NORTTT PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. CHAPTER XV Continued. 12 Helium lies n thouwind nilleH Kotitli went of 'ZodnnRn, and with my com pans Intact I Hlioulil have mnde tho trip, barring nccltlcntH, In between four mid five liourn. Ah It turned out, however, morning found me eedlng over n vnHt expanse of dend Hen hot torn nfter nearly six liourH of contlnii ouh fllgbt nt high Hpced. About noon I pnsHod low over n great dead city of ancient Mar, and as I Hklmmed out iutosh the plnln I came full upon nevcral thousand green warriors engaged In a terrlllc lint tie. Scarcely lutd I seen tlifin tlian a vol ley of sholH wiih directed at me, and with tho almost unfailing accuracy of their aim my little craft wuh Inntiintly n ruined wreck, winking erratically to the ground. I fell nlmoHt directly In the center of the fierce combat, ninong warriors who had not seen my approach, ho busily were thtry cngnged In life nnd death Htrugglos. As my machine sank among them I realized that It was tight or die, with Rood chances of dying In any event, and so I struck the ground with drawn longHWord ready to de fend myself as I could, I fell beside a huge monster who wits engaged with three nnliigonlsta, nnd as I glanced at his tierce face, filled with the light of battle, 1 recognized Tars Tarkas the Thark, Ho did not sec me, as I wns a trllle behind lilm, and Just then tho three warriors opposing him, and whom I recognized as Warhoons, charged simultaneously. The mighty fellow made quick work of one of them, but In stepping bnck for an other thrust he fell over n dead body behind him nnd was down; and nt the mercy of his foes In an Instant. Quick as lightning they wero upon htm, and Tars Tarkas would Imvo been gathered to his fathers In short order had I not' sprung before his prostrate form and engaged his adversaries. I had ac counted for one of them when tho mighty Thnrk regained his feet and quickly settled the other. lie gave me one look, and a slight smile touched his grlin lips as, touch ing my shoulder, ho said: "I would scarcely recognize you, .lolin Cnrter, but there Is no other upon llarsoom who would havo done what you have for me. I think I have learned that there Is such a thing as friendship, my friend." Ho snld no more, nor was there op portunity, for the Warhoons were clos ing In about us, and together wo fought, shoulder to shoulder, during nil that long, hot afternoon, until tho tide of battle turned nnd tho remnant of tho llerco Wurhoon horde fell back upon their thonts, and tied Into the gathering dnrkness. ' On our return to tho city nfter the battle wo had gono directly to Tars Tarkas' quart ere, where I was left alone1 while tho chieftain attended the customary council which Immediately follows an engagement. As I was awaiting the return of the green warrior I heard something move In an adjoining apartment, nnd as I glnnced up there rushed suddenly upon me u huge nnd hideous creature which bore me backward upon the pile of silks and furs upon which I had been reclining. It was Woola faithful, lov lug Woola. Ho had found his wny bnck to Thark and, as Tare Tnrkas later told me, had gone Immediately to my former quarters where ho had taken up his pathetic nnd seemingly hopeless watch for my return. "Tnl Ilajus knows that you are here, John Carter," siild Tars Tarkas, on bis return from tho Jeddak's quarter; "SarkoJa saw and recognized you ns M'o wero returning. Tnl Ilajus bus or dered mo to bring you before him to night. I havo ten t boats, John Cnr ter; you may tako your choice from among them, and I will accompany you to tho nenrest waterway that leads to Helium. Cpme, we must stnrt." "And when you return, Tare Tar kiis?" I asked. "Tho wild allots, possibly, or worse," ho replied. "Utiles I should chance to havo the opportunity I huve so long waited of buttling with Tnl Ilajus." "We will stay. Tars Tarkas, and see Tnl Ilajus tonight. You shnll not sac rifice yourself, nnd it may he that to night you can havo the choice you wait." While we wore eating I repeated to Tars Tarkas the story which Sola had told me that night upon the sea bottom during tho march to Thark. He snld but little, but the great muscles of his face worked in passion and In ugony nt recollection of the hirtvure which hud been heaped upon the only thing ho had ever loved In all bis cold, cruel, tnrrlulo existence. Ho no longer demurred when I sug gested that we go boforo Tnl Hit Jus, 'olily saying that ho would like to speak to SarkoJa first. At