a princess of mars-第3节

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next　few　minutes　were　fear；　then　may　God　help　the　coward；

for　cowardice　is　of　a　surety　its　own　punishment。



To　be　held　paralyzed；　with　one's　back　toward　some　horrible

and　unknown　danger　from　the　very　sound　of　which　the

ferocious　Apache　warriors　turn　in　wild　stampede；　as　a　flock　of

sheep　would　madly　flee　from　a　pack　of　wolves；　seems　to　me

the　last　word　in　fearsome　predicaments　for　a　man　who　had

ever　been　used　to　fighting　for　his　life　with　all　the　energy　of　a

powerful　physique。



Several　times　I　thought　I　heard　faint　sounds　behind　me　as

of　somebody　moving　cautiously；　but　eventually　even　these

ceased；　and　I　was　left　to　the　contemplation　of　my　position

without　interruption。　　I　could　but　vaguely　conjecture　the　cause

of　my　paralysis；　and　my　only　hope　lay　in　that　it　might　pass　off

as　suddenly　as　it　had　fallen　upon　me。



Late　in　the　afternoon　my　horse；　which　had　been　standing

with　dragging　rein　before　the　cave；　started　slowly　down　the

trail；　evidently　in　search　of　food　and　water；　and　I　was　left

alone　with　my　mysterious　unknown　companion　and　the　dead

body　of　my　friend；　which　lay　just　within　my　range　of　vision

upon　the　ledge　where　I　had　placed　it　in　the　early　morning。



From　then　until　possibly　midnight　all　was　silence；　the

silence　of　the　dead；　then；　suddenly；　the　awful　moan　of　the

morning　broke　upon　my　startled　ears；　and　there　came　again

from　the　black　shadows　the　sound　of　a　moving　thing；　and　a

faint　rustling　as　of　dead　leaves。　　The　shock　to　my　already

overstrained　nervous　system　was　terrible　in　the　extreme；　and

with　a　superhuman　effort　I　strove　to　break　my　awful　bonds。

It　was　an　effort　of　the　mind；　of　the　will；　of　the　nerves；　not

muscular；　for　I　could　not　move　even　so　much　as　my　little

finger；　but　none　the　less　mighty　for　all　that。　　And　then

something　gave；　there　was　a　momentary　feeling　of　nausea；　a　sharp

click　as　of　the　snapping　of　a　steel　wire；　and　I　stood　with　my

back　against　the　wall　of　the　cave　facing　my　unknown　foe。



And　then　the　moonlight　flooded　the　cave；　and　there　before

me　lay　my　own　body　as　it　had　been　lying　all　these　hours；

with　the　eyes　staring　toward　the　open　ledge　and　the　hands

resting　limply　upon　the　ground。　　I　looked　first　at　my　lifeless

clay　there　upon　the　floor　of　the　cave　and　then　down　at　myself

in　utter　bewilderment；　for　there　I　lay　clothed；　and　yet　here　I

stood　but　naked　as　at　the　minute　of　my　birth。



The　transition　had　been　so　sudden　and　so　unexpected　that

it　left　me　for　a　moment　forgetful　of　aught　else　than　my

strange　metamorphosis。　　My　first　thought　was；　is　this　then

death！　　Have　I　indeed　passed　over　forever　into　that　other　life！

But　I　could　not　well　believe　this；　as　I　could　feel　my　heart

pounding　against　my　ribs　from　the　exertion　of　my　efforts　to

release　myself　from　the　anaesthesis　which　had　held　me。　　My

breath　was　coming　in　quick；　short　gasps；　cold　sweat　stood　out

from　every　pore　of　my　body；　and　the　ancient　experiment　of

pinching　revealed　the　fact　that　I　was　anything　other　than　a

wraith。



Again　was　I　suddenly　recalled　to　my　immediate　surroundings

by　a　repetition　of　the　weird　moan　from　the　depths　of　the

cave。　　Naked　and　unarmed　as　I　was；　I　had　no　desire　to　face

the　unseen　thing　which　menaced　me。



My　revolvers　were　strapped　to　my　lifeless　body　which；　for

some　unfathomable　reason；　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　touch。

