The evening world. Newspaper, January 7, 1916, Page 21

iy | \ ) ” ene is aiteseeitlianiy aentiaheneneaannammneanineieeenane Und RA RAARH the Creator Wo prignt, the Prank A, Munsey Co.) SYNOPSIS OF PRECHDING CHAPTERS, Carter, a Civil War captain, ts tran Marian wma and Satebtoa., The 'isibe "which captitres. & beavtl!! gir in lore, On th ts CHAPTER XVI. pth The Princess Again. HUS was tho edifice of my brief dream of happiness dashed, broken, to the ground of reality. The ‘woman for whom I had offerod my life, and from. whose lips I had so recentiy heard a declaration of love for me, had lightly forgotten my very existence and emilingly given herself to the son of her people's most hated enemy. ‘Though I had heard tt with my own eara, I could not believe it, I must search out her apartments and force her to repeat the cruel truth to me alotie before I would be convinced, nd #0 I deserted my post and hastened through the passage behind the tapestries toward the door by which she had left the chamber, Slipping quietly through this opening 1 discovered a maze of winding cor- ridors, branching and turning in every direction, Running rapidly down first one and then another of them, I soon became hopelessly lost a Was standing panting against a side wall when [ heard volces near me. Apparently they were coming from the opposite side of the partition against which I leaned, and presently Tmade out the tones of Dejah Thoris, I could not hear the words, but I knew that I could not be mistaken in the voice, - Moving on a few steps I discovered another passageway at the end of which lay a door. Walking boldly forward I pushed into the room, only to find myself in ber, in which w ho had accompanied her ham instantly , asking the nature of my business. ‘1am from Than Kosis,” I replied, “and wish to speak privately with Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium.” “Throw down your sword. You ¢ Not hope to overcome four of wu added with a grim smile. My reply was a quick thrust which left mo but three antagonisis, 'The noise had brought Dejah Thoris to the door of her apartment, and there she stood throughout the con- Mict, with Sola at her back, peering over her shoulder. Her face waa set and emotionless, and I knew that she did not recognize me, nor did Sola. Moally a lucky cut brought down @ second guardsman, and then, with only two opnosing me, I changed my actics and rushed them down after he fashion of my fightiny that had von me many a@ victory, The third fell within ten seconds, and the last jay dead upon the bloody floor a few moments later. I turned to the prin- cess. As I came close to her she swayed toward me with outstretched hands, but as i reached to take her in my sho drew back with a shudder Uttle moan of misery late—too late," chi ti a jeftain that was, I ught turned one little hour before—but now it 4s too late—too late.” IT am not dead, my princess, ve come to claim you, and all cannot prevent it. ’ “No, John Carter, it is useles she ented hopelessly. ‘I may never be cess, Sab Than dies.” ‘ou have sealed his death warrant, gee cit Than dies.” that, he hastened to may not wed the man ‘who my husband, even in se! is custom. PR Custom upon Barsoom, It is use- my a." grieved. d whom It We are ruled fri jeartened and dejected, I with- from the room; but I was not ly discouraged, nor would I ad- mit TR Deja horis was lost to me juntil the ceremony had actually been indered along the corridors, Atl w 1 as absolutely lost in the mazes ‘of the winding passageways as I had ‘een before | discovered Dejah partments, viene rs ‘ound was about thirty feet belo’ ‘and at a like distance from the building was a wall fully twenty feet high, constructed of polished glass about a foot in thickness. ‘To # red Martian escape by this path would have appeared Impossible, but to me, with my earthly strength and agility, {t seemed already acconi- plished. My only fear was in being detected before darkness fell; for I could not make the leap in broad daylight while the court below and the avenue he- yond were crowded with Zodangans. ‘Accordingly, I searched for a hiding place, and finally found one by accl- dent, {Inside a huge hanging ornament which swung from the celling of the hall, and about ten feet from the floor, Into the capacious vase I aprang with ease, and sea had I settled down within it than I heard a number of people enter the apartment. 4% group stopped beneath my hid- img place, and I could plainly over- hear their every word. “ft is the work of Heliumites,” sald one of the men. “Yox, the old jeddak, but how had they access to the palace? 