The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1921-04-01
CHAPTER K.
A Costly Recapture.

A Costly Recapture.
As the speaker ceased he turned 70
leave the apartment by the door where
| was standing. but l needed to walt
no longer; | had heard enough 10 I'LL
my soul with dread, and stealing quiet
ly away | returned 10 the courtyard by
the way had come. Ny plan Of ac-
ton was formed upon the instant and,
crossing the square and the bordering
avenue upon the opposite side, soon
stood within the courtyard Of Tai Ha-
jus.
glanced no at the stories above,
discovering that the third was appar-
entity unlighted, and so decided TO
make my entrance 10 the building from
that point. II was the work OF but a
moment for me 70 reach the windows
above. and soon | had drawn myself
within the sheltering shadows OF the
unllghted floor.
Fortunately the room ! had selected
was untenanted, and creeping nolseless
~ 10 the corridor beyond | discovered
light In the apartments ahead OF me.
Reaching what appeared TO be door
way | discovered that It was but an
opening upon an immense inner cham
Der which lowered from the first floor,
two stories below me, TO the dome-llke
roof OF the building. high above my
head. The floor OF this great circular
hall was thronsed with chieftg.ns, war
riors and women. and at one end was a
great raised platform upon which
squatted the most hldeous beast had
ever put my eyes upon. He had all
the cold, hard, cruel, terrible features
Of the green warriors, but accumulated
and debased by the animal passions 10
which he had given himself over for
many years. There was not mark OF
dignity or pride upon his bestlal coun;
teuance, while his enormous bulk
spread itself out upon the PLATFORM
where he squatted like some huge
deyL fish, his SIX limbs accentuating
the similarity in a horrible and star
Ting manner
But the sight that froze me with APP
prehension was that OF Dejah Thoris
and Sola standing there before him,
and the fendish leer OF him as he let
bis great protruding eyes gloat upon
the lines OF her beautiful figure. She
stood there erect before him, her head
high held. and even al the distance |
was from them could read the scorn
and disgust upon her face as she let
her naughty glance rest without sign
OF fear upon him.
Presently Tai Hajus made a sign
that the chamber be cleared, and that
the prisoners be left alone with him.
Slowly the chieftains, the warriors
and the women melted away into the
shadows OF the surrounding chambers,
and Dejah Thoris and Sofa stood
alone before the jeddak OF the Thanks.
One chieftain alone had hesltated
before departing; | saw him standing
In the shadows OF a mighty column,
his fingers nervously toying with the
hilt OF his great sword and his cruel
eyes bent in implacable hatred upon
Tai Hajus. II was Tars Tarkas, and
| could read his thoughts as II they
were an open book, for the undls-
gulsed loathing upon his face. He was
thinking OF that other woman who,
forty years ago, had stood before this
beast, and could have spoken a word
into his ear at that moment the reign
OF Tai Hajus would have been over;
but finally he also strobe from the
lrVnxnfne fhaF IN 1aFf hfa
daughter at the mercy OF the creature
he most loathed.
Tai Hajus arose, and |. half fearing,
half anticipating his intentions, bur
red to the winding runway which led
to the floors below. No one was near
to intercept me, and | reached the
main floor of the chamber unobserved,
taking my station In the shadow of
the same column that Tars Tarkas had
but Just deserted. As | reached the
floor Tai Hajus was speaking.
princess Of Helium. | might wiring
u mighty ransom from your people
would | but return you to them I'M
harmed, but thousand times rather
would watch that beautiful face
wrikhe in the agony OF torture; II shall
be long drawn out, that | promise you;
ten days OF pleasure were all too short
to show the love | harbor for your
race. The terrors Of your death shall
haunt the slumbers Of the red men
through all the ages to come; they will
shudoer In the shadows OF the night
as their fathers tell them OF the awful
vengeance OF the green men; OF the
power and might and hate and cruelty
Of Tai Haius. But before that torture