Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-01
La 5CDSOF MARS
Sequel to Under the Moons Of Mars"
eI to Under the Moons of Mas

from the proud courts OF mighty Jeddaks
and from the temples of the holy therns
For n year they had served in the retinue
of Issus today they were to pay the price
of this divine preferment with their lives
A huge black entered the arena with the
young women Carefully he inspected
them. Presently he selected one OF their
number, whom he led before the throne Of
Issug. He addressed some words to the
goddess which / could not hear.
fssus nodded her head. The black raised
his hands above his head in token Of sa-
lute Erasped the girl by the wrist and
dragged her from the arena through
small doorway below the throne
Then the gate Of nearby cage was
thrown open, and three monstrous white
apes sprang into the arena. The girls
shranlt in a frightened group In the centre
OF the inclosure.
One was on her knees with implorlng
hands outstretched toward Issus; but the
hideous deity only leaned further forward
In kecner anticipation Of the entertainment
to come. At length the apes spled the hud-
died knot of terror-stricken maidens, and
with demoniacal shrieks of bestlal frenzy
charged upon them.
A wave Of mad fury surged over me.
The cowardliness Of the power-drunk crea-
ture whose malign mind conceived such
frightful forms of torture stirred to their
uttermost depths my resentment and my
manhood. The blood-red haze that pre-
saged death to my foes swan before my
eyes.
The guard lolled before the unbarred gate
of the cage which confined me. What need
OF bars, indeed, to keep these poor victims
from rushing into the arena which the edict
OF the gods had appointed as their death
placel
A single blow sent the black unconscious
to the ground. snatohing UP his longsword.
sprang into the arena The apes were
almost upon the maidens, but couple Of
mighty bounds were all my earthly muscles
required to carry me to the centre of the
sand.strewn floor.
For an instant silence reigned in the
great amphitheatre; then a wild shout arose
from the cages of the doomed. My long
sword circled whrring through the air. and
great ape sprawled, headless, at the feet
of the fainting girls.
The other apes turned now upon me-
and as 1 stood facing them sulen roar
from the audience answered the wild cheers
from the cages, From the tail of my eye
saw score of guards rushing across the
gistening sand toward me. Then a figure
broke from one of the cages behind them
1t was the youth whose personality so fas-
cinated me.
He paused moment before the cages
with appraised sword
Come men OF the outer world I" he
shouted Let us make our deaths worth
while, and at the back of this unknown
warrior turn this days tribute to Issus into
an orgy of revenge that will echo through |
the ages and cause black skins to banch at |
each repetition of the rites of Issus. Come |
The racks behind your cages are filled with |
blades" |
without waiting to note the outcome of |
his plea he turned and bounded toward me |
From every cage that harbored red men a |
thunderous shout went UP in answer to his |
exnortation. The inner guards went down
beneath bowling mobs, and the cages |
thai Qfnu hot Nuifl fha
lust to kill.
The racks that stood without were
stripped OF the swords with which the pris-
oners were to have been armed to enter
their allotted combats. and a swarm of de-
termined warriors sped to our support.
The great apes, towering in all their Is
feet of height, had gone down before my
sword while the charging guards were still
some distance away. Close behind them
pursued the youth.
At my back were the young girls, and
rs II was in their service that I fought, l
standing there to meet my inevi-
liable death, but with the determination to
give such an account of myself as would
ong be remembered In the land of the First
Born.
noted the marvellous speed of the young
red man as he raced after the guards.
Never had I seen such speed in any
Martian. His leaps and bounds were little
hort of those which my earthly muscles
lad produced to create such awe and re-
pect on the part of the green Martians into
whose hands 1 had fallen on that long
zone day that had seen my first advent
lpon Mars.
The guards had not reached me when
le fell upon them from the rear, and as
hey turned. thinking from the ferceness
4 his onslaught that dozen were at
acking them, I rushed them from my side.
In the rapid fighting that followed
lad little chance to note aught else than
he movements OF my immediate ad-
ersaries. but now and again I caught a
Letting glimpse of a purring sword. and
lightly springing figure of sInewy steel
hat filled my heart with a strange yearning
nd mighty but unaccountable pride.
On the handsome face of the boy a grim
mile played. and ever and anon he threw
tauntIng challenge to the foes that faced
i'm In this and other ways his manner
( fighting was similar to that which had
lways marked me on the field of combat.
Perhaps 1t was this vague likeness which
lade me love the boy, while the awful
avoc that his sword played among the
lacks filled my soul with tremendous ]
aspect for him. |