Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-24

ana fna streets ware virtually deserted.
The residences, faised hieh Upon their
metal columns, resembied huse rookeriea,
while the uprights themselves presented
the appearance Of steel tree-tTunks The
shopa, as a rule, were not raised from
| the ground, nor were the doors poted
| or barred, since thievery is virtually un-
known upon Barsoom.
Assassination is the ever-present fear
! OF all Barsoomians, and for this reason
/ alone their homes are raised high above
the ground at night, or in times OF
| danger
The Ptor brothers had given me ex-
plicit directions for reaching the point
Of the city where I could hnd living
| accommodations and be near the onices
| of the government agents to whom they
had given me letters My way led to
the central square or plaza, which IS
characteristic of all Martian cities.
The plaza Of zodanga covers a square
mile and is bounded by the palaces of
| the jeddak the jeds and other members
Of the royalty and nobility of 2odanga,
as well as by the principal public build
inss, cafes and shops
. As was crossing the great square,
lost in wonder and admiration of the mag
nihcent architecture and the gorgeous
| vegetation which carpeted the broad
broad lawns, discovered red Martian
walking briskly toward me from one OF
the avenues.
He paid not the slightest attention to
| me, but as he came abreast | recog-
nixed him. and turning placed my hand
upon his shoulder, calling out:
''Kaor-Kantos Kan !"
Like lightning he wheeled, and before
/ could so much as lower my hand, the
point of his long sword was at my breast.
who are you?" he growled and then
as backward leap carried me 90 feet
from his sword, he dropped the point to
the ground and exclaimed, laughing:
II do not need better reply There
| Is but one man upon all Barsoom who
! can bounce about like that BY the
mother of the further moon, John Carter,
| how came you here? Have you become a
darseen that you can change your color
at will7
you gave me a bad half minute, my
| friend" he continued, after l had briefly
outlined my adventures since parting with
him in the arena at Warhoon. Were
my name and city known to the 20
dangans, l would shortly be sitting on
the banks of the lost sea of Korus with
my revered and departed ancestors l
am here in the interests of Tardos Mors,
| jeddak of Helium, to discover the where-
abouts of Dejak Thoris. our princess
Sab Than, prince Of Zodanga. has her
| hidden In the city and has fallen madly
| in love with her. His father, Than Koss,
| jeddak of zodanga, has made her volun-
| tary marriage to his son the price of
| peace between our countries. but Tardos
| Mors will not accede to the demands, and
| has sent word that he and his people
| would rather look upon the dead face of
| their princess than see her wed to any
| than her own choice, and that personally
| he would prefer being engulfed in the
ashes OF a lost and burning Heium to
joining the metal of his house with that
of Than Kosis.
His reply was the deadiiest affront
| he could have put upon Than Kosis and
| the Zodangans, but his people love him
the more for 1t and his strength In
Helium is greater today than ever.
| "I have been here three days" con-
| tinued Kantos Kan. hut / have not yet
found where Dejah Thorls Is imprisoned
| Today join the Zodangan navy as an air
| scout and ! hope in this way to win the
confidence OF Sab Than, the prince, who
Is commander Of this division of the
| navy, and thus learn the whereabouts of
| Dejah Thoris
Carter, for know your loyalty to my
princess and two of us working together
should be able to accomplish much"
The plaza was now commencing to fill
| with people going and coming upon the
daily activities OF their duties. The shops
were opening and the cafes filling with
early morning patrons.
Kantos Kan led me to one OF these
gorgeous eating places, where we were
| served entirely by mechanical apparatus.
No hand touched the food from the time
| It entered the building In it's raw state
until It emerged hot and delicious upon
the tables before the guests, In response
to the touching of tiny buttons to indl-
cate their desires
After our meal. Kantos Kan took me
| with him to the headquarters OF the air.
scout squadron, and, introducing me to
his superior, asked that I be enrolled
| as a member of the corps
| In accordance with custom an exam
inaton was necessary, but Kantos Kan
had told me to have no fear on this
| score as he would attend to that part
of the matter. He accomplished this by
| taking my order for examination to the
examining Officer and representing him
self as John Carter
This ruse will be discovered later"
he cheerfully explained. when they check
up my weights, measurements and other
| personal Identification data, but it will
be several months before thia Is done and
our mission should be accomplished or
have failed long before that time"
The next few days were spent by Kantos
Kan in teaching me the intricacies of
flying and of repairing the dainty little
contrivances which the Martans use for
this purpose
The body of the one-man aircraft Is
| about sixteen feet long, two feet wide
and three inches thick. tapering to a point
at each end. The driver sits on top of
this plane upon a seat constructed over
the small. noiseless radium engine which
propels it,
The medium of buoyancy Is contained
within the thin metal walls OF the body,
and consists OF the eighth Barsoomian
ray, or ray OF propulsion.
CONTINUED TOMORROW