The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-02-03


either side without turning their heads;
here the strange antennaelike ears ris-
ing from the tops of their foreheads
and the additional pair Of arms ey-
tending from midway between the
shoulders and the hips
Even without the glossy green hide
and the metal ornaments which de-
noted the tribes to which they belong
ed / would have known them on the
instant for what they were, for where
else in all the universe is their like
duplicated?
There were two men and four fe-
males in the party, and their orna-
ments denoted them as members Of
different hordes.
The facts puzzled me, since the va
rious hordes Of green men of Barsoom
are eternally at war with one another,
and never had 1 seen green Martians
of different hordes associated in other
than mortal combat, save on that his
toric instance when the great Tars
Tarkas of Thark gathered 10000
green warriors from several hordes to
march upon the doomed city Of Zodan-
ga and rescue Dejah Thoris, princess
Of Helium, from the clutches Of Than
kosis.
But now they stood back to back,
facing in wide eyed amazement the
very evidently hostile demonstrations
OF q common enemy.
Both men and women were armed
with long swords and daggers, but no
firearms were in evidence, else it had
been short shift for the grewsome
plant men Of Barsoom
Presently the leader Of the plant
men charged the little party, and his
method of attack was as remarkable
as it was effective and by its very
strangeness was the more potent, since
in the science Of the green warriors
there was no defense for this singular
manner of attack. 9
The plant man charged to within a
dozen feet of the party and then, with
q bound, rose as though to pass direct
~ above their heads. His powerful
tail was raised high to one side, and
as he passed close above them he
brought it down in one terrific sweep
that crushed green warriors skull as
though it had been an eggshell
The balance OF the frightful herd
was now circling rapidly and with be-
wildering speed about the little knot Of
victims Their prodigious bounds and
the shrill screeching pur Of their un-
canny mouths were we'll calculated to
confuse and terrorize their prey, SO that
as two Of them leaped simultaneously
from either side the mighty sweep Of
those awful tails met with no resist
ance, and two more green Martians
went down to an ignoble death.
There were now but one warrior and
two females left, and 1t seemed that it
could be but a matter of seconds ere
these also lay dead upon the sward.
But, as two or more of the plant men
charged the warrior, who was now pre-
pared by the experiences Of the past
few minutes, swung his mighty long
Sword aloft and met the hurting bulk
| with clean cut that Glove one OF the
plant men from chin to groin.
The other, however, dealt single
blow with his cruel tail that laid both
OF the females crushed corpses upon
the ground.
| AS the green warrior saw the last OF
his companions 60 down and at the
same time perceived that the entire
| herd was charging him in body he
! rushed boldly to meet them, swinging
his long sword in the terrific manner
! that had so often seen. the men of his
kind WELD it in their ferocious and al
| most continual warfare among their
own race.
| Cutting and hewing to right and left,
he laid an open path straight through
the advancing plant men and then
commenced mad race for the forest,
| In the shelter of. which he evidently
| hoped he might find haven Of refuge.
He had turned for that portion Of the
forest which abutted on the ellis, and
thus the fight was taking the entire
| party farther and farther from the
bowlder where lay concealed.
! As 1 had watched the flight which
| the great warrior had made against
such odds my heart had swelled for
him, and acting as I am wont to do,
more upon impulse than after mature
deliberatioE, sprang from my shell
tering rock and bounded quickly to-
ward the bodies OF the dead green
Martians, a well defined plan of action
! already formed.
Half a dozen great leaps brought me
ito the spot, and another instant saw
me again in my stride in rapid pursuit
| OF the hideous monsters that were rap
idly gaining on the fleeing warrior
/ But this time I grasped a mighty
long sword in my hand and in my
heart was the oil blood lust of the
| lighting man.
A red mist swan before my eyes,
| and felt my lips respond to my heart
In the old smile that has marked me in
| the midst of the Joy of battle.
l. Though swift, was none too soon,
| for the green warrior hsi been over
taken before no had made half the dis
lance to the forest, and now he stood
with his back to ths kow1der, while the
herd, temporarily baked, Kissed and
screechcd about him.
With their single eyes in the center
Of their heads and every ere turned
upon their prey, thaS did not note my
soundless approach, SO that was upon