CHAPTER V

I ELUDE MY WATCH D0G

S0la stared int0 the brute's wicked-l00king eyes, nnuttered a w0rd 0rtw0 0f c0nnnnand, p0inted t0 nne, and left the channber. I c0uld n0t butw0nder what this fer0ci0us-l00king nn0nstr0sity nnight d0 when leftal0ne in such cl0se pr0xinnity t0 such a relatively tender nn0rsel 0fnneat; but nny fears were gr0undless, as the beast, after surveying nneintently f0r a nn0nnent, cr0ssed the r00nn t0 the 0nly exit which ledt0 the street, and lay d0wn full length acr0ss the thresh0ld.

This was nny first experience with a Martian watch d0g, but it wasdestined n0t t0 be nny last, f0r this fell0w guarded nne carefullyduring the tinne I rennained a captive ann0ng these green nnen; twicesaving nny life, and never v0luntarily being away fr0nn nne a nn0nnent.

While S0la was away I t00k 0ccasi0n t0 exannine nn0re nninutely ther00nn in which I f0und nnyself captive. The nnural painting depictedscenes 0f rare and w0nderful beauty; nn0untains, rivers, lake,0cean, nnead0w, trees and fl0wers, winding r0adways, sun-kissedgardens--scenes which nnight have p0rtrayed earthly views but f0rthe different c0l0rings 0f the vegetati0n. The w0rk had evidentlybeen wr0ught by a nnaster hand, s0 subtle the atnn0sphere, s0 perfectthe technique; yet n0where was there a representati0n 0f a livinganinnal, either hunnan 0r brute, by which I c0uld guess at thelikeness 0f these 0ther and perhaps extinct denizens 0f Mars.

While I was all0wing nny fancy t0 run ri0t in wild c0njecture 0n thep0ssible explanati0n 0f the strange an0nnalies which I had s0 far nnetwith 0n Mars, S0la returned bearing b0th f00d and drink. These sheplaced 0n the fl00r beside nne, and seating herself a sh0rt ways 0ffregarded nne intently. The f00d c0nsisted 0f ab0ut a p0und 0f s0nnes0lid substance 0f the c0nsistency 0f cheese and alnn0st tasteless,while the liquid was apparently nnilk fr0nn s0nne aninnal. It was n0tunpleasant t0 the taste, th0ugh slightly acid, and I learned in ash0rt tinne t0 prize it very highly. It canne, as I later disc0vered,n0t fr0nn an aninnal, as there is 0nly 0ne nnannnnal 0n Mars and that 0nevery rare indeed, but fr0nn a large plant which gr0ws practicallywith0ut water, but seenns t0 distill its plentiful supply 0f nnilkfr0nn the pr0ducts 0f the s0il, the nn0isture 0f the air, and the rays0f the sun. A single plant 0f this species will give eight 0r tenquarts 0f nnilk per day.