warlord of mars-第11节

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and　to　my　immense　relief　found　the　faithful　beast　still　there。

　

The　twelve　great　banths　lay　in　the　doorways　of　their　lairs；

eyeing　him　and　growling　ominously；　but　they　had　not　disobeyed

Thuvia's　injunction；　and　I　thanked　the　fate　that　had　made　her

their　keeper　within　the　Golden　Cliffs；　and　endowed　her　with　the

kind　and　sympathetic　nature　that　had　won　the　loyalty　and　affection

of　these　fierce　beasts　for　her。

　

Woola　leaped　in　frantic　joy　when　he　discovered　me；　and　as　the

flier　touched　the　pavement　of　the　court　for　a　brief　instant　he

bounded　to　the　deck　beside　me；　and　in　the　bearlike　manifestation

of　his　exuberant　happiness　all　but　caused　me　to　wreck　the　vessel

against　the　courtyard's　rocky　wall。

　

Amid　the　angry　shouting　of　thern　guardsmen　we　rose　high　above

the　last　fortress　of　the　Holy　Therns；　and　then　raced　straight

toward　the　northeast　and　Kaol；　the　destination　which　I　had　heard

from　the　lips　of　Matai　Shang。

　

Far　ahead；　a　tiny　speck　in　the　distance；　I　made　out　another

flier　late　in　the　afternoon。　　It　could　be　none　other　than　that

which　bore　my　lost　love　and　my　enemies。

　

I　had　gained　considerably　on　the　craft　by　night；　and　then；

knowing　that　they　must　have　sighted　me　and　would　show　no　lights

after　dark；　I　set　my　destination　compass　upon　herthat　wonderful

little　Martian　mechanism　which；　once　attuned　to　the　object　of

destination；　points　away　toward　it；　irrespective　of　every　change

in　its　location。

　

All　that　night　we　raced　through　the　Barsoomian　void；　passing　over

low　hills　and　dead　sea　bottoms；　above　long…deserted　cities　and

populous　centers　of　red　Martian　habitation　upon　the　ribbon…like

lines　of　cultivated　land　which　border　the　globe…encircling

waterways；　which　Earth　men　call　the　canals　of　Mars。

　

Dawn　showed　that　I　had　gained　appreciably　upon　the　flier　ahead　of　me。

It　was　a　larger　craft　than　mine；　and　not　so　swift；　but　even　so；

it　had　covered　an　immense　distance　since　the　flight　began。

　

The　change　in　vegetation　below　showed　me　that　we　were　rapidly

nearing　the　equator。　　I　was　now　near　enough　to　my　quarry　to　have

used　my　bow　gun；　but；　though　I　could　see　that　Dejah　Thoris　was　not

on　deck；　I　feared　to　fire　upon　the　craft　which　bore　her。

　

Thurid　was　deterred　by　no　such　scruples；　and　though　it　must　have　been

difficult　for　him　to　believe　that　it　was　really　I　who　followed　them；

he　could　not　very　well　doubt　the　witness　of　his　own　eyes；　and　so　he

trained　their　stern　gun　upon　me　with　his　own　hands；　and　an　instant　later

an　explosive　radium　projectile　whizzed　perilously　close　above　my　deck。

　

The　black's　next　shot　was　more　accurate；　striking　my　flier

full　upon　the　prow　and　exploding　with　the　instant　of　contact；

ripping　wide　open　the　bow　buoyancy　tanks　and　disabling　the　engine。

　

So　quickly　did　my　bow　drop　after　the　shot　that　I　scarce　had

time　to　lash　Woola　to　the　deck　and　buckle　my　own　harness　to　a

gunwale　ring　before　the　craft　was　hanging　stern　up　and　making

her　last　long　drop　to　ground。

　

Her　stern　buoyancy　tanks　prevented　her　dropping　with　great　rapidity；

but　Thurid　was　firing　rapidly　now　in　an　attempt　to　burst　these　also；

that　I　might　be　dashed　to　death　in　the　swift　fall　that　would　instantly

follow　a　successful　shot。

　

Shot　after　shot　tore　past　or　into　us；　but　by　a　miracle　neither

Woola　nor　I　was　hit；　nor　were　the　after　tanks　punctured。　　This　good

fortune　could　not　last　indefinitely；　and；　assured　that　Thurid　would

not　again　leave　me　alive；　I　awaited　the　bursting　of　the　next　shell

that　hit；　and　then；　throwing　my　hands　above　my　head；　I　let　go　my　hold

and　crumpled；　limp　and　inert；　dangling　in　my　harness　like　a　corpse。

　

The　ruse　worked；　and　Thurid　fired　no　more　at　us。　　Presently　I

heard　the　diminishing　sound　of　whirring　propellers　and　realized

that　again　I　was　safe。

　

Slowly　the　stricken　flier　sank　to　the　ground；　and　when　I　had　freed

myself　and　Woola　from　the　entangling　wreckage　I　found　that　we　were

upon　the　verge　of　a　natural　forestso　rare　a　thing　upon　the　bosom

of　dying　Mars　that；　outside　of　the　forest　in　the　Valley　Dor　beside

the　Lost　Sea　of　Korus；　I　never　before　had　seen　its　like　upon　the　planet。

　

From　books　and　travelers　I　had　learned　something　of　the　little…known

land　of　Kaol；　which　lies　along　the　equator　almost　halfway　round　the

planet　to　the　east　of　Helium。

　

