A Princess of Mars

Scarcely had the blow descended when I was confronted with a new

danger. The ape's mate, recovered from its first shock of terror, had

returned to the scene of the encounter by way of the interior of the

building. I glimpsed him just before he reached the doorway and the

sight of him, now roaring as he perceived his lifeless fellow stretched

upon the floor, and frothing at the mouth, in the extremity of his

rage, filled me, I must confess, with dire forebodings.

I am ever willing to stand and fight when the odds are not too

overwhelmingly against me, but in this instance I perceived neither

glory nor profit in pitting my relatively puny strength against the

iron muscles and brutal ferocity of this enraged denizen of an unknown

world; in fact, the only outcome of such an encounter, so far as I

might be concerned, seemed sudden death.

I was standing near the window and I knew that once in the street I

might gain the plaza and safety before the creature could overtake me;

at least there was a chance for safety in flight, against almost

certain death should I remain and fight however desperately.

It is true I held the cudgel, but what could I do with it against his

four great arms? Even should I break one of them with my first blow,

for I figured that he would attempt to ward off the cudgel, he could

reach out and annihilate me with the others before I could recover for

a second attack.

In the instant that these thoughts passed through my mind I had turned

to make for the window, but my eyes alighting on the form of my

erstwhile guardian threw all thoughts of flight to the four winds. He

lay gasping upon the floor of the chamber, his great eyes fastened upon

me in what seemed a pitiful appeal for protection. I could not

withstand that look, nor could I, on second thought, have deserted my

rescuer without giving as good an account of myself in his behalf as he

had in mine.

Without more ado, therefore, I turned to meet the charge of the

infuriated bull ape. He was now too close upon me for the cudgel to

prove of any effective assistance, so I merely threw it as heavily as I

could at his advancing bulk. It struck him just below the knees,

eliciting a howl of pain and rage, and so throwing him off his balance

that he lunged full upon me with arms wide stretched to ease his fall.

Again, as on the preceding day, I had recourse to earthly tactics, and

swinging my right fist full upon the point of his chin I followed it

with a smashing left to the pit of his stomach. The effect was

marvelous, for, as I lightly sidestepped, after delivering the second

blow, he reeled and fell upon the floor doubled up with pain and

gasping for wind. Leaping over his prostrate body, I seized the cudgel

and finished the monster before he could regain his feet.