the gods of mars-第3部分

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Instantly　every　eye　turned　toward　one　member　of　the

herd；　a　large　fellow　who　evidently　was　the　leader。　　A　strange

purring　sound　issued　from　the　mouth　in　the　palm　of　one　of

his　hands；　and　at　the　same　time　he　started　rapidly　toward　the

bluff；　followed　by　the　entire　herd。



Their　speed　and　method　of　locomotion　were　both　remarkable；

springing　as　they　did　in　great　leaps　of　twenty　or　thirty

feet；　much　after　the　manner　of　a　kangaroo。



They　were　rapidly　disappearing　when　it　occurred　to　me

to　follow　them；　and　so；　hurling　caution　to　the　winds；　I　sprang

across　the　meadow　in　their　wake　with　leaps　and　bounds　even

more　prodigious　than　their　own；　for　the　muscles　of　an

athletic　Earth　man　produce　remarkable　results　when　pitted

against　the　lesser　gravity　and　air　pressure　of　Mars。



Their　way　led　directly　towards　the　apparent　source　of　the

river　at　the　base　of　the　cliffs；　and　as　I　neared　this　point　I

found　the　meadow　dotted　with　huge　boulders　that　the　ravages

of　time　had　evidently　dislodged　from　the　towering　crags　above。



For　this　reason　I　came　quite　close　to　the　cause　of　the

disturbance　before　the　scene　broke　upon　my　horrified　gaze。

As　I　topped　a　great　boulder　I　saw　the　herd　of　plant　men

surrounding　a　little　group　of　perhaps　five　or　six　green　men

and　women　of　Barsoom。



That　I　was　indeed　upon　Mars　I　now　had　no　doubt；　for

here　were　members　of　the　wild　hordes　that　people　the　dead

sea　bottoms　and　deserted　cities　of　that　dying　planet。



Here　were　the　great　males　towering　in　all　the　majesty　of

their　imposing　height；　here　were　the　gleaming　white　tusks

protruding　from　their　massive　lower　jaws　to　a　point　near　the

centre　of　their　foreheads；　the　laterally　placed；　protruding

eyes　with　which　they　could　look　forward　or　backward；　or　to

either　side　without　turning　their　heads；　here　the　strange

antennae…like　ears　rising　from　the　tops　of　their　foreheads；

and　the　additional　pair　of　arms　extending　from　midway　between

the　shoulders　and　the　hips。



Even　without　the　glossy　green　hide　and　the　metal　ornaments

which　denoted　the　tribes　to　which　they　belonged；　I　would

have　known　them　on　the　instant　for　what　they　were；

for　where　else　in　all　the　universe　is　their　like　duplicated？



There　were　two　men　and　four　females　in　the　party　and

their　ornaments　denoted　them　as　members　of　different

hordes；　a　fact　which　tended　to　puzzle　me　infinitely；　since

the　various　hordes　of　green　men　of　Barsoom　are　eternally　at

deadly　war　with　one　another；　and　never；　except　on　that　single

historic　instance　when　the　great　Tars　Tarkas　of　Thark　gathered

a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　green　warriors　from　several

