the gods of mars-第13部分

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storerooms。　　All　is　life　then。　　You　did　not　see　it　because　I　led

you　not　in　the　beaten　tracks；　but　through　roundabout　passages

seldom　used。　　Yet　it　is　possible　that　we　may　meet　a　thern　even　yet。

They　do　occasionally　find　it　necessary　to　come　here　after　the　sun　has　set。

Because　of　this　I　have　moved　with　such　great　caution。〃



But　we　reached　the　upper　galleries　without　detection　and

presently　Thuvia　halted　us　at　the　foot　of　a　short；　steep　ascent。



〃Above　us；〃　she　said；　〃is　a　doorway　which　opens　on　to

the　inner　gardens。　　I　have　brought　you　thus　far。　　From　here

on　for　four　miles　to　the　outer　ramparts　our　way　will　be　beset

by　countless　dangers。　　Guards　patrol　the　courts；　the　temples；

the　gardens。　　Every　inch　of　the　ramparts　themselves　is

beneath　the　eye　of　a　sentry。〃



I　could　not　understand　the　necessity　for　such　an　enormous

force　of　armed　men　about　a　spot　so　surrounded　by　mystery

and　superstition　that　not　a　soul　upon　Barsoom　would　have

dared　to　approach　it　even　had　they　known　its　exact　location。

I　questioned　Thuvia；　asking　her　what　enemies　the　therns　could

fear　in　their　impregnable　fortress。



We　had　reached　the　doorway　now　and　Thuvia　was　opening　it。



〃They　fear　the　black　pirates　of　Barsoom；　O　Prince；〃　she

said；　〃from　whom　may　our　first　ancestors　preserve　us。〃



The　door　swung　open；　the　smell　of　growing　things　greeted

my　nostrils；　the　cool　night　air　blew　against　my　cheek。　　The

great　banths　sniffed　the　unfamiliar　odours；　and　then　with　a

rush　they　broke　past　us　with　low　growls；　swarming　across　the

gardens　beneath　the　lurid　light　of　the　nearer　moon。



Suddenly　a　great　cry　arose　from　the　roofs　of　the　temples；

a　cry　of　alarm　and　warning　that；　taken　up　from　point　to

point；　ran　off　to　the　east　and　to　the　west；　from　temple；　court；

and　rampart；　until　it　sounded　as　a　dim　echo　in　the　distance。



The　great　Thark's　long…sword　leaped　from　its　scabbard；

Thuvia　shrank　shuddering　to　my　side。







CHAPTER　VI





THE　BLACK　PIRATES　OF　BARSOOM





〃What　is　it？〃　I　asked　of　the　girl。



For　answer　she　pointed　to　the　sky。



I　looked；　and　there；　above　us；　I　saw　shadowy　bodies　flitting

hither　and　thither　high　over　temple；　court；　and　garden。



Almost　immediately　flashes　of　light　broke　from　these　strange

objects。　　There　was　a　roar　of　musketry；　and　then　answering

flashes　and　roars　from　temple　and　rampart。



〃The　black　pirates　of　Barsoom；　O　Prince；〃　said　Thuvia。



In　great　circles　the　air　craft　of　the　marauders　swept　lower

and　lower　toward　the　defending　forces　of　the　therns。



Volley　after　volley　they　vomited　upon　the　temple　guards；

volley　on　volley　crashed　through　the　thin　air　toward　the

fleeting　and　illusive　fliers。



As　the　pirates　swooped　closer　toward　the　ground；　thern

soldiery　poured　from　the　temples　into　the　gardens　and　courts。

The　sight　of　them　in　the　open　brought　a　score　of　fliers

darting　toward　us　from　all　directions。



The　therns　fired　upon　them　through　shields　affixed　to　their

rifles；　but　on；　steadily　on；　came　the　grim；　black　craft。　　They

were　small　fliers　for　the　most　part；　built　for　two　to　three　men。

A　few　larger　ones　there　were；　but　these　kept　high　aloft　dropping

bombs　upon　the　temples　from　their　keel　batteries。



At　length；　with　a　concerted　rush；　evidently　in　response　to　a

