a princess of mars-第21章

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upon　his　bestial　countenance；　while　his　enormous　bulk　spread

itself　out　upon　the　platform　where　he　squatted　like　some

huge　devil　fish；　his　six　limbs　accentuating　the　similarity　in

a　horrible　and　startling　manner。



But　the　sight　that　froze　me　with　apprehension　was　that

of　Dejah　Thoris　and　Sola　standing　there　before　him；　and

the　fiendish　leer　of　him　as　he　let　his　great　protruding　eyes

gloat　upon　the　lines　of　her　beautiful　figure。　　She　was

speaking；　but　I　could　not　hear　what　she　said；　nor　could　I　make

out　the　low　grumbling　of　his　reply。　　She　stood　there　erect

before　him；　her　head　high　held；　and　even　at　the　distance　I

was　from　them　I　could　read　the　scorn　and　disgust　upon

her　face　as　she　let　her　haughty　glance　rest　without　sign　of

fear　upon　him。　　She　was　indeed　the　proud　daughter　of　a

thousand　jeddaks；　every　inch　of　her　dear；　precious　little　body；

so　small；　so　frail　beside　the　towering　warriors　around　her；

but　in　her　majesty　dwarfing　them　into　insignificance；　she

was　the　mightiest　figure　among　them　and　I　verily　believe

that　they　felt　it。



Presently　Tal　Hajus　made　a　sign　that　the　chamber　be

cleared；　and　that　the　prisoners　be　left　alone　before　him。

Slowly　the　chieftains；　the　warriors　and　the　women　melted

away　into　the　shadows　of　the　surrounding　chambers；　and

Dejah　Thoris　and　Sola　stood　alone　before　the　jeddak　of　the

Tharks。



One　chieftain　alone　had　hesitated　before　departing；　I

saw　him　standing　in　the　shadows　of　a　mighty　column；　his

fingers　nervously　toying　with　the　hilt　of　his　great…sword　and

his　cruel　eyes　bent　in　implacable　hatred　upon　Tal　Hajus。

It　was　Tars　Tarkas；　and　I　could　read　his　thoughts　as　they

were　an　open　book　for　the　undisguised　loathing　upon　his

face。　　He　was　thinking　of　that　other　woman　who；　forty　years

ago；　had　stood　before　this　beast；　and　could　I　have　spoken

a　word　into　his　ear　at　that　moment　the　reign　of　Tal　Hajus

would　have　been　over；　but　finally　he　also　strode　from　the

room；　not　knowing　that　he　left　his　own　daughter　at　the

mercy　of　the　creature　he　most　loathed。



Tal　Hajus　arose；　and　I；　half　fearing；　half　anticipating　his

intentions；　hurried　to　the　winding　runway　which　led　to　the

floors　below。　　No　one　was　near　to　intercept　me；　and　I　reached

the　main　floor　of　the　chamber　unobserved；　taking　my　station

in　the　shadow　of　the　same　column　that　Tars　Tarkas　had　but

just　deserted。　　As　I　reached　the　floor　Tal　Hajus　was　speaking。



〃Princess　of　Helium；　I　might　wring　a　mighty　ransom　from

your　people　would　I　but　return　you　to　them　unharmed；　but　a

thousand　times　rather　would　I　watch　that　beautiful　face

writhe　in　the　agony　of　torture；　it　shall　be　long　drawn　out；

that　I　promise　you；　ten　days　of　pleasure　were　all　too　short　to

show　the　love　I　harbor　for　your　race。　　The　terrors　of　your

death　shall　haunt　the　slumbers　of　the　red　men　through　all

the　ages　to　come；　they　will　shudder　in　the　shadows　of　the

night　as　their　fathers　tell　them　of　the　awful　vengeance　of

the　green　men；　of　the　power　and　might　and　hate　and　cruelty

of　Tal　Hajus。　　But　before　the　torture　you　shall　be　mine　for

one　short　hour；　and　word　of　that　too　shall　go　forth　to

Tardos　Mors；　Jeddak　of　Helium；　your　grandfather；　that　he

may　grovel　upon　the　ground　in　the　agony　of　his　sorrow。

Tomorrow　the　torture　will　commence；　tonight　thou　art　Tal

Hajus'；　come！〃



He　sprang　down　from　the　platform　and　grasped　her　roughly

by　the　arm；　but　scarcely　had　he　touched　her　than　I　leaped

between　them。　　My　short…sword；　sharp　and　gleaming　was　in

my　right　hand；　I　could　have　plunged　it　into　his　putrid　heart

before　he　realized　that　I　was　upon　him；　but　as　I　raised　my

