the gods of mars-第43部分

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I　could　not　believe　my　eyes；　but　finally　I　was　forced　to

admit　that　the　most　fatal　calamity　had　overtaken　the　expedition；

for　the　fleet　I　saw　was　none　other　than　the　fleet　of　the

First　Born；　that　should　have　been　safely　bottled　up　in　Omean。

What　a　series　of　misfortunes　and　disasters！　　What　awful

fate　hovered　over　me；　that　I　should　have　been　so　terribly

thwarted　at　every　angle　of　my　search　for　my　lost　love！

Could　it　be　possible　that　the　curse　of　Issus　was　upon　me！

That　there　was；　indeed；　some　malign　divinity　in　that　hideous

carcass！　　I　would　not　believe　it；　and；　throwing　back　my

shoulders；　I　ran　to　the　deck　below　to　join　my　men　in　repelling

boarders　from　one　of　the　thern　craft　that　had　grappled

us　broadside。　　In　the　wild　lust　of　hand…to…hand　combat

my　old　dauntless　hopefulness　returned。　　And　as　thern　after

thern　went　down　beneath　my　blade；　I　could　almost　feel　that

we　should　win　success　in　the　end；　even　from　apparent　failure。



My　presence　among　the　men　so　greatly　inspirited　them

that　they　fell　upon　the　luckless　whites　with　such　terrible

ferocity　that　within　a　few　moments　we　had　turned　the

tables　upon　them　and　a　second　later　as　we　swarmed　their

own　decks　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　their　commander

take　the　long　leap　from　the　bows　of　his　vessel　in　token　of

surrender　and　defeat。



Then　I　joined　Kantos　Kan。　　He　had　been　watching　what

had　taken　place　on　the　deck　below；　and　it　seemed　to　have

given　him　a　new　thought。　　Immediately　he　passed　an　order

to　one　of　his　officers；　and　presently　the　colours　of　the

Prince　of　Helium　broke　from　every　point　of　the　flagship。

A　great　cheer　arose　from　the　men　of　our　own　ship；　a　cheer

that　was　taken　up　by　every　other　vessel　of　our　expedition

as　they　in　turn　broke　my　colours　from　their　upper　works。



Then　Kantos　Kan　sprang　his　coup。　　A　signal　legible　to

every　sailor　of　all　the　fleets　engaged　in　that　fierce　struggle

was　strung　aloft　upon　the　flagship。



〃Men　of　Helium　for　the　Prince　of　Helium　against　all

his　enemies；〃　it　read。　　Presently　my　colours　broke　from

one　of　Zat　Arras'　ships。　　Then　from　another　and　another。

On　some　we　could　see　fierce　battles　waging　between　the

Zodangan　soldiery　and　the　Heliumetic　crews；　but　eventually

the　colours　of　the　Prince　of　Helium　floated　above　every

ship　that　had　followed　Zat　Arras　upon　our　trailonly　his

flagship　flew　them　not。



Zat　Arras　had　brought　five　thousand　ships。　　The　sky　was

black　with　the　three　enormous　fleets。　　It　was　Helium　against

the　field　now；　and　the　fight　had　settled　to　countless　individual

duels。　　There　could　be　little　or　no　manoeuvering　of　fleets　in

that　crowded；　fire…split　sky。



Zat　Arras'　flagship　was　close　to　my　own。　　I　could　see　the

thin　features　of　the　man　from　where　I　stood。　　His　Zodangan

crew　was　pouring　broadside　after　broadside　into　us　and　we　were

returning　their　fire　with　equal　ferocity。　　Closer　and　closer

came　the　two　vessels　until　but　a　few　yards　intervened。　

Grapplers　and　boarders　lined　the　contiguous　rails　of　each。

We　were　preparing　for　the　death　struggle　with　our　hated　enemy。



There　was　but　a　yard　between　the　two　mighty　ships　as

the　first　grappling　irons　were　hurled。　　I　rushed　to　the　deck　to

be　with　my　men　as　they　boarded。　　Just　as　the　vessels　came

together　with　a　slight　shock；　I　forced　my　way　through　the

lines　and　was　the　first　to　spring　to　the　deck　of　Zat　Arras'

