Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-01-20
soul; and as my eyes met fiers 7 knew
why, and--I shuddered.


beautiful face turned up to mine. sh'
whispered: 81 believe you, John Car
ter; do not know what gentle
man Is, nor have I ever heard before
OF Virginia; but on Barsoom no mar
lies; II he does not wish to speak the
truth he is silent. Where is this Yir'
ginia, your country, John CarterY'
she asked. and II seemed that this
fair name of my fair land had never
sounded more beautiful than as II
fell from those perfect lips on that
far gone day.
II am of another world" answered,
"the great planet Earth, which re.
wolves about our common sun and
next within the orbit of your Bar
SOON, which we know as Mars. How
came here cannot tell you, for |
do not know but here am, and since
my presence has permitted me TO
serve Dejah Thoris l am glad that
| am here"
She gazed at me with troubled eyes,
long and questioningly. / would much
rather not have told her anything OF
my antecedents, but no man could
look into the depth OF those eyes and
refuse her slightest hehest
Finally she smiled, and, rising, said !:
~ shall have TO believe even though
cannot understand. But why should
I trouble my poor head with such a
problem, when my heart tells me that
believe because ! wish TO believer"
II was good logic, good, earthly,
feminine logic, and II It satisfied her
certainly could pick no flaws In II.
We fell into a general conversation
then, asking and answering many
questions on each side. She was curl
GUS to learn OF the customs OF my
people and displayed a remarkable
knowledge of events on earth. .sn
| questioned her closely on this seem
ing familiarity with earthly things
she laughed, and cried out:
"Why, every schoolboy on Barsoom
knows the geography, and much con-
corning the fauna and fora, as well
as the history of your planet fully as
well as Of his own. Can we not see
everything which takes place upon
Earth. as you call It; is II not hang
Ing there In the heavens I'm plain
sight"
This bafiled me, | must confess, |
fully as much as MY statements had
COMPOUNDED her; and | told her so.
She then explained in general the In
struments her people had used and
been perfecting for ages, which per.
NIT them to throw upon screen
perfect image of what is transpirlng
upon any planet and upon many Of
the stars.
"If, then, you are so familiar with
earthly things" asked, "why is II
that you do not recognize me as iden-
teal with the inhabitants Of that plan
et3"
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 APP
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 unsightly
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
TharlSian warriors, were entirely un-
disfigured 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 dwellers. At this
point Sofa returned with our meager
and her young Marian
protege, who, Of course would have
to share the quarters with them.
Sofa asked us II we had had a Wis.,
itor during her absence, and seemed
much surprised when we answered
In the negative. II seemed that as
she had mounted the approach to the
upper floors where our quarters were
coated, she had met Sarkoja descend
ng. We decided that she must have
,een eavesdropping, but as we could
'ecal nothing of Importance that had
passed between us we dismissed the
natter as Of little consequence,
Dejah Thorls and then fell to ex-
mining the architecture and decora-
lions Of the beautiful chambers Of the
we were occupying. She told
ne that these people had presumably
1ourished over a hundred thousand
years before They were the early
)rogenitors Of her race, but had mixed
With the other great races Of early
Jartians, who were very dark, almost
lack. and also with the reddish yell
ow race which had feurished at the
anne time.
These three great divisions Of the
higher Martlans had been forced In
o a mighty alliance as the drying up
T the Marian seas had compelled
hem to seek the comparatively few
nd always diminishing fertile areas.
nd to defend themselves, under new
ondItions Of life. against the wildl
ordes Of green men.
The ancient Martians had been