The next morning Sarkoja was gone, nor was she ever seen after.

In silence we hastened to the jeddak's palace, where we were

immediately admitted to his presence; in fact, he could scarcely wait

to see me and was standing erect upon his platform glowering at the

entrance as I came in.

"Strap him to that pillar," he shrieked. "We shall see who it is dares

strike the mighty Tal Hajus. Heat the irons; with my own hands I shall

burn the eyes from his head that he may not pollute my person with his

vile gaze."

"Chieftains of Thark," I cried, turning to the assembled council and

ignoring Tal Hajus, "I have been a chief among you, and today I have

fought for Thark shoulder to shoulder with her greatest warrior. You

owe me, at least, a hearing. I have won that much today. You claim to

be just people--"

"Silence," roared Tal Hajus. "Gag the creature and bind him as I

command."

"Justice, Tal Hajus," exclaimed Lorquas Ptomel. "Who are you to set

aside the customs of ages among the Tharks."

"Yes, justice!" echoed a dozen voices, and so, while Tal Hajus fumed

and frothed, I continued.

"You are a brave people and you love bravery, but where was your mighty

jeddak during the fighting today? I did not see him in the thick of

battle; he was not there. He rends defenseless women and little

children in his lair, but how recently has one of you seen him fight

with men? Why, even I, a midget beside him, felled him with a single

blow of my fist. Is it of such that the Tharks fashion their jeddaks?

There stands beside me now a great Thark, a mighty warrior and a noble

man. Chieftains, how sounds, Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark?"

A roar of deep-toned applause greeted this suggestion.

"It but remains for this council to command, and Tal Hajus must prove

his fitness to rule. Were he a brave man he would invite Tars Tarkas

to combat, for he does not love him, but Tal Hajus is afraid; Tal

Hajus, your jeddak, is a coward. With my bare hands I could kill him,

and he knows it."

After I ceased there was tense silence, as all eyes were riveted upon

Tal Hajus. He did not speak or move, but the blotchy green of his

countenance turned livid, and the froth froze upon his lips.

"Tal Hajus," said Lorquas Ptomel in a cold, hard voice, "never in my

long life have I seen a jeddak of the Tharks so humiliated. There

could be but one answer to this arraignment. We wait it." And still

Tal Hajus stood as though electrified.

"Chieftains," continued Lorquas Ptomel, "shall the jeddak, Tal Hajus,

prove his fitness to rule over Tars Tarkas?"




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