Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-02-24

the cafes filling with early morning
patrons. Kantos Kan led me to one
of these gorgeous eating places where
we We're served entirely by mechani-
cal apparatus.
After our meal, Kantos Kan took
me with him TO the headquarters of
the air-scout squadron and introduce
ing me to his superior asked that
be enrolled as a member of the corps.
In accordance with custom an exam
inatiOn was necessary, but Kantos told
me TO have no fear on this score, as
he would attend to that part Of the
matter. He accomplished this by tax
| ing my order for examination to
the examining officer and represent
ing himself as John Cart er.
This ruse will be discovered later I"
he cheerfully explained, when they
check up my weights, measurements
and other personal identification data,
but il will be several months before
this Is done and our mission should
be accomplished or have failed long
before that time"
The next few days We're spent by
Kantos Kan in teaching me the in
tricacies of flying and of repairing
the dainty little contrivances which
the Martians use for this purpose.
The fourth day after my arrival at
Hodanga ! made my first flight. and
as result Of it l won a promotion
which included quarters in the palace
of Than Kosis.
As | rose above the city l circled
several times, as l had seen Kantos
Kan do, and Their throwing my engine
into top speed / raced at terrific We
locity toward the south, following
one of the great waterways which
enter zOdanga from that direction
had trayersed perhaps two hun
dred miles in little less than an hour
when l deserted far below me a par
ty of three green warriors racing mad
ly toward a small figure on foot which
seemed to be trying to reach the CON
fines Of one of the walled fields.
Dropping my machine rapidly to-
ward them, and circling to the rear
Of the warriors, soon saw that the
object of their pursuit was a red Mar
tan wearing the metal of the scout
squadron TO which l was attached
A short distance away lay his tiny
filer, surrounded by the tools with
which he had evidently been occupied
in repairing some damage when sur
prised by the green warriors.
They were now almost upon him;
their flying mounts charging down on
the relatively puny figure at terrific
speed, while the warriors leaned low
to the right, with their great metal |
shOd spears Each seemed striving /
TO be the first to impale the poor 10 |
dangan and in another moment his |
fate would have been sealed had 1t |
not been for my timely arrival.
Driving my feet air craft at high |
speed directly behind the warriors I |
soon overlook them and without di-
mnishing my speed / rammed the |
prov of my little fiier between the
shoulders of the nearest. The impact, |
sufficient to have torn through inches |
of solid steel, hurled the fellows head
less body into the air over the head
of his thoat, where IL fell sprawling
upon the moss. The mounts of the
other two warriors turned squealing
in terror, and bolted in opposite d.
rections.
Reducing my speed l circled and
came to the ground at the feet OF the
astonlshed Zodangan. He was warm
in his thanks for my timely aid and
promised that my days work would
bring the reward it merited, for it
was none other than a cousin Of the
jeddak of zodanga whose life ! had
saved
Fastening to his damaged machine
we were bending every effort to fin
ish the needed repairs and had almost
them when we saw the
two green monsters returning a top
speed from opposite sides of us. When
hey had approached within hun
ired yards their thoats again became
and absolutely refused
70 advance further toward the air
raft which had frightened them
The warriors finally dismounted and
lobbling their animals advanced to-
ward us on foot with drawn long
words. / advanced to meet the lqrg-
r. telling the Zodangan to do the
'est he could with the other. Finish
ng my man with almost no effort,
IS had now from much practice be-
ONE habitual with me, l FASTENED
0 return to my new acquaintance
whom l found indeed in desperate
traits.
He was wounded and down with
he huge foot of his antagonist upon
is throat and the great lohgsword
aised to deal the final thrust With
bound ! cleared the fifty feet inter
ening between us, and with out
tretched point drove my sword com
letely through the body Of the green
-arrior. His sword fell harmless, to
ne ground and he sank Imply upon
he PROSTATE form of the Zodangan
Quickly completing the repairs we
Dse together into the still, cloudless {
Tartan sky, and at great speed and
-ithout further mishap returned to {
odanga. {
AS vvp neared fhe city we discov-