a princess of mars-第7章

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Again；　as　on　the　preceding　day；　I　had　recourse　to　earthly

tactics；　and　swinging　my　right　fist　full　upon　the　point　of　his

chin　I　followed　it　with　a　smashing　left　to　the　pit　of　his

stomach。　　The　effect　was　marvelous；　for；　as　I　lightly

sidestepped；　after　delivering　the　second　blow；　he　reeled

and　fell　upon　the　floor　doubled　up　with　pain　and　gasping

for　wind。　Leaping　over　his　prostrate　body；　I　seized　the　cudgel

and　finished　the　monster　before　he　could　regain　his　feet。



As　I　delivered　the　blow　a　low　laugh　rang　out　behind　me；

and；　turning；　I　beheld　Tars　Tarkas；　Sola；　and　three　or　four

warriors　standing　in　the　doorway　of　the　chamber。　　As　my　eyes

met　theirs　I　was；　for　the　second　time；　the　recipient　of　their

zealously　guarded　applause。



My　absence　had　been　noted　by　Sola　on　her　awakening；　and

she　had　quickly　informed　Tars　Tarkas；　who　had　set　out

immediately　with　a　handful　of　warriors　to　search　for　me。

As　they　had　approached　the　limits　of　the　city　they　had　witnessed

the　actions　of　the　bull　ape　as　he　bolted　into　the　building；

frothing　with　rage。



They　had　followed　immediately　behind　him；　thinking　it

barely　possible　that　his　actions　might　prove　a　clew　to　my

whereabouts　and　had　witnessed　my　short　but　decisive　battle

with　him。　　This　encounter；　together　with　my　set…to　with　the

Martian　warrior　on　the　previous　day　and　my　feats　of　jumping

placed　me　upon　a　high　pinnacle　in　their　regard。　　Evidently

devoid　of　all　the　finer　sentiments　of　friendship；　love；　or

affection；　these　people　fairly　worship　physical　prowess　and

bravery；　and　nothing　is　too　good　for　the　object　of　their

adoration　as　long　as　he　maintains　his　position　by　repeated

examples　of　his　skill；　strength；　and　courage。



Sola；　who　had　accompanied　the　searching　party　of　her　own

volition；　was　the　only　one　of　the　Martians　whose　face　had　not

been　twisted　in　laughter　as　I　battled　for　my　life。　　She；　on　the

contrary；　was　sober　with　apparent　solicitude　and；　as　soon　as　I

had　finished　the　monster；　rushed　to　me　and　carefully　examined

my　body　for　possible　wounds　or　injuries。　　Satisfying　herself

that　I　had　come　off　unscathed　she　smiled　quietly；　and；

taking　my　hand；　started　toward　the　door　of　the　chamber。



Tars　Tarkas　and　the　other　warriors　had　entered　and　were

standing　over　the　now　rapidly　reviving　brute　which　had　saved

my　life；　and　whose　life　I；　in　turn；　had　rescued。　　They　seemed

to　be　deep　in　argument；　and　finally　one　of　them　addressed　me；

but　remembering　my　ignorance　of　his　language　turned　back　to

Tars　Tarkas；　who；　with　a　word　and　gesture；　gave　some　command

to　the　fellow　and　turned　to　follow　us　from　the　room。



There　seemed　something　menacing　in　their　attitude　toward

my　beast；　and　I　hesitated　to　leave　until　I　had　learned　the

outcome。　　It　was　well　I　did　so；　for　the　warrior　drew　an

evil　looking　pistol　from　its　holster　and　was　on　the　point　of

putting　an　end　to　the　creature　when　I　sprang　forward　and

struck　up　his　arm。　　The　bullet　striking　the　wooden　casing　of

the　window　exploded；　blowing　a　hole　completely　through　the

wood　and　masonry。



I　then　knelt　down　beside　the　fearsome…looking　thing；　and

raising　it　to　its　feet　motioned　for　it　to　follow　me。　　The　looks

of　surprise　which　my　actions　elicited　from　the　Martians　were

ludicrous；　they　could　not　understand；　except　in　a　feeble　and

childish　way；　such　attributes　as　gratitude　and　compassion。

The　warrior　whose　gun　I　had　struck　up　looked　enquiringly　at

Tars　Tarkas；　but　the　latter　signed　that　I　be　left　to　my　own

devices；　and　so　we　returned　to　the　plaza　with　my　great　beast

following　close　at　heel；　and　Sola　grasping　me　tightly　by　the

arm。



I　had　at　least　two　friends　on　Mars；　a　young　woman　who

watched　over　me　with　motherly　solicitude；　and　a　dumb　brute

which；　as　I　later　came　to　know；　held　in　its　poor　ugly　carcass

more　love；　more　loyalty；　more　gratitude　than　could　have　been

found　in　the　entire　five　million　green　Martians　who　rove　the

deserted　cities　and　dead　sea　bottoms　of　Mars。









CHAPTER　VII





CHILD…RAISING　ON　MARS





After　a　breakfast；　which　was　an　exact　replica　of　the　meal　of

the　preceding　day　and　an　index　of　practically　every　meal

which　followed　while　I　was　with　the　green　men　of　Mars；　Sola

escorted　me　to　the　plaza；　where　I　found　the　entire　community

engaged　in　watching　or　helping　at　the　harnessing　of　huge

mastodonian　animals　to　great　three…wheeled　chariots。　　There

were　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　of　these　vehicles；　each

