Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-15
cHApTER XXII-(Contlnued).

CHAPTER XXII-(Continued).
T7HE sounds of conflict. the clash OF
i arms. the shouting and the hurryng
of many feet came to us from various parts
of the temple. ! knew that was needeu
there, but 1 dared not leave Dejah Thoris'
nor dared I take her with me into the tur-
moil and danger of battle.
At last 1 bethought me of the pits from
which l had just emerged. Why not secret
her there until I could return and fetch her
away in safety and forever from this aw-
full place. 1 explained my plan 10 her'
For a moment she clung to me.
'I cannot bear to be parted from you
now even for moment, John Carter" she
said. II shudder at the thought OF being
alone again where that terrible creature
might discover me: You do not Know ner.
''None can imagine her ferocious cruelty
who has not witnessed her daily acts for
more than half year. II has taken me
nearly all this time TO realize even the
things that I have seen with my own eyes
81 shall not leave you then, my princess
I replied.
she was silent for a moment. then she
drew NV face 10 hers and kissed me.
"Go, John Carter" she said. "Our son
is there and the soldiers of Helium, hsht-
ing for the princess or HeIlum' "hete t"eS
are you should be.
III must not think of myself now but OF
them and of my husbands duty l may not
stand in the way of that. Hide me IN the
pits and 60" ,, ?
led her to the door through which 1
had entered the chamber from below. There
1 pressed her dear form TO me, ana theh,
though IL tore my heart TO do IL, ana
filed me only with the blacklist shadows
OF terrible foreboding, 1 guided her cross
the threshold, kissed her once again. ana
closed the door upon her.
without hesitating longer I hurried from
the chamber in the direction of the great
est tumult. Scarce half dozen chambers
had I traversed before 1 came upon the
theatre OF a fierce struggle.
The blacks were massed at the entrance
10 a great chamber. where they were at
tempting to block the further progress OF
a body OF red men toward the inner sacred
precincts OF the temple
Coming from within as did. found my
self behind the blacks, and without waiting
TO even estimate their numbers or the fool
hardness of my venture, 1 charged swiftly
across the chamber and fell upon them
from the rear with my keen longsword.
As struck the first blow l cried aloud:
For HeliumF And then rained cut after
cut upon the surprised warriors, while the
reds without took heart at the sound OF
my voice, and with shouts Of John Carter!
John Carterp' redoubled their efforts so ef.
fectually that before the blacks could re,
cover from their temporary decentralization
their ranks were broken and the red men
had burst into the chamber.
With carthoris at my side fought for
the red men OF BarsOom and for their
total emancipation from the throttling
bondage OF a hideous superstition.
Back and forth across the room we
surged, until the floor was ankle deep in
blood and dead men lay so thickly there
that half the time We stood upon their
bodies as we fought. As we swung to-
ward the great windows which overlooked
the Gardens OF Issus. a sight met my gaze
which sent a wave OF eXultation over me.
"Lookt" L cried. Men OF the First
Born, look :"
Fer an instant the fighting ceased and
with one accord every eye turned In the
direction i had indicated, and the sight
they saw was one no man OF the First
Born had ever imagined could be.
Across the gardens. from side to side.
stood a wayering line Of black warriors
while beyond them and forcing them ever
back was a great horde OF green warriors
astride their mighty thoats And as we
watched, one, fercer and more grimly ter
rible than his fellows, rode forward from
the rear, and as he came he shouted some
aerce command 10 his terrible legion.
II was Tars TaFkas. Jeddak OF Thark.
and as he couched his great 40-foot. metal
shod lance. We saw his warriors do like
wise. Then It was that We interpreted his
command
Twenty yards now separated the green
men from the black line Another word
from the great Thark. and with wild and
terrifying battlecry the green warriors
For 4 moment ne black line hsld. but
only for = moment. then the feareome beasts
that bore equally terrible riders passed eoru-
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