a princess of mars-第31章

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to　the　ornaments　of　his　conqueror；　and　then　his　women

cremated　what　remained；　amid　wild　and　terrible　laughter。



The　injuries　to　Dak　Kova　had　delayed　the　march　so

greatly　that　it　was　decided　to　give　up　the　expedition；　which

was　a　raid　upon　a　small　Thark　community　in　retaliation　for

the　destruction　of　the　incubator；　until　after　the　great　games；

and　the　entire　body　of　warriors；　ten　thousand　in　number；

turned　back　toward　Warhoon。



My　introduction　to　these　cruel　and　bloodthirsty　people

was　but　an　index　to　the　scenes　I　witnessed　almost　daily

while　with　them。　　They　are　a　smaller　horde　than　the　Tharks

but　much　more　ferocious。　　Not　a　day　passed　but　that　some

members　of　the　various　Warhoon　communities　met　in　deadly

combat。　　I　have　seen　as　high　as　eight　mortal　duels　within　a

single　day。



We　reached　the　city　of　Warhoon　after　some　three　days

march　and　I　was　immediately　cast　into　a　dungeon　and　heavily

chained　to　the　floor　and　walls。　　Food　was　brought　me　at

intervals　but　owing　to　the　utter　darkness　of　the　place　I　do　not

know　whether　I　lay　there　days；　or　weeks；　or　months。　　It　was

the　most　horrible　experience　of　all　my　life　and　that　my

mind　did　not　give　way　to　the　terrors　of　that　inky　blackness

has　been　a　wonder　to　me　ever　since。　　The　place　was　filled

with　creeping；　crawling　things；　cold；　sinuous　bodies　passed

over　me　when　I　lay　down；　and　in　the　darkness　I　occasionally

caught　glimpses　of　gleaming；　fiery　eyes；　fixed　in　horrible

intentness　upon　me。　　No　sound　reached　me　from　the　world

above　and　no　word　would　my　jailer　vouchsafe　when　my

food　was　brought　to　me；　although　I　at　first　bombarded　him

with　questions。



Finally　all　the　hatred　and　maniacal　loathing　for　these

awful　creatures　who　had　placed　me　in　this　horrible　place　was

centered　by　my　tottering　reason　upon　this　single　emissary

who　represented　to　me　the　entire　horde　of　Warhoons。



I　had　noticed　that　he　always　advanced　with　his　dim

torch　to　where　he　could　place　the　food　within　my　reach　and

as　he　stooped　to　place　it　upon　the　floor　his　head　was　about

on　a　level　with　my　breast。　　So；　with　the　cunning　of　a　madman；

I　backed　into　the　far　corner　of　my　cell　when　next　I　heard

him　approaching　and　gathering　a　little　slack　of　the　great

chain　which　held　me　in　my　hand　I　waited　his　coming；

crouching　like　some　beast　of　prey。　　As　he　stooped　to　place

my　food　upon　the　ground　I　swung　the　chain　above　my　head

and　crashed　the　links　with　all　my　strength　upon　his　skull。

Without　a　sound　he　slipped　to　the　floor；　stone　dead。



Laughing　and　chattering　like　the　idiot　I　was　fast　becoming

I　fell　upon　his　prostrate　form　my　fingers　feeling　for　his

dead　throat。　　Presently　they　came　in　contact　with　a　small

chain　at　the　end　of　which　dangled　a　number　of　keys。　　The

touch　of　my　fingers　on　these　keys　brought　back　my　reason

with　the　suddenness　of　thought。　　No　longer　was　I　a　jibbering

idiot；　but　a　sane；　reasoning　man　with　the　means　of　escape

within　my　very　hands。



As　I　was　groping　to　remove　the　chain　from　about　my　victim's

neck　I　glanced　up　into　the　darkness　to　see　six　pairs　of　gleaming

eyes　fixed；　unwinking；　upon　me。　　Slowly　they　approached　and　slowly

I　shrank　back　from　the　awful　horror　of　them。　　Back　into　my　corner

I　crouched　holding　my　hands　palms　out；　before　me；　and　stealthily

on　came　the　awful　eyes　until　they　reached　the　dead　body　at　my　feet。

Then　slowly　they　retreated　but　this　time　with　a　strange　grating

sound　and　finally　they　disappeared　in　some　black　and　distant　recess

of　my　dungeon。









CHAPTER　XIX





BATTLING　IN　THE　ARENA





Slowly　I　regained　my　composure　and　finally　essayed　again

to　attempt　to　remove　the　keys　from　the　dead　body　of　my

former　jailer。　　But　as　I　reached　out　into　the　darkness　to　locate

it　I　found　to　my　horror　that　it　was　gone。　　Then　the　truth

flashed　on　me；　the　owners　of　those　gleaming　eyes　had　dragged

my　prize　away　from　me　to　be　devoured　in　their　neighboring　lair；

as　they　had　been　waiting　for　days；　for　weeks；　for　months；

