Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-24
CHATTER yI-toontlnuedl I.

jumps In after them.
CHAPTER yI--(Contlnued).
rr,uE craft swayed slightly, but did not
r,ove. Then a new cry of warning broke
anon our ears. Turning, I saw dozen
Mack pirates dashing toward us from the
nsee. We had been discovered.
with shrieks of rage the demons sprang
sor rs. With frenzied insistence I continued
N press the little button which should have
,snt us racing out into space, but still the
vessel refused to bulge. Then 1t came to
me. the reason that she would not rise.
We had stumbled upon two-man fiier.
It's ray tanks were charged only with suf-
acient repulsive energy to lift two ordinary
men The Thark's great weight was anchor
nr us to our DOOM
The blacks were nearly upon us. There
was not an instant to be lost In hesitation
or doubt.
pressed the button far in and locked It,
Then set the lever at high speed. and as
the blacks came yelling upon us I slipped
from the crafts deck, and with drawn long
sword met the attack.
AT the same moment a girls Shrek rang
out behind me, and an instant later, as the
blacks fell upon me, heard far above my
head and family in Thuvia's voice: my
prince, my prince. would rather remain
and die with"
The rest was lost in the noise of my as
sailants
knew, though, that my ruse had worked,
and that, temporarily at least, Thuvia and
Tars Tarkas were safe, and the means of
escape was theirs.
For moment 1t seemed that I could not
Withstand the weight of numbers that con-
fronted me; but again, as on so many
other occasions when 1 had been called
upon to face fearful odds upon this planet
OF warriors and fierce beasts, found that
my earthly strength so far transcended
that Of my opponents that the odds were
not so greatly against me as they appeared.
My seething blade wove a net of death
bout me. For an instant the blacks
Pessed close to reach me with their shorter
Eordss but presently they gave back, and
he esteem in which they suddenly had
Earned to hold my sword-arm was writ
hfge upon each countenance.
knew, though, that it was but ques-
ton OF minutes before their greater num-
bsrs would wear me down or get round
my guard. l must go down eventually to
esrtan death before them.
shuddered at the thought of It, dying
thus in this terrible place where no word
0/my end ever could reach my DeJah
Ihoris Dying at the hands of nameless
black men in the garden of the cruel therns.
Then my old-time spirit reasserted, itself.
The hghting blood of my Virginia sres
eoursed hot through my veins, The fierce
Dlood-lust and the joy of battle surged
over me.
The fighting smile that has brought con-
sernation to thousand foemen touched
my lips. / put the thought of death out of
ny mind, and fell upon my antagonists
WIN such fury that those who escaped will
fdnemoer 1t to their dying day.
Ihat others would press to the support
VI .hose who faced me l knew; so, even as
fought kept my wits at work searching
ior an avenue of escape.
" came from an unexpected quarter out
~ ~ the black night behind me. I had Just
uHsrmed huge fellow who had given me
! desperate struggle. and for a moment the
'SSEs stood back for breathing spell.
vi.hnIy iey eyed me with malignant fury; yet
eemeanor. 80 ''e''
fhern," said one, you fight like n
@ ua,or. But for your detestable yellow hair
nu your white skin. you would be an honor
me nrst-born of Barsoom"
!. am no thern," said. and was about
S,rIIpnln I1plaln that l was from another world,
salnking that by patching truce with these
ssnoWs and fighting with them against the
ing my liberty IN fes"ih-
.t nut Just at that moment a heavy object
sho,',s saU,e me resounding whack between INV
Sround. -s'ieu me 10 the
"A. As ! turned to meet this new enemy an
solect passed over my shoulder stril,lna,
ana ~ my assailants squarely In the face
A. tAnocAihg him senseless to the sward
mai has same instant saw that the thing
al iaa struck US was the trailing anchor
.eh-man cruiser. '0'''''S
NJ, ne ship was floating slowly abova rs
~ -. more than so feet over our bssSs t
a,S the one chance for escana that a.
M presented itself to me. -
fbs vessel was slowly rising. and -,
faess s"ehor was beyond the blacks Who
heads me ana several feet above their
viss %i.h a bound that left them CANINE :,
slst,syed astonishment 1 snrsns - -
NJ sy ~, over them. A second lean "a III,
Idlv' 'Sst rs hlgh enough to grasp the now ran-
teeeding anchor. "0" F"p-
bv was successful, and thera h,,,o,
bsa one hand. dragging through h9ils th
rarSs-es OF the higher vegetation as the
M Li whlle my late foenen sbrialsAS
y howled beneath me. Si'ieAso
seaf the vessel yeered toward tha
south. IN .nen swung gracefully to the
az ssssha the crest of the Golden S,,ss carried
lsS @ me valley Dor, where, 5000 feet e' be'
asrine i. me ss lost Sea Of Korus lay shtm-
scfoss sha l climbed TO a sitting posture
- ehae sne anchors arms. / wondeSsd d
Aoasd ~ me vessel might be deserted I
s fr,s.e,. 80. or possibly it might belane -
aeeidsas people, and have wandered bV
nifatss ana es. -. within the clutches OF the
"a rs,sas M me therns. The fact that n
lssl .astfeating from the scene ~ bat.ie
3 s2loF to this hypothesis u pattie
oaee ! decided 70 know positively ana =.
: elIssS . shh great caution / eommenesd
lAs dssf sassAiy up the anchor-chaIn toward |
- :. ~ slaa had Just reached for ths yos
- 80 Aaa lonaa II when ! aeree blacl. |
49, shFest over the SIDE aaa -. -
- 'sn qiamphant hate looked ista