United States or Eritrea ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Then I start the engine, roll up in my sleeping silks and furs, and with lights burning, race through the air toward Helium, confident that at the appointed hour I shall drop gently toward the landing-stage upon my own palace, whether I am still asleep or no." "Provided," suggested Thuvan Dihn, "you do not chance to collide with some other night wanderer in the meanwhile." Carthoris smiled.
"In the meantime," I continued, "I may discover some means of winning my way alone to the land of the yellow men, but if I am unsuccessful one life only will have been sacrificed. Should we all go on and perish, there will be none to guide a succoring party to Dejah Thoris and your daughter." "I shall not return and leave you here alone, John Carter," replied Thuvan Dihn.
You see I have anticipated almost every contingency." Thuvan Dihn smiled his appreciation of the marvellous device. The forward servant pushed almost to the flier's side. His eyes were narrowed to slits. "All but one," he said. The nobles looked at him in astonishment, and one of them grasped the fellow none too gently by the shoulder to push him back to his proper place.
As it was this interval upon which we had banked to accomplish so much in our search for Dejah Thoris and Thuvia of Ptarth, our chagrin was unbounded when we heard the great lock click behind our guide as he had quitted us after ushering us into the chambers we were to occupy. With a wry face I turned to Thuvan Dihn.
Finally the apt relaxed, sighing, as with the passing of a bad dream, and resumed the regular respiration of deep slumber. I planted my raised foot beyond the fierce head and an instant later had stepped over the beast. Thuvan Dihn followed directly after me, and another moment found us at the further door, undetected.
When Woola had left us Thuvan Dihn and I, hiding in the seventh cave, discussed and discarded many plans for crossing the eighth chamber. From where we stood we saw that the fighting among the apts was growing less, and that many that had been feeding had ceased and lain down to sleep.
His prisoner was the son of a mighty jeddak; he was the guest of Thuvan Dihn until but now an honoured guest upon whom every royal dignity had been showered. To arrest him forcibly could mean naught else than war, and yet he had done that which in the eyes of the Ptarth warrior merited death. The young man hesitated. He looked toward his princess.
He then went through the same ceremony with Thuvan Dihn. Next he asked our names, and from what land we hailed. He seemed quite familiar with the geography of the outerworld, and when I said I was from Helium he raised his brows. "Ah," he said, "you seek your ruler and his company?" "Know you of them?" I asked.
"Now think you that I shall permit myself to be led beyond the walls of Kaol unless the mother of my son accompanies me, and thy daughter be restored?" Thuvan Dihn turned upon Kulan Tith. Rage flamed in his keen eyes; but by the masterfulness of his self-control he kept his tones level as he spoke. "Knew you this thing, Kulan Tith?" he asked.
After giving them time to get well out of sight of our cave, Thuvan Dihn and I crept out and followed them, overtaking them when they were well into the hills. When we had come almost to them I called aloud to their leader, when the whole party halted and turned toward us. The crucial test had come. Could we but deceive these men the rest would be comparatively easy. "Kaor!"
Word Of The Day