A Princess of Mars

They came quite close to me, rubbing their muzzles against my body and

nosing for the bits of food it was always my practice to reward them

with. Opening the gates I ordered the two great beasts to pass out,

and then slipping quietly after them I closed the portals behind me.

I did not saddle or mount the animals there, but instead walked quietly

in the shadows of the buildings toward an unfrequented avenue which led

toward the point I had arranged to meet Dejah Thoris and Sola. With

the noiselessness of disembodied spirits we moved stealthily along the

deserted streets, but not until we were within sight of the plain

beyond the city did I commence to breathe freely. I was sure that Sola

and Dejah Thoris would find no difficulty in reaching our rendezvous

undetected, but with my great thoats I was not so sure for myself, as

it was quite unusual for warriors to leave the city after dark; in fact

there was no place for them to go within any but a long ride.

I reached the appointed meeting place safely, but as Dejah Thoris and

Sola were not there I led my animals into the entrance hall of one of

the large buildings. Presuming that one of the other women of the same

household may have come in to speak to Sola, and so delayed their

departure, I did not feel any undue apprehension until nearly an hour

had passed without a sign of them, and by the time another half hour

had crawled away I was becoming filled with grave anxiety. Then there

broke upon the stillness of the night the sound of an approaching

party, which, from the noise, I knew could be no fugitives creeping

stealthily toward liberty. Soon the party was near me, and from the

black shadows of my entranceway I perceived a score of mounted

warriors, who, in passing, dropped a dozen words that fetched my heart

clean into the top of my head.

"He would likely have arranged to meet them just without the city, and

so--" I heard no more, they had passed on; but it was enough. Our

plan had been discovered, and the chances for escape from now on to the

fearful end would be small indeed. My one hope now was to return

undetected to the quarters of Dejah Thoris and learn what fate had

overtaken her, but how to do it with these great monstrous thoats upon

my hands, now that the city probably was aroused by the knowledge of my

escape was a problem of no mean proportions.

Suddenly an idea occurred to me, and acting on my knowledge of the

construction of the buildings of these ancient Martian cities with a

hollow court within the center of each square, I groped my way blindly

through the dark chambers, calling the great thoats after me. They had

difficulty in negotiating some of the doorways, but as the buildings

fronting the city's principal exposures were all designed upon a

magnificent scale, they were able to wriggle through without sticking

fast; and thus we finally made the inner court where I found, as I had

expected, the usual carpet of moss-like vegetation which would prove

their food and drink until I could return them to their own enclosure.

That they would be as quiet and contented here as elsewhere I was

confident, nor was there but the remotest possibility that they would

be discovered, as the green men had no great desire to enter these

outlying buildings, which were frequented by the only thing, I believe,

which caused them the sensation of fear--the great white apes of

Barsoom.