All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

852 upon the holy of holies, nor shall any vileness be too vile to inflict upon his princess. Would that it were in my power to force him to witness the hu- miliation and degradation of the red woman.” “You shall have your way with her before another day has passed, Matai Shang,” said Thurid, ‘if you but say the word.” ‘““T have heard of the Temple of the Sun, dator,” replied Matai Shang, “but never have I heard that its pris- oners could be released before the al- lotted year of their incarceration had elapsed. How, then, may you accom- plish the impossible? ”’ “Access may be had to any cell of the temple at any time,” replied Thu- rid. ‘‘ Only Issus knew this; nor was it ever i[ssus’s way to’divulge more of her secrets than were necessary. By chance, after her death, I came upon an ancient plan of the temple, and there [ found, plainly writ, the most minute directions for reaching the cells at any time. ““And more J learned — that many men had gone thither for Issus in the past, always on errands of death and torture to the prisoners; but those who thus learned the secret way were wont to die mysteriously immediately they had returned and made their reports to Issus.” “Let us proceed, then,” said Matai shang at last. ‘I must trust you, yet at the same time you must trust me, for we are six to your one.” “T do not fear,’ replied Thurid, “nor need you. Our hatred of the cominon enemy is sufficient bond to in- sure our loyalty to one another, and after we have defiled the Princess of Helium there will be still greater rea- son for the maintenance of our alle- giance — unless I greatly mistake the temper of her lord.” Matai Shang spoke to the paddlers. The boat moved on up the tributary. It was with difficulty that I re- strained myself from rushing upon them and slaying the two vile plotters; THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINE. but quickly I saw the mad rashness of such an act, which would cut down the only man who could lead the way to Dejah Thoris’s prison before the long Martian year had swung its intermi- nable circle. If he should lead Matai Shang to that hallowed spot, then, too, should he lead John Carter, Prince of Helium. With silent paddle I swung slowly into the wake of the larger craft. CHAPTER II. UNDER THE MOUNTAINS, As we advanced up the river which winds beneath the Golden Cliffs out of the bowels of the Mountains of Otz to mingle its dark waters with the grim and mysterious Iss the faint glow which had appeared before us grew gradually into an all-enveloping radi- ance. The river widened until it presented the aspect of a large lake whose vault- ed dome, lighted by glowing phosphor- escent rock, was splashed with the vivid rays of the diamond, the sap- phire, the ruby, and the countless, nameless jewels of Barsoom which lay incrusted in the virgin gold which forms the major portion of these mag- nificent cliffs. Beyond the lighted chamber of the lake was darkness — what lay behind the darkness I could not even guess, To have followed the thern-boat across the gleaming water would have been to invite instant detection, and so, though I was loath to permit Thurid to pass even for an instant beyond my sight, I was forced to wait in the shadows until the other boat had passed from my sight at the far ex- tremity of the lake. ‘Then I paddled out upon the brilliant surface in the direction they had taken. When, after what seemed an eter- nity, | reached the shadows at the up- per end of the lake I found that the river issued from a low aperture, to pass beneath which it was necessary” comicloooks.com