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and with a mighty sweep hurled his weapon point foremost
at the green warrior。 It flew true as an arrow and piercing
the poor devil's heart laid him dead upon the arena。
Kantos Kan and I were now pitted against each other but
as we approached to the encounter I whispered to him to
prolong the battle until nearly dark in the hope that we
might find some means of escape。 The horde evidently
guessed that we had no hearts to fight each other and so
they howled in rage as neither of us placed a fatal thrust。
Just as I saw the sudden coming of dark I whispered to
Kantos Kan to thrust his sword between my left arm and my
body。 As he did so I staggered back clasping the sword
tightly with my arm and thus fell to the ground with his
weapon apparently protruding from my chest。 Kantos Kan
perceived my coup and stepping quickly to my side he placed his
foot upon my neck and withdrawing his sword from my body
gave me the final death blow through the neck which is supposed
to sever the jugular vein； but in this instance the cold
blade slipped harmlessly into the sand of the arena。 In the
darkness which had now fallen none could tell but that he
had really finished me。 I whispered to him to go and claim
his freedom and then look for me in the hills east of the
city； and so he left me。
When the amphitheater had cleared I crept stealthily to
the top and as the great excavation lay far from the plaza
and in an untenanted portion of the great dead city I had
little trouble in reaching the hills beyond。
CHAPTER XX
IN THE ATMOSPHERE FACTORY
For two days I waited there for Kantos Kan； but as he did
not come I started off on foot in a northwesterly direction
toward a point where he had told me lay the nearest waterway。
My only food consisted of vegetable milk from the
plants which gave so bounteously of this priceless fluid。
Through two long weeks I wandered； stumbling through
the nights guided only by the stars and hiding during the
days behind some protruding rock or among the occasional
hills I traversed。 Several times I was attacked by wild beasts；
strange； uncouth monstrosities that leaped upon me in the
dark； so that I had ever to grasp my long…sword in my hand
that I might be ready for them。 Usually my strange； newly
acquired telepathic power warned me in ample time； but
once I was down with vicious fangs at my jugular and a
hairy face pressed close to mine before I knew that I was
even threatened。
What manner of thing was upon me I did not know； but
that it was large and heavy and many…legged I could feel。
My hands were at its throat before the fangs had a chance to
bury themselves in my neck； and slowly I forced the hairy face
from me and closed my fingers； vise…like； upon its windpipe。
Without sound we lay there； the beast exerting every effort
to reach me with those awful fangs； and I straining to
maintain my grip and choke the life from it as I kept it from
my throat。 Slowly my arms gave to the unequal struggle；
and inch by inch the burning eyes and gleaming tusks of my
antagonist crept toward me； until； as the hairy face touched
mine again； I realized that all was over。 And then a living
mass of destruction sprang from the surrounding darkness
full upon the creature that held me pinioned to the ground。
The two rolled growling upon the moss； tearing and rending
one another in a frightful manner； but it was soon over and
my preserver stood with lowered head above the throat of
the dead thing which would have killed me。
The nearer moon； hurtling suddenly above the horizon
and lighting up the Barsoomian scene； showed me that my
preserver was Woola； but from whence he had come； or how
found me； I was at a loss to know。 That I was glad of his
companionship it is needless to say； but my pleasure at seeing
him was tempered by anxiety as to the reason of his leaving
Dejah Thoris。 Only her death I felt sure； could account for
his absence from her； so faithful I knew him to be to my
commands。
By the light of the now brilliant moons I saw that he was
but a shadow of his former self； and as he turned from my
caress and commenced greedily to devour the dead carcass
at my feet I realized that the poor fellow was more than half
starved。 I； myself； was in but little better plight but I could
not bring myself to eat the uncooked flesh and I had no
means of making a fire。 When Woola had finished his meal
I again took up my weary and seemingly endless wandering
in quest of the elusive waterway。
At daybreak of the fifteenth day of my search I was overjoyed
to see the high trees that denoted the object of my search。
About noon I dragged myself wearily to the portals of a
huge building which covered perhaps four square miles
and towered two hundred feet in the air。 It showed no
aperture in the mighty walls other than the tiny door at which
I sank exhausted； nor was there any sign of life about it。
I could find no bell or other method of making my presence
known to the inmates of the place； unless a small round
role in the wall near the door was for that purpose。 It was
of about the bigness of a lead pencil and thinking that it
might be in the nature of a speaking tube I put my mouth to
it and was about to call into it when a voice issued from it
asking me whom I might be； where from； and the nature of
my errand。
I explained that I had escaped from the Warhoons and
was dying of starvation and exhaustion。
〃You wear the metal of a green warrior and are followed
by a calot； yet you are of the figure of a red man。 In color
you are neither green nor red。 In the name of the ninth day；
what manner of creature are you？〃
〃I am a friend of the red men of Barsoom and I am starving。
In the name of humanity open to us；〃 I replied。
Presently the door commenced to recede before me until it had
sunk into the wall fifty feet； then it stopped and slid easily
to the left； exposing a short； narrow corridor of concrete；
at the further end of which was another door； similar in
every respect to the one I had just passed。 No one was in
sight； yet immediately we passed the first door it slid gently
into place behind us and receded rapidly to its original position
in the front wall of the building。 As the door had slipped
aside I had noted its great thickness； fully twenty feet； and
as it reached its place once more after closing behind us；
great cylinders of steel had dropped from the ceiling behind
it and fitted their lower ends into apertures countersunk in
the floor。
A second and third door receded before me and slipped to one
side as the first； before I reached a large inner chamber
where I found food and drink set out upon a great stone table。
A voice directed me to satisfy my hunger and to feed
my calot； and while I was thus engaged my invisible host
put me through a severe and searching cross…examination。
〃Your statements are most remarkable；〃 said the voice； on
concluding its questioning； 〃but you are evidently speaking the
truth； and it is equally evident that you are not of Barsoom。
I can tell that by the conformation of your brain and the
strange location of your internal organs and the shape and
size of your heart。〃
〃Can you see through me？〃 I exclaimed。
〃Yes； I can see all but your thoughts； and were you a Barsoomian
I could read those。〃
Then a door opened at the far side of the chamber and a
strange； dried up； little mummy of a man came toward me。
He wore but a single article of clothing or adornment； a
small collar of gold from which depended upon his chest a
great ornament as large as a dinner plate set solid with huge
diamonds； except for the exact center which was occupied
by a strange stone； an inch in diameter； that scintillated nine
different and distinct rays； the seven colors of our earthly
prism and two beautiful rays which； to me； were new and
nameless。 I cannot describe them any more than you could
describe red to a blind man。 I only know that they were
beautiful in the extreme。
The old man sat and talked with me for hours； and the
strangest part of our intercourse was that I could read his
every thought while he could not fathom an iota from my
mind unless I spoke。
I did not apprise him of my ability to sense his mental
operations； and thus I learned a great deal which proved of
immense value to me later and which I would never have
known had he suspected my strange power； for the Martians
have such perfect control of their mental machinery that they
are able to direct their thoughts with absolute precision。
The building in which I found myself contained the machinery
which produces that artificial atmosphere which sustains
life on Mars。 The secret of the entire process hinges on
the use of the ninth ray； one of the beautiful scintillations
which I had noted emanatin