the gods of mars-第2部分

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solar　system；　as　to　Mars？



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

and　about　me　stretched　a　grove　of　strange　and　beautiful　trees；

covered　with　huge　and　gorgeous　blossoms　and　filled　with　brilliant；

voiceless　birds。　　I　call　them　birds　since　they　were　winged；　but

mortal　eye　ne'er　rested　on　such　odd；　unearthly　shapes。



The　vegetation　was　similar　to　that　which　covers　the　lawns

of　the　red　Martians　of　the　great　waterways；　but　the　trees

and　birds　were　unlike　anything　that　I　had　ever　seen　upon

Mars；　and　then　through　the　further　trees　I　could　see　that

most　un…Martian　of　all　sightsan　open　sea；　its　blue　waters

shimmering　beneath　the　brazen　sun。



As　I　rose　to　investigate　further　I　experienced　the　same

ridiculous　catastrophe　that　had　met　my　first　attempt　to　walk

under　Martian　conditions。　　The　lesser　attraction　of　this　smaller

planet　and　the　reduced　air　pressure　of　its　greatly　rarefied

atmosphere；　afforded　so　little　resistance　to　my　earthly　muscles

that　the　ordinary　exertion　of　the　mere　act　of　rising　sent

me　several　feet　into　the　air　and　precipitated　me　upon　my

face　in　the　soft　and　brilliant　grass　of　this　strange　world。



This　experience；　however；　gave　me　some　slightly　increased

assurance　that；　after　all；　I　might　indeed　be　in　some；　to　me；

unknown　corner　of　Mars；　and　this　was　very　possible　since

during　my　ten　years'　residence　upon　the　planet　I　had

explored　but　a　comparatively　tiny　area　of　its　vast　expanse。



I　arose　again；　laughing　at　my　forgetfulness；　and　soon　had

mastered　once　more　the　art　of　attuning　my　earthly　sinews

to　these　changed　conditions。



As　I　walked　slowly　down　the　imperceptible　slope　toward

the　sea　I　could　not　help　but　note　the　park…like　appearance　of

the　sward　and　trees。　　The　grass　was　as　close…cropped　and

carpet…like　as　some　old　English　lawn　and　the　trees　themselves

showed　evidence　of　careful　pruning　to　a　uniform　height　of

about　fifteen　feet　from　the　ground；　so　that　as　one　turned　his

glance　in　any　direction　the　forest　had　the　appearance　at　a

little　distance　of　a　vast；　high…ceiled　chamber。



All　these　evidences　of　careful　and　systematic　cultivation

convinced　me　that　I　had　been　fortunate　enough　to　make　my

entry　into　Mars　on　this　second　occasion　through　the　domain

of　a　civilized　people　and　that　when　I　should　find　them　I

would　be　accorded　the　courtesy　and　protection　that　my　rank

as　a　Prince　of　the　house　of　Tardos　Mors　entitled　me　to。



The　trees　of　the　forest　attracted　my　deep　admiration　as　I

proceeded　toward　the　sea。　　Their　great　stems；　some　of　them

fully　a　hundred　feet　in　diameter；　attested　their　prodigious

height；　which　I　could　only　guess　at；　since　at　no　point　could

I　penetrate　their　dense　foliage　above　me　to　more　than　sixty

or　eighty　feet。



As　far　aloft　as　I　could　see　the　stems　and　branches　and

twigs　were　as　smooth　and　as　highly　polished　as　the　newest　of

American…made　pianos。　　The　wood　of　some　of　the　trees　was

as　black　as　ebony；　while　their　nearest　neighbours　might

perhaps　gleam　in　the　subdued　light　of　the　forest　as　clear

and　white　as　the　finest　china；　or；　again；　they　were　azure；

scarlet；　yellow；　or　deepest　purple。



And　in　the　same　way　was　the　foliage　as　gay　and　variegated

as　the　stems；　while　the　blooms　that　clustered　thick　upon

them　may　not　be　described　in　any　earthly　tongue；　and　indeed

might　challenge　the　language　of　the　gods。



As　I　neared　the　confines　of　the　forest　I　beheld　before　me

and　between　the　grove　and　the　open　sea；　a　broad　expanse

of　meadow　land；　and　as　I　was　about　to　emerge　from　the

shadows　of　the　trees　a　sight　met　my　eyes　that　banished

all　romantic　and　poetic　reflection　upon　the　beauties　of

the　strange　landscape。



To　my　left　the　sea　extended　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；

