A PRINCESS OF MARS
CHAMPION AND CHIEF
Early the next I was astir. Considerable was allowed me, as Sola had me that so long as I did not attempt to the city I was free to go and come as I pleased. She had me, however, against unarmed, as this city, like all other of an Martian civilization, was by the great white of my second day's adventure.
In me that I must not the of the city Sola had that Woola would prevent this should I attempt it, and she me most urgently not to his nature by his should I too close to the territory. His nature was such, she said, that he would me into the city or alive should I in him; "preferably dead," she added.
On this I had a new to when I myself at the limits of the city. Before me were low by narrow and ravines. I to the country me, and, like the stock from which I sprang, to view what the the might from the which out my view.
It also to me that this would prove an excellent opportunity to test the of Woola. I was that the loved me; I had more of in him than in any other Martian animal, man or beast, and I was sure that for the that had twice saved his life would more than his to the upon him by and masters.
As I approached the line Woola ran me, and his against my legs. His was than ferocious, did he his great or his warnings. Denied the and of my kind, I had for Woola and Sola, for the normal man must have some for his natural affections, and so I upon an to a like in this great brute, sure that I would not be disappointed.
I had him, but now I sat upon the ground and my arms around his I and him, talking in my newly Martian as I would have to my at home, as I would have talked to any other friend among the animals. His response to my of was to a degree; he his great mouth to its full width, the entire of his upper of and his until his great were almost by the of flesh. If you have a you may have some idea of Woola's distortion.
He himself upon his and at my feet; jumped up and upon me, me upon the ground by his great weight; then and around me like a its for the it craves. I not the of the spectacle, and my I and in the which had passed my in many days; the first, in fact, since the Powell had left when his horse, long unused, had and him off into a pot of frijoles.
My Woola, his and he toward me, his into my lap; and then I what on Mars—torture, suffering, death. Quieting myself, I the old fellow's and back, talked to him for a minutes, and then in an him to me, and started for the hills.
There was no question of authority us; Woola was my from that moment hence, and I his only and master. My walk to the but a minutes, and I nothing of particular to me. Numerous and wild flowers the ravines and from the of the hill I saw still other off toward the north, and rising, one range above another, until in of dimensions; though I that only a on all Mars four thousand in height; the of was relative.
My morning's walk had been large with to me for it had resulted in a perfect with Woola, upon Tars Tarkas for my safe keeping. I now that while a I was free, and I to regain the city limits the of Woola be by his masters. The me again to the limits of my until I was to for good and all, as it would result in a of my liberties, as well as the death of Woola, were we to be discovered.
On regaining the I had my third of the girl. She was with her the entrance to the audience chamber, and as I approached she gave me one and her full upon me. The act was so womanly, so womanly, that though it my it also my with a of companionship; it was good to know that someone else on Mars myself had of a order, though the of them was so painful and mortifying.
Had a green Martian woman to or she would, in all likelihood, have done it with a or a movement of her finger; but as their are mostly it would have a to have such in them. Sola, let me add, was an exception; I saw her perform a or act, or fail in and good nature. She was indeed, as her Martian had said of her, an atavism; a dear and to a type of loved and ancestor.
Seeing that the the center of I to view the proceedings. I had not long to wait for presently Lorquas Ptomel and his of approached the and, the to with the entered the audience chamber. Realizing that I was a character, and also that the did not know of my in their language, as I had with Sola to keep this a on the that I did not wish to be to talk with the men until I had perfectly the Martian tongue, I an attempt to enter the audience and to the proceedings.
The upon the steps of the rostrum, while them the and her two guards. I saw that one of the was Sarkoja, and thus how she had been present at the of the day, the results of which she had reported to the of our last night. Her toward the was most and brutal. When she her, she her into the girl's flesh, or her arm in a most painful manner. When it was necessary to move from one spot to another she either her roughly, or pushed her her. She to be upon this all the hatred, cruelty, ferocity, and of her nine hundred years, by of and ancestors.
The other woman was less she was indifferent; if the had been left to her alone, and she was at night, she would have no treatment, nor, by the same would she have any attention at all.
As Lorquas Ptomel his to address the they on me and he to Tars Tarkas with a word, and of impatience. Tars Tarkas some reply which I not catch, but which Lorquas Ptomel to smile; after which they paid no attention to me.
"What is your name?" asked Lorquas Ptomel, the prisoner.
"Dejah Thoris, of Mors Kajak of Helium."
"And the nature of your expedition?" he continued.
"It was a purely scientific party sent out by my father's father, the Jeddak of Helium, to rechart the air currents, and to take tests," the prisoner, in a low, well-modulated voice.
"We were for battle," she continued, "as we were on a peaceful mission, as our and the colors of our denoted. The work we were doing was as much in your as in ours, for you know full well that were it not for our labors and the fruits of our scientific operations there would not be air or water on Mars to support a single life. For we have the air and water supply at the same point without an loss, and we have done this in the of the and of you green men.
"Why, oh, why will you not learn to live in with your fellows. Must you go on the to your final but little above the plane of the that you! A people without language, without art, without homes, without love; the of of the idea. Owning in common, to your and children, has resulted in your owning nothing in common. You each other as you all else yourselves. Come to the of our common ancestors, come to the light of and fellowship. The way is open to you, you will the hands of the red men out to you. Together we may do still more to regenerate our planet. The of the and of the red has asked you. Will you come?"