1 could helieve that, oven with the diligent care of your guardsmen, a single enemy imicht reach the cham. bers; hut how a for > of six or eight fight! men could have done so un Obeorved. is, beyond ine, We shall soon know, however, for here comes the royal psychologist.” Another man now Joined the group, and, after making his formal greet- ings to his ruler, said: “O mighty jeddak, it is a strango tale I read in the dead minds of your faithful guardsmen. They were feiled by a single opponent.” ‘Where is my. erstwhile savior?” ee another of the party, and I the voico of the cousin of Mepseessesoracesenenooenese: Edgar Rice Burroughs¢ eerIttrrirrit ttt dead. Had you but re- 7 ea PVFIPRN TE whom I had rescued from arriors, rd Was soon brought that I was nowhere to be found, either in the palace of at my former quarters in the barracks of the air-scout squad- n. Kantos Kan they had found and questioned, but he knew nothing of my Whereabouts, and as to my past, he had told them he knew as little, since he had but recently met me during our captivity among the War hoons, “ieep your eyes on this one,” com- manded Than Kosis, “Ho also is a tranger, and likely as not they both from Helium, and where one is we shail sooner or later find the other, Quadruple the air-patrol, and let every man who leaves the city by air or ground be subjected to the closest ecrutiny.” They left the hall, and as dark- ness had fallen without, I slipped lightly from my hiding-place and hastened to the balcony Few were in sight, and choosing a moment when none seemed near, I sprang quickly to the top of the glass wall, and from there to the avenue beyond the pal ‘ounds. CHAPTER XVII. Brave Hearts. ITHOUT effort at conceal- ment, I hastened to the vi- cinity of our quarters, where I felt sure I should find Kantos Kan. Leaping from roof to roof, I soon reached an open window tn the build- ing where I hoped to find the Hellu- mite, and in another moment I stood in the room before him. He was alone and showed no sur- prise at my coming, saying he had expected me much earlier, as my tour of duty must have ended some time since. I saw that he kuew nothing of the events of the day at the palace, and when I had enlightened him he was all excitement. The news that Dejah Thoris had promised her hand to Sab Than filed him with dismay. It cannot be.” he exclaimed. “Tt t9 Impossible! Why, no man in all Hel- jum but would prefer death to the selling of our loved Princesa to the ruling house of Zodanga. She must have lost her mind to have assented to such an atrocious bargain, “You, who do not know how we of Hellum love the members of our rul- ing house, cannot appreciate the hor- ror with which I contemplate such an unholy alliance. “What can be done, John Carter?” he continued. “You are a resource- ful man n you not think of some way t Helium from this dis-) grace?’ “If IT can come within sword’ reach of Sab Than,” I answered, can solve the difficulty In so far as Thellum is concerned, but for person. al reasons I would prefer that an- other struck the blow that freea De- jah Thori: Kantos Kan eyed me narrowly be- fore he spoke. “You love her! Does she know it?” ‘She knows It, K-ntos Kan, and re- pulses me only because she is prom- ised to Sab “han.” The splendid fellow sprang to his feet, and grasping me by the shoul- der, raised bis sword on high, ex- claiming: “And had the cholce been left to me T could not have chosen a more fitting mate for the first princess of Barsoom, Here is my hand upon your shoulder, John Carter, and my word that Sab Than shall go out at the int of my sword for the sake of my love for Helium, for Dejah Thoris and for you. This very night Ishall try to reach his quarters in the pal- ace. “How?” T asked, ly guarded trols the sk He bent his head in thought a mo- ment. “I only need to pass these guards and T can do it,” he sald at last. know a secret entrance to the palac: through the pinnacle of the highest tower. I fell upon it by chance while on patrol duty, “In this work it is required that we investigate any unusual occurrence we may witness, and a face peering from the pinnacle of the high tower of the palace was, to me, most un- usual, I therefore drew near and dis- covered that the possessor of the peering face was none other than Sab Thaw He w slightly put out at detected, and commanded mo to keep the matter to myself, explaining that the passage from the tower led directly to bis apartments and was known only to him, “It L can reach the roof of the bar- racks and get my machine I ean be in Sub Than's quarters in five minutes; but how am I to escape from thi building, guarded as you say it is?” “How well are the machine sheds at the barracks guarded?" I asked, ‘There is ally but one man on duty there at night upon the roof." "Go to the roof of this butiding, Kantos Kan, and