NORTTT PLATTE SEMT-WT3T3KLY TRIBUNE
rJVCWGOCOCOSCCCCCOCCCOOOSOCCGOCOOC
A Princess
of Mars
Copright, A. 0. McClnrff and Company
ccccccccoccocosccccccooccc
CHAPTER XIV Continued.
11
Dojah Thorlff only smiled tho more
and with the roguish dimples playing
lit the corners of her mouth she mado
answer:
"From the beginning of time upon
Itarsoorn It htm been the prerogative
of woman to chnngo Iter mind ns she
listed nnd to dissemble In tnntterH con
cerning her heurt. That you will for
give, Than Kosls, as has your koii.
Two dnn ngo I was not mire of bin
love for mo, but now I nm, nnd I
have corao to beg of you to forget
my rash words and to accept the ns
Hiirnncc of the princess of Helium
that when the time comes she will
wed San Than, prince of Zodaugu."
"I nm glad thnt you have so de
cided," replied Than Kosls. "It Is fnr
from my desire to push war further
against the people of Helium, and,
your promise shall be recorded and
a proclamation to my people Issued
forthwith. Wo shall see how the peo
ple of Helium take to peace. I shall
at lenst offer It to thenv"
Dejnh Thorls, nfter u few words,
turned and left the apartment, still
followed by her guards.
Thus was the edifice of my brief
dr'eam of happiness dashed, broken,
(0 the ground of reality. The woman
fCr whom I had offered my life, nnd
from whoso Hps I had so recently
hfnrd a declaration of love for me,
hid lightly forgotten my very exist
ence and smilingly given herself to
tV son of her people's most hnted
rttuftiy.
Although I had heard It with my
own ears 1 could not believe It. I
must seurclf out her apartments and
force her to repeat the cruel .truth
,o me alone before I would be con
"Inced, nnd so I deserted my post
Mid hastened through the passage ne
".Ind the tnpestrles townrd the door
ty which alio had left the chamber.
Slipping quietly through this opening
( discovered u maze of winding corri
dors, branching and turning In every
direction.
Uiumlng rapidly down first one nnd
then another of them I soon becumo
hopelessly lost and was standing pant
ing Against u side wall when I heard
voices near mo. Apparently they were
corning from the opposite sldu of the
partition ugainst which I leaned and
presently I made out the tone ot De
jnh Thorls. I coidd not hear the words
but I know that I could not possibly
be mistaken In the voice.
Walking boldly forward I pushed
Into the room only to llnd myself In
tuimll nntechnnibor In which were
the four guards who had nccompanlcd
Iter, One of them Instantly arose and
Accosted me, asking the nature of my
luminous.
"I nm from Than Kosls," I roplled,
"and wish to speak privately with
Dejah Thorls, princess of Helium."
"No ono comes from Tlinp Kosls
ivltliout carrying an ordor or thu pass
word. You must give mo ono or the
thor before you may pass."
"The only order I require, my friend,
Mo enter whero I will, hnngs at my
ildo," I answered, tapping my long
word; "will you let mo pass In peace
or no?"
"Vou aro not hero by the order of
Than Kosls," cried the one who had
first addressed mo, "and not only shall
you not enter tlio apartments of the
princess of Helium, hut you shall go
buck to Tbnn Kosls urider guard to ox
plnln thlH unwarranted temerity.
Throw down your sword ; you 'cannot
liopo to ovcrcomo four of us," ho added
with a grim sinllo.
My reply was a quick thrust which
left me but three antagonists and I
can assure you Unit thoy wero worthy
of my motnl. Thoy had mo bneked
against the wall In no time, lighting
for my life. Slowly I worked my way
to a corner of the room whero I could
force thorn to como nt mo only ono nt
time, and thus wo fought upward of
twentv minutes: the clanging of steel
on steel producing a veritable bedlam
in the llttlo room.
Tho noise bad brought Dojah Thorls
to the door of her apartment, nnd
(hero sho stood throughout the conflict
with Sola at her back peering over her
shoulder. Her face was sot and emo
tionless and I knew that sho did not
recognize mo, nor did Sola.
Flnnlly n lucky cut brought down n
second guardsman and then, with only
two opposing mo, I changed my tactics
nnd rushed them down nfter the
fashion of my lighting thnt had won
mo ninny a victory. Tho third foil
within ten seconds nfter tho second,
and tho last lay dead upon tho bloody
floor a few moments Inter, Thoy wore
brnve men and noble lighters, and It
grieved mo thnt I had been forced to
kill them, but I would have willingly
depopulated nil lSnrsoom could I Smvo
reached the sldo of my Dejah Hinrls
in no other vwiy.