hordes　to　march　upon　the　doomed　city　of　Zodanga　to　rescue

Dejah　Thoris；　Princess　of　Helium；　from　the　clutches　of

Than　Kosis；　had　I　seen　green　Martians　of　different　hordes

associated　in　other　than　mortal　combat。



But　now　they　stood　back　to　back；　facing；　in　wide…eyed　amazement；

the　very　evidently　hostile　demonstrations　of　a　common　enemy。



Both　men　and　women　were　armed　with　long…swords　and

daggers；　but　no　firearms　were　in　evidence；　else　it　had　been

short　shrift　for　the　gruesome　plant　men　of　Barsoom。



Presently　the　leader　of　the　plant　men　charged　the　little

party；　and　his　method　of　attack　was　as　remarkable　as　it　was

effective；　and　by　its　very　strangeness　was　the　more　potent；

since　in　the　science　of　the　green　warriors　there　was　no

defence　for　this　singular　manner　of　attack；　the　like　of　which

it　soon　was　evident　to　me　they　were　as　unfamiliar　with　as

they　were　with　the　monstrosities　which　confronted　them。



The　plant　man　charged　to　within　a　dozen　feet　of　the　party

and　then；　with　a　bound；　rose　as　though　to　pass　directly　above

their　heads。　　His　powerful　tail　was　raised　high　to　one　side；　and

as　he　passed　close　above　them　he　brought　it　down　in　one　terrific

sweep　that　crushed　a　green　warrior's　skull　as　though　it　had　been

an　eggshell。



The　balance　of　the　frightful　herd　was　now　circling　rapidly

and　with　bewildering　speed　about　the　little　knot　of　victims。

Their　prodigious　bounds　and　the　shrill；　screeching　purr　of

their　uncanny　mouths　were　well　calculated　to　confuse　and

terrorize　their　prey；　so　that　as　two　of　them　leaped

simultaneously　from　either　side；　the　mighty　sweep　of

those　awful　tails　met　with　no　resistance　and　two　more

green　Martians　went　down　to　an　ignoble　death。



There　were　now　but　one　warrior　and　two　females　left；

and　it　seemed　that　it　could　be　but　a　matter　of　seconds

ere　these；　also；　lay　dead　upon　the　scarlet　sward。



But　as　two　more　of　the　plant　men　charged；　the　warrior；

who　was　now　prepared　by　the　experiences　of　the　past　few

minutes；　swung　his　mighty　long…sword　aloft　and　met　the

hurtling　bulk　with　a　clean　cut　that　clove　one　of　the

plant　men　from　chin　to　groin。



The　other；　however；　dealt　a　single　blow　with　his　cruel　tail

that　laid　both　of　the　females　crushed　corpses　upon　the　ground。



As　the　green　warrior　saw　the　last　of　his　companions　go

down　and　at　the　same　time　perceived　that　the　entire　herd

was　charging　him　in　a　body；　he　rushed　boldly　to　meet　them；

swinging　his　long…sword　in　the　terrific　manner　that　I　had　so

often　seen　the　men　of　his　kind　wield　it　in　their　ferocious　and

almost　continual　warfare　among　their　own　race。



Cutting　and　hewing　to　right　and　left；　he　laid　an　open　path

straight　through　the　advancing　plant　men；　and　then　commenced

a　mad　race　for　the　forest；　in　the　shelter　of　which

he　evidently　hoped　that　he　might　find　a　haven　of　refuge。



He　had　turned　for　that　portion　of　the　forest　which　abutted

on　the　cliffs；　and　thus　the　mad　race　was　taking　the　entire

party　farther　and　farther　from　the　boulder　where　I　lay　concealed。



As　I　had　watched　the　noble　fight　which　the　great　warrior

had　put　up　against　such　enormous　odds　my　heart　had　swelled

in　admiration　for　him；　and　acting　as　I　am　wont　to　do；　more

upon　impulse　than　after　mature　deliberation；　I　instantly

sprang　from　my　sheltering　rock　and　bounded　quickly　toward

the　bodies　of　the　dead　green　Martians；　a　well…defined　plan

of　action　already　formed。



Half　a　dozen　great　leaps　brought　me　to　the　spot；　and　another

instant　saw　me　again　in　my　stride　in　quick　pursuit　of　the

hideous　monsters　that　were　rapidly　gaining　on　the　fleeing

warrior；　but　this　time　I　grasped　a　mighty　long…sword　in　my

