Newspaper Page Text
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1921.
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IA Princess of I
I Mars i
By Edgar Rice Burroughs |
Author of
E= Tarzan of the Apes
Illustrations by Irwin Myers =
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(Copyright, IWO, JL a McClurg A Co.)
SYNOPSIS.
FOREWORD.—The author tells of hts
acquaintance with the hero of one of the
Bioet remarkable adventures ever record
ed. From a manuscript left by his friend
Be has vividly set out the strange hap
pennings which brought together a brave
Virginia gentleman and a Princess of
Mars.
CHAPTER I.—ln the Arizona hills, John
Carter, mining prospector and ex-Confed
erate soldier, fleeing from a war party
of Apaches, takes refuge In a cave the
atmosphere of which has a remarkable
effect on him. Yielding to its influence,
he sinks into unconsciousness, his last
thoughts centered on the glow from the
planet Mars.
CHAPTER ll.—Awaking, Carter real
izes that he has, in some incomprehensi
ble manner, been transported to Mara
He is surprised by a party of armed Mar
tian warriors, who seek his life. He con
vinces their leader, Tars Tarkas, of his
harmlessness and is conveyed, a prisoner,
to the Martian city.
CHAPTER III.—A creature holding I
much the position of a dog on earth is '
■et to guard him.
CHAPTER IV.—Three days later a fleet
of warships from the neighboring state of
Helium, passing over,the city, is attacked
by Carter’s captors, the green Martians.
The fleet is scattered and one of the air
ships captured. Among the prisoners is
a young woman of a race different from
the green Martians and more closely re
sembling the women of the earth.
CHAPTER V.—Carter ascertains that
the fair prisoner’s name is DeJah Thoris,
granddaughter of the Jeddak, or ruler,
of Helium. He also ascertains that ac
cording to custom she Is doomed to die
by torture. In the council chamber he
talks with her and assures her of his |
sympathy.
“I am of another world,” I answered,
“the great planet Earth, which re
volves about our common sun and
next within the orbit of your Bar
soom, which we know as Mars. How
I came here I cannot tell you, for 1
do not know; but here I am. and since i
my presence has permitted me to
serve Dejah Thoris I am glad that
I am here.”
She gazed at me with troubled eyes,
long and questionlngly. I 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 behest
Finally she smiled, and. rising, said:
“I shall have to believe even though
I cannot understand. But why should
I trouble my poor head with such a
problem, when my heart tells me that
I believe because I wish to believe?”
It was good logic, good, earthly,
feminine logic, and if It satisfied her
I certainly could pick no flaws in It-
We fell into a general conversation
then, asking and answering many
questions on each side. She was curt
ous to learn of the customs of my
people and displayed a remarkable
knowledge of events on earth. When
I questioned her closely on tills seem
ing familiarity with earthly things
she laughed, and cried out:
"Why, every schoolboy on Barsoom
knows the geography, and much con
cerning the fauna and flora, 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 ft not hang
ing there tn the heavens tn plain
sight?”
This baffled me. I must confess,
fully as much ns my statements had ,
confounded 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
mit them to throw upon a screen a
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 It
that you do not recognize me as Iden
tical 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
proaching 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
Tharklan warriors, were entirely un
disfigured and unadorned.”
I 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 Sola returned with our meager
belongings and her young Martian
protege, who, of course, would have
to share the quarters.with them.
Sola asked us If we. had had a vis
itor during -her absence, and seemed
■meh surprised when we answered
tn the negative. It seemed that as
she had mounted the approach to the
■pper 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 I then fell to ex
amining the architecture and decora-
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“Dejah Thoris and I Then Fell to Ex
amining the Architecture and Deco
rations of the Beautiful Chambers
of the Building We Were Occu
pying,”
tlons of the beautiful chambers of the
building we were occupying. She told
me that these people had presumably
flourished over a hundred thousand
years before. They were the early
progenitors 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 yel
low race which had flourished at the
same time.
These three great divisions of the
higher Martians had been forced in
to a mighty alliance as the drying up
of the Martian 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 wild
hordes of green men.
The ancient Martians had been a
highly cultivated and literary race,
but during the vicissitudes of those
trying centuries of readjustment to
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
ation of the building and in our con
versation that it was late in the after
noon before we realized it. We were
brought back to a realization of our
present conditions by a messenger
bearing a summons from Lorquas
Ptomel directing me to appear before
him forthwith. Bidding- Dejah Thor
is and Sola farewell, and command
ing Woola to remain on guard. I hast
ened to the audience chamber, where
I found Lorquas Ptomel and Tars Tar
kas seated upon the rostrum.
As I entered and sainted, Lorquai
Ptomel signaled me to advance, and.
fixing his great, hideous eyes upon
me, addressed me thus:
“You have been with us a few days,
yet during that time you have by
your prowess won a high position
among us. Be that as ft may, you are
not one of us; you owe us no allegi
ance.