Sheathing my bloody blade I nd
vnccV townrd my Martian princess,
who still stood mutoly gnilng at me
without Blgn of recognition.
"Who aro you, Zodangan?" sho wills
iwred. "Another enemy to harass mo
Jn my misery?"
"I nm n friend," I nnswored, "a once
'hcrlshed friend."
(JNo friend of Helium's princes
venrs Hint metal," she replied, "and
jet the voice 1 I have heurd It before;
II Is not It cannot be no, for he Is
dead."
"It Is, though, my princess, none oth
er than .Tohn Carter,". I said. "Do you
not recognize, even through paint and
strange metal, the heart of your chief
tain?" As I came close to her she swnyed
toward me with outstretched hands,
but ns I reached to take her In my
arms she drew back with a shudder
and a little moan of misery.
"Too late, too late," she grieved.
"Oh, ipy chieftain thnt wns, and whom
I thought dead, had you but returned
one little hour before but now It Is
Kin late, too late."
"What do you mean, Dejah Thorls?"
I cried. "That you would not hnve
promised yourself to the Zmlangan
prince had you known that I lived?"
"Think you, John Carter, that I
would give my heart to you yesterday
and today to nnother? I thought thnt
It lay burled with your ashes In tho
pits of Wnrhoon, nnd so today I have
promised my body to another to save
my people from the curse of n vic
torious Zodungan army, I am as good
as married. John Carter. No longer
may you call me your princess. No
longer are you my chieftain."
"I know but little of your customs
here upon Ilarsoom, Dejah Thorls, but
I do know thnt I love you, and If you
meant the last words yon spoke to me
that day as the hordes of Warhoon
were .charging down upon us, no other
mini shall ever claim you as his bride.
Vou meant them then, my prjncess.
and you mean thenf still ! Say thnt It
Is true."
"I meant them, John Carter," she
whispered. "I cannot repeat them now,
for I hove given myself 10 another, Ah,
If you had only known our ways, my
friend," she continued, half to herself,
"the promise would have been yours
long months ngo, and you could have
claimed me before nil others."
Thon nl.m.l ulwi n.il.1. liri ....
. rti.i- nun, . Ji uu 113-
member the night when you offended
mc7 You called me your princess
without having nsked my hand of me,
nnd then you boasted that you had
fought for me. You did not know, nnd
I should not have been offended : I see
that now. Hut there wns no one to tel
you, whnt I could not, that upon Ilar
soom there aro two kinds of women In
thu cities of the red men. The ono they
light for that, they may ask them In
mnrrlage; tho other kind they light for
also, but never ask their hands. When
a man has won n woman he may ad
dress her as his princess, or In nny of
the several terms which signify posses
sion. You had fought for me, but had
never asked me In marriage, and so
when you called me your princess, you
see," sho faltered, "I was hurt, but
oven then, John Carter, I did not re
pulse you, ns I should lmvo done, until
you mndo It doubly worse by taunting
mo with having won me through com
bnt." "I do not need ask your forgiveness
now, Dejah Thorls," I cried. "You
must know that my fault was of
Ignorance of your Hnrsoomlnn customs.
Whnt I failed to do. through Implicit
I ft WW
Thoy Wero Bravo Men and Noble
Fighters, and It Grieved Mo That I
Had Been Forced to Kill Them.
hollef that my petition wonld be pre
sumptuous nnd unwelcomo, I do now,
Dojah Thorls ; I nslr you to be my wlf o,
and by all tl?e VLrjlrtaa lighting blood
thnt fleTTs In my veins you shnll be."
"No, John Cnrtor. It In useless," sho
crlw!, hopelessly. "It Is useless, my
friend. You must bear tho sorrow with
me. Thnt nt lenst wo may share In
common. Thnt, and the memory of
tho brief dnys among the Thnrks. You
must go now, nor ever see me ngnln.
Good-by, my chieftain that was."
Disheartened nnd dejected, I with
drew from tho room, but I was not en
tirely discouraged, nor would I admit
that Dejah Tliorls was lost to mo un
mm ii m
2K
EDGAR RICE
BURROUGHS
juther of
Tarzan of the Apes
til the ceremony had actually been
performed.
As I wandered along the corridors,
I wns as absolutely lost In the mazes
of winding pnssagoways ns I had been
before I discovered Dejnh Thorls'
upnrtmcnts.
