A Princess of Mars

The remainder of our journey to Thark was uneventful. We were twenty

days upon the road, crossing two sea bottoms and passing through or

around a number of ruined cities, mostly smaller than Korad. Twice we

crossed the famous Martian waterways, or canals, so-called by our

earthly astronomers. When we approached these points a warrior would

be sent far ahead with a powerful field glass, and if no great body of

red Martian troops was in sight we would advance as close as possible

without chance of being seen and then camp until dark, when we would

slowly approach the cultivated tract, and, locating one of the

numerous, broad highways which cross these areas at regular intervals,

creep silently and stealthily across to the arid lands upon the other

side. It required five hours to make one of these crossings without a

single halt, and the other consumed the entire night, so that we were

just leaving the confines of the high-walled fields when the sun broke

out upon us.

Crossing in the darkness, as we did, I was unable to see but little,

except as the nearer moon, in her wild and ceaseless hurtling through

the Barsoomian heavens, lit up little patches of the landscape from

time to time, disclosing walled fields and low, rambling buildings,

presenting much the appearance of earthly farms. There were many

trees, methodically arranged, and some of them were of enormous height;

there were animals in some of the enclosures, and they announced their

presence by terrified squealings and snortings as they scented our

queer, wild beasts and wilder human beings.

Only once did I perceive a human being, and that was at the

intersection of our crossroad with the wide, white turnpike which cuts

each cultivated district longitudinally at its exact center. The

fellow must have been sleeping beside the road, for, as I came abreast

of him, he raised upon one elbow and after a single glance at the

approaching caravan leaped shrieking to his feet and fled madly down

the road, scaling a nearby wall with the agility of a scared cat. The

Tharks paid him not the slightest attention; they were not out upon the

warpath, and the only sign that I had that they had seen him was a

quickening of the pace of the caravan as we hastened toward the

bordering desert which marked our entrance into the realm of Tal Hajus.

Not once did I have speech with Dejah Thoris, as she sent no word to me

that I would be welcome at her chariot, and my foolish pride kept me

from making any advances. I verily believe that a man's way with women

is in inverse ratio to his prowess among men. The weakling and the

saphead have often great ability to charm the fair sex, while the

fighting man who can face a thousand real dangers unafraid, sits hiding

in the shadows like some frightened child.