Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-15
THE GODS OF MARS
SEQUEL to ''Under the Moons Of Mar"

red men. The green horde broke to sur
round the temple The red men charged
for the interior, and then we turned to
continue our interrupted battle, but our foes
had vanished.
NV first thought was of Dejah Thoris.
Calling to Carthoris that had found his
mother. 1 started on run toward the
chamber where / had left her, with my
boy close beside me- After us came those
of our little force who had survived the
bloody conflict.
The moment I entered the room I saw
that some one had been there since had
left. A silk lay upon the floor 1t had
not been there before.
There were also a dagger and several
metal ornaments strewn about as though
torn from their wearer in struggle. But,
worst of all, the doorway leading to the
pits where had hidden my princess was
ajar.
with bound I was before it and thrust
ing it open rushed within. Dejah Thoris
had vanished. I called her name aloud
again and again, but there was no re-
sponse. I think in that instant 1 lowered
upon the verge of insanity I do not recall
what said or did, but / know that for
an instant was seized with the rage of
a maniac.
"Issusn I cried "Issus! Where is
isEus? Seach the temple for her, but let
no man harm her but John Carter. Car
thoris, where are the apartments of ISsus?"
This way" cried the boy, and without
waiting to know that had heard him he
dashed Off at breakneck speed farther into
the bowels of the temple.
AS fast as he went, however. was still
beside him, urging him on to greater speed.
At last we came 10 a great carved door,
and through this Carthoris dashed a foot
ahead of me. Within we came upon such
a scene as L had witnessed within the
temple once before-the throne of Issus
with the reclining slaves; and about 1t the
ranks of soldiery
We did not even give the men a chance
to draw so quickly were we upon them.
With a single cut 1 struck down two in
the front rank. And then by the mere
weight and momentum of my body rushed
through the two remaining ranks and sprang
upon the dais beside the carved sorapus
throne.
The repulsve creature squattlng there
in terror attempted to escape me and leap
into a trap behind her. But this time 1
was not TO be outwitted by any such petty
subterfuge.
Before she had half risen had grasped
her by the arm, and then as / saw the
guard starting to make a concerted rush
upon me from all sides 1 whipped out my
dagger and holding 1t close TO that vile
breast, ordered them to halt
Back !" 1 cried to them. Back The
first black foot that is planted upon this
platform sends my dagger into Issus'
heart"
For an instant they hesitated. Then an
officer ordered them back, while from the
outer corridor there swept into the throne
room at the heels of my little party of sur
vivOrs a full thousand red men under Kan
tOs Kan, Hor Vastus, and Kodar.
Where is Dejah ThOris?' / cried to the
thing within my hands.
For moment her eyes roved wildly about
the scene beneath her. / think that il took
q moment for the true condition to make
any impression upon her-she could not at
first realize that the temple had fallen be-
fore the assault Of men of the outer world.
When she did there must have come too
terrible realization of what il meant TO
her-the loss of power. humiliation, the ex-
posure OF the fraud and imposture which
she had for so long played upon her own
people
There was just one thing needed to com
plete the reality OF the picture she was
seeing and that was added by the highest
noble OF her realm-the high priest OF the
religion-ths prime minister OF her gov
ernment.
'Issus. Goddess Of Death and Of Life
Eternal" he cried, rise In the might Of
wave OF thy Omnipotent hand strike dead
the blasphemersl Let not one escape.
sIssus thy people depend upon thee
Daughter Of the Lesser Moon, thou only
art all powerful. Thou only canst save thy
people / am done. We await thy Will
Strike I"
And then It was that she went mad. A
screaming, gibberlng maniac writhed IN my
grasp. II bit and clawed and scratched IN
impotent fury. And then Il laughed a
weird and terrible laughter that fro7e the
blood
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