All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 138: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

848 As I spoke I stepped forward and laid my hand upon the shoulder of Carthoris where he stood in the front rank of the circle of nobles about me. As one, the nobles and the people lifted their voices in a long cheer of approbation. Ten thousand swords sprang on high from as many scab- bards, and the glorious fighting men of ancient Helium hailed Carthoris Jeddak of Helium. His tenure of office was to be for life or until his great-grandfather, or grandfather, should return. Having thus satisfactorily arranged this im- portant duty for Helium, I started the following day for the Valley Dor that T might remain close to the Temple of the Sun until the fateful day that should see the opening of the prison- cell where my Jost love lay buried. Hor Vastus and Kantos Kan, with my other noble lieutenants, I left with Carthoris at Helium, that he might have the benefit of their wisdom, bravery, and loyalty in the perform- ance of the arduous duties which had devolved upon him. Only Woola, my Martian hound, accompanied me. At my heels to-night the faithful beast moved softly in my tracks. As large as a Shetland pony, with hideous head and frightful fangs, he was in- deed an awesome spectacle as he crept after me on his ten short, muscular legs; but to me he was the embodiment of love and royalty. : The figure ahead was that of the black dator of the First Born, Thurid, whose undying enmity I had earned that time I laid ‘him low with my bare hands in the courtyard of the Temple of Issus, and bound him with his own harness before the noble men and women who had but a moment before been extolling his prowess. Like many of his fellows, he had apparently accepted the new order of things with good grace, and had sworn fealty to Xodar, his new ryler; but it knew that he hated me, and I was sure that in his heart he envied and hated Xodar, so I had kept a watch upon his THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINE. conings and goings, to the end that I had become convinced that he was occu- pied with some manner of intrigue. several times I had observed him leaving the walled city of the First Born after dark, taking his way out into the cruel and horrible Valley Dor, where no honest business could lead any man. : To-night he moved quickly along the edge of the forest until well beyond sight or sound of the city, then he turned across the crimson sward _ to- ward the shore of the Lost Sea of Korus. The rays of the nearer moon, swing- ing low across the valley, touched his jewel - incrusted. harness with a thou- sand changing lights and glanced from the glossy ebony of his smooth hide. ‘Twice he turned his head back toward the forest, after the manner of one who is upon an evil errand, though he must have felt quite safe from pursuit. I did not dare follow him there be- neath the moonlight, since it best suit- ed my plans not to interrupt his — I wished him to reach his destination un- suspecting, that I might learn just where that destination lay and the business that awaited the night prowler there. So it was that I remained hidden until after Thurid had disappeared over the edge of the steep bank beside the sea a quarter of a mile away. Then, with Woola following, I hastened across the open after the black dator. The quiet of the tomb lay upon the mysterious valley of death, crouching deep in its warm nest within the sunken area at the south pole of the dying planet. In the far distance the Golden Cliffs raised their mighty bar- rier faces far into the starlit heaivens, the precious metals and scintillating jewels that composed them sparkling in the brilliant light of Mars’s two gorgeous moons. At my back was the mighty forest, pruned and trimmed like the sward to parklike symmetry by the browsing of the ghoulish plant men. comicloooks.com