a princess of mars-第6节

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Again　locking　his　arm　in　mine；　we　had　proceeded　into　the

audience　chamber。　　There　were　few　formalities　observed　in

approaching　the　Martian　chieftain。　　My　captor　merely　strode

up　to　the　rostrum；　the　others　making　way　for　him　as　he

advanced。　　The　chieftain　rose　to　his　feet　and　uttered　the　name

of　my　escort　who；　in　turn；　halted　and　repeated　the　name　of

the　ruler　followed　by　his　title。



At　the　time；　this　ceremony　and　the　words　they　uttered

meant　nothing　to　me；　but　later　I　came　to　know　that　this　was

the　customary　greeting　between　green　Martians。　　Had　the　men

been　strangers；　and　therefore　unable　to　exchange　names；　they

would　have　silently　exchanged　ornaments；　had　their　missions

been　peacefulotherwise　they　would　have　exchanged　shots；

or　have　fought　out　their　introduction　with　some　other　of　their

various　weapons。



My　captor；　whose　name　was　Tars　Tarkas；　was　virtually　the

vice…chieftain　of　the　community；　and　a　man　of　great　ability　as

a　statesman　and　warrior。　　He　evidently　explained　briefly　the

incidents　connected　with　his　expedition；　including　my　capture；

and　when　he　had　concluded　the　chieftain　addressed　me　at

some　length。



I　replied　in　our　good　old　English　tongue　merely　to

convince　him　that　neither　of　us　could　understand　the　other；

but　I　noticed　that　when　I　smiled　slightly　on　concluding；　he　did

likewise。　　This　fact；　and　the　similar　occurrence　during　my　first

talk　with　Tars　Tarkas；　convinced　me　that　we　had　at　least

something　in　common；　the　ability　to　smile；　therefore　to　laugh；

denoting　a　sense　of　humor。　　But　I　was　to　learn　that　the

Martian　smile　is　merely　perfunctory；　and　that　the　Martian

laugh　is　a　thing　to　cause　strong　men　to　blanch　in　horror。



The　ideas　of　humor　among　the　green　men　of　Mars　are

widely　at　variance　with　our　conceptions　of　incitants　to

merriment。　　The　death　agonies　of　a　fellow　being　are；　to　these

strange　creatures　provocative　of　the　wildest　hilarity；　while

their　chief　form　of　commonest　amusement　is　to　inflict　death

on　their　prisoners　of　war　in　various　ingenious　and　horrible

ways。



The　assembled　warriors　and　chieftains　examined　me　closely；

feeling　my　muscles　and　the　texture　of　my　skin。　　The　principal

chieftain　then　evidently　signified　a　desire　to　see　me　perform；

and；　motioning　me　to　follow；　he　started　with　Tars　Tarkas　for

the　open　plaza。



Now；　I　had　made　no　attempt　to　walk；　since　my　first　signal

failure；　except　while　tightly　grasping　Tars　Tarkas'　arm；　and

so　now　I　went　skipping　and　flitting　about　among　the　desks

and　chairs　like　some　monstrous　grasshopper。　　After　bruising

myself　severely；　much　to　the　amusement　of　the　Martians；　I

again　had　recourse　to　creeping；　but　this　did　not　suit　them　and

I　was　roughly　jerked　to　my　feet　by　a　towering　fellow　who　had

laughed　most　heartily　at　my　misfortunes。



As　he　banged　me　down　upon　my　feet　his　face　was　bent

close　to　mine　and　I　did　the　only　thing　a　gentleman　might　do

under　the　circumstances　of　brutality；　boorishness；　and　lack　of

consideration　for　a　stranger's　rights；　I　swung　my　fist　squarely

to　his　jaw　and　he　went　down　like　a　felled　ox。　　As　he　sunk　to

the　floor　I　wheeled　around　with　my　back　toward　the　nearest

desk；　expecting　to　be　overwhelmed　by　the　vengeance　of　his

fellows；　but　determined　to　give　them　as　good　a　battle　as　the

unequal　odds　would　permit　before　I　gave　up　my　life。



My　fears　were　groundless；　however；　as　the　other　Martians；

at　first　struck　dumb　with　wonderment；　finally　broke　into　wild

peals　of　laughter　and　applause。　　I　did　not　recognize　the

applause　as　such；　but　later；　when　I　had　become　acquainted

with　their　customs；　I　learned　that　I　had　won　what　they　seldom

accord；　a　manifestation　of　approbation。



The　fellow　whom　I　had　struck　lay　where　he　had　fallen；　nor

did　any　of　his　mates　approach　him。　　Tars　Tarkas　advanced

toward　me；　holding　out　one　of　his　arms；　and　we　thus　proceeded

to　the　plaza　without　further　mishap。　　I　did　not；　of　course；

know　the　reason　for　which　we　had　come　to　the　open；　but　I

was　not　long　in　being　enlightened。　　They　first　repeated

the　word　〃sak〃　a　number　of　times；　and　then　Tars　Tarkas　made

several　jumps；　repeating　the　same　word　before　each　leap；　then；

turning　to　me；　he　said；　〃sak！〃　　I　saw　what　they　were　after；　and

gathering　myself　together　I　〃sakked〃　with　such　marvelous

success　that　I　cleared　a　good　hundred　and　fifty　feet；　nor　did　I

this　time；　lose　my　equilibrium；　but　landed　squarely　upon　my

