a princess of mars-第3章

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my　living　tomb。　　I　remember　that　I　hoped　they　would　make

short　work　of　me　as　I　did　not　particularly　relish　the　thought

of　the　innumerable　things　they　might　do　to　me　if　the　spirit

prompted　them。



I　had　not　long　to　wait　before　a　stealthy　sound　apprised　me

of　their　nearness；　and　then　a　war…bonneted；　paint…streaked

face　was　thrust　cautiously　around　the　shoulder　of　the　cliff；　and

savage　eyes　looked　into　mine。　　That　he　could　see　me　in　the

dim　light　of　the　cave　I　was　sure　for　the　early　morning　sun　was

falling　full　upon　me　through　the　opening。



The　fellow；　instead　of　approaching；　merely　stood　and　stared；

his　eyes　bulging　and　his　jaw　dropped。　　And　then　another

savage　face　appeared；　and　a　third　and　fourth　and　fifth；　craning

their　necks　over　the　shoulders　of　their　fellows　whom　they

could　not　pass　upon　the　narrow　ledge。　　Each　face　was　the

picture　of　awe　and　fear；　but　for　what　reason　I　did　not　know；

nor　did　I　learn　until　ten　years　later。　　That　there　were　still

other　braves　behind　those　who　regarded　me　was　apparent　from

the　fact　that　the　leaders　passed　back　whispered　word　to　those

behind　them。



Suddenly　a　low　but　distinct　moaning　sound　issued　from　the

recesses　of　the　cave　behind　me；　and；　as　it　reached　the　ears　of

the　Indians；　they　turned　and　fled　in　terror；　panic…stricken。　　So

frantic　were　their　efforts　to　escape　from　the　unseen　thing

behind　me　that　one　of　the　braves　was　hurled　headlong　from

the　cliff　to　the　rocks　below。　　Their　wild　cries　echoed　in　the

canyon　for　a　short　time；　and　then　all　was　still　once　more。



The　sound　which　had　frightened　them　was　not　repeated；　but

it　had　been　sufficient　as　it　was　to　start　me　speculating　on　the

possible　horror　which　lurked　in　the　shadows　at　my　back。　　Fear

is　a　relative　term　and　so　I　can　only　measure　my　feelings　at

that　time　by　what　I　had　experienced　in　previous　positions　of

danger　and　by　those　that　I　have　passed　through　since；　but　I　can

say　without　shame　that　if　the　sensations　I　endured　during　the

next　few　minutes　were　fear；　then　may　God　help　the　coward；

for　cowardice　is　of　a　surety　its　own　punishment。



To　be　held　paralyzed；　with　one's　back　toward　some　horrible

and　unknown　danger　from　the　very　sound　of　which　the

ferocious　Apache　warriors　turn　in　wild　stampede；　as　a　flock　of

sheep　would　madly　flee　from　a　pack　of　wolves；　seems　to　me

the　last　word　in　fearsome　predicaments　for　a　man　who　had

ever　been　used　to　fighting　for　his　life　with　all　the　energy　of　a

powerful　physique。



Several　times　I　thought　I　heard　faint　sounds　behind　me　as

of　somebody　moving　cautiously；　but　eventually　even　these

ceased；　and　I　was　left　to　the　contemplation　of　my　position

without　interruption。　　I　could　but　vaguely　conjecture　the　cause

of　my　paralysis；　and　my　only　hope　lay　in　that　it　might　pass　off

as　suddenly　as　it　had　fallen　upon　me。



Late　in　the　afternoon　my　horse；　which　had　been　standing

with　dragging　rein　before　the　cave；　started　slowly　down　the

trail；　evidently　in　search　of　food　and　water；　and　I　was　left

alone　with　my　mysterious　unknown　companion　and　the　dead

body　of　my　friend；　which　lay　just　within　my　range　of　vision

upon　the　ledge　where　I　had　placed　it　in　the　early　morning。



From　then　until　possibly　midnight　all　was　silence；　the

silence　of　the　dead；　then；　suddenly；　the　awful　moan　of　the

morning　broke　upon　my　startled　ears；　and　there　came　again

from　the　black　shadows　the　sound　of　a　moving　thing；　and　a

faint　rustling　as　of　dead　leaves。　　The　shock　to　my　already

overstrained　nervous　system　was　terrible　in　the　extreme；　and

with　a　superhuman　effort　I　strove　to　break　my　awful　bonds。

It　was　an　effort　of　the　mind；　of　the　will；　of　the　nerves；　not

muscular；　for　I　could　not　move　even　so　much　as　my　little

finger；　but　none　the　less　mighty　for　all　that。　　And　then

something　gave；　there　was　a　momentary　feeling　of　nausea；　a　sharp

click　as　of　the　snapping　of　a　steel　wire；　and　I　stood　with　my

back　against　the　wall　of　the　cave　facing　my　unknown　foe。



