a princess of mars-第7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！



under　the　circumstances　of　brutality；　boorishness；　and　lack　of

consideration　for　a　stranger's　rights；　I　swung　my　fist　squarely

to　his　jaw　and　he　went　down　like　a　felled　ox。　　As　he　sunk　to

the　floor　I　wheeled　around　with　my　back　toward　the　nearest

desk；　expecting　to　be　overwhelmed　by　the　vengeance　of　his

fellows；　but　determined　to　give　them　as　good　a　battle　as　the

unequal　odds　would　permit　before　I　gave　up　my　life。



My　fears　were　groundless；　however；　as　the　other　Martians；

at　first　struck　dumb　with　wonderment；　finally　broke　into　wild

peals　of　laughter　and　applause。　　I　did　not　recognize　the

applause　as　such；　but　later；　when　I　had　become　acquainted

with　their　customs；　I　learned　that　I　had　won　what　they　seldom

accord；　a　manifestation　of　approbation。



The　fellow　whom　I　had　struck　lay　where　he　had　fallen；　nor

did　any　of　his　mates　approach　him。　　Tars　Tarkas　advanced

toward　me；　holding　out　one　of　his　arms；　and　we　thus　proceeded

to　the　plaza　without　further　mishap。　　I　did　not；　of　course；

know　the　reason　for　which　we　had　come　to　the　open；　but　I

was　not　long　in　being　enlightened。　　They　first　repeated

the　word　〃sak〃　a　number　of　times；　and　then　Tars　Tarkas　made

several　jumps；　repeating　the　same　word　before　each　leap；　then；

turning　to　me；　he　said；　〃sak！〃　　I　saw　what　they　were　after；　and

gathering　myself　together　I　〃sakked〃　with　such　marvelous

success　that　I　cleared　a　good　hundred　and　fifty　feet；　nor　did　I

this　time；　lose　my　equilibrium；　but　landed　squarely　upon　my

feet　without　falling。　　I　then　returned　by　easy　jumps　of　twenty…

five　or　thirty　feet　to　the　little　group　of　warriors。



My　exhibition　had　been　witnessed　by　several　hundred　lesser

Martians；　and　they　immediately　broke　into　demands　for　a

repetition；　which　the　chieftain　then　ordered　me　to　make；　but

I　was　both　hungry　and　thirsty；　and　determined　on　the　spot

that　my　only　method　of　salvation　was　to　demand　the

consideration　from　these　creatures　which　they　evidently　would

not　voluntarily　accord。　　I　therefore　ignored　the　repeated

commands　to　〃sak；〃　and　each　time　they　were　made　I　motioned

to　my　mouth　and　rubbed　my　stomach。



Tars　Tarkas　and　the　chief　exchanged　a　few　words；　and　the

former；　calling　to　a　young　female　among　the　throng；　gave

her　some　instructions　and　motioned　me　to　accompany　her。　　I

grasped　her　proffered　arm　and　together　we　crossed　the　plaza

toward　a　large　building　on　the　far　side。



My　fair　companion　was　about　eight　feet　tall；　having　just

arrived　at　maturity；　but　not　yet　to　her　full　height。　　She　was　of

a　light　olive…green　color；　with　a　smooth；　glossy　hide。　　Her

name；　as　I　afterward　learned；　was　Sola；　and　she　belonged　to

the　retinue　of　Tars　Tarkas。　　She　conducted　me　to　a　spacious

chamber　in　one　of　the　buildings　fronting　on　the　plaza；　and

which；　from　the　litter　of　silks　and　furs　upon　the　floor；　I　took

to　be　the　sleeping　quarters　of　several　of　the　natives。



The　room　was　well　lighted　by　a　number　of　large　windows

and　was　beautifully　decorated　with　mural　paintings　and　mosaics；

but　upon　all　there　seemed　to　rest　that　indefinable　touch

of　the　finger　of　antiquity　which　convinced　me　that　the

architects　and　builders　of　these　wondrous　creations　had　nothing

in　common　with　the　crude　half…brutes　which　now　occupied　them。



Sola　motioned　me　to　be　seated　upon　a　pile　of　silks　near

the　center　of　the　room；　and；　turning；　made　a　peculiar　hissing

sound；　as　though　signaling　to　someone　in　an　adjoining　room。

In　response　to　her　call　I　obtained　my　first　sight　of　a　new

Martian　wonder。　　It　waddled　in　on　its　ten　short　legs；　and

squatted　down　before　the　girl　like　an　obedient　puppy。　　The

thing　was　about　the　size　of　a　Shetland　pony；　but　its　head　bore

a　slight　resemblance　to　that　of　a　frog；　except　that　the　jaws

were　equipped　with　three　rows　of　long；　sharp　tusks。









CHAPTER　V





I　ELUDE　MY　WATCH　DOG





Sola　stared　into　the　brute's　wicked…looking　eyes；　muttered　a