his request I ne compiinled htm to her quarters, ! "Sarltoja," said Tare Tarkas, "forty fry EdgarlticeBurrotighs Author of Tarzan Of Tfie Apes IlluA'trationj" by IRWIN MYEKS AC.McClurg and Company years ago you were Instrumental In bringing about the torture and ilenth of a womiin named (loznva. I have Just discovered that the warrior who loved that woman has learned of your part In the transaction. He may not kill you, Snrkoja, It Is not our custom, but there Is nothing to prevent him tyjng one end of a strap about your neck nnd the other end to u wild (boat, merely to test your fitness to survive and help perpetuate our race. Having heard that he would do this on the morrow, I thought It only right to warn you, for I am u Just mini. The river Iss Is but a short pilgrimage, SarkoJa. Come, John Carter'." The next morning SarkoJa was gone, tmr wns she ever1 seen uftor. In silence we hastened to the Jed Ink's palace, where we were Immedi ately admitted to his presence; In fact, he could scarcely wait to see me nnd wns standing erect upon his platform glowering at the entrance ns I came Jn. "Strap him to thnt pillar," he shrieked. "We shall see who It Is dares strike the mighty Tnl Ilajus. Heat the Irons; with inv own hands I shall burn the eyes from his head thnt he may not pollute my person with his Vile gaze." "Chieftains of Thark," I cried, turn lug to the assembled council and Ig noring Tal Ilajus, "I have been a chief among you, nnd today I have fought for Thark shoulder to shoulder with her greatest warrior. You owe me, at least, a hearing. I have won that much today. You claim (o be Just people " "Silence," roared Tal Ilajus. "dag the creature and bind lilm ns I com mand." "Justice, Tal Hajus," exclaimed Lor quiiH I'tomel. "Who nre you to set nslde the customs of ages among the Tharks?" "Yes, Justice!" echoed a dozen voices, nnd so, while Tal Ilajus fumed nnd frothed, I continued. "You nre n brave people and you love bravery, but where was your mighty Jeddnk during the fighting to- day? I did not sec hint In the thick of battle; he was not there. He rends defenseless women and little children In his lair, but bow recently has one of you seen lilm fight with men? Why, oven I, u midget beside lilm, felled lilm with u single blow of my fist. Is It of such that the Tharks fashion their Jeddnks? There stands beside me now n great Thark, a mighty warrior and u nol)l(( man. Chieftains, how sounds, Tnrs Tnrkns, Jeddnk of Thark?" A roar of deep-toned applause greet- ed this suggestion. "It but romnlns for this council to comii)iui(l, and Tal Hajus must prove his fitness to rule. Were he a brave man he would Invite Tnrs Tarkas to combat, for he does not lovo lilm, but "Heat the Irons; With My Own Hands I Shall Burn the Eyes From His Head." Tal Hajus Is afraid; Tal Ilajus, your Jeddnk, Is n cowurd. With my bare hands I could kill lilm, and be knows It." After I ceased there was tense si lence, iih nil eyes were riveted upon Till Hajus. He did not speak or move, but the blotchy groon of his conn- tcunnco turned livid, nnd the froth froze upon his Hps. "Tnl Ilajus," said Lorqiias I'tomel In a cold, hard vrJce, "never In inydong life have 1 seen a Jeddak of the Tharks mo humiliated, There could be but ouo answer, to this nrrnlgnmcnt. We wntt It." And still Tnl Hajus stood as though petrified. "Chieftains," continued Lorquas I'tomel, "snail tne jeriiiaK, rat ilajus, prove his fitness to rule over lau Tur ku s?" There wero twenty chieftains nbout the rostrum, nnd twenty swords (lashed high In assent. There wns no nltcrilntlve. That de cree wns flnnl, and bo Tnl Hajus drew his longsword nnd advanced to meet Tars Tarkas. The combnt was soon over, nnd, with his foot upon the neck of the dend monster, Tars Tarkas became Jcddnk among tho Tharks. Ills first net was to make. me n full- fledged chieftain with the rank I hnd won by my cmibnts the first few weeks of my captivity among them. Seeing the favorable disposition of the warriors toward Tars Tarkas, ns well as toward me, I grasped the op portunity to enlist them In my "cause against Zodnnga. I told Tars Tnrkns tho story at my adventures, nnd In n few words had explained to him the thought I hnd In mind. "John Carter has made a proposal," ho snld, addressing the council, "which meets with my snnctlnn. I shnll put It to you briefly. DeJah Thorls, the princess of Helium, who Wan our pris oner, Is now held by the Jeddnk of Zo dangii, whose son she must wed to wm. Il0r country from devastation at the hands of the Zodaugaii forces. 