wait me there.” Without stopping to explain my Plans I retraced my way to the street and hastened to the barracks I did not dare to enter the building, filled as it was with members of the air scout squadron, who, in common with all Zodanga, were on the lookout for m The building was an enormous one, rearing its lofty head fully a thousand feet into the alr, But few buildings in Zodanga were higher than those barracks, though several topped it by a few hundred feet; the docks of the great battleships of the line standing some fifteen hundred feet from the ground, while the frelcht and pas- Senger stations of the merchant squadrons rosé nearly as high, It was a long climb up the face of the building, and one fraught with foes danger, and so I assayed the ask The fact that Barsoomian architec- ture is extremely ornate made the feat much simpler than I had antict- pated, since I found ornamental ledges and projections which fairly formed a perfect ladder for me ail the way to the eaves of the building, Here | met my first real obstacle, The eaves projected nearly twenty feet from the wall to which I clung, and though I encircled the great building I could find no opening through them, ‘The top floor was alight, and filled With soldiers engeged in the pastimes “You are strong- ®@ quadruple force pa- er the Moons of Mars | ” Wonder Romance by of “TARZAN” ee TH ace, CATCH NP GER oF ANyBoby © WHO OR SNE AROUND ME i i i ELE STARTER FAN TO WAY GRIP GERNS Why Not The Evening World Daily Magazine, Friday, January 7, 1916 “fF oe elton, eg «= By Maurice Ketion IT'S NoT FoR. EXCcusé NE MOSQUITOES IT'S % KEEP our THE GRIP HANE You THE Gpid? I THOUGHT 1 SAW A GRIP GERM OK ‘YouR Nose Jou hata CZ “ 4 kK \ NO AND | Don't WANT IT wr HAVE You THE Grip 9 WHY NOT MOUSE TRAPS TACATCH GRIP eroren 0 g/ ( | How BECOMING YouR MASK IS IT'S LIKEA COMPLEXION MASK —— No Bur tBeueve IN PREPAREDNESS MAM. TOLd ME NOT To LET ANY GRIP GERNS CON of their kind. I could not, therefore, reach the roof through the building. There was one slight, chance, and that 1 c take. It was for De no man has lived risk a thousand deaths for such as she. Clinging to the wall with my f and one hand, I unloosened one of long leather straps of my trappin, at the end of which dangled a great hook by which air sailors are hung to the sides and bottoms of their craft for various purposes of repair and by means of which landing parties are lowered to the ground from the battleships. 1 swung this hook cautiously to the roof several times before it finally found lodgement; gently I pulled on it to strengthen its hold, but whether it would bear the weight of my body 1 did not know. it might be barely caught upon tho very outer verge of the roof so that as my body swung out at the end of the strap it would slip off and launch me to the pavement a thousand feet below. An instant I hesitated, and then, releasing my grasp upon the support- ing ornament, 1 swung out into space. the Par below me lay lighted streets, tl and death, There was @ little jerk the supporting eaves, and a nasty, slipping, grating sound which turned me cold With apprehension; then the hook caught, and I was safe. Clambering quickly aloft, I grasped the edge of the eaves and drew my- self to the surface of the roof above. As I gained my feot I was confronted by the sentry on duty, into the muz- zle of whose revolver I found myself looking, “Who are you and whence came you?” he cried. “T aim an air friend, and very near a dead o! for Just by tho merest chance I escaped falling to the avenue below,” I replied. “But how came you upon the roof, man? No one has landed or come up from the building for the past hour. Quick, explain yourself, or I call the guard.” “Look you here, sentry, and you shall see how I came and how close @ shave I had to not coming at all,” I answered, turning toward the edge of the roof, where, twenty feat below, at the end of my strap, hung all my weapons, The fellow, acting on impulse of curiosity, stepped to my side and to undoing, for as he leaned to peer over the eaves I grasped him by his throat and his pistol arm, and threw him heavily to the roof. The weapon dropped from his grasp and my fin- gers choked off his attempted cry for assistance, I gagged and bound him and then bung him over the edge of the roof as myself bad hung a few mo- ments before, I knew it would be dis- covered, and I needed all the time that IT could gain. Donning my trappings and weapons, I hastened to the sheds, and soon had out both my machine and Kantos Kan's, Making his fast behind mine I started my engine, and, skimming over the edge of the roof, I dived down into the streets of the city far below the plane usually occupied by the alr-patrol, In