All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

WARLORD to delude myself with any such sophis- try, since I knew well that upon war- like Mars there are few cowards, and that every man, whether prince, priest or peasant, glories in deadly strife. And so I gripped my long-sword the tighter as I replied to Lakor. *T believe that you will see the wis- dom of permitting me to pass unmo- lested,” I said, “ for 1t would avail you nothing to die uselessly in the rocky bowels of Barsoom merely to protect a hereditary enemy, such as Thurid, Dator of the First Born. “That you shall die should you elect to oppose me is evidenced by the moldering corpses of all the many great Barsoomian warriors who have gone down beneath this blade—I am John Carter, Prince of Helium.” For a moment that name seemed to paralyze the two men; but only for a moment, and then the younger of them, with a vile name upon his lips, rushed toward me with ready sword. He had been standing a little behind his companion, Lakor, during our par- ley, and now, ere he could engage me, the older man grasped his harness and drew him back. “Hold on!” commanded Lakor. “There will be plenty of a to fight if we find it wise to fight at all There be good reasons why every thern upon 3arsoom should yearn to spill the blood of the blasphemer, the sacrilegist: but let us mix wisdom with our righteous hate. ‘The Prince of Helium is bound upon an errand which we ourselves, but a moment since, were wishing that we might undertake. “Tet him go then and slay the black. When he returns we shall still be here to bar his way to the outer world, and thus we shall have rid ourselves of two enemies, nor have incurred the dis- pleasure of the Father of Therns.” As he spoke I could not but note the crafty glint in his evil eyes, and while I saw the apparent logic of his reasoning I felt, subconsciously per- haps, that his words did but veil some sinister intent. ‘The other thern turned OF MARS. 857 toward him in evident surprise, but when Lakor had whispered a few brief words into hie ear he, too, drew back and nodded acquiescence to his supe- rior’s suggestion. ‘Proceed, John Lakor; “but know that if Thurid does not lay you low there will be those awaiting your return who will see that you never pass again into the sunlight of the upper world. Go!” During our conversation Woola had been growling and bristling close to my side. Occasionally he would look up into my face with a low, pleading whine, as though begging for the word that would send him headlong at the bare throats before him. He; too, sensed the villainy behind the smooth words. Beyond the therns several doorways opened off the guard-room, and toward the one upon the extreme right Lakor motioned. “That way said. But when I would have called Woola to follow me there the beast whined and held back, and at last ran quickly to the first opening at the left, where he stood emitting his coughing bark, as though urging me to follow him upon the right way. I turned a questioning look upon Lakor. “The brute is seldom wrong,” T said, “and while I do not doubt your supe- rior knowledge, thern, I think that I ‘shall do well to listen to the voice of instinet that 1s backed by love and loy- alty.” As T spoke I smiled grimly that he might know without w ords that I dis- trusted him. Carter,” said leads to Thurid,” he “As vou will,” the fellow replied with a shrug. “In the end it shall be all the same.” [ turned and followed Woola into the left-hand passage, and though my back was toward my enemies, my ears were on the alert; yet I heard no sound of pursuit. The passageway was dim- ly lighted by occasional radium bulbs comnlicloooks.com