'John Cnrter suggests that we res cue her, and return her to Helium. The loot of Zodanga would be magnificent, und I have often thought that had we an alliance with the people of Helium wo could obtain sufficient assurance of sustenance to permit us to Increase tho size and frequency of our hatch- lugs, and thus become iinquostlonnhly supreme among the green men of nil Hursootn. What say you?" It was u chance to light, an oppor tunity to loot, and they rose to the halt as a speckled trout to a fly. In three .days we were on the march toward Zodnnga, one hundred thou- sum! strong, as, Tnrs Tarkas had been able to enlist the services of three smaller hordes on the promise of the great loot of Zodnnga. We traveled entirely by night, timing our marches so that we camped dur ing the day at deserted cities where. even to the beasts, we were all kept Indoors during the daylight hours. On the march Tars Tarkas. through his remarkable ability and statesmanship, enlisted fifty thousand more wnrrlors from vnrlous hordes, so that, ten dnys after we set out we halted at midnight outside the grent walled city of Zo- diingii, one hundred and fifty thousand strong. The task of obtaining entry to the city devolved upon me. I took twenty dismounted warriors and approached one of the small gates that pierced the walls at short Intervals. Placing three of my wnrrlors with their faces to the wall nnd nrms locked, I commanded two moro to mount to their shoulders, nnd n sixth I ordered to climb upon the shoulders of the upper two. The head of the top most warrior towered over forty feet from the ground. In this wny, with ten wnrrlors, I built a series of three steps from the ground to the shoulders of the topmost man. Then sturtlng from n short dls tanco behind them I run swiftly up from one tier to the next, und with a final bound from the broad shoulders of the highest I clutched the top of tho Krcnt wnU 'Udetly drew myself to us oronii expanse. Alter me i dragged six lengths, of leather from an equal number of my wnrrlors.. These lengths we hnd previously fastened together, mid passing one end to the topmost warrior I lowered the other end cnu- tlously over the opposite side of the wnll toward the avenue below. No one wns In sight, so, lowering myself to tho end of my leather strap, I dropped the remnlnlng thirty feet to the pave ment below. T had learned from Knntos Kan the secret of opening these gates, and In nnother moment my twenty great light ing men stood within the doomed city of Zodnngu, I found to my delight thnt I had en tered nt the lower boundary of the enormous piuace grounds. uiKpaiciiiiig one of my men to Tars Tarkas for a detail of fifty Tharks. with word of my Intentions, 1 ordered ten warriors to capture and open one of tho great gates while with the nine remaining I took the other. We wero to do our work quietly, no shots were to be fired and no general advance mnde utill I bad reached the palace with my fifty Tharks. Our plans worked to perfec tion. The two sentries we met were dlspntched to tlielr fathers upon the banks of the lost sea of Korus, and the guards nt both gates followed them In silence. CHAPTER XVI. Tho Looting of Zodanga. As the great gate where I stood swung open my fifty Thnrks, bended by Tnrs Tarkas himself, rode In upon tlielr mighty thonts. I led tnem to the pnlnce walls, which negotiated easily without assistance. Once In side, however, the gate gave me con. s'Idenible trouble, but I llnnlly was re warded by seeing It swing upon Its huge hinges, nnd soon my fierce es eort wns riding ncross the gnrdens of tho Jeddak of Zodnnga. As we approached the palace I could see through the great windows of the first floor Into the brilliantly lllnmiiiat ed audience chamber of Than Kosls, The Immense hall was crowded with nobles nnd their women, ns though some Important function wns In progress. At one end of the chnmber, upon mnssivo tolden thrones encrusted with din mends, sat Than Kosls and his con sort, surrounded by officers nhd dlgnl tnrles of state. Ileforo them stretched a broad nlslo lined on either side with soldiery, nnd ns I looked there entered 1 this nlslo nt tho far end of the hall, tho nemi or a procession which ndvanccd to the foot of the throne. KIrst there mnrched four officers of tile Jeddn guard bearing a huge sal var on which reposed, upon a cushion of scarlet silk, u grent golden chain with n collnr and padlock at each end. Then enme more dignitaries, and the officers of the pnlnce nnd of