Presently I enmo upon a spiral run
way leading to a lower floor, and this I
followed downward for several stories
until I reached the doorway of a large
apartment In which were n number of
guardsmen. The wnlls of this room
were hung with trnnspnrcnt tapestries
behind which I secreted myself with
out being apprehended.
Tho conversation of the guardsmen
wns genernl, and awakened no Interest
In me until nn ofllcer entered the room
and ordered four of the men to relieve
the detail who were guarding the
princess of Helium. Now, I knew, my
troubles would commence In earnest
nnd Indeed they were upon me nil too
soon, for It Beemcd thnt the sqund had
scarcely left the guardroom before one
of their number burst In again brenth
lessly, crying that they had found
their four comrades butchered In the
antechamber.
In a moment the entire palace was
alive with people. Guardsmen, offi
cers, courtiers, servants and slaves ran
heltcr skelter through the corridors
and apartments carrying messages and
orders, and searching for signs of the
assassin.
This was my opportunity nnd slim
ns It appeared I grasped It, for as a
number of soldiers came hurrying past
my hiding plnce I fell In behind them
nnd followed through the mazes of the
palace until, In passing through a
great hall, I saw the blessed light of
day coming In through a series of
larger windows.
Here I left my guides, nnd, slipping
to the nenrest window, sought for an
avenue of csenpe. The windows opened
upon n great bnlcony which overlooked
one of the broad avenues of Zodanga.
The ground wns about thirty feet be
low, nnd nt a like distance from the
building was a wall fully twenty feet
high, constructed of polished glnss
about n foot in thickness. To a red
Martian escape by this, path would
have appeared Impossible, but to me,
with my earthly strength and agility,
It seemed already accomplished. My
only fear wns In being detected before
darkness fell, for I could not mnke the
leap In broad daylight while the court
below anil the avenue beyond were
crowded with Zodangans.
Accordingly I searched for a hiding
plnco and finally found ono by Occi
dent, Inside n hugo hnnglng ornament
which hung from the celling of the
hall, nnd nbout ten feet from the floor.
Into the cnpaclous bowl-like vase I
sprang with ease, nnd scarcely had I
settled down within It than I heard n
number of people enter the npnrtment.
Tho group stopped beneath my hiding
plnce nnd I could plainly overhear
their every word.
"It is tho work of nellumltes," snld
ono of the men.
"Yes, O Jeddnk, but how had they
access to tho palace? We shall soon
know, however, for hero comes the
royal psychologist."
Another mnn now Joined tho group,
nnd, nfter mnklng his formnl greetings
to his ruler, said:
"O mighty Jeddnk, It Is a strange
talo I read In tho (lend minds of your
faithful guardsmen. They were felled
not by a number of fighting men, but
by n slnglo opponent."
He paused to let tho full weight of
this announcement Impress his hear
ers, nnd thnt his statement wns scarce
ly credited was evidenced by tho Impa
tient exclamntlon of Incredulity which
escaped tho lips of Than Kosls.
"Where Is my erstwhile snvlor?"
spoke another of tho pnrty, and I rec
ognized tho voice of the cousin of
Than Kosls, whom I had rescued from
the green warriors. "By the metal of
my first ancestor," ho went on. "but
tho description fits him to perfection,
especially as to his fighting ability."
"Where Is this man?" cried Than
Kosls. "nnvo him brought to mo at
on co."
Word was soon brought that I was
nowhoro to bo found, either In tho
palaco or at my former quarters in
tho barracks of tho air-scout squadron.
Knntos Kan they had found and ques
tioned, but ho knew nothing of my
whereabouts, and as to my pant, he
had told them ho knew us little, since
ho had but recently met me during
our captivity among tho Wnrhoons.
"Keep your eyes on this other one."
commnnded Thun Kosls. "He olso Is
n stranger and likely as not they both
hall from Helium, and where one Is
wo phnll sooner or later find the oth
er." Another messenger now entered
with word thnt I was still within the
palace walls.
"The likeness of every person who
has entered or left the palace grounds
today bus been carefully examined."
concluded tho fellow, "and not one ap
proaches tho likeness of this new pad
war of the Guards, other thnn that
which was recorded of him nt the time
ho entered."
"Then wo will hnvo him shortly,"
commented Than Kosls contentedly,
"and in the meanwhile wo will repair
to tho apartments of tho princess of
Helium and question her In regard to
SCOT
the affair. She may know more than
she cared to divulge to you, Notun.
Come."
