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gratification of my dearest wish。〃
Thurid nodded。
〃Then shall I make the announcement here before all my nobles；〃
continued Salensus Oll。 〃For a year no queen has sat upon the
throne beside me； and now it suits me to take to wife one who
is reputed the most beautiful woman upon Barsoom。 A statement
which none may truthfully deny。
〃Nobles of Okar； unsheathe your swords and do homage to Dejah
Thoris； Princess of Helium and future Queen of Okar； for at the end
of the allotted ten days she shall become the wife of Salensus Oll。〃
As the nobles drew their blades and lifted them on high； in
accordance with the ancient custom of Okar when a jeddak announces
his intention to wed； Dejah Thoris sprang to her feet and； raising
her hand aloft； cried in a loud voice that they desist。
〃I may not be the wife of Salensus Oll；〃 she pleaded； 〃for
already I be a wife and mother。 John Carter； Prince of Helium；
still lives。 I know it to be true； for I overheard Matai Shang
tell his daughter Phaidor that he had seen him in Kaor； at the
court of Kulan Tith； Jeddak。 A jeddak does not wed a married
woman； nor will Salensus Oll thus violate the bonds of matrimony。〃
Salensus Oll turned upon Thurid with an ugly look。
〃Is this the surprise you held in store for me？〃 he cried。
〃You assured me that no obstacle which might not be easily
overcome stood between me and this woman； and now I find that
the one insuperable obstacle intervenes。 What mean you； man？
What have you to say？〃
〃And should I deliver John Carter into your hands； Salensus Oll；
would you not feel that I had more than satisfied the promise
that I made you？〃 answered Thurid。
〃Talk not like a fool；〃 cried the enraged jeddak。 〃I am no
child to be thus played with。〃
〃I am talking only as a man who knows；〃 replied Thurid。
〃Knows that he can do all that he claims。〃
〃Then turn John Carter over to me within ten days or yourself
suffer the end that I should mete out to him were he in my power！〃
snapped the Jeddak of Jeddaks； with an ugly scowl。
〃You need not wait ten days； Salensus Oll；〃 replied Thurid；
and then； turning suddenly upon me as he extended a pointing
finger； he cried： 〃There stands John Carter； Prince of Helium！〃
〃Fool！〃 shrieked Salensus Oll。 〃Fool！ John Carter is a white man。
This fellow be as yellow as myself。 John Carter's face is
smoothMatai Shang has described him to me。 This prisoner has a
beard and mustache as large and black as any in Okar。 Quick；
guardsmen； to the pits with the black maniac who wishes to throw
his life away for a poor joke upon your ruler！〃
〃Hold！〃 cried Thurid； and springing forward before I could guess
his intention； he had grasped my beard and ripped the whole false
fabric from my face and head； revealing my smooth； tanned skin
beneath and my close…cropped black hair。
Instantly pandemonium reigned in the audience chamber of Salensus Oll。
Warriors pressed forward with drawn blades； thinking that I might be
contemplating the assassination of the Jeddak of Jeddaks； while others；
out of curiosity to see one whose name was familiar from pole to pole；
crowded behind their fellows。
As my identity was revealed I saw Dejah Thoris spring to her feet
amazement writ large upon her faceand then through that jam of
armed men she forced her way before any could prevent。 A moment
only and she was before me with outstretched arms and eyes filled
with the light of her great love。
〃John Carter！ John Carter！〃 she cried as I folded her to my breast；
and then of a sudden I knew why she had denied me in the garden
beneath the tower。
What a fool I had been！ Expecting that she would penetrate the marvelous
disguise that had been wrought for me by the barber of Marentina！
She had not known me； that was all； and when she saw the sign of love
from a stranger she was offended and righteously indignant。 Indeed；
but I had been a fool。
〃And it was you；〃 she cried； 〃who spoke to me from the tower！
How could I dream that my beloved Virginian lay behind that fierce
beard and that yellow skin？〃
She had been wont to call me her Virginian as a term of endearment；
for she knew that I loved the sound of that beautiful name；
made a thousand times more beautiful and hallowed by her dear lips；
and as I heard it again after all those long years my eyes
became dimmed with tears and my voice choked with emotion。
