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quartered in the adjacent buildings； and the warriors
themselves I might expect to meet within if I entered； but；
fortunately for me； I had another and safer method of reaching
the upper story where Dejah Thoris should be found； and；
after first determining as nearly as possible which of the
buildings she occupied； for I had never observed them before
from the court side； I took advantage of my relatively great
strength and agility and sprang upward until I grasped the
sill of a second…story window which I thought to be in the
rear of her apartment。 Drawing myself inside the room I
moved stealthily toward the front of the building； and not
until I had quite reached the doorway of her room was I
made aware by voices that it was occupied。
I did not rush headlong in； but listened without to assure
myself that it was Dejah Thoris and that it was safe to
venture within。 It was well indeed that I took this precaution；
for the conversation I heard was in the low gutturals of men；
and the words which finally came to me proved a most timely warning。
The speaker was a chieftain and he was giving orders to four of
his warriors。
〃And when he returns to this chamber；〃 he was saying； 〃as he
surely will when he finds she does not meet him at the city's edge；
you four are to spring upon him and disarm him。 It will require
the combined strength of all of you to do it if the reports they
bring back from Korad are correct。 When you have him fast bound
bear him to the vaults beneath the jeddak's quarters and chain
him securely where he may be found when Tal Hajus wishes him。
Allow him to speak with none； nor permit any other to enter
this apartment before he comes。 There will be no danger of
the girl returning； for by this time she is safe in the arms
of Tal Hajus； and may all her ancestors have pity upon her；
for Tal Hajus will have none； the great Sarkoja has done a
noble night's work。 I go； and if you fail to capture him when
he comes； I commend your carcasses to the cold bosom of Iss。〃
CHAPTER XVII
A COSTLY RECAPTURE
As the speaker ceased he turned to leave the apartment by
the door where I was standing； but I needed to wait no
longer； I had heard enough to fill my soul with dread； and
stealing quietly away I returned to the courtyard by the
way I had come。 My plan of action was formed upon the
instant； and crossing the square and the bordering avenue
upon the opposite side I soon stood within the courtyard
of Tal Hajus。
The brilliantly lighted apartments of the first floor told
me where first to seek； and advancing to the windows I
peered within。 I soon discovered that my approach was not
to be the easy thing I had hoped； for the rear rooms bordering
the court were filled with warriors and women。 I then
glanced up at the stories above； discovering that the third
was apparently unlighted； and so decided to make my entrance
to the building from that point。 It was the work of
but a moment for me to reach the windows above； and
soon I had drawn myself within the sheltering shadows of
the unlighted third floor。
Fortunately the room I had selected was untenanted； and
creeping noiselessly to the corridor beyond I discovered
a light in the apartments ahead of me。 Reaching what
appeared to be a doorway I discovered that it was but an
opening upon an immense inner chamber which towered from
the first floor； two stories below me； to the dome…like roof
of the building； high above my head。 The floor of this
great circular hall was thronged with chieftains； warriors
and women； and at one end was a great raised platform
upon which squatted the most hideous beast I had ever put
my eyes upon。 He had all the cold； hard； cruel； terrible
features of the green warriors； but accentuated and debased
by the animal passions to which he had given himself over
for many years。 There was not a mark of dignity or pride
upon his bestial countenance； while his enormous bulk spread
itself out upon the platform where he squatted like some
huge devil fish； his six limbs accentuating the similarity in
a horrible and startling manner。
But the sight that froze me with apprehension was that
of Dejah Thoris and Sola standing there before him； and
the fiendish leer of him as he let his great protruding eyes
gloat upon the lines of her beautiful figure。 She was
speaking； but I could not hear what she said； nor could I make
out the low grumbling of his reply。 She stood there erect
before him； her head high held； and even at the distance I
was from them I could read the scorn and disgust upon
her face as she let her haughty glance rest without sign of
fear upon him。 She was indeed the proud daughter of a
thousand jeddaks； every inch of her dear； precious little body；
so small； so frail beside the towering warriors around her；
but in her majesty dwarfing them into insignificance； she
was the mightiest figure among them and I verily believe
that they felt it。
Presently Tal Hajus made a sign that the chamber be
cleared； and that the prisoners be left alone before him。
Slowly the chieftains； the warriors and the women melted
away into the shadows of the surrounding chambers； and
Dejah Thoris and Sola stood alone before the jeddak of the
Tharks。
One chieftain alone had hesitated before departing； I
saw him standing in the shadows of a mighty column； his
fingers nervously toying with the hilt of his great…sword and
his cruel eyes bent in implacable hatred upon Tal Hajus。
It was Tars Tarkas； and I could read his thoughts as they
were an open book for the undisguised loathing upon his
face。 He was thinking of that other woman who； forty years
ago； had stood before this beast； and could I have spoken
a word into his ear at that moment the reign of Tal Hajus
would have been over； but finally he also strode from the
room； not knowing that he left his own daughter at the
mercy of the creature he most loathed。
Tal Hajus arose； and I； half fearing； half anticipating his
intentions； hurried to the winding runway which led to the
floors below。 No one was near to intercept me； and I reached
the main floor of the chamber unobserved； taking my station
in the shadow of the same column that Tars Tarkas had but
just deserted。 As I reached the floor Tal Hajus was speaking。
〃Princess of Helium； I might wring a mighty ransom from
your people would I but return you to them unharmed； but a
thousand times rather would I watch that beautiful face
writhe in the agony of torture； it shall be long drawn out；
that I promise you； ten days of pleasure were all too short to
show the love I harbor for your race。 The terrors of your
death shall haunt the slumbers of the red men through all
the ages to come； they will shudder in the shadows of the
night as their fathers tell them of the awful vengeance of
the green men； of the power and might and hate and cruelty
of Tal Hajus。 But before the torture you shall be mine for
one short hour； and word of that too shall go forth to
Tardos Mors； Jeddak of Helium； your grandfather； that he
may grovel upon the ground in the agony of his sorrow。
Tomorrow the torture will commence； tonight thou art Tal
Hajus'； come！〃
He sprang down from the platform and grasped her roughly
by the arm； but scarcely had he touched her than I leaped
between them。 My short…sword； sharp and gleaming was in
my right hand； I could have plunged it into his putrid heart
before he realized that I was upon him； but as I raised my
arm to strike I thought of Tars Tarkas； and； with all my rage；
with all my hatred； I could not rob him of that sweet
moment for which he had lived and hoped all these long；
weary years； and so； instead； I swung my good right fist full
upon the point of his jaw。 Without a sound he slipped to the
floor as one dead。
In the same deathly silence I grasped Dejah Thoris by the
hand； and motioning Sola to follow we sped noiselessly
from the chamber and to the floor above。 Unseen we reached
a rear window and with the straps and leather of my trappings
I lowered； first Sola and then Dejah Thoris to the ground below。
Dropping lightly after them I drew them rapidly around the court
in the shadows of the buildings； and thus we returned over the
same course I had so recently followed from the distant boundary
of the city。
We finally came upon my thoats in the courtyard where
I had left them； and placing the trappings upon them we
hastened through the building to the avenue beyond。
Mounting； Sola upon one beast； and Dejah Thoris behind me
upon the other； we rode from the city of Thark through the
hills to the south。
Instead of circling back around the city to the northwest
and toward the nearest waterway which lay so short a distance
from us； we turned to the northeast and struck out upon the mossy
waste across which； for two hundred dangerou