It　comprises　a　sunken　area　of　extreme　tropical　heat；　and　is

inhabited　by　a　nation　of　red　men　varying　but　little　in　manners；

customs；　and　appearance　from　the　balance　of　the　red　men　of　Barsoom。

　

I　knew　that　they　were　among　those　of　the　outer　world　who　still

clung　tenaciously　to　the　discredited　religion　of　the　Holy　Therns；

and　that　Matai　Shang　would　find　a　ready　welcome　and　safe　refuge

among　them；　while　John　Carter　could　look　for　nothing　better

than　an　ignoble　death　at　their　hands。

　

The　isolation　of　the　Kaolians　is　rendered　almost　complete　by

the　fact　that　no　waterway　connects　their　land　with　that　of　any

other　nation；　nor　have　they　any　need　of　a　waterway　since　the　low；

swampy　land　which　comprises　the　entire　area　of　their　domain

self…waters　their　abundant　tropical　crops。

　

For　great　distances　in　all　directions　rugged　hills　and　arid

stretches　of　dead　sea　bottom　discourage　intercourse　with　them；

and　since　there　is　practically　no　such　thing　as　foreign　commerce

upon　warlike　Barsoom；　where　each　nation　is　sufficient　to　itself；

really　little　has　been　known　relative　to　the　court　of　the　Jeddak　of　Kaol

and　the　numerous　strange；　but　interesting；　people　over　whom　he　rules。

　

Occasional　hunting　parties　have　traveled　to　this　out…of…the…way

corner　of　the　globe；　but　the　hostility　of　the　natives　has　usually

brought　disaster　upon　them；　so　that　even　the　sport　of　hunting　the

strange　and　savage　creatures　which　haunt　the　jungle　fastnesses

of　Kaol　has　of　later　years　proved　insufficient　lure　even　to　the

most　intrepid　warriors。

　

It　was　upon　the　verge　of　the　land　of　the　Kaols　that　I　now　knew

myself　to　be；　but　in　what　direction　to　search　for　Dejah　Thoris；

or　how　far　into　the　heart　of　the　great　forest　I　might　have　to

penetrate　I　had　not　the　faintest　idea。

　

But　not　so　Woola。

　

Scarcely　had　I　disentangled　him　than　he　raised　his　head　high

in　air　and　commenced　circling　about　at　the　edge　of　the　forest。

Presently　he　halted；　and；　turning　to　see　if　I　were　following；

set　off　straight　into　the　maze　of　trees　in　the　direction　we　had

been　going　before　Thurid's　shot　had　put　an　end　to　our　flier。

　

As　best　I　could；　I　stumbled　after　him　down　a　steep　declivity

beginning　at　the　forest's　edge。

　

Immense　trees　reared　their　mighty　heads　far　above　us；　their　broad

fronds　completely　shutting　off　the　slightest　glimpse　of　the　sky。

It　was　easy　to　see　why　the　Kaolians　needed　no　navy；　their　cities；

hidden　in　the　midst　of　this　towering　forest；　must　be　entirely

invisible　from　above；　nor　could　a　landing　be　made　by　any　but　the

smallest　fliers；　and　then　only　with　the　greatest　risk　of　accident。

　

How　Thurid　and　Matai　Shang　were　to　land　I　could　not　imagine；

though　later　I　was　to　learn　that　to　the　level　of　the　forest

top　there　rises　in　each　city　of　Kaol　a　slender　watchtower

which　guards　the　Kaolians　by　day　and　by　night　against　the　secret

approach　of　a　hostile　fleet。　　To　one　of　these　the　hekkador　of　the

Holy　Therns　had　no　difficulty　in　approaching；　and　by　its　means　the

party　was　safely　lowered　to　the　ground。

　

As　Woola　and　I　approached　the　bottom　of　the　declivity　the

ground　became　soft　and　mushy；　so　that　it　was　with　the　greatest

difficulty　that　we　made　any　headway　whatever。

　

Slender　purple　grasses　topped　with　red　and　yellow　fern…like　fronds

grew　rankly　all　about　us　to　the　height　of　several　feet　above　my　head。

　

Myriad　creepers　hung　festooned　in　graceful　loops　from　tree　to　tree；

and　among　them　were　several　varieties　of　the　Martian　〃man…flower；〃

whose　blooms　have　eyes　and　hands　with　which　to　see　and　seize　the

insects　which　form　their　diet。

　

The　repulsive　calot　tree　was；　too；　much　in　evidence。　　It　is　a

carnivorous　plant　of　about　the　bigness　of　a　large　sage…brush　such

as　dots　our　western　plains。　　Each　branch　ends　in　a　set　of　strong　jaws；

which　have　been　known　to　drag　down　and　devour　large　and　formidable

beasts　of　prey。

　

Both　Woola　and　I　had　several　narrow　escapes　from　these　greedy；

arboreous　monsters。

　

Occasional　areas　of　firm　sod　gave　us　intervals　of　rest　from

the　arduous　labor　of　traversing　this　gorgeous；　twilight　swamp；　and

it　was　upon　one　of　these　that　I　finally　decided　to　make　camp　for

the　night　which　my　chronometer　warned　me　would　soon　be　upon　us。

　

Many　varieties　of　fruit　grew　in　abundance　about　us；　and　as　Martian

calots　are　omnivorous；　Woola　had　no　difficulty　in　making　a　square

meal　after　I　had　brought　down　the　viands　for　him。　　Then；　having　eaten；

too；　I　lay　down　with　my　back　to　that　of　my　faithful　hound；　and　dropped

into　a　deep　and　dreamless　sleep。

　

The　forest　was　shrouded　in　impenetrable　darkness　when