a princess of mars-第35章

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fixed　on　the　single　panel　before　us　we　waited　in　the　silence

of　death。



Slowly　the　mighty　door　receded　before　us。　　I　attempted　to

rise　and　follow　it　but　I　was　too　weak。



〃After　it；〃　I　cried　to　my　companion；　〃and　if　you　reach　the

pump　room　turn　loose　all　the　pumps。　　It　is　the　only　chance

Barsoom　has　to　exist　tomorrow！〃



From　where　I　lay　I　opened　the　second　door；　and　then　the

third；　and　as　I　saw　the　hope　of　Barsoom　crawling　weakly　on

hands　and　knees　through　the　last　doorway　I　sank　unconscious

upon　the　ground。









CHAPTER　XXVIII





AT　THE　ARIZONA　CAVE





It　was　dark　when　I　opened　my　eyes　again。　　Strange；　stiff

garments　were　upon　my　body；　garments　that　cracked　and

powdered　away　from　me　as　I　rose　to　a　sitting　posture。



I　felt　myself　over　from　head　to　foot　and　from　head　to

foot　I　was　clothed；　though　when　I　fell　unconscious　at　the

little　doorway　I　had　been　naked。　　Before　me　was　a　small

patch　of　moonlit　sky　which　showed　through　a　ragged　aperture。



As　my　hands　passed　over　my　body　they　came　in　contact

with　pockets　and　in　one　of　these　a　small　parcel　of　matches

wrapped　in　oiled　paper。　　One　of　these　matches　I　struck；　and

its　dim　flame　lighted　up　what　appeared　to　be　a　huge　cave；

toward　the　back　of　which　I　discovered　a　strange；　still　figure

huddled　over　a　tiny　bench。　　As　I　approached　it　I　saw　that　it

was　the　dead　and　mummified　remains　of　a　little　old　woman

with　long　black　hair；　and　the　thing　it　leaned　over　was　a　small

charcoal　burner　upon　which　rested　a　round　copper　vessel

containing　a　small　quantity　of　greenish　powder。



Behind　her；　depending　from　the　roof　upon　rawhide　thongs；

and　stretching　entirely　across　the　cave；　was　a　row　of　human

skeletons。　　From　the　thong　which　held　them　stretched　another

to　the　dead　hand　of　the　little　old　woman；　as　I　touched

the　cord　the　skeletons　swung　to　the　motion　with　a　noise　as

of　the　rustling　of　dry　leaves。



It　was　a　most　grotesque　and　horrid　tableau　and　I　hastened

out　into　the　fresh　air；　glad　to　escape　from　so　gruesome　a　place。



The　sight　that　met　my　eyes　as　I　stepped　out　upon　a　small

ledge　which　ran　before　the　entrance　of　the　cave　filled　me

with　consternation。



A　new　heaven　and　a　new　landscape　met　my　gaze。　　The　silvered

mountains　in　the　distance；　the　almost　stationary　moon

hanging　in　the　sky；　the　cacti…studded　valley　below　me

were　not　of　Mars。　　I　could　scarcely　believe　my　eyes；　but　the

truth　slowly　forced　itself　upon　meI　was　looking　upon　Arizona

from　the　same　ledge　from　which　ten　years　before　I　had　gazed

with　longing　upon　Mars。



Burying　my　head　in　my　arms　I　turned；　broken；　and　sorrowful；

down　the　trail　from　the　cave。



Above　me　shone　the　red　eye　of　Mars　holding　her　awful

secret；　forty…eight　million　miles　away。



Did　the　Martian　reach　the　pump　room？　　Did　the　vitalizing

air　reach　the　people　of　that　distant　planet　in　time　to　save

them？　　Was　my　Dejah　Thoris　alive；　or　did　her　beautiful　body

lie　cold　in　death　beside　the　tiny　golden　incubator　in　the

sunken　garden　of　the　inner　courtyard　of　the　palace　of　Tardos

Mors；　the　jeddak　of　Helium？



For　ten　years　I　have　waited　and　prayed　for　an　answer　to

my　questions。　　For　ten　years　I　have　waited　and　prayed　to　be

taken　back　to　the　world　of　my　lost　love。　　I　would　rather　lie

dead　beside　her　there　than　live　on　Earth　all　those　millions　of

terrible　miles　from　her。



The　old　mine；　which　I　found　untouched；　has　made　me

fabulously　wealthy；　but　what　care　I　for　wealth！



As　I　sit　here　tonight　in　my　little　study　overlooking　the

Hudson；　just　twenty　years　have　elapsed　since　I　first　opened

my　eyes　upon　Mars。



I　can　see　her　shining　in　the　sky　through　the　little　window

by　my　desk；　and　tonight　she　seems　calling　to　me　again　as

she　has　not　called　before　since　that　long　dead　night；　and　I

think　I　can　see；　across　that　awful　abyss　of　space；　a　beautiful

black…haired　woman　standing　in　the　garden　of　a　palace；

and　at　her　side　is　a　little　boy　who　puts　his　arm　around　her

as　she　points　into　the　sky　toward　the　planet　Earth；　while　at

their　feet　is　a　huge　and　hideous　creature　with　a　heart　of　gold。



I　believe　that　they　are　waiting　there　for　me；　and　something

tells　me　that　I　shall　soon　know。







End