The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1921-05-06
men and women gave way to qulel

and within an hour the people OF Bar
SOON were sinking by thousands Into
the Inconsistencies which precedes
death by asphyxiation.
Dejah Thorls and with the other
members OF the royal FAMILY had col
lected I'm sunken garden within On
inner courtyard OF the palace. The
little incubator had been brought from
the roof OF our palace NJ request OF
DeJah Thoris and she sat gazing long
ingly upon the unknown little life that
now she would never know.
As X was becoming perceptlbly dif'
fcult TO breathe Tardos Mors arose
saying.
LET us bid each other farewell. The
days Of the greatness OF Barsoom are
over. TOmorrow's sun Will look down
upon a dead world which through all
eternity must go swinging through the
heavens peopled not even by mem
cries. II is the end
He stopped and kissed the women
OF his family, and laid his strong hand
upon the shoulders Of the men.
As I turned sadly from him my eyes
fell upon Dejah Thorls. Her head was
dropping upon her breast, 70 all APP
pearances she was lfeless. with q cry
| sprung 70 her and raised her In my
arms.
Her eyes opened and looked into
mine
kiss me. John Carter" she muir
INJURED. II love you | lose you II Is
cruel that we must be torn apart who
we're iust starting upon life OF love
and happiness
As pressed her dear lips 20 mine
the old feeling of unconquerablc pow
or and authority rose in me. The fight
ing blood OF Virginia sprang 70 life IN
my veins
at shall not be- my princess" /
cried. There is, there must be some
way. and John Carter, who has fought
his way through a strange world for
love OF you. will find r."
And with my words there crept
above the threshold Of my conscious
mind O series OF nine long forgotten
sounds. Like a fash OF lightning IN
the darkness their full purport dawned
upon me-the key to the three great
doors OF the atmosphere plant!
Turning suddenly toward Tardos
Mors as l still clasped my dying love
to my breast cried:
"a flyer, Jeddak Quick! Order
your sWlftest flyer TO the palace top.
I can save Barsoom yet"
he did not wait to question, but in
an Instant q guard was racing to the
nearest dock and though the air was
thin and almost gone at the rooftop
they managed TO launch the fastest
one-man. alrscout machine that the
skill Of Barsoom had ever produced.
kissing DeJah Thorls dozen times
and commanding Woola, who would
have followed me, to remain and guard
her. ! bounded with my old agility and
strength to the high ramparts OF the
palace, aud In another moment ! was
beaded toward the goal OF the hopes
OF all Barsoom.
/ had to fly low TO get sufficient air
to breathe. but took a straight course
across an old sea bottom and so had 10
rise only few feet above the ground,
I Travelled with awful velocity for
my errund was O race against time
with death. The face OF Dejah Thoris
hung always before me. As turned
for a last look as left the palace gar.
den had seen her stagger and sink
upon the ground beside the little incu-
bator. That she had dropped into the
last coma which would end IN death
II the air supply remained unreplen.
ished, well knew, and so, throwing
caution 10 the winds, I flung over
board everything but the engine and
compass. even TO my ornaments and
lying on my belly along the deck with
one hand on the steering wheel and
the other pushing the speed lever 20
rs last notch I split the thin air OF
dying Mars with the speed Of a meteor.
An hour before dark the great walls
OF the atmosphere plant doomed sud
denly before me, and with a slckenins
thud I plunged to the ground before
the small door which was Withholding
the spark Of life from the inhabitants
OF an entire planet.
Beside the door a great crew OF men
had been laborlng to pierce the wall,
but they had scarcely scratched the
nintllke surface, and now most %
them lay In the last sleep from which
not even air would awaken them
Conditions seemed much worse here
than at Helium, and Il was with df'i-
Guilty that breathed at all. There
were q few men SIN conscious, and 10
one of these | spoke.
IF can open these doors Is there a
man who can start the engines ]
asked
II can" he replied. m you open
quickly can last but a few moments
more. But it Is useless. they are both
dead and no one else upon rar>oou