WITH THE YELLOW MEN
Thuvan Dihn was not long in joining me; and, though we found thehooked weapon a strange and savage thing with which to deal, thethree of us soon despatched the five black-bearded warriors whoopposed us.
When the battle was over our new acquaintance turned to me, andremoving the shield from his wrist, held it out. I did not knowthe significance of his act, but judged that it was but a form ofexpressing his gratitude to me.
I afterward learned that it symbolized the offering of a man's lifein return for some great favor done him; and my act of refusing,which I had immediately done, was what was expected of me.
"Then accept from Talu, Prince of Marentina," said the yellow man,"this token of my gratitude," and reaching beneath one of his widesleeves he withdrew a bracelet and placed it upon my arm. He thenwent through the same ceremony with Thuvan Dihn.
Next he asked our names, and from what land we hailed. He seemedquite familiar with the geography of the outerworld, and when Isaid I was from Helium he raised his brows.
"Ah," he said, "you seek your ruler and his company?"
"Know you of them?" I asked.
"But little more than that they were captured by my uncle, SalensusOll, Jeddak of Jeddaks, Ruler of Okar, land of the yellow men ofBarsoom. As to their fate I know nothing, for I am at war with myuncle, who would crush my power in the principality of Marentina.
"These from whom you have just saved me are warriors he has sentout to find and slay me, for they know that often I come alone tohunt and kill the sacred apt which Salensus Oll so much reveres.It is partly because I hate his religion that Salensus Oll hatesme; but mostly does he fear my growing power and the great factionwhich has arisen throughout Okar that would be glad to see me rulerof Okar and Jeddak of Jeddaks in his place.
"He is a cruel and tyrannous master whom all hate, and were it notfor the great fear they have of him I could raise an army overnightthat would wipe out the few that might remain loyal to him. Myown people are faithful to me, and the little valley of Marentinahas paid no tribute to the court of Salensus Oll for a year.
"Nor can he force us, for a dozen men may hold the narrow way toMarentina against a million. But now, as to thine own affairs.How may I aid you? My palace is at your disposal, if you wish tohonor me by coming to Marentina."
"When our work is done we shall be glad to accept your invitation,"I replied. "But now you can assist us most by directing us to thecourt of Salensus Oll, and suggesting some means by which we maygain admission to the city and the palace, or whatever other placewe find our friends to be confined."
Talu gazed ruefully at our smooth faces and at Thuvan Dihn's redskin and my white one.
"First you must come to Marentina," he said, "for a great changemust be wrought in your appearance before you can hope to enterany city in Okar. You must have yellow faces and black beards,and your apparel and trappings must be those least likely to arousesuspicion. In my palace is one who can make you appear as trulyyellow men as does Salensus Oll himself."
His counsel seemed wise; and as there was apparently no other wayto insure a successful entry to Kadabra, the capital city of Okar,we set out with Talu, Prince of Marentina, for his little, rock-boundcountry.
The way was over some of the worst traveling I have ever seen, andI do not wonder that in this land where there are neither thoatsnor fliers that Marentina is in little fear of invasion; but atlast we reached our destination, the first view of which I had froma slight elevation a half-mile from the city.
Nestled in a deep valley lay a city of Martian concrete, whoseevery street and plaza and open space was roofed with glass. Allabout lay snow and ice, but there was none upon the rounded,domelike, crystal covering that enveloped the whole city.
Then I saw how these people combated the rigors of the arctic, andlived in luxury and comfort in the midst of a land of perpetualice. Their cities were veritable hothouses, and when I had comewithin this one my respect and admiration for the scientific andengineering skill of this buried nation was unbounded.
The moment we entered the city Talu threw off his outer garmentsof fur, as did we, and I saw that his apparel differed but littlefrom that of the red races of Barsoom. Except for his leathernharness, covered thick with jewels and metal, he was naked, nor couldone have comfortably worn apparel in that warm and humid atmosphere.
For three days we remained the guests of Prince Talu, and duringthat time he showered upon us every attention and courtesy withinhis power. He showed us all that was of interest in his greatcity.
The Marentina atmosphere plant will maintain life indefinitely inthe cities of the north pole after all life upon the balance ofdying Mars is extinct through the failure of the air supply, shouldthe great central plant again cease functioning as it did upon thatmemorable occasion that gave me the opportunity of restoring lifeand happiness to the strange world that I had already learned tolove so well.
He showed us the heating system that stores the sun's rays in greatreservoirs beneath the city, and how little is necessary to maintainthe perpetual summer heat of the glorious garden spot within thisarctic paradise.
Broad avenues of sod sewn with the seed of the ocher vegetationof the dead sea bottoms carried the noiseless traffic of light andairy ground fliers that are the only form of artificial transportationused north of the gigantic ice-barrier.
The broad tires of these unique fliers are but rubber-like gas bagsfilled with the eighth Barsoomian ray, or ray of propulsion--thatremarkable discovery of the Martians that has made possible thegreat fleets of mighty airships that render the red man of theouter world supreme. It is this ray which propels the inherentor reflected light of the planet off into space, and when confinedgives to the Martian craft their airy buoyancy.
