The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-04-08


and then | Spied the ugly head of Woo
IA peering from a second-story window
on the opposite side of the very street
where I was quartered.
Without waiting for further invi-
tation | bOlted up the winding runway
which led 10 the second floor. and en-
tering a great chamber at the front of
the building was greeted by the fren-
zied Woola who threw his great car
| cass upon me. nearly hurting me 10 The
floor; the poor old fellow was SO glad
To see me that l thought he would de-
YOUR me. his head split from ear 70
ear. showing his three rows of tusks
in his hobgoblin smile.
Quieting him with word Of com
mand and a careSs. | looked hurriedly
through the approaching gloom for a
/ sign of Dejah Thoris, and then. not
| seeing her | called her name. There
/ was an answering murmur from the
| far corner of the apartment. and with
a couple of quick strides | was stand
/ ing beside her where she crOuched
/ among the furs and silks upon an an-
cient carved wooden seat. As I wait
ed she rose TO her full height and
looking me straight in the eye said:
what would Dotar Sojat. Thark. Of
Dejah Thoris his captive?"
"Dejah Thoris. 1 do not know how
have angered you. 1t was furtherest
from my desire To hurt or offend you,
whom 1 had hoped TO protect and COM
fort. Have none of me if il is your
Will, bur that you must aid me in eff
fecting your escape. if such n thing be
possible is not my request. but my
command. When you are safe once
more at your fathers court you may
do with me as you please. but from
now on until that day l am your mas
ter, and you must obey and aid me-"
She looked at me long and earnest
ly and l thought that she was soften
ing toward me.
Il understand your words. Dotar So
iat," she replied. but you l do not un-
derstand. You are a queer mixture of
child and man, of brute and noble.
only wish that l might read yOL.
heart"
Look down at your feet, Dejah
Thoris; it lies there now where ii has
and where it will ever lie beating
alone for you until death stills it for
ever
She took little step toward me. her
beautiful hands outstretched in
strange, cropping gesture.
What do YOU mean. John Carter?"
she whispered. what are you saying
to me?"
i am saying what I had promised
myself that l would not say to you. at
least until you were no longer a cap
tive among the green men; what from
your attitude toward me for the past
twenty days I had thought never TO
say TO YOU = am saying, Dejah Thoris,
that | am yours body and soul, to serve
you, TO fight for You, and TO die for
You. Only one thing l ask of YOU in
return, and that is that YOU make no
sign, either of condemnation or of APP
probation of mE words until you are
safe among your own people, and that
whatever sentiments you harbOr to-
ward me they be not influenced or col
ored by gratitude"
4 viii respect your wishes. John
Carter, because | understand the mo-
tives which prompt them. and accept
your service no more willingly than |
bow To your authority; your word
shall be my law. have twice wronged
you in my thoughts and again l ask /
your forgiveness.
Further conversation of personal F
nature was prevented by the entrance +
of Sofa, who was much agitated and /
wholly unlike her usual calm and pos I
seSSed self.
THAT horrible Sarkoia has been be- /
fore Tai Hajus.' she cried and from /
what I hear upon the plaza there is I
little hope for either OF YOU:
What do they say?' inquired pejah .
ThoriS
THAT YOU viii be thrown to the wild
calots dogs i'm the great arena aS
soon as the hordes have assembled for
the yearly games"
"Sola," I said. you are a Thark,
but YOU hate and loathe the customs of
your people as much as we do. VIII
YOU not accompany Us in one supreme
effort to escape?"
Yes" cried Deiah Thoris. "come
with Us. Sola you will he better off
among the red men of Helium than
you are here and | can promise YOU
1ot only home with US. but the love
md affection your nature Graves and
which must always he denied you by
he customs of your own race Come
With Us, sofia; we might 20 without
you. but your fate would be terrible if
hey thought You had connived 10 aid
Is. l know that even that fear would
lot tempt you 10 interfere i'm our es-
ape, but we want you with US we
want you TO come 10 land Of sunshine
md happiness, amongst Il people who
Know the meaning OF love. of sym
,athy and of gratitude. Say that you
will. Soda tell me that you will"
The great waterway which leads 70
Ielimm is but fifty miles TO the
outh. murmured Sofa. half 10 her
elf; "A swift thoat might make il in
hree hours: and then to Helium it is
i've hundred miles. most of the way
through thiniy settled districts They
would know and they would follow Us.
We might hide among the great trees
or time. bur the chances are small