the gods of mars-第8部分

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was　surprised　to　see　him　facing　a　similar　monster。



No　sooner　had　he　dispatched　his　than　I；　turning；　as　though

drawn　by　the　instinct　of　my　guardian　subconscious　mind；

beheld　another　of　the　savage　denizens　of　the　Martian　wilds

leaping　across　the　chamber　toward　me。



From　then　on　for　the　better　part　of　an　hour　one　hideous

creature　after　another　was　launched　upon　us；　springing

apparently　from　the　empty　air　about　us。



Tars　Tarkas　was　satisfied；　here　was　something　tangible　that

he　could　cut　and　slash　with　his　great　blade；　while　I；　for　my

part；　may　say　that　the　diversion　was　a　marked　improvement

over　the　uncanny　voices　from　unseen　lips。



That　there　was　nothing　supernatural　about　our　new　foes　was

well　evidenced　by　their　howls　of　rage　and　pain　as　they　felt

the　sharp　steel　at　their　vitals；　and　the　very　real　blood

which　flowed　from　their　severed　arteries　as　they　died　the

real　death。



I　noticed　during　the　period　of　this　new　persecution　that　the

beasts　appeared　only　when　our　backs　were　turned；　we　never　saw

one　really　materialize　from　thin　air；　nor　did　I　for　an　instant

sufficiently　lose　my　excellent　reasoning　faculties　to　be　once

deluded　into　the　belief　that　the　beasts　came　into　the　room

other　than　through　some　concealed　and　well…contrived　doorway。



Among　the　ornaments　of　Tars　Tarkas'　leather　harness；

which　is　the　only　manner　of　clothing　worn　by　Martians　other

than　silk　capes　and　robes　of　silk　and　fur　for　protection　from

the　cold　after　dark；　was　a　small　mirror；　about　the　bigness

of　a　lady's　hand　glass；　which　hung　midway　between　his

shoulders　and　his　waist　against　his　broad　back。



Once　as　he　stood　looking　down　at　a　newly　fallen　antagonist

my　eyes　happened　to　fall　upon　this　mirror　and　in　its　shiny

surface　I　saw　pictured　a　sight　that　caused　me　to　whisper：



〃Move　not；　Tars　Tarkas！　　Move　not　a　muscle！〃



He　did　not　ask　why；　but　stood　like　a　graven　image

while　my　eyes　watched　the　strange　thing　that　meant　so

much　to　us。



What　I　saw　was　the　quick　movement　of　a　section　of　the

wall　behind　me。　　It　was　turning　upon　pivots；　and　with　it　a

section　of　the　floor　directly　in　front　of　it　was　turning。　　It　was

as　though　you　placed　a　visiting…card　upon　end　on　a　silver

dollar　that　you　had　laid　flat　upon　a　table；　so　that　the　edge

of　the　card　perfectly　bisected　the　surface　of　the　coin。



The　card　might　represent　the　section　of　the　wall　that　turned

and　the　silver　dollar　the　section　of　the　floor。　　Both　were　so

nicely　fitted　into　the　adjacent　portions　of　the　floor　and　wall

that　no　crack　had　been　noticeable　in　the　dim　light　of　the　chamber。



As　the　turn　was　half　completed　a　great　beast　was　revealed

sitting　upon　its　haunches　upon　that　part　of　the　revolving　floor

that　had　been　on　the　opposite　side　before　the　wall　commenced

to　move；　when　the　section　stopped；　the　beast　was　facing　toward

me　on　our　side　of　the　partitionit　was　very　simple。



But　what　had　interested　me　most　was　the　sight　that　the

half…turned　section　had　presented　through　the　opening　that

it　had　made。　　A　great　chamber；　well　lighted；　in　which　were

several　men　and　women　chained　to　the　wall；　and　in　front　of

them；　evidently　directing　and　operating　the　movement　of　the

secret　doorway；　a　wicked…faced　man；　neither　red　as　are　the

