A PRINCESS OF MARS
THROUGH CARNAGE TO JOY
Sometime later Tars Tarkas and Kantos Kan returned to report that Zodanga had been reduced. Her were or captured, and no was to be from within. Several had escaped, but there were thousands of and merchant under of Thark warriors.
The had and among themselves, so it was that we what we could, man as many as possible with Zodangan and make for Helium without of time.
Five hours later we from the of the with a of two hundred and fifty battleships, nearly one hundred thousand green warriors, by a of transports with our thoats.
Behind us we left the city in the and of some thousand green of the hordes. They were looting, murdering, and themselves. In a hundred places they had the torch, and of were above the city as though to out from the of the beneath.
In the middle of the we the and yellow towers of Helium, and a time later a great of Zodangan rose from the of the without the city, and to meet us.
The of Helium had been from to of each of our craft, but the Zodangans did not need this to that we were enemies, for our green Martian had opened fire upon them almost as they left the ground. With their they raked the on-coming with after volley.
The of Helium, that we were friends, sent out hundreds of to us, and then the air I had witnessed.
The our green were above the of Helium and Zodanga, since their were in the hands of the Tharks who, having no navy, have no skill in gunnery. Their small-arm fire, however, was most effective, and the final outcome of the was influenced, if not determined, by their presence.
At the two at the same altitude, after into each other. Presently a great was in the of one of the from the Zodangan camp; with a she over, the little of her plunging, and toward the ground a thousand below; then with she after them, almost herself in the soft of the sea bottom.
A wild of from the Heliumite squadron, and with they upon the Zodangan fleet. By a two of the of Helium a position above their adversaries, from which they upon them from their bomb a perfect of bombs.
Then, one by one, the of Helium succeeded in above the Zodangans, and in a time a number of the were toward the high tower of Helium. Several others to escape, but they were soon by thousands of fliers, and above each a of Helium to parties upon their decks.
Within but little more than an hour from the moment the Zodangan had to meet us from the of the the was over, and the of the Zodangans were toward the of Helium under prize crews.
There was an to the of these fliers, the result of an age-old which that should be by the to earth of the of the vessel. One after another the fellows, their colors high above their heads, from the of their to an death.
Not until the of the entire took the plunge, thus the of the vessels, did the cease, and the of men come to an end.
We now the of Helium's to approach, and when she was I called out that we had the Princess Dejah Thoris on board, and that we to transfer her to the that she might be taken to the city.
As the full of my in upon them a great from the of the flagship, and a moment later the colors of the Princess of Helium from a hundred points upon her upper works. When the other of the the meaning of the them they took up the wild and her colors in the sunlight.
The upon us, and as she to and touched our a dozen officers upon our decks. As their upon the hundreds of green warriors, who now came from the shelters, they stopped aghast, but at of Kantos Kan, who to meet them, they came forward, about him.
Dejah Thoris and I then advanced, and they had no for other than her. She them gracefully, calling each by name, for they were men high in the and service of her grandfather, and she them well.
"Lay your hands upon the of John Carter," she said to them, toward me, "the man to Helium her as well as her victory today."
They were very to me and said many and things, but what to them most was that I had the of the Tharks in my for the of Dejah Thoris, and the of Helium.
"You your thanks more to another man than to me," I said, "and here he is; meet one of Barsoom's soldiers and statesmen, Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark."
With the same that had marked their manner toward me they their to the great Thark, nor, to my surprise, was he much them in of or in speech. Though not a race, the Tharks are formal, and their themselves to and manners.
Dejah Thoris the flagship, and was much put out that I would not follow, but, as I to her, the was but won; we still had the land of the Zodangans to account for, and I would not Tars Tarkas until that had been accomplished.
The of the of Helium promised to to have the of Helium attack from the city in with our land attack, and so the and Dejah Thoris was in to the of her grandfather, Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium.
In the our of transports, with the of the green warriors, where they had the battle. Without landing it was to be a difficult to these upon the open plain, but there was nothing else for it, and so we put out for a point about ten miles from the city and the task.
It was necessary to the animals to the ground in and this work the of the day and the night. Twice we were by parties of Zodangan cavalry, but with little loss, however, and after they withdrew.
As soon as the last was Tars Tarkas gave the to advance, and in three parties we upon the Zodangan from the north, the south and the east.
About a mile from the main we their and, as had been prearranged, this as the to charge. With wild, and the of battle-enraged we upon the Zodangans.
We did not catch them napping, but a well-entrenched line us. Time after time we were repulsed until, toward noon, I to for the result of the battle.
The Zodangans numbered nearly a men, from to pole, their ribbon-like waterways, while against them were less than a hundred thousand green warriors. The from Helium had not arrived, we any word from them.
Just at we all along the line the Zodangans and the cities, and we then that our much-needed reinforcements had come.
Again Tars Tarkas ordered the charge, and once more the their terrible against the ramparts of the enemy. At the same moment the line of Helium over the opposite of the Zodangans and in another moment they were being as two millstones. Nobly they fought, but in vain.
The plain the city a the last Zodangan surrendered, but the ceased, the were to Helium, and we entered the city's gates, a of heroes.
The were with and children, among which were the men that they the city the battle. We were with an of and with of gold, platinum, silver, and jewels. The city had gone with joy.
My Tharks the and enthusiasm. Never had an of green entered the gates of Helium, and that they came now as friends and the red men with rejoicing.
That my services to Dejah Thoris had to the Heliumites was by the loud of my name, and by the of that were upon me and my as we passed up the to the palace, for in the of the of Woola the pressed close about me.
As we approached this we were met by a party of officers who us and that Tars Tarkas and his with the and of his wild allies, together with myself, and them to from Tardos Mors an of his for our services.
At the top of the great steps leading up to the main of the the party, and as we the steps one of their number to meet us.
He was an almost perfect of manhood; tall, as an arrow, and with the and of a ruler of men. I did not need to be told that he was Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium.
The of our party he met was Tars Tarkas and his sealed the new the races.
"That Tardos Mors," he said, earnestly, "may meet the of Barsoom is a honor, but that he may his hand on the of a friend and is a boon."
"Jeddak of Helium," returned Tars Tarkas, "it has for a man of another world to teach the green of Barsoom the meaning of friendship; to him we the that the of Thark can you; that they can and reciprocate the so expressed."
Tardos Mors then each of the green and jeds, and to each spoke of and appreciation.
As he approached me he hands upon my shoulders.
"Welcome, my son," he said; "that you are granted, gladly, and without one word of opposition, the most in all Helium, yes, on all Barsoom, is of my esteem."
We were then presented to Mors Kajak, Jed of Helium, and father of Dejah Thoris. He had close Tardos Mors and more by the meeting than had his father.
He a dozen times to his to me, but his voice with and he not speak, and yet he had, as I was to later learn, a for and as a that was upon Barsoom. In common with all Helium he his daughter, he think of what she had without emotion.