ship。　　After　me　poured　a　yelling；　cheering；　cursing　throng　of

Helium's　best　fighting…men。　　Nothing　could　withstand　them

in　the　fever　of　battle　lust　which　enthralled　them。



Down　went　the　Zodangans　before　that　surging　tide　of

war；　and　as　my　men　cleared　the　lower　decks　I　sprang　to

the　forward　deck　where　stood　Zat　Arras。



〃You　are　my　prisoner；　Zat　Arras；〃　I　cried。　　〃Yield　and

you　shall　have　quarter。〃



For　a　moment　I　could　not　tell　whether　he　contemplated

acceding　to　my　demand　or　facing　me　with　drawn　sword。

For　an　instant　he　stood　hesitating；　and　then　throwing　down

his　arms　he　turned　and　rushed　to　the　opposite　side　of　the

deck。　　Before　I　could　overtake　him　he　had　sprung　to　the　rail

and　hurled　himself　headforemost　into　the　awful　depths　below。



And　thus　came　Zat　Arras；　Jed　of　Zodanga；　to　his　end。



On　and　on　went　that　strange　battle。　　The　therns　and

blacks　had　not　combined　against　us。　　Wherever　thern　ship

met　ship　of　the　First　Born　was　a　battle　royal；　and　in　this　I

thought　I　saw　our　salvation。　　Wherever　messages　could　be

passed　between　us　that　could　not　be　intercepted　by　our

enemies　I　passed　the　word　that　all　our　vessels　were　to

withdraw　from　the　fight　as　rapidly　as　possible；　taking　a

position　to　the　west　and　south　of　the　combatants。　　I　also　sent

an　air　scout　to　the　fighting　green　men　in　the　gardens　below

to　re…embark；　and　to　the　transports　to　join　us。



My　commanders　were　further　instructed　than　when　engaged

with　an　enemy　to　draw　him　as　rapidly　as　possible　toward　a

ship　of　his　hereditary　foeman；　and　by　careful　manoeuvring　to

force　the　two　to　engage；　thus　leaving　him…　self　free　to　withdraw。

This　stratagem　worked　to　perfection；　and　just　before　the　sun

went　down　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　all　that　was　left

