a princess of mars-第20节

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plainly；　as　I　stood　there　under　the　moonlit　skies　of　Barsoom；

and　I　longed　for　them　as　I　had　never　longed　for　any　mortals

before。　　By　nature　a　wanderer；　I　had　never　known　the

true　meaning　of　the　word　home；　but　the　great　hall　of　the

Carters　had　always　stood　for　all　that　the　word　did　mean　to

me；　and　now　my　heart　turned　toward　it　from　the　cold　and

unfriendly　peoples　I　had　been　thrown　amongst。　　For　did　not

even　Dejah　Thoris　despise　me！　　I　was　a　low　creature；　so　low

in　fact　that　I　was　not　even　fit　to　polish　the　teeth　of　her

grandmother's　cat；　and　then　my　saving　sense　of　humor　came

to　my　rescue；　and　laughing　I　turned　into　my　silks　and　furs

and　slept　upon　the　moon…haunted　ground　the　sleep　of　a　tired

and　healthy　fighting　man。



We　broke　camp　the　next　day　at　an　early　hour　and　marched

with　only　a　single　halt　until　just　before　dark。　　Two　incidents

broke　the　tediousness　of　the　march。　　About　noon　we　espied

far　to　our　right　what　was　evidently　an　incubator；　and　Lorquas

Ptomel　directed　Tars　Tarkas　to　investigate　it。　　The　latter

took　a　dozen　warriors；　including　myself；　and　we　raced　across

the　velvety　carpeting　of　moss　to　the　little　enclosure。



It　was　indeed　an　incubator；　but　the　eggs　were　very　small

in　comparison　with　those　I　had　seen　hatching　in　ours　at　the

time　of　my　arrival　on　Mars。



Tars　Tarkas　dismounted　and　examined　the　enclosure　minutely；

finally　announcing　that　it　belonged　to　the　green　men

of　Warhoon　and　that　the　cement　was　scarcely　dry　where　it

had　been　walled　up。



〃They　cannot　be　a　day's　march　ahead　of　us；〃　he　exclaimed；

the　light　of　battle　leaping　to　his　fierce　face。



The　work　at　the　incubator　was　short　indeed。　　The　warriors

tore　open　the　entrance　and　a　couple　of　them；　crawling

in；　soon　demolished　all　the　eggs　with　their　short…swords。

Then　remounting　we　dashed　back　to　join　the　cavalcade。

During　the　ride　I　took　occasion　to　ask　Tars　Tarkas　if　these

Warhoons　whose　eggs　we　had　destroyed　were　a　smaller　people

than　his　Tharks。



〃I　noticed　that　their　eggs　were　so　much　smaller　than　those

I　saw　hatching　in　your　incubator；〃　I　added。



He　explained　that　the　eggs　had　just　been　placed　there；　but；

like　all　green　Martian　eggs；　they　would　grow　during　the

five…year　period　of　incubation　until　they　obtained　the　size　of

those　I　had　seen　hatching　on　the　day　of　my　arrival　on　Barsoom。

This　was　indeed　an　interesting　piece　of　information；

for　it　had　always　seemed　remarkable　to　me　that　the　green

Martian　women；　large　as　they　were；　could　bring　forth　such

enormous　eggs　as　I　had　seen　the　four…foot　infants　emerging

from。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　new…laid　egg　is　but　little　larger

