a princess of mars-第4节

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

cautiously　gained　my　feet　and　peered　over　the　top　upon　the

strangest　sight　it　had　ever　been　given　me　to　see。



The　roof　of　the　enclosure　was　of　solid　glass　about　four　or

five　inches　in　thickness；　and　beneath　this　were　several　hundred

large　eggs；　perfectly　round　and　snowy　white。　　The　eggs　were

nearly　uniform　in　size　being　about　two　and　one…half　feet　in

diameter。



Five　or　six　had　already　hatched　and　the　grotesque　caricatures

which　sat　blinking　in　the　sunlight　were　enough　to　cause

me　to　doubt　my　sanity。　　They　seemed　mostly　head；　with　little

scrawny　bodies；　long　necks　and　six　legs；　or；　as　I　afterward

learned；　two　legs　and　two　arms；　with　an　intermediary　pair　of

limbs　which　could　be　used　at　will　either　as　arms　or　legs。　　Their

eyes　were　set　at　the　extreme　sides　of　their　heads　a　trifle　above

the　center　and　protruded　in　such　a　manner　that　they　could

be　directed　either　forward　or　back　and　also　independently　of

each　other；　thus　permitting　this　queer　animal　to　look　in　any

direction；　or　in　two　directions　at　once；　without　the　necessity

of　turning　the　head。



The　ears；　which　were　slightly　above　the　eyes　and　closer　together；

were　small；　cup…shaped　antennae；　protruding　not　more　than　an　inch　on

these　young　specimens。　　Their　noses　were　but　longitudinal　slits　in

the　center　of　their　faces；　midway　between　their　mouths　and　ears。



There　was　no　hair　on　their　bodies；　which　were　of　a　very

light　yellowish…green　color。　　In　the　adults；　as　I　was　to　learn

quite　soon；　this　color　deepens　to　an　olive　green　and　is　darker

in　the　male　than　in　the　female。　　Further；　the　heads　of　the

adults　are　not　so　out　of　proportion　to　their　bodies　as　in　the

case　of　the　young。



The　iris　of　the　eyes　is　blood　red；　as　in　Albinos；　while　the

pupil　is　dark。　　The　eyeball　itself　is　very　white；　as　are　the　teeth。

These　latter　add　a　most　ferocious　appearance　to　an　otherwise

fearsome　and　terrible　countenance；　as　the　lower　tusks

curve　upward　to　sharp　points　which　end　about　where　the　eyes

of　earthly　human　beings　are　located。　　The　whiteness　of　the

teeth　is　not　that　of　ivory；　but　of　the　snowiest　and　most　gleaming

of　china。　　Against　the　dark　background　of　their　olive

skins　their　tusks　stand　out　in　a　most　striking　manner；　making

these　weapons　present　a　singularly　formidable　appearance。



Most　of　these　details　I　noted　later；　for　I　was　given　but　little

time　to　speculate　on　the　wonders　of　my　new　discovery。　　I　had

seen　that　the　eggs　were　in　the　process　of　hatching；　and　as　I

stood　watching　the　hideous　little　monsters　break　from　their

shells　I　failed　to　note　the　approach　of　a　score　of　full…grown

Martians　from　behind　me。



Coming；　as　they　did；　over　the　soft　and　soundless　moss；

which　covers　practically　the　entire　surface　of　Mars　with　the

exception　of　the　frozen　areas　at　the　poles　and　the　scattered

cultivated　districts；　they　might　have　captured　me　easily；　but

their　intentions　were　far　more　sinister。　　It　was　the　rattling　of

the　accouterments　of　the　foremost　warrior　which　warned　me。



On　such　a　little　thing　my　life　hung　that　I　often　marvel　that

I　escaped　so　easily。　　Had　not　the　rifle　of　the　leader　of　the

party　swung　from　its　fastenings　beside　his　saddle　in　such　a

way　as　to　strike　against　the　butt　of　his　great　metal　shod　spear

I　should　have　snuffed　out　without　ever　knowing　that　death　was

near　me。　　But　the　little　sound　caused　me　to　turn；　and　there

upon　me；　not　ten　feet　from　my　breast；　was　the　point　of　that

huge　spear；　a　spear　forty　feet　long；　tipped　with　gleaming

metal；　and　held　low　at　the　side　of　a　mounted　replica　of　the

little　devils　I　had　been　watching。



But　how　puny　and　harmless　they　now　looked　beside　this

huge　and　terrific　incarnation　of　hate；　of　vengeance　and　of

death。　　The　man　himself；　for　such　I　may　call　him；　was　fully

fifteen　feet　in　height　and；　on　Earth；　would　have　weighed　some

four　hundred　pounds。　　He　sat　his　mount　as　we　sit　a　horse；

grasping　the　animal's　barrel　with　his　lower　limbs；　while　the

hands　of　his　two　right　arms　held　his　immense　spear　low　at　the

side　of　his　mount；　his　two　left　arms　were　outstretched　laterally

to　help　preserve　his　balance；　the　thing　he　rode　having　neither

bridle　or　reins　of　any　description　for　guidance。



And　his　mount！　　How　can　earthly　words　describe　it！　　It

towered　ten　feet　at　the　shoulder；　had　four　legs　on　either

side；　a　broad　flat　tail；　larger　at　the　tip　than　at　the　root；　and