of　my　once　mighty　fleet　gathered　nearly　twenty　miles　southwest

of　the　still　terrific　battle　between　the　blacks　and　whites。



I　now　transferred　Xodar　to　another　battleship　and　sent

him　with　all　the　transports　and　five　thousand　battleships

directly　overhead　to　the　Temple　of　Issus。　　Carthoris　and　I；

with　Kantos　Kan；　took　the　remaining　ships　and　headed

for　the　entrance　to　Omean。



Our　plan　now　was　to　attempt　to　make　a　combined　assault

upon　Issus　at　dawn　of　the　following　day。　　Tars　Tarkas

with　his　green　warriors　and　Hor　Vastus　with　the　red　men；

guided　by　Xodar；　were　to　land　within　the　garden　of　Issus

or　the　surrounding　plains；　while　Carthoris；　Kantos　Kan；　and

I　were　to　lead　our　smaller　force　from　the　sea　of　Omean　through

the　pits　beneath　the　temple；　which　Carthoris　knew　so　well。



I　now　learned　for　the　first　time　the　cause　of　my　ten

ships'　retreat　from　the　mouth　of　the　shaft。　　It　seemed

that　when　they　had　come　upon　the　shaft　the　navy　of　the

First　Born　were　already　issuing　from　its　mouth。　　Fully　twenty

vessels　had　emerged；　and　though　they　gave　battle　immediately

in　an　effort　to　stem　the　tide　that　rolled　from　the　black　pit；

the　odds　against　them　were　too　great　and　they　were　forced　to　flee。



With　great　caution　we　approached　the　shaft；　under　cover

of　darkness。　　At　a　distance　of　several　miles　I　caused　the

fleet　to　be　halted；　and　from　there　Carthoris　went　ahead　alone

upon　a　one…man　flier　to　reconnoitre。　　In　perhaps　half　an

hour　he　returned　to　report　that　there　was　no　sign　of　a　patrol

boat　or　of　the　enemy　in　any　form；　and　so　we　moved　swiftly

and　noiselessly　forward　once　more　toward　Omean。



At　the　mouth　of　the　shaft　we　stopped　again　for　a　moment

for　all　the　vessels　to　reach　their　previously　appointed　stations；

then　with　the　flagship　I　dropped　quickly　into　the　black　depths；

while　one　by　one　the　other　vessels　followed　me　in　quick　succession。



We　had　decided　to　stake　all　on　the　chance　that　we

would　be　able　to　reach　the　temple　by　the　subterranean　way

and　so　we　left　no　guard　of　vessels　at　the　shaft's　mouth。

Nor　would　it　have　profited　us　any　to　have　done　so；　for　we

did　not　have　sufficient　force　all　told　to　have　withstood　the

vast　navy　of　the　First　Born　had　they　returned　to　engage　us。



For　the　safety　of　our　entrance　upon　Omean　we　depended

largely　upon　the　very　boldness　of　it；　believing　that　it　would

be　some　little　time　before　the　First　Born　on　guard　there

would　realize　that　it　was　an　enemy　and　not　their　own

returning　fleet　that　was　entering　the　vault　of　the　buried　sea。



And　such　proved　to　be　the　case。　　In　fact；　four　hundred　of

my　fleet　of　five　hundred　rested　safely　upon　the　bosom　of

Omean　before　the　first　shot　was　fired。　　The　battle　was　short

and　hot；　but　there　could　have　been　but　one　outcome；　for　the

First　Born　in　the　carelessness　of　fancied　security　had　left

but　a　handful　of　ancient　and　obsolete　hulks　to　guard　their

mighty　harbour。



It　was　at　Carthoris'　suggestion　that　we　landed　our　prisoners

under　guard　upon　a　couple　of　the　larger　islands；　and　then

towed　the　ships　of　the　First　Born　to　the　shaft；　where　we

managed　to　wedge　a　number　of　them　securely　in　the　

interior　of　the　great　well。　　Then　we　turned　on　the　buoyance

rays　in　the　balance　of　them　and　let　them　rise　by　themselves

to　further　block　the　passage　to　Omean　as　they　came　into

contact　with　the　vessels　already　lodged　there。



We　now　felt　that　it　would　be　some　time　at　least　before

the　returning　First　Born　could　reach　the　surface　of　Omean；

and　that　we　would　have　ample　opportunity　to　make　for　the

subterranean　passages　which　lead　to　Issus。　　One　of　the　first

steps　I　took　was　to　hasten　personally　with　a　good…sized　force

to　the　island　of　the　submarine；　which　I　took　without

resistance　on　the　part　of　the　small　guard　there。



I　found　the　submarine　in　its　pool；　and　at　once　placed　a

strong　guard　upon　it　and　the　island；　where　I　remained　to

wait　the　coming　of　Carthoris　and　the　others。



Among　the　prisoners　was　Yersted；　commander　of　the

submarine。　　He　recognized　me　from　the　three　trips　that　I

had　taken　with　him　during　my　captivity　among　the　First　Born。



〃How　does　it　seem；〃　I　asked　him；　〃to　have　the　tables

turned？　　To　be　prisoner　of　your　erstwhile　captive？〃



He　smiled；　a　very　grim　smile　pregnant　with　hidden　meaning。



〃It　will　not　be　for　long；　John　Carter；〃　he　replied。

〃We　have　been　expecting　you　and　we　are　prepared。〃



〃So　it　would　appear；〃　I　answered；　〃for　you　were　all

ready　to　become　my　prisoners　with　scarce　a　blow　struck

on　either　side。〃



〃The　fleet　must　have　missed　you；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　will

return　to　Omean；　and　then　that　will　be　a　very　different

matterfor　John　Carter。〃



〃I　do　not　know　that　the　fleet　has　missed　me　as　yet；〃　I

said；　but　of　course　he　did　not　grasp　my　meaning；　and