The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-05-06
The Weapon Dropped From His
Grasp and My Fingers Clicked off
His Attempted Cry for Assistance.

not dare to enter the building, filed as
it was with members of the air-ScOut
squadron, who, in common with all
ZOdanga, were on the lookout for me.
The building was an enormous one,
rearing its lofty head fully a thousand
feet into the air. 1t was long climb
up the face of the building. but there
was no other way. and so 1 essayed
the task. The fact that BarsOomian
architecture is extremely ornate made
the feat much simpler than 1 had an
cipated, since 1 found ornamental
lodges and projections which fairly
formed a perfect ladder for me all the
way to the caves of the building. Here
l met my first real obstacle. The caves
projected nearly twenty feet from the
wall to which l chung. and though I
encircled the great building l could
find no opening through them.
There was one slight, desperate
chance. and that I decided | must take
1t was for Dejah Thoris and no man
has lived who would not risk thou
sand deaths for such as She
Clinging TO the wall with my feet
and one hand unloosened one of the
long leather straps of my trappings
at the end of which dangled great
hook by which air sailors are hung 70
the SIDES and bottoms of their craft
for various purposes of repair and by
means of which landing parties arc
lowered to the ground from the battle
ships.
1 swung this hook cautiously to the
roof several times before 1t finally
found Judgment; gently l pulled on 1t
to strengthen its hold, but whether ii
would bear the weight of my body I
did not know. 1t might be barely
caught upon the very outer verge of
the roof, so that as my body swung out /
at the end of the strap it would slip T
off and launch me to the pavement a
thousand feet below.
An instant 1 hesftated. and then. re-
leasing my grasp upon the supporting /
ornament, l swung out into space at /
the end of the strap. Far below me /
lay the brilliantly lighted streets. the
hard pavements. and death There was
a little jerk at the top of the support
ing caves, and a nasty slipping, graf
ing sound which turned me cold with
and 1 was safe.
Clambering quickly aloft l grasped
the edge of the caves and drew myself
TO the surface of the room above. AS
l gained my feet 1 was confronted by
the sentry on duty, into the muzzle of
whose revolver 1 found myself looking.
"Who are you and whence came
you?" he cried.
ST am an air scout, friend, and very
near a dead one. for just by the merest
chance 1 escaped falling to the avenue
below" 1 replied.
But how came you upon the roof,
nan? Quick, explain yourself, or l
,all the guard
Look you here. sentry, and you I
shall see how came and how close a
have I had to not coming at ALL an
'wered, turning toward the edge of the
'oof where, twenty feet below, at the
nd of my strap, hung all my weapons
The fellow, acting on impulse of GU
iosity. stepped TO my side and to his
lndoing, for as he leaned to peer over
he caves 1 grasped him by his throat c
nd his pistol arm and threw him heav- 6
" to the roof. The weapon dropped
rom his grasp. and my fingers choked I
IF his attempted cry for assistance. Q
jagged and bound him and then hung [
i'm over the edge of the roof as / N.Y. S
elf had hung a few minutes before. ,
knew it would be morning before he Z