the gods of mars-第1部分

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THE　GODS　OF　MARS



Edgar　Rice　Burroughs







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FOREWORD





TWELVE　years　had　passed　since　I　had　laid　the　body　of　my

great…uncle；　Captain　John　Carter；　of　Virginia；　away　from

the　sight　of　men　in　that　strange　mausoleum　in　the　old

cemetery　at　Richmond。



Often　had　I　pondered　on　the　odd　instructions　he　had　left　me

governing　the　construction　of　his　mighty　tomb；　and　especially

those　parts　which　directed　that　he　be　laid　in　an　OPEN　casket

and　that　the　ponderous　mechanism　which　controlled　the　bolts

of　the　vault's　huge　door　be　accessible　ONLY　FROM　THE　INSIDE。



Twelve　years　had　passed　since　I　had　read　the　remarkable

manuscript　of　this　remarkable　man；　this　man　who　remembered

no　childhood　and　who　could　not　even　offer　a　vague　guess　as

to　his　age；　who　was　always　young　and　yet　who　had　dandled　my

grandfather's　great…grandfather　upon　his　knee；　this　man　who

had　spent　ten　years　upon　the　planet　Mars；　who　had　fought　for

the　green　men　of　Barsoom　and　fought　against　them；　who　had

fought　for　and　against　the　red　men　and　who　had　won　the　ever

beautiful　Dejah　Thoris；　Princess　of　Helium；　for　his　wife；　and

for　nearly　ten　years　had　been　a　prince　of　the　house　of　Tardos

Mors；　Jeddak　of　Helium。



Twelve　years　had　passed　since　his　body　had　been　found　upon

the　bluff　before　his　cottage　overlooking　the　Hudson；　and　oft…

times　during　these　long　years　I　had　wondered　if　John　Carter

were　really　dead；　or　if　he　again　roamed　the　dead　sea　bottoms

of　that　dying　planet；　if　he　had　returned　to　Barsoom　to　find　that

he　had　opened　the　frowning　portals　of　the　mighty　atmosphere　plant　in

time　to　save　the　countless　millions　who　were　dying　of　asphyxiation

on　that　far…gone　day　that　had　seen　him　hurtled　ruthlessly　through

forty…eight　million　miles　of　space　back　to　Earth　once　more。

I　had　wondered　if　he　had　found　his　black…haired　Princess　and　the

slender　son　he　had　dreamed　was　with　her　in　the　royal　gardens　of

Tardos　Mors；　awaiting　his　return。



Or；　had　he　found　that　he　had　been　too　late；　and　thus　gone　back　to　a

living　death　upon　a　dead　world？　　Or　was　he　really　dead　after　all；

never　to　return　either　to　his　mother　Earth　or　his　beloved　Mars？



Thus　was　I　lost　in　useless　speculation　one　sultry　August

evening　when　old　Ben；　my　body　servant；　handed　me　a　telegram。

Tearing　it　open　I　read：





'Meet　me　to…morrow　hotel　Raleigh　Richmond。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'JOHN　CARTER'





Early　the　next　morning　I　took　the　first　train　for　Richmond

and　within　two　hours　was　being　ushered　into　the　room　occupied

by　John　Carter。



As　I　entered　he　rose　to　greet　me；　his　old…time　cordial

smile　of　welcome　lighting　his　handsome　face。　　Apparently　he

had　not　aged　a　minute；　but　was　still　the　straight；　clean…limbed

fighting…man　of　thirty。　　His　keen　grey　eyes　were　undimmed；　and

the　only　lines　upon　his　face　were　the　lines　of　iron　character　and

determination　that　always　had　been　there　since　first　I　remembered　him；

nearly　thirty…five　years　before。



'Well；　nephew；'　he　greeted　me；　'do　you　feel　as　though　you

were　seeing　a　ghost；　or　suffering　from　the　effects　of　too　many

of　Uncle　Ben's　juleps？'



'Juleps；　I　reckon；'　I　replied；　'for　I　certainly　feel　mighty　good；

but　maybe　it's　just　the　sight　of　you　again　that　affects　me。　　You

have　been　back　to　Mars？　　Tell　me。　　And　Dejah　Thoris？　　You

found　her　well　and　awaiting　you？'