The ground fliers of Marentina contain just sufficient buoyancy intheir automobile-like wheels to give the cars traction for steeringpurposes; and though the hind wheels are geared to the engine, andaid in driving the machine, the bulk of this work is carried by asmall propeller at the stern.
I know of no more delightful sensation than that of riding in oneof these luxuriously appointed cars which skim, light and airy asfeathers, along the soft, mossy avenues of Marentina. They movewith absolute noiselessness between borders of crimson sward andbeneath arching trees gorgeous with the wondrous blooms that markso many of the highly cultivated varieties of Barsoomian vegetation.
By the end of the third day the court barber--I can think of noother earthly appellation by which to describe him--had wroughtso remarkable a transformation in both Thuvan Dihn and myself thatour own wives would never have known us. Our skins were of thesame lemon color as his own, and great, black beards and mustacheshad been deftly affixed to our smooth faces. The trappings ofwarriors of Okar aided in the deception; and for wear beyond thehothouse cities we each had suits of the black- and yellow-stripedorluk.
Talu gave us careful directions for the journey to Kadabra, thecapital city of the Okar nation, which is the racial name of theyellow men. This good friend even accompanied us part way, andthen, promising to aid us in any way that he found possible, badeus adieu.
On parting he slipped upon my finger a curiously wrought ring setwith a dead-black, lusterless stone, which appeared more like abit of bituminous coal than the priceless Barsoomian gem which inreality it is.
"There had been but three others cut from the mother stone," hesaid, "which is in my possession. These three are worn by nobleshigh in my confidence, all of whom have been sent on secret missionsto the court of Salensus Oll.
"Should you come within fifty feet of any of these three you willfeel a rapid, pricking sensation in the finger upon which you wearthis ring. He who wears one of its mates will experience the samefeeling; it is caused by an electrical action that takes place themoment two of these gems cut from the same mother stone come withinthe radius of each other's power. By it you will know that a friendis at hand upon whom you may depend for assistance in time o
f need.
"Should another wearer of one of these gems call upon you for aiddo not deny him, and should death threaten you swallow the ringrather than let it fall into the hands of enemies. Guard it withyour life, John Carter, for some day it may mean more than life toyou."
With this parting admonition our good friend turned back towardMarentina, and we set our faces in the direction of the city ofKadabra and the court of Salensus Oll, Jeddak of Jeddaks.
That very evening we came within sight of the walled and glass-roofedcity of Kadabra. It lies in a low depression near the pole,surrounded by rocky, snow-clad hills. From the pass through whichwe entered the valley we had a splendid view of this great city ofthe north. Its crystal domes sparkled in the brilliant sunlightgleaming above the frost-covered outer wall that circles the entireone hundred miles of its circumference.
At regular intervals great gates give entrance to the city; buteven at the distance from which we looked upon the massive pilewe could see that all were closed, and, in accordance with Talu'ssuggestion, we deferred attempting to enter the city until thefollowing morning.
As he had said, we found numerous caves in the hillsides aboutus, and into one of these we crept for the night. Our warm orlukskins kept us perfectly comfortable, and it was only after amost refreshing sleep that we awoke shortly after daylight on thefollowing morning.
Already the city was astir, and from several of the gates we sawparties of yellow men emerging. Following closely each detailof the instructions given us by our good friend of Marentina, weremained concealed for several hours until one party of some halfdozen warriors had passed along the trail below our hiding placeand entered the hills by way of the pass along which we had comethe previous evening.
After giving them time to get well out of sight of our cave, ThuvanDihn and I crept out and followed them, overtaking them when theywere well into the hills.
When we had come almost to them I called aloud to their leader, whenthe whole party halted and turned toward us. The crucial test hadcome. Could we but deceive these men the rest would be comparativelyeasy.
"Kaor!" I cried as I came closer to them.
"Kaor!" responded the officer in charge of the party.
"We be from Illall," I continued, giving the name of the most remotecity of Okar, which has little or no intercourse with Kadabra."Only yesterday we arrived, and this morning the captain of thegate told us that you were setting out to hunt orluks, which isa sport we do not find in our own neighborhood. We have hastenedafter you to pray that you allow us to accompany you."
The officer was entirely deceived, and graciously permitted us togo with them for the day. The chance guess that they were boundupon an orluk hunt proved correct, and Talu had said that thechances were ten to one that such would be the mission of any partyleaving Kadabra by the pass through which we entered the valley,since that way leads directly to the vast plains frequented by thiselephantine beast of prey.
In so far as the hunt was concerned, the day was a failure, forwe did not see a single orluk; but this proved more than fortunatefor us, since the yellow men were so chagrined by their misfortunethat they would not enter the city by the same gate by which theyhad left it in the morning, as it seemed that they had made greatboasts to the captain of that gate about their skill at thisdangerous sport.