which　it　held　straight　out　behind　while　running；　a　gaping

mouth　which　split　its　head　from　its　snout　to　its　long；　massive

neck。



Like　its　master；　it　was　entirely　devoid　of　hair；　but　was　of　a

dark　slate　color　and　exceeding　smooth　and　glossy。　　Its　belly

was　white；　and　its　legs　shaded　from　the　slate　of　its　shoulders

and　hips　to　a　vivid　yellow　at　the　feet。　　The　feet　themselves　were

heavily　padded　and　nailless；　which　fact　had　also　contributed

to　the　noiselessness　of　their　approach；　and；　in　common

with　a　multiplicity　of　legs；　is　a　characteristic　feature　of　the

fauna　of　Mars。　　The　highest　type　of　man　and　one　other　animal；

the　only　mammal　existing　on　Mars；　alone　have　well…formed

nails；　and　there　are　absolutely　no　hoofed　animals　in　existence

there。



Behind　this　first　charging　demon　trailed　nineteen　others；

similar　in　all　respects；　but；　as　I　learned　later；　bearing

individual　characteristics　peculiar　to　themselves；　precisely　as

no　two　of　us　are　identical　although　we　are　all　cast　in　a　similar

mold。　　This　picture；　or　rather　materialized　nightmare；　which

I　have　described　at　length；　made　but　one　terrible　and　swift

impression　on　me　as　I　turned　to　meet　it。



Unarmed　and　naked　as　I　was；　the　first　law　of　nature　manifested

itself　in　the　only　possible　solution　of　my　immediate　problem；

and　that　was　to　get　out　of　the　vicinity　of　the　point　of

the　charging　spear。　　Consequently　I　gave　a　very　earthly　and　at

the　same　time　superhuman　leap　to　reach　the　top　of　the

Martian　incubator；　for　such　I　had　determined　it　must　be。



My　effort　was　crowned　with　a　success　which　appalled　me

no　less　than　it　seemed　to　surprise　the　Martian　warriors；　for　it

carried　me　fully　thirty　feet　into　the　air　and　landed　me　a

hundred　feet　from　my　pursuers　and　on　the　opposite　side　of

the　enclosure。



I　alighted　upon　the　soft　moss　easily　and　without　mishap；

and　turning　saw　my　enemies　lined　up　along　the　further　wall。

Some　were　surveying　me　with　expressions　which　I　afterward

discovered　marked　extreme　astonishment；　and　the　others　were

evidently　satisfying　themselves　that　I　had　not　molested　their

young。



They　were　conversing　together　in　low　tones；　and

gesticulating　and　pointing　toward　me。　　Their　discovery　that　I　had

not　harmed　the　little　Martians；　and　that　I　was　unarmed；　must　have

caused　them　to　look　upon　me　with　less　ferocity；　but；　as　I　was

to　learn　later；　the　thing　which　weighed　most　in　my　favor　was

my　exhibition　of　hurdling。



While　the　Martians　are　immense；　their　bones　are　very　large

and　they　are　muscled　only　in　proportion　to　the　gravitation

which　they　must　overcome。　　The　result　is　that　they　are　infinitely

less　agile　and　less　powerful；　in　proportion　to　their　weight；

than　an　Earth　man；　and　I　doubt　that　were　one　of　them　suddenly

to　be　transported　to　Earth　he　could　lift　his　own　weight　from

the　ground；　in　fact；　I　am　convinced　that　he　could　not　do　so。



My　feat　then　was　as　marvelous　upon　Mars　as　it　would　have

been　upon　Earth；　and　from　desiring　to　annihilate　me　they

suddenly　looked　upon　me　as　a　wonderful　discovery　to　be

captured　and　exhibited　among　their　fellows。



The　respite　my　unexpected　agility　had　given　me　permitted

me　to　formulate　plans　for　the　immediate　future　and　to　note

more　closely　the　appearance　of　the　warriors；　for　I　could　not

disassociate　these　people　in　my　mind　from　those　other

warriors　who；　only　the　day　before；　had　been　pursuing　me。



I　noted　that　each　was　armed　with　several　other　weapons　in

addition　to　the　huge　spear　which　I　have　described。　　The

weapon　which　caused　me　to　decide　against　an　attempt　at

escape　by　flight　was　what　was　evidently　a　rifle　of　some

description；　and　which　I　felt；　for　some　reason；　they　were

peculiarly　efficient　in　handling。



These　rifles　were　of　a　white　metal　stocked　with　wood；　which

I　learned　later　was　a　very　light　and　intensely　hard　growth

much　prized　on　Mars；　and　entirely　unknown　to　us　denizens

of　Earth。　　The　metal　of　the　barrel　is　an　alloy　composed

principally　of　aluminum　and　steel　which　they　have　learned

to　temper　to　a　hardness　far　exceeding　that　of　the　steel　with

which　we　are　familiar。　　The　weight　of　these　rifles　is　comparatively

little；　and　with　the　small　caliber；　explosive；　radium　projectiles

which　they　use；　and　the　great　length　of　the　barrel；　they　are

deadly　in　the　extreme　and　at　ranges　which　would　be　unthinkable

on　Earth。　　The　theoretic　effective　radius　of　this　rifle　is

three　hundred　miles；　but　the　best　they　can　do　in　actual

service　when　equipped　with　their　wireless　finders　an