drawn　by　a　single　animal；　any　one　of　which；　from　their

appearance；　might　easily　have　drawn　the　entire　wagon　train

when　fully　loaded。



The　chariots　themselves　were　large；　commodious；　and

gorgeously　decorated。　　In　each　was　seated　a　female　Martian

loaded　with　ornaments　of　metal；　with　jewels　and　silks　and　furs；

and　upon　the　back　of　each　of　the　beasts　which　drew　the　chariots

was　perched　a　young　Martian　driver。　　Like　the　animals　upon　which

the　warriors　were　mounted；　the　heavier　draft　animals　wore　neither

bit　nor　bridle；　but　were　guided　entirely　by　telepathic　means。



This　power　is　wonderfully　developed　in　all　Martians；　and

accounts　largely　for　the　simplicity　of　their　language　and　the

relatively　few　spoken　words　exchanged　even　in　long　conversations。

It　is　the　universal　language　of　Mars；　through　the　medium

of　which　the　higher　and　lower　animals　of　this　world　of

paradoxes　are　able　to　communicate　to　a　greater　or　less　extent；

depending　upon　the　intellectual　sphere　of　the　species　and　the

development　of　the　individual。



As　the　cavalcade　took　up　the　line　of　march　in　single　file；

Sola　dragged　me　into　an　empty　chariot　and　we　proceeded

with　the　procession　toward　the　point　by　which　I　had　entered

the　city　the　day　before。　　At　the　head　of　the　caravan　rode　some

two　hundred　warriors；　five　abreast；　and　a　like　number

brought　up　the　rear；　while　twenty…five　or　thirty　outriders

flanked　us　on　either　side。



Every　one　but　myselfmen；　women；　and　childrenwere

heavily　armed；　and　at　the　tail　of　each　chariot　trotted　a

Martian　hound；　my　own　beast　following　closely　behind　ours；　in

fact；　the　faithful　creature　never　left　me　voluntarily　during　the

entire　ten　years　I　spent　on　Mars。　　Our　way　led　out　across　the

little　valley　before　the　city；　through　the　hills；　and　down　into

the　dead　sea　bottom　which　I　had　traversed　on　my　journey

from　the　incubator　to　the　plaza。　　The　incubator；　as　it　proved；

was　the　terminal　point　of　our　journey　this　day；　and；　as　the

entire　cavalcade　broke　into　a　mad　gallop　as　soon　as　we

reached　the　level　expanse　of　sea　bottom；　we　were　soon　within

sight　of　our　goal。



On　reaching　it　the　chariots　were　parked　with　military

precision　on　the　four　sides　of　the　enclosure；　and　half　a　score

of　warriors；　headed　by　the　enormous　chieftain；　and　including

Tars　Tarkas　and　several　other　lesser　chiefs；　dismounted　and

advanced　toward　it。　　I　could　see　Tars　Tarkas　explaining　something

to　the　principal　chieftain；　whose　name；　by　the　way；　was；

as　nearly　as　I　can　translate　it　into　English；　Lorquas　Ptomel；

Jed；　jed　being　his　title。



I　was　soon　appraised　of　the　subject　of　their　conversation；　as；

calling　to　Sola；　Tars　Tarkas　signed　for　her　to　send　me　to　him。

I　had　by　this　time　mastered　the　intricacies　of　walking　under

Martian　conditions；　and　quickly　responding　to　his　command

I　advanced　to　the　side　of　the　incubator　where　the　warriors

stood。



As　I　reached　their　side　a　glance　showed　me　that　all　but　a

very　few　eggs　had　hatched；　the　incubator　being　fairly　alive

with　the　hideous　little　devils。　　They　ranged　in　height　from

three　to　four　feet；　and　were　moving　restlessly　about　the

enclosure　as　though　searching　for　food。



As　I　came　to　a　halt　before　him；　Tars　Tarkas　pointed　over

