The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-03-26

/ mighty battle with self. with hPrpdity,
! with age-oId custom. and as he opened
| his mouth To speak. look almost of
/ bPnignty. of kindness. momentarly
! lighted up his fierce and terrible coun-
! tenanCe.
! What words of moment were to have
/ fallen from his lips We're never spoken.
as Just then a young warrior. evident
/ ly sensing the trend of thought among
/ the older men. lcaped down from the
/ steps of the rOStrum. and striking the
/ f"ail captive a powerful blow across
/ the face, which felled her To the floor,
| placed his foot upon her PROSTATE
/ form, and turning toward the assem-
! bled council, broke into peals of hOr
rid, mirtheSs laughter.
! That | have taken moments TO write
! down a part of what occurred as that
/ blow fell does rot signify that | re-
manned inactive for any such length
Of time. Scarcely had his hideous
laugh rang ont but once. when | was
/ upon him. The brute was twelve feet
in height and armed to the teeth, but
| believe that | could have accounted
for the whole rGomrul in the terrific
intensity of my rage Springing up
ward. I struck him full in the face as
/ he turned at my warming cry. and then
as he drew his short sword | drew
mine and sprang up again upon his
/ breast, hooking one leg over the butt
/ Of his pistol and %raSping one of his
huge tuslIs with my left hand while
/ | delivered blow after blow upon his
( enormous chest. With all his immense
bulk he was little if any stronger than
. I. and it was but the matter of a mo-
ment or two before he sank, bleeding
and lifeleSs. to the floor.
Dejah ThOris had raised herself up
on one elbow and was watching the
battle with wide, staring eyes. When
| had regained my feet l raised her
in my arms and bore her to one of the
benches at the side Of the room.
Again no Marian interfered with
me, and when she could speak she
placed her hand upon my arm, and
looking lntO my eyes, SAID:
"Why did you it? You. who re-
fused me even friendly recognition in
the first hour of my peril And now
you risk your life and kill one of your
companions for my sake. l cannot UNI
derstand. What strange manner Of
man are you, that you cOnsOrt with
the green men, though your form is
that of my race, while your color is
little darker than that of the white
ape? Tell me, are you human, or are
you more than HUMANE
1T is a strange tale" replied, too
long to attempt to tell you now. Suf-
fee it, for the present, that l am your
friend. and, so far as our captOrs will
permit, your protector and your SER
want"
''Then you, too, are a prisoner?
What is your name? Why your re-
gala as a chieftain?"
Eyes. Deiah Thoris, l too am a pris-
Oner; my name is John Carter, and I
claim Virginia. one of the United
States of American Earth, as nv
home: hut why l am permitted 10
wear arms l do not know, nor was l
aware that my regaIia was that of a
chieftain."
We were interrupted at this juncture
by the approach of one of the war
riOrs. bearing arms, accOuterments and
ornaments, and in a flash one of her
questions was answered and a puzzle
cleared up for me. saw that the
body of my dead antagonist had been
stripped, and l read in the menacing
yet respectful attitude of the warrior
who had brought me these trophies
of the kill the same demeanor as that
evlnced by the other who had brought
me my original equipment, and now