a princess of mars-第36节

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〃And　had　the　choice　been　left　to　me　I　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　point　of　my　sword

for　the　sake　of　my　love　for　Helium；　for　Dejah　Thoris；　and　for

you。　　This　very　night　I　shall　try　to　reach　his　quarters　in　the

palace。〃



〃How？〃　I　asked。　　〃You　are　strongly　guarded　and　a　quadruple

force　patrols　the　sky。〃



He　bent　his　head　in　thought　a　moment；　then　raised　it

with　an　air　of　confidence。



〃I　only　need　to　pass　these　guards　and　I　can　do　it；〃　he　said

at　last。　　〃I　know　a　secret　entrance　to　the　palace　through

the　pinnacle　of　the　highest　tower。　　I　fell　upon　it　by　chance

one　day　as　I　was　passing　above　the　palace　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　unusual。

I　therefore　drew　near　and　discovered　that　the　possessor　of

the　peering　face　was　none　other　than　Sab　Than。　　He　was　slightly

put　out　at　being　detected　and　commanded　me　to　keep　the

matter　to　myself；　explaining　that　the　passage　from　the　tower

led　directly　to　his　apartments；　and　was　known　only　to　him。

If　I　can　reach　the　roof　of　the　barracks　and　get　my　machine

I　can　be　in　Sab　Than's　quarters　in　five　minutes；　but　how　am

I　to　escape　from　this　building；　guarded　as　you　say　it　is？〃



〃How　well　are　the　machine　sheds　at　the　barracks　guarded？〃　I　asked。



〃There　is　usually　but　one　man　on　duty　there　at　night　upon

the　roof。〃



〃Go　to　the　roof　of　this　building；　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　me。



The　building　was　an　enormous　one；　rearing　its　lofty　head

fully　a　thousand　feet　into　the　air。　　But　few　buildings　in

Zodanga　were　higher　than　these　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　freight　and　passenger　stations　of　the

merchant　squadrons　rose　nearly　as　high。



It　was　a　long　climb　up　the　face　of　the　building；　and　one

fraught　with　much　danger；　but　there　was　no　other　way；　and

so　I　essayed　the　task。　　The　fact　that　Barsoomian　architecture

is　extremely　ornate　made　the　feat　much　simpler　than　I　had

anticipated；　since　I　found　ornamental　ledges　and　projections

which　fairly　formed　a　perfect　ladder　for　me　all　the　way　to　the

eaves　of　the　building。　　Here　I　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　engaged

in　the　pastimes　of　their　kind；　I　could　not；　therefore；　reach

the　roof　through　the　building。



There　was　one　slight；　desperate　chance；　and　that　I　decided

I　must　takeit　was　for　Dejah　Thoris；　and　no　man　has　lived

who　would　not　risk　a　thousand　deaths　for　such　as　she。



Clinging　to　the　wall　with　my　feet　and　one　hand；　I　unloosened

one　of　the　long　leather　straps　of　my　trappings　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。



I　swung　this　hook　cautiously　to　the　roof　several　times

before　it　finally　found　lodgment；　gently　I　pulled　on　it　to

strengthen　its　hold；　but　whether　it　would　bear　the　weight　of

my　body　I　did　not　know。　　It　might　be　barely　caught　upon　the

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　supporting　ornament；　I　swung　out　into　space　at　the　end

of　the　strap。　　Far　below　me　lay　the　brilliantly　lighted　streets；

the　hard　pavements；　and　death。　　There　was　a　little　jerk　at

the　top　of　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　myself　to　the　surface　of　the　roof　above。　　As　I　gained

my　feet　I　was　confronted　by　the　sentry　on　duty；　into　the

muzzle　of　whose　revolver　I　found　myself　looking。



〃Who　are　you　and　whence　came　you？〃　he　cried。



〃I　am　an　air　scout；　friend；　and　very　near　a　dead　one；

for　just　by　the　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　a　shave　I　had　to　not　coming　at　all；〃　I　answered；

