Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-02-10

away l was becoming niled with grave
anxiety. Then there broke upon the
stiffness of the night the sound Of an
approaching party. which. from the
noise, | knew could be no fugitives
creeping stealthily toward liberty
Soon the party was near me, and
from the black shadows of my en-
trance way l perceived a score of
mounted warriors, who, in passing
dropped a dozen words that fetched
my heart clean into the top of my
head.
He would likely have arranged to
meet them Just without the city, and
So" / heard no more, they had
passed on; but it was enough. Our
plan had been discovered, and the
chances for escape from now on 10 the
fearful end would be small indeed.
My one hope now was to return unde-
tected to the quarters of Dejah Thoris
and learn what fate had overtaken her,
but how to do 1t with these great
monstrous thoats upon my hands, now
that the city probably was aroused by
the knowledge of my escape, was a
problem of no mean proportions.
Suddenly an idea occurred to me and,
acting on my knowledge of the con-
struction of the buildings of these an
cient Marian cities with a hollow
court within the center of each
square. l CROPPED my way blindly
through the dark chambers, calling the
great thOats after me. They had diff
Guilty in negotiating some of the door
ways, but as the buildings fronting the
clty's principal exposures were all de-
signed upon a magnificent scale, they
were able TO wriggle through without
sticking fast; and thus we finally
made the inner court where l found,
as had expected, the usual carpet of
mOss-llke vegetation which would
prove their food and drink until I
could return them to their own en-
closure.
Removing the saddle trappings, I hid
them just within the rear doorway of
the building through which we had
entered the court and, turning the
beasts loose, quickly made my way
across the court to the rear of the
buildings upon the further side, and
thence TO the avenue beyond. With
only the slight chance of detection
which the necessary crossing of the
avenues entailed, / made my way in
safety to the courtyard in the rear of
Dejah Thoris' quarters.
Here, of course, 1 found the beasts
Of the warriors who quartered in the
adjacent buildings, and the warriors
themselves / might expect to meet
within if l entered; but, fortunately
for me, had another and safer meth
cd of reaching the upper story where
Dejah Thoris should be found, and,
possible which of the buildings she oc-
cupied, for l had never observed them
before from the court side, l took adj
vantage of my relatively great
and agility and sprang up
ward until l grasped the sill of a sec
ond-story window which l thought to
be in the rear of her apartment. Draw
ing myself inside the room / moved
stealthily toward the front of the
building, and not until 1 had quite
reached the doorway of her room was
1 made aware by voices that it was oc-
cupied
l did not rush headlong in, but lis |
tened without to assure myself that It |
was Dejah Thoris and that 1t was safe
to venture within. 1t was well, indeed, |
that l took this precaution, for the
| heard was in the low
gutturals of men, and the words which |
finally came to me proved most tame
" warning. The speaker was chief
ain and he was giving orders to four
Of his warriors.
"And when he returns to this cham
1er," he was saying, "as he surely will
when he finds she does not meet him
1t the city's edge, you four are to
spring upon him and disarm him.
When you have him fast bound bear
lin to the vaults beneath the jeddak's
and chain him securely where
e may be found when Tai Hajus
wishes him. There will be no danger
f the girl returning, for by this time
he is safe in the arms of Tai Hajus,
nd may all her ancestors have pity
pom her, for Tai Hajus will have
one; the great Sarkoja has done a
oble nights work. l go, and if you
oil to capture him when he comes, ]
ommend your carcasses to the cold
osom of ISIS"