We, therefore, approached Kadabra at a point several miles fromthat at which the party had quitted it in the morning, and so wererelieved of the danger of embarrassing questions and explanationson the part of the gate captain, whom we had said had directed usto this particular hunting party.
We had come quite close to the city when my attention was attractedtoward a tall, black shaft that reared its head several hundredfeet into the air from what appeared to be a tangled mass of junkor wreckage, now partially snow-covered.
I did not dare venture an inquiry for fear of arousing suspicionby evident ignorance of something which as a yellow man I shouldhave known; but before we reached the city gate I was to learn thepurpose of that grim shaft and the meaning of the mighty accumulationbeneath it.
We had come almost to the gate when one of the party called tohis fellows, at the same time pointing toward the distant southernhorizon. Following the direction he indicated, my eyes descriedthe hull of a large flier approaching rapidly from above the crestof the encircling hills.
"Still other fools who would solve the mysteries of the forbiddennorth," said the officer, half to himself. "Will they never ceasetheir fatal curiosity?"
"Let us hope not," answered one of the warriors, "for then whatshould we do for slaves and sport?"
"True; but what stupid beasts they are to continue to come to aregion from whence none of them ever has returned."
"Let us tarry and watch the end of this one," suggested one of themen.
The officer looked toward the city.
"The watch has seen him," he said; "we may remain, for we may beneeded."
I looked toward the city and saw several hundred warriors issuingfrom the nearest gate. They moved leisurely, as though there wereno need for haste--nor was there, as I was presently to learn.
Then I turned my eyes once more toward the flier. She was movingrapidly toward the city, and when she had come close enough I wassurprised to see that her propellers were idle.
Straight for that grim shaft she bore. At the last minute I sawthe great blades move to reverse her, yet on she came as thoughdrawn by some mighty, irresistible power.
Intense excitement prevailed upon her deck, where men were runninghither and thither, manning the guns and preparing to launch thesmall, one-man fliers, a fleet of which is part of the equipmentof every Martian war vessel. Closer and closer to the black shaftthe ship sped. In another instant she must strike, and then I sawthe familiar signal flown that sends the lesser boats in a greatflock from the deck of the mother ship.
Instantly a hundred tiny fliers rose from her deck, like a swarm ofhuge dragon flies; but scarcely were they clear of the battleshipthan the nose of each turned toward the shaft, and they, too, rushedon at frightful speed toward the same now seemingly inevitable endthat menaced the larger vessel.
A moment later the collision came. Men were hurled in everydirection from the ship's deck, while she, bent and crumpled, tookthe last, long plunge to the scrap-heap at the shaft's base.
With her fell a shower of her own tiny fliers, for each of themhad come in violent collision with the solid shaft.
I noticed that the wrecked fliers scraped down the shaft's side,and that their fall was not as rapid as might have been expected;and then suddenly the secret of the shaft burst upon me, and withit an explanation of the cause that prevented a flier that passedtoo far across the ice-barrier ever returning.
The shaft was a mighty magnet, and when once a vessel came withinthe radius of its powerful attraction for the aluminum steel thatenters so largely into the construction of all Barsoomian craft,no power on earth could prevent such an end as we had just witnessed.
I afterward learned that the shaft rests directly over the magneticpole of Mars, but whether this adds in any way to its incalculablepower of attraction I do not know. I am a fighting man, not ascientist.
Here, at last, was an explanation of the long absence of Tardos Morsand Mors Kajak. These valiant and intrepid warriors had dared themysteries and dangers of the frozen north to search for Carthoris,whose long absence had bowed in grief the head of his beautifulmother, Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium.
The moment that the last of the fliers came to rest at the base ofthe shaft the black-bearded, yellow warriors swarmed over the massof wreckage upon which they lay, making prisoners of those who wereuninjured and occasionally despatching with a sword-thrust one ofthe wounded who seemed prone to resent their taunts and insults.
A few of the uninjured red men battled bravely against their cruelfoes, but for the most part they seemed too overwhelmed by thehorror of the catastrophe that had befallen them to do more thansubmit supinel
y to the golden chains with which they were manacled.
When the last of the prisoners had been confined, the partyreturned to the city, at the gate of which we met a pack of fierce,gold-collared apts, each of which marched between two warriors,who held them with strong chains of the same metal as their collars.
Just beyond the gate the attendants loosened the whole terribleherd, and as they bounded off toward the grim, black shaft I didnot need to ask to know their mission. Had there not been thosewithin the cruel city of Kadabra who needed succor far worse thanthe poor unfortunate dead and dying out there in the cold upon thebent and broken carcasses of a thousand fliers I could not haverestrained my desire to hasten back and do battle with those horridcreatures that had been despatched to rend and devour them.
As it was I could but follow the yellow warriors, with bowed head,and give thanks for the chance that had given Thuvan Dihn and mesuch easy ingress to the capital of Salensus Oll.
Once within the gates, we had no difficulty in eluding our friendsof the morning, and presently found ourselves in a Martian hostelry.