feet　without　falling。　　I　then　returned　by　easy　jumps　of　twenty…

five　or　thirty　feet　to　the　little　group　of　warriors。



My　exhibition　had　been　witnessed　by　several　hundred　lesser

Martians；　and　they　immediately　broke　into　demands　for　a

repetition；　which　the　chieftain　then　ordered　me　to　make；　but

I　was　both　hungry　and　thirsty；　and　determined　on　the　spot

that　my　only　method　of　salvation　was　to　demand　the

consideration　from　these　creatures　which　they　evidently　would

not　voluntarily　accord。　　I　therefore　ignored　the　repeated

commands　to　〃sak；〃　and　each　time　they　were　made　I　motioned

to　my　mouth　and　rubbed　my　stomach。



Tars　Tarkas　and　the　chief　exchanged　a　few　words；　and　the

former；　calling　to　a　young　female　among　the　throng；　gave

her　some　instructions　and　motioned　me　to　accompany　her。　　I

grasped　her　proffered　arm　and　together　we　crossed　the　plaza

toward　a　large　building　on　the　far　side。



My　fair　companion　was　about　eight　feet　tall；　having　just

arrived　at　maturity；　but　not　yet　to　her　full　height。　　She　was　of

a　light　olive…green　color；　with　a　smooth；　glossy　hide。　　Her

name；　as　I　afterward　learned；　was　Sola；　and　she　belonged　to

the　retinue　of　Tars　Tarkas。　　She　conducted　me　to　a　spacious

chamber　in　one　of　the　buildings　fronting　on　the　plaza；　and

which；　from　the　litter　of　silks　and　furs　upon　the　floor；　I　took

to　be　the　sleeping　quarters　of　several　of　the　natives。



The　room　was　well　lighted　by　a　number　of　large　windows

and　was　beautifully　decorated　with　mural　paintings　and　mosaics；

but　upon　all　there　seemed　to　rest　that　indefinable　touch

of　the　finger　of　antiquity　which　convinced　me　that　the

architects　and　builders　of　these　wondrous　creations　had　nothing

in　common　with　the　crude　half…brutes　which　now　occupied　them。



Sola　motioned　me　to　be　seated　upon　a　pile　of　silks　near

the　center　of　the　room；　and；　turning；　made　a　peculiar　hissing

sound；　as　though　signaling　to　someone　in　an　adjoining　room。

In　response　to　her　call　I　obtained　my　first　sight　of　a　new

Martian　wonder。　　It　waddled　in　on　its　ten　short　legs；　and

squatted　down　before　the　girl　like　an　obedient　puppy。　　The

thing　was　about　the　size　of　a　Shetland　pony；　but　its　head　bore

a　slight　resemblance　to　that　of　a　frog；　except　that　the　jaws

were　equipped　with　three　rows　of　long；　sharp　tusks。









CHAPTER　V





I　ELUDE　MY　WATCH　DOG





Sola　stared　into　the　brute's　wicked…looking　eyes；　muttered　a

word　or　two　of　command；　pointed　to　me；　and　left　the　chamber。

I　could　not　but　wonder　what　this　ferocious…looking　monstrosity

might　do　when　left　alone　in　such　close　proximity　to　such　a

relatively　tender　morsel　of　meat；　but　my　fears　were　groundless；

as　the　beast；　after　surveying　me　intently　for　a　moment；　crossed

the　room　to　the　only　exit　which　led　to　the　street；　and　lay　down

full　length　across　the　threshold。



This　was　my　first　experience　with　a　Martian　watch　dog；　but

it　was　destined　not　to　be　my　last；　for　this　fellow　guarded　me

carefully　during　the　time　I　remained　a　captive　among　these

green　men；　twice　saving　my　life；　and　never　voluntarily　being

away　from　me　a　moment。



While　Sola　was　away　I　took　occasion　to　examine　more

minutely　the　room　in　which　I　found　myself　captive。　　The

mural　painting　depicted　scenes　of　rare　and　wonderful　beauty；

mountains；　rivers；　lake；　ocean；　meadow；　trees　and　flowers；

winding　roadways；　sun…kissed　gardensscenes　which　might

have　portrayed　earthly　views　but　for　the　different　colorings　of

the　vegetation。　　The　work　had　evidently　been　wrought　by　a

master　hand；　so　subtle　the　atmosphere；　so　perfect　the　technique；

yet　nowhere　was　there　a　representation　of　a　living　animal；

either　human　or　brute；　by　which　I　could　guess　at　the　likeness

of　these　other　and　perhaps　extinct　denizens　of　Mars。



While　I　was　allowing　my　fancy　to　run　riot　in　wild　conjecture

on　the　possible　explanation　of　the　strange　anomalies　which

I　had　so　far　met　with　on　Mars；　Sola　returned　bearing　both

food　and　drink。　　These　she　placed　on　the　floor　beside　me；

and　seating　herself　a　short　ways　off　regarded　me　intently。

The　food　consisted　of　about　a　pound　of　some　solid　substance　of

the　consistency　of　cheese　and　almost　tasteless；　while　the　liquid

was　apparently　milk　from　some　animal。　　It　was　not　unpleasant

to　the　taste；　though　slightly　acid；　and　I　learned　in　a　short　time

to　prize　it　very　highly。　　It　came；　as　I　later　discovered；　not　from

an　animal；　as　there　is　only　one　mammal　on　Mars　and　that　one

very　rare　indeed；　but　from　a　large　plant　which　grows　practically

without　water；　but　se