But an instant did I crush that dear form to me ere Salensus Oll；
trembling with rage and jealousy； shouldered his way to us。
〃Seize the man；〃 he cried to his warriors； and a hundred ruthless
hands tore us apart。
Well it was for the nobles of the court of Okar that John Carter
had been disarmed。 As it was； a dozen of them felt the weight
of my clenched fists； and I had fought my way half up the
steps before the throne to which Salensus Oll had carried Dejah
Thoris ere ever they could stop me。
Then I went down； fighting； beneath a half…hundred warriors； but
before they had battered me into unconsciousness I heard that from
the lips of Dejah Thoris that made all my suffering well worth while。
Standing there beside the great tyrant； who clutched her by the arm；
she pointed to where I fought alone against such awful odds。
〃Think you； Salensus Oll； that the wife of such as he is；〃 she cried；
〃would ever dishonor his memory； were he a thousand times dead；
by mating with a lesser mortal？ Lives there upon any world such
another as John Carter； Prince of Helium？ Lives there another
man who could fight his way back and forth across a warlike planet；
facing savage beasts and hordes of savage men； for the love of a woman？
〃I； Dejah Thoris； Princess of Helium； am his。 He fought for me and won me。
If you be a brave man you will honor the bravery that is his； and you will
not kill him。 Make him a slave if you will； Salensus Oll； but spare his life。
I would rather be a slave with such as he than be Queen of Okar。〃
〃Neither slave nor queen dictates to Salensus Oll；〃 replied the
Jeddak of Jeddaks。 〃John Carter shall die a natural death in the
Pit of Plenty； and the day he dies Dejah Thoris shall become my queen。〃
I did not hear her reply； for it was then that a blow upon my
head brought unconsciousness； and when I recovered my senses only
a handful of guardsmen remained in the audience chamber with me。
As I opened my eyes they goaded me with the points of their swords
and bade me rise。
Then they led me through long corridors to a court far toward the
center of the palace。
In the center of the court was a deep pit； near the edge of which stood
half a dozen other guardsmen； awaiting me。 One of them carried a long
rope in his hands； which he commenced to make ready as we approached。
We had come to within fifty feet of these men when I felt a
sudden strange and rapid pricking sensation in one of my fingers。
For a moment I was nonplused by the odd feeling； and then there
came to me recollection of that which in the stress of my adventure
I had entirely forgottenthe gift ring of Prince Talu of Marentina。
Instantly I looked toward the group we were nearing； at the
same time raising my left hand to my forehead； that the ring might
be visible to one who sought it。 Simultaneously one of the waiting
warriors raised his left hand； ostensibly to brush back his hair；
and upon one of his fingers I saw the duplicate of my own ring。
A quick look of intelligence passed between us； after which I kept
my eyes turned away from the warrior and did not look at him again；
for fear that I might arouse the suspicion of the Okarians。
When we reached the edge of the pit I saw that it was very deep；
and presently I realized I was soon to judge just how far it
extended below the surface of the court； for he who held the rope
passed it about my body in such a way that it could be released
from above at any time； and then； as all the warriors grasped it；
he pushed me forward； and I fell into the yawning abyss。
After the first jerk as I reached the end of the rope that
had been paid out to let me fall below the pit's edge they
lowered me quickly but smoothly。 The moment before the plunge；
while two or three of the men had been assisting in adjusting the
rope about me； one of them had brought his mouth close to my cheek；
and in the brief interval before I was cast into the forbidding
hole he breathed a single word into my ear：
〃Courage！〃
The pit； which my imagination had pictured as bottomless； proved to be
not more than a hundred feet in depth； but as its walls were smoothly
polished it might as well have been a thousand feet； for I could never
hope to escape without outside assistance。
For a day I was left in darkness； and then； quite suddenly；
a brilliant light illumined my strange cell。 I was reasonably
hungry