the gods of mars-第31部分

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I　do；　I　must　needs　traverse　the　entire　length　of　one　square

and　cross　a　broad　avenue　and　a　portion　of　the　plaza。　　From

the　noises　of　the　animals　which　came　from　every　courtyard

about　me；　I　knew　that　there　were　many　people　in　the

surrounding　buildingsprobably　several　communities　of

the　great　horde　of　the　Warhoons　of　the　South。



To　pass　undetected　among　all　these　people　was　in　itself

a　difficult　task；　but　if　I　was　to　find　and　rescue　the　great

Thark　I　must　expect　even　more　formidable　obstacles　before

success　could　be　mine。　　I　had　entered　the　city　from　the　south

and　now　stood　on　the　corner　of　the　avenue　through　which

I　had　passed　and　the　first　intersecting　avenue　south　of　the

plaza。　　The　buildings　upon　the　south　side　of　this　square　did

not　appear　to　be　inhabited；　as　I　could　see　no　lights；　and　so

I　decided　to　gain　the　inner　courtyard　through　one　of　them。



Nothing　occurred　to　interrupt　my　progress　through　the

deserted　pile　I　chose；　and　I　came　into　the　inner　court　close

to　the　rear　walls　of　the　east　buildings　without　detection。　

Within　the　court　a　great　herd　of　thoats　and　zitidars　moved

restlessly　about；　cropping　the　moss…like　ochre　vegetation　which

overgrows　practically　the　entire　uncultivated　area　of　Mars。

What　breeze　there　was　came　from　the　north…west；　so　there

was　little　danger　that　the　beasts　would　scent　me。　　Had　they；

their　squealing　and　grunting　would　have　grown　to　such　a

volume　as　to　attract　the　attention　of　the　warriors　within

the　buildings。



Close　to　the　east　wall；　beneath　the　overhanging　balconies

of　the　second　floors；　I　crept　in　dense　shadows　the　full　length

of　the　courtyard；　until　I　came　to　the　buildings　at　the　north

end。　　These　were　lighted　for　about　three　floors　up；　but　above

the　third　floor　all　was　dark。



To　pass　through　the　lighted　rooms　was；　of　course；　out　of

the　question；　since　they　swarmed　with　green　Martian　men

and　women。　　My　only　path　lay　through　the　upper　floors；　and

to　gain　these　it　was　necessary　to　scale　the　face　of　the　wall。

The　reaching　of　the　balcony　of　the　second　floor　was　a　matter

of　easy　accomplishmentan　agile　leap　gave　my　hands　a　grasp

upon　the　stone　hand…rail　above。　　In　another　instant　I　had

drawn　myself　upon　the　balcony。



Here　through　the　open　windows　I　saw　the　green　folk　squatting

upon　their　sleeping　silks　and　furs；　grunting　an　occasional

monosyllable；　which；　in　connection　with　their　wondrous　telepathic

powers；　is　ample　for　their　conversational　requirements。　

As　I　drew　closer　to　listen　to　their　words　a　warrior

entered　the　room　from　the　hall　beyond。



〃Come；　Tan　Gama；〃　he　cried；　〃we　are　to　take　the　Thark　before

Kab　Kadja。　　Bring　another　with　you。〃



The　warrior　addressed　arose　and；　beckoning　to　a　fellow

squatting　near；　the　three　turned　and　left　the　apartment。



If　I　could　but　follow　them　the　chance　might　come　to　free

Tars　Tarkas　at　once。　　At　least　I　would　learn　the　location

of　his　prison。



At　my　right　was　a　door　leading　from　the　balcony　into　the　building。

It　was　at　the　end　of　an　unlighted　hall；　and　on　the　impulse　of　the

moment　I　stepped　within。　　The　hall　was　broad　and　led　straight

through　to　the　front　of　the　building。　　On　either　side　were　the

doorways　of　the　various　apartments　which　lined　it。