"Your position is a peculiar one,"
he ' continued; "you are a prisonei
and yet you give commands which
must be obeyed; you are an alien and
yet you are a Tharkian chieftain;
you are a midget and yet you can kill
a mighty warrior with one blow ol
your fist. And now you are reported
to have been plotting to escape with
another prisoner of another race; a
prisoner who. from her own admission,
half believes you are returned from
the valley of Dor. Either one of these
accusations, if proved, would be suffi
cient grounds for your execution, but
we are a just people and you shall
have a trial on our return to Thark,
If Tai Hajus so commands.
“But,” he continued. In his fierce
guttural tones, “if you run off with
the red girl it Is I who shall have to
account to Tai Hajus; it is I who shall
have to face Tars Tarkas, and either
demonstrate my right to command,
or the metal from my dead carcass
will go to a better man, for such is
the custom of the Tharks.
“I have no quarrel with Tars Tar
kas; together we rule supreme the
greatest of the lesser communities
among the green men; we do not wish
to fight between ourselves; and so
if you were dead, John Carter, I should
be glad. Under two conditions only,
however, may you be killed by us with
out orders from Tai Hajus; In person
al combat in self-defense, should you
attack one of us, or were you appre
hended In an attempt to escape.
"As a matter of justice I must warn
you that we only await one of these
two excuses for ridding ourselves of
so great a responsibility. The safe
delivery of the red girl to Tai Hajus
is of the greatest importance. Not
In a thousand years have the Tharks
made such a capture; she Is the grand
daughter of the greatest of red jed
daks, who is also our bitterest en
emy. I have spoken. The red girl
told us that we were without the
softer sentiments of humanity; but we
are a just and truthful race. You may
go.”
Turning, I left the audience cham
ber. So this was the beginning of
Sarkoja’s persecution I I knew that
none other could be responsible for
this report which had reached the
ears of Lorquas Ptomel so quickly,
and now I recalled those portions of
our conversation which had touched
upon escape and upon my origin. j
Sarkoja was at this time Tars Tar- 1
kas’ oldest and most trusted female. 1
As such she was a mighty power be
hind the throne, for no warrior bad
the confidence of Lorquas Ptomel to
such an extent as did his ablest lieu
tenant, Tars Tarkas.
However, instead of putting thoughts '
of possible escape from my mind, my
audience with Lorquas Ptomel only '
served to center my every faculty on J
this subject. Now. more than before, |
the absolute necessity for escape, in I
so far as Dejah Thoris was concerned, '
was impressed upon me. for I was
convinced that some horrible fate
awaited her at the headquarters of
Tai Hajus.
As described by Sola, this monster!
was the exaggerated personification i
of all the ages of cruelty, ferocity,'
and brutality from which he had de- ■
scended. Cold, cunning, calculating;'
he was, also, in marked contrast to
most of his fellows, a slave to that
brute passion which the waning de
mands for procreation upon their dy- i
ing planet had almost stilled in the
Martian breast
As I wandered about the plaza lost
In my gloomy forebodings Tars Tar
kas approached me on his way from
the audience chamber. ,
“Where are your quarters, John Car
ter?” he asked.
“I have "selected none,” I replied.
“It seemed best that 1 quartered either
by myself or among the other war |
riors, and I was awaiting an oppor i
tunity to ask your advice."
“Come with me,” he directed, and to-j
gether we moved off across the plaza 1
to a building which I was glad to see
adjoined that occupied by Sola and.
her charges.
“My quarters are on the first floor j
of this building,’ he said, “and the
second floor also Is fully occupied by
warriors, but the third floor and the
floors above are vacant; you may take
your choice of these.
“I understand,” he continued, “that
you have given up your woman to
the red prisoner. Well, if you wish
to give your woman to a captive, It
is your own affair; but as a chieftain
you should have those to serve you,
and in accordance with our customs
you may select any or all the females
from the retinues of the chieftains
whose metal you now wear."
I thanked him, but assured him that
1 could get along very nicely without
assistance except in the matter of pre- i
paring food, and so he promised to
send women to me for this purpose
and also for the care of my arms and
the manufacture of my ammunition,
which he said would be necessary.
I finally chose a front room on the
third floor, because this brought me
nearer to Dejah Thoris, whose apart
ment was on the second floor of the
adjoining building, and It flashed up
on me that I could rig up some means
of communication whereby she might
signal me in case she needed either
my services or my protection.
My thoughts were cut short by the
advent of several young females bear
ing loads of weapons, silks, furs, jew
els. cooking utensils, and casks of food
and drink, including considerable loot
from the air craft All this, it seemed,
had been the property of the two
chieftains I had slain, and now, by
the customs of the Tharks, it had be
come mine. At my direction they
placed the stuff In one of the back
rooms, and then departed, only to re
turn with a second load, which they
advised me constituted the balance
of my goods.
