The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-06-03

WarnOOnS whose eggs we had de-
stroyed were smaller people than
his Thanks.
Il noticed that their eggs were so
much smaller than those saw hatch
ing in your incubator" 1 added.
He explained that the eggs had just
been placed there; but, like oil green
Marian eggs, they would grow dur
Ing the five-year period of incubation
until they obtained the size of those
/ had seen Matching on the day of my
arrival on Barsoom. This was indeed
an interesting piece of information,
for 1t had always seemed remarkable
to me that the green Marian women,
large as they were, could bring forth
such enormous eggs as 1 had seen
the four-foot infants emerging from.
AS matter Of fact, the new-laid egg
is but little larger than an ordinary
goose egg, and as 1t does not COM
mence to grow until subjected to the
light Of the sun the chieftains have
little difficulty in transporting sew
eral hundreds of them at one time
from the storage vault to the incubat-
ors.
Shortly after the incident of the
Warhoon eggs we halted to rest the
animals, and it was during this halt
that the second of the days interest
ing episodes occurred. was engaged
In changing my riding cloths from
one of my thoats to the other, for l
divided the days work between them,
when Fad approached me, and with
out word struck the animal ter
rife blow with his long-sword.
/ did not need a manual of green
Marian etiquette to know what reply
to make, for, in fact, was so wild
with anger that could scarcely re-
shooting down the brute he was; but
he stood waiting with drawn long
sword, and my only choice was to
draw my own and, meet him in fair
fight with his choice of weapons or
a lesser one.
/ chose the same weapon he had
drawn because he prided himself upon
his ability with it, and wished, if l
worsted him at all, to do it with his
own weapon. The entire community
surrounded us, leaving clear space
about one hundred feet in diameter
for our battle.
Fad first attempted to rush me down
as bull might wolf, but / was much
too quick for him, and each time
side-stepped his, rushes he would go
lunging past me, only to receive a
nick from my sword upon his arm or
back. He was soon streaming blood
from a half dozen minor wounds, but
/ could not obtain an opening to de-
liver an effective thrust. Then he
changed his tactics, and fighting warily
and with extreme dexterity, he tried
to do by science what he was unable
to do by brute strength.
We circled for some time without
doing much damage on either side; the
long, straight, needle-like swords flash
ing in the sunlight, and ringing out
upon the stiffness as they crashed to-
| gether with each effective parry.
! Finally Fad, realizing that he was tir-
| ing more than ], evidently decided to
close in and end the battle in a final
blaze of glory for himself; just as he
rushed me binding flash Of light
struck full in my eyes, so that 1 could
only leap blindly to one side in an
effort to escape the mighty blade that
| it seemed could already feel in my
vitals. I was only partially success
| full, as sharp pain in nfy left Shout
der attested, but in the sweep of my
glance as I sought to again locate my
adversary, a sight met my astonished
gaze which paid me well for the wound
the temporary blindness had caused
me. There, upon Dejah Thoris' chariot,
stood three figures, for the purpose
evidently of witnessing the encounter
above the heads of the intervening
| Thanks. There were Dejah Thoris,
Sofa, and Sarkoja, and as my fleet
! ing glance swept over them a little
tableau was presented which will
stand craven in my memory to the
day of my death.
AS I looked, Dejah Thoris turned
upon Sarkoja with the fury of young
tigress and struck something from her
appraised hand: something which
flashed in the sunlight as 1t spun to
the ground. Then knew what had
blinded me at that crucial moment
of the fight, and how Sarkoja had
found q way to kill me without her
self delivering the final thrust An
other thing / saw, too, which almost
| lost my life for me then and there, for
it took my mind for the fraction of
an instant entirely from my antago-
mist; for, as Dejah Thoris struck the
tiny mirror from her hand, Sarkoja,
her face livid with hatred and baffied
rage, whipped out her dagger and
aimed a terrific blow at Dejah Thoris
and then Sofa, our dear and faithful
Sofa, sprang between them; the last
1 saw was the great knife descending
upon her shielding breast.
Ny enemy had recovered from his
thrust and was making it extremely
| interesting for me, so reluctantly
gave my attention to the work in
hand, but my mind was not upon the
/ battle.
We rushed each other furiously time
after time. It'll suddenly, feeling the
sharp point Of his sword at my breast
In a thrust could neither parry nor
escape, / threw myself upon him with
outstretched sword and with all the
weight of my body, determined that
| I would not die alone If could pre-