a princess of mars-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



with　a　multiplicity　of　legs；　is　a　characteristic　feature　of　the

fauna　of　Mars。　　The　highest　type　of　man　and　one　other　animal；

the　only　mammal　existing　on　Mars；　alone　have　well…formed

nails；　and　there　are　absolutely　no　hoofed　animals　in　existence

there。



Behind　this　first　charging　demon　trailed　nineteen　others；

similar　in　all　respects；　but；　as　I　learned　later；　bearing

individual　characteristics　peculiar　to　themselves；　precisely　as

no　two　of　us　are　identical　although　we　are　all　cast　in　a　similar

mold。　　This　picture；　or　rather　materialized　nightmare；　which

I　have　described　at　length；　made　but　one　terrible　and　swift

impression　on　me　as　I　turned　to　meet　it。



Unarmed　and　naked　as　I　was；　the　first　law　of　nature　manifested

itself　in　the　only　possible　solution　of　my　immediate　problem；

and　that　was　to　get　out　of　the　vicinity　of　the　point　of

the　charging　spear。　　Consequently　I　gave　a　very　earthly　and　at

the　same　time　superhuman　leap　to　reach　the　top　of　the

Martian　incubator；　for　such　I　had　determined　it　must　be。



My　effort　was　crowned　with　a　success　which　appalled　me

no　less　than　it　seemed　to　surprise　the　Martian　warriors；　for　it

carried　me　fully　thirty　feet　into　the　air　and　landed　me　a

hundred　feet　from　my　pursuers　and　on　the　opposite　side　of

the　enclosure。



I　alighted　upon　the　soft　moss　easily　and　without　mishap；

and　turning　saw　my　enemies　lined　up　along　the　further　wall。

Some　were　surveying　me　with　expressions　which　I　afterward

discovered　marked　extreme　astonishment；　and　the　others　were

evidently　satisfying　themselves　that　I　had　not　molested　their

young。



They　were　conversing　together　in　low　tones；　and

gesticulating　and　pointing　toward　me。　　Their　discovery　that　I　had

not　harmed　the　little　Martians；　and　that　I　was　unarmed；　must　have

caused　them　to　look　upon　me　with　less　ferocity；　but；　as　I　was

to　learn　later；　the　thing　which　weighed　most　in　my　favor　was

my　exhibition　of　hurdling。



While　the　Martians　are　immense；　their　bones　are　very　large

and　they　are　muscled　only　in　proportion　to　the　gravitation

which　they　must　overcome。　　The　result　is　that　they　are　infinitely

less　agile　and　less　powerful；　in　proportion　to　their　weight；

than　an　Earth　man；　and　I　doubt　that　were　one　of　them　suddenly

to　be　transported　to　Earth　he　could　lift　his　own　weight　from

the　ground；　in　fact；　I　am　convinced　that　he　could　not　do　so。



My　feat　then　was　as　marvelous　upon　Mars　as　it　would　have

been　upon　Earth；　and　from　desiring　to　annihilate　me　they

suddenly　looked　upon　me　as　a　wonderful　discovery　to　be

captured　and　exhibited　among　their　fellows。



The　respite　my　unexpected　agility　had　given　me　permitted

me　to　formulate　plans　for　the　immediate　future　and　to　note

more　closely　the　appearance　of　the　warriors；　for　I　could　not

disassociate　these　people　in　my　mind　from　those　other

warriors　who；　only　the　day　before；　had　been　pursuing　me。



I　noted　that　each　was　armed　with　several　other　weapons　in

addition　to　the　huge　spear　which　I　have　described。　　The

weapon　which　caused　me　to　decide　against　an　attempt　at

escape　by　flight　was　what　was　evidently　a　rifle　of　some

description；　and　which　I　felt；　for　some　reason；　they　were

peculiarly　efficient　in　handling。



These　rifles　were　of　a　white　metal　stocked　with　wood；　which

I　learned　later　was　a　very　light　and　intensely　hard　growth

much　prized　on　Mars；　and　entirely　unknown　to　us　denizens

of　Earth。　　The　metal　of　the　barrel　is　an　alloy　composed

principally　of　aluminum　and　steel　which　they　have　learned

to　temper　to　a　hardness　far　exceeding　that　of　the　steel　with

which　we　are　familiar。　　The　weight　of　these　rifles　is　comparatively

little；　and　with　the　small　caliber；　explosive；　radium　projectiles

which　they　use；　and　the　great　length　of　the　barrel；　they　are

deadly　in　the　extreme　and　at　ranges　which　would　be　unthinkable

on　Earth。　　The　theoretic　effective　radius　of　this　rifle　is

three　hundred　miles；　but　the　best　they　can　do　in　actual