less than a minute I was settling safely upon the roof of our apartments beside the astonished Kantos Kan. A , T lost no time tn explanations, but plunged into a discussion of our plans for the immediate future, It Was decided that 1 was to try to ou make Helium while Kantos Kan was to enter the palace and despatch Sab Tha If successful he was then to me. He set my compass for me, clever little device which will remain steadfastly fixed upon any given point on the eurface of Bar- soom, and, bidding each other fare- well, we rose together and sped in the direction of the ce, which lay in the route which I must take to reach Helium. ; As we neared the high tower a@ patrol shot down from above, throw~ ing its piercing searchlight full upon my craft, and @ voice roared out @ command to halt, following with @ shot as | paid no attention to his hail, Kantos Kan dropped quickly into the darkness while 1 rose steadily, and at terrific speed raced through the Martian sky followed by a dozen of the r-scout craft which had joined the pursuit, and later by @ Bwift cruiser carrying a hundred men and a battery of rapid-fire une, Ky twisting and turning my little machine, now rising and now falling, I managed to elude their # Hghts most of the time, but I was Josing ground by these tactics, an 30 1 decided to hazard everything on a straightaway course, and leave the result to fate and the speed of my machine, i Kantos Kan had shown me a trick of gearing, Which {s known only to the navy of Helium, that greatly In- creased the speed of our machines, so that I felt sure I could distan my pursuers if I could dodge thei projectiles for a few moments As 1 sped through the air the screeching of the bullets around mo convinced me that only by 4 miracle could TI escape, but the dio was cast, and, throwing on full speed, | raced & straight course toward THellum, Gradually I left my pursuers further and further behind, and I was just congratulating myself on my lhicky escape when a well-directed shot from the cruiser exploded at the prow of my Ittle craft, How far I fell before I regained control of the machine I do not know, but I must have been very close to the ground before I started to rise again, as I plainly heard the squeal- ing of animals below me. Rising again, I scanned the heavens for my pursuers, and finally made out their lights far behind me, and T saw that they were landing, evidently tn search of me. Not until their lights were no long- er disoernible did I venture to Gash my little lamp upon my compass, and then I found to my consternation vhat & fragment of the proejctile had ut- terly destroyed my only guide, a5 well as my speedometer, It was true I could follow the stars in the general direction but without knowing the exact loca- tion of the clty or the speed at which I was travelling my chances of find- ing it were slim, Helium lies @ thousand miles south- west of Zodanga and, with my com- pass intact, I should have made the * The Creator of ‘SHERLOCK HOLMES" fs at his very best in the great romance of love and of European war THE GREAT SHADOW: By SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE THIS WILL BE NEXT WEEK'S COMPLETE NOVEL IN THE EVENING WORLD IN ‘THE trip, barring accident, in between four and five hours. As tt turned out, however, morning found me speeding over @ vast expanse of dead sea bot- tom after nearly six hours of contin- uous flight at high speed, Presently @ great city showed below me, bu was not Helium, as that alone Barsoomian metropolises cons! two Immense circular walled cities about seventy-five miles apart, and would have been easily distinguish- able from the altitude at which I was flying. Believing that I had come too far to the north and west, T turned back in a southeasterly direction, passing during the forenoon several other large cities, but none re mbling the description which Ki Kan had given me of Helium In addition to the twin-clty forma- tion of Helium another distingulshing feature is the two immense towe one of vivid scarlet, rising nearly @ mile into the alr from the centre of one of the cities, while the other, of bright yellow and of the samo height, marks her sister CHAPTER XVIII. With the Hordes Again. BOUT noon I passed low over a great dead city of ancient Mars, and as I skimmed out across the plain beyond 1 came full upon several thousand green warriors engaged ina terrific battle, Searcely had I seen them than a volley of shots was directed at me, and with the almost unfailing accuracy of their aim my little craft wae Instantly a ruined wreck, sinking erratically to the ground I fell almost {rectly in the centre of the flerce combat, among warriors who liad not seen my approach, sd busily were