a princess of mars-第4章

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to　it；　to　draw　me　as　the　lodestone　attracts　a　particle　of　iron。



My　longing　was　beyond　the　power　of　opposition；　I　closed

my　eyes；　stretched　out　my　arms　toward　the　god　of　my　vocation

and　felt　myself　drawn　with　the　suddenness　of　thought　through

the　trackless　immensity　of　space。　　There　was　an　instant　of

extreme　cold　and　utter　darkness。









CHAPTER　III





MY　ADVENT　ON　MARS





I　opened　my　eyes　upon　a　strange　and　weird　landscape。　　I

knew　that　I　was　on　Mars；　not　once　did　I　question　either　my

sanity　or　my　wakefulness。　　I　was　not　asleep；　no　need　for　pinching

here；　my　inner　consciousness　told　me　as　plainly　that　I　was

upon　Mars　as　your　conscious　mind　tells　you　that　you　are　upon

Earth。　　You　do　not　question　the　fact；　neither　did　I。



I　found　myself　lying　prone　upon　a　bed　of　yellowish；

mosslike　vegetation　which　stretched　around　me　in　all　directions

for　interminable　miles。　　I　seemed　to　be　lying　in　a　deep；　circular

basin；　along　the　outer　verge　of　which　I　could　distinguish　the

irregularities　of　low　hills。



It　was　midday；　the　sun　was　shining　full　upon　me　and　the

heat　of　it　was　rather　intense　upon　my　naked　body；　yet　no

greater　than　would　have　been　true　under　similar　conditions　on

an　Arizona　desert。　　Here　and　there　were　slight　outcroppings

of　quartz…bearing　rock　which　glistened　in　the　sunlight；　and

a　little　to　my　left；　perhaps　a　hundred　yards；　appeared　a　low；

walled　enclosure　about　four　feet　in　height。　　No　water；　and

no　other　vegetation　than　the　moss　was　in　evidence；　and　as　I

was　somewhat　thirsty　I　determined　to　do　a　little　exploring。



Springing　to　my　feet　I　received　my　first　Martian　surprise；

for　the　effort；　which　on　Earth　would　have　brought　me　standing

upright；　carried　me　into　the　Martian　air　to　the　height　of　about

three　yards。　　I　alighted　softly　upon　the　ground；　however；　without

appreciable　shock　or　jar。　　Now　commenced　a　series　of

evolutions　which　even　then　seemed　ludicrous　in　the　extreme。

I　found　that　I　must　learn　to　walk　all　over　again；　as　the　muscular

exertion　which　carried　me　easily　and　safely　upon　Earth　played

strange　antics　with　me　upon　Mars。



Instead　of　progressing　in　a　sane　and　dignified　manner；　my

attempts　to　walk　resulted　in　a　variety　of　hops　which　took　me

clear　of　the　ground　a　couple　of　feet　at　each　step　and　landed

me　sprawling　upon　my　face　or　back　at　the　end　of　each　second

or　third　hop。　　My　muscles；　perfectly　attuned　and　accustomed

to　the　force　of　gravity　on　Earth；　played　the　mischief　with　me

in　attempting　for　the　first　time　to　cope　with　the　lesser　gravitation

and　lower　air　pressure　on　Mars。



I　was　determined；　however；　to　explore　the　low　structure

which　was　the　only　evidence　of　habitation　in　sight；　and　so　I

hit　upon　the　unique　plan　of　reverting　to　first　principles　in

locomotion；　creeping。　　I　did　fairly　well　at　this　and　in　a　few

moments　had　reached　the　low；　encircling　wall　of　the　enclosure。



There　appeared　to　be　no　doors　or　windows　upon　the　side

nearest　me；　but　as　the　wall　was　but　about　four　feet　high　I

cautiously　gained　my　feet　and　peered　over　the　top　upon　the

strangest　sight　it　had　ever　been　given　me　to　see。



The　roof　of　the　enclosure　was　of　solid　glass　about　four　or

five　inches　in　thickness；　and　beneath　this　were　several　hundred

large　eggs；　perfectly　round　and　snowy　white。　　The　eggs　were

nearly　uniform　in　size　being　about　two　and　one…half　feet　in

diameter。



Five　or　six　had　already　hatched　and　the　grotesque　caricatures

which　sat　blinking　in　the　sunlight　were　enough　to　cause

me　to　doubt　my　sanity。　　They　seemed　mostly　head；　with　little

scrawny　bodies；　long　necks　and　six　legs；　or；　as　I　afterward

learned；　two　legs　and　two　arms；　with　an　intermediary　pair　of

limbs　which　could　be　used　at　will　either　as　arms　or　legs。　　Their

eyes　were　set　at　the　extreme　sides　of　their　heads　a　trifle　above

the　center　and　protruded　in　such　a　manner　that　they　could

be　directed　either　forward　or　back　and　also　independently　of

