A Princess of Mars

For two days I waited there for Kantos Kan, but as he did not come I

started off on foot in a northwesterly direction toward a point where

he had told me lay the nearest waterway. My only food consisted of

vegetable milk from the plants which gave so bounteously of this

priceless fluid.

Through two long weeks I wandered, stumbling through the nights guided

only by the stars and hiding during the days behind some protruding

rock or among the occasional hills I traversed. Several times I was

attacked by wild beasts; strange, uncouth monstrosities that leaped

upon me in the dark, so that I had ever to grasp my long-sword in my

hand that I might be ready for them. Usually my strange, newly

acquired telepathic power warned me in ample time, but once I was down

with vicious fangs at my jugular and a hairy face pressed close to mine

before I knew that I was even threatened.

What manner of thing was upon me I did not know, but that it was large

and heavy and many-legged I could feel. My hands were at its throat

before the fangs had a chance to bury themselves in my neck, and slowly

I forced the hairy face from me and closed my fingers, vise-like, upon

its windpipe.

Without sound we lay there, the beast exerting every effort to reach me

with those awful fangs, and I straining to maintain my grip and choke

the life from it as I kept it from my throat. Slowly my arms gave to

the unequal struggle, and inch by inch the burning eyes and gleaming

tusks of my antagonist crept toward me, until, as the hairy face

touched mine again, I realized that all was over. And then a living

mass of destruction sprang from the surrounding darkness full upon the

creature that held me pinioned to the ground. The two rolled growling

upon the moss, tearing and rending one another in a frightful manner,

but it was soon over and my preserver stood with lowered head above the

throat of the dead thing which would have killed me.

The nearer moon, hurtling suddenly above the horizon and lighting up

the Barsoomian scene, showed me that my preserver was Woola, but from

whence he had come, or how found me, I was at a loss to know. That I

was glad of his companionship it is needless to say, but my pleasure at

seeing him was tempered by anxiety as to the reason of his leaving

Dejah Thoris. Only her death I felt sure, could account for his

absence from her, so faithful I knew him to be to my commands.

By the light of the now brilliant moons I saw that he was but a shadow

of his former self, and as he turned from my caress and commenced

greedily to devour the dead carcass at my feet I realized that the poor

fellow was more than half starved. I, myself, was in but little better

plight but I could not bring myself to eat the uncooked flesh and I had

no means of making a fire. When Woola had finished his meal I again

took up my weary and seemingly endless wandering in quest of the

elusive waterway.