The Connecticut labor news., 1921-09-02


 to fill with people going and coming upon the daily activities of their du- ties. The shops were opening and the cafes filling with early morning patrons. kantOs Kan led me to one of these gorgeous eating places where we were served entirely by mechani- cal apparatus.
 After our meal, Kantos Kan took me with him to the headquarters of the air-scout squadron and intrOduc- ing me to his superior asked that I be enrolled as a member of the corps. In accordance with custom an exam nation was necessary, but Kantos told me to have no fear on this score, as he would attend to that part of the matter. He accomplished this by talk ing my order for examination to the examining officer and represent ing himself as John Carter.
 "Thls ruse will be discovered later," he cheerfully explained, "when they check up my weights, measurements, and other personal identification data. but it will be several months before this is done and our mission should be accomplished or have failed long before that time."
 The next few days were spent by Kantos Kan in teaching me the in- tricacies of flying and of repairing the dainty little contrivances which the Martians use for this purpose. The fourth day after my arrival at Zodanga I made my first flight, and as a result of 1t I won a promotion which included quarters in the palace of Than KOSiS.
 As I rose above the city I circled several times, as I had seen Kantos Kan do, and then throwing my engine into top speed I raced at terrific ve locity toward the south, following one of the great waterways which enter Zodanga from that direction.
 I had traversed perhaps two hun dred miles in little less than an hour when I deserted far below me a par ty of three green warriors racing mad ly toward a small figure on foot which seemed to be trying to reach the con fines of one of the walled fields.
 Dropping my machine rapidly to- ward them and circling to the rear of the warriors, I soon saw that the object of their pursuit was a red Mar tian wearing the metal of the scout squadron to which 1 was attached. A short distance away lay his tiny fier, surrounded by the tools with which he had evidently been occupied in repairing some damage when sur prised by the green warriors.
 They were now almost upon him; Alvin 0I, the relatively puny figure at terrific speed, while the warriors leaned low to the right, with their great metal shOd spears. Each seemed striving to be the first to impale the poor Zo- dangan and in another moment his fate would have been sealed had it not been for my timely arrival.
 Driving my fleet air craft at high speed directly behind the warriors l soon overlook them and without di minishing my speed I rammed the prov of my little fiier between the shoulders of the nearest. The impact, sufficient to have torn through inches of solid steel, hurled the fellows head less body into the air over the head of his thoat, where 1t fell sprawling
 
 other two warriors turned sQuealing in terror, and bolted in opposite di- ! rectiOns.
 Reducing my speed I circled and came to the ground at the feet of the astOnished Zodangan. He was warm in his thanks for my timely aid and promised that my days work would bring the reward 1t merited, for it was none other than cousin of the jeddak of Zodanga whose life I had saved.
 Fastening to his damaged machine we were bending every effort to fin ish the needed repairs and had almost completed them when we saw the two green monsters returning al top speed from opposite sides of us. When they had approached within a hun dred yards their thoats again became manageable and absolutely refused to advance further toward the air craft which had frightened them. The warriors finally dismounted and hobbling their animals advanced to- ward us on foot with drawn long swords. I advanced to meet the lqrg- CT, telling the Zodangan to do the best he could with the other. Finish ing my man with almost no effort, as had now from much pract' ce be- come habitual with me, I hastened to return to my new acquaintance whom I found indeed in desperate straits.
 i He was wounded and down with the huge foot of his antagonist upon his throat and the great lOngsword raised to deal the final thrust. With a bound I cleared the fifty feet inter- 1 vening between us, and with out ' stretched point drove my sword com ] pletely through the body of the green 1 warrior. His sword fell, harmless, to 1 the ground and he sank Imply upon the prOstrate form of the ZOdangan.
 Quickly completing the repairs we rose together into the still, cloudless Martian sky, and at great speed and l without further miShap returned to Zodanga.
 As we neared the city we dfscov- cred a mighty cOncOurse of civilians and troops assembled upon the plain l before the city. My companion sig naled that I slow down, and running 1 his machine close beside mine Sug gested that we approach and watch the ceremony, which, he said, was for the purpose of cOnferring honors | o, officorS mon fOr