Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-06-10


even then the absence of high winds
renders 1t almost unnoticeable.
we camped that night at the foot
OF the hills we had been approaching
for two days and which marked the
southern boundary of this particular
sea. Our animals had been two days
without drink, nor had they had water
for nearly two months, not since
shortly after leaving Thank but, as
Tars Tarkas explained to me, they re-
quire but little and can live almost in
definitely upon the moss which covers
Barsoom, and which, he told me, holds
in its tiny stems sufficient moisture
to meet the limited demands of the
animals.
After partaking of my evening meal
of cheese-like food and vegetable milk
| sought out Sofa, whom / found work
ing by the light of torch upon some
Of Tars Tarkas trappings. She looked
up at my approach, her face lighting
with pleasure and with welcome.
Il am glad you came" she said;
'Dejah Thoris sleeps and I am lonely.
/ promised to tell you my story, or
rather the story of my parents. From
what l have learned of you and the
ways of your people ! am sure that
the tale will not seem strange to you,
but among green Martians it has no
parallel within the memory of the old
est living Thark, nor do our legends
hold many similar tales.
MY mother was rather small, in
fact too small to be allowed the re-
sponsibilities of maternity, as our
chieftains breed principally for size.
She was also less cold and cruel than
most green Marian women, and caring
little for their society, she often
roamed the deserted avenues of Thark
alone, or went and sat among the wild
flowers that deck the nearby hills,
thinking thoughts and wishing wishes
which l believe l alone among Thank
tan women today may understand, for
am not the child of my mother?
"And there among the hills she met
young warrior, whose duty it was to
guard the feeding zitidars and thoats
and see that they roamed not beyond
the hills. She trusted him and told of
the awful repugnance she felt for the
cruelties of their kind, for the hideous,
loyeless lives they must ever lead, and
then she waited for the storm of de
nunciation to break from his cold, hard
lips; but instead he took her in his
arms and kissed her.
"They kept their love a secret for
six long years. She, my mother, was
of the retinue of the great Tai Hajus,
while her lover was a simple warrior,
wearing only his own metal. Had
their detection from the traditions of
the Thanks been discovered both
would have paid the penalty in the
great arena before Tai Hajus and the
assembled hordes.
1.-The egg from which I came was
hidden beneath a great glass vessel
upon the highest and most inaccessible
of the partially ruined towers of an
cient Thank Once each year my moth
err visited it for the five long years it
lay there in the process of incubation.
She dared not come oftener, for in
the mighty guilt of her conscience she
feared that her every move was
watched. During this period my fa-
Their gained great distinction as a
warrior and had taken the metal from
several chieftains. His advance was
rapid, and he soon stood high in the
councils of Thark. But one day he was
ordered away upon a long expedition
to the ice-clad south, to make war up
on the natives there and despoil them
of their furs.
"He was gone for four years, and
when he returned all had been over
for three; for about a year after his
departure, and shortly before the time
for the return of an expedition which
had gone forth to fetch the fruits or
community incubator, the egg had
Matched. Thereafter my mother con-
tinued to keep me in the old tower,
visiting me nightly and lavishing upon
me the love the community life would
have robbed US both of.
"She taught me rapidly the language
and customs of my kind, and one night
she told me the story have tO!- to you
up 20 this point, impressing upon me
the necessity for absolute secrecy and
the great caution l must exercise after
she had placed me with the other
young Thanks to permit no one to guess
that l was further advanced Il edu-
cation than they; and then drawing rue
close to her she whispered in my ear
the name of my father.
"And then a light flashed out upon
the darkness Of the tower chamber,
and there stood SarkOja, her cleaning,
baleful eyes fixed in a frenzy Of loath-
ing and contempt upon my mother.
That she had heard the entire story
was apparent, and that she had sus-
pected something wrong from my
mothers long nightly absences from
her quarters accounted for her pres
ence there on that fateful night
al To HTfT tn