A Princess of Mars

Thirty days after the capture of Dejah Thoris, or about the time of our

coming to Thark, his vessel had reached Helium with about ten survivors

of the original crew of seven hundred officers and men. Immediately

seven great fleets, each of one hundred mighty war ships, had been

dispatched to search for Dejah Thoris, and from these vessels two

thousand smaller craft had been kept out continuously in futile search

for the missing princess.

Two green Martian communities had been wiped off the face of Barsoom by

the avenging fleets, but no trace of Dejah Thoris had been found. They

had been searching among the northern hordes, and only within the past

few days had they extended their quest to the south.

Kantos Kan had been detailed to one of the small one-man fliers and had

had the misfortune to be discovered by the Warhoons while exploring

their city. The bravery and daring of the man won my greatest respect

and admiration. Alone he had landed at the city's boundary and on foot

had penetrated to the buildings surrounding the plaza. For two days

and nights he had explored their quarters and their dungeons in search

of his beloved princess only to fall into the hands of a party of

Warhoons as he was about to leave, after assuring himself that Dejah

Thoris was not a captive there.

During the period of our incarceration Kantos Kan and I became well

acquainted, and formed a warm personal friendship. A few days only

elapsed, however, before we were dragged forth from our dungeon for the

great games. We were conducted early one morning to an enormous

amphitheater, which instead of having been built upon the surface of

the ground was excavated below the surface. It had partially filled

with debris so that how large it had originally been was difficult to

say. In its present condition it held the entire twenty thousand

Warhoons of the assembled hordes.

The arena was immense but extremely uneven and unkempt. Around it the

Warhoons had piled building stone from some of the ruined edifices of

the ancient city to prevent the animals and the captives from escaping

into the audience, and at each end had been constructed cages to hold

them until their turns came to meet some horrible death upon the arena.

Kantos Kan and I were confined together in one of the cages. In the

others were wild calots, thoats, mad zitidars, green warriors, and

women of other hordes, and many strange and ferocious wild beasts of

Barsoom which I had never before seen. The din of their roaring,

growling and squealing was deafening and the formidable appearance of

any one of them was enough to make the stoutest heart feel grave

forebodings.

Kantos Kan explained to me that at the end of the day one of these

prisoners would gain freedom and the others would lie dead about the

arena. The winners in the various contests of the day would be pitted

against each other until only two remained alive; the victor in the

last encounter being set free, whether animal or man. The following

morning the cages would be filled with a new consignment of victims,

and so on throughout the ten days of the games.