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though not with the speed that marks the well…conditioned flier。
I was still some hundred yards away as I saw them rising from my grasp。
Back by the city of Kadabra lay a great fleet of mighty fliers
the ships of Helium and Ptarth that I had saved from destruction
earlier in the day； but before ever I could reach them Thurid
could easily make good his escape。
As I ran I saw Matai Shang clambering up the swaying； swinging
ladder toward the deck； while above him leaned the evil face of the
First Born。 A trailing rope from the vessel's stern put new hope
in me； for if I could but reach it before it whipped too high above
my head there was yet a chance to gain the deck by its slender aid。
That there was something radically wrong with the flier was evident
from its lack of buoyancy； and the further fact that though Thurid
had turned twice to the starting lever the boat still hung motionless
in the air； except for a slight drifting with a low breeze from the north。
Now Matai Shang was close to the gunwale。 A long； claw…like
hand was reaching up to grasp the metal rail。
Thurid leaned farther down toward his co…conspirator。
Suddenly a raised dagger gleamed in the upflung hand of the black。
Down it drove toward the white face of the Father of Therns。
With a loud shriek of fear the Holy Hekkador grasped frantically
at that menacing arm。
I was almost to the trailing rope by now。 The craft was still
rising slowly； the while it drifted from me。 Then I stumbled on
the icy way； striking my head upon a rock as I fell sprawling but
an arm's length from the rope； the end of which was now just
leaving the ground。
With the blow upon my head came unconsciousness。
It could not have been more than a few seconds that I lay
senseless there upon the northern ice； while all that was
dearest to me drifted farther from my reach in the clutches of
that black fiend； for when I opened my eyes Thurid and Matai Shang
yet battled at the ladder's top； and the flier drifted but a
hundred yards farther to the southbut the end of the trailing
rope was now a good thirty feet above the ground。
Goaded to madness by the cruel misfortune that had tripped me
when success was almost within my grasp； I tore frantically across
the intervening space； and just beneath the rope's dangling end I
put my earthly muscles to the supreme test。
With a mighty； catlike bound I sprang upward toward that slender
strandthe only avenue which yet remained that could carry
me to my vanishing love。
A foot above its lowest end my fingers closed。 Tightly as I
clung I felt the rope slipping； slipping through my grasp。
I tried to raise my free hand to take a second hold above my first；
but the change of position that resulted caused me to slip more
rapidly toward the end of the rope。
Slowly I felt the tantalizing thing escaping me。 In a moment all
that I had gained would be lostthen my fingers reached a knot
at the very end of the rope and slipped no more。
With a prayer of gratitude upon my lips I scrambled upward toward
the boat's deck。 I could not see Thurid and Matai Shang now；
but I heard the sounds of conflict and thus knew that they
still foughtthe thern for his life and the black for the
increased buoyancy that relief from the weight of even a single
body would give the craft。
Should Matai Shang die before I reached the deck my chances of
ever reaching it would be slender indeed； for the black dator need
but cut the rope above me to be freed from me forever； for the
vessel had drifted across the brink of a chasm into whose yawning
depths my body would drop to be crushed to a shapeless pulp should
Thurid reach the rope now。
At last my hand closed upon the ship's rail and that very
instant a horrid shriek rang out below me that sent my blood cold
and turned my horrified eyes downward to a shrieking； hurtling；
twisting thing that shot downward into the awful chasm beneath me。
It was Matai Shang； Holy Hekkador； Father of Therns； gone to
his last accounting。
Then my head came above the deck and I saw Thurid； dagger in hand；
leaping toward me。 He was opposite the forward end of the cabin；
while I was attempting to clamber aboard near the vessel's stern。
But a few paces lay between us。 No power on earth could raise me
to that deck before the infuriated black would be upon me。
My end had come。 I knew it； but had there been a doubt in my
mind the nasty leer of triumph upon that wicked face would have
convinced me。 Beyond Thurid I could see my Dejah Thoris； wide…eyed
and horrified； struggling at her bonds。 That she should be forced
to witness my awful death made my bitter fate seem doubly cruel。
I ceased my efforts to climb across the gunwale。 Instead I took
a firm grasp upon the rail with my left hand and drew my dagger。
I should at least die as I had livedfighting。
As Thurid came opposite the cabin's doorway a new element
projected itself into the grim tragedy of the air that was
being enacted upon the deck of Matai Shang's disabled flier。
It was Phaidor。
With flushed face and disheveled hair； and eyes that betrayed
the recent presence of mortal tearsabove which this proud goddess
had always held herselfshe leaped to the deck directly before me。
In her hand was a long； slim dagger。 I cast a last look upon
my beloved princess； smiling； as men should who are about to die。
Then I turned my face up toward Phaidorwaiting for the blow。
Never have I seen that beautiful face more beautiful than it
was at that moment。 It seemed incredible that one so lovely could
yet harbor within her fair bosom a heart so cruel and relentless；
and today there was a new expression in her wondrous eyes that I never
before had seen therean unfamiliar softness； and a look of suffering。
Thurid was beside her nowpushing past to reach me first； and then
what happened happened so quickly that it was all over before I could
realize the truth of it。
Phaidor's slim hand shot out to close upon the black's dagger wrist。
Her right hand went high with its gleaming blade。
〃That for Matai Shang！〃 she cried； and she buried her blade
deep in the dator's breast。 〃That for the wrong you would have done
Dejah Thoris！〃 and again the sharp steel sank into the bloody flesh。
〃And that； and that； and that！〃 she shrieked； 〃for John Carter；
Prince of Helium；〃 and with each word her sharp point pierced
the vile heart of the great villain。 Then； with a vindictive
shove she cast the carcass of the First Born from the deck to
fall in awful silence after the body of his victim。
I had been so paralyzed by surprise that I had made no move to reach
the deck during the awe…inspiring scene which I had just witnessed；
and now I was to be still further amazed by her next act； for Phaidor
extended her hand to me and assisted me to the deck； where I stood
gazing at her in unconcealed and stupefied wonderment。
A wan smile touched her lipsit was not the cruel and haughty
smile of the goddess with which I was familiar。 〃You wonder；
John Carter；〃 she said； 〃what strange thing has wrought this
change in me？ I will tell you。 It is lovelove of you；〃
and when I darkened my brows in disapproval of her words
she raised an appealing hand。
〃Wait；〃 she said。 〃It is a different love from mineit is
the love of your princess； Dejah Thoris； for you that has taught
me what true love may bewhat it should be； and how far from
real love was my selfish and jealous passion for you。
〃Now I am different。 Now could I love as Dejah Thoris loves；
and so my only happiness can be to know that you and she are once
more united； for in her alone can you find true happiness。
〃But I am unhappy because of the wickedness that I have wrought。
I have many sins to expiate； and though I be deathless； life is
all too short for the atonement。
〃But there is another way； and if Phaidor； daughter of the
Holy Hekkador of the Holy Therns； has sinned she has this day
already made partial reparation； and lest you doubt the sincerity
of her protestations and her avowal of a new love that embraces
Dejah Thoris also； she will prove her sincerity in the only way
that lies openhaving saved you for another； Phaidor leaves you
to her embraces。〃
With her last word she turned and leaped from the vessel's
deck into the abyss below。
With a cry of horror I sprang forward in a vain attempt to
save the life that for two years I would so gladly have seen
extinguished。 I was too late。
With tear…dimmed eyes I turned away that I might not see the
awful sight beneath。
A moment later I had struck the bonds from Dejah Thoris； and as
her dear arms went about my neck and her perfect lips pressed to
mine I forgot the horrors that I had witnessed and the suffering
that I had endured in the r