arm　to　strike　I　thought　of　Tars　Tarkas；　and；　with　all　my　rage；

with　all　my　hatred；　I　could　not　rob　him　of　that　sweet

moment　for　which　he　had　lived　and　hoped　all　these　long；

weary　years；　and　so；　instead；　I　swung　my　good　right　fist　full

upon　the　point　of　his　jaw。　　Without　a　sound　he　slipped　to　the

floor　as　one　dead。



In　the　same　deathly　silence　I　grasped　Dejah　Thoris　by　the

hand；　and　motioning　Sola　to　follow　we　sped　noiselessly

from　the　chamber　and　to　the　floor　above。　　Unseen　we　reached

a　rear　window　and　with　the　straps　and　leather　of　my　trappings

I　lowered；　first　Sola　and　then　Dejah　Thoris　to　the　ground　below。

Dropping　lightly　after　them　I　drew　them　rapidly　around　the　court

in　the　shadows　of　the　buildings；　and　thus　we　returned　over　the

same　course　I　had　so　recently　followed　from　the　distant　boundary

of　the　city。



We　finally　came　upon　my　thoats　in　the　courtyard　where

I　had　left　them；　and　placing　the　trappings　upon　them　we

hastened　through　the　building　to　the　avenue　beyond。

Mounting；　Sola　upon　one　beast；　and　Dejah　Thoris　behind　me

upon　the　other；　we　rode　from　the　city　of　Thark　through　the

hills　to　the　south。



Instead　of　circling　back　around　the　city　to　the　northwest

and　toward　the　nearest　waterway　which　lay　so　short　a　distance

from　us；　we　turned　to　the　northeast　and　struck　out　upon　the　mossy

waste　across　which；　for　two　hundred　dangerous　and　weary　miles；

lay　another　main　artery　leading　to　Helium。



No　word　was　spoken　until　we　had　left　the　city　far　behind；

but　I　could　hear　the　quiet　sobbing　of　Dejah　Thoris　as　she

clung　to　me　with　her　dear　head　resting　against　my　shoulder。



〃If　we　make　it；　my　chieftain；　the　debt　of　Helium　will　be

a　mighty　one；　greater　than　she　can　ever　pay　you；　and　should

we　not　make　it；〃　she　continued；　〃the　debt　is　no　less；　though

Helium　will　never　know；　for　you　have　saved　the　last　of　our

line　from　worse　than　death。〃



I　did　not　answer；　but　instead　reached　to　my　side　and

pressed　the　little　fingers　of　her　I　loved　where　they　clung　to

me　for　support；　and　then；　in　unbroken　silence；　we　sped　over

the　yellow；　moonlit　moss；　each　of　us　occupied　with　his　own

thoughts。　　For　my　part　I　could　not　be　other　than　joyful　had　I

tried；　with　Dejah　Thoris'　warm　body　pressed　close　to　mine；

and　with　all　our　unpassed　danger　my　heart　was　singing　as

gaily　as　though　we　were　already　entering　the　gates　of　Helium。



Our　earlier　plans　had　been　so　sadly　upset　that　we　now

found　ourselves　without　food　or　drink；　and　I　alone　was

armed。　　We　therefore　urged　our　beasts　to　a　speed　that　must

tell　on　them　sorely　before　we　could　hope　to　sight　the　ending

of　the　first　stage　of　our　journey。



We　rode　all　night　and　all　the　following　day　with　only　a

few　short　rests。　　On　the　second　night　both　we　and　our　animals

were　completely　fagged；　and　so　we　lay　down　upon　the　moss

and　slept　for　some　five　or　six　hours；　taking　up　the　journey

once　more　before　daylight。　　All　the　following　day　we　rode；

and　when；　late　in　the　afternoon　we　had　sighted　no　distant

trees；　the　mark　of　the　great　waterways　throughout　all　Barsoom；

the　terrible　truth　flashed　upon　uswe　were　lost。



Evidently　we　had　circled；　but　which　way　it　was　difficult

to　say；　nor　did　it　seem　possible　with　the　sun　to　guide　us　by

day　and　the　moons　and　stars　by　night。　　At　any　rate　no　waterway

was　in　sight；　and　the　entire　party　was　almost　ready　to

drop　from　hunger；　thirst　and　fatigue。　　Far　ahead　of　us　and

a　trifle　to　the　right　we　could　distinguish　the　outlines　of　low

mountains。　　These　we　decided　to　attempt　to　reach　in　the　hope

that　from　some　ridge　we　might　discern　the　missing　waterway。

