The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-16


by the mere weight and momentum Of
my body rushed through the two re
naming ranks and sprang upon the
dais beside the carved sorapus throne.
Issus, black, repulsive creature.
with nothing godlike about her, squat
ting there in terror, attempted to es-
cape me and leaped into trap behind
her. But was not to be outwitted
by any such paltry subterfuge.
Before she had half risen I had
grasped her by the arm, and then as l
saw the guard starting to make con-
certed rush upon me from all sides l
whipped out my dagger and, holding
it close to that vile breast, ordered
them to bait.
"Back" I cried to them. "Back.
The first black foot that is planted
upon this platform sends my dagger
into Issus' heart
For an instant they hesitated. Then
an officer ordered them back, while
from the outer corridor there swept
into the throne room at the heels Of
my little party Of survivors. a full
thousand red men under Kantos Kan
and Hor Vastus.
''Where is Dejah Thoris?" I cried
to the thing within my hands.
For a moment her eyes roved wildly
about the scene beneath her. think
that 1t took a moment for the true
condition to make any impression upon
her-she could not at first realize that
the temple had fallen before the as
sault Of men Of the outer world.
When she did there must have come,
too, terrible realization of what it
meant to her-the loss of power, hui
initiation, the exposure of the fraud
and tmposture which she had for so
long played upon her own people.
There was just one thing needed to
complete the reality of the picture she
was seeing, and that was added by the
highest noble Of her realm--the high
priest Of her religion-the prime min
lister Of her government.
"Issus, goddess Of death and Of life
eternal" he cried, rise in the might
OF they righteous wrath and with one
single wave Of thy omnipotent hand
strike dead the blasphemers! Let not
one escape.
'Issus, thy people depend upon thee.
Daughter of the lesser moon, thou
only art all powerful. Thou only
canst save thy people. am done.
| We await thy will. Striker
And then it was that she went mad
A screaming, gibbering maniac with.
ed in my grasp. It bit and clawed and
scratched in hnpotent fury And then
it laughed a weird and terrible laugh.
ter that froze the blood.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Burning Temple.
@1HE slave girls upon the dais
shrieked and covered away
IL And the thing jumped at them
and CRASHED its teeth.
Finally shook the thing, hoping tt
recall it for moment to nationality.
Where is Dejah Thoris ?" I cried.
The awful creature in my grasl
mumbled inarticulately for moment
then a sudden CLEAN of cunning sho
into those hideous, close set eyes.
"Dejah Thoris? Dejah Thoris?' ant
then that shrill, unearthly laugl
pierced our ears once more. Eyes, De
jah Thoris, know. And Thuvia also
They each love John Carter. Ha-ah-
but it is droll.
Together for year they will medi
tate within the temple of the Sun, blu
ere the year is quite gone there will b.
no more food for them. Ha-ah! VIVA
divine entertainment" and she licked
the froth from her cruel lips. "Ther
will be no more food-except eacl
other. Ha-ah! Ha-ah!'
| The horror of the suggestion neaFl.
paralyzed me. To this awful fate tn
creature within my power had con
demned my princess. trembled in tn
ferocity Of my rage.
AS terrier shakes rat shook Is
! sus, Goddess of Life Eternal.
"Countermand your orders" cried
"Recan the condemned. Haste or yo'
die!'
/ cit is too late. Ha-ah! Ha-ah"
She again commenced her gibberint
and shrieking.
Almost of it's own volition my dag
ger flew up above that wicked heart
But something stayed my hand, and
am glad now that it did. It is ter
rible thing to have struck down wo
man with ones own hand. But fitte
fate occurred to me for this false deity.
BLACK Pirates I cried, turning t.
those who stood within tie chamber
"you have seen today the impotency o
Issus-the gods are omnipotent. Issu
is no god. She is cruel and wicked
old woman, who has deceived ant
played upon you for ages. Take her
4.
~ O[NN W1T
| M sZA|