The girl looked her incredulity.

"They lay in piles," she murmured. "There were thousandsof them but a minute ago."

"And now," continued Carthoris, "there remain but thebanths and the carcasses of the green men."

"They must have sent forth and carried the dead bowmenaway while we were talking," said the girl.

"It is impossible!" replied Carthoris. "Thousands ofdead lay there upon the field but a moment since. It wouldhave required many hours to have removed them. Thething is uncanny."

"I had hoped," said Thuvia, "that we might find anasylum with these fair-skinned people. Notwithstandingtheir valour upon the field of battle, they did not strikeme as a ferocious or warlike people. I had been aboutto suggest that we seek entrance to the city, but now Iscarce know if I care to venture among people whosedead vanish into thin air."

"Let us chance it," replied Carthoris. "We can be noworse off within their walls than without. Here we mayfall prey to the banths or the no less fierce Torquasians.There, at least, we shall find beings moulded afterour own images.

"All that causes me to hesitate," he added, "is thedanger of taking you past so many banths. A singlesword would scarce prevail were even a couple ofthem to charge simultaneously."

"Do not fear on that score," replied the girl, smiling."The banths will not harm us."

As she spoke she descended from the platform, andwith Carthoris at her side stepped fearlessly out upon thebloody field in the direction of the walled city of mystery.

They had advanced but a short distance when a banth,looking up from its gory feast, descried them. With anangry roar the beast walked quickly in their direction,and at the sound of its voice a score of others followedits example.

Carthoris drew his long-sword. The girl stole a quickglance at his face. She saw the smile upon his lips,and it was as wine to sick nerves; for even upon warlikeBarsoom where all men are brave, woman reacts quickly toquiet indifference to danger--to dare-deviltry that iswithout bombast.

"You may return your sword," she said. "I told youthat the banths would not harm us. Look!" and as shespoke she stepped quickly toward the nearest animal.

Carthoris would have leaped after her to protect her,but with a gesture she motioned him back. He heard hercalling to the banths in a low, singsong voice thatwas half purr.

Instantly the great heads went up and all thewicked eyes were riveted upon the figure of the girl.Then, stealthily, they commenced moving toward her.She had stopped now and was standing waiting them.

One, closer to her than the others, hesitated. She spoke tohim imperiously, as a master might speak to a refractory hound.

The great carnivore let its head droop, and with tailbetween its legs came slinking to the girl's feet,and after it came the others until she was entirelysurrounded by the savage maneaters.

Turning she led them to where Carthoris stood.They growled a little as they neared the man, but afew sharp words of command put them in their places.

"How do you do it?" exclaimed Carthoris.

"Your father once asked me that same question in thegalleries of the Golden Cliffs within the Otz Mountains,beneath the temples of the therns. I could not answer him,nor can I answer you. I do not know whence comes my powerover them, but ever since the day that Sator Throg threwme among them in the banth pit of the Holy Therns,and the great creatures fawned upon instead of devouring me,I ever have had the same strange power over them.They come at my call and do my bidding, even as thefaithful Woola does the bidding of your mighty sire."

With a word the girl dispersed the fierce pack. Roaring,they returned to their interrupted feast, while Carthorisand Thuvia passed among them toward the walled city.

As they advanced the man looked with wonder uponthe dead bodies of those of the green men that had notbeen devoured or mauled by the banths.

He called the girl's attention to them. No arrowsprotruded from the great carcasses. Nowhere upon any ofthem was the sign of mortal wound, nor even slightestscratch or abrasion.

Before the bowmen's dead had disappeared the corpsesof the Torquasians had bristled with the deadly arrowsof their foes. Where had the slender messengersof death departed? What unseen hand had plucked themfrom the bodies of the slain?

Despite himself Carthoris could scarce repress a shudderof apprehension as he glanced toward the silent citybefore them. No longer was sign of life visible upon wallor roof top. All was quiet--brooding, ominous quiet.

