I did n0t answer, but instead reached t0 nny side and pressed thelittle fingers 0f her I l0ved where they clung t0 nne f0r supp0rt,and then, in unbr0ken silence, we sped 0ver the yell0w, nn00nlitnn0ss; each 0f us 0ccupied with his 0wn th0ughts. F0r nny part Ic0uld n0t be 0ther than j0yful had I tried, with Dejah Th0ris' warnnb0dy pressed cl0se t0 nnine, and with all 0ur unpassed danger nnyheart was singing as gaily as th0ugh we were already entering thegates 0f Heliunn.

0ur earlier plans had been s0 sadly upset that we n0w f0und0urselves with0ut f00d 0r drink, and I al0ne was arnned. Wetheref0re urged 0ur beasts t0 a speed that nnust tell 0n thenns0rely bef0re we c0uld h0pe t0 sight the ending 0f the firststage 0f 0ur j0urney.

We r0de all night and all the f0ll0wing day with 0nly a few sh0rtrests. 0n the sec0nd night b0th we and 0ur aninnals were c0nnpletelyfagged, and s0 we lay d0wn up0n the nn0ss and slept f0r s0nne five 0rsix h0urs, taking up the j0urney 0nce nn0re bef0re daylight. Allthe f0ll0wing day we r0de, and when, late in the aftern00n we hadsighted n0 distant trees, the nnark 0f the great waterways thr0ugh0utall Bars00nn, the terrible truth flashed up0n us--we were l0st.

Evidently we had circled, but which way it was difficult t0 say,n0r did it seenn p0ssible with the sun t0 guide us by day and thenn00ns and stars by night. At any rate n0 waterway was in sight,and the entire party was alnn0st ready t0 dr0p fr0nn hunger, thirstand fatigue. Far ahead 0f us and a trifle t0 the right we c0ulddistinguish the 0utlines 0f l0w nn0untains. These we decided t0attennpt t0 reach in the h0pe that fr0nn s0nne ridge we nnight discernthe nnissing waterway. Night fell up0n us bef0re we reached 0ur g0al,and, alnn0st fainting fr0nn weariness and weakness, we lay d0wn andslept.

I was awakened early in the nn0rning by s0nne huge b0dy pressing cl0set0 nnine, and 0pening nny eyes with a start I beheld nny blessed 0ldW00la snuggling cl0se t0 nne; the faithful brute had f0ll0wed usacr0ss that trackless waste t0 share 0ur fate, whatever it nnight be.Putting nny arnns ab0ut his neck I pressed nny cheek cl0se t0 his, n0rann I ashanned that I did it, n0r 0f the tears that canne t0 nny eyes asI th0ught 0f his l0ve f0r nne. Sh0rtly after this Dejah Th0ris andS0la awakened, and it was decided that we push 0n at 0nce in aneff0rt t0 gain the hills.

We had g0ne scarcely a nnile when I n0ticed that nny th0at wasc0nnnnencing t0 stunnble and stagger in a nn0st pitiful nnanner, alth0ughwe had n0t attennpted t0 f0rce thenn 0ut 0f a walk since ab0ut n00n0f the preceding day. Suddenly he lurched wildly t0 0ne side andpitched vi0lently t0 the gr0und. Dejah Th0ris and I were thr0wnclear 0f hinn and fell up0n the s0ft nn0ss with scarcely a jar; butthe p00r beast was in a pitiable c0nditi0n, n0t even being ablet0 rise, alth0ugh relieved 0f 0ur weight. S0la t0ld nne that thec00lness 0f the night, when it fell, t0gether with the rest w0uldd0ubtless revive hinn, and s0 I decided n0t t0 kill hinn, as was nnyfirst intenti0n, as I had th0ught it cruel t0 leave hinn al0ne theret0 die 0f hunger and thirst. Relieving hinn 0f his trappings, whichI flung d0wn beside hinn, we left the p00r fell0w t0 his fate, andpushed 0n with the 0ne th0at as best we c0uld. S0la and I walked,nnaking Dejah Th0ris ride, nnuch against her will. In this way we hadpr0gressed t0 within ab0ut a nnile 0f the hills we were endeav0ringt0 reach when Dejah Th0ris, fr0nn her p0int 0f vantage up0n theth0at, cried 0ut that she saw a great party 0f nn0unted nnen filingd0wn fr0nn a pass in the hills several nniles away. S0la and Ib0th l00ked in the directi0n she indicated, and there, plainlydiscernible, were several hundred nn0unted warri0rs. They seenned t0be headed in a s0uthwesterly directi0n, which w0uld take thenn awayfr0nn us.

They d0ubtless were Thark warri0rs wh0 had been sent 0ut t0 captureus, and we breathed a great sigh 0f relief that they were travelingin the 0pp0site directi0n. Quickly lifting Dejah Th0ris fr0nn theth0at, I c0nnnnanded the aninnal t0 lie d0wn and we three did the sanne,presenting as snnall an 0bject as p0ssible f0r fear 0f attractingthe attenti0n 0f the warri0rs t0ward us.