turning　toward　the　edge　of　the　roof；　where；　twenty　feet

below；　at　the　end　of　my　strap；　hung　all　my　weapons。



The　fellow；　acting　on　impulse　of　curiosity；　stepped　to　my

side　and　to　his　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　fingers　choked　off　his　attempted　cry　for

assistance。　　I　gagged　and　bound　him　and　then　hung　him

over　the　edge　of　the　roof　as　I　myself　had　hung　a　few

moments　before。　　I　knew　it　would　be　morning　before　he　would

be　discovered；　and　I　needed　all　the　time　that　I　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　dove　down　into　the　streets　of

the　city　far　below　the　plane　usually　occupied　by　the　air

patrol。　　In　less　than　a　minute　I　was　settling　safely　upon

the　roof　of　our　apartment　beside　the　astonished　Kantos　Kan。



I　lost　no　time　in　explanation；　but　plunged　immediately

into　a　discussion　of　our　plans　for　the　immediate　future。

It　was　decided　that　I　was　to　try　to　make　Helium　while　Kantos

Kan　was　to　enter　the　palace　and　dispatch　Sab　Than。　　If　successful

he　was　then　to　follow　me。　　He　set　my　compass　for　me；　a　clever

little　device　which　will　remain　steadfastly　fixed　upon　any　given

point　on　the　surface　of　Barsoom；　and　bidding　each　other　farewell

we　rose　together　and　sped　in　the　direction　of　the　palace　which

lay　in　the　route　which　I　must　take　to　reach　Helium。



As　we　neared　the　high　tower　a　patrol　shot　down　from

above；　throwing　its　piercing　searchlight　full　upon　my　craft；

and　a　voice　roared　out　a　command　to　halt；　following　with　a

shot　as　I　paid　no　attention　to　his　hail。　　Kantos　Kan　dropped

quickly　into　the　darkness；　while　I　rose　steadily　and　at　terrific

speed　raced　through　the　Martian　sky　followed　by　a　dozen　of

the　air…scout　craft　which　had　joined　the　pursuit；　and　later

by　a　swift　cruiser　carrying　a　hundred　men　and　a　battery　of

rapid…fire　guns。　　By　twisting　and　turning　my　little　machine；

now　rising　and　now　falling；　I　managed　to　elude　their　search…

lights　most　of　the　time；　but　I　was　also　losing　ground　by　these

tactics；　and　so　I　decided　to　hazard　everything　on　a　straight…

away　course　and　leave　the　result　to　fate　and　the　speed　of　my

machine。



Kantos　Kan　had　shown　me　a　trick　of　gearing；　which　is　known

only　to　the　navy　of　Helium；　that　greatly　increased　the　speed

of　our　machines；　so　that　I　felt　sure　I　could　distance

my　pursuers　if　I　could　dodge　their　projectiles　for　a　few　moments。



As　I　sped　through　the　air　the　screeching　of　the　bullets

around　me　convinced　me　that　only　by　a　miracle　could　I　escape；

but　the　die　was　cast；　and　throwing　on　full　speed　I　raced

a　straight　course　toward　Helium。　　Gradually　I　left　my

pursuers　further　and　further　behind；　and　I　was　just

congratulating　myself　on　my　lucky　escape；　when　a　well…directed

shot　from　the　cruiser　exploded　at　the　prow　of　my　little　craft。

The　concussion　nearly　capsized　her；　and　with　a　sickening

plunge　she　hurtled　downward　through　the　dark　night。



How　far　I　fell　before　I　regained　control　of　the　plane　I　do

not　know；　but　I　must　have　been　very　close　to　the　ground

when　I　started　to　rise　again；　as　I　plainly　heard　the　squealing

of　animals　below　me。　　Rising　again　I　scanned　the　heavens　for

my　pursuers；　and　finally　making　out　their　lights　far　behind　me；

saw　that　they　were　landing；　evidently　in　search　of　me。



Not　until　their　lights　were　no　longer　discernible　did　I

venture　to　flash　my　little　lamp　upon　my　compass；　and　then

I　found　to　my　consternation　that　a　fragment　of　the

projectile　had　utterly　destroyed　my　only　guide；　as　well　as　my

speedometer。　　It　was　true　I　could　follow　the　stars　in　the

general　direction