Lorquas Ptomel and the sat looking and at the woman for moments after she had speaking. What was in their minds no man may know, but that they were moved I believe, and if one man high among them had been to above custom, that moment would have marked a new and for Mars.
I saw Tars Tarkas to speak, and on his was such an as I had upon the of a green Martian warrior. It an and with self, with heredity, with age-old custom, and as he opened his mouth to speak, a look almost of benignity, of kindliness, up his and terrible countenance.
What of moment were to have from his were spoken, as just then a warrior, the of among the older men, from the steps of the rostrum, and the a powerful across the face, which her to the floor, his upon her and toward the assembled into of horrid, laughter.
For an I Tars Tarkas would him dead, did the of Lorquas Ptomel any too for the brute, but the mood passed, their old reasserted their ascendency, and they smiled. It was that they did not laugh aloud, for the brute's act a side-splitting according to the which green Martian humor.
That I have taken moments to a part of what as that not that I for any such length of time. I think I must have something of what was coming, for I now that I was as for a as I saw the at her beautiful, upturned, face, and the hand I was across the hall.
Scarcely had his laugh out but once, when I was upon him. The was twelve in and to the teeth, but I that I have for the whole roomful in the of my rage. Springing upward, I him full in the as he at my and then as he his short-sword I mine and up again upon his breast, one leg over the of his pistol and one of his with my left hand while I delivered after upon his chest.
He not use his short-sword to I was too close to him, he his pistol, which he to do in direct opposition to Martian which says that you may not a in private with any other than the with which you are attacked. In he do nothing but make a wild and attempt to me. With all his he was little if any than I, and it was but the of a moment or two he sank, and lifeless, to the floor.
Dejah Thoris had herself upon one and was the with wide, eyes. When I had my I her in my arms and her to one of the benches at the of the room.
Again no Martian with me, and a piece of from my I to the of blood from her nostrils. I was soon successful as her to little more than an ordinary nosebleed, and when she speak she her hand upon my arm and looking up into my eyes, said:
"Why did you do it? You who me in the hour of my peril! And now you your life and kill one of your for my sake. I cannot understand. What manner of man are you, that you with the green men, though your is that of my race, while your color is little than that of the white ape? Tell me, are you human, or are you more than human?"
"It is a tale," I replied, "too long to attempt to tell you now, and one which I so much the of myself that I to that others will it. Suffice it, for the present, that I am your friend, and, so as our will permit, your protector and your servant."
"Then you too are a prisoner? But why, then, those arms and the regalia of a Tharkian chieftain? What is your name? Where your country?"
"Yes, Dejah Thoris, I too am a prisoner; my name is John Carter, and I Virginia, one of the United States of America, Earth, as my home; but why I am permitted to wear arms I do not know, was I aware that my regalia was that of a chieftain."
We were at this by the approach of one of the warriors, arms, and ornaments, and in a one of her questions was answered and a puzzle up for me. I saw that the of my had been stripped, and I read in the yet of the who had me these of the kill the same as that by the other who had me my original equipment, and now for the time I that my blow, on the occasion of my in the audience had resulted in the death of my adversary.
The for the whole toward me was now apparent; I had my spurs, so to speak, and in the justice, which always marks Martian dealings, and which, among other things, has me to call her the of paradoxes, I was the a conqueror; the and the position of the man I killed. In truth, I was a Martian chieftain, and this I learned later was the of my great and my in the audience chamber.
As I had to the warrior's I had noticed that Tars Tarkas and others had pushed toward us, and the of the rested upon me in a most manner. Finally he me:
"You speak the of Barsoom for one who was and to us a days ago. Where did you learn it, John Carter?"
"You, yourself, are responsible, Tars Tarkas," I replied, "in that you me with an of ability; I have to thank Sola for my learning."
"She has done well," he answered, "but your education in other respects needs polish. Do you know what your would have cost you had you failed to kill either of the two metal you now wear?"
"I that that one I had failed to kill, would have killed me," I answered, smiling.
"No, you are wrong. Only in the last of self-defense would a Martian kill a prisoner; we like to save them for other purposes," and his possibilities that were not to upon.
"But one thing can save you now," he continued. "Should you, in of your valor, ferocity, and prowess, be by Tal Hajus as of his service you may be taken into the and a full-fledged Tharkian. Until we the of Tal Hajus it is the will of Lorquas Ptomel that you be the respect your have you. You will be by us as a Tharkian chieftain, but you must not that every who ranks you is for your safe to our and most ruler. I am done."
"I you, Tars Tarkas," I answered. "As you know I am not of Barsoom; your are not my ways, and I can only act in the as I have in the past, in with the of my and by the of mine own people. If you will me alone I will go in peace, but if not, let the Barsoomians with I must either respect my as a among you, or take may befall. Of one thing let us be sure, may be your toward this woman, would offer her or in the must on making a full to me. I that you all of and kindliness, but I do not, and I can your most that these are not with an ability to fight."
Ordinarily I am not to long speeches, had I to bombast, but I had at the which would an in the of the green Martians, was I wrong, for my them, and their toward me was still respectful.
Tars Tarkas himself pleased with my reply, but his only was more or less enigmatical—"And I think I know Tal Hajus, Jeddak of Thark."
I now my attention to Dejah Thoris, and her to her I with her toward the exit, her as well as the of the chieftains. Was I not now a also! Well, then, I would assume the of one. They did not us, and so Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, and John Carter, of Virginia, by the Woola, passed through from the audience of Lorquas Ptomel, Jed among the Tharks of Barsoom.
