Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-14
CHAPTER X-Continued


THAD never petted nor fondled him, but
i now sat upon the ground, and putting
my arms round his heavy neck J stroked
and coaxed him. talking in my newly ac.
qured Martian tongue as I would have to
my hound at home, as | would have I, ked
to any other friend among the lower
animals.
His response TO my manifestation of al.
fection was remarkable to a degree; he
stretched his great mouth to its full
width, barring the entire eNpanse of his
upper rows of tusks and wrinkling his
snout until his great eyes were almost
hidden by the folds of flesh.
If you have ever seen a collie smile you
may have a faint conception of Woola's
facial distortion.
He threw himself upon his back and
fairly wallowed at my feet jumped up
and sprang upon me, rolling me upon
the ground by his great weight, then wrig-
Cling and sduirming round me like play.
full puppy presenting its back for the pet
ting 1t Graves.
could not resist the ludlcrousness of
the spectacle. and holding my sides |
rocked back and forth in the first
laughter which had passed my lips in
many days
My laughter frightened woola. his
antics ceased and he crawled pitfuly
toward me. poking his ugly head into
my lap and then | remembered what
laughter signified on Mars-torture, suf-
fering. death.
Quieting myself. I rubbed the poor old
fellows head and back. talked to him
for a few minutes, and then in an att
thoritative tone commanded him to fol.
low me, and, rising started for the hills.
There was no further question of au-
thority between u.s. Woola was my de-
voted slave from that moment hence, and
/ his only and undisputed master. My
walk occupied but a few minutes, and /
found nothing of particular interest to re-
ward me.
Numerous brilliantly colored and
strangely formed wild flowers dotted the
ravines. and from the summit of the first
hill / saw still other hills stretching off
toward the north. and rising, one range
above another until lost in mountains of
quite respectable dimensions. though / aft
erward found that only few peaks on all
Mars exceed four thousand feet in height
the suggestion of magnitude was merely
relative.
My mornings walk had been large with
importance to me, for it had resulted in II
perfect understanding with Woola. upon
whom Tars Tarkas relied for my safe
keeping. / now knew that while theo-
retically n prisoner | was virtually free.
and l hastened to regain the city limits
before the detection of Woola could be
discovered by his erstwhile masters.
The adventure decided me never again
to leave the limits of my prescribed
stamping grounds until l was ready to
venture forth for good and ALL as it would
certainly result in n curtailment of my
liberties. well as the probable death
of Woola, were we to be discovered.
On regaining the plaza l had my third
glimpse of the captive girl.
She was standing with her guards be.
fore the entrance to the audience cham.
ber. and as l approached she gave me one
naughty glance and turned her back full
upon me.
The act was so womanly, so earthly
w@manly, that though it stung my pride
II also warmed my heart with a feeling of
companionship. 1t was good to know
that some one else on Mars beside my.
self had human instincts of civilized
order, even though the manifestation of
them was so painful and mortifyng.
Had a green Marian woman desired to
show dislike or contempt she would in all
likelihood, have done 1t with a sword.
thrust movement of her trigger