signal　of　command；　the　pirates　in　our　immediate　vicinity

dashed　recklessly　to　the　ground　in　the　very　midst　of　the

thern　soldiery。



Scarcely　waiting　for　their　craft　to　touch；　the　creatures

manning　them　leaped　among　the　therns　with　the　fury　of

demons。　　Such　fighting！　　Never　had　I　witnessed　its　like　before。

I　had　thought　the　green　Martians　the　most　ferocious　warriors

in　the　universe；　but　the　awful　abandon　with　which　the　black

pirates　threw　themselves　upon　their　foes　transcended　everything

I　ever　before　had　seen。



Beneath　the　brilliant　light　of　Mars'　two　glorious　moons　the

whole　scene　presented　itself　in　vivid　distinctness。　　The　golden…

haired；　white…skinned　therns　battling　with　desperate　courage

in　hand…to…hand　conflict　with　their　ebony…skinned　foemen。



Here　a　little　knot　of　struggling　warriors　trampled　a　bed　of

gorgeous　pimalia；　there　the　curved　sword　of　a　black　man

found　the　heart　of　a　thern　and　left　its　dead　foeman　at　the

foot　of　a　wondrous　statue　carved　from　a　living　ruby；　yonder

a　dozen　therns　pressed　a　single　pirate　back　upon　a　bench　of

emerald；　upon　whose　iridescent　surface　a　strangely　beautiful

Barsoomian　design　was　traced　out　in　inlaid　diamonds。



A　little　to　one　side　stood　Thuvia；　the　Thark；　and　I。　　The　tide

of　battle　had　not　reached　us；　but　the　fighters　from　time　to

time　swung　close　enough　that　we　might　distinctly　note　them。



The　black　pirates　interested　me　immensely。　　I　had　heard

vague　rumours；　little　more　than　legends　they　were；　during

my　former　life　on　Mars；　but　never　had　I　seen　them；　nor

talked　with　one　who　had。



They　were　popularly　supposed　to　inhabit　the　lesser　moon；

from　which　they　descended　upon　Barsoom　at　long　intervals。

Where　they　visited　they　wrought　the　most　horrible　atrocities；

and　when　they　left　carried　away　with　them　firearms　and

ammunition；　and　young　girls　as　prisoners。　　These　latter；

the　rumour　had　it；　they　sacrificed　to　some　terrible　god

in　an　orgy　which　ended　in　the　eating　of　their　victims。



I　had　an　excellent　opportunity　to　examine　them；　as　the

strife　occasionally　brought　now　one　and　now　another　close

to　where　I　stood。　　They　were　large　men；　possibly　six　feet　and

over　in　height。　　Their　features　were　clear　cut　and　handsome

in　the　extreme；　their　eyes　were　well　set　and　large；　though　a

slight　narrowness　lent　them　a　crafty　appearance；　the　iris；　as

well　as　I　could　determine　by　moonlight；　was　of　extreme

blackness；　while　the　eyeball　itself　was　quite　white　and　clear。

The　physical　structure　of　their　bodies　seemed　identical　with

those　of　the　therns；　the　red　men；　and　my　own。　　Only　in　the

colour　of　their　skin　did　they　differ　materially　from　us；　that

is　of　the　appearance　of　polished　ebony；　and　odd　as　it

may　seem　for　a　Southerner　to　say　it；　adds　to　rather　than

detracts　from　their　marvellous　beauty。



But　if　their　bodies　are　divine；　their　hearts；　apparently；

are　quite　the　reverse。　　Never　did　I　witness　such　a　malign　lust

for　blood　as　these　demons　of　the　outer　air　evinced　in　their

mad　battle　with　the　therns。



All　about　us　in　the　garden　lay　their　sinister　craft；　which

the　therns　for　some　reason；　then　unaccountable　to　me；　made

no　effort　to　injure。　　Now　and　again　a　black　warrior　would

rush　from　a　near　by　temple　bearing　a　young　woman　in　his　arms。