They left the hall, and, ns darkness
had fallen without, I slipped lightly
from my hiding plnce and hastened to
the bnlcony. Few were Irt sight, and
choosing a moment when none seemed
near I sprang quickly to tho top of the
glass wall nnd from there to the ave
nue beyond the pnlnce grounds. -
CHAPTER XV.
Lost In the Sky.
Without effort ut concealment T
hastened to the vicinity of our qunr
tors, where I felt sure J should find
Knntos Knn. He vas alone and
showed no surprise at my coming,
snylng he hud expected me much
earlier, us my tour of duty must have J
ended some time since. j
I saw that he knew nothing of the
events of the dny at tho palace, and (
when I had enlightened him he was all
excitement. The news that Dejnh ThorlH
had promised her hand to Sub Than
filled him with dismay.
"It cannot be," he exclaimed. "It Is
impossible 1 Why, no man In all Heli
um but would prefer death to the sell
ing of our loved princess to the ruling
house of Zodanga. She must have lost
her mind to have assented to such an
atrocious bargain. What can be done,
John Carter? You are a resourceful
man. Cnn you not thluk of some way
to save Helium from this disgrace?"
"If 1 can come within sword's reach
of Sab Than," I unswered, "I can solve
the difficulty In so far as Helium Is
concerned, but for personal reasons I
would prefer that another struck the
blow that frees Dejnh Thorls."
Kantos Kan eyed mo nnrrowly be
fore he spoke.
"You love her!" he said. "Does she
know It?"
"She knows It, Kantos Knn. and re
pulses me only because she Is prom
ised to Snb Than."
The splendid fellow sprang to his
feet and, grasping me by the shoul
der, raised his sword on high, ex
claiming: "And had the choice been left to me
I could not have chosen a more fitting
mnte for the first princess of Barsoom.
Here Is my hand upon your shoulder,
John Cnrter, and my word that Sab
Than shall go out ot the point of my
sword for the sake of my love for
Helium, for Dejah Thorls, and for you.
This very night I shnll try to reach his
quarters In the palace.
"I only -need to pass these guards
and I can do It. I know u secret en
trance to'the pnlnco through the pln
nncle of the highest tower. I fell upon
it by chance one day as I was passing
above the palace on patrol duty. If I
can reach the roof of the barracks and
get my machine I can be In Sab Thau's
qunrters In five minutes; but how am
I to escape from this building, guard
ed ns you say It Is?"
"Go to the roof of this building.
Kantos Kan, nnd wait me there."
Without stopping to explain my
plans I retraced my way to the street
and hastened to the barracks. I did
not dnre to enter the building, tilled ns
It was with members of the air-scout
Kquadron, who, In common with nil
Zodnngn, were on the lookout for me.
The building was nn enormous one,
rearing its lofty head fully a thousand
feet Into the nlr. It was n long cllm
up the face of the building, but there
was no other way, and so I essayed
the task. The f,uet that Barsoomlnn
nrchltecturo Is extremely ornate made
the feat much simpler thnn I had nn
clpated, since I found oninmentnl
ledges nnd projections which fairly
formed n perfect ladder for me all the
wny to the eaves of the building. Here
I met my first real obstacle. Tho eaves
projected nearly twenty feet from the
wall to which I clung, and though I
encircled the great building I could
find no opening through them.
There wns one slight, desperate
chance, nnd that I decided I must take
It was for Dojah Thorls, and no man
has lived who would not risk a thou
sand denths for such as she.
Clinging to the wall with my feet
and one hand I unloosened one of thy
long lenther straps of my trappings
at the end of which dangled n great
hook by which air sailors are hung to
the sides and bottoms of their craft
for various purposes of repair, and by
means of which landing parties arc
lowered to the ground from the battle
ships. I swung this hook cautlpusly to tho
roof several times before It flnnlly
found lodgment; gently I pulled on It
to strengthen Its hold, but whether It
would benr the weight of my body I
did not know. It might be barely
caught upon the very outer verge of
the roof, so thnt as my body swung out
ut tho end of the strap It would slip
off and launch me to the pavement a
thousand feet below.
An Instant I hesltnted, and then, re
lenslng my graijp upon tho supporting
ornament, I swung out Into space at
tho end of the strup. Far below me
lny the brllllnntly lighted streets, the
hard pavements, nnd denth. There was
a little Jerk at tho top of the support
ing eaves, nnd n nasty slipping, grat
ing sound which turned me cold with
apprehension; then the hook cnught
und I was safe.
Clambering quickly aloft I grasped
the edge of the eaves and drew myself
to the surface of tho room above. As
I gained my feet I wns confronted by
the sentry on duty, Into the muzzle of
whose revolver I found myself looking.
