empty　and　they　were　almost　upon　me；　and　then　a　glance
  showing　me　that　Dejah　Thoris　and　Sola　had　disappeared
  among　the　hills；　I　sprang　up；　throwing　down　my　useless　gun；
  and　started　away　in　the　direction　opposite　to　that　taken　by
  Sola　and　her　charge。
  If　ever　Martians　had　an　exhibition　of　jumping；　it　was
  granted　those　astonished　warriors　on　that　day　long　years　ago；
  but　while　it　led　them　away　from　Dejah　Thoris　it　did　not　distract
  their　attention　from　endeavoring　to　capture　me。
  They　raced　wildly　after　me　until；　finally；　my　foot　struck　a
  projecting　piece　of　quartz；　and　down　I　went　sprawling　upon
  the　moss。　　As　I　looked　up　they　were　upon　me；　and　although
  I　drew　my　long…sword　in　an　attempt　to　sell　my　life　as
  dearly　as　possible；　it　was　soon　over。　　I　reeled　beneath　their
  blows　which　fell　upon　me　in　perfect　torrents；　my　head　swam；
  all　was　black；　and　I　went　down　beneath　them　to　oblivion。
  CHAPTER　XVIII
  CHAINED　IN　WARHOON
  It　must　have　been　several　hours　before　I　regained　consciousness
  and　I　well　remember　the　feeling　of　surprise　which　swept　over　me
  as　I　realized　that　I　was　not　dead。
  I　was　lying　among　a　pile　of　sleeping　silks　and　furs　in　the
  corner　of　a　small　room　in　which　were　several　green　warriors；
  and　bending　over　me　was　an　ancient　and　ugly　female。
  As　I　opened　my　eyes　she　turned　to　one　of　the　warriors；　saying；
  〃He　will　live；　O　Jed。〃
  〃'Tis　well；〃　replied　the　one　so　addressed；　rising　and　approaching
  my　couch；　〃he　should　render　rare　sport　for　the　great　games。〃
  And　now　as　my　eyes　fell　upon　him；　I　saw　that　he　was　no
  Thark；　for　his　ornaments　and　metal　were　not　of　that　horde。
  He　was　a　huge　fellow；　terribly　scarred　about　the　face　and
  chest；　and　with　one　broken　tusk　and　a　missing　ear。　　Strapped
  on　either　breast　were　human　skulls　and　depending　from
  these　a　number　of　dried　human　hands。
  His　reference　to　the　great　games　of　which　I　had　heard　so
  much　while　among　the　Tharks　convinced　me　that　I　had　but
  jumped　from　purgatory　into　gehenna。
  After　a　few　more　words　with　the　female；　during　which
  she　assured　him　that　I　was　now　fully　fit　to　travel；　the　jed
  ordered　that　we　mount　and　ride　after　the　main　column。
  I　was　strapped　securely　to　as　wild　and　unmanageable　a
  thoat　as　I　had　ever　seen；　and；　with　a　mounted　warrior　on
  either　side　to　prevent　the　beast　from　bolting；　we　rode　forth
  at　a　furious　pace　in　pursuit　of　the　column。　　My　wounds　gave
  me　but　little　pain；　so　wonderfully　and　rapidly　had　the
  applications　and　injections　of　the　female　exercised　their
  therapeutic　powers；　and　so　deftly　had　she　bound　and　plastered
  the　injuries。
  Just　before　dark　we　reached　the　main　body　of　troops
  shortly　after　they　had　made　camp　for　the　night。　　I　was
  immediately　taken　before　the　leader；　who　proved　to　be　the
  jeddak　of　the　hordes　of　Warhoon。
  Like　the　jed　who　had　brought　me；　he　was　frightfully
  scarred；　and　also　decorated　with　the　breastplate　of　human
  skulls　and　dried　dead　hands　which　seemed　to　mark　all　the
  greater　warriors　among　the　Warhoons；　as　well　as　to　indicate
  their　awful　ferocity；　which　greatly　transcends　even　that　of
  the　Tharks。
  The　jeddak；　Bar　Comas；　who　was　comparatively　young；
  was　the　object　of　the　fierce　and　jealous　hatred　of　his　old
  lieutenant；　Dak　Kova；　the　jed　who　had　captured　me；　and　I
  could　not　but　note　the　almost　studied　efforts　which　the
  latter　made　to　affront　his　superior。
  He　entirely　omitted　the　usual　formal　salutation　as　we　entered
  the　presence　of　the　jeddak；　and　as　he　pushed　me　roughly　before
  the　ruler　he　exclaimed　in　a　loud　and　menacing　voice。
  〃I　have　brought　a　strange　creature　wearing　the　metal　of　a
  Thark　whom　it　is　my　pleasure　to　have　battle　with　a　wild
  thoat　at　the　great　games。〃
  〃He　will　die　as　Bar　Comas；　your　jeddak；　sees　fit；　if　at　all；〃
  replied　the　young　ruler；　with　emphasis　and　dignity。
  〃If　at　all？〃　roared　Dak　Kova。　　〃By　the　dead　hands　at　my
  throat　but　he　shall　die；　Bar　Comas。　　No　maudlin　weakness
  on　your　part　shall　save　him。　　O；　would　that　Warhoon　were
  ruled　by　a　real　jeddak　rather　than　by　a　water…hearted
  weakling　from　whom　even　old　Dak　Kova　could　tear　the　metal
  with　his　bare　hands！〃
  Bar　Comas　eyed　the　defiant　and　insubordinate　chieftain　for
  an　instant；　his　expression　one　of　haughty；　fearless　contempt
  and　hate；　and　then　without　drawing　a　weapon　and　without
  uttering　a　word　he　hurled　himself　at　the　throat　of　his　defamer。
  I　never　before　had　seen　two　green　Martian　warriors　battle