'Yes；　I　have　been　to　Barsoom　again；　andbut　it's　a　long

story；　too　long　to　tell　in　the　limited　time　I　have　before　I　must

return。　　I　have　learned　the　secret；　nephew；　and　I　may　traverse

the　trackless　void　at　my　will；　coming　and　going　between　the

countless　planets　as　I　list；　but　my　heart　is　always　in　Barsoom；

and　while　it　is　there　in　the　keeping　of　my　Martian　Princess；　I

doubt　that　I　shall　ever　again　leave　the　dying　world　that　is　my　life。



'I　have　come　now　because　my　affection　for　you　prompted　me

to　see　you　once　more　before　you　pass　over　for　ever　into　that

other　life　that　I　shall　never　know；　and　which　though　I　have

died　thrice　and　shall　die　again　to…night；　as　you　know　death；　I

am　as　unable　to　fathom　as　are　you。



'Even　the　wise　and　mysterious　therns　of　Barsoom；　that

ancient　cult　which　for　countless　ages　has　been　credited　with

holding　the　secret　of　life　and　death　in　their　impregnable

fastnesses　upon　the　hither　slopes　of　the　Mountains　of　Otz；　are　as

ignorant　as　we。　　I　have　proved　it；　though　I　near　lost　my　life　in

the　doing　of　it；　but　you　shall　read　it　all　in　the　notes　I　have　been

making　during　the　last　three　months　that　I　have　been　back　upon　Earth。'



He　patted　a　swelling　portfolio　that　lay　on　the　table　at　his　elbow。



'I　know　that　you　are　interested　and　that　you　believe；　and　I

know　that　the　world；　too；　is　interested；　though　they　will　not

believe　for　many　years；　yes；　for　many　ages；　since　they　cannot

understand。　　Earth　men　have　not　yet　progressed　to　a　point　where

they　can　comprehend　the　things　that　I　have　written　in　those　notes。



'Give　them　what　you　wish　of　it；　what　you　think　will　not

harm　them；　but　do　not　feel　aggrieved　if　they　laugh　at　you。'



That　night　I　walked　down　to　the　cemetery　with　him。　　At　the

door　of　his　vault　he　turned　and　pressed　my　hand。



'Good…bye；　nephew；'　he　said。　　'I　may　never　see　you　again；

for　I　doubt　that　I　can　ever　bring　myself　to　leave　my　wife　and

boy　while　they　live；　and　the　span　of　life　upon　Barsoom　is　often

more　than　a　thousand　years。'



He　entered　the　vault。　　The　great　door　swung　slowly　to。　　The

ponderous　bolts　grated　into　place。　　The　lock　clicked。　　I　have

never　seen　Captain　John　Carter；　of　Virginia；　since。



But　here　is　the　story　of　his　return　to　Mars　on　that　other　occasion；

as　I　have　gleaned　it　from　the　great　mass　of　notes　which　he　left

for　me　upon　the　table　of　his　room　in　the　hotel　at　Richmond。



There　is　much　which　I　have　left　out；　much　which　I　have　not

dared　to　tell；　but　you　will　find　the　story　of　his　second　search

for　Dejah　Thoris；　Princess　of　Helium；　even　more　remarkable

than　was　his　first　manuscript　which　I　gave　to　an　unbelieving

world　a　short　time　since　and　through　which　we　followed　the

fighting　Virginian　across　dead　sea　bottoms　under　the　moons　of　Mars。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　E。　R。　B。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CONTENTS



