a princess of mars-第28节

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As　I　was　groping　to　remove　the　chain　from　about　my　victim's

neck　I　glanced　up　into　the　darkness　to　see　six　pairs　of　gleaming

eyes　fixed；　unwinking；　upon　me。　　Slowly　they　approached　and　slowly

I　shrank　back　from　the　awful　horror　of　them。　　Back　into　my　corner

I　crouched　holding　my　hands　palms　out；　before　me；　and　stealthily

on　came　the　awful　eyes　until　they　reached　the　dead　body　at　my　feet。

Then　slowly　they　retreated　but　this　time　with　a　strange　grating

sound　and　finally　they　disappeared　in　some　black　and　distant　recess

of　my　dungeon。









CHAPTER　XIX





BATTLING　IN　THE　ARENA





Slowly　I　regained　my　composure　and　finally　essayed　again

to　attempt　to　remove　the　keys　from　the　dead　body　of　my

former　jailer。　　But　as　I　reached　out　into　the　darkness　to　locate

it　I　found　to　my　horror　that　it　was　gone。　　Then　the　truth

flashed　on　me；　the　owners　of　those　gleaming　eyes　had　dragged

my　prize　away　from　me　to　be　devoured　in　their　neighboring　lair；

as　they　had　been　waiting　for　days；　for　weeks；　for　months；

through　all　this　awful　eternity　of　my　imprisonment　to　drag

my　dead　carcass　to　their　feast。



For　two　days　no　food　was　brought　me；　but　then　a　new

messenger　appeared　and　my　incarceration　went　on　as　before；

but　not　again　did　I　allow　my　reason　to　be　submerged　by　the

horror　of　my　position。



Shortly　after　this　episode　another　prisoner　was　brought　in

and　chained　near　me。　　By　the　dim　torch　light　I　saw　that　he

was　a　red　Martian　and　I　could　scarcely　await　the　departure

of　his　guards　to　address　him。　　As　their　retreating　footsteps

died　away　in　the　distance；　I　called　out　softly　the　Martian

word　of　greeting；　kaor。



〃Who　are　you　who　speaks　out　of　the　darkness？〃　he　answered



〃John　Carter；　a　friend　of　the　red　men　of　Helium。〃



〃I　am　of　Helium；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　do　not　recall　your　name。〃