red　men　of　Mars；　nor　green　as　are　the　green　men；　but　white；

like　myself；　with　a　great　mass　of　flowing　yellow　hair。



The　prisoners　behind　him　were　red　Martians。　　Chained　with

them　were　a　number　of　fierce　beasts；　such　as　had　been　turned

upon　us；　and　others　equally　as　ferocious。



As　I　turned　to　meet　my　new　foe　it　was　with　a　heart

considerably　lightened。



〃Watch　the　wall　at　your　end　of　the　chamber；　Tars　Tarkas；〃

I　cautioned；　〃it　is　through　secret　doorways　in　the　wall　that

the　brutes　are　loosed　upon　us。〃　　I　was　very　close　to　him　and

spoke　in　a　low　whisper　that　my　knowledge　of　their　secret

might　not　be　disclosed　to　our　tormentors。



As　long　as　we　remained　each　facing　an　opposite　end　of

the　apartment　no　further　attacks　were　made　upon　us；　so　it

was　quite　clear　to　me　that　the　partitions　were　in　some　way

pierced　that　our　actions　might　be　observed　from　without。



At　length　a　plan　of　action　occurred　to　me；　and　backing　quite

close　to　Tars　Tarkas　I　unfolded　my　scheme　in　a　low　whisper；

keeping　my　eyes　still　glued　upon　my　end　of　the　room。



The　great　Thark　grunted　his　assent　to　my　proposition　when　I

had　done；　and　in　accordance　with　my　plan　commenced　backing

toward　the　wall　which　I　faced　while　I　advanced　slowly　ahead　of　him。



When　we　had　reached　a　point　some　ten　feet　from　the

secret　doorway　I　halted　my　companion；　and　cautioning　him

to　remain　absolutely　motionless　until　I　gave　the　prearranged

signal　I　quickly　turned　my　back　to　the　door　through　which

I　could　almost　feel　the　burning　and　baleful　eyes　of　our

would　be　executioner。



Instantly　my　own　eyes　sought　the　mirror　upon　Tars　Tarkas'　back

and　in　another　second　I　was　closely　watching　the　section　of　the

wall　which　had　been　disgorging　its　savage　terrors　upon　us。



I　had　not　long　to　wait；　for　presently　the　golden　surface

commenced　to　move　rapidly。　　Scarcely　had　it　started　than　I

gave　the　signal　to　Tars　Tarkas；　simultaneously　springing　for

the　receding　half　of　the　pivoting　door。　　In　like　manner　the

Thark　wheeled　and　leaped　for　the　opening　being　made　by

the　inswinging　section。



A　single　bound　carried　me　completely　through　into　the

adjoining　room　and　brought　me　face　to　face　with　the　fellow

whose　cruel　face　I　had　seen　before。　　He　was　about　my　own

height　and　well　muscled　and　in　every　outward　detail　moulded

precisely　as　are　Earth　men。



At　his　side　hung　a　long…sword；　a　short…sword；　a　dagger；　and　one

of　the　destructive　radium　revolvers　that　are　common　upon　Mars。



The　fact　that　I　was　armed　only　with　a　long…sword；　and　so

according　to　the　laws　and　ethics　of　battle　everywhere　upon

Barsoom　should　only　have　been　met　with　a　similar　or　lesser　weapon；

seemed　to　have　no　effect　upon　the　moral　sense　of　my　enemy；

for　he　whipped　out　his　revolver　ere　I　scarce　had　touched　the

floor　by　his　side；　but　an　uppercut　from　my　long…sword　sent　it

flying　from　his　grasp　before　he　could　discharge　it。



Instantly　he　drew　his　long…sword；　and　thus　evenly　armed　we　set　to

in　earnest　for　one　of　the　closest　battles　I　ever　have　fought。



The　fellow　was　a　marvellous　swordsman　and　evidently　in　practice；

while　I　had　not　gripped　the　hilt　of　a　sword　for　ten　long　years

before　that　morning。



But　it　did　not　take　me　long　to　fall　easily　into　my　fighting　stride；

so　that　in　a　few　minutes　the　man　began　to　realize　that　he　had　at　last

