The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-04-01

Il noticed that their eggs were sc
much smaller than those l saw hatch
ing in your incubator," l added.
He explained that the eggs had just
been placed there; but, like all green
Marian eggs, they would grow dur
ing the fiye-year period of incubation
until they obtained the size of those
l had seen Matching on the day of my
/ arrival on Barsoom. This was indeed
an interesting piece of information,
! for il had always seemed remarkable
! to me that the green Martian women,
| large as they were. could bring forth
/ such enormous eggs as / 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 10 the
/ light of the sun the chieftains have
little difficulty in transporting sew
eraI 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
divided the days work between them.
when Fad approached me. and with
out a 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. l was so wild
with anger that / could scarcely re-
frain from drawing my pistol and
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
d lesser one.
l chose the same weapon he had
drawn because he prided himself upon
his ability with it, and I wished. If
vorsted him at all, to do it with his
own weapon. The entire community
surrounded US, leaving a clear space
about one hundred feet in diameter
for our battle.
Fad first attempted TO rush me down
as bull might a wolf, but I was much
too quick for him, and each time I
side-stepped his ruShes he would go
lunging past me, only to receive
nick from my sword upon his arm oil
back. He was soon streaming blood
from a half dozen miuRr wounds, but
could not obtain anTopening 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 fash
ing in the sunlight. and ringing our
upon the stiffness as they crashed to-
gether with each effective parry.
Finally Zad, realizing that he was tir-
ing more than l. evidently decided TO
close in and end the battle i'm a final
blaze of glory for himself; just as he
rushed me a binding flash of light
struck full in my eyes, so that l could
only leap blindly TO one side in an
effort to escape the mighty blade that
it seemed I could already feel in my
vitals. l was only partially success /
full, as a sharp pain in my left shout .
der attested bur in the sweep of my
glance as / sought TO again locate my
a sight met my astonished (
gaze which paid me well for the wound .
the temporary blindness had caused (
me- There. upon Dejah Thoris' chariot, 7
stood three figures. for the purpose I
evidently of witnessing the encounter [
above the heads of the intervening
Thanks. There were Dejah Thoris, /
Sofa. and SarkOia. and as my fleet
ing glance swept over them little
tableau was presented which will
stand craven in my memory to the
day of my death.
As l looked, Dejah Thoris turned
upon Sarkoja with the fury of a young
rigress and struck something from her
appraised hand something which
flashed in the sunlight as it spun to
the ground. Then ] knew what had
blinded me at that crucial moment
IF the fight, and how Sarkoja had
'ound a way TO kill me without her
'elf delivering the final thrust An
,ther thing l saw, too, which almost
t took my mind for the fraction Of
IN instant entirely from my antago-
list; for. as Dejah Thoris struck the
my mirror from her hand Sarkoja.
ler face livid with hatred and baffied
age. whipped ont her dagger and
lined a terrific blow at Dejah Thoris;
nd then Sofa. our dear and faithful
'ola, sprang between them; the last
saw was the great knife descending
pOn her shielding breast.
My enemy had recovered from his
hrust and was making it extremely .
for me. so l reluctantly
ave my attention TO the work in {,
and, but my mind was not upon the
attic.
We rushed each other furiously time
fter time, til suddenly, feeling the :
harp point of his sword at my breast {
4 thrust / could neither parry nor 9
scape. / threw myself upon him with :
utstretched sword and with all the :
'eight of my body. determined that I
would not die alone If / could pre- 7
ent it. l felt the steel tear into my r
hest. all went black before me, my 9