Yet he was sure that eyes watched them from somewherebehind that blank wall.

He glanced at Thuvia. She was advancing with wide eyesfixed upon the city gate. He looked in the directionof her gaze, but saw nothing.

His gaze upon her seemed to arouse her as from a lethargy.She glanced up at him, a quick, brave smile touchingher lips, and then, as though the act was involuntary,she came close to his side and placed one of her hands in his.

He guessed that something within her that was beyond herconscious control was appealing to him for protection. He threw an arm about her, and thus they crossed the field.She did not draw away from him. It is doubtful thatshe realized that his arm was there, so engrossedwas she in the mystery of the strange city before them.

They stopped before the gate. It was a mighty thing.From its construction Carthoris could but dimlyspeculate upon its unthinkable antiquity.

It was circular, closing a circular aperture, and theHeliumite knew from his study of ancient Barsoomianarchitecture that it rolled to one side, like a huge wheel,into an aperture in the wall.

Even such world-old cities as ancient Aaanthor were asyet undreamed of when the races lived that built suchgates as these.

As he stood speculating upon the identity of thisforgotten city, a voice spoke to them from above.Both looked up. There, leaning over the edge ofthe high wall, was a man.

His hair was auburn, his skin fair--fairer even thanthat of John Carter, the Virginian. His forehead washigh, his eyes large and intelligent.

The language that he used was intelligible to the twobelow, yet there was a marked difference between it andtheir Barsoomian tongue.

"Who are you?" he asked. "And what do you herebefore the gate of Lothar?"

"We are friends," replied Carthoris. "This be theprincess, Thuvia of Ptarth, who was captured by theTorquasian horde. I am Carthoris of Helium, Prince ofthe house of Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium, and son ofJohn Carter, Warlord of Mars, and of his wife, Dejah Thoris."

"`Ptarth'?" repeated the man. "`Helium'?" He shookhis head. "I never have heard of these places, nordid I know that there dwelt upon Barsoom a race of thystrange colour. Where may these cities lie, of whichyou speak? From our loftiest tower we have never seenanother city than Lothar."

Carthoris pointed toward the north-east.

"In that direction lie Helium and Ptarth," he said."Helium is over eight thousand haads from Lothar, whilePtarth lies nine thousand five hundred haads north-eastof Helium."

10 sofads = 1 ad200 ads = 1 haad100 haads = 1 karad360 karads = 1 circumference of Mars at equator.

A haad, or Barsoomian mile, contains about 2,339 Earth feet.A karad is one degree. A sofad about 1.17 Earth inches.

Still the man shook his head.

"I know of nothing beyond the Lotharian hills," he said."Naught may live there beside the hideous green hordes of Torquas.They have conquered all Barsoom except this single valley andthe city of Lothar. Here we have defied them for countless ages,though periodically they renew their attempts to destroy us.From whence you come I cannot guess unless you be descendedfrom the slaves the Torquasians captured in early times whenthey reduced the outer world to their vassalage; but we hadheard that they destroyed all other races but their own."

Carthoris tried to explain that the Torquasians ruledbut a relatively tiny part of the surface of Barsoom, andeven this only because their domain held nothing to attractthe red race; but the Lotharian could not seem toconceive of anything beyond the valley of Lothar otherthan a trackless waste peopled by the ferocious greenhordes of Torquas.

After considerably parleying he consented to admitthem to the city, and a moment later the wheel-like gaterolled back within its niche, and Thuvia and Carthorisentered the city of Lothar.

All about them were evidences of fabulous wealth. Thefacades of the buildings fronting upon the avenue withinthe wall were richly carven, and about the windows anddoors were ofttimes set foot-wide borders of preciousstones, intricate mosaics, or tablets of beaten gold bearingbas-reliefs depicting what may have been bits of thehistory of this forgotten people.

He with whom they had conversed across the wall wasin the avenue to receive them. About him were a hundredor more men of the same race. All were clothed inflowing robes and all were beardless.