"Who are you nnd whence enmo
you?" he cried.
"I nm nn air scout, friend, and very
near a dead one. for Just uy tho merest
chance I escaped falling to the avenue
below." I replied.
"Hut how enmo you upon tho roof,
mnn? Quick, explain yourself, or I
cull tho guard."
. "Look you here, sentry, and you
shall see how, I camo and how close a
-have I hnd to not coming ut all," I an
swered, turning toward the eitgo of the
roof, where, twenty fet below, nt tho
end of my strap, hung all rny weapons.
Tho fellow, acting on Impulse of cu
riosity, stepped to my side nqd to his
undoing, for ns he leaned to peer over
the eaves I grasped him by his throat
nndhls pistol arm nnd threw him heav
ily to the roof. Tho weapoi dropped
from his grasp, and my lingers choked
off his uttempted cry for assistance. I
gagged nnd bound him nnd then hung
him over the edge of the roof as I my
self had hung a few minutes before.
I knew It would bo morning before he
would bo discovered, nnd I needed all
the time that I could gain.
Donning my trappings nnd weapons
I hastened to the sheds, nnd soon had
?vt both my machine and Kantos
an's. Making his fast behind mine I
started my engine, and skimming over
the edge of the roof I dove down Into
the streets of the city far below the
plane usually occupied by the nlr pa
trol. In less thun a minute I was set
tling safely upon the roof of our apart
ment beside the astonished Kantos
Knn.
It was decided that I was to try to
make Helium, while Kantos Kan was
to enter the palace and dispatch Sab
Thnn. If successful he was then to
The Weapon Dropped From HIa
Grasp and My Fingers Choked Off
His Attempted Cry for Assistance.
follow me. Bidding each other fare
well we rose together and sped In the
direction of the palace, which lay In
the route which I must take to reach
Helium.
As we neared tho high tower n pn
troNbot down from above, throwing
its piercing searchlight full upon my
craft, and a voice roared out a com
mand to halt, following with a shot ns
I paid no attention to the hnll. Kantos
Knn dropped quickly Into the dark
ness, while I rose steadily and at ter
rific speed raced through the Martlnn
sky followed by n, dozen of the nlr
scout craft which had Joined the pur
suit, and later by n swift cruiser car
rying a hundred men und a battery of
rapid-fire guns. By twisting nnd turn
ing my little machine, now rising nnd
now fnlllng, I mnnnged to elude their
searchlights most of the time, but I
was also losing ground by these tnc
tlcs, and so I decided to hazard every
thing on a stralght-away course nnd
leave the result to fate und the speed
of my machine.
Kantos Kan had shown me a trick
of gearing, which is known only to the
navy of nellum, that greatly Increased
tho speed of our machines, so thnt I
felt sure I could dlstnnco my pursuers
If I could dodgo their projectiles for
a few moments.
Gradually I left my pursuers further
and further behind, and I was Just con
gratulating myself on my lucky escape,
when a well-directed shot from the
cruiser exploded nt the prow of my
little craft. The concussion nearly
capsized her, and with a sickening
plunge she hurtled downwurd through
tho dark night.
How fnr I fell before I regained con
trol of the plane I do not know, but I
must have been very close to the
ground when I started to rise again,
as I plainly heard tho squenllng of ani
mals below me. Rising ngnln, I
scanned the heavens for my pursuers,
nnd flnnlly making out their lights fnr
behind me, saw that they were land
ing, evidently in senrch of me.
Not until their lights were no longer
discernible did I venture to flash my
llttlo lamp upon my compnss, and then
I found to my consternation that a
fragment of the projectllo had utterly
destroyed my only guide, ns well as
my speedometer. It was true I could
follow tho stars In the genernl direc
tion of Helium, but without knowing
tho exact location of tho city or the
speed at which I was traveling njy
chances for finding It were slim.
(TO I1H CONTINUED.)
Scents In Wood.
With tho woods of tho world to
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find In woods.
Do you
know
why
its toasted
To goal In tho
dollcious Burloy
tobacco flavor.
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Please rememher, Theodore, while
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of explanation.
There is no excuse for tle dyspeptic with
Garfield Tea accessible at every drug store.
Adv.
Wo cannot expect good to como back
to na unless wo send out good.
mr ' Morning
Keep Your EVes
Clonn - Clear Hcsoltl-iy1
Writ Tor fr Cya Cars Book Huriiw Co.Cilc.to.Ul