The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1921-03-18

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futile to appeal from his decision.
"This much. Tars Tarkas. you may
do for me In return for the friend
ship that. must confess, feel for
| you"
Friendship" he replied. There
is no such thing, John Carter; but
have your will. shall direct that
Sarkoja cease to annoy the girl. and
myself will take the custody of the
key"
That night as we were making camp
saw him unfasten Dejah Thoris'
letters himself.
As was approaching Dejah Thoris'
chariot | passed Sarkoja. and the
black, venomous look she accorded
me was the sweetest balm ! had felt
for many hours.
A few moments later saw her deep
IN conversation with q warrior named
Fad; a big, hulking, powerful brute,
but one who had never made kill
among his own chleftains, and so was
still an 20 mad" or man with one
name; he could win second name
only with the metal OF some chief.
tain. II was this custom which en-
titled me TO the names OF either OF
the chiefta.ns I had killed. In fact.
some OF the warriors addressed me
as Dotar Sojat, a combination OF the
surnames OF the two warrior chieftalns
whose metal had taken, or, In other
words. whom had slain in fair fight
As Sarkoja talked with Fad he cast
occasional glances In my direction.
while she seemed TO be urging him
very strongly to some action. ! paid
little attention TO II at the time, but
the next day | had good reason to re-
] call the circumstances, and at the
same time gain a slight insight into
the depths OF Sarkoja's hatred and the
lengths to which she was capable OF
going TO wrcak her horrld vengeance
on me.
We broke camp the next day at an
early hour and marched with only
single halt until just before dark. Two
incidents broke the tedlousness OF the
march. About noon we espIed far TO
our right what was evidently an lncu'
bator, and Lorquas Ptomel directed
Tars Tarkas TO investigate It. The
latter took a dozen warriors, includ'
Ing myself, and we raced across the
velvety carpeting OF moss TO the little
enclosure.
Tars Tarkas dlsmounted and exam
ined the Enclosure infinitely, finally an
nouncing that II belonged to the green
men OF warhoon and that the cement
was scarcely dry where II had been
walled up.
"They cannot be a days march
ahead OF u.s." he exclaimed, the light
OF battle leaping TO his fierce face.
The work at the incubator was short
indeed The warriors tore open the
entrance and a couple Of them, crawl
Ing In. soon demolished all the eggs
with their short-swOrds. Then re-
mounting we dashed back TO join the
cavalcade. During the ride I took
occasion to ask Tars Tarkas II these
Warhoons whose eggs we had de
stroyed we're a smaller people than
his Thanks.
81 noticed that their eggs were so
much smaller than those ] saw hatch
ing In your Incubator" | added.
He explained that the eggs had Just
been placed there; but, like all green
Marian eggs, they would grow dur
Ing the fve-year period of incubation
until they obtained the size of those
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 Marian women
large as they were. could bring forth
such enormous eggs as ! had seen
the four-foot infants emerging from
AS a matter of fact, the new-lald egg
Is but little larger than an ordinary
goose egg. and as 1t does not com
mence to grow until subjected TO the
light Of the. sun the chieftains have
little difficulty In transporting sew
eral 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 Il 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 repl,
to make, for, in fact, was so wild
with anger that | could scarcely re
frain from drawing my pistol and
shooting down the brute he was hui
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
a lesser one.
o. chose the same weapon he had