before　me　only　a　vague；　dim　line　indicated　its　further　shore；

while　at　my　right　a　mighty　river；　broad；　placid；　and　majestic；

flowed　between　scarlet　banks　to　empty　into　the　quiet　sea　before　me。



At　a　little　distance　up　the　river　rose　mighty　perpendicular　bluffs；

from　the　very　base　of　which　the　great　river　seemed　to　rise。



But　it　was　not　these　inspiring　and　magnificent　evidences　of

Nature's　grandeur　that　took　my　immediate　attention　from　the

beauties　of　the　forest。　　It　was　the　sight　of　a　score　of　figures

moving　slowly　about　the　meadow　near　the　bank　of　the　mighty　river。



Odd；　grotesque　shapes　they　were；　unlike　anything　that　I　had

ever　seen　upon　Mars；　and　yet；　at　a　distance；　most　manlike

in　appearance。　　The　larger　specimens　appeared　to　be　about

ten　or　twelve　feet　in　height　when　they　stood　erect；　and

to　be　proportioned　as　to　torso　and　lower　extremities

precisely　as　is　earthly　man。



Their　arms；　however；　were　very　short；　and　from　where　I　stood

seemed　as　though　fashioned　much　after　the　manner　of　an

elephant's　trunk；　in　that　they　moved　in　sinuous　and　snakelike

undulations；　as　though　entirely　without　bony　structure；　or　if

there　were　bones　it　seemed　that　they　must　be　vertebral　in　nature。



As　I　watched　them　from　behind　the　stem　of　a　huge　tree；

one　of　the　creatures　moved　slowly　in　my　direction；　engaged

in　the　occupation　that　seemed　to　be　the　principal　business　of

each　of　them；　and　which　consisted　in　running　their　oddly

shaped　hands　over　the　surface　of　the　sward；　for　what　purpose

I　could　not　determine。



As　he　approached　quite　close　to　me　I　obtained　an　excellent

view　of　him；　and　though　I　was　later　to　become　better

acquainted　with　his　kind；　I　may　say　that　that　single　cursory

examination　of　this　awful　travesty　on　Nature　would　have

proved　quite　sufficient　to　my　desires　had　I　been　a　free　agent。

The　fastest　flier　of　the　Heliumetic　Navy　could　not　quickly

enough　have　carried　me　far　from　this　hideous　creature。



Its　hairless　body　was　a　strange　and　ghoulish　blue；　except

for　a　broad　band　of　white　which　encircled　its　protruding；

single　eye：　an　eye　that　was　all　dead　whitepupil；　iris；

and　ball。



Its　nose　was　a　ragged；　inflamed；　circular　hole　in　the　centre

of　its　blank　face；　a　hole　that　resembled　more　closely　nothing

that　I　could　think　of　other　than　a　fresh　bullet　wound　which

has　not　yet　commenced　to　bleed。



Below　this　repulsive　orifice　the　face　was　quite　blank　to

the　chin；　for　the　thing　had　no　mouth　that　I　could　discover。



The　head；　with　the　exception　of　the　face；　was　covered　by　a　tangled

mass　of　jet…black　hair　some　eight　or　ten　inches　in　length。　　Each

hair　was　about　the　bigness　of　a　large　angleworm；　and　as　the　thing

moved　the　muscles　of　its　scalp　this　awful　head…covering　seemed

to　writhe　and　wriggle　and　crawl　about　the　fearsome　face　as　though

indeed　each　separate　hair　was　endowed　with　independent　life。



The　body　and　the　legs　were　as　symmetrically　human　as　Nature

could　have　fashioned　them；　and　the　feet；　too；　were　human

in　shape；　but　of　monstrous　proportions。　　From　heel　to　toe