hand　and　in　my　heart　was　the　old　blood　lust　of　the　fighting

man；　and　a　red　mist　swam　before　my　eyes　and　I　felt　my　lips

respond　to　my　heart　in　the　old　smile　that　has　ever　marked

me　in　the　midst　of　the　joy　of　battle。



Swift　as　I　was　I　was　none　too　soon；　for　the　green　warrior

had　been　overtaken　ere　he　had　made　half　the　distance　to　the

forest；　and　now　he　stood　with　his　back　to　a　boulder；　while

the　herd；　temporarily　balked；　hissed　and　screeched　about　him。



With　their　single　eyes　in　the　centre　of　their　heads　and　every

eye　turned　upon　their　prey；　they　did　not　note　my　soundless

approach；　so　that　I　was　upon　them　with　my　great　long…sword

and　four　of　them　lay　dead　ere　they　knew　that　I　was　among　them。



For　an　instant　they　recoiled　before　my　terrific　onslaught；

and　in　that　instant　the　green　warrior　rose　to　the　occasion

and；　springing　to　my　side；　laid　to　the　right　and　left　of　him　as

I　had　never　seen　but　one　other　warrior　do；　with　great　circling

strokes　that　formed　a　figure　eight　about　him　and　that　never

stopped　until　none　stood　living　to　oppose　him；　his　keen　blade

passing　through　flesh　and　bone　and　metal　as　though　each

had　been　alike　thin　air。



As　we　bent　to　the　slaughter；　far　above　us　rose　that　shrill；

weird　cry　which　I　had　heard　once　before；　and　which　had

called　the　herd　to　the　attack　upon　their　victims。　　Again　and

again　it　rose；　but　we　were　too　much　engaged　with　the　fierce

and　powerful　creatures　about　us　to　attempt　to　search　out

even　with　our　eyes　the　author　of　the　horrid　notes。



Great　tails　lashed　in　frenzied　anger　about　us；　razor…like

talons　cut　our　limbs　and　bodies；　and　a　green　and　sticky

syrup；　such　as　oozes　from　a　crushed　caterpillar；　smeared　us

from　head　to　foot；　for　every　cut　and　thrust　of　our　longswords

brought　spurts　of　this　stuff　upon　us　from　the　severed　arteries

of　the　plant　men；　through　which　it　courses　in　its　sluggish

viscidity　in　lieu　of　blood。



Once　I　felt　the　great　weight　of　one　of　the　monsters　upon

my　back　and　as　keen　talons　sank　into　my　flesh　I　experienced

the　frightful　sensation　of　moist　lips　sucking　the　lifeblood　from

the　wounds　to　which　the　claws　still　clung。



I　was　very　much　engaged　with　a　ferocious　fellow　who

was　endeavouring　to　reach　my　throat　from　in　front；　while

two　more；　one　on　either　side；　were　lashing　viciously　at　me

with　their　tails。



The　green　warrior　was　much　put　to　it　to　hold　his　own；

and　I　felt　that　the　unequal　struggle　could　last　but　a

moment　longer　when　the　huge　fellow　discovered　my　plight；

and　tearing　himself　from　those　that　surrounded　him；　he　raked

the　assailant　from　my　back　with　a　single　sweep　of　his　blade；

and　thus　relieved　I　had　little　difficulty　with　the　others。



Once　together；　we　stood　almost　back　to　back　against　the

great　boulder；　and　thus　the　creatures　were　prevented　from

soaring　above　us　to　deliver　their　deadly　blows；　and　as　we

were　easily　their　match　while　they　remained　upon　the

ground；　we　were　making　great　headway　in　dispatching　what

remained　of　them　when　our　attention　was　again　attracted　by

the　shrill　wail　of　the　caller　above　our　heads。



This　time　I　glanced　up；　and　far　above　us　upon　a　little

natural　balcony　on　the　face　of　the　cliff　stood　a　strange　figure

of　a　man　shrieking　out　his　shrill　signal；　the　while　he　waved

one　hand　in　the　direction　of　the　river's　mouth　as　though

beckoning　to　some　one　there；　and　with　the　other　pointed　and

gesticulated　toward　us。



A　glance　in　the　direction　toward　which　he　was　looking

was　sufficient　to　apprise　me　of　his　aims　and　at　the　same　time

to　fill　me　with　the　dread　of　dire　apprehension；　for；　streaming

in　from　all　directions　across　t