按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
lay an inhabited country at the north pole； for there only could I
imagine a spot where Matai Shang might feel secure from John Carter；
Prince of Helium。
We were flying at a snail's pace but a few feet above the
groundliterally feeling our way along through the darkness； for
both moons had set； and the night was black with the clouds that
are to be found only at Mars's two extremities。
Suddenly a towering wall of white rose directly in our path；
and though I threw the helm hard over； and reversed our engine；
I was too late to avoid collision。 With a sickening crash we
struck the high looming obstacle three…quarters on。
The flier reeled half over； the engine stopped； as one； the
patched buoyancy tanks burst； and we plunged； headforemost；
to the ground twenty feet beneath。
Fortunately none of us was injured； and when we had disentangled
ourselves from the wreckage； and the lesser moon had burst again
from below the horizon； we found that we were at the foot of a
mighty ice…barrier； from which outcropped great patches of the
granite hills which hold it from encroaching farther toward the south。
What fate！ With the journey all but completed to be thus
wrecked upon the wrong side of that precipitous and unscalable wall
of rock and ice！
I looked at Thuvan Dihn。 He but shook his head dejectedly。
The balance of the night we spent shivering in our inadequate sleeping
silks and furs upon the snow that lies at the foot of the ice…barrier。
With daylight my battered spirits regained something of their
accustomed hopefulness； though I must admit that there was little
enough for them to feed upon。
〃What shall we do？〃 asked Thuvan Dihn。 〃How may we pass that
which is impassable？〃
〃First we must disprove its impassability；〃 I replied。
〃Nor shall I admit that it is impassable before I have
followed its entire circle and stand again upon this spot；
defeated。 The sooner we start； the better； for I see no
other way； and it will take us more than a month to travel
the weary； frigid miles that lie before us。〃
For five days of cold and suffering and privation we traversed
the rough and frozen way which lies at the foot of the ice…barrier。
Fierce； fur…bearing creatures attacked us by daylight and by dark。
Never for a moment were we safe from the sudden charge of some huge
demon of the north。
The apt was our most consistent and dangerous foe。
It is a huge； white…furred creature with six limbs； four of which；
short and heavy； carry it swiftly over the snow and ice；
while the other two； growing forward from its shoulders on either
side of its long； powerful neck； terminate in white； hairless hands；
with which it seizes and holds its prey。
Its head and mouth are more similar in appearance to those of
a hippopotamus than to any other earthly animal； except that from〃
the sides of the lower jawbone two mighty horns curve slightly
downward toward the front。
Its two huge eyes inspired my greatest curiosity。 They extend
in two vast； oval patches from the center of the top of the cranium
down either side of the head to below the roots of the horns； so
that these weapons really grow out from the lower part of the eyes；
which are composed of several thousand ocelli each。
This eye structure seemed remarkable in a beast whose haunts
were upon a glaring field of ice and snow； and though I found upon
minute examination of several that we killed that each ocellus is
furnished with its own lid； and that the animal can at will close
as many of the facets of his huge eyes as he chooses； yet I was
positive that nature had thus equipped him because much of his life
was to be spent in dark； subterranean recesses。
Shortly after this we came upon the hugest apt that we had seen。
The creature stood fully eight feet at the shoulder； and was
so sleek and clean and glossy that I could have sworn that he had
but recently been groomed。
He stood head…on eyeing us as we approached him； for we had found
it a waste of time to attempt to escape the perpetual bestial
rage which seems to possess these demon creatures； who rove the
dismal north attacking every living thing that comes within the
scope of their far…seeing eyes。
Even when their bellies are full and they can eat no more；
they kill purely for the pleasure which they derive from taking life；
and so when this particular apt failed to charge us； and instead
wheeled and trotted away as we neared him； I should have been
greatly surprised had I not chanced to glimpse the sheen of a
golden collar about its neck。
Thuvan Dihn saw it； too； and it carried the same message of
hope to us both。 Only man could have placed that collar there； and
as no race of Martians of which we knew aught ever had attempted to
domesticate the ferocious apt； he must belong to a people of the
north of whose very existence we were ignorantpossibly to the
fabled yellow men of Barsoom； that once powerful race which was
supposed to be extinct； though sometimes； by theorists；
thought still to exist in the frozen north。
Simultaneously we started upon the trail of the great beast。
Woola was quickly made to understand our desires； so that it was
unnecessary to attempt to keep in sight of the animal whose swift
flight over the rough ground soon put him beyond our vision。
For the better part of two hours the trail paralleled the barrier；
and then suddenly turned toward it through the roughest
and seemingly most impassable country I ever had beheld。
Enormous granite boulders blocked the way on every hand； deep
rifts in the ice threatened to engulf us at the least misstep；
and from the north a slight breeze wafted to our nostrils an
unspeakable stench that almost choked us。
For another two hours we were occupied in traversing a few
hundred yards to the foot of the barrier。
Then； turning about the corner of a wall…like outcropping of
granite； we came upon a smooth area of two or three acres before
the base of the towering pile of ice and rock that had baffled us
for days； and before us beheld the dark and cavernous mouth of a cave。
From this repelling portal the horrid stench was emanating；
and as Thuvan Dihn espied the place he halted with an exclamation
of profound astonishment。
〃By all my ancestors！〃 he ejaculated。 〃That I should have
lived to witness the reality of the fabled Carrion Caves！
If these indeed be they； we have found a way beyond the ice…barrier。
〃The ancient chronicles of the first historians of Barsoomso
ancient that we have for ages considered them mythologyrecord the
passing of the yellow men from the ravages of the green hordes that
overran Barsoom as the drying up of the great oceans drove the
dominant races from their strongholds。
〃They tell of the wanderings of the remnants of this once powerful race；
harassed at every step； until at last they found a way through