Finding that I must assume respons-'
ibllity for these creatures, whether
I would or not, I made the best of it
and directed them to find quarters on
the upper floors, leaving the third
floor to me. One of the girls I charged
with the duties of my simple cuisine,
and directed the others to take up the
various activities which had formerly
constituted their vocations. There
after I saw little of them, nor did 1
care to
CHAPTER VII.
Love-Making on Mars.
Following the battle with the air
ships, the community remained within
the city for several days, abandoning
the homeward march until they could
feel reasonably assured that the ships
would not return; for to be caught
on the open plains with a cavalcade
of chariots and children was far from
the desire of even so warlike a people
as the green Martians. t
During our period of Inactivity, Tars
Tarkas had instructed me In many of
the customs and arts of war familiar
to the Tharks, Including lessons In
riding and guiding the great beasts
which bore the warriors. These crea
tures, which are known as thoats, are
as dangerous and vicious as their mas
ters, but when once subdued are suffi
ciently tractable for the purposes of
the green Martians.
Two of these animals had fallen
to me from the warriors whose metal
I wore, and In a short time I could
handle them quite as well as the na
tive warriors.
My experience with Woola deter
mined me to attempt the experiment
of kindness tn my treatment of my
thoats. First I taught them that they
could not unseat me, and even rapped
them sharply between the ears to Im
press upon them my authority and
mastery. Then, by degrees, I won
their confidence in much the same
manner as I had adopted countless
times with many mundane mounts.
In the course of a few days my
thoats were the wonder of the entire
community. They would follow me
like dogs, rubbing their great snouts
against my body In awkward evidence
of affection, and respond to my every
command with an. alacrity and docill-
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ty which caused The "Marflah warriors
to ascribe to me the possession ol
some earthly power unknown on Mars
On the seventh day following th«
battle with the air craft we agair
took up the march toward Thark. all
probability of another attack being
deemed remote by Lorquas Ptomel.
During the days just preceding otn
departure I had seen but little of De
jah Thoris, as I had been kept very
busy by Tars Tarkas with my lessons
In the art of Martian warfare, as well
as In the training of my thoats. The
few times I had visited her quarter?
she had been absent, walking upon
the streets with Sola, or investigating
the buildings in the near vicinity of
the plaza.
On the evening before our departure
I saw them approaching along one of
the great avenues which lead into the
plaza from the east. I advanced to
meet them, and telling Sola that I
would take the responsibility for De
jah Thoris’ safe keeping, I directed
her to return to her quarters on some
trivial errand. I liked and trusted
Sola, but for some reason I desired
to be alone with Dejah Thoris, whe
represented to me all that I had left
behind upon Earth in agreeable and
congenial companionship.
That she shared my sentiments in
this respect I was positive, for on my
approach the look of pitiful hopeless
ness left her sweet countenance to be
replaced by a smile of joyful welcome,
as she placed her little right hand up
on my left shoulder in true red Mar
tian salute.
“I think they have been trying to
keep us apart,” she said, “for when
ever you have been off duty one of
the older women of Tars Tarkas’ ret
inue has always arranged to trump
up some excuse to get Sola and me
out of sight. They have had me down
in the pits below the buildings help
ing them mix their awful radium pow
der, and make their terrible projectiles.
You know that these have to be man
ufactured by artificial light, as expos
ure to sunlight always results In an
explosion. Yotl have noticed that their
bullets explode when they strike an
object? Well, the opaque, outer coat
ing is broken by the impact, exposing
a glass cylinder, almost solid. In the
forward end of which is a minute par
ticle of radium powder. The moment
the sunlight, even though diffused,
strikes this powder It explodes with
a violence which nothing can with
stand.”
While I was much Interested in
Dejah Thoris’ explanation of this won
derful adjunct to Martian warfare, I
was more concerned by the Immediate
problem of their treatment of her.
That they were keeping her away from
me was not a matter for surprise, but
that they should subject her to dan
gerous and arduous labor filled me
with rage.
“Have they ever subjected you to
cruelty and ignominy, Dejah Thoris?”
I asked, feeling the hot blood of my
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fighting ancestors leap in my veins
as I awaited her reply.
“Only tn little ways, John Carter.”
she answered. “Nothing that can
harm me outside my pride. At heart
'heir horrid fates, and so
wreak their poor spite on me who
stands for everything they have not,
and for all they most crave and never
can attain. Let us pity them, my
chieftain, for even though we die at
their hands we can afford pity, since
we are greater than they and they
know it”
“I presume it is the better part of
wisdom that we bow to our fate with
as good grace as possible, Dejah Thor
is ; but I hope, nevertheless, that I may
be present the next time that any
Martian, green, red. pink, or violet,
has the temerity to even so much as
frown on you, my princess.”