each　other；　thus　permitting　this　queer　animal　to　look　in　any

direction；　or　in　two　directions　at　once；　without　the　necessity

of　turning　the　head。



The　ears；　which　were　slightly　above　the　eyes　and　closer　together；

were　small；　cup…shaped　antennae；　protruding　not　more　than　an　inch　on

these　young　specimens。　　Their　noses　were　but　longitudinal　slits　in

the　center　of　their　faces；　midway　between　their　mouths　and　ears。



There　was　no　hair　on　their　bodies；　which　were　of　a　very

light　yellowish…green　color。　　In　the　adults；　as　I　was　to　learn

quite　soon；　this　color　deepens　to　an　olive　green　and　is　darker

in　the　male　than　in　the　female。　　Further；　the　heads　of　the

adults　are　not　so　out　of　proportion　to　their　bodies　as　in　the

case　of　the　young。



The　iris　of　the　eyes　is　blood　red；　as　in　Albinos；　while　the

pupil　is　dark。　　The　eyeball　itself　is　very　white；　as　are　the　teeth。

These　latter　add　a　most　ferocious　appearance　to　an　otherwise

fearsome　and　terrible　countenance；　as　the　lower　tusks

curve　upward　to　sharp　points　which　end　about　where　the　eyes

of　earthly　human　beings　are　located。　　The　whiteness　of　the

teeth　is　not　that　of　ivory；　but　of　the　snowiest　and　most　gleaming

of　china。　　Against　the　dark　background　of　their　olive

skins　their　tusks　stand　out　in　a　most　striking　manner；　making

these　weapons　present　a　singularly　formidable　appearance。



Most　of　these　details　I　noted　later；　for　I　was　given　but　little

time　to　speculate　on　the　wonders　of　my　new　discovery。　　I　had

seen　that　the　eggs　were　in　the　process　of　hatching；　and　as　I

stood　watching　the　hideous　little　monsters　break　from　their

shells　I　failed　to　note　the　approach　of　a　score　of　full…grown

Martians　from　behind　me。



Coming；　as　they　did；　over　the　soft　and　soundless　moss；

which　covers　practically　the　entire　surface　of　Mars　with　the

exception　of　the　frozen　areas　at　the　poles　and　the　scattered

cultivated　districts；　they　might　have　captured　me　easily；　but

their　intentions　were　far　more　sinister。　　It　was　the　rattling　of

the　accouterments　of　the　foremost　warrior　which　warned　me。



On　such　a　little　thing　my　life　hung　that　I　often　marvel　that

I　escaped　so　easily。　　Had　not　the　rifle　of　the　leader　of　the

party　swung　from　its　fastenings　beside　his　saddle　in　such　a

way　as　to　strike　against　the　butt　of　his　great　metal　shod　spear

I　should　have　snuffed　out　without　ever　knowing　that　death　was

near　me。　　But　the　little　sound　caused　me　to　turn；　and　there

upon　me；　not　ten　feet　from　my　breast；　was　the　point　of　that

huge　spear；　a　spear　forty　feet　long；　tipped　with　gleaming

metal；　and　held　low　at　the　side　of　a　mounted　replica　of　the

little　devils　I　had　been　watching。



But　how　puny　and　harmless　they　now　looked　beside　this

huge　and　terrific　incarnation　of　hate；　of　vengeance　and　of

death。　　The　man　himself；　for　such　I　may　call　him；　was　fully

fifteen　feet　in　height　and；　on　Earth；　would　have　weighed　some

four　hundred　pounds。　　He　sat　his　mount　as　we　sit　a　horse；

grasping　the　animal's　barrel　with　his　lower　limbs；　while　the

hands　of　his　two　right　arms　held　his　immense　spear　low　at　the

side　of　his　mount；　his　two　left　arms　were　outstretched　laterally

to　help　preserve　his　balance；　the　thing　he　rode　having　neither

bridle　or　reins　of　any　description　for　guidance。



And　his　mount！　　How　can　earthly　words　describe　it！　　It

towered　ten　feet　at　the　shoulder；　had　four　legs　on　either

side；　a　broad　flat　tail；　larger　at　the　tip　than　at　the　root；　and

which　it　held　straight　out　behind　while　running；　a　gaping

mouth　which　split　its　head　from　its　snout　to　its　long；　massive

neck。



Like　its　master；　it　was　entirely　devoid　of　hair；　but　was　of　a

dark　slate　color　and　exceeding　smooth　and　glossy。　　Its　belly

was　white；　and　its　legs　shaded　from　the　slate　of　its　shoulders

and　hips　to　a　vivid　yellow　at　the　feet。　　The　feet　themselves　were

heavily　padded　and　nailless；　which　fact　had　also　contributed

to　the　noiselessness　of　their　approach；　and；　in　common

with　a　multiplicity　of　legs；　is　a　characteristic　feature　of