word　or　two　of　command；　pointed　to　me；　and　left　the　chamber。

I　could　not　but　wonder　what　this　ferocious…looking　monstrosity

might　do　when　left　alone　in　such　close　proximity　to　such　a

relatively　tender　morsel　of　meat；　but　my　fears　were　groundless；

as　the　beast；　after　surveying　me　intently　for　a　moment；　crossed

the　room　to　the　only　exit　which　led　to　the　street；　and　lay　down

full　length　across　the　threshold。



This　was　my　first　experience　with　a　Martian　watch　dog；　but

it　was　destined　not　to　be　my　last；　for　this　fellow　guarded　me

carefully　during　the　time　I　remained　a　captive　among　these

green　men；　twice　saving　my　life；　and　never　voluntarily　being

away　from　me　a　moment。



While　Sola　was　away　I　took　occasion　to　examine　more

minutely　the　room　in　which　I　found　myself　captive。　　The

mural　painting　depicted　scenes　of　rare　and　wonderful　beauty；

mountains；　rivers；　lake；　ocean；　meadow；　trees　and　flowers；

winding　roadways；　sun…kissed　gardensscenes　which　might

have　portrayed　earthly　views　but　for　the　different　colorings　of

the　vegetation。　　The　work　had　evidently　been　wrought　by　a

master　hand；　so　subtle　the　atmosphere；　so　perfect　the　technique；

yet　nowhere　was　there　a　representation　of　a　living　animal；

either　human　or　brute；　by　which　I　could　guess　at　the　likeness

of　these　other　and　perhaps　extinct　denizens　of　Mars。



While　I　was　allowing　my　fancy　to　run　riot　in　wild　conjecture

on　the　possible　explanation　of　the　strange　anomalies　which

I　had　so　far　met　with　on　Mars；　Sola　returned　bearing　both

food　and　drink。　　These　she　placed　on　the　floor　beside　me；

and　seating　herself　a　short　ways　off　regarded　me　intently。

The　food　consisted　of　about　a　pound　of　some　solid　substance　of

the　consistency　of　cheese　and　almost　tasteless；　while　the　liquid

was　apparently　milk　from　some　animal。　　It　was　not　unpleasant

to　the　taste；　though　slightly　acid；　and　I　learned　in　a　short　time

to　prize　it　very　highly。　　It　came；　as　I　later　discovered；　not　from

an　animal；　as　there　is　only　one　mammal　on　Mars　and　that　one

very　rare　indeed；　but　from　a　large　plant　which　grows　practically

without　water；　but　seems　to　distill　its　plentiful　supply　of

milk　from　the　products　of　the　soil；　the　moisture　of　the　air；

and　the　rays　of　the　sun。　　A　single　plant　of　this　species　will　give

eight　or　ten　quarts　of　milk　per　day。



After　I　had　eaten　I　was　greatly　invigorated；　but　feeling　the

need　of　rest　I　stretched　out　upon　the　silks　and　was　soon

asleep。　　I　must　have　slept　several　hours；　as　it　was　dark　when

I　awoke；　and　I　was　very　cold。　　I　noticed　that　someone　had

thrown　a　fur　over　me；　but　it　had　become　partially　dislodged

and　in　the　darkness　I　could　not　see　to　replace　it。　　Suddenly　a

hand　reached　out　and　pulled　the　fur　over　me；　shortly　afterwards

adding　another　to　my　covering。



I　presumed　that　my　watchful　guardian　was　Sola；　nor　was

I　wrong。　　This　girl　alone；　among　all　the　green　Martians　with

whom　I　came　in　contact；　disclosed　characteristics　of　sympathy；

kindliness；　and　affection；　her　ministrations　to　my　bodily　wants

were　unfailing；　and　her　solicitous　care　saved　me　from　much

suffering　and　many　hardships。



As　I　was　to　learn；　the　Martian　nights　are　extremely　cold；

and　as　there　is　practically　no　twilight　or　dawn；　the　changes

in　temperature　are　sudden　and　most　uncomfortable；　as　are　the

transitions　from　brilliant　daylight　to　darkness。　　The　nights　are

either　brilliantly　illumined　or　very　dark；　for　if　neither　of　the

two　moons　of　Mars　happen　to　be　in　the　sky　almost　total

darkness　results；　since　the　lack　of　atmosphere；　or；　rather；　the

very　thin　atmosphere；　fails　to　diffuse　the　starlight　to　any

great　extent；　on　the　other　hand；　if　both　of　the　moons　are　in

the　heavens　at　night　the　surface　of　the　ground　is　brightly

illuminated。



Both　of　Mars'　moons　are　vastly　nearer　her　than　is　our

moon　to　Earth；　the　nearer　moon　being　but　about　five　thousand

miles　distant；　while　the　further　is　but　little　more　than

fourteen　thousand　miles　away；　against　the　nearly　one…quarter

million　miles　which　separate　us　from　our　moon。