than　an　ordinary　goose　egg；　and　as　it　does　not　commence　to

grow　until　subjected　to　the　light　of　the　sun　the　chieftains

have　little　difficulty　in　transporting　several　hundreds　of　them

at　one　time　from　the　storage　vaults　to　the　incubators。



Shortly　after　the　incident　of　the　Warhoon　eggs　we　halted

to　rest　the　animals；　and　it　was　during　this　halt　that　the

second　of　the　day's　interesting　episodes　occurred。　　I　was

engaged　in　changing　my　riding　cloths　from　one　of　my　thoats

to　the　other；　for　I　divided　the　day's　work　between　them；

when　Zad　approached　me；　and　without　a　word　struck　my

animal　a　terrific　blow　with　his　long…sword。



I　did　not　need　a　manual　of　green　Martian　etiquette　to　know

what　reply　to　make；　for；　in　fact；　I　was　so　wild　with　anger

that　I　could　scarcely　refrain　from　drawing　my　pistol　and

shooting　him　down　for　the　brute　he　was；　but　he　stood　waiting

with　drawn　long…sword；　and　my　only　choice　was　to　draw　my　own

and　meet　him　in　fair　fight　with　his　choice　of　weapons　or

a　lesser　one。



This　latter　alternative　is　always　permissible；　therefore　I

could　have　used　my　short…sword；　my　dagger；　my　hatchet；　or

my　fists　had　I　wished；　and　been　entirely　within　my　rights；

but　I　could　not　use　firearms　or　a　spear　while　he　held　only

his　long…sword。



I　chose　the　same　weapon　he　had　drawn　because　I　knew　he

prided　himself　upon　his　ability　with　it；　and　I　wished；　if　I

worsted　him　at　all；　to　do　it　with　his　own　weapon。　　The　fight

that　followed　was　a　long　one　and　delayed　the　resumption　of

the　march　for　an　hour。　　The　entire　community　surrounded

us；　leaving　a　clear　space　about　one　hundred　feet　in　diameter

for　our　battle。



Zad　first　attempted　to　rush　me　down　as　a　bull　might　a

wolf；　but　I　was　much　too　quick　for　him；　and　each　time　I

side…stepped　his　rushes　he　would　go　lunging　past　me；　only

to　receive　a　nick　from　my　sword　upon　his　arm　or　back。　　He

was　soon　streaming　blood　from　a　half　dozen　minor　wounds；

but　I　could　not　obtain　an　opening　to　deliver　an　effective

thrust。　　Then　he　changed　his　tactics；　and　fighting　warily　and

with　extreme　dexterity；　he　tried　to　do　by　science　what　he

was　unable　to　do　by　brute　strength。　　I　must　admit　that　he　was

a　magnificent　swordsman；　and　had　it　not　been　for　my　greater

endurance　and　the　remarkable　agility　the　lesser　gravitation

of　Mars　lent　me　I　might　not　have　been　able　to　put　up　the

creditable　fight　I　did　against　him。



We　circled　for　some　time　without　doing　much　damage　on

either　side；　the　long；　straight；　needle…like　swords　flashing　in

the　sunlight；　and　ringing　out　upon　the　stillness　as　they

crashed　together　with　each　effective　parry。　　Finally　Zad；

realizing　that　he　was　tiring　more　than　I；　evidently　decided　to

close　in　and　end　the　battle　in　a　final　blaze　of　glory　for　himself；

just　as　he　rushed　me　a　blinding　flash　of　light　struck　full

in　my　eyes；　so　that　I　could　not　see　his　approach　and　could

only　leap　blindly　to　one　side　in　an　effort　to　escape　the

mighty　blade　that　it　seemed　I　could　already　feel　in　my　vitals。

I　was　only　partially　successful；　as　a　sharp　pain　in　my　left

shoulder　attested；　but　in　the　sweep　of　my　glance　as　I　sought

to　again　locate　my　adversary；　a　sight　met　my　astonished

gaze　which　paid　me　well　for　the　wound　the　temporary　blindness

had　caused　me。　　There；　upon　Dejah　Thoris'　chariot

stood　three　figures；　for　the　purpose　evidently　of　witnessing

the　encounter　above　the　heads　of　the　intervening　Tharks。

There　were　Dejah　Thoris；　Sola；　and　Sarkoja；　and　as　my

fleeting　glance　swept　over　them　a　little　tableau　was　presented

which　will　stand　graven　in　my　memory　to　the　day　of　my　death。



As　I　looked；　Dejah　Thoris　turned　upon　Sarkoja　with　the

fury　of　a　young　tigress　and　struck　something　from　her

upraised　hand；　something　which　flashed　in　the　sunlight　as

it　spun　to　the　ground。　　Then　I　knew　what　had　blinded　me　at

that　crucial　moment　of　the　fight；　and　how　Sarkoja　had　found

a　way　to　kill　me　without　herself　delivering　the　final　thrust。

Another　thing　I　saw；　too；　which　almost　lost　my　life　for　me

then　and　there；　for　it　took　my　mind　for　the　fraction　of　an

instant　entirely　from　my　antagonist；　for；　as　Dejah　Thoris

struck　the　tiny　mirror　from　her　hand；　Sarkoja；　her　face　livid

with　hatred　and　baffled　rage；　whipped　out　her　dagger　and

aimed　a　terrific　blow　at　Dejah　Thoris；　and　then　Sola；　our　dear

and　faithful　Sola；　sprang　between　them；　the　last　I　saw　was

the　great　knife　descending　upon　her　shielding　breast。



My　enemy　had　recovered　from　his　thrust　and　was　making　it

extremely　interesting　for　me；　so　I　reluctantly　gave　my

attention　to　the　work　in　hand；　but　my　mind　was　not　upon　the

battle。



We　rushed　each　other　furiously　time　after　time；　'til　suddenly；

feeling　the　sharp　point　of　his　sword　at　my　breast　in　a　thrust

I　could　neither　parry　nor　escape；　I　threw　myself　upon　him

with　outstretched　sword　and　with　all　the　weight　of　my

body；　determined　that　I　would　not　die　alone　if　I　could

prevent　it。　　I　felt　the　steel　tear　into　my　chest；　all　went

black　before　me；　my　head　whirled　in　dizziness；　and　I　felt　my

knees　giving　beneath　me。









CHAPTER　XV





SOLA　TELLS　ME　HER　STORY





When　consciousness　returned；　and；　as　I　soon　learned；　I　was

down　but　a　moment；　I　sprang　quickly　to　my　feet　searching

for　my　sword；　and　there　I　found　it；　buried　to　the　hilt　in　the

green　breast　of　Zad；　who　lay　stone　dead　upon　the　ochre

moss　of　the　ancient　sea　bottom。　　As　I　regained　my　full　senses

I　found　his　weapon　piercing　my　left　breast；　but　only　through

the　flesh　and　muscles　which　cover　my　ribs；　entering　near

the　center　of　my　chest　and　coming　out　below　the　shoulder。

As　I　had　lunged　I　had　turned　so　that　his　sword　merely

passed　beneath　the　muscles；　inflicting　a　painful　but　not

dangerous　wound。



Removing　the　blade　from　my　body　I　also　regained　my

own；　and　turning　my　back　upon　his　ugly　carcass；　I　moved；

sick；　sore；　and　disgusted；　toward　the　chariots　which　bore　my

retinue　and　my　belongings。　　A　murmur　of　Martian　applause

greeted　me；　but　I　cared　not　for　it。



Bleeding　and　weak　I　reached　my　women；　who；　accustomed　to

such　happenings；　dressed　my　wounds；　applying　the　wonderful

healing　and　remedial　agents　which　make　only　the　most

instantaneous　of　death　blows　fatal。　　Give　a　Martian　woman

a　chance　and　death　must　take　a　back　seat。　　They　soon　had

me