Dejah Thoris caught her breath at
my last words, and gazed upon me
with dilated eyes and quickening
breath, and then, with an odd little
laugh, which brought roguish dim
ples to the corners of her mouth, she
shook her head and cried:
“What a child I A great warrior
and yet a stumbling child.”
“What have I done now?” I asked,
in sore perplexity.
“Some day you shall know, John
Carter, if we live; but I may not tell
you. And L the daughter of Mors
Kajak, son of Tardos Mors, have
listened without anger," she solilo
quized in conclusion.
Then she broke out again Into one
of her gay, happy, laughing moods;
joking with me on my prowess as a
Thark warrior as contrasted with my
soft heart and natural kindliness.
I was very curious to know what
I had said or done to cause her so
much perturbation a moment before
and so I continued to importune her
to enlighten me.
“No,” she exclaimed, ’’it Is enough
that you have said It and that I have
listened. And when you learn, John
Carter, and if I be dead, as likely
enough I shall be ere the further moon
has circled Barsoom another twelve
times, remember that I listened and
that I—smiled.”
It was all Greek to me, but the more
I begged her to explain the more pos
itive became her denials of my re
quest, and, so, tn very hopelessness,
I desisted.
The chill of the Martian night was
upon us, and removing my silks I throw
them across the shoulders of Dejah
Thoris. As my arm rested for an In
stant upon her I felt a thrill pass
through every fiber of my being as
such a contact with no other mortal
had ever produced; and it seemed to
me that she had leaned slightly to
ward me, but of that I was not sure.
I loved Dejah Thoris. The touch
of my arm upon her naked shoulder
had spoken to me in words I could
not mistake, and I knew that I had
loved her since the first moment that
my eyps had met hers that ffrst Hme
in the plaza of the dead city of Kor
ad.
My first Impulse was to tell her of
my love, and then I thought of the
helplessness of her position wherein
I alone could lighten the burdens of
her captivity, and protect her In my
poor way against the thousands of
hereditary enemies she must face up
on our arrival at Thark. I could not
chance causing her additional pain or
sorrow by declaring a love which, In
all probability She did not return.
“Why are you so quiet, Dejah Thor
is?” I asked. “Possibly you would
rather return to Sola and your quar
ters.”
“No,” she murmured, “I am happy
here. I do not know why it is that
I should always be happy and con
tented when you. John Carter, a
stranger, are with me; yet at such
times It seems that I am safe and
that, with you. I shall soon return to
my father's court and feel his strong
arms about me and my mother’s tears
and kisses on my cheek.”
“Do people kiss, then, upon Bar
soom?” I asked, when she had ex
plained the word she used, In answer
to my Inquiry as to Its meaning.
“Parents, brothers, and sisters, yes;
and,” she added In a low, thoughtful
tone, “lovers.”
“And you, Dejah Thoris, have pati
ents and brothers and sisters?”
“Yes.”
“And a—lover?”
She was silent, nor could
ture to repeat the question.
"The man of Barsoom.” she
ventured, "does not ask personal
qv-stions of women, except his mother,
and the woman he has fought for and
won.”
“But I have fought—” I started, and
then I wished my tongue had been cut
from my mouth; for she turned even
as I caught myself and ceased, and
drawing my silks from her shoulder
she held them out to me, and without
a word, and with head held high,
she moved with the carriage of the
queen she was toward the plaza and
the doorway of her quarters.
I did not attempt to follow her,
other than to see that she reached the
building in safety, but, directing Woola
to accompany her, I turned disconso
lately and entered my own house. I
sat for hours cross-legged, and cross
tempered, upon my silks meditating
upon the queer freaks chance plays
upon us poor devils of mortals.
I was a fool, but I was in love, and
though I was suffering the greatest
misery I had ev(*r known I would not
have had It otherwise for all the
riches of Barsoom. Such Is love, and
such are lovers wherever love Is
known.
(To be continued.)
Miss Mamie Cassady spent Sunday
in Macon, returning in the afternoon.
PAGE FIVE
jjCXiru - IL-V.
BUCK JONES COMING;
NEW PLAY “JUST PALS’’
Buck Jones, in his latest William
Fox production, “Just Pais,” will
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“Just Pals” is described as a stir
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speedy in action, and seasoned with
comedy. It concerns the comrade
ship of a homeless man and nameless
boy, and the man’s love for a charm
ing girl school teacher in a small
town. Thrills are supplied by such
incidents as a proposed lynching and
an attempted bank robbery.
The story was written by John Mc-
Dermott and directed by Jack Ford.
The cast includes Helen Ferguson,
George Stone, John J. Cooke, Wil
liam Buckly, Edwin Booth Tilton and
others.
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