  with　nature's　weapons　and　the　exhibition　of　animal　ferocity
  which　ensued　was　as　fearful　a　thing　as　the　most　disordered
  imagination　could　picture。　　They　tore　at　each　others'　eyes
  and　ears　with　their　hands　and　with　their　gleaming　tusks
  repeatedly　slashed　and　gored　until　both　were　cut　fairly　to
  ribbons　from　head　to　foot。
  Bar　Comas　had　much　the　better　of　the　battle　as　he　was
  stronger；　quicker　and　more　intelligent。　　It　soon　seemed　that
  the　encounter　was　done　saving　only　the　final　death　thrust
  when　Bar　Comas　slipped　in　breaking　away　from　a　clinch。　　It
  was　the　one　little　opening　that　Dak　Kova　needed；　and　hurling
  himself　at　the　body　of　his　adversary　he　buried　his　single
  mighty　tusk　in　Bar　Comas'　groin　and　with　a　last　powerful
  effort　ripped　the　young　jeddak　wide　open　the　full　length　of
  his　body；　the　great　tusk　finally　wedging　in　the　bones　of　Bar
  Comas'　jaw。　　Victor　and　vanquished　rolled　limp　and　lifeless
  upon　the　moss；　a　huge　mass　of　torn　and　bloody　flesh。
  Bar　Comas　was　stone　dead；　and　only　the　most　herculean　efforts　on
  the　part　of　Dak　Kova's　females　saved　him　from　the　fate　he　deserved。
  Three　days　later　he　walked　without　assistance　to　the　body　of　Bar
  Comas　which；　by　custom；　had　not　been　moved　from　where　it　fell；
  and　placing　his　foot　upon　the　neck　of　his　erstwhile　ruler　he
  assumed　the　title　of　Jeddak　of　Warhoon。
  The　dead　jeddak's　hands　and　head　were　removed　to　be　added
  to　the　ornaments　of　his　conqueror；　and　then　his　women
  cremated　what　remained；　amid　wild　and　terrible　laughter。
  The　injuries　to　Dak　Kova　had　delayed　the　march　so
  greatly　that　it　was　decided　to　give　up　the　expedition；　which
  was　a　raid　upon　a　small　Thark　community　in　retaliation　for
  the　destruction　of　the　incubator；　until　after　the　great　games；
  and　the　entire　body　of　warriors；　ten　thousand　in　number；
  turned　back　toward　Warhoon。
  My　introduction　to　these　cruel　and　bloodthirsty　people
  was　but　an　index　to　the　scenes　I　witnessed　almost　daily
  while　with　them。　　They　are　a　smaller　horde　than　the　Tharks
  but　much　more　ferocious。　　Not　a　day　passed　but　that　some
  members　of　the　various　Warhoon　communities　met　in　deadly
  combat。　　I　have　seen　as　high　as　eight　mortal　duels　within　a
  single　day。
  We　reached　the　city　of　Warhoon　after　some　three　days
  march　and　I　was　immediately　cast　into　a　dungeon　and　heavily
  chained　to　the　floor　and　walls。　　Food　was　brought　me　at
  intervals　but　owing　to　the　utter　darkness　of　the　place　I　do　not
  know　whether　I　lay　there　days；　or　weeks；　or　months。　　It　was
  the　most　horrible　experience　of　all　my　life　and　that　my
  mind　did　not　give　way　to　the　terrors　of　that　inky　blackness
  has　been　a　wonder　to　me　ever　since。　　The　place　was　filled
  with　creeping；　crawling　things；　cold；　sinuous　bodies　passed
  over　me　when　I　lay　down；　and　in　the　darkness　I　occasionally
  caught　glimpses　of　gleaming；　fiery　eyes；　fixed　in　horrible
  intentness　upon　me。　　No　sound　reached　me　from　the　world
  above　and　no　word　would　my　jailer　vouchsafe　when　my
  food　was　brought　to　me；　although　I　at　first　bombarded　him
  with　questions。
  Finally　all　the　hatred　and　maniacal　loathing　for　these
  awful　creatures　who　had　placed　me　in　this　horrible　place　was
  centered　by　my　tottering　reason　upon　this　single　emissary
  who　represented　to　me　the　entire　horde　of　Warhoons。
  I　had　noticed　that　he　always　advanced　with　his　dim
  torch　to　where　he　could　place　the　food　within　my　reach　and
  as　he　stooped　to　place　it　upon　the　floor　his　head　was　about
  on　a　level　with　my　breast。　　So；　with　the　cunning　of　a　madman；
  I　backed　into　the　far　corner　of　my　cell　when　next　I　heard
  him　approaching　and　gathering　a　little　slack　of　the　great
  chain　which　held　me　in　my　hand　I　waited　his　coming；
  crouching　like　some　beast　of　prey。　　As　he　stooped　to　place
  my　food　upon　the　ground　I　swung　the　chain　above　my　head
  and　crashed　the　links　with　all　my　strength　upon　his　skull。
  Without　a　sound　he　slipped　to　the　floor；　stone　dead。
  Laughing　and　chattering　like　the　idiot　I　was　fast　becoming
  I　fell　upon　his　prostrate　form　my　fingers　feeling　for　his
  dead　throat。　　Presently　they　came　in　contact　with　a　small
  chain　at　the　end　of　which　dangled　a　number　of　keys。　　The
  touch　of　my　fingers　on　these　keys　brought　back　my　reason
  with　the　suddenness　of　thought。　　No　longer　was　I　a　jibbering
  idiot；　but　a　sane；　reasoning　man　with　the　means　of　escape
  within　my　very　hands。
  As　I　was　groping　to　remove　the　chain　from　about　my　victim's
  neck　I　glanced　up　into　th