Night　fell　upon　us　before　we　reached　our　goal；　and；　almost

fainting　from　weariness　and　weakness；　we　lay　down　and　slept。



I　was　awakened　early　in　the　morning　by　some　huge　body

pressing　close　to　mine；　and　opening　my　eyes　with　a　start　I

beheld　my　blessed　old　Woola　snuggling　close　to　me；　the　faithful

brute　had　followed　us　across　that　trackless　waste　to　share

our　fate；　whatever　it　might　be。　　Putting　my　arms　about　his

neck　I　pressed　my　cheek　close　to　his；　nor　am　I　ashamed

that　I　did　it；　nor　of　the　tears　that　came　to　my　eyes　as　I

thought　of　his　love　for　me。　　Shortly　after　this　Dejah　Thoris

and　Sola　awakened；　and　it　was　decided　that　we　push　on　at

once　in　an　effort　to　gain　the　hills。



We　had　gone　scarcely　a　mile　when　I　noticed　that　my

thoat　was　commencing　to　stumble　and　stagger　in　a　most

pitiful　manner；　although　we　had　not　attempted　to　force

them　out　of　a　walk　since　about　noon　of　the　preceding　day。

Suddenly　he　lurched　wildly　to　one　side　and　pitched　violently　to

the　ground。　　Dejah　Thoris　and　I　were　thrown　clear　of　him

and　fell　upon　the　soft　moss　with　scarcely　a　jar；　but　the　poor

beast　was　in　a　pitiable　condition；　not　even　being　able　to　rise；

although　relieved　of　our　weight。　　Sola　told　me　that　the　coolness

of　the　night；　when　it　fell；　together　with　the　rest　would

doubtless　revive　him；　and　so　I　decided　not　to　kill　him；　as

was　my　first　intention；　as　I　had　thought　it　cruel　to　leave　him

alone　there　to　die　of　hunger　and　thirst。　　Relieving　him　of　his

trappings；　which　I　flung　down　beside　him；　we　left　the　poor

fellow　to　his　fate；　and　pushed　on　with　the　one　thoat　as　best

we　could。　　Sola　and　I　walked；　making　Dejah　Thoris　ride；　much

against　her　will。　　In　this　way　we　had　progressed　to　within

about　a　mile　of　the　hills　we　were　endeavoring　to　reach　when

Dejah　Thoris；　from　her　point　of　vantage　upon　the　thoat；

cried　out　that　she　saw　a　great　party　of　mounted　men　filing

down　from　a　pass　in　the　hills　several　miles　away。　　Sola　and　I

both　looked　in　the　direction　she　indicated；　and　there；　plainly

discernible；　were　several　hundred　mounted　warriors。　　They

seemed　to　be　headed　in　a　southwesterly　direction；　which

would　take　them　away　from　us。



They　doubtless　were　Thark　warriors　who　had　been　sent

out　to　capture　us；　and　we　breathed　a　great　sigh　of　relief　that

they　were　traveling　in　the　opposite　direction。　　Quickly　lifting

Dejah　Thoris　from　the　thoat；　I　commanded　the　animal　to　lie

down　and　we　three　did　the　same；　presenting　as　small　an　object

as　possible　for　fear　of　attracting　the　attention　of　the

warriors　toward　us。



We　could　see　them　as　they　filed　out　of　the　pass；　just　for

an　instant；　before　they　were　lost　to　view　behind　a　friendly

ridge；　to　us　a　most　providential　ridge；　since；　had　they

been　in　view　for　any　great　length　of　time；　they　scarcely

could　have　failed　to　discover　us。　　As　what　proved　to　be　the

last　warrior　came　into　view　from　the　pass；　he　halted　and；　to　our

consternation；　threw　his　small　but　powerful　fieldglass　to　his

eye　and　scanned　the　sea　bottom　in　all　directions。　　Evidently

he　was　a　chieftain；　for　in　certain　marching　formations　among　the

green　men　a　chieftain　brings　up　the　extreme　rear　of　the　column。

As　his　glass　swung　toward　us　our　hearts　stopped　in　our　breasts；

and　I　could　feel　the　cold　sweat　start　from　every　pore　in　my　body。



Presently　it　swung　full　upon　us　andstopped。　　The　tension

on　our　nerves　was　near　the　breaking　point；　and　I　doubt　if

any　of　us　breathed　for　the　few　moments　he　held　us　covered

by　his　glass；　and　then　he　lowered　it　and　we　could　see　him

shout　a　command　to　the　warriors　who　had　passed　from　our

sight　behind　the　ridge。　　He　did　not　wait　for　them　to　join

him；　however；　instead　he　wheeled