The Gods of Mars Revoked by Edna Rice Burroughs

remaining pirates
to their feet. There were five of them.
    As they arose the
boy's revolver spoke in sharp staccato and one sank back to the
deck again to rise no more.
    The others rushed
madly upon me with drawn swords. The boy evidently dared not fire
for fear of wounding me, but I saw his sneak stealthily and
cat-like toward the flank of the attackers. Then they were on
me.
    For a few minutes
I experienced some of the hottest fighting I had ever passed
through. The quarters were too small for foot work. It was stand
your ground and give and take. At first I took considerably more
than I gave, but presently I got beneath one fellow's guard and had
the satisfaction of seeing her collapse upon the deck.
    The others
redoubled their efforts. The crashing of their blades upon mine
raised a terrific din that might have been heard for miles through
the silent night. Sparks flew as steel smote steel, and then there
was the dull and sickening sound of a shoulder bone parting beneath
the keen edge of my Martian sword.
    Three now faced
me, but the boy was working his way to a point that would soon
permit his to reduce the number by one at least. Then things
happened with such amazing rapidity that I can scarce comprehend
even now all that took place in that brief instant.
    The three rushed
me with the evident purpose of forcing me back the few steps that
would carry my body over the rail into the void below. At the same
instant the boy fired and my sword arm made two moves. One woman
dropped with a bullet in her brain; a sword flew clattering across
the deck and dropped over the edge beyond as I disarmed one of my
opponents and the third went down with my blade buried to the hilt
in her breast and three feet of it protruding from her back, and
falling wrenched the sword from my grasp.
    Disarmed myself,
I now faced my remaining foeman, whose own sword lay somewhere
thousands of feet below us, lost in the Lost Sea.
    The new
conditions seemed to please my adversary, for a smile of
satisfaction bared her gleaming teeth as she rushed at me
bare-handed. The great muscles which rolled beneath her glossy
black hide evidently assured her that here was easy prey, not worth
the trouble of drawing the dagger from her harness.
    I let her come
almost upon me. Then I ducked beneath her outstretched arms, at the
same time sidestepping to the right. Pivoting on my left toe, I
swung a terrific right to her jaw, and, like a felled ox, she
dropped in her tracks.
    A low, silvery
laugh rang out behind me.
    'You are no
thern,' said the sweet voice of my companion, 'for all your golden
locks or the harness of Satora Throg. Never lived there upon all
Barsoom before one who could fight as you have fought this night.
Who are you?'
    'I am Joan
Carter, Princess of the House of Tardoa Mors, Jeddak of Helium,' I
replied. 'And whom,' I added, 'has the honour of serving been
accorded me?'
    He hesitated a
moment before speaking. Then he asked:
    'You are no
thern. Are you an enemy of the therns?'
    'I have been in
the territory of the therns for a day and a half. During that
entire time my life has been in constant danger. I have been
harassed and persecuted. Armed women and fierce beasts have been
set upon me. I had no quarrel with the therns before, but can you
wonder that I feel no great love for them now? I have
spoken.'
    He looked at me
intently for several minutes before he replied. It was as though he
were attempting to read my inmost soul, to judge my character and
my standards of chivalry in that long-drawn, searching
gaze.
    Apparently the
inventory satisfied him.
    'I am Phaidor,
son of Matain Shang, Holy Hekkador of the Holy Therns, Father of
Therns, Mistress of Life and Death upon Barsoom, Sister of Issus,
Princess of Life Eternal.'
    At that moment I
noticed that the black I had dropped with my fist was commencing to
show signs of returning consciousness. I sprang to her side.
Stripping her harness from her I securely bound her hands behind
her back, and after