Straight　for　his　flier　he　would　leap　while　those　of　his

comrades　who　fought　near　by　would　rush　to　cover　his　escape。



The　therns　on　their　side　would　hasten　to　rescue　the　girl；

and　in　an　instant　the　two　would　be　swallowed　in　the　vortex

of　a　maelstrom　of　yelling　devils；　hacking　and　hewing　at

one　another；　like　fiends　incarnate。



But　always；　it　seemed；　were　the　black　pirates　of　Barsoom

victorious；　and　the　girl；　brought　miraculously　unharmed

through　the　conflict；　borne　away　into　the　outer　darkness

upon　the　deck　of　a　swift　flier。



Fighting　similar　to　that　which　surrounded　us　could　be

heard　in　both　directions　as　far　as　sound　carried；　and　Thuvia

told　me　that　the　attacks　of　the　black　pirates　were　usually

made　simultaneously　along　the　entire　ribbon…like　domain　of

the　therns；　which　circles　the　Valley　Dor　on　the　outer　slopes

of　the　Mountains　of　Otz。



As　the　fighting　receded　from　our　position　for　a　moment；

Thuvia　turned　toward　me　with　a　question。



〃Do　you　understand　now；　O　Prince；〃　she　said；　〃why　a　million

warriors　guard　the　domains　of　the　Holy　Therns　by　day　and　by　night？〃



〃The　scene　you　are　witnessing　now　is　but　a　repetition　of

what　I　have　seen　enacted　a　score　of　times　during　the　fifteen

years　I　have　been　a　prisoner　here。　　From　time　immemorial

the　black　pirates　of　Barsoom　have　preyed　upon　the　Holy　Therns。



〃Yet　they　never　carry　their　expeditions　to　a　point；　as　one

might　readily　believe　it　was　in　their　power　to　do；　where　the

extermination　of　the　race　of　therns　is　threatened。　　It　is　as

though　they　but　utilized　the　race　as　playthings；　with　which

they　satisfy　their　ferocious　lust　for　fighting；　and　from　whom

they　collect　toll　in　arms　and　ammunition　and　in　prisoners。〃



〃Why　don't　they　jump　in　and　destroy　these　fliers？〃　I　asked。

〃That　would　soon　put　a　stop　to　the　attacks；　or　at　least　the

blacks　would　scarce　be　so　bold。　　Why；　see　how　perfectly

unguarded　they　leave　their　craft；　as　though　they　were

lying　safe　in　their　own　hangars　at　home。〃



〃The　therns　do　not　dare。　　They　tried　it　once；　ages　ago；　but

the　next　night　and　for　a　whole　moon　thereafter　a　thousand

great　black　battleships　circled　the　Mountains　of　Otz；　pouring

tons　of　projectiles　upon　the　temples；　the　gardens；　and　the

courts；　until　every　thern　who　was　not　killed　was　driven

for　safety　into　the　subterranean　galleries。



〃The　therns　know　that　they　live　at　all　only　by　the　sufferance

of　the　black　men。　　They　were　near　to　extermination　that　once

and　they　will　not　venture　risking　it　again。〃



As　she　ceased　talking　a　new　element　was　instilled　into　the

conflict。　　It　came　from　a　source　equally　unlooked　for　by

either　thern　or　pirate。　　The　great　banths　which　we　had

liberated　in　the　garden　had　evidently　been　awed　at　first

by　the　sound　of　the　battle；　the　yelling　of　the　warriors

and　the　loud　report　of　rifle　and　bomb。



But　now　they　must　have　become　angered　by　the　continuous

noise　and　excited　by　the　smell　of　new　blood；　for　all　of

a　sudden　a　great　form　shot　from　a　clump　of　low　shrubbery

into　the　midst　of　a　struggling　mass　of　humanity。　　A　horrid

scream　of　bestial　rage　broke　from　the　banth　as　he　felt　warm

flesh　beneath　his　powerful　talons。



As　though　his　cry　was　but　a　signal　to　the　others；　the

entire　great　pack　hurled　themselves　among　the　fighters。

Panic　reigned　in　an　instant。　　Thern　and　black　man　turned　ali