Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-17

| NHABTEh ANli-(COnttnued)
| THE slave girls upon the dais shrieked
i and covered away. And the thing
| jumped at them and gnashed its teeth and
then spat upon them from frothng lips.
Finally shook the thing. hoping to re-
call It for a moment TO nationality.
Where is Dejah Thoris7" l cried again
The awful creature in my grasp mumbed
| inartlculately for n moment. then a sudden
gleam of cunning shot into those hideous
| close.set eyes.
| "DeJah Thoris? Deiah Thoris7" and then
| that shrill, unearthly laugh pierced our
| ears once more Yes. Dejah Thoris. 1
know And Thuvla and Phaidor, daughter
| of Natal Shang. They each love John
| Carter Ua-ah--but II is droll
Together for a year they will mediate
within the Temple Of the Sun, but ere the
| year Is quite gone. there will be no more
| food for them. Ha-ah What divine en-
tertninment" and she licked the froth from
her cruel lips. There will be no more
| food--except each other. Ha-ah Ha-ah !"
The horror of the suggestion nearly par
alyzed me- To this awful fate the Great
ure within my power had condemned my
princess. l trembed in the ferocity of my
rage.
AS n terrier shakes a rat I shook Issus.
Goddess of Life Eternal
Countermand your ordersw cried.
Recall the condemned. Haste or you die"
ut is too late, Ha-ah Ha-ahw
She again commenced her gibberng and
shrieSing.
Almost Of its own volltion my dagger
flew up above that putrd heart. But some
thing stayed my hand and l am glad now
that 1t did. 1t Is n terrible thing to have
struck down a woman with ones own hand.
But filter fate occurred to me for this
false deity
First Born" I cried turning to those
who stood within the chamber you have
seen today the impotency OF Issus-the gods
are omnipotent. Issus Is god. She is
a cruel and wicked old woman, who has
deceived and played upon you for ages.
Take her. John Carter, Prince of Helium,
would not contaminate his hand with her
blood"
with that 1 pushed the ravlng beast,
whom "A short half-hour before whole
world had worshiped as divine from the
platform of her throne into the waiting
clutches Of her betrayed and vengeful
people.
Spying Nodar among the officers of the
red men, 1 called to him to lead me quick
ly to the Temple of the Sun, and without
waiting to learn what fate the First Born
would wreak upon their goddess, 1 rushed
from the chamber with Zodar, Carthors,
IIor Vastus, Kantos Kan and a score of
other red mobiles
The black led us rapidly through the
inner chambers of the temple until we stood
within the central court great circular
space paved with a transparent marble of
exquisite whteness; before us rose
golden temple wrought in the most won-
drous and fanciful designs, inlaid with dia-
mond ruby, sapphire. turquoise emerald
and the thousand nameess gems of Mars
which far transcend in loveiness and
purity of ray the most priceless stones OF
earth.
This way" cried Xodar, leading up
toward the entrance to a tunnel which
opened in the court yard beside the temple.
As we were on the point of descending
we heard a deep-toned roar burst from the
Temple of Issus. which we had but just
quilted, and then a red man, Dior Kantas,
padwar of the fifth utan, broke from a
nearby gate, crying to us to return.
The blacks have fired the temple" he
cried "ln thousand places It is burning
now. Haste to the outer gardens or you
are lost"
As he spoke we saw smoke pouring from
dozen windows looking out upon the
courtyard of the Temple of the Sun, and
far above the highest minaret of Issus hung
an ever-growing pail of smoke.
'Go back Go back :" / cried TO those
who had accompanied me. THE way,
Xodar; point the way and leave me
shall reach my princess yet"
Follow me, John Carter" replied Xodar,
and, without waiting for my reply, he
dashed down into the tunnel at our feet
At his heels ran down through n half
dozen tiers of galleries, until at last he led
me along n level floor. at the end of which
1 discerned lighted chamber.
Massive bars blocked our further prog
ress, but beyond l saw her-my incompara-
BILE princess and with her were Thuvia and
Phaidor. When she saw me she rushed to-
ward the bars that separated us. Already
the chamber had turned upon its slow way
so far that but portion of the opening in
the temple wall was opposite the barred
end of the corridor. Slowly the interval
was closing. In a short time there would
be but a tiny crack. and then that even
would be closed and for a long BaTsoomian
year the chamber would slowly revolve
until once more for brief day the aperture
in its wall would pass the corridors end.
But in tho meantime what horrible things
would 60 on within that chamber
'rXodar" l cried. Can no power stop
this awful revolving thing? Is there none
who holds the secret of these terrible bars?"
None, feary whom we could fetch in
time though I shall go and make the at
tempt. Wait for me here"
After he had left stood and talked with
Dejah Thoris. and she stretched her dear
hand through those cruel bars that might
hold it until the last moment,
Thuvia and Phador came close also.
but when Thuvla saw that we would be
alone she withdrew TO the farther side
Of the chamber, Not SO the daughter of
Natal Shang,
John Carter" she asked, this be the
last time that you shall see any of us
Tell me that you love me, that I may die
happy"
replied quickly. I am sorry, Phaidor,
but 1t is as I have told you from the
beginning"
She bit her lip and turned away, but