A PRINCESS OF MARS
I LEARN THE LANGUAGE
As I came to myself I at Sola, who had this and I was to note a upon her countenance. What her were I did not know, for as yet I had learned but little of the Martian tongue; only to for my daily needs.
As I the of our a me. A approached the arms, ornaments, and full of his kind. These he presented to me with a words, and a at once and menacing.
Later, Sola, with the of of the other women, remodeled the to fit my proportions, and after they the work I about in all the of war.
From then on Sola me in the of the weapons, and with the Martian I hours each day upon the plaza. I was not yet with all the weapons, but my great with me an pupil, and I in a very satisfactory manner.
The of myself and the Martians was by the women, who not only to the education of the in the of defense and offense, but are also the who produce every article by the green Martians. They make the powder, the cartridges, the firearms; in of value is produced by the females. In time of they a part of the reserves, and when the with and than the men.
The men are in the higher of the art of war; in strategy and the of large of troops. They make the laws as they are needed; a new law for each emergency. They are by in the administration of justice. Customs have been by of repetition, but the for a is a for by a of the culprit's peers, and I may say that fire, but to in to the of law. In one respect at least the Martians are a happy people; they have no lawyers.
I did not see the again for days to our encounter, and then only to catch a of her as she was being to the great audience where I had had my meeting with Lorquas Ptomel. I not but note the and with which her her; so different from the almost which Sola toward me, and the of the green Martians who took the trouble to notice me at all.
I had on the two occasions when I had her that the with her guards, and this me that they spoke, or at least make themselves by a common language. With this added I nearly Sola by my to on my education and a more days I had the Martian well to me to on a and to all that I heard.
At this time our sleeping were by three or four and a of the young, Sola and her ward, myself, and Woola the hound. After they had retired for the night it was for the to on a for a time into sleep, and now that I their language I was always a listener, although I any myself.
On the night the prisoner's visit to the audience the upon this subject, and I was all ears on the instant. I had to question Sola relative to the captive, as I not but the I had noted upon her after my with the prisoner. That it I not say, and yet, all by as I still did, I it to affect in the until I learned more surely Sola's toward the object of my solicitude.
Sarkoja, one of the older who our domicile, had been present at the audience as one of the captive's guards, and it was toward her the question turned.
"When," asked one of the women, "will we the death of the red one? or Lorquas Ptomel, Jed, her for ransom?"
"They have to her with us to Thark, and her last at the great Tal Hajus," Sarkoja.
"What will be the manner of her going out?" Sola. "She is very small and very beautiful; I had that they would her for ransom."
Sarkoja and the other at this of on the part of Sola.
"It is sad, Sola, that you were not a years ago," Sarkoja, "when all the of the land were with water, and the were as soft as the they upon. In our day we have to a point where such mark and atavism. It will not be well for you to permit Tars Tarkas to learn that you such sentiments, as I that he would to such as you with the of maternity."
"I see nothing with my of in this red woman," Sola. "She has us, would she should we have into her hands. It is only the men of her who upon us, and I have that their toward us is but the of ours toward them. They live at peace with all their fellows, when calls upon them to make war, while we are at peace with none; among our own as well as upon the red men, and in our own the themselves. Oh, it is one continual, period of from the time we the until we the of the river of mystery, the dark and Iss which us to an unknown, but at least no more and terrible existence! Fortunate is he who meets his end in an early death. Say what you to Tars Tarkas, he can out no to me than a of the we are to lead in this life."
This wild on the part of Sola so and the other women, that, after a of reprimand, they all into and were soon asleep. One thing the had was to me of Sola's toward the girl, and also to me that I had been in into her hands than those of some of the other females. I that she was of me, and now that I had that she and I was that I upon her to me and the girl to escape, provided of that such a thing was the range of possibilities.
I did not know that there were any to to, but I was more than to take my among people after my own than to longer among the and green men of Mars. But where to go, and how, was as much of a puzzle to me as the age-old search for the of life has been to men since the of time.
I that at the opportunity I would take Sola into my and openly ask her to me, and with this upon me I among my and and slept the and sleep of Mars.
