Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-03-09

sword; twill you let me pass In peace
or nor
"You are not here by the order Of
Than Kosis," cried the one who had
first addressed me, land not only shall
you not enter the apartments Of the
princess of Heium, but you shall go
back to Than Kosis under guard to ex-
plain this unwarranted temerity.
Throw down your sword; you cannot
hope to overcome four Of us" he added
with a grim smile.
MY reply was a quick thrust which
left me but three antagonists and !
can assure you that they were worthy
of my metal. They had me backed
against the wall in no time, fighting
for my life. Slowly worked my way
to corner of the room where l could
force them to come at me only one at
a time, and thus we fought upward of
twenty minutes: the changing of steel
on steel producing q verltable bedam
in the little room.
The noise had brought Dejah Thoris
to the door of her apartment, an6
there she stood throughout the conflict
with Sofa at her back peering over hel
shoulder. Her face was set and emo,
tionless and | knew that she did not
recognize me, nor did Sofa.
Finally a lucky cut brought down 9
second guardsman and then, with only
two opposing me, changed my tactics
and rushed them down after the
fashion of my fighting that had wOI
me many a victory. The third fell
within ten seconds after the second
and the last lay dead upon the bloody
floor a few moments later. They were
brave men and noble fighters, and II
grieved me that had been forced to
kill them, but I would have willingly
depopulated all Barsoom could have
reached the side Of my Dejah Thoris
in no other way.
Sheatbing my bloody blade I adj.
vanced toward my Marian princess,
who still stood mutely gazing at me
without sign of recognition.
"Who are you, Zodangan?" she whis-
pered. Another enemy to harass me
in my misery"
~ am friend" answered, "a once
cherished friend"
'No friend Of Helium's princess
wears that metal" she replied, "and
yet the voice! have heard 1t before !;
1t Is MOTT cannot be-no, for he is
dead"
sit is, though, my princess, none 9th.
er than John Carter" I said. 'Do you
not recognize. even through paint and
strange metal, the heart Of your chief
tain2"
AS came close to her she swayed
toward me with outstretched hands
but as l reached to take her in my
arms she drew back with a shudder
and little moan of misery.
TOO late, too late" she grieved
"Oh, my chieftain that was, and whom
1 thought dead, had you but returned
one little hour before-but now 1t is
too late. too late"
what do you mean, Dejah Thoris?"
I cried. '"That you would not have
promised yourself to the Zodangan
prince had you known that lived"
Think you, John Carter, that l
would give my heart to you yesterday
and today to another? I thought that
1t lay buried with your ashes in the
pits of Warhoon, and so today have
promised my body to another to save
my people from the curse of a vic
torious Zodangan army. l am as good
as married, John Carter. No longer
may you call me your princess. No
longer are you my chieftain."
Il know but little of your customs
here upon Barsoom, Dejah Thoris, but
do know that love you, and if you
meant the last words you spoke to me
that day as the hordes of Warhoon
were charging down upon us, no other
man shall ever claim you as his bride.
You meant them then, my princess,
and you mean them still Say that it
Is trIe"
Il meant them, John Carter" she
whispered. II cannot repeat them now,
for have given myself to another. All,
If you had only known our ways, my
friend" she continued, half to herself,
'the promise would have been yours
long months ago. and you could have
claimed me before all Others"
Then. aloud she said: do you re-
member the night when you offended
me? You called me your princess
without having asked my hand of me,
and then you boosted that you. had
fought for me. You did not know, and
/ should not have been offended see
that now. But there was no one to tell
you, what could not, that upon Bar
SOON there are two kinds of women In
the cities of the red men. The one they
fight for that they may ask them in
marriage; the other kind they fight for
also, but never ask their hands. When
a man has won a woman he may adj
dress her as his princess, or In any of
the several terms which signify posses
sion. You had fought for me, but had
never asked me in marriage, and so
when you called me your princess, you
see," she faltered, 81 was hurt. but
even then, John Carter, did not re-
pulse you, as should have done. until
you made it doubly worse by haunting
me with having won me through com.
bat"