Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-18

or AZ least the gravity Of it. and SO have
effected. at worst. a half conciIiation.
My duty dictated that must see that
she was comfortable. and so glanced into
her chariot and rearranged her silks and
| furs. In doing so I noted with horror
that she was heavily chained by one ankle
to the side of the vehicle.
What does this mean7" I cried, turn
ing to Sola.
"sarkoja thought It best" she answered
her face betoking her disapproval Of the
procedure.
Examining the manacIes, I saw tina,
they fastened with a massive spring-ock
| Where Is the key, Solar Let me have
IT,"
"Sarkoja wears II, John Carter" she
answered
l turned without further word and
sought out Tars Tarkas to whom / We
hemently objected at the unnecessary HUI
| Mutations and crueltes, as they seemed
| to my lovers eyes. that were being heaped
upon Dejah Thoris.
John Carter" he answered, 'If ever
| you and Dejah Thoris escape the Tharks
II viii Ue upon this Journey We know
! that you will not go without her. You
] have shown yourself a mighty fighter. and
| we do not wish 70 manaole you, so we
hold you both in the easiest way. l have
| spoken"
l saw the strength OF his reasoning at
appeal from his decision, but I asked that
| the key be taken from Sarkoja. and that
she be directed to leave the prisoner alone
| In future.
This much, Tars Tarkas. you may do
| for me, In return for the friendship that
| must confess, ! feel for YOU"
friendship he replied. There Ia
no such thing, John Carter but have your
VIII. shall direct that Sarkoja cease to
| annoy the girl, and ! myself will take the
custody of the key"
Unless you wish me to assume the re-
sponsiblIty," ! said smiling
He looked at me long and earnestly
before he spoke.
Give me your word that neither you
nor Dejah Thoris will attempt to escape
until after we have safely reached the
court of Tai Hajus, and you may have
the key and throw the chains into the
River 1ss"
1T were better that yol neld the key,
Tars Tarkas." / replied
few moments later saw her deep in
conversation with warrior named Zad-
a big, hulking, powerful brute but one
VINO had never made a kill among his
own chteftains, and so was still an 30
mad or man with one name. He could
win second name only with the metal
or some chieftain. II was this custom
which entitled me TO the names of either
or the chieftaIns | had killed In fact,
some of the warriors addressed me as
Dotar Sojat, combination of the sur
names of the two warrior chieftalns whose
metal | had taken. or. in other words,
whom | had slain in fair fight.
AS Sarkoja talked with Zad he cast oc-
casional glances IN my direction. while
she seemed to be urging him very strongly
TO some action. | paid little attention
to 1t at the time. but the next day I
had good reason to recall the ciroum-
stances and at the same time gain a
slight insight into the depths of SarlSoja's
hatred and the lengths to which she was
capable of going to wreak her horrid
vengeance on me.
Dejah Thoris would have none of me
again on this evening, and though spoke
her name, she neither replied nor concealed
by so much as the futter of an eyelid that
she realized my existence
In my extremity l did what most other
lovers would have done-I sought word
from her through an intimate. In this
instance II was Sola, whom Intercepted
in another part of camp.
What is the matter with Dejah
Thoris?" blurted out at her. why will
she not speak to me?"
Sola seemed puzzled herself as though
such strange actions on the part of two
humans were quite beyond her, as indeed
they were, poor child.
'She says you have angered her. and
that Is all she will say. except that she
IL lne udusnleT OF n JED ana the grand
daughter of jeddak, and she has been
Inundated by a creature who could not
polish the teeth of her grandmother
sorak."
I pondered over this report for some
time. finally asking:
What might a sorak be, Sola?"
"A little animal about as big as my
hand which the red Martian women keep
to play with" explained Sola.
Not fit to polish the teeth of her grand
mothers cat l must rank pretty low in
the consideration OF Dejah Thoris.
thought, but could not help laughing at
the strange figure of speech, so homely, |
and. in this respect so earthly. 1t made !
me homesick. for 1t sounded very much |
like mot fit to polish her shoes"
We broke camp the next day at an |
early hour, and marched with only a /
single halt until just before dark
Two incidents broke the tediousness of !
the march. About noon we espled to our
right what was evidently an incubator.
and LOrquas Ptomel directed Tars Tarkas .
to investigate it, The latter took dozen
warriors. among whom was |, and we
raced across the velvety carpetng Of moss
to the little inclosure.
1t was indeed an incubator, but the
eggs were very small in comparison with
those ! had seen Matching in ours at the
time of my arrival on Mars.
Tars Tarkas dismounted and examined
that IL belonged to the green men of War
hoon, and that the cement was scarcely
dry where 1t had been walled up.
They cannot be days march ahead
OF 81" he exclaimed, the light OF battle
leaping to his fierce face.
The work at the incubator was short
indeed.
The warriors tore open the entrance
and. couple of them crawling in, soon
demolished all the eggs with their short
swords. Then, remounting. we dashed
back % join the cavalcade.
During the ride l took occasion to ask
rars Tarkas II these Warhoons. whose
eggs we had destroyed. were a smaller
people than his Thanks.
Il noticed that their eggs were so much
smaller than those saw Matching in your
| added.
He explained that the eggs had just
been placed there but, like all Teen
Martian eggs. they would grow during the
ive-year period of incubation until they
reached the size of those had seen hatch
ng on the day of my arrival on Bar
SOON.
/ was engaged i'm changing my riding
,loths from one of my thoats to the other
for l divided the days work between