Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-17

charged the little party. and his method
| OF attack was as remarkable as it was
| effective, and by its very strangeness was
the more potent, since in the science of
| the green warriors there was no defense
Tor this singular manner. of attack.
The plant-man charged to within a dozen
| feet of the party, and then, with bound.
rose as though to pass directly above their
| heads. His powerful tail was raised high
| TO one side, and as he passed close above
them he brought 1t down in one terrific
| sweep that crushed a green warriors skull
as though IL had been an eggshell
The remainder of the frightful herd was
now circling rapidly and with bewilderlng
speed about the little knot of victims Their
prodigous bounds and the shrill screech-
ing purr of their uncanny mouths were
well calculated to confuse and terrorize
their prey, so that as two of them leaped
simultaneously from either side the mighty
sweep of those awful tails met with no
resistance, and two more green Martians
went down to an ignoble death
There were now but one warrior and two
females left, and 1t seemed that it could
be but matter of seconds ere these also
lay dead upon the sward
But as two more OF the plant-men
charged, the warrior who was now pre-
pared by the experiences of the last few
minutes swung his mighty longsword aloft
and met the hurtling bulk with a clean
cut that Glove one OF the plant-men from
chin to groin.
The other, however, dealt a single blow
with his cruel tail that laid both of the
females crushed corpes upon the ground
AS the green warrior saw the last of his
companions go down, and at the same time
perceived that the entire herd was charg
Ing him In body he rushed boldly to meet
them, swinging his longsword in the ter
rife manner that l had so often seen the
men of his kind WELD 1t in their ferocious
a a Inn a
own race.
Cutting and hewing TO right and left he
laid an open path straight through the
advancing plant-men, and then Commenced
mad race for the forest, in the shelter
OF which ne evidently hoped he might hnd
haven OF refuge.
He had turned for that portion Of the
forest which abutted on the cliffs. ana thus
the flight was taking the entire party fur
ther and further from the boulder where
lay concealed.
AS l had watched the fight which the
great warrior had made against such odds
nay heart had swelled for him and acting
as l am wont TO do, more upon impulse
than after mature deliberation. / sprang
from my shelterng rock ana boi1ndad
quickly toward the bodies OF The dead
green Martlans. well-dehned plan of ae
ton already formed
Half dozen great leaps brought me
TO the spot, and another instant saw me
SkaiA III fhS ildS III FaplQ pursuit OF the
hideous monsters that were rapidly gain
ing on the fleeing warrior
But this time l grasped mighty long
sword IN my hand and In my heart was
the old blood lust OF the fighting man
red mist swan before my eyes and
felt my lips respond to my heart ia the
old smile that has marked me In the
midst or the Joy OF battle.
Though swift l was none too soon
Tor the green warrior had been over
taken before he made half the distance 10
the forest, and now he stood with his back
TO q boulder, while the herd temporarily
baked Missed and sereeehed about him.
With their single eyes IN the center Of
their head, and every eye turned upon their
prey. they did not note my soundIess
approach. 50 thatlI Has upon them WITH
my great ionesvoFd. and fours of them
ley dsad before they knew that ! w.
among thena.
Fer N instant EaeE faeollsd before nas
terrific Onslaught. aaa Ia hat instant fhs
zEzen HaFHlez Eesz . Eha aeeazIaa. IA.