Their attitude was more of fearful suspicion than antagonism.They followed the new-comers with their eyes; but spoke no word to them.

Carthoris could not but notice the fact that though thecity had been but a short time before surrounded by ahorde of bloodthirsty demons yet none of the citizensappeared to be armed, nor was there sign of soldiery about.

He wondered if all the fighting men had sallied forth in onesupreme effort to rout the foe, leaving the city all unguarded.He asked their host.

The man smiled.

"No creature other than a score or so of our sacredbanths has left Lothar to-day," he replied.

"But the soldiers--the bowmen!" exclaimed Carthoris."We saw thousands emerge from this very gate,overwhelming the hordes of Torquas and putting themto rout with their deadly arrows and their fierce banths."

Still the man smiled his knowing smile.

"Look!" he cried, and pointed down a broad avenue before him.

Carthoris and Thuvia followed the direction indicated,and there, marching bravely in the sunlight, they sawadvancing toward them a great army of bowmen.

"Ah!" exclaimed Thuvia. "They have returned through another gate,or perchance these be the troops that remained to defend the city?"

Again the fellow smiled his uncanny smile.

"There are no soldiers in Lothar," he said. "Look!"

Both Carthoris and Thuvia had turned toward him while he spoke,and now as they turned back again toward the advancing regimentstheir eyes went wide in astonishment, for the broad avenue beforethem was as deserted as the tomb.

"And those who marched out upon the hordes to-day?" whispered Carthoris."They, too, were unreal?"

The man nodded.

"But their arrows slew the green warriors," insisted Thuvia.

"Let us go before Tario," replied the Lotharian."He will tell you that which he deems it best you know.I might tell you too much."

"Who is Tario?" asked Carthoris.

"Jeddak of Lothar," replied the guide, leading themup the broad avenue down which they had but a momentsince seen the phantom army marching.

For half an hour they walked along lovely avenues betweenthe most gorgeous buildings that the two had ever seen.Few people were in evidence. Carthoris could not butnote the deserted appearance of the mighty city.

At last they came to the royal palace. Carthoris sawit from a distance, and guessing the nature of themagnificent pile wondered that even here there shouldbe so little sign of activity and life.

Not even a single guard was visible before the greatentrance gate, nor in the gardens beyond, into which hecould see, was there sign of the myriad life that pulseswithin the precincts of the royal estates of the red jeddaks.

"Here," said their guide, "is the palace of Tario."

As he spoke Carthoris again let his gaze rest upon thewondrous palace. With a startled exclamation he rubbedhis eyes and looked again. No! He could not be mistaken.Before the massive gate stood a score of sentries. Within,the avenue leading to the main building was lined on eitherside by ranks of bowmen. The gardens were dottedwith officers and soldiers moving quickly to and fro,as though bent upon the duties of the minute.

What manner of people were these who could conjurean army out of thin air? He glanced toward Thuvia.She, too, evidently had witnessed the transformation.

With a little shudder she pressed more closely toward him.

"What do you make of it?" she whispered. "It is most uncanny."

"I cannot account for it," replied Carthoris, "unless wehave gone mad."

Carthoris turned quickly toward the Lotharian. The fellowwas smiling broadly.

"I thought that you just said that there were no soldiersin Lothar," said the Heliumite, with a gesture towardthe guardsmen. "What are these?"

"Ask Tario," replied the other. "We shall soon be before him."

Nor was it long before they entered a lofty chamberat one end of which a man reclined upon a rich couchthat stood upon a high dais.

As the trio approached, the man turned dreamy eyessleepily upon them. Twenty feet from the dais theirconductor halted, and, whispering to Thuvia and Carthoristo follow his example, threw himself headlong to the floor.Then rising to hands and knees, he commenced crawlingtoward the foot of the throne, swinging his head toand fro and wiggling his body as you have seen a hounddo