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the gods of mars-第32部分

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of the dark void behind。



Grasping my long…sword tightly in my hand; I backed slowly

along the corridor away from the thing that watched me;

but ever as I retreated the eyes advanced; nor was there any

sound; not even the sound of breathing; except the occasional

shuffling sound as of the dragging of a dead limb; that had

first attracted my attention。



On and on I went; but I could not escape my sinister pursuer。

Suddenly I heard the shuffling noise at my right; and;

looking; saw another pair of eyes; evidently approaching from

an intersecting corridor。  As I started to renew my slow

retreat I heard the noise repeated behind me; and then before

I could turn I heard it again at my left。



The things were all about me。  They had me surrounded

at the intersection of two corridors。  Retreat was cut off in

all directions; unless I chose to charge one of the beasts。

Even then I had no doubt but that the others would hurl

themselves upon my back。  I could not even guess the size

or nature of the weird creatures。  That they were of goodly

proportions I guessed from the fact that the eyes were on a

level with my own。



Why is it that darkness so magnifies our dangers?  By day

I would have charged the great banth itself; had I thought

it necessary; but hemmed in by the darkness of these silent

pits I hesitated before a pair of eyes。



Soon I saw that the matter shortly would be taken entirely

from my hands; for the eyes at my right were moving slowly

nearer me; as were those at my left and those behind and

before me。  Gradually they were closing in upon mebut

still that awful stealthy silence!



For what seemed hours the eyes approached gradually

closer and closer; until I felt that I should go mad for the

horror of it。  I had been constantly turning this way and

that to prevent any sudden rush from behind; until I was

fairly worn out。  At length I could endure it no longer; and;

taking a fresh grasp upon my long…sword; I turned suddenly

and charged down upon one of my tormentors。



As I was almost upon it the thing retreated before me;

but a sound from behind caused me to wheel in time to see

three pairs of eyes rushing at me from the rear。  With a cry

of rage I turned to meet the cowardly beasts; but as I advanced

they retreated as had their fellow。  Another glance over

my shoulder discovered the first eyes sneaking on me again。

And again I charged; only to see the eyes retreat before me

and hear the muffled rush of the three at my back。



Thus we continued; the eyes always a little closer in the

end than they had been before; until I thought that I should

go mad with the terrible strain of the ordeal。  That they were

waiting to spring upon my back seemed evident; and that it

would not be long before they succeeded was equally apparent;

for I could not endure the wear of this repeated charge and

countercharge indefinitely。  In fact; I could feel myself weakening

from the mental and physical strain I had been undergoing。



At that moment I caught another glimpse from the corner

of my eye of the single pair of eyes at my back making a

sudden rush upon me。  I turned to meet the charge; there was

a quick rush of the three from the other direction; but I

determined to pursue the single pair until I should have at

least settled my account with one of the beasts and thus be

relieved of the strain of meeting attacks from both directions。



There was no sound in the corridor; only that of my own

breathing; yet I knew that those three uncanny creatures

were almost upon me。  The eyes in front were not retreating

so rapidly now; I was almost within sword reach of them。  I

raised my sword arm to deal the blow that should free me;

and then I felt a heavy body upon my back。  A cold; moist;

slimy something fastened itself upon my throat。  I stumbled

and went down。









CHAPTER XV





FLIGHT AND PURSUIT





I could not have been unconscious more than a few seconds;

and yet I know that I was unconscious; for the next thing

I realized was that a growing radiance was illuminating

the corridor about me and the eyes were gone。



I was unharmed except for a slight bruise upon my forehead

where it had struck the stone flagging as I fell。



I sprang to my feet to ascertain the cause of the light。  It

came from a torch in the hand of one of a party of four green

warriors; who were coming rapidly down the corridor toward me。

They had not yet seen me; and so I lost no time in slipping

into the first intersecting corridor that I could find。

This time; however; I did not advance so far away from the

main corridor as on the other occasion that had resulted in

my losing Tars Tarkas and his guards。



The party came rapidly toward the opening of the passageway

in which I crouched against the wall。  As they passed by

I breathed a sigh of relief。  I had not been discovered; and;

