A Princess of Mars

But as we neared Zodanga their personal quarrels were submerged by

their greater hatred for the red men, and especially for the Zodangans,

who had for years waged a ruthless campaign of extermination against

the green men, directing special attention toward despoiling their

incubators.

Now that we were before Zodanga the task of obtaining entry to the city

devolved upon me, and directing Tars Tarkas to hold his forces in two

divisions out of earshot of the city, with each division opposite a

large gateway, I took twenty dismounted warriors and approached one of

the small gates that pierced the walls at short intervals. These gates

have no regular guard, but are covered by sentries, who patrol the

avenue that encircles the city just within the walls as our

metropolitan police patrol their beats.

The walls of Zodanga are seventy-five feet in height and fifty feet

thick. They are built of enormous blocks of carborundum, and the task

of entering the city seemed, to my escort of green warriors, an

impossibility. The fellows who had been detailed to accompany me were

of one of the smaller hordes, and therefore did not know me.

Placing three of them with their faces to the wall and arms locked, I

commanded two more to mount to their shoulders, and a sixth I ordered

to climb upon the shoulders of the upper two. The head of the topmost

warrior towered over forty feet from the ground.

In this way, with ten warriors, I built a series of three steps from

the ground to the shoulders of the topmost man. Then starting from a

short distance behind them I ran swiftly up from one tier to the next,

and with a final bound from the broad shoulders of the highest I

clutched the top of the great wall and quietly drew myself to its broad

expanse. After me I dragged six lengths of leather from an equal

number of my warriors. These lengths we had previously fastened

together, and passing one end to the topmost warrior I lowered the

other end cautiously over the opposite side of the wall toward the

avenue below. No one was in sight, so, lowering myself to the end of

my leather strap, I dropped the remaining thirty feet to the pavement

below.

I had learned from Kantos Kan the secret of opening these gates, and in

another moment my twenty great fighting men stood within the doomed

city of Zodanga.

I found to my delight that I had entered at the lower boundary of the

enormous palace grounds. The building itself showed in the distance a

blaze of glorious light, and on the instant I determined to lead a

detachment of warriors directly within the palace itself, while the

balance of the great horde was attacking the barracks of the soldiery.