The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-04-23

! close 10 his. nor am ! ashamed VuaI
did il. nor of the tears that came to
my eyes as l thought of his love 1or
me. Shortly after this Dejah ThOris
and Sofa awakened. and it was decid-
ed that we push on at once in an effort
to gain the hills.
We had gone scarcely mile when ]
noticed that my thoat was com
mencing TO stumble and stagger in Il
most pitiful manner, although we had
not attempted to force them out of
walk since about noon of the proceed
ing day. Suddenly he lurched wildly
to one side and pitched violently 10
the ground. Dejah Thoris and were
thrown clear of him and fell upon the
soft moss with scarcely n jar; but the
poor beast was in pitiable condition.
not even being able to rise. although
relieved of our weight. Sofa tod me
that the GOODNESS of the night. when II
fell, together with the rest. would
doubtless revive him, and 50 | decided
not to kill him. rs was my first iHten-
tiOn, as had Thought il cruel To lenve
him alone there 10 die of hunger and
thirst. We left the poor fellow to his
fate and pushed on with the one thoat
as best we could. Sofa and | walked,
making Deiah ThOris ride, much
against her will. In this way we had
progressed to within about Il mile of
the hills we were eRdeavOring to reach
when Deiah ThOriS. from her point of
vantage upon the thOat, cried out that
she saw great party of mounted men
filing down from pass in the hills
several miles away. Sofa and | both
looked in the direction she indicated,
and there, plainly diScernibie, were
several hundred mounted warriors.
They seemed 10 be headed in Il south
westerly direction. which would take
them away from us.
They doubtless We're 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
Deiah ThOris from the th0at. com
manded the animal TO lie down and we
three did the same. presenting as small
an object as possible for fear of at
tracing the attention of the warriors
toward us.
As what proved to be the last war
rior came into view from the pass, he
halted and. to, our CONSERVATION, threw
his small but powerful iieIdglaSs to his
eye and scanned the sea bottom in all
directions. AS his glass swung toward
us our hearts stopped in our breasts
and | 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 command Ia
the warriors who had passed from our
wait for them to join him, however;
instead he wheeled his thoat and came
tearing madly in our direction.
There was but one slight chance
and that we must take quickly Rails
ing my strange Marian rifle to my
shoulder I sighted and touched the
button which controlled the trigger;
there was a sharp explosion as the
missile reached IFS goal. and the charg-
ing chieftain pitched backward from
his flying mount.
Springing to my feet I urged the
thOat to rise, and directed Sofa to take
Dejah ThOris with her upon him and
make a mighty effort to reach the hills
before the green warriors were upon
us. ! knew that in the ravines and
gullies they might find a temporary
hiding place, and even though they
died of hunger and thirst 1t would be
better so than that they fell into the
hands of the Thanks. Forcing my two
revO1vers upon them as slight means
of protection, and, as last resort. as
an escape for themselves from the hOF-
rid death which recapture would sure
ly mean, lifted Dejah ThOris in my
arms and placed her upon the thOat be-
hind SOla, who had already mounted
at my command.
"GOod-by, my princess, whispered,
1--WE may meet in Helium yet. / have
escaped from worse plights than this"
and tried to smile as | lied.
"What." she cried, "are you not COM
ing with us?''
'HOw may /, Dejah Thoris? Some
one must hold these fellows off for
while, and | 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 Sofa, saying with quiet
dignity: Ply, Sofa Dejah ThOris re-
mains to die with the man she loves"
Those words are engraved upon my
heart All, gladly would give up my
life thousand times could only hear
them once more hut | could not then
give even a second to the rapture of
her sweet embrace. and pressing my
lips to hers for the first time, picked
her up bodily and tossed her to her
seat behind Sofa again. commanding
the latter in peremptOry tones to hold
her there by force, and then, slapping
the thOat upon the flank, saw them
borne away; Dejah ThOris struggling
to the last to free herself from Sola's
grasp.
Turning. ] beheld the green war
riOrS mounting the ridge and hooking.