And　then　I　told　him　my　story　as　I　have　written　it　here；

omitting　only　any　reference　to　my　love　for　Dejah　Thoris。

He　was　much　excited　by　the　news　of　Helium's　princess　and

seemed　quite　positive　that　she　and　Sola　could　easily　have

reached　a　point　of　safety　from　where　they　left　me。　　He　said

that　he　knew　the　place　well　because　the　defile　through　which

the　Warhoon　warriors　had　passed　when　they　discovered　us　was

the　only　one　ever　used　by　them　when　marching　to　the　south。



〃Dejah　Thoris　and　Sola　entered　the　hills　not　five　miles

from　a　great　waterway　and　are　now　probably　quite　safe；〃

he　assured　me。



My　fellow　prisoner　was　Kantos　Kan；　a　padwar　（lieutenant）

in　the　navy　of　Helium。　　He　had　been　a　member　of　the　ill…

fated　expedition　which　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the

Tharks　at　the　time　of　Dejah　Thoris'　capture；　and　he　briefly

related　the　events　which　followed　the　defeat　of　the　battleships。



Badly　injured　and　only　partially　manned　they　had　limped

slowly　toward　Helium；　but　while　passing　near　the　city　of

Zodanga；　the　capital　of　Helium's　hereditary　enemies　among

the　red　men　of　Barsoom；　they　had　been　attacked　by　a　great

body　of　war　vessels　and　all　but　the　craft　to　which　Kantos　Kan

belonged　were　either　destroyed　or　captured。　　His　vessel　was

chased　for　days　by　three　of　the　Zodangan　war　ships　but

finally　escaped　during　the　darkness　of　a　moonless　night。



Thirty　days　after　the　capture　of　Dejah　Thoris；　or　about

the　time　of　our　coming　to　Thark；　his　vessel　had　reached

Helium　with　about　ten　survivors　of　the　original　crew　of　seven

hundred　officers　and　men。　　Immediately　seven　great　fleets；

each　of　one　hundred　mighty　war　ships；　had　been　dispatched

to　search　for　Dejah　Thoris；　and　from　these　vessels　two

thousand　smaller　craft　had　been　kept　out　continuously　in

futile　search　for　the　missing　princess。



Two　green　Martian　communities　had　been　wiped　off　the

face　of　Barsoom　by　the　avenging　fleets；　but　no　trace　of　Dejah

Thoris　had　been　found。　　They　had　been　searching　among　the

northern　hordes；　and　only　within　the　past　few　days　had

they　extended　their　quest　to　the　south。



Kantos　Kan　had　been　detailed　to　one　of　the　small　one…man

fliers　and　had　had　the　misfortune　to　be　discovered　by　the

Warhoons　while　exploring　their　city。　　The　bravery　and　daring

of　the　man　won　my　greatest　respect　and　admiration。　　Alone　he

had　landed　at　the　city's　boundary　and　on　foot　had　penetrated

to　the　buildings　surrounding　the　plaza。　　For　two　days　and

nights　he　had　explored　their　quarters　and　their　dungeons　in

search　of　his　beloved　princess　only　to　fall　into　the

hands　of　a　party　of　Warhoons　as　he　was　about　to　leave；　after

assuring　himself　that　Dejah　Thoris　was　not　a　captive　there。



During　the　period　of　our　incarceration　Kantos　Kan　and　I

became　well　acquainted；　and　formed　a　warm　personal　friendship。

A　few　days　only　elapsed；　however；　before　we　were　dragged　forth

from　our　dungeon　for　the　great　games。　　We　were　conducted　early

one　morning　to　an　enormous　amphitheater；　which　instead　of　having

been　built　upon　the　surface　of　the　ground　was　excavated　below

the　surface。　　it　had　partially　filled　with　debris　so　that　how

large　it　had　originally　been　was　difficult　to　say。　　In　its

present　condition　it　held　the　entire　twenty　thousand　Warhoons

of　the　assembled　hordes。



The　arena　was　immense　but　extremely　uneven　and　unkempt。

Around　it　the　Warhoons　had　piled　building　stone　from

some　of　the　ruined　edifices　of　the　ancient　city　to　prevent

the　animals　and　the　captives　from　escaping　into　the

audience；　and　at　each　end　had　been　constructed　cages

to　hold　them　until　their　turns　came　to　meet　some　horrible

death　upon　the　arena。



Kantos　Kan　and　I　were　confined　together　in　one　of　the　cages。

In　the　others　were　wild　calots；　thoats；　mad　zitidars；

green　warriors；　and　women　of　other　hordes；　and　many

strange　and　ferocious　wild　beasts　of　Barsoom　which　I　had

never　before　seen。　　The　din　of　their　roaring；　growling　and

squealing　was　deafening　and　the　formidable　appearance　of

any　one　of　them　was　enough　to　make　the　stoutest　heart　feel

grave　forebodings。



Kantos　Kan　explained　to　me　that　at　the　end　of　the　day　one

of　these　prisoners　would　gain　freedom　and　the　others　would

lie　dead　about　the　arena。　　The　winners　in　the　various　contests

of　the　day　would　be　pitted　against　each　other　until　only　two

remained　alive；　the　victor　in　the　last　encounter　being　set　free；

whether　animal　or　man。　　The　following　morning　the　cages　would

be　filled　with　a　new　consignment　of　victims；　and　so　on

throughout　the　ten　days　of　the　games。



Shortly　after　we　had　been　caged　the　amphitheater　began　to　fill

and　within　an　hour　every　available　part　of　the　seating　space

was　occupied。　　Dak　Kova；　with　his　jeds　and　chieftains；　sat　at

the　center　of　one　side　of　the　arena　upon　a　large　raised　platform。



At　a　signal　from　Dak　Kova　the　doors　of　two　cages　were

thrown　open　and　a　dozen　green　Martian　females　were

driven　to　the　center　of　the　arena。　　Each　was　given　a

dagger　and　then；　at　the　far　end；　a　pack　of　twelve　calots；

or　wild　dogs　were　loosed　upon　them。



As　the　brutes；　growling　and　foaming；　rushed　upon　the　almost

defenseless　women　I　turned　my　head　that　I　might　not　see　the

horrid　sight。　　The　yells　and　laughter　of　the　green　horde

bore　witness　to　the　excellent　quality　of　the　sport　and

when　I　turned　back　to　the　arena；　as　Kantos　Kan　told　me　it

was　over；　I　saw　three　victorious　calots；　snarling　and　growling

over　the　bodies　of　their　prey。　　The　women　had　given　a　good　account


of　themselves。



Next　a　mad　zitidar　was　loosed　among　the　remaining　dogs；

and　so　it　went　throughout　the　long；　hot；　horrible　day。



During　the　day　I　was　pitted　against　first　men　and　then

beasts；　but　as　I　was　armed　with　a　long…sword　and　always

outclassed　my　adversary　in　agility　and　generally　in　strength

as　well；　it　proved　but　child's　play　to　me。　　Time　and　time　again

I　won　the　applause　of　the　bloodthirsty　multitude；　and　toward

the　end　there　were　cries　that　I　be　taken　from　the　arena

and　be　made　a　member　of　the　hordes　of　Warhoon。



Finally　there　were　but　three　of　us　left；　a　great　green　warrior

of　some　far　northern　horde；　Kantos　Kan；　and　myself。



The　other　two　were　to　battle　and　then　I　to　fight　the　conqueror

for　the　liberty　which　was　accorded　the　final　winner。



Kantos　Kan　had　fought　several　times　during　the　day　and

like　myself　had　always　proven　victorious；　but　occasionally

by　the　smallest　of　margins；　especially　when　pitted　against

the　green　warriors。　　I　had　little　hope　that　he　could　best　his

giant　adversary　who　had　mowed　down　all　before　him　during

the　day。　　The　fellow　towered　nearly　sixteen　feet　in　height；

while　Kantos　Kan　was　some　inches　under　six　feet。　　As　they

advanced　to　meet　one　another　I　saw　for　the　first　time　a　trick

of　Martian　swordsmanship　which　centered　Kantos　Kan's

every　hope　of　victory　and　life　on　one　cast　of　the　dice；　for；

as　he　came　to　within　about　twenty　feet　of　the　huge　fellow

he　threw　his　sword　arm　far　behind　him　over　his　shoulder

and　with　a　mighty　sweep　hurled　his　weapon　point　foremost

at　the　green　warrior。　　It　flew　true　as　an　arr