they engaged in iife-a death struggles. ‘The men were fighting on foot with long swords, while an occasional shot from a sharpshooter on the outekirt of the conflict would bring down warrior who might for an instant reparate himself from the entangled masa Aa my machine sank among them I realized that it was fight or die, with good chances of dying in any the ground event, und so 1 struck with drawn long-sword ready to de- fend myself as I could. I fell beside a huge monster who was engaged with three antagonists, and aos I glanced at his flerce face, filled with the light of battle, I recog- nized Tar Tarkas, the Thark, He did not see me, as T waa & trifle behind him, and just then the three warriors opposing him, and whom I recognized «x Warhoons, charged stmultaneously, The mighty fellow made quick work of one of them, but in stepping back for another thrust, he fell over a dead body behind him, and wes down and at the mercy of his foes in an instant, Quick as lightning they were upon him, and ‘ars Tarkas would have been gathered to his fathers in short order had 1 not sprung before his prostrate form and engaged Dia adversaries. I had accounted for one of thein when the mighty Thark regained his foot and quickly settled the other. He gave me one look and a slight #mile touched his grim lips as, touch- ing my shoulder, he said: “IT would scarcely recognize you, John Carter, but there is other mortal upon Barsoom who would have done what you have for me, | think I have learned that there 1s such a thing as friendship, my friend.” He said no more, nor was there op- portunity, for the Warhoons were closing in about us, and together we fought, shoulder to shoulder, during all that long, hot afternoon, until the tide of battle turned, and the rem- nants of the flerce Warhoon horde ell back upon their thoate and fled ito the gathering darkness. Ten thousand men had been engaged in that Titante struggle, and upon tho field of battle lay 3,000 dead, Neither side ked or gave quarter, nor did they attempt to take prisoners. On our return to the city after the battle we had gone directly to Tars ‘Tarkas's quarters, where I waa left alone while the chieftain attended the customary council which {mmedlately follows an engagement. “Tal Hajns knows that you are here, John Carter,” sald Tars Tarkas, on his return from the jeddak's quar- ters. “Sarkoja saw und recognized you as we were returning. Tal Hajus has ordered ine to bring you before him to-night. “I have ten thoats, John Carter; you may take your choice from among them, and I will accompany you to the nearest waterway that leads to Heliura. Tare Tarkas may he @ cruel, green warrior, well. but he can friend, as Tt {8 best that we start at once. when you return, Tara Tar- " I asked. Ho siniled. “The wild calots, possibly, or worse,’ he replied. “Unless I should chance to have the opportunity I have so long waited of battling with Tal Hajus.” “We will stay, Tare Tarkas, and seo ‘Tal Hajus to-night. You shall not eacrifice yourself, and it may be that to-night you can bave the chance you ed strenuously, saying that often flew into wild fits of passion at the mere thought of the blow I had dealt him, and that if ever he laid bis hands upon me I would be subjected to the most horrible tortures. While we were eating I repeated to ‘Tars Tarkas tho story which Sola had told me that night upon the sea bot- tom, during the march to Thark. He said but little, but the great muscles of his face Worked in passion and in agony recollection of the horrors which had been heaped upon the only thing he had ever loved in all hia cold, cruel, terrible existence. He no longer demurred when I sug- gested that wo go before Tal Hajua, only saying he would like to speak Sarkoja first. At his request 1 ace companied him to her quarters and the look of venomous hatred she cast upon mo was almost adequate re- compense for any future misfortunes this aceldental return to Thark might bring me, “Sarkoja,” sald Tare Tarkas, ‘forty years ago you were instrumental in jug about the torture and death Sir Arthur European Battlefields Jot a woman named Gosava, I have | vered that the warrior wno 1 tw an has arned of your part in the transaction, He may not kill you, Sarkoja, tt 1s not our custom, but there 1 Jing to prevent him tying one ‘a strap about your neck and other end to a wild thoat, merely to test your fitness to survive and help perpetuate our race, Having heard that he would do this on the morrow, I thought tt only right to warn yo for Lam a just man, The River Iss ie but «a short pilgrimage, Sarkoja. c ohn Carter.” ne, In silence we has! dak's palace, where we were imm diately admitted to his presence; tn fact he could scarcely wait to