they　were　fully　three　feet　long；　and　very　flat　and　very　broad。



As　it　came　quite　close　to　me　I　discovered　that　its　strange

movements；　running　its　odd　hands　over　the　surface　of　the

turf；　were　the　result　of　its　peculiar　method　of　feeding；　which

consists　in　cropping　off　the　tender　vegetation　with　its

razorlike　talons　and　sucking　it　up　from　its　two　mouths；　which

lie　one　in　the　palm　of　each　hand；　through　its　arm…like　throats。



In　addition　to　the　features　which　I　have　already　described；

the　beast　was　equipped　with　a　massive　tail　about　six　feet　in

length；　quite　round　where　it　joined　the　body；　but　tapering　to

a　flat；　thin　blade　toward　the　end；　which　trailed　at　right

angles　to　the　ground。



By　far　the　most　remarkable　feature　of　this　most　remarkable

creature；　however；　were　the　two　tiny　replicas　of　it；　each

about　six　inches　in　length；　which　dangled；　one　on　either　side；

from　its　armpits。　　They　were　suspended　by　a　small　stem　which

seemed　to　grow　from　the　exact　tops　of　their　heads　to　where

it　connected　them　with　the　body　of　the　adult。



Whether　they　were　the　young；　or　merely　portions　of　a

composite　creature；　I　did　not　know。



As　I　had　been　scrutinizing　this　weird　monstrosity　the

balance　of　the　herd　had　fed　quite　close　to　me　and　I　now　saw

that　while　many　had　the　smaller　specimens　dangling　from

them；　not　all　were　thus　equipped；　and　I　further　noted　that

the　little　ones　varied　in　size　from　what　appeared　to　be　but

tiny　unopened　buds　an　inch　in　diameter　through　various

stages　of　development　to　the　full…fledged　and　perfectly

formed　creature　of　ten　to　twelve　inches　in　length。



Feeding　with　the　herd　were　many　of　the　little　fellows　not

much　larger　than　those　which　remained　attached　to　their

parents；　and　from　the　young　of　that　size　the　herd　graded　up

to　the　immense　adults。



Fearsome…looking　as　they　were；　I　did　not　know　whether　to

fear　them　or　not；　for　they　did　not　seem　to　be　particularly

well　equipped　for　fighting；　and　I　was　on　the　point　of　stepping

from　my　hiding…place　and　revealing　myself　to　them　to

note　the　effect　upon　them　of　the　sight　of　a　man　when　my

rash　resolve　was；　fortunately　for　me；　nipped　in　the　bud　by

a　strange　shrieking　wail；　which　seemed　to　come　from　the

direction　of　the　bluffs　at　my　right。



Naked　and　unarmed；　as　I　was；　my　end　would　have　been

both　speedy　and　horrible　at　the　hands　of　these　cruel　creatures

had　I　had　time　to　put　my　resolve　into　execution；　but　at　the

moment　of　the　shriek　each　member　of　the　herd　turned　in　the

direction　from　which　the　sound　seemed　to　come；　and　at

the　same　instant　every　particular　snake…like　hair　upon　their

heads　rose　stiffly　perpendicular　as　if　each　had　been　a　sentient

organism　looking　or　listening　for　the　source　or　meaning　of　the

wail。　　And　indeed　the　latter　proved　to　be　the　truth；　for　this

strange　growth　upon　the　craniums　of　the　plant　men　of　Barsoom

represents　the　thousand　ears　of　these　hideous　creatures；

the　last　remnant　of　the　strange　race　which　sprang　from　the

original　Tree　of　Life。



Instantly　every　eye　turned　toward　one　member　of　the

herd；　a　large　fellow　who　evidently　was　the　lea