The Connecticut labor news., 1921-09-23
"A Princess of Mars'' lIIIIlHIE by EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS lIIIEIIIIII
Copyright, A. C. McClurg & Company.

and his pistol arm and threw .::m hnav- fly tv Une roof. The weapon dropped from his grasp. and my fingers chOked l off his attempted cry for assistance. 1 gagged and bound him and then hung 1 him over the edge of the roof as l my self had hung a few minutes before. l knew it would be morning before he would be discovered, and I needed all ! the time that I could gain.
 Donning my trappings and weapons l hastened to the sheds, and soon had out both my machine and Kantos Kans. Making his fast behind mine 1 started my engine, and skimming over the edge of the roof I dove down into the streets of the city far below the plane usually occupied by the air pa trOl. In less than a minute I was set tling safely upon the roof of our apart ment besiue the aslonished Kanros Kan.
 It was decided that I was to try to make Helium, while Kantos Kan was to enter the palace and dispatch Sab Than. If successful he was then to follow me. Bidding each other fare well we rose together and sped in the direction of the palace, which lay in the route which I must take to reach Helium. :" '':
 AS we neared the high tower a pa- trOl shot down from above. throwing its piercing searchlight full upon my craft, and voice roared out com mand to halt, following with shot as I maid oftantinn n tho hail Kan dropped quickly into the dark ness, while l rose steadily and at ter rife speed raced through the Martian sky followed by a dozen of the air scout craft which had joined the pur suit, and later by swift cruiser car rying a hundred men and a battery of rapid-fre guns. By twisting and turn ing my little machine, now rising and now falling, 1 managed to elude their Searchlights most of the time, but I was also losing ground by these tac- tics, and so I decided to hazard every thing on a straight-away course and leave the result to fate and the speed of my machine.
 KantOS Kan had shown me a trick of gearing, which is known only to the navy of Helium, that greatly increased the speed of our machines, so that I felt sure I could distance my pursuers if I could dodge their projectiles for a few moments.
 Gradually l left my pursuers further and further behind, and I was just con- graduating myself on my lucky escape, when a l-directed shot from the cruiser exploded at the prov of my little craft. The concussion nearly capsized her, and with a sickening plunge she hurtled downward through the dark night.
 How far I fell before I regained con- trol of the plane I do not know, but l must have been very close to the ground when I started to rise again, as plainly heard the Squealing of ani- mals below me. Rising again, l scanned the heavens for my pursuers, and finally making out their lights far behind me, saw that they were land- ing, evidently in search of me.
 Not until their lights were no longer discernible did I venture to flash my little lamp upon my compass, and then I found to my cOnsternatiOn that fragment of the prOjectile had utterly destroyed my only guide, as we'll as my speedometer. It was true l could follow the stars in the general direc- tion of Helium, but without knowing the exact location of the city or the speed at which I was travelling my chances for finding it were slim.
 Helium lies a thousand miles south nf IO6Qnoa and with pass intact I should have made the trip, barring accidents, in between four and five hours. As it turned out, however, morning found me speeding over a vast expanse of dead sea bot tom after nearly six hours of continu- ous flight at high speed.
 About noon I passed low over great dead city of ancient Mars, and as I skinned out across the plain came full upon several thousand green warriors engaged in a terrific battle. Scarcely had I seen them than vol ley of shots was directed at me, and with the almost unfailing accuracy of their aim my little craft was instantly a ruined wreck, sinking erratically to the ground.
 I fell almost directly in the center of the fierce combat, among warriors who had not seen my approach, so busily were they engaged in life and death struggles. As my machine sank among them I realized that it was fight or die, with good chances of dying in any event, and so I struck the ground with drawn longsword ready to de- fond myself as I cOuld
 fell beside huge monster who was engaged with three antagonists, and as I glanced at his fierce face, filled with the light of battle, 1 recognized Tars Tarkas the Thark. He did not see me, as I was a trif1e behind him, and just then the three warriors opposing him, and whom I recognized as WarhoOns, charged simultaneously. The mighty fellow made quick work of one of them, but in stepping back for an- other thrust he fell over dead body behind him and was down and at the mercy of his foes in an instant. Quick as lightning they were upon him, and Tars Tarkas would have been gathered to his fathers in short order had I not sprung before his prostrate form and engaged his adverSarieS. I had ac- counted for one of them when the quickly settled the other. ~
 He gave me one look, and slight smile touched his grim lips as, touch