The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-04-29
CHAPTER XIII.
An Air Scout for zodanqz

i WdFh ZNNdIt9d many strange ana III
/ teresting sights arrested my attention
and mt the several farmhouses where
I stopped 1 learned a number Of new
and instructive things concerning the
methods and manners of Barsoom.
The water which supplies the farms
! Of Mars is collected in immense under
/ ground reservoirs at either pole from
/ the melting ice caps. and pumped
| through long conduits to the various
/ populated centers. Instead Of flooding
4 the surface of the fields and thus
wasting immense quantities of water
i by evaporation, the precious liquid is
\ carried underground through a vast
/ network of small pipes directly to the
! roots of the vegetation. The crops
+ upon Mars are always uniform, for
/ there are no droughts, no rains, no
/ high winds, and no insects, or destroy
( ing birds.
/ On this trip I tasted the first meat
/ I had eaten since leaving Earth
/ large, juicy steaks and chops from the
well-fed domestic animals of the
farms. Also I enjoyed luscious fruits
| and vegetables, but not single ar
ticle of food which was exactly SINH
lar to anything on Earth.
| At a second stop met some highly
/ cultivated people of the noble class
and while in conversation we CHANGED
to speak of Helium. One Of the older
+ men had been there on a diplomatic
mission several years before and spoke
with regret of the conditions which
| seemed destined ever TO keep these
! two countries ut war
"Helium," he said, rightly boasts
the most beautiful women of Barsoom.
and Of all her treasures the wondrous
daughter of Mors KAYAK, Dejah Thoris,
is the most exquisite flower.
why" he added, 1.-THE people really
worship the ground she walks upon
and since her loss on that ill-starred
expedition all Helium has been draped
in mourning.
"That our ruler should have at
tackled the disabled fleet as it was re-
turning to Heium was but another Of
his awful plumbers which I fear will
sooner or later compel ZOdanga to ele-
vate a wiser man to his place.
Even now, though our victorious
armies are surrounding Helium. the
people of ZOdanga are voicing their
displeasure for the war is not a popu-
lar one, since 1t is not based on right
or justice. Our forces took advantage
of the absence of the principal fleet of
HeIium on their search for the prin-
cess and we have been able easily to
reduce the city TO a sorry plight"
"And what. think you. may have
been the fate of the princess, Deiah
Thoris?' 1 asked as casually as pos
sible
"She is dead" he answered "This /
much was learned from a green war
rior recently captured by our forces in /
the south. She escaped from the
hordes Of Thank with a strange crea-
ture of another world only to fall /
into the hands of the Warhoons. Their /
thOats were found wandering upon the |
sea bottom and evidences of a bloody |
conflict were discovered nearby"
While this information was in no /
way reassuring. neither was it ut all /
conclusive proof of the death of Dejah /
ThOris, and so I determined to make |
every effort possible to reach Helium I
as quickly as l could and carry to T
Tardos MOrs such news of his grand +
daughters possible whereabouts as
lay in my power
Ten days after leaving the three /
Ptor brothers I arrived at Zodanga. /
From the moment that I had come in
contact with the red inhabitants of
Mars l had noticed that Woola drew n
great amount of unwelcOme attention
TO me- since the huge brute belonged
70 a species which is never domesti-
Gated by the red men. Were one to
stroll down Broadway with a Numi-
dian lion at his heels the effect would
be somewhat similar TO that which l
should have produced had / entered
ZOdanga with WOOla.
AS l would willingly have offered
my life in fine service of her in search
of whom l was about to challenge the
unknown dangers of this, to me. mys-
ferrous city, l could not permit even
Woola's life TO threaten the success
of my venture, much less his momen-
tary happiness. for l doubted not he
soon would forget me. And so / babe
the poor beast an affectionate fare
well, promising him, however, that if
came through my adventure in safe
~ that in some way I should find the
means 10 search hNn out
He seemed TO understand me fully,
and when l pointed back in the di-
rection of Thank he turned sorrow (
fully away. nor could 1 bear TO watch
him go; but resolutely set my face (
toward Zodanga and with a touch of ]
leartsickness approached her frown- i
ng walls.
The letter l bore gained me imme {
late entrance to the vast, walled city. {
The Ptor brothers had given me ex-
)licit directions for reaching the point {
If the city where I could find living '
accommodations and be near the offices t
# the government agents TO whom
hey had given me letters. Ny way 5
ed to the central square or plaza, {
which is a Characteristic Of all Mar
ian cities =
As | was crossing the great square q
ost in wonder and admiration of the q
magnificent architecture and the COR +
seous scarlet vegetation which carpet :
d the broad lawns. / discovered a red 4
Tartan walking briskly toward me fl
rom one of the avenues. He paid Y
lot the slightest attention RI mo huf a.