Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-22
UNDER THE MOONS OF MARS
By EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS


horrld sight The yells and laughter of
the green horde bore witness TO the ex
celIent quality of the sport, and when 1
turned back to the arena, as Kantos Kan
told me II was over, l saw three victorious
calots. snarling and growing over the
bodies of their prey. The women had given
good account of themselves.
Next a mad zitidar was loosed among
the remaining dogs, and so It went
throughout the long. hot. horrible day.
During the day, ] was pitted against
first men, and then beasts but as / was
armed with a long sword and always out
olassed my adversary In agility and gem
orally in strength as well, 1t proved but
childs play to me. Time and again |
won the applause of the bloodthirsty null
ttude, and toward the end there were
cries that l be taken from the arena and
be made a member of the hordes of War
hoon.
Finally there were but three of us left,
a great, green warrior of some far north
ern horde, Kantos Kan and myself. The
other two were to battle and then l to
night the conqueror for the liberty which
was accorded the final winner
Kantos Kan had fought several times
during the day, and like myself, had
always proved victorious, but occasionally
by the smallest of margins, especially
when pitted against the green warriors.
l had little hope that he could best his
giant adversary. who had moved down all
who had been pltted against him.
The fellow lowered nearly 16 feet in
height, while Kantos Kan was some inches
under six feet. AS they advanced to
meet one another I saw for the first time
a trick of Marian swordsmanship which
centred Kantos Kan's every hope of vic
tory and life on one cast of the dice, for.
as he came to within about 90 feet of
the huge fellow he threw his sword arm
far behind him over his shoulder and with
mighty sweep hurled his weapon point
foremost, at the green, warrior.
1t flew true as an arrow, and. piercing
the poor unfortunate's heart. laid him dead
upon the arena.
Kantos Kan and I were now matched
against each other. but as we approached
to the encounter / whispered to him to
prolong the battle until nearly dark in
the hope that we might find some means
of escape. The horde evidently guessed
that we had no hearts to fight against
each other, and so they howled in rage
as neither of us placed a fatal thrust.
Just as j saw the sudden coming of
dark | whispered to Kantos Kan to thrust
his sword between my left arm and my
body. AS he did so I staggered back,
clasping the sword tightly with my arm,
and thus fell to the ground with his
weapon apparently protruding from my
chest.
Kantos Kan perceived my coup. and,
stepping quickly to my side, he placed his
foot upon my neck and, withdrawing his
sword from my body, gave me the final
death-blow through the neck which is
supposed to sever the iugular vein, but in
this instance the cold blade slipped harm
lessly into the sand of the arena.
In the darkness which had now fallen
none could tell but that he had really
finished me. / whispered to him to claim
his freedom and then look for me in the
hills of the city, and so he left me.
When the amphitheatre had cleared.
1 crept stealthily to the top, and, as the
great excavation lay far from the plaza
and In an untenanted portion Of the great
dead city. had little trouble in reaching
the hills beyond.