service　when　equipped　with　their　wireless　finders　and

sighters　is　but　a　trifle　over　two　hundred　miles。



This　is　quite　far　enough　to　imbue　me　with　great　respect　for

the　Martian　firearm；　and　some　telepathic　force　must　have

warned　me　against　an　attempt　to　escape　in　broad　daylight

from　under　the　muzzles　of　twenty　of　these　death…dealing

machines。



The　Martians；　after　conversing　for　a　short　time；　turned　and

rode　away　in　the　direction　from　which　they　had　come；　leaving

one　of　their　number　alone　by　the　enclosure。　　When　they　had

covered　perhaps　two　hundred　yards　they　halted；　and　turning

their　mounts　toward　us　sat　watching　the　warrior　by　the

enclosure。



He　was　the　one　whose　spear　had　so　nearly　transfixed　me；

and　was　evidently　the　leader　of　the　band；　as　I　had　noted　that

they　seemed　to　have　moved　to　their　present　position　at　his

direction。　　When　his　force　had　come　to　a　halt　he　dismounted；

threw　down　his　spear　and　small　arms；　and　came　around　the

end　of　the　incubator　toward　me；　entirely　unarmed　and　as

naked　as　I；　except　for　the　ornaments　strapped　upon　his　head；

limbs；　and　breast。



When　he　was　within　about　fifty　feet　of　me　he　unclasped　an

enormous　metal　armlet；　and　holding　it　toward　me　in　the

open　palm　of　his　hand；　addressed　me　in　a　clear；　resonant

voice；　but　in　a　language；　it　is　needless　to　say；　I　could　not

understand。　　He　then　stopped　as　though　waiting　for　my　reply；

pricking　up　his　antennae…like　ears　and　cocking　his　strange…looking

eyes　still　further　toward　me。



As　the　silence　became　painful　I　concluded　to　hazard　a　little

conversation　on　my　own　part；　as　I　had　guessed　that　he　was

making　overtures　of　peace。　　The　throwing　down　of　his　weapons

and　the　withdrawing　of　his　troop　before　his　advance　toward

me　would　have　signified　a　peaceful　mission　anywhere　on

Earth；　so　why　not；　then；　on　Mars！



Placing　my　hand　over　my　heart　I　bowed　low　to　the　Martian

and　explained　to　him　that　while　I　did　not　understand　his

language；　his　actions　spoke　for　the　peace　and　friendship　that

at　the　present　moment　were　most　dear　to　my　heart。　　Of　course

I　might　have　been　a　babbling　brook　for　all　the　intelligence

my　speech　carried　to　him；　but　he　understood　the　action　with

which　I　immediately　followed　my　words。



Stretching　my　hand　toward　him；　I　advanced　and　took　the

armlet　from　his　open　palm；　clasping　it　about　my　arm　above　the

elbow；　smiled　at　him　and　stood　waiting。　　His　wide　mouth

spread　into　an　answering　smile；　and　locking　one　of　his

intermediary　arms　in　mine　we　turned　and　walked　back　toward

his　mount。　　At　the　same　time　he　motioned　his　followers　to

advance。　　They　started　toward　us　on　a　wild　run；　but　were　checked

by　a　signal　from　him。　　Evidently　he　feared　that　were　I　to　be

really　frightened　again　I　might　jump　entirely　out　of　the　landscape。



He　exchanged　a　few　words　with　his　men；　motioned　to　me

that　I　would　ride　behind　one　of　them；　and　then　mounted　his

own　animal。　　The　fellow　designated　reached　down　two　or

three　hands　and　lifted　me　up　behind　him　on　the　glossy

back　of　his　mount；　where　I　hung　on　as　best　I　could　by　the

belts　and　straps　which　held　the　Martian's　weapons　and　ornaments。





The　entire　cavalcade　then　turned　and　galloped　away　toward

the　range　of　hills　in　the　distance。









CHAPTER　IV





A　PRISONER





We　had　gone　perhaps　ten　miles　when　the　ground　began　to

rise　very　rapidly。　　We　were；　as　I　was　later　to　learn；　nearing　the

edge　of　one　of　Mars'　long…dead　seas；　in　the　bottom　of　which

my　encounter　with　the　Martians　had　taken　place。



In　a　short　time　we　gained　the　foot　of　the　mountains；　and

after　traversing　a　narrow　gorge　came　to　an　open　valley；　at　the

far　extremity　of　which　was　a　low　table　land　upon　which　I

beheld　an　enormous　city。　　Toward　this　we　galloped；　entering　it

by　what　appeared　to　be　a　ruined　roadway　leading　out　from　the

city；　but　only　to　the　edge　of　the　table　land；　where　it　ended

abruptly　in　a　flight　of　broad　steps。



Upon　closer　observation　I　saw　as　we　passed　them　that　the