The Chessmen of Mars

s. She saw the perfect bodies, muscled as the best of her father's fighting men, and the females whose figures would have been the envy of many of Helium's most beautiful women. Ah, if she

he kaldane. The girl sighed in pity even as she shuddered in disgust as s

d waited. From the open doorway came the sounds of conflict, now nearing them, now receding. The girl, having witnessed her champion's skill, had little fear of the outcome. Only a single antagonist could face him at a time upon the narrow st

o leap against the next behind, and once there lay five dead kaldanes behind him, so far had he pushed back his antagonists. They did not know it; these kaldanes that he fought, nor did the girl awaiting him upon the flier, but Gahan of Gathol was engaged in a more alluring sport than winning to freedom, for he was a

of them and raced toward the flier. "Rise!" he

nert bodies of the rykors lying in his path. The first of the pur

ly as might have been expected of a one-man flier carrying a load of three. Gahan swung free above the top of the wall, but the end of the rope stil

"Lay hold and we wi

wound a leg about it, leaving his right hand free for his long-sword which he had not sheathed. A downward cut clove the soft head of a kaldane, and another severed the taut rope beneath the panthan's feet. The girl heard a sudden renewal of the shrill whistling of her foes, and at the same t

t wounded?"

arce worth the effort of my blade, and never we

among us that they should have known before you struck just where, logically, you must seek to strike,

am scarcely objectively aware that I think when I fight, so quickly does my point take advantage of every opening, or spring to my defense if I am threatened that it is almost as though the cold steel had eyes and brains. You, with your kaldane brain and your rykor body, never could hope to achieve in the same degree of perfection those things that I can achieve. Development of the brain should not be the s

aldanes. At least I have had a glimpse of the thing you call happiness and I realize that it may be good even though I have no means of expressing it. I cannot laugh nor smile, and yet within me is a sense of contentme

ed fields, and one after another they passed over the strange towers of Moak and Nolach and the other kings of the swarms that inhabited this

inority of our race which worships the flesh and makes a god of appetite. You know them, Tara of Helium; they can tell you exactly what they had

e man whose painting took the Jeddak's Award in The Temple of Beauty this

ngs outside their own callings, a capacity for love and a capacity for hate, for such as these can look with toleranc

peak as one who has thought much upon many subjects. Is it, then, possible that you of the red race have pleasu

beings think. And possibly we do not in the sense that you do, who think only of yourselves and your great brains. We think of many things that concern the welfare of a world. Had it not been for the red men of Barsoom even the kaldanes had perished from the planet,

nes that have ever lived done to compare w

god among the underlings, he knew; but somehow a doubt assailed him. It was evident that these two from that other world were ready to question his preeminence. Even through his great egotism was filtering a suspicion that they patronized him; perhaps even pitied him. Then he began to wonder what was to become of him. No longer would he have many

ir ears as their craft passed on beyond the boundaries of Bantoom, leaving behind the terrors of that unhappy land. But to what were they being born

asked. "Toward wha

our path I cannot even guess. A week since I could have sworn that I knew what lay behind each succeeding ridge that I approached; but now I adm

face-there was something tantalizingly familiar about that smile of his. She had met many a p

are you, Turan?"

panthan has no country? Today he fights beneath the ba

ntry when you are not fighting," she ins

I am acceptable," he said, "I serve beneath the ban

services are accepted," she said; "and if ever we reach Helium I p

guess what was in his mind, thinking rather that he was mercenary. For how could the p

ife of any nature, nor was there any indication that the country could support life. For two days they drifted over this horrid wasteland. They were without food or water and suffered accordingly. Ghek had temporarily abandoned his rykor after enlisting Turan's assistance in lashing it safely to the deck. The less he used it the less would its v

hese two days and now the third night was upon them. The girl did not complain, but Turan knew that she must be suffering and his heart was heavy within him. Ghek suffered least of all, and he explained to them that h

under which a gross and material body is le

"One cannot blame him," she said, "were we not a bit boastful in the

admitted. "If we could but lay aside our stomachs when they cr

now," assented Tara; "it

ry and renewing again the hope that had been low with

ied. "A city! As I am Ga-as I

vening hills, for well Turan knew that they must not be seen until they could discover whether friend or foe inhabited the strange city. Chances were that they were far from the abode o

iends or he would take it from enemies. Just so long as it was there he would have it-and there was shown the egotism of the fighti

avine, and leaping over the side made her fast to a stout tree. For several moments they discussed their plans-whether it would be best to wait where they were until darkness hid their movem

outside the city; food, too, perhaps. If they did not they could at least reconnoiter the ground by daylight, and then whe

of that part of the city which lay nearest them, though themselves hidden by the brush behind which they crou

nnons broke from many a staff. People were moving about the gate before them. The high white walls were paced by sentinels at far intervals.

at city this may be. But it is an ancient city. Its peopl

y have not these thi

g similarly at Helium we would see hundreds. And they have no firearms because their defenses are al

girl. "Did we not learn as children in the history of our pla

" replied Turan, laughing. "It has been long

es peace," ret

always at war

But he says he

e with honor; but our neighbors will no

men must like to

fight," he said, "for no man likes to do the

ther man can do

ght," he concluded, "for always the men with hot

on," said the girl, smiling; "b

replied Turan; "and how can he with t

in what literal

inued, "to wrest food and

ould slay you or make you prisoner. You are a brave panthan a

ld have seized her in his arms and crushed her to him. There was only Ghek the kaldane there, but there was something stronger with

they rode the small saddle thoats of the red race. Their trappings were barbaric and magnificent, and in their head-dress were many feathers as had been the custom of ancients. They were armed with swords and long spears and they

ors," said Turan. "I have a great mind to w

"What would I do without you, and if you were

"At any rate I shall try i

aid the girl, her

at her quickl

service," she said,

rvice for hire and you

h a half smile upon his lips. "It is

of horsemen did not return. A small herd of zitidars was driven into the city during the day, and once a caravan of broad-wheeled carts drawn by these huge animals wound out of the distant horizon and came down to the city. It, too, passed from their si