And　then　the　moonlight　flooded　the　cave；　and　there　before

me　lay　my　own　body　as　it　had　been　lying　all　these　hours；

with　the　eyes　staring　toward　the　open　ledge　and　the　hands

resting　limply　upon　the　ground。　　I　looked　first　at　my　lifeless

clay　there　upon　the　floor　of　the　cave　and　then　down　at　myself

in　utter　bewilderment；　for　there　I　lay　clothed；　and　yet　here　I

stood　but　naked　as　at　the　minute　of　my　birth。



The　transition　had　been　so　sudden　and　so　unexpected　that

it　left　me　for　a　moment　forgetful　of　aught　else　than　my

strange　metamorphosis。　　My　first　thought　was；　is　this　then

death！　　Have　I　indeed　passed　over　forever　into　that　other　life！

But　I　could　not　well　believe　this；　as　I　could　feel　my　heart

pounding　against　my　ribs　from　the　exertion　of　my　efforts　to

release　myself　from　the　anaesthesis　which　had　held　me。　　My

breath　was　coming　in　quick；　short　gasps；　cold　sweat　stood　out

from　every　pore　of　my　body；　and　the　ancient　experiment　of

pinching　revealed　the　fact　that　I　was　anything　other　than　a

wraith。



Again　was　I　suddenly　recalled　to　my　immediate　surroundings

by　a　repetition　of　the　weird　moan　from　the　depths　of　the

cave。　　Naked　and　unarmed　as　I　was；　I　had　no　desire　to　face

the　unseen　thing　which　menaced　me。



My　revolvers　were　strapped　to　my　lifeless　body　which；　for

some　unfathomable　reason；　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　touch。

My　carbine　was　in　its　boot；　strapped　to　my　saddle；　and　as　my

horse　had　wandered　off　I　was　left　without　means　of　defense。

My　only　alternative　seemed　to　lie　in　flight　and　my　decision

was　crystallized　by　a　recurrence　of　the　rustling　sound　from

the　thing　which　now　seemed；　in　the　darkness　of　the　cave　and

to　my　distorted　imagination；　to　be　creeping　stealthily　upon　me。



Unable　longer　to　resist　the　temptation　to　escape　this　horrible

place　I　leaped　quickly　through　the　opening　into　the　starlight

of　a　clear　Arizona　night。　　The　crisp；　fresh　mountain　air

outside　the　cave　acted　as　an　immediate　tonic　and　I　felt　new

life　and　new　courage　coursing　through　me。　　Pausing　upon　the

brink　of　the　ledge　I　upbraided　myself　for　what　now　seemed

to　me　wholly　unwarranted　apprehension。　　I　reasoned　with

myself　that　I　had　lain　helpless　for　many　hours　within　the

cave；　yet　nothing　had　molested　me；　and　my　better　judgment；

when　permitted　the　direction　of　clear　and　logical　reasoning；

convinced　me　that　the　noises　I　had　heard　must　have　resulted

from　purely　natural　and　harmless　causes；　probably　the

conformation　of　the　cave　was　such　that　a　slight　breeze　had

caused　the　sounds　I　heard。



I　decided　to　investigate；　but　first　I　lifted　my　head　to　fill　my

lungs　with　the　pure；　invigorating　night　air　of　the　mountains。

As　I　did　so　I　saw　stretching　far　below　me　the　beautiful　vista

of　rocky　gorge；　and　level；　cacti…studded　flat；　wrought　by　the

moonlight　into　a　miracle　of　soft　splendor　and　wondrous　enchantment。



Few　western　wonders　are　more　inspiring　than　the　beauties

of　an　Arizona　moonlit　landscape；　the　silvered　mountains　in

the　distance；　the　strange　lights　and　shadows　upon　hog　back

and　arroyo；　and　the　grotesque　details　of　the　stiff；　yet　beautiful

cacti　form　a　picture　at　once　enchanting　and　inspiring；　as

though　one　were　catching　for　the　first　time　a　glimpse　of　some

dead　and　forgotten　world；　so　different　is　it　from　the　aspect　of

any　other　spot　upon　our　earth。



As　I　stood　thus　meditating；　I　turned　my　gaze　from　the

landscape　to　the　heavens　where　the　myriad　stars　formed　a

gorgeous　and　fitting　canopy　for　the　wonders　of　the　earthly

scene。　　My　attention　was　quickly　riveted　by　a　large　red　star

close　to　the　distant　horizon。　　As　I　gazed　upon　it　I　felt　a　spell

of　overpowering　fascinationit　was　Mars；　the　god　of　war；

and　for　me；　the　fighting　man；　it　had　always　held　the　power　of

irresistible　enchantment。　　As　I　gazed　at　it　on　that　far…gone

night　it　seemed　to　call　across　the　unthinkable　void；　to　lure　me

to　it；　to　draw　me　as　the　lodestone　attracts　a　particle　of　iron。



My　longing　was　beyond　the　power　of　opposition；　I　cl