Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-21

warriors in the universe, but the aw-
full abandon with which the Black Pi-
rates threw themselves upon their foes
transcribed everything ever before
had seen.
Beneath the brilliant light Of Mars
two glorious moons the whole scene
presented itself in vivid distinetness
The golden haired, white skinned
therns battled with desperate courage
In hand to hand conflict with their
ebony skinned foemen.
A little to one side stood Thuvia, the
Thark, and I. The tide of battle had
not reached us, but the fighters from
time to time swung close enough that
we might distinctly note them.
The Black Pirates interested me i'm.
mensely. / had heard vague rumors-
little more than legends they were
during my former life on Mars, but
never had l seen them nor talked with
one who had.
They were popularity supposed to in.
habit the lesser moon, from which they
descended upon Barsoom at long inter-
walls. Where they visited they wrought
the most horrible atrocities and when
they left carried away with them fire.
arms and ammunition and young girls
as prisoners.
All about us in the garden lay their
sinister craft, which the therns for
some reason, then unaccountable to me,
made no effort to injure. Now and
again black warrior would rush from
nearby temple bearing a young wom-
an in his arms. Straight for his fller
he would leap, while tnose Of his COM
rades who fought near by would rush
to cover his escape.
The therns, OIL their side, would
hasten to rescue the girl, and in, an in
stant the two would be swallowed in
a maelstrom of yelling devils, hacking
and hewing at one another.
But always, it seemed, were the
Black Pirates of Barsoom victorious
and the girl, brought miraculously I'M
harmed through the conflict, borne
away into the outer darkness upon the
deck Of swift f1icr.
Fighting like that near us could be
heard In all directions as far as sound
carried, and Thuvia told me that the
attacks OF the Black Pirates were
usually made simultaneously along the
entire ribbon-like domain of the therns,
which circles the valley Dor on the
outer slopes Of the mountains Of Otz.
AS the fighting receded from our po-
sition for a moment Thuvia turned to-
ward me with a question.
"Do you understand now, o prince"
she said, why a million warriors
guard the domains of the holy therns
by day and by night?
THE scene you are witnessing now
is but repetition OF what have seen
enacted score of times during the
fifteen years l have been a prisoner
here. From time immemorial the
Black Pirates of Barsoom have preyed
upon the holy therns.
"Yet they never carry their expedi.
tions to a point. as one might readily
believe 1t was In their power to do,
where the determination of the race of
therns is threatened. 1t Is as though
they but utilized the race as play
things, with which they satisfy their
ferocious lust for fighting. and from
whom they collect toll in arms and
ammunition and in prisoners"
"Why don't they jump In and de-
stroy these iiers?" I asked. "That
would soon put stop to the attacks,
or at least the blacks would scarce be
so bold. Why, see how perfectly un-
guarded they leave their craft, as
though they were lying safe in their
own hangers at homer