the tinny, nnd llnnlly two figures entirely muf fled in scarlet silk, so that not a fea ture of either was discernible. These two stopped nt the foot of the throne, fnclng Than Kosls. When the balance of the procession had entered und ns surned tlielr stations Than Kosls ad dressed the couple standing before lilm. I could not hear his words, but presently two officers advanced nnd removed the scarlet robe from one of the figures. I suw thnt Knntos Knn had failed in his mission, for it wns Sab Than, prince of Zodnnga, who stood revenled before me. Than Kosls now took a set of the ornnments from one of the salvers and placed one of the collnrs of gold nbout Ids son's neck, springing tho padlock fast. After n few more words ad dressed to San Than he turned to tho other figure, from which the officers now removed the enshrouding silks, disclosing to my now comprehending view DeJah Thorls, princess of Heli um. As the ornnments were adjusted up on her beautiful figure and her collar of gold swung open In the hands of Than Kosls I raised my longsword nbove my head and, with the heavy With My Back Against a Golden Throne I Fought Once Again for DeJah Thorls. hilt, I shuttered the glass of the great window mid sprang Into the midst of the astonished assemblage. With a bound I was on the steps of the plat form beside Than Kosls, and as he stood riveted with surprise, I brought my longsword down upon the golden chain thnt would hnve bound DeJah Thorls to another. In an Instant nil was confusion; u thousand drawn swords menaced me from every quarter, and Sab Than sprang upon me with it Jeweled dagger he had drawn from his nuptlnl orna ments. I could have killed him as eas ily as I might a lly, but the nge-old custom of Ibtrsooin stuyed my hand. nnd, grasping his wrist ns the dagger flew toward my heart, I held lilm as though In it vise and with my long sword pointed to the far end of the hall. "Zodanga has fallen," I cried. "Look 1" All eyes turned In the direction 1 hnd indicated, and there, forging through the portnls of the entrance- way rode Tnrs Tarkas and his- fifty warriors on tlielr grent thonts. A cry of alarm and amazement broke from the assemblage, but no word of fear, and In it moment the soldiers nnd nobles of Zodungn were lnrling themselves upon the advancing Tharks. Thrusting Sab Than headlong from the platform, I drew DeJah Thorls to jny side. Behind tho throne wa a nnr row doorway and In this Thnn Kosls now stood facing me, with drawn longsword. In an lustinit wo wero en gaged, and I found no mean itntago nisi. As we circled upon the broad plat form I saw Sab Than rushing up the steps to aid his father, but its he raised his hand to strike, DeJah Thorls sprang before him nnd then my sword found the spot thnt made Sab Than Jeddak of Zodnnga. As his father rolled dead upon the floor the new Jeddak tore himself free from DeJah Thorls' grasp and again we faced each other. He was soon Joined by it quar. tet of officers nnd, with my back ngninst n golden throne. I fought once ngnln for Dejnh Thorls. Calling to her to get behind me I worked my wny toward the little door way back of the throne, but the olll cers realized my Intentions and three of them sprang In behind me and blocked my chances for gaining a po sltlon whero I could have defended Dejnh Thorls against an nnny of swordsmen. The Thnrks wero having their hands full In the center of the room, and I began to realize that nothing short of n miracle could save DeJah Thorls and myself, when I saw Tnrs Tnrkns surg. tng through the crowd of pigmies thnt swarmed about him. With one swing of his mighty longsword ho laid a dozen corpses at his feet, and so ho hewed a pathway before him until in nnother moment he stood upon tha platform nesldc me, dealing death nnd destruction right und left The bmvery of tho Zodnngans wns nwe-insplrlng; not one attempted to scupe, and when tiie fighting ceased it wns because only Thurks remained alive In the great halt, other than De- ah Thorls nnd myself. Sab Thnn lay dend beside his fa ther, nnd the corpses of the flower of Zodnngun nobility nnd chlvnlry cov ered the floor of the bloody shamble". My first thought when the bnttm was over was for Knntos Knn, nnd leaving Dejnh Thorls in charge of Tnrs Tarkas I took a clnzen wnrrlors nnd hastened to the dungeons beneath tl'e palace. The jailers had nil left to Join the fighters in the throne room, so we searched the labyrinthine prison with out opposition. I called Knntos Knn's name aloud In encli new corridor