a princess of mars-第10章

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Every　one　but　myselfmen；　women；　and　childrenwere

heavily　armed；　and　at　the　tail　of　each　chariot　trotted　a

Martian　hound；　my　own　beast　following　closely　behind　ours；　in

fact；　the　faithful　creature　never　left　me　voluntarily　during　the

entire　ten　years　I　spent　on　Mars。　　Our　way　led　out　across　the

little　valley　before　the　city；　through　the　hills；　and　down　into

the　dead　sea　bottom　which　I　had　traversed　on　my　journey

from　the　incubator　to　the　plaza。　　The　incubator；　as　it　proved；

was　the　terminal　point　of　our　journey　this　day；　and；　as　the

entire　cavalcade　broke　into　a　mad　gallop　as　soon　as　we

reached　the　level　expanse　of　sea　bottom；　we　were　soon　within

sight　of　our　goal。



On　reaching　it　the　chariots　were　parked　with　military

precision　on　the　four　sides　of　the　enclosure；　and　half　a　score

of　warriors；　headed　by　the　enormous　chieftain；　and　including

Tars　Tarkas　and　several　other　lesser　chiefs；　dismounted　and

advanced　toward　it。　　I　could　see　Tars　Tarkas　explaining　something

to　the　principal　chieftain；　whose　name；　by　the　way；　was；

as　nearly　as　I　can　translate　it　into　English；　Lorquas　Ptomel；

Jed；　jed　being　his　title。



I　was　soon　appraised　of　the　subject　of　their　conversation；　as；

calling　to　Sola；　Tars　Tarkas　signed　for　her　to　send　me　to　him。

I　had　by　this　time　mastered　the　intricacies　of　walking　under

Martian　conditions；　and　quickly　responding　to　his　command

I　advanced　to　the　side　of　the　incubator　where　the　warriors

stood。



As　I　reached　their　side　a　glance　showed　me　that　all　but　a

very　few　eggs　had　hatched；　the　incubator　being　fairly　alive

with　the　hideous　little　devils。　　They　ranged　in　height　from

three　to　four　feet；　and　were　moving　restlessly　about　the

enclosure　as　though　searching　for　food。



As　I　came　to　a　halt　before　him；　Tars　Tarkas　pointed　over

the　incubator　and　said；　〃Sak。〃　　I　saw　that　he　wanted　me　to

repeat　my　performance　of　yesterday　for　the　edification　of

Lorquas　Ptomel；　and；　as　I　must　confess　that　my　prowess　gave

me　no　little　satisfaction；　I　responded　quickly；　leaping　entirely

over　the　parked　chariots　on　the　far　side　of　the　incubator。　　As

I　returned；　Lorquas　Ptomel　grunted　something　at　me；　and

turning　to　his　warriors　gave　a　few　words　of　command　relative

to　the　incubator。　　They　paid　no　further　attention　to　me　and　I

was　thus　permitted　to　remain　close　and　watch　their　operations；

which　consisted　in　breaking　an　opening　in　the　wall　of　the

incubator　large　enough　to　permit　of　the　exit　of　the　young　Martians。



On　either　side　of　this　opening　the　women　and　the　younger　Martians；

both　male　and　female；　formed　two　solid　walls　leading　out

through　the　chariots　and　quite　away　into　the　plain　beyond。

Between　these　walls　the　little　Martians　scampered；

wild　as　deer；　being　permitted　to　run　the　full　length　of　the

aisle；　where　they　were　captured　one　at　a　time　by　the　women

and　older　children；　the　last　in　the　line　capturing　the　first　little

one　to　reach　the　end　of　the　gauntlet；　her　opposite　in　the　line

capturing　the　second；　and　so　on　until　all　the　little　fellows　had

left　the　enclosure　and　been　appropriated　by　some　youth　or

female。　　As　the　women　caught　the　young　they　fell　out　of　line

and　returned　to　their　respective　chariots；　while　those　who　fell

into　the　hands　of　the　young　men　were　later　turned　over　to

some　of　the　women。



I　saw　that　the　ceremony；　if　it　could　be　dignified　by　such

a　name；　was　over；　and　seeking　out　Sola　I　found　her　in　our

chariot　with　a　hideous　little　creature　held　tightly　in　her　arms。



The　work　of　rearing　young；　green　Martians　consists　solely

in　teaching　them　to　talk；　and　to　use　the　weapons　of　warfare

with　which　they　are　loaded　down　from　the　very　first　year　of

their　lives。　　Coming　from　eggs　in　which　they　have　lain　for

five　years；　the　period　of　incubation；　they　step　forth　into　the

world　perfectly　developed　except　in　size。　　Entirely　unknown

to　their　mothers；　who；　in　turn；　would　have　difficulty　in