My　carbine　was　in　its　boot；　strapped　to　my　saddle；　and　as　my

horse　had　wandered　off　I　was　left　without　means　of　defense。

My　only　alternative　seemed　to　lie　in　flight　and　my　decision

was　crystallized　by　a　recurrence　of　the　rustling　sound　from

the　thing　which　now　seemed；　in　the　darkness　of　the　cave　and

to　my　distorted　imagination；　to　be　creeping　stealthily　upon　me。



Unable　longer　to　resist　the　temptation　to　escape　this　horrible

place　I　leaped　quickly　through　the　opening　into　the　starlight

of　a　clear　Arizona　night。　　The　crisp；　fresh　mountain　air

outside　the　cave　acted　as　an　immediate　tonic　and　I　felt　new

life　and　new　courage　coursing　through　me。　　Pausing　upon　the

brink　of　the　ledge　I　upbraided　myself　for　what　now　seemed

to　me　wholly　unwarranted　apprehension。　　I　reasoned　with

myself　that　I　had　lain　helpless　for　many　hours　within　the

cave；　yet　nothing　had　molested　me；　and　my　better　judgment；

when　permitted　the　direction　of　clear　and　logical　reasoning；

convinced　me　that　the　noises　I　had　heard　must　have　resulted

from　purely　natural　and　harmless　causes；　probably　the

conformation　of　the　cave　was　such　that　a　slight　breeze　had

caused　the　sounds　I　heard。



I　decided　to　investigate；　but　first　I　lifted　my　head　to　fill　my

lungs　with　the　pure；　invigorating　night　air　of　the　mountains。

As　I　did　so　I　saw　stretching　far　below　me　the　beautiful　vista

of　rocky　gorge；　and　level；　cacti…studded　flat；　wrought　by　the

moonlight　into　a　miracle　of　soft　splendor　and　wondrous　enchantment。



Few　western　wonders　are　more　inspiring　than　the　beauties

of　an　Arizona　moonlit　landscape；　the　silvered　mountains　in

the　distance；　the　strange　lights　and　shadows　upon　hog　back

and　arroyo；　and　the　grotesque　details　of　the　stiff；　yet　beautiful

cacti　form　a　picture　at　once　enchanting　and　inspiring；　as

though　one　were　catching　for　the　first　time　a　glimpse　of　some

dead　and　forgotten　world；　so　different　is　it　from　the　aspect　of

any　other　spot　upon　our　earth。



As　I　stood　thus　meditating；　I　turned　my　gaze　from　the

landscape　to　the　heavens　where　the　myriad　stars　formed　a

gorgeous　and　fitting　canopy　for　the　wonders　of　the　earthly

scene。　　My　attention　was　quickly　riveted　by　a　large　red　star

close　to　the　distant　horizon。　　As　I　gazed　upon　it　I　felt　a　spell

of　overpowering　fascinationit　was　Mars；　the　god　of　war；

and　for　me；　the　fighting　man；　it　had　always　held　the　power　of

irresistible　enchantment。　　As　I　gazed　at　it　on　that　far…gone

night　it　seemed　to　call　across　the　unthinkable　void；　to　lure　me

to　it；　to　draw　me　as　the　lodestone　attracts　a　particle　of　iron。



My　longing　was　beyond　the　power　of　opposition；　I　closed

my　eyes；　stretched　out　my　arms　toward　the　god　of　my　vocation

and　felt　myself　drawn　with　the　suddenness　of　thought　through

the　trackless　immensity　of　space。　　There　was　an　instant　of

extreme　cold　and　utter　darkness。









CHAPTER　III





MY　ADVENT　ON　MARS





I　opened　my　eyes　upon　a　strange　and　weird　landscape。　　I

knew　that　I　was　on　Mars；　not　once　did　I　question　either　my

sanity　or　my　wakefulness。　　I　was　not　asleep；　no　need　for　pinching

here；　my　inner　consciousness　told　me　as　plainly　that　I　was

upon　Mars　as　your　conscious　mind　tells　you　that　you　are　upon

Earth。　　You　do　not　question　the　fact；　neither　did　I。



I　found　myself　lying　prone　upon　a　bed　of　yellowish；

mosslike　vegetation　which　stretched　around　me　in　all　directions

for　interminable　miles。　　I　seemed　to　be　lying　in　a　deep；　circular

basin；　along　the　outer　verge　of　which　I　could　distinguish　the

irregularities　of　low　hills。



It　was　midday；　the　sun　was　shining　full　upon　me　and　the

heat　of　it　was　rather　intense　upon　my　naked　body；　yet　no

greater　than　would　have　been　true　under　similar　conditions　on

an　Arizona　desert。　　Here　and　there　were　slight　outcroppings

of　quartz…bearing　rock　which　glistened　in　the　sunlight；　and

a　little　to　my　left；　perhaps　a　hundred　yards；　appeared　a　low；

walled　enclosure　about　four　feet　in　height。　　No　water；　and

no　other　vegetation　than　the　moss　was　in　evidence；　and　as　I

was　somewhat　thirsty　I　determined　to　do　a　little　exploring。



Springing　to　my　feet　I　received　my　first　Martian　surprise；

for　the　effort；　which　on　Earth　would　have　brought　me　standing

upright；　carried　me　into　the　Martian　air　to　the　height　of　about

three　yards。　　I　alighted　softly　upon　the　ground；　however；　without

appreciable　shock　or　jar。　　Now　commenced　a　series　of

evolutions　which　even　then　seemed　ludicrous　in　the　extreme。

I　found　that　I　must　learn　to　walk　all　over　again；　as　the　muscular

exertion　which　carried　me　easily　and　safely　upon　Earth　played

strange　antics　with　me　upon　Mars。



Instead　of　progressing　in　a　sane　and　dignified　manner；　my

attempts　to　walk　resulted　in　a　variety　of　hops　which　took　me

clear　of　the　ground　a　couple　of　feet　at　each　step　and　landed

me　sprawling　upon　my　face　or　back　at　the　end　of　each　second

or　third　hop。　　My　muscles；　perfectly　attuned　and　accustomed

to　the　force　of　gravity　on　Earth；　played　the　mischief　with　me

in　attempting　for　the　first　time　to　cope　with　the　lesser　gravitation

and　lower　air　pressure　on　Mars。



I　was　determined；　however；　to　explore　the　low　structure

which　was　the　only　evidence　of　habitation　in　sight；　and　so　I

hit　upon　the　unique　plan　of　reverting　to　first　principles　in

locomotion；　creeping。　　I　did　fairly　well　at　this　and　in　a　few

moments　had　reached　the　low；　encircling　wall　of　the　enclosure。



There　appeared　to　be　no　doors　or　windows　upon　the　side

nearest　me；　but　as　the　wall　was　but　about　four　feet　high　I

cautiously　gained　my　feet　and　peered　over　the　top　upon　the

str