The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-04-16


everything which takes place upon
Earth, as you call it; is it not hang
ing there in the heavens In plain
sight?"
This baffled me, / must confess,
fully as much as my statements had
COMPOUNDED her; and I told her SO.
She then explained in general the in
struments her people had used and
been perfecting for ages, (which per-
init them to throw upon a screen
perfect image of what is transpiring
upon any planet and upon many OF
the stars.
IF. then, you are so familiar with
earthly things" I asked, "why Is II
that you do not recognize me as iden-
teal with the inhabitants of that plan
et?"
She smiled again as one might In
bored indulgence of a questioning
child.
Because, John Carter" she replied,
"nearly every planet and star having
atmospheric conditions at all ap-
preaching those of Barsoom, shows
forms of animal life almost Identical
with you and me; and, further, Earth
men, almost without exception, cover
their bodies with strange, unsight!y
pieces of cloth, and their heads with
hideous contraptions the purpose OF
which we have been unable to con-
ceive;, while you, when found by the
Tharkian warriors, were entirely IN
disfignred and unadorned."
| then narrated the details of my
departure from the Earth, explain
ing that my body there lay fully
clothed in all the, to her, strange gar
ments of mundane jewellers. At this
point Sofa returned with our meager
belongings and her young Marian
protege. who,. of course would have
to share the quarters with them.
Sofa asked us If we had had a Wis
itor during her absence, and seemed
much surprised when we answered
in the negative. 1t seemed that as
she had mounted the approach to the
upper floors where our quarters were
located, she had met Sarkoja descend
| ing. We decided that she must have
been eavesdropping. but as we could
recall nothing Of importance that had
| passed between us we dismissed the
matter as of little consequence.
| Dejah Thoris and then fell to ex'
| aiming the architecture and decora'
lions of the beautiful chambers OF the
building we were occupying. She told
me that these people had presumably
| fiourished over hundred Thousand
years before. They were the early
proeenitors Of her race but had mixed
with the other great races Of early
| Martians, who were very dark, almost
black. and also with the reddish vel
low race which had hourished at the
same time.
These three great divisions of thu
higher Martians had been forced In
to q mighty alliance as the drying VI
of the Marian seas had compelled
them to seek the comparatively few
and always diminishing fertile areas
and to defend themselves, under new
conditions Of life, against the wilt
hordes of green men.
The ancient Martians had been
highly cultivated and literary race
but during the vicissitudes of thos
irving centuries of reimbursement t
new conditions, not only did their ad
vancement and production cease en-
tirely, but practically all their archives
records. and literature were lost.
| We had been so engrossed in explor
| alton of the building and in our con
yersation that it was late in the after
noon before we realized it. We wer
brought back to a realization Of on
present conditions by messenge
bearing summons from LorQua
Ptomel directing me to appear befor
him forthwith. Bidding Dejah Tho
Ii and sofia farewell, and command
Ing Woola to remain on guard, ! has1
ened to the audience chamber, wher
found Lorquas Ptomel and Tars Tai
kas seated upon the rostrum.
Az ! entered and saluted, Lorqua
Ptomel signaled me to advance. ant
fixing his great, hideous eyes upo
me, addressed me thus:
"You have been with us a few day
vet during that time you have b
your prowcss won a high positio
among us. Be that as 1t may, you ar
not one Of us; you owe us no alleg
ance
lie "Your position is a peculiar one
! he continued: "you are prisone
and vet you give commands whic
must be obeyed; you are an alien an
vet you are Tharkian chieftain
you are a midget and vet you can ki
mighty warrior with one blow
| your list. And now you are reporte
to have been plotting to escape wit
another prisoner Of another race;
prisoner who, from her own admission
half believes you are returned fro
the valley Of Dor. Either one of thes
accusations, II proved, would be sui
Client grounds for your execution, b.
we are just people and you sha
have 4 trial on our return to Thar
IL Tai Hajus 30 commands.
"But." he continued, In his ier
cultural tones. III You run on wit
the red girl II Is who shall have