A PRINCESS OF MARS
A FAIR CAPTIVE FROM THE SKY
The third day after the we set toward home, but had the of the into the open ground the city than orders were for an and return. As though for years in this particular evolution, the green Martians melted like into the of the buildings, until, in less than three minutes, the entire of chariots, and was to be seen.
Sola and I had entered a upon the of the city, in fact, the same one in which I had had my with the apes, and, to see what had the retreat, I to an upper and from the window out over the and the beyond; and there I saw the of their to cover. A craft, long, low, and gray-painted, slowly over the of the nearest hill. Following it came another, and another, and another, until twenty of them, low above the ground, slowly and toward us.
Each a banner from to above the upper works, and upon the of each was painted some odd device that in the and at the at which we were from the vessels. I see the and upper of the air craft. Whether they had us or were looking at the city I not say, but in any event they a reception, for and without the green Martian a from the of the the little across which the great ships were so peacefully advancing.
Instantly the as by magic; the toward us, and her into play returned our fire, at the same time moving to our for a and then with the of a great circle which would her up to position once more opposite our line; the other in her wake, each one opening upon us as she into position. Our own fire diminished, and I if twenty-five of our wild. It had been me to see such of aim, and it as though a little on one of the at the of each bullet, while the and upper in of as the of our through them.
The fire from the was most ineffectual, owing, as I learned, to the of the volley, which the ship's and the of the from the of our warriors.
It that each green has points for his fire under relatively of warfare. For example, a of them, always the best marksmen, direct their fire upon the and of the big of an force; another detail to the smaller in the same way; others off the gunners; still others the officers; while other their attention upon the other members of the crew, upon the upper works, and upon the and propellers.
Twenty minutes after the the great off in the direction from which it had appeared. Several of the were perceptibly, and but under the of their crews. Their fire had and all their upon escape. Our then up to the of the which we and the with a of fire.
One by one, however, the ships managed to the of the until only one moving was in sight. This had the of our fire and to be unmanned, as not a moving was visible upon her decks. Slowly she from her course, toward us in an and manner. Instantly the firing, for it was that the was helpless, and, from being in a position to upon us, she not herself to escape.
As she the city the out upon the plain to meet her, but it was that she still was too high for them to to her decks. From my point in the window I see the of her about, although I not make out what manner of they might be. Not a of life was upon her as she slowly with the light in a direction.
She was some fifty above the ground, by all but some hundred of the who had been ordered to the to the possibility of a return of the fleet, or of reinforcements. It soon that she would the of the about a mile south of our position, and as I the progress of the I saw a number of ahead, and enter the she to touch.
As the the building, and just she struck, the Martian upon her from the windows, and with their great the of the collision, and in a moments they had out and the big was being to ground by their below.
After making her fast, they the and the from to stern. I see them the sailors, for of life, and presently a party of them appeared from a little among them. The was less than as tall as the green Martian warriors, and from my I see that it walked upon two and that it was some new and Martian with which I had not as yet acquainted.
They their to the ground and then a of the vessel. This operation hours, which time a number of the were requisitioned to transport the loot, which in arms, ammunition, silks, furs, jewels, vessels, and a quantity of solid foods and liquids, many of water, the I had since my upon Mars.
After the last had been the lines fast to the and her out into the in a direction. A of them then her and were in what appeared, from my position, as the of the of upon the of the and over the and of the vessel.
This operation concluded, they over her sides, the guy to the ground. The last to the and something upon the vessel, waiting an to note the outcome of his act. As a of rose from the point where the he over the and was upon the ground. Scarcely had he than the guy were released, and the great warship, by the of the loot, into the air, her and upper a of flames.
Slowly she to the southeast, higher and higher as the ate away her parts and the weight upon her. Ascending to the of the I her for hours, until she was in the of the distance. The was awe-inspiring in the as one this pyre, and through the of the Martian heavens; a of death and destruction, the life of these and into hands had it.
Much depressed, and, to me, so, I slowly to the street. The I had to mark the and of the of a people, than the routing by our green of a of similar, though unfriendly, creatures. I not the hallucination, I free myself from it; but in the of my I a toward these unknown foemen, and a through me that the would return and a from the green who had so ruthlessly and it.
Close at my heel, in his now place, Woola, the hound, and as I upon the Sola up to me as though I had been the object of some search on her part. The was returning to the plaza, the having been up for that day; nor, in fact, was it recommenced for more than a week, to the of a return attack by the air craft.
Lorquas Ptomel was too an old to be upon the open with a of and children, and so we at the city until the passed.
As Sola and I entered the a met my which my whole being with a great of hope, fear, exultation, and depression, and yet most was a of and happiness; for just as we the of Martians I a of the from the who was being into a by a of green Martian females.
And the which met my was that of a slender, figure, in every detail to the of my past life. She did not see me at first, but just as she was through the portal of the which was to be her prison she turned, and her met mine. Her was and in the extreme, her every was and exquisite, her large and and her by a of black, hair, into a yet coiffure. Her skin was of a light reddish copper color, against which the of her and the of her with a effect.
She was as of as the green Martians who her; indeed, save for her she was naked, any have the of her perfect and figure.
As her rested on me her opened wide in astonishment, and she a little with her free hand; a which I did not, of course, understand. Just a moment we upon each other, and then the look of and which had her as she me, into one of dejection, with and contempt. I I had not answered her signal, and as I was of Martian customs, I that she had an for and protection which my had me from answering. And then she was out of my into the of the edifice.
