A Princess of Mars

"I see nothing wrong with my expression of interest in this red woman,"

retorted Sola. "She has never harmed us, nor would she should we have

fallen into her hands. It is only the men of her kind who war upon us,

and I have ever thought that their attitude toward us is but the

reflection of ours toward them. They live at peace with all their

fellows, except when duty calls upon them to make war, while we are at

peace with none; forever warring among our own kind as well as upon the

red men, and even in our own communities the individuals fight amongst

themselves. Oh, it is one continual, awful period of bloodshed from

the time we break the shell until we gladly embrace the bosom of the

river of mystery, the dark and ancient Iss which carries us to an

unknown, but at least no more frightful and terrible existence!

Fortunate indeed is he who meets his end in an early death. Say what

you please to Tars Tarkas, he can mete out no worse fate to me than a

continuation of the horrible existence we are forced to lead in this

life."

This wild outbreak on the part of Sola so greatly surprised and shocked

the other women, that, after a few words of general reprimand, they all

lapsed into silence and were soon asleep. One thing the episode had

accomplished was to assure me of Sola's friendliness toward the poor

girl, and also to convince me that I had been extremely fortunate in

falling into her hands rather than those of some of the other females.

I knew that she was fond of me, and now that I had discovered that she

hated cruelty and barbarity I was confident that I could depend upon

her to aid me and the girl captive to escape, provided of course that

such a thing was within the range of possibilities.

I did not even know that there were any better conditions to escape to,

but I was more than willing to take my chances among people fashioned

after my own mold rather than to remain longer among the hideous and

bloodthirsty green men of Mars. But where to go, and how, was as much

of a puzzle to me as the age-old search for the spring of eternal life

has been to earthly men since the beginning of time.

I decided that at the first opportunity I would take Sola into my

confidence and openly ask her to aid me, and with this resolution

strong upon me I turned among my silks and furs and slept the dreamless

and refreshing sleep of Mars.