Contents





I。　　　　　　The　Plant　Men



II。　　　　　A　Forest　Battle



III。　　　　The　Chamber　of　Mystery



IV。　　　　　Thuvia



V。　　　　　　Corridors　of　Peril



VI。　　　　　The　Black　Pirates　of　Barsoom



VII。　　　　A　Fair　Goddess



VIII。　　　The　Depths　of　Omean



IX。　　　　　Issus；　Goddess　of　Life　Eternal



X。　　　　　　The　Prison　Isle　of　Shador



XI。　　　　　When　Hell　Broke　Loose



XII。　　　　Doomed　to　Die



XIII。　　　A　Break　for　Liberty



XIV。　　　　The　Eyes　in　the　Dark



XV。　　　　　Flight　and　Pursuit



XVI。　　　　Under　Arrest



XVII。　　　The　Death　Sentence



XVIII。　　Sola's　Story



XIX。　　　　Black　Despair



XX。　　　　　The　Air　Battle



XXI。　　　　Through　Flood　and　Flame



XXII。　　　Victory　and　Defeat









THE　GODS　OF　MARS









CHAPTER　I





THE　PLANT　MEN





As　I　stood　upon　the　bluff　before　my　cottage　on　that　clear

cold　night　in　the　early　part　of　March；　1886；　the　noble　Hudson

flowing　like　the　grey　and　silent　spectre　of　a　dead　river

below　me；　I　felt　again　the　strange；　compelling　influence　of

the　mighty　god　of　war；　my　beloved　Mars；　which　for　ten　long

and　lonesome　years　I　had　implored　with　outstretched　arms

to　carry　me　back　to　my　lost　love。



Not　since　that　other　March　night　in　1866；　when　I　had

stood　without　that　Arizona　cave　in　which　my　still　and　lifeless

body　lay　wrapped　in　the　similitude　of　earthly　death　had　I　felt

the　irresistible　attraction　of　the　god　of　my　profession。



With　arms　outstretched　toward　the　red　eye　of　the　great

star　I　stood　praying　for　a　return　of　that　strange　power　which

twice　had　drawn　me　through　the　immensity　of　space；　praying

as　I　had　prayed　on　a　thousand　nights　before　during　the　long

ten　years　that　I　had　waited　and　hoped。



Suddenly　a　qualm　of　nausea　swept　over　me；　my　senses

swam；　my　knees　gave　beneath　me　and　I　pitched　headlong

to　the　ground　upon　the　very　verge　of　the　dizzy　bluff。



Instantly　my　brain　cleared　and　there　swept　back　across

the　threshold　of　my　memory　the　vivid　picture　of　the　horrors

of　that　ghostly　Arizona　cave；　again；　as　on　that　far…gone　night；

my　muscles　refused　to　respond　to　my　will　and　again；　as

though　even　here　upon　the　banks　of　the　placid　Hudson；　I

could　hear　the　awful　moans　and　rustling　of　the　fearsome

thing　which　had　lurked　and　threatened　me　from　the　dark

recesses　of　the　cave；　I　made　the　same　mighty　and　superhuman

effort　to　break　the　bonds　of　the　strange　anaesthesia　which

held　me；　and　again　came　the　sharp　click　as　of　the　sudden

parting　of　a　taut　wire；　and　I　stood　naked　and　free　beside

the　staring；　lifeless　thing　that　had　so　recently　pulsed　with

the　warm；　red　life…blood　of　John　Carter。



With　scarcely　a　parting　glance　I　turned　my　eyes　again　toward

Mars；　lifted　my　hands　toward　his　lurid　rays；　and　waited。



Nor　did　I　have　long　to　wait；　for　scarce　had　I　turned　ere　I

shot　with　the　rapidity　of　thought　into　the　awful　void　before

me。　　There　was　the　same　instant　of　unthinkable　cold　and　utter

darkness　that　I　had　experienced　twenty　years　before；　and

then　I　opened　my　eyes　in　another　world；　beneath　the　burning

rays　of　a　hot　sun；　which　beat　through　a　tiny　opening　in　the

dome　of　the　mighty　forest　in　which　I　lay。



The　scene　that　met　my　eyes　was　so　un…Martian　that　my

heart　sprang　to　my　throat　as　the　sudden　fear　swept　through

me　that　I　had　been　aimlessly　tossed　upon　some　strange　planet

by　a　cruel　fate。



Why　not？　　What　guide　had　I　through　the　trackless　waste　of

interplanetary　space？　　What　assurance　that　I　might　not　as

well　be　hurtled　to　some　far…distant　star　of　another

solar　system；　as　to　Mars？



I　lay　upon　a　close…cropped　sward　of　red　grasslike　vegetation；