see me, and Was standing erect upon his plat~ form glowering at the entrance as I came in, “Strap him to that pillar,” he shrieked. “Woe shall seo who it ia dares strike the mighty Tal Hajus. Tieat the trons; with my own hands I shall burn the eyes from his head that he may not pollute my person with his vile gaze.” “Chieftains of Thark,” I erted, turn. Ing to the assembled council and ignoring ‘Tal Hajus, “I have been a chief among you, and to-day I have fought for Thark shoulder to shoulder with her greatest warrior, You owe * poared Tal Hajus. “Gag the creature and bind him as I com- mand.” ; “Justice, Tal Hajus!” exclaimed uas Ptomel, “Who are you to ide the customs of ages among ‘Tharks?" Yes, justice!” echoed a dozen volces; and so, while Tal Hajus fumed and frothed, | contnued: } “you are a brave people and you love bravery, but where was your mighty jeddak during the fighting to-day? I did pot see bim in the thick of battle; he was not there. He rends defenceloss women and little children in his lair, but how recently has one of you seen him fight with men? “Why, even I, a midget beside him, felled him with a single blow of my fist, Is it of # that the Tharks fashion thelr jeddaks? There stands beside me now @ great Thark, a mighty warrior, and a noble mag, Chieftains, how sounds Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark?” A rour of deep-toned applause Breeted this suggestion, “It but remains for this council to command, and Tal Hajus must prove his fitness to rule, Were he a brave man he would invite Tars Tarkas to combat, for he does not love bim, but Tal Hajus is afraid. Tal Hajus your jeddak, ts a coward, With my bare hands I could ki him, and he knows it,” After 1 ceased there was tense silence, as all eyes were riveted upon Tal Hajus. He did not speak or move, but the blotchy green of his countenance turned livid, and the froth froze upon his Hpa. “Tal Hajus,” sald Lorqu in @ cold, hard voice, “never in my long Ifo have I seen a jeddak of the ‘Tharks so humiliated, There could be t one answer to this arraignment, Wo watt it.” And still Tal Hajus potnded Jus stood as though “Chieftans,” continued Ptomol, "shall the jeddak, al tiajun prove his fitness to rule over Tars ‘arkas?" Thore were twenty chieftains about the rostrum, and twenty swords Mashed high in air, as eignal of assent, There Was no alternative. That de- oreo was final, and so Tal Hajus drew his long sword and advanced to meet i Tarkus. The combat wan soon over, . with his foot upon the neck bet dead monster, Tara Tarkas became dofdak among the Tharks. Is first act was to make me full-fledged chieftain with the ram T had won by my combats the first few Weeks of my captivity among them. Seeing the favorable disposition of the warriors toward Tarkas, as well as toward ine, I grasped the op portunity to enlist them in my cause against Zodanga, I told Tare Tarkas the story of my adventures, and in a few words had explained to thought I hed in mings) °° um ‘he “John Carter hag made a pi 1," 6 said, addressing the council, which meets with my sanotion. I shall put it to you briefly. Dejah Thoris, the Princess of Helium, who was our prisoner, Is now held by the Jeddak of Zodanga, whose son she must wad to save her country from devastation at the hands of the Zo- dangan forces. “John Carter suggests that we res- cue her and return her to Helium. The loot of Zodanga would be magnificent, and I have often thought that had we 4n alliance with the people of Helium We could obtain a gufficient assur- Anoe of sustenance to permit us to in- crease the size and frequency of our hatohings and thus become unques- Uonably supreme among the green men of all Barsoom, What eay you?" @ chance to fight, an oppor- loot, and they rose to the bait a# a speckled trout to a fly. For Tharks they were wildly en- thuslastic, and before another half- hour bad paswed twenty mounted Messenrers were speeding across dead sen bottoms to call the hordes together for the expedition, In three days we were on the march toward Zodanga, one hundred thou- sand strong, as Tars Tarkas had been able to enlist the services of three smaller hordes on the promise of the Kreat loot of Zodangn, We travelled entirely by night, tim. ing our marehes so that we camped during the day at deserted cities ‘where, even to the beasts, we were all . Ptomel, e Most Powerful and Enthralling Serial of its Kind that the Author of the “SHERLOCK HOLMES” Stories Has Written sav Conan Doyle “The Great Shadow" Is a Romance of the Be on the Lookout for the First instatment ’s Evening World, Jan. 10 Tener irirerriiiiyy » #ters wan equivalent to and of a Girl’s Love kept indoors durin, ts fects ie the daylight ; On the mareh Tara Tart be