I　had　no　more　than　entered　the　corridor　than　I　saw　the

three　warriors　at　the　other　endthose　whom　I　had　just　seen

leaving　the　apartment。　　Then　a　turn　to　the　right　took　them

from　my　sight　again。　　Quickly　I　hastened　along　the　hallway

in　pursuit。　　My　gait　was　reckless；　but　I　felt　that　Fate　had　been

kind　indeed　to　throw　such　an　opportunity　within　my　grasp；

and　I　could　not　afford　to　allow　it　to　elude　me　now。



At　the　far　end　of　the　corridor　I　found　a　spiral　stairway

leading　to　the　floors　above　and　below。　　The　three　had　evidently

left　the　floor　by　this　avenue。　　That　they　had　gone　down　and

not　up　I　was　sure　from　my　knowledge　of　these　ancient

buildings　and　the　methods　of　the　Warhoons。



I　myself　had　once　been　a　prisoner　of　the　cruel　hordes　of

northern　Warhoon；　and　the　memory　of　the　underground

dungeon　in　which　I　lay　still　is　vivid　in　my　memory。　　And　so

I　felt　certain　that　Tars　Tarkas　lay　in　the　dark　pits　beneath

some　nearby　building；　and　that　in　that　direction　I　should　find

the　trail　of　the　three　warriors　leading　to　his　cell。



Nor　was　I　wrong。　　At　the　bottom　of　the　runway；　or　rather

at　the　landing　on　the　floor　below；　I　saw　that　the　shaft

descended　into　the　pits　beneath；　and　as　I　glanced　down　the

flickering　light　of　a　torch　revealed　the　presence　of　the

three　I　was　trailing。



Down　they　went　toward　the　pits　beneath　the　structure；　and

at　a　safe　distance　behind　I　followed　the　flicker　of　their　torch。

The　way　led　through　a　maze　of　tortuous　corridors；　unlighted

save　for　the　wavering　light　they　carried。　　We　had　gone

perhaps　a　hundred　yards　when　the　party　turned　abruptly

through　a　doorway　at　their　right。　　I　hastened　on　as　rapidly　as

I　dared　through　the　darkness　until　I　reached　the　point　at

which　they　had　left　the　corridor。　　There；　through　an　open

door；　I　saw　them　removing　the　chains　that　secured　the　great

Thark；　Tars　Tarkas；　to　the　wall。



Hustling　him　roughly　between　them；　they　came　immediately

from　the　chamber；　so　quickly　in　fact　that　I　was　near　to

being　apprehended。　　But　I　managed　to　run　along　the　corridor

in　the　direction　I　had　been　going　in　my　pursuit　of　them

far　enough　to　be　without　the　radius　of　their　meagre　light

as　they　emerged　from　the　cell。



I　had　naturally　assumed　that　they　would　return　with

Tars　Tarkas　the　same　way　that　they　had　come；　which　would

have　carried　them　away　from　me；　but；　to　my　chagrin；　they

wheeled　directly　in　my　direction　as　they　left　the　room。　　There

was　nothing　for　me　but　to　hasten　on　in　advance　and　keep

out　of　the　light　of　their　torch。　　I　dared　not　attempt　to　halt　in

the　darkness　of　any　of　the　many　intersecting　corridors；　for

I　knew　nothing　of　the　direction　they　might　take。　　Chance　was

as　likely　as　not　to　carry　me　into　the　very　corridor　they　might

choose　to　enter。



The　sensation　of　moving　rapidly　through　these　dark　passages

was　far　from　reassuring。　　I　knew　not　at　what　moment　I　might

plunge　headlong　into　some　terrible　pit　or　meet　with　some

of　the　ghoulish　creatures　that　inhabit　these　lower　worlds

beneath　the　dead　cities　of　dying　Mars。　　There　filtered　to　me

a　faint　radiance　from　the　torch　of　the　men　behindjust

enough　to　permit　me　to　trace　the　direction　of　the　winding

passageways　directly　before　me；　and　so　keep　me　from

dashing　myself　against　the　walls　at　the　turns。



Presently　I　came　to　a　place　where　five　corridors　diverged