through　all　this　awful　eternity　of　my　imprisonment　to　drag

my　dead　carcass　to　their　feast。



For　two　days　no　food　was　brought　me；　but　then　a　new

messenger　appeared　and　my　incarceration　went　on　as　before；

but　not　again　did　I　allow　my　reason　to　be　submerged　by　the

horror　of　my　position。



Shortly　after　this　episode　another　prisoner　was　brought　in

and　chained　near　me。　　By　the　dim　torch　light　I　saw　that　he

was　a　red　Martian　and　I　could　scarcely　await　the　departure

of　his　guards　to　address　him。　　As　their　retreating　footsteps

died　away　in　the　distance；　I　called　out　softly　the　Martian

word　of　greeting；　kaor。



〃Who　are　you　who　speaks　out　of　the　darkness？〃　he　answered



〃John　Carter；　a　friend　of　the　red　men　of　Helium。〃



〃I　am　of　Helium；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　do　not　recall　your　name。〃



And　then　I　told　him　my　story　as　I　have　written　it　here；

omitting　only　any　reference　to　my　love　for　Dejah　Thoris。

He　was　much　excited　by　the　news　of　Helium's　princess　and

seemed　quite　positive　that　she　and　Sola　could　easily　have

reached　a　point　of　safety　from　where　they　left　me。　　He　said

that　he　knew　the　place　well　because　the　defile　through　which

the　Warhoon　warriors　had　passed　when　they　discovered　us　was

the　only　one　ever　used　by　them　when　marching　to　the　south。



〃Dejah　Thoris　and　Sola　entered　the　hills　not　five　miles

from　a　great　waterway　and　are　now　probably　quite　safe；〃

he　assured　me。



My　fellow　prisoner　was　Kantos　Kan；　a　padwar　（lieutenant）

in　the　navy　of　Helium。　　He　had　been　a　member　of　the　ill…

fated　expedition　which　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the

Tharks　at　the　time　of　Dejah　Thoris'　capture；　and　he　briefly

related　the　events　which　followed　the　defeat　of　the　battleships。



Badly　injured　and　only　partially　manned　they　had　limped

slowly　toward　Helium；　but　while　passing　near　the　city　of

Zodanga；　the　capital　of　Helium's　hereditary　enemies　among

the　red　men　of　Barsoom；　they　had　been　attacked　by　a　great

body　of　war　vessels　and　all　but　the　craft　to　which　Kantos　Kan

belonged　were　either　destroyed　or　captured。　　His　vessel　was

chased　for　days　by　three　of　the　Zodangan　war　ships　but

finally　escaped　during　the　darkness　of　a　moonless　night。



Thirty　days　after　the　capture　of　Dejah　Thoris；　or　about

the　time　of　our　coming　to　Thark；　his　vessel　had　reached

Helium　with　about　ten　survivors　of　the　original　crew　of　seven

hundred　officers　and　men。　　Immediately　seven　great　fleets；

each　of　one　hundred　mighty　war　ships；　had　been　dispatched

to　search　for　Dejah　Thoris；　and　from　these　vessels　two

thousand　smaller　craft　had　been　kept　out　continuously　in

futile　search　for　the　missing　princess。



Two　green　Martian　communities　had　been　wiped　off　the

face　of　Barsoom　by　the　avenging　fleets；　but　no　trace　of　Dejah

Thoris　had　been　found。　　They　had　been　searching　among　the

northern　hordes；　and　only　within　the　past　few　days　had

they　extended　their　quest　to　the　south。



Kantos　Kan　had　been　detailed　to　one　of　the　small　one…man

fliers　and　had　had　the　misfortune　to　be　discovered　by　the

Warhoons　while　exploring　their　city。　　The　bravery　and　daring

of　the　man　won　my　greatest　respect　and　admiration。　　Alone　he

had　landed　at　the　city's　boundary　and　on　foot　had　penetrated

to　the　buildings　surrounding　the　plaza。　　For　two　days　and

nights　he　had　explored　their　quarters　and　their　dungeons　in

search　of　his　beloved　princess　only　to　fall　into　the

hands　of　a　party　of　Warhoons　as　he　was　about　to　leave；　after

assuring　himself　that　Dejah　Thoris　was　not　a　captive　there。



During　the　period　of　our　incarceration　Kantos　Kan　and　I

became　well　acquainted；　and　formed　a　warm　personal　friendship。

A　few　days　only　elapsed；　however；　before　we　were　dragged　forth

from　our　dungeon　for　the　great　games。　　We　were　conducted　early

one　morning　to　an　enormous　amphitheater；　which　instead　of　having

been　built　upon　the　surface　of　the　ground　was　excavated　below

the　surface。　　it　had　partially　filled　with　debris　so　that　how

large　it　ha