The Connecticut labor news., 1921-08-05

thirst. We left the poor fellow to his fate and pushed on with the one thOat as best we could. SOla and I walked making Dejah Thoris ride, much against her will. In this way we had progressed to within about a mile of the hills we were endeavOring to reach when Dejah ThOris, from her point of vantage upon the thOat cried out that she saw a great party of mounted men filing down from pass in the hills several miles away. SOla and l both looked in the direction she indicated, and there, plainly discernible, were several hundred mounted warriors. They seemed to be headed in a south westerly direction, which would take them away from us.
 They doubtless were Thark war riOrs who had been sent out to cap ture us, and we breathed a great sigh of relief that they were travelling in the opposite direction. Quickly lifting Dejah Thoris from the thoat, I con- manded the animal to lie down and we three did the same, presenting as small an object as possible for fear of at-
 
 toward us.
 As what proved to be the last war riOr came into view from the pass, he halted and, to our cOnsternatiOn, threw his small but powerful fieldglaSs to his eye and scanned the sea bottom in all directions. As his glass swung toward us our hearts stopped in our breasts and I could feel the cold sweat start from every pore in my body.
 Presently it swung full upon us and stopped. Then he lowered it and we could see him shout a command to the warriors who had passed from our sight behind the ridge. He did not wait for them to join him, however; i; instead he wheeled his thOat and came tearing madly in our directiOin.
 There was but one slight chance and that we must take quickly. Rais- ing my strange Martian rifle to my shoulder I sighted and touched the button which controlled the trigger i; there was sharp explosion as the missile reached it's goal, and the charg ing chieftain pitched backward from his flying mount.
 Springing to my feet I urged the thoat to rise, and directed Sola to take Dejah Thoris with her upon him and make a mighty effort to reach the hills before the green warriors were upon us. I knew that in the ravines and gullies they might find a temporary hiding place, and even though they died of hunger and thirst it would be better so than that they fell into the hands of the Tharks. Forcing my two revOIvers upon them as slight means of protection, and, as a last resort, as an escape for themselves from the hor- rid death which recapture would sure ly mean, I lifted Dejah Thoris in my arms and placed her upon the thoat be- hind Sola, who had alreadyVmounted at my command.
 "Good-by, my princess" I whispered, Eve may meet in Helium yet. l have escaped from worse plights than this" and I tried to smile as l lied.
 "What." she cried, "are you not con- ing with us?"
 "How may I, Dejah Thoris? Some one must hold these fellows off for while, and I can better escape them alone than could the three of us to- gether''
 She sprang quickly from the thoat and, throwing her dear arms about my neck turned to Sola, saying with quiet dignity: Ely, Sola! Dejah ThOris re- mains to die with the man she loves" ;"
 Those words are engraved upon my heart An, gladly would I give up my life a thousand times could 1 only hear them once more; but I could not then give even a second to the rapture of her sweet embrace, and pressing my lips to hers for the first time, 1 picked her up bodily and tossed her to her seat behind Sola again, commanding the latter in peremptory tones to hold her there by force, and then, skipping the thoat upon the flank, I saw them borne away; Dejah Thoris struggling to the last to free herself from SOla's grasp.
 Turning, I beheld the green war riors mounting the ridge and looking for their chieftain. In a moment they saw him, and then me; but scarcely had they discovered me than I com menced firing, lying flat upon my belly in the moss. 1 kept up a continuous stream of fire until I saw all of the warriors who had been first to return from behind the ridge either dead or Scurrying to cover.
 My respite was shortlived however, for soon the entire party, numbering some thousand men, came charging into view, racing madly toward me. l fired until my rifle was empty and they were almost upon me, and then glance showing me that Dejah ThOris and Sola had disappeared among the hills, sprang up, throwing down my useless gun, and started away in the direction opposite to that taken by Sola and her charge.
 If ever Martians had an exhibition of jumping, it was granted those as tonished warriors on that day long years ago. but while it led them away from Dejah Thoris it did not distract their attention from endeavoring to capture me.
 They raced wildly after me until, finally, my foot struck projecting piece of quartz. and down l went sprawling upon the moss. AS looked up they were upon me, and although l drew my lOngswOrd in an attempt to
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