Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-06-10

This ruse will be discovered later,
he cheerfully explained, when they
check up my weights. measurements,
and other personal Identification data.
but IL 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
Iodanga ] made my first flight and
as a result of 1t / won a promotion
which included quarters in the palace
of Than Kosis.
As / rose above the city 1 circied
several times, as / had seen Kantos
Kan do, and then throwing my engine
into top speed i 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 little less than an hour
when l deserted far below me a par
ty of three green warriors racing mad
ly toward a small figure on foot which
seemed to be trying to 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, I soon saw that the
object of their pursuit was red Mar
tian wearing the metal Of the scout
squadron to which 1 WAS attached.
A short distance away lay his tiny
fiier, 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 To-
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 1
soon overlook them and without d.
minishing my speed l 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 1t 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 | 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 a 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. / advanced to meet the lqrg-
er. telling the Zodangan to do the
best he could with the other. Finish
ing my man with almost no effort
as had now from much practice be-
come habitual with me, l hastened
to return to my new acquaintance
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
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
rose together into the still, cloudless
Martian sky, and at great speed and
without further mishap returned TO
Zodanga.
AS we neared the city We dlscov-
cred mighty concourse of civilians
and troops assembled upon the plain
before the city. My companion sig
nailed that l slow down, and running
his machine close beside mine sug-
gested that we approach and watch
the ceremony, which, he said, was
for the purpose of comforting honors
on individual officers and men for