nnd compnrtment, nnd flnnlly I was rewnrded by hearing fnlnt response. Guided by the sound, we soon found lilm helpless in u dnrk recess, He was ovwjoyed nt seeing me nnd to know the Cleaning of the tight, faint echoes of which hnd renched his pris on cell. He told me thnt the air pa trol bad captured lilm before he reached tho high tower of the palace, so that he had not even seen bun Than. The sounds of heavy firing, mingled with shouts nnd cries, enme to us from the city's streets, nnd Tars Tarkas hastened away to direct the fighting without. Knntos Knn accompanied him to net as guide, the green wnrrlors commencing it thorough search of the palace for other Zodangnns and for loot, and DeJah Thorls and I were left alone. She had sunk, Into one of the golden thrones, and ifs I turned to her she greeted me with n wan smile. 'Wns there ever such a man!" she exclulmed. "Alone, a stranger, hunt ed, threatened, persecuted, you hnve done in u few short months what In all the past ages of Barsoom no man hits ever done: Joined together the wild hordes of the sea bottoms nnd brought them to fight ns allies of a red Martian people." "The answer Is easy, DeJah Thorls," replied, smiling. "It was not I who did It, It was love, love for Dejnh Thorls, a power that would work greater miracles than this you have seen. I have done ninny strange things In my life, many things that wiser men would not have dared, but never In m.v wildest fnncles have I dreamed of winning n Dejnh Thorls for myself for never hnd I dreamed thnt In nil the universe dwelt such a woman us the princess of Helium. Thnt you nre a princess does not abash me, but thnt you nre you Is enough to make me doubt my sanity ns I ask you, my princess, to bo mine." "He does not need to be nbnshed who so well knew the answer to bis plea before tho plea were mnde." she replied, rising and plnclng her denr hands upon my shoulders, and so I took her In my nrms nnd kissed her. And thus In the midst of a city of wild conflict, filled with the alarms of war; with death and destruction reap ing their terrible harvest around her, did DeJah Thorls, princess of Helium, true daughter of Mars, tho god of war, promise herself in marriage to John Carter, Gentleman of Virginia. Some time later Tars Tarkas and Knntos Knn returucd to report that Zodanga had been completely reduced. Her forces were entirely destroyed or captured, and no further reslstnnco wns to be expected from within. Sev eral battleships had escaped, but there were thousands of war and merchant vessels under guard of Thnrk war riors. The lesser hordes had commenced looting nnd quarreling among them selves, so It wns decided thnt we col lect wimt warriors we could, man as many vessels as possible with Zodan ga n prisoners nnd make for Helium without further loss of time. Five hours Inter we sailed from tho roofs of the dock buildings with a fleet of two hundred und fifty battleships, carrying nearly one hundred thousand green warriors, followed by a fleet of transports with our thonts. In the middle of the iifternoon we sighted the senrlrt and yellow towers of Helium, nnd a short time Inter a great lleet of Zodangan battleships rose from the camps of the besiegers without tho city nnd advanced to mi".' us. The banners of Helium hnd been strung from stem to stern of encn of our mighty craft, but the Zodangnns did not need this sign to realize that we were enemies, for our green Mar thin wnrrlors had opened fire upon them almost ns they left tho ground. With tlielr uncanny marksmanship they rnked the.onconijng licet with vol ley utter volley. The twin cities of Helium, pcrcIv Ing thnt we were friends, sent out bun dreds of vessels to nld us, nnd then began the first real air battle I had ever witnessed. (TO UK CONT1NURD.) Origin of Manitoba. The name Manltobii sprang from tho union of two Indian words, Miuilto (the-Great Spirit), nnd Waba (the "narrows" of the lake). This strait wns n sncred place to tho Crocs and Snultcurs, who called tltcin "Mnnlto Wnbn," or tho "Grent Spirit's Nar rows." Halloween. Tho celebration of Halloween dates bnck to nntlnulty. It was n holiday combining classic mythology, Druldlc" beliefs nnd superstitions of that far nwav time. Tho chnnco to a soclnl nnnlvcrsnrv wns gradual and finally became a rorognlscd time for general merriment. French Indestructible Pearls iM f5,uu The ctft women want I most. Those prices merit Instant attention on the part of every gift seek er. 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