his remarkable ability nnd atalooeacing ship, enlisted fifty thousand more Warriors from various hordes, so that, ton days after wo set out, we halted at midnight outside the great walled city of Zodanga, one hundred and fifty thousand stron. rm: The fighting strength of this horde of derpatous trea cae % penne of red men, bee be” Never in the histo of Barsoo: y, Tars Tarkas told me, had such m force of greon warriors marched to» battle together. It was a monstrous task to keep even a semblance of harmony among them, and it was «0 eity wi ny that he got them to the out @ leet amon: themacives, © MIRtY battle ce But as wa neared Zodanga thelr Personal quarrela were submerged by thelr greater hatred for the red men, and especially for the Zodangante who had for years waged a Futhtesd % campaign of extermination against the green men, qitecting s ow al ‘apoll waters, Niigata: ow that we were before Zodan the task of obtaining entry to - gity devolved upon mo. and directing Tare Tarkas te hold his forces in two divisions out of earshot of the ety, © with oh division opposite a large katoway, I took twenty dismounted be warriors and approached one of ,the small gatos that pierced 4 short iitervals, Oe ee ae ese gates have no regular guard, but are covered by sentries who 4 trol the avenue that encircles the city just within the walls much aw!" Poe inetropetitan police patrol thelr... The walls of Zodanga are seventy- five feet in height and fifty toet thick, They are built of enormous’ blocks of carborundum, and the task of entering the city seemed to my es- -* cort of nm warrior t e bility. The fellows wie had been de. ° tatled to accompany mo were of one of the smaller and, therefore, did not know me. Placing three of them with their faces to the wall and arms locked, [ commanded two more to mount torn their shoulders, and a sixth I ordered to climb upon the shoulders of the upper two. head of the topmost warrior towered over forty feet from the ground. 4 In this way, with ten warriors, I built @ series of threo steps from the ground to the should of the top- . Then, starting from a * ort distance behind them, I ran ¢ swiftly 4 from one tier to the next and, with @ final bound from the broad shoulders of the highest, 1 clutched the top of the great wal! and quietly drew myself to its broad expanse. After me I dragged six lengths ot Jeather from an equal number of my warriors, These lengths we had pre viously fastened together and, pa, ing one end to the topmost war! T lowered the other end cautiously over the opposite of the wall. No one wi in sight, so, lowering myself to the end of my leather strap, I dropped the remaining thirty feet to the pavement below. I had learned from Kantos Kan the secret of opening these gates, and in another moment my twenty great fighting men stood within the doomed clty of Zodanga. 1 found to my delight that Thad en tered at the lower boundary of the enormous palace grounds. The building itself showed in the distance a blaze of glorious light, and ov the instant I determined to lead « detachment of warriors directly with. in the palace itself, while the balance of the great horde was attacking the barracks of the soldiery Despatching one of my men to Tars Tarkas for a detail of fifty Tharks and word of my Intentions, I ordered ten warriors to capture and open one ot the great gates, while with thi nine remaining I 'took the other, We were to do our work quietly, mo shots were to be fired, and no general advance made until I had reached the palace with my fifty Tharks, Our plans worked to perfection, The two sentries we moet were des-’ watched to thelr fathers upon the nka of the lost sea of Korus, and the guards at both gates followed 4 them in silence. CHAPTER XIX, Loot. § the great gate where I stood swung open my fifty Tharks, headed by Tars Tarkas himself, rode in up- on their mighty thoats. * led them to the palace walls, whieh I negotiated easily without assistance. ¢ Once inside, however, the gate mave me . naiderable trouble; but I finally was rewarded by secing it swing upon % {ts huge hinges, and soon my flerce escort was riding across the gardens’ “S of the Jeddak of Zodanga, As we approached the palace I could. aee through the great windows of the first Moor into the brilliantly tllumi- | nated audience chamber of Than Kosis, The immense hall was crowd: ed with nobles and their women, as’ *% though somo important function was in peo a8, a guard in sight There was not without the palace, due, 1 presume,’ “ to the fact that the etty and palaee walls were considered impregnablt fae #0 I came close and peered wa 2. At one end of the chamber, massive golden thrones, ener with diamonds, sat Than rounded by of of state,