Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-03-08

|. 81 ~ Ssssss4lL. nEA EaMessssa--.J
AS / Rose Above the City ! circieo
Several Times as Had Seen Kontos
Kan Do.
inationewas necessary, but Kantos told
me-to have no fear on this score, as
he would attend to that part of the
matter. He accomplished this by TAX
ing my order for examination to
the examining officer and represent
ing himself as John Carter.
''This ruse will be discovered later"
he cheerfully explained, when they
check up my weights, measurements,
and other personal Identification data,
but it will be several months before
this is done and our mission should
be accomplished or have failed long
before that time"
The next few days were spent by
Kantos Kan in teaching me the in.
tricacies of flying and of repairing
the dainty little contrivances which
the Martians use for this purpose.
The fourth day after my arrival at
Zodanga l made my first flight, and
as result of it / won a promotion
which included quarters in the palace
of Than Kosis.
AS l rose above the city circled
several times, as had seen Kantos
Kan do, and then throwing my engine
into top speed raced at terrific We
locity toward the south, following
one of the great waterways which
enter Zodanga from that direction.
l had traversed perhaps two hun
dred miles in a little less than an hour
when I deserted far below me a par
ty of three green warriors racing mad
ly toward a small figure on foot which
seemed to be tryingfto reach the con-
fines Of one Of the walled fields.
Dropping my machine rapidly to-
ward them, and circling to the rear
of the warriors, / soon saw that the
object of their pursuit was red Mar
tian wearing the metal of the scout
squadron to which | was attached.
A short distance away lay his tiny
flier, surrounded by the tools with
which he had evidently been occupied
in repairing some damage when sur.
prised by the green warriors.
They were now almost upon him.
their flying mounts charging down on
the relatively puny figure at terrific
speed, while the warriors leaned low
to the right, with their great metal
shod spears. Each seemed striving
to be the first to impale the poor 70
dangan and In another moment his
fate would have been sealed had 1t
not been for my timely arrival.
Driving my fleet air craft at high
speed directly behind the warriors !
soon overlook them and without d.
minishing my speed I rammed the
prov of my little flier between the
shoulders of the nearest. The impact,
sufficient to have torn through inches
of solid steel, hurled the fellows head
less body into the air over the head
of his thoat, where it fell sprawling
upon the moss. The mounts Of the
other two warriors turned squealing
in terror, and bolted in opposite di-
rectionS.
Reducing my speed I circled and
came to the ground at the feet of the
astonished Zodangan. He was warm
in his thanks for my timely aid and
promised that my days work would
bring the reward it merited, for it
was none other than a cousin Of the
jeddak of zodanga whose life l had
saved.
Fastening to his damaged machine
we were bending every effort to fin
ish the needed repairs and had almost
completed them when we saw the
two green monsters returning al top
| speed from opposite sides of us. When
they had approached within & hun
dred yards their thoats again became
unmanageable and absolutely refused
to advance further toward the air
craft which had frightened them.
The warriors finally dismounted and
hobbling their animals advanced to-
ward us on foot with drawn long
! swords. l advanced to meet the larg-
err, telling the Z0dangan to do the
best he could with the other. Finish
ing my man with almost no enort,
as had now from much practice be-
come habitual with me, FASTENED
TO return to my new acquaintance
whom 1 found indeed in desperate
| straits.
He was wounded and down with
the huge foot Of his antagonist upon
his throat and the great longsword
raised to deal the final thrust. With
a bound cleared the fifty feet inter-
vening between us, and with out
stretched point drove my sword COM
pletely through the body Of the green
warrior. His sword fell, harmless, to
the ground and he sank Imply upon
the PROSTATE form Of the Zodangan.
Quickly completing the repairs we
u. 49,