elephant's trunk, being sinuous; the body is hairless and ghoulish blue except for a broad band of white which encircles the protruding, single eye, the pupil, iris and ball of which are dead white. The nose is a ragged, inflamed, circular hole in the centre of the blank face, resembling a fresh bullet wound which has not yet commenced to bleed. There is no mouth in the head. With the exception of the face, the head is covered by a tangled mass of jet-black hair some eight or ten inches in length. Each hair is about the thickness of a large angleworm. The body, legs and feet are of human shape but of monstrous proportions, the feet being fully three feet long and very flat and broad. The method of feeding consists in running their odd hands over the surface of the turf, cropping off the tender vegetation with razor-like talons and sucking it up from two mouths, which lie one in the palm of each hand. They are equipped with a massive tail about six feet long, quite round where it joins the body, but tapering to a flat, thin blade toward the end, which trails at right angles to the ground. (See THE GODS OF MARS. )

Prince Soran. Overlord of the navy of Ptarth. 

Ptarth. A Martian kingdom. 

Ptor. Family name of three Zodangan brothers. 

Sab Than. Prince of Zodanga. (See A PRINCESS OF MARS. )

Safad. A Martian inch. 

Sak. Jump. 

Salensus Oll. Jeddak of Okar. (See THE WARLORD OF MARS. )

Saran Tal. Carthoris' major-domo. 

Sarkoja. A green Martian woman. (See A PRINCESS OF MARS. )

Sator Throg. A Holy Thern of the Tenth Cycle. 

Shador. Island in Omean used as a prison. 

Silian. Slimy reptiles inhabiting the Sea of Korus. 

Sith. Hornet-like monster. Bald-faced and about the size of a Hereford bull. Has frightful jaws in front and mighty poisoned sting behind. The eyes, of myriad facets, cover three-fourths of the head, permitting the creature to see in all directions at one and the same time. (See THE WARLORD OF MARS. )

Skeel. A Martian hardwood. 

Sola. A young green Martian woman. 

Solan. An official of the palace. 

Sompus. A kind of tree. 

Sorak. A little pet animal among the red Martian women, about the size of a cat. 

Sorapus. A Martian hardwood. 

Sorav. An officer of Salensus Oll. 

Tal. A Martian second. 

Tal Hajus. Jeddak of Thark. 

Talu. Rebel Prince of Marentina. 

Tan Gama. Warhoon warrior. 

Tardos Mors. Grandfather of Dejah Thoris and Jeddak of Helium. 

Tario. Jeddak of Lothar. 

Tars Tarkas. A green man, chieftain of the Tharks. 

Temple of Reward. In Helium. 

Tenth Cycle. A sphere, or plane of eminence, among the Holy Therns. 

Thabis. Issus' chief. 

Than Kosis. Jeddak of Zodanga. (See A PRINCESS OF MARS. )

Thark. City and name of a green Martian horde. 

Thoat. A green Martian horse. Ten feet high at the shoulder, with four legs on either side; a broad, flat tail, larger at the tip than at the root which it holds straight out behind while running; a mouth splitting its head from snout to the long, massive neck. It is entirely devoid of hair and is of a dark slate colour and exceedingly smooth and glossy. It has a white belly and the legs are shaded from slate at the shoulders and hips to a vivid yellow at the feet. The feet are heavily padded and nailless. (See A PRINCESS OF MARS. )

Thor Ban. Jed among the green men of Torquas. 

Thorian. Chief of the lesser Therns. 

Throne of Righteousness. In the court-room of Helium. 

Throxus. Mightiest of the five oceans. 

Thurds. A green horde inimical to Torquas. 

Thuria. The nearer moon. 

Thurid. A black dator. 

Thuvan Dihn. Jeddak of Ptarth. 

Thuvia. Princess of Ptarth. 

Torith. Officer of the guards at submarine pool. 

Torkar Bar. Kaolian noble; dwar of the Kaolian Road. 

Torquas. A green horde. 

Turjun. Carthoris' alias. 

Utan. A company of one hundred men (military). 

Vas Kor. A Dusarian noble. 

Warhoon. A community of green men; enemy of Thark. 

Woola. A Barsoomian calot. 

Xat. A Martian minute. 

Xavarian. A Helium warship. 

Xodar. Dator among the First Born. 

Yersted. Commander of the submarine. 

Zad. Tharkian warrior. 

Zat Arras. Jed of Zodanga. 

Zithad. Dator of the guards of Issus. (See THE GODS OF MARS. )

Zitidars. Mastodonian draught animals. 

Zodanga. Martian city of red men at war with Helium. 

Zode. A Martian hour.