The Lamar register., 1921-03-02

ME anu .leNtlS ol lllt EbTEtbu~
ornaments of the men and women. du-
plicated in the trappings of the zlti-
dars and thOats. and interspersed with
the flashing cOlors Of magnificent silks
and furs and feathers. lent a barharic
splendor 10 the caravan which would
have turned an East Indian poteniate
green with envy.
The enormous broad Tires Of The
chariors and the padded feet of the
animals brought forth no sound from
the moss covered sea bottom; and 80
we moved In utter silence. like some
huge phantasmagoria, except when the
stiffness was broken by the CULTURAL
growing of gnadei zltidar. or the
sGuealins of fighting thoats. The green
Martians converse hut little. and then
usually In monosyllahles low and like
the faint rumbllng Of distant thunder.
We traversed trackless waste of
moss which. bending Ia the pressure OF
broad tire or padded foot, rose mp
again behind us, leaving no sign that
we had passed. We might indeed have
been the wraiths OF the departed dead
upon the dead sea OF that dying planet
for all the sound or sign we made in
passing. It was the first march Of
large body of men and animals l had
ever Witnessed which raised no dust
and left no sponr; for there is no dust
upon Mars except In the cultivated dis
,rIcts during the winter months, and
even then the absence OF high winds
renders It almost unnOtIceable.
We cumped 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 sine"
shortly after leaving Thark; bui, ~
Tars Tarkas explained To me, they re-
quire hut little and can live almost In
definitely upon the moss which covers
Rarsoom. and which. he told me. holds
In It's tiny stems sufficient moisture
10 meet the limited demands OF the
animals.
After partaking OF my evening meal
of cheesc-llke food and vegetable milk
! sought out Sola. whom | found work
ing by the light Of a torch upon some
Of Tars Tarxas' trappings. She looked
up at my approach. her face lighting
with pleasure and with welcome.
II am glad you came" she said
"Deiah Thoris sleeps and I am lonely.
/ promised to tell you my story. or
rather the story of my parents. From
what have learned of you and the
ways Of your people ! am sure thnt
the tale will not seem strange TO you.
but among green MnrtlaDs II has no
parallel within the memory OF the old
est living Thnrk. nor do our leg"nhS
hold many similar tales.
MY mother was rather small. In
fact too small TO be allowed the re-
sponsiblllties OF maternity. as our
ehieftaIns breed principally for size.
She was also less cold and cruel than
most green Marian women, aud caring
little for their society. she often
rosmed the deserted avenues of Thnrk
alone. or went and sat among the wild
flowers that deck the nearby hills,
thinking thoughts and wishing wishes
which believe alone among Thnrk-
tan women today may understand for
am not the child Of my mother7
And there among the hills she met
a young warrior. whose duty II was to
guard the feeding zltidars and thohts
and see that they roaIned not beyond
the hills. She trusted him and told OF
the awful repugnance she felt for the
crueltles OF their kind. for the hideous
loNclcss lives they must ever lead. ana
then she waited for the storm OF de-
nunclation to break from his cold, hard
lips; but instead he took her In his
arms and kissed her.
"They kept their love II secret for
six long years. She. my mother. was
Of thc retlnue of the great Tai Hhjus,
while her lover was simple warrior.
wearing only his own metal. Hat
their detection from the traditions nj
lie Tharks been discovered both
would have paid the penalty IN Ia"
great arena before Tal HnJus and the
assembled hordes.
THE egg from which ! came WI,
hidden beneath a great glass ves sol
uunn the highest and most inaccessible
nf the partially ruined towers uf an-
cient Thark Once each year, my moth
er visited II for the five long years II
lny there in the process of Incubation.
She dared not come oftener, for in
the mighty. guilt of her conscience Sh"