from　a　common　point。　　I　had　hastened　along　one　of　them　for

some　little　distance　when　suddenly　the　faint　light　of　the　torch

disappeared　from　behind　me。　　I　paused　to　listen　for　sounds　of

the　party　behind　me；　but　the　silence　was　as　utter　as　the

silence　of　the　tomb。



Quickly　I　realized　that　the　warriors　had　taken　one　of　the

other　corridors　with　their　prisoner；　and　so　I　hastened　back　with

a　feeling　of　considerable　relief　to　take　up　a　much　safer　and

more　desirable　position　behind　them。　　It　was　much　slower

work　returning；　however；　than　it　had　been　coming；　for　now

the　darkness　was　as　utter　as　the　silence。



It　was　necessary　to　feel　every　foot　of　the　way　back　with

my　hand　against　the　side　wall；　that　I　might　not　pass　the　spot

where　the　five　roads　radiated。　　After　what　seemed　an　eternity　to

me；　I　reached　the　place　and　recognized　it　by　groping　across

the　entrances　to　the　several　corridors　until　I　had　counted　five

of　them。　　In　not　one；　however；　showed　the　faintest　sign　of　light。



I　listened　intently；　but　the　naked　feet　of　the　green　men　sent

back　no　guiding　echoes；　though　presently　I　thought　I　detected

the　clank　of　side　arms　in　the　far　distance　of　the　middle　corridor。

Up　this；　then；　I　hastened；　searching　for　the　light；　and　stopping

to　listen　occasionally　for　a　repetition　of　the　sound；　but　soon　I

was　forced　to　admit　that　I　must　have　been　following　a　blind　lead；

as　only　darkness　and　silence　rewarded　my　efforts。



Again　I　retraced　my　steps　toward　the　parting　of　the　ways；

when　to　my　surprise　I　came　upon　the　entrance　to　three

diverging　corridors；　any　one　of　which　I　might　have　traversed

in　my　hasty　dash　after　the　false　clue　I　had　been　following。　

Here　was　a　pretty　fix；　indeed！　　Once　back　at　the　point

where　the　five　passageways　met；　I　might　wait　with　some

assurance　for　the　return　of　the　warriors　with　Tars　Tarkas。

My　knowledge　of　their　customs　lent　colour　to　the　belief　that

he　was　but　being　escorted　to　the　audience　chamber　to　have

sentence　passed　upon　him。　　I　had　not　the　slightest　doubt　but

that　they　would　preserve　so　doughty　a　warrior　as　the　great

Thark　for　the　rare　sport　he　would　furnish　at　the　Great　Games。



But　unless　I　could　find　my　way　back　to　that　point　the

chances　were　most　excellent　that　I　would　wander　for　days

through　the　awful　blackness；　until；　overcome　by　thirst　and

hunger；　I　lay　down　to　die；　or　　What　was　that！



A　faint　shuffling　sounded　behind　me；　and　as　I　cast　a　hasty

glance　over　my　shoulder　my　blood　froze　in　my　veins　for　the

thing　I　saw　there。　　It　was　not　so　much　fear　of　the　present

danger　as　it　was　the　horrifying　memories　it　recalled　of　that

time　I　near　went　mad　over　the　corpse　of　the　man　I　had　killed

in　the　dungeons　of　the　Warhoons；　when　blazing　eyes　came

out　of　the　dark　recesses　and　dragged　the　thing　that　had　been

a　man　from　my　clutches　and　I　heard　it　scraping　over　the　stone

of　my　prison　as　they　bore　it　away　to　their　terrible　feast。



And　now　in　these　black　pits　of　the　other　Warhoons　I　looked

into　those　same　fiery　eyes；　blazing　at　me　through　the

terrible　darkness；　revealing　no　sign　of　the　beast　behind　them。

I　think　that　the　most　fearsome　attribute　of　these　awesome

creatures　is　their　silence　and　the　fact　that　one　never　sees

themnothing　but　those　baleful　eyes　glaring　unblinkingly　out

of　the　dark　void　behind。



Grasping　my　long…sword