A Princess of Mars

This is quite far enough to imbue me with great respect for the Martian

firearm, and some telepathic force must have warned me against an

attempt to escape in broad daylight from under the muzzles of twenty of

these death-dealing machines.

The Martians, after conversing for a short time, turned and rode away

in the direction from which they had come, leaving one of their number

alone by the enclosure. When they had covered perhaps two hundred

yards they halted, and turning their mounts toward us sat watching the

warrior by the enclosure.

He was the one whose spear had so nearly transfixed me, and was

evidently the leader of the band, as I had noted that they seemed to

have moved to their present position at his direction. When his force

had come to a halt he dismounted, threw down his spear and small arms,

and came around the end of the incubator toward me, entirely unarmed

and as naked as I, except for the ornaments strapped upon his head,

limbs, and breast.

When he was within about fifty feet of me he unclasped an enormous

metal armlet, and holding it toward me in the open palm of his hand,

addressed me in a clear, resonant voice, but in a language, it is

needless to say, I could not understand. He then stopped as though

waiting for my reply, pricking up his antennae-like ears and cocking

his strange-looking eyes still further toward me.

As the silence became painful I concluded to hazard a little

conversation on my own part, as I had guessed that he was making

overtures of peace. The throwing down of his weapons and the

withdrawing of his troop before his advance toward me would have

signified a peaceful mission anywhere on Earth, so why not, then, on

Mars!

Placing my hand over my heart I bowed low to the Martian and explained

to him that while I did not understand his language, his actions spoke

for the peace and friendship that at the present moment were most dear

to my heart. Of course I might have been a babbling brook for all the

intelligence my speech carried to him, but he understood the action

with which I immediately followed my words.

Stretching my hand toward him, I advanced and took the armlet from his

open palm, clasping it about my arm above the elbow; smiled at him and

stood waiting. His wide mouth spread into an answering smile, and

locking one of his intermediary arms in mine we turned and walked back

toward his mount. At the same time he motioned his followers to

advance. They started toward us on a wild run, but were checked by a

signal from him. Evidently he feared that were I to be really

frightened again I might jump entirely out of the landscape.