warlord of mars-第20章

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ready　to　depart。　　Thuvan　Dihn　and　Kulan　Tith　had　offered　me　the

entire　resources　of　two　nationsmillions　of　fighting　men　were

at　my　disposal；　but　my　flier　could　hold　but　one　other　than

myself　and　Woola。

　

As　I　stepped　aboard　her；　Thuvan　Dihn　took　his　place　beside　me。

I　cast　a　look　of　questioning　surprise　upon　him。　　He　turned　to　the

highest　of　his　own　officers　who　had　accompanied　him　to　Kaol。

　

〃To　you　I　entrust　the　return　of　my　retinue　to　Ptarth；〃　he　said。

〃There　my　son　rules　ably　in　my　absence。　　The　Prince　of　Helium

shall　not　go　alone　into　the　land　of　his　enemies。　　I　have　spoken。

Farewell！〃

　

　

　

　

THROUGH　THE　CARRION　CAVES

　

　

Straight　toward　the　north；　day　and　night；　our　destination　compass

led　us　after　the　fleeing　flier　upon　which　it　had　remained　set

since　I　first　attuned　it　after　leaving　the　thern　fortress。

　

Early　in　the　second　night　we　noticed　the　air　becoming

perceptibly　colder；　and　from　the　distance　we　had　come

from　the　equator　were　assured　that　we　were　rapidly

approaching　the　north　arctic　region。

　

My　knowledge　of　the　efforts　that　had　been　made　by　countless

expeditions　to　explore　that　unknown　land　bade　me　to　caution；

for　never　had　flier　returned　who　had　passed　to　any　considerable

distance　beyond　the　mighty　ice…barrier　that　fringes　the　southern

hem　of　the　frigid　zone。

　

What　became　of　them　none　knewonly　that　they　passed　forever　out　of

the　sight　of　man　into　that　grim　and　mysterious　country　of　the　pole。

　

The　distance　from　the　barrier　to　the　pole　was　no　more　than　a　swift

flier　should　cover　in　a　few　hours；　and　so　it　was　assumed　that　some

frightful　catastrophe　awaited　those　who　reached　the　〃forbidden　land；〃

as　it　had　come　to　be　called　by　the　Martians　of　the　outer　world。

　

Thus　it　was　that　I　went　more　slowly　as　we　approached　the　barrier；

for　it　was　my　intention　to　move　cautiously　by　day　over　the　ice…pack

that　I　might　discover；　before　I　had　run　into　a　trap；　if　there　really

lay　an　inhabited　country　at　the　north　pole；　for　there　only　could　I

imagine　a　spot　where　Matai　Shang　might　feel　secure　from　John　Carter；

Prince　of　Helium。

　

We　were　flying　at　a　snail's　pace　but　a　few　feet　above　the

groundliterally　feeling　our　way　along　through　the　darkness；　for

both　moons　had　set；　and　the　night　was　black　with　the　clouds　that

are　to　be　found　only　at　Mars's　two　extremities。

　

Suddenly　a　towering　wall　of　white　rose　directly　in　our　path；

and　though　I　threw　the　helm　hard　over；　and　reversed　our　engine；

I　was　too　late　to　avoid　collision。　With　a　sickening　crash　we

struck　the　high　looming　obstacle　three…quarters　on。

　

The　flier　reeled　half　over；　the　engine　stopped；　as　one；　the

patched　buoyancy　tanks　burst；　and　we　plunged；　headforemost；

to　the　ground　twenty　feet　beneath。

　

Fortunately　none　of　us　was　injured；　and　when　we　had　disentangled

ourselves　from　the　wreckage；　and　the　lesser　moon　had　burst　again

from　below　the　horizon；　we　found　that　we　were　at　the　foot　of　a

mighty　ice…barrier；　from　which　outcropped　great　patches　of　the

granite　hills　which　hold　it　from　encroaching　farther　toward　the　south。

　

What　fate！　　With　the　journey　all　but　completed　to　be　thus

wrecked　upon　the　wrong　side　of　that　precipitous　and　unscalable　wall

of　rock　and　ice！

　

I　looked　at　Thuvan　Dihn。　　He　but　shook　his　head　dejectedly。

　

The　balance　of　the　night　we　spent　shivering　in　our　inadequate　sleeping

silks　and　furs　upon　the　snow　that　lies　at　the　foot　of　the　ice…barrier。

　

With　daylight　my　battered　spirits　regained　something　of　their

accustomed　hopefulness；　though　I　must　admit　that　there　was　little

enough　for　them　to　feed　upon。

　

〃What　shall　we　do？〃　asked　Thuvan　Dihn。　　〃How　may　we　pass　that

which　is　impassable？〃

　

〃First　we　must　disprove　its　impassability；〃　I　replied。

〃Nor　shall　I　admit　that　it　is　impassable　before　I　have

followed　its　entire　circle　and　stand　again　upon　this　spot；

defeated。　　The　sooner　we　start；　the　better；　for　I　see　no

other　way；　and　it　will　take　us　more　than　a　month　to　travel

the　weary；　frigid　miles　that　lie　before　us。〃

　

