A Princess of Mars

There were twenty chieftains about the rostrum, and twenty swords

flashed high in assent.

There was no alternative. That decree was final, and so Tal Hajus drew

his long-sword and advanced to meet Tars Tarkas.

The combat was soon over, and, with his foot upon the neck of the dead

monster, Tars Tarkas became jeddak among the Tharks.

His first act was to make me a full-fledged chieftain with the rank I

had won by my combats the first few weeks of my captivity among them.

Seeing the favorable disposition of the warriors toward Tars Tarkas, as

well as toward me, I grasped the opportunity to enlist them in my cause

against Zodanga. I told Tars Tarkas the story of my adventures, and in

a few words had explained to him the thought I had in mind.

"John Carter has made a proposal," he said, addressing the council,

"which meets with my sanction. I shall put it to you briefly. Dejah

Thoris, the Princess of Helium, who was our prisoner, is now held by

the jeddak of Zodanga, whose son she must wed to save her country from

devastation at the hands of the Zodangan forces.

"John Carter suggests that we rescue her and return her to Helium. The

loot of Zodanga would be magnificent, and I have often thought that had

we an alliance with the people of Helium we could obtain sufficient

assurance of sustenance to permit us to increase the size and frequency

of our hatchings, and thus become unquestionably supreme among the

green men of all Barsoom. What say you?"

It was a chance to fight, an opportunity to loot, and they rose to the

bait as a speckled trout to a fly.

For Tharks they were wildly enthusiastic, and before another half hour

had passed twenty mounted messengers were speeding across dead sea

bottoms to call the hordes together for the expedition.

In three days we were on the march toward Zodanga, one hundred thousand

strong, as Tars Tarkas had been able to enlist the services of three

smaller hordes on the promise of the great loot of Zodanga.

At the head of the column I rode beside the great Thark while at the

heels of my mount trotted my beloved Woola.

We traveled entirely by night, timing our marches so that we camped

during the day at deserted cities where, even to the beasts, we were

all kept indoors during the daylight hours. On the march Tars Tarkas,

through his remarkable ability and statesmanship, enlisted fifty

thousand more warriors from various hordes, so that, ten days after we

set out we halted at midnight outside the great walled city of Zodanga,

one hundred and fifty thousand strong.

The fighting strength and efficiency of this horde of ferocious green

monsters was equivalent to ten times their number of red men. Never in

the history of Barsoom, Tars Tarkas told me, had such a force of green

warriors marched to battle together. It was a monstrous task to keep

even a semblance of harmony among them, and it was a marvel to me that

he got them to the city without a mighty battle among themselves.