met　his　match。



His　face　became　livid　with　rage　as　he　found　my　guard　impregnable；

while　blood　flowed　from　a　dozen　minor　wounds　upon　his　face　and　body。



〃Who　are　you；　white　man？〃　he　hissed。　　〃That　you　are　no

Barsoomian　from　the　outer　world　is　evident　from　your　colour。

And　you　are　not　of　us。〃



His　last　statement　was　almost　a　question。



〃What　if　I　were　from　the　Temple　of　Issus？〃　I　hazarded　on　a　wild　guess。



〃Fate　forfend！〃　he　exclaimed；　his　face　going　white　under

the　blood　that　now　nearly　covered　it。



I　did　not　know　how　to　follow　up　my　lead；　but　I　carefully　laid

the　idea　away　for　future　use　should　circumstances　require　it。

His　answer　indicated　that　for　all　he　KNEW　I　might　be　from

the　Temple　of　Issus　and　in　it　were　men　like　unto　myself；

and　either　this　man　feared　the　inmates　of　the　temple　or　else

he　held　their　persons　or　their　power　in　such　reverence　that　he

trembled　to　think　of　the　harm　and　indignities　he　had　heaped

upon　one　of　them。



But　my　present　business　with　him　was　of　a　different　nature

than　that　which　requires　any　considerable　abstract　reasoning；

it　was　to　get　my　sword　between　his　ribs；　and　this　I　succeeded

in　doing　within　the　next　few　seconds；　nor　was　I　an　instant　too　soon。



The　chained　prisoners　had　been　watching　the　combat　in

tense　silence；　not　a　sound　had　fallen　in　the　room　other　than

the　clashing　of　our　contending　blades；　the　soft　shuffling　of

our　naked　feet　and　the　few　whispered　words　we　had　hissed

at　each　other　through　clenched　teeth　the　while　we　continued

our　mortal　duel。



But　as　the　body　of　my　antagonist　sank　an　inert　mass　to

the　floor　a　cry　of　warning　broke　from　one　of　the　female　prisoners。



〃Turn！　　Turn！　　Behind　you！〃　she　shrieked；　and　as　I　wheeled

at　the　first　note　of　her　shrill　cry　I　found　myself　facing　a

second　man　of　the　same　race　as　he　who　lay　at　my　feet。



The　fellow　had　crept　stealthily　from　a　dark　corridor　and

was　almost　upon　me　with　raised　sword　ere　I　saw　him。　　Tars

Tarkas　was　nowhere　in　sight　and　the　secret　panel　in　the　wall；

through　which　I　had　come；　was　closed。



How　I　wished　that　he　were　by　my　side　now！　　I　had　fought

almost　continuously　for　many　hours；　I　had　passed　through　such

experiences　and　adventures　as　must　sap　the　vitality　of　man；

and　with　all　this　I　had　not　eaten　for　nearly　twenty…four　hours；

nor　slept。



I　was　fagged　out；　and　for　the　first　time　in　years　felt　a

question　as　to　my　ability　to　cope　with　an　antagonist；　but

there　was　naught　else　for　it　than　to　engage　my　man；　and

that　as　quickly　and　ferociously　as　lay　in　me；　for　my　only

salvation　was　to　rush　him　off　his　feet　by　the　impetuosity　of

my　attackI　could　not　hope　to　win　a　long…drawn…out　battle。



But　the　fellow　was　evidently　of　another　mind；　for　he　backed

and　parried　and　parried　and　sidestepped　until　I　was　almost

completely　fagged　from　the　exertion　of　attempting　to　finish　him。



He　was　a　more　adroit　swordsman；　if　possible；　than　my　previous　foe；

and　I　must　admit　that　he　led　me　a　pretty　chase　and　in　the　end

came　near　to　making　a　sorry　fool　of　meand　a　dead　one　into　the　bargain。



I　could　feel　myself　growing　weaker　and　weaker；　until　at

length　objects　commenced　to　blur　before　my　eyes　and　I

staggered　and　blundered　about　more　asleep　than　awake；

and　then　it　was　that　he　worked　his　pretty　little　coup

that　cam