For　five　days　of　cold　and　suffering　and　privation　we　traversed

the　rough　and　frozen　way　which　lies　at　the　foot　of　the　ice…barrier。

Fierce；　fur…bearing　creatures　attacked　us　by　daylight　and　by　dark。

Never　for　a　moment　were　we　safe　from　the　sudden　charge　of　some　huge

demon　of　the　north。

　

The　apt　was　our　most　consistent　and　dangerous　foe。

　

It　is　a　huge；　white…furred　creature　with　six　limbs；　four　of　which；

short　and　heavy；　carry　it　swiftly　over　the　snow　and　ice；

while　the　other　two；　growing　forward　from　its　shoulders　on　either

side　of　its　long；　powerful　neck；　terminate　in　white；　hairless　hands；

with　which　it　seizes　and　holds　its　prey。

　

Its　head　and　mouth　are　more　similar　in　appearance　to　those　of

a　hippopotamus　than　to　any　other　earthly　animal；　except　that　from〃

the　sides　of　the　lower　jawbone　two　mighty　horns　curve　slightly

downward　toward　the　front。

　

Its　two　huge　eyes　inspired　my　greatest　curiosity。　　They　extend

in　two　vast；　oval　patches　from　the　center　of　the　top　of　the　cranium

down　either　side　of　the　head　to　below　the　roots　of　the　horns；　so

that　these　weapons　really　grow　out　from　the　lower　part　of　the　eyes；

which　are　composed　of　several　thousand　ocelli　each。

　

This　eye　structure　seemed　remarkable　in　a　beast　whose　haunts

were　upon　a　glaring　field　of　ice　and　snow；　and　though　I　found　upon

minute　examination　of　several　that　we　killed　that　each　ocellus　is

furnished　with　its　own　lid；　and　that　the　animal　can　at　will　close

as　many　of　the　facets　of　his　huge　eyes　as　he　chooses；　yet　I　was

positive　that　nature　had　thus　equipped　him　because　much　of　his　life

was　to　be　spent　in　dark；　subterranean　recesses。

　

Shortly　after　this　we　came　upon　the　hugest　apt　that　we　had　seen。

The　creature　stood　fully　eight　feet　at　the　shoulder；　and　was

so　sleek　and　clean　and　glossy　that　I　could　have　sworn　that　he　had

but　recently　been　groomed。

　

He　stood　head…on　eyeing　us　as　we　approached　him；　for　we　had　found

it　a　waste　of　time　to　attempt　to　escape　the　perpetual　bestial

rage　which　seems　to　possess　these　demon　creatures；　who　rove　the

dismal　north　attacking　every　living　thing　that　comes　within　the

scope　of　their　far…seeing　eyes。

　

Even　when　their　bellies　are　full　and　they　can　eat　no　more；

they　kill　purely　for　the　pleasure　which　they　derive　from　taking　life；

and　so　when　this　particular　apt　failed　to　charge　us；　and　instead

wheeled　and　trotted　away　as　we　neared　him；　I　should　have　been

greatly　surprised　had　I　not　chanced　to　glimpse　the　sheen　of　a

golden　collar　about　its　neck。

　

Thuvan　Dihn　saw　it；　too；　and　it　carried　the　same　message　of

hope　to　us　both。　　Only　man　could　have　placed　that　collar　there；　and

as　no　race　of　Martians　of　which　we　knew　aught　ever　had　attempted　to

domesticate　the　ferocious　apt；　he　must　belong　to　a　people　of　the

north　of　whose　very　existence　we　were　ignorantpossibly　to　the

fabled　yellow　men　of　Barsoom；　that　once　powerful　race　which　was

supposed　to　be　extinct；　though　sometimes；　by　theorists；

thought　still　to　exist　in　the　frozen　north。

　

Simultaneously　we　started　upon　the　trail　of　the　great　beast。

Woola　was　quickly　made　to　understand　our　desires；　so　that　it　was

unnecessary　to　attempt　to　keep　in　sight　of　the　animal　whose　swift

flight　over　the　rough　ground　soon　put　him　beyond　our　vision。

　

For　the　better　part　of　two　hours　the　trail　paralleled　the　barrier；

and　then　suddenly　turned　toward　it　through　the　roughest

and　seemingly　most　impassable　country　I　ever　had　beheld。

　

Enormous　granite　boulders　blocked　the　way　on　every　hand；　deep

rifts　in　the　ice　threatened　to　engulf　us　at　the　least　misstep；

and　from　the　north　a　slight　breeze　wafted　to　our　nostrils　an

unspeakable　stench　that　almost　choked　us。

　

For　another　two　hours　we　were　occupied　in　traversing　a　few

hundred　yards　to　the　foot　of　the　barrier。

　

Then；　turning　about　the　corner　of　a　wall…like　outcropping　of

granite；　we　came