A Princess of Mars

I have ever been prone to seek adventure and to investigate and

experiment where wiser men would have left well enough alone. It

therefore now occurred to me that the surest way of learning the exact

attitude of this beast toward me would be to attempt to leave the room.

I felt fairly secure in my belief that I could escape him should he

pursue me once I was outside the building, for I had begun to take

great pride in my ability as a jumper. Furthermore, I could see from

the shortness of his legs that the brute himself was no jumper and

probably no runner.

Slowly and carefully, therefore, I gained my feet, only to see that my

watcher did the same; cautiously I advanced toward him, finding that by

moving with a shuffling gait I could retain my balance as well as make

reasonably rapid progress. As I neared the brute he backed cautiously

away from me, and when I had reached the open he moved to one side to

let me pass. He then fell in behind me and followed about ten paces in

my rear as I made my way along the deserted street.

Evidently his mission was to protect me only, I thought, but when we

reached the edge of the city he suddenly sprang before me, uttering

strange sounds and baring his ugly and ferocious tusks. Thinking to

have some amusement at his expense, I rushed toward him, and when

almost upon him sprang into the air, alighting far beyond him and away

from the city. He wheeled instantly and charged me with the most

appalling speed I had ever beheld. I had thought his short legs a bar

to swiftness, but had he been coursing with greyhounds the latter would

have appeared as though asleep on a door mat. As I was to learn, this

is the fleetest animal on Mars, and owing to its intelligence, loyalty,

and ferocity is used in hunting, in war, and as the protector of the

Martian man.

I quickly saw that I would have difficulty in escaping the fangs of the

beast on a straightaway course, and so I met his charge by doubling in

my tracks and leaping over him as he was almost upon me. This maneuver

gave me a considerable advantage, and I was able to reach the city

quite a bit ahead of him, and as he came tearing after me I jumped for

a window about thirty feet from the ground in the face of one of the

buildings overlooking the valley.

Grasping the sill I pulled myself up to a sitting posture without

looking into the building, and gazed down at the baffled animal beneath

me. My exultation was short-lived, however, for scarcely had I gained

a secure seat upon the sill than a huge hand grasped me by the neck

from behind and dragged me violently into the room. Here I was thrown

upon my back, and beheld standing over me a colossal ape-like creature,

white and hairless except for an enormous shock of bristly hair upon

its head.