pointing　out　the　fathers　with　any　degree　of　accuracy；　they　are

the　common　children　of　the　community；　and　their　education

devolves　upon　the　females　who　chance　to　capture　them　as

they　leave　the　incubator。



Their　foster　mothers　may　not　even　have　had　an　egg　in　the

incubator；　as　was　the　case　with　Sola；　who　had　not　commenced

to　lay；　until　less　than　a　year　before　she　became　the　mother　of

another　woman's　offspring。　　But　this　counts　for　little　among

the　green　Martians；　as　parental　and　filial　love　is　as　unknown　to

them　as　it　is　common　among　us。　　I　believe　this　horrible　system

which　has　been　carried　on　for　ages　is　the　direct　cause　of　the

loss　of　all　the　finer　feelings　and　higher　humanitarian　instincts

among　these　poor　creatures。　　From　birth　they　know　no　father

or　mother　love；　they　know　not　the　meaning　of　the　word　home；

they　are　taught　that　they　are　only　suffered　to　live　until　they

can　demonstrate　by　their　physique　and　ferocity　that　they　are

fit　to　live。　　Should　they　prove　deformed　or　defective　in　any　way

they　are　promptly　shot；　nor　do　they　see　a　tear　shed　for　a

single　one　of　the　many　cruel　hardships　they　pass　through　from

earliest　infancy。



I　do　not　mean　that　the　adult　Martians　are　unnecessarily　or

intentionally　cruel　to　the　young；　but　theirs　is　a　hard　and

pitiless　struggle　for　existence　upon　a　dying　planet；　the　natural

resources　of　which　have　dwindled　to　a　point　where　the　support

of　each　additional　life　means　an　added　tax　upon　the　community

into　which　it　is　thrown。



By　careful　selection　they　rear　only　the　hardiest　specimens

of　each　species；　and　with　almost　supernatural　foresight

they　regulate　the　birth　rate　to　merely　offset　the　loss　by　death。



Each　adult　Martian　female　brings　forth　about　thirteen　eggs

each　year；　and　those　which　meet　the　size；　weight；　and　specific

gravity　tests　are　hidden　in　the　recesses　of　some　subterranean

vault　where　the　temperature　is　too　low　for　incubation。　　Every

year　these　eggs　are　carefully　examined　by　a　council　of　twenty

chieftains；　and　all　but　about　one　hundred　of　the　most　perfect

are　destroyed　out　of　each　yearly　supply。　　At　the　end　of　five

years　about　five　hundred　almost　perfect　eggs　have　been　chosen

from　the　thousands　brought　forth。　　These　are　then　placed　in

the　almost　air…tight　incubators　to　be　hatched　by　the　sun's　rays

after　a　period　of　another　five　years。　　The　hatching　which　we

had　witnessed　today　was　a　fairly　representative　event　of　its

kind；　all　but　about　one　per　cent　of　the　eggs　hatching　in　two

days。　　If　the　remaining　eggs　ever　hatched　we　knew　nothing　of

the　fate　of　the　little　Martians。　　They　were　not　wanted；　as　their

offspring　might　inherit　and　transmit　the　tendency　to　prolonged

incubation；　and　thus　upset　the　system　which　has　maintained

for　ages　and　which　permits　the　adult　Martians　to　figure　the

proper　time　for　return　to　the　incubators；　almost　to　an　hour。



The　incubators　are　built　in　remote　fastnesses；　where　there

is　little　or　no　likelihood　of　their　being　discovered　by　other

tribes。　　The　result　of　such　a　catastrophe　would　mean　no　children

in　the　community　for　another　five　years。　　I　was　later　to　witness

the　results　of　the　discovery　of　an　alien　incubator。



The　community　of　which　the　green　Martians　with　whom

my　lot　was　cast　formed　a　part　was　composed　of　some　thirty

thousand　souls。　　They　roamed　an　enormous　tract　of　arid　and

semi…arid　land　between　forty　and　eighty　degrees　south　latitude；

and　bounded　on　the　east　and　west　by　two　large　fertile　tracts。

Their　headquarters　lay　in　the　southwest　corner　of　this　district；

near　the　crossing　of　two　of　the　so…called　Martian　canals。



As　the　incubator　had　been　placed　far　north　of　their　own

territory　in　a　supposedly　uninhabited　and　unfrequented　area；

we　had　before　us　a　tremendous　journey；　concerning　which　I；

of　course；　knew　nothing。



After　our　return　to　the　dead　city　I　passed　several　days　in

comparative　idleness。　　On　the　day　following　our　return　all　the

warriors　had　ridden　forth　early　in　the　morning　and　had　not

returned　until　just　before　darkness　fell。　　As　I　l