the　incubator　and　said；　〃Sak。〃　　I　saw　that　he　wanted　me　to

repeat　my　performance　of　yesterday　for　the　edification　of

Lorquas　Ptomel；　and；　as　I　must　confess　that　my　prowess　gave

me　no　little　satisfaction；　I　responded　quickly；　leaping　entirely

over　the　parked　chariots　on　the　far　side　of　the　incubator。　　As

I　returned；　Lorquas　Ptomel　grunted　something　at　me；　and

turning　to　his　warriors　gave　a　few　words　of　command　relative

to　the　incubator。　　They　paid　no　further　attention　to　me　and　I

was　thus　permitted　to　remain　close　and　watch　their　operations；

which　consisted　in　breaking　an　opening　in　the　wall　of　the

incubator　large　enough　to　permit　of　the　exit　of　the　young　Martians。



On　either　side　of　this　opening　the　women　and　the　younger　Martians；

both　male　and　female；　formed　two　solid　walls　leading　out

through　the　chariots　and　quite　away　into　the　plain　beyond。

Between　these　walls　the　little　Martians　scampered；

wild　as　deer；　being　permitted　to　run　the　full　length　of　the

aisle；　where　they　were　captured　one　at　a　time　by　the　women

and　older　children；　the　last　in　the　line　capturing　the　first　little

one　to　reach　the　end　of　the　gauntlet；　her　opposite　in　the　line

capturing　the　second；　and　so　on　until　all　the　little　fellows　had

left　the　enclosure　and　been　appropriated　by　some　youth　or

female。　　As　the　women　caught　the　young　they　fell　out　of　line

and　returned　to　their　respective　chariots；　while　those　who　fell

into　the　hands　of　the　young　men　were　later　turned　over　to

some　of　the　women。



I　saw　that　the　ceremony；　if　it　could　be　dignified　by　such

a　name；　was　over；　and　seeking　out　Sola　I　found　her　in　our

chariot　with　a　hideous　little　creature　held　tightly　in　her　arms。



The　work　of　rearing　young；　green　Martians　consists　solely

in　teaching　them　to　talk；　and　to　use　the　weapons　of　warfare

with　which　they　are　loaded　down　from　the　very　first　year　of

their　lives。　　Coming　from　eggs　in　which　they　have　lain　for

five　years；　the　period　of　incubation；　they　step　forth　into　the

world　perfectly　developed　except　in　size。　　Entirely　unknown

to　their　mothers；　who；　in　turn；　would　have　difficulty　in

pointing　out　the　fathers　with　any　degree　of　accuracy；　they　are

the　common　children　of　the　community；　and　their　education

devolves　upon　the　females　who　chance　to　capture　them　as

they　leave　the　incubator。



Their　foster　mothers　may　not　even　have　had　an　egg　in　the

incubator；　as　was　the　case　with　Sola；　who　had　not　commenced

to　lay；　until　less　than　a　year　before　she　became　the　mother　of

another　woman's　offspring。　　But　this　counts　for　little　among

the　green　Martians；　as　parental　and　filial　love　is　as　unknown　to

them　as　it　is　common　among　us。　　I　believe　this　horrible　system

which　has　been　carried　on　for　ages　is　the　direct　cause　of　the

loss　of　all　the　finer　feelings　and　higher　humanitarian　instincts

among　these　poor　creatures。　　From　birth　they　know　no　father

or　mother　love；　they　know　not　the　meaning　of　the　word　home；

they　are　taught　that　they　are　only　suffered　to　live　until　they

can　demonstrate　by　their　physique　and　ferocity　that　they　are

fit　to　live。　　Should　they　prove　deformed　or　defective　in　any　way

they　are　promptly　shot；　nor　do　they　see　a　tear　shed　for　a

single　one　of　the　many　cruel　hardshi