best of all; the party was the same that I had followed into

the pits。  It consisted of Tars Tarkas and his three guards。



I fell in behind them and soon we were at the cell in which

the great Thark had been chained。  Two of the warriors remained

without while the man with the keys entered with the Thark

to fasten his irons upon him once more。  The two outside

started to stroll slowly in the direction of the spiral

runway which led to the floors above; and in a moment were

lost to view beyond a turn in the corridor。



The torch had been stuck in a socket beside the door; so

that its rays illuminated both the corridor and the cell at the

same time。  As I saw the two warriors disappear I approached the

entrance to the cell; with a well…defined plan already formulated。



While I disliked the thought of carrying out the thing that I

had decided upon; there seemed no alternative if Tars Tarkas

and I were to go back together to my little camp in the hills。



Keeping near the wall; I came quite close to the door to

Tars Tarkas' cell; and there I stood with my longsword above

my head; grasped with both hands; that I might bring it down

in one quick cut upon the skull of the jailer as he emerged。



I dislike to dwell upon what followed after I heard the

footsteps of the man as he approached the doorway。  It is

enough that within another minute or two; Tars Tarkas;

wearing the metal of a Warhoon chief; was hurrying down

the corridor toward the spiral runway; bearing the Warhoon's

torch to light his way。  A dozen paces behind him followed

John Carter; Prince of Helium。



The two companions of the man who lay now beside the

door of the cell that had been Tars Tarkas' had just started

to ascend the runway as the Thark came in view。



〃Why so long; Tan Gama?〃 cried one of the men。



〃I had trouble with a lock;〃 replied Tars Tarkas。

〃And now I find that I have left my short…sword in

the Thark's cell。  Go you on; I'll return and fetch it。〃



〃As you will; Tan Gama;〃 replied he who had before spoken。

〃We shall see you above directly。〃



〃Yes;〃 replied Tars Tarkas; and turned as though to retrace

his steps to the cell; but he only waited until the two

had disappeared at the floor above。  Then I joined him; we

extinguished the torch; and together we crept toward the

spiral incline that led to the upper floors of the building。



At the first floor we found that the hallway ran but halfway

through; necessitating the crossing of a rear room full of

green folk; ere we could reach the inner courtyard; so there

was but one thing left for us to do; and that was to gain the

second floor and the hallway through which I had traversed

the length of the building。



Cautiously we ascended。  We could hear the sounds of

conversation coming from the room above; but the hall still

was unlighted; nor was any one in sight as we gained the top

of the runway。  Together we threaded the long hall and reached

the balcony overlooking the courtyard; without being detected。



At our right was the window letting into the room in which I

had seen Tan Gama and the other warriors as they started to

Tars Tarkas' cell earlier in the evening。  His companions had

returned here; and we now overheard a portion of their conversation。



〃What can be detaining Tan Gama?〃 asked one。



〃He certainly could not be all this time fetching his shortsword

from the Thark's cell;〃 spoke another。



〃His short…sword?〃 asked a woman。  〃What mean you?〃



〃Tan Gama left his short…sword in the Thark's cell;〃 explained the

first speaker; 〃and left us at the runway; to return and get it。〃



〃Tan Gama wore no short…sword this night;〃 said the

woman。  〃It was broken in to…day's battle with the Thark;

and Tan Gama gave it to me to repair。  See; I have it here;〃

and as she spoke she drew Tan Gama's short…sword from

beneath her sleeping silks and furs。



The warriors sprang to their feet。



〃There is something amiss here;〃 cried one。



〃'Tis even what I myself thought when Tan Gama left

us at the runway;〃 said another。  〃Methought then that his

voice sounded strangely。〃



〃Come! let us hasten to the pits。〃



We waited to hear no more。  Slinging my harness into a

long single strap; I lowered Tars Tarkas to the courtyard

beneath; and an instant later dropped to his side。



We had spoken scarcely a dozen words since I had felled

Tan Gama at the cell door and seen in the torch's light the

expression of utter bewilderment upon the great Thark's face。



〃By this time;〃 he had said; 〃I should have learned to wonder

at nothing which John Carter accomplishes。〃  That was all。

He did not need to tell me that he appreciated the friendship

which had prompted me to risk my life to rescue him; nor did

he need to say that he was glad to see me。



This fierce green warrior had been the first to greet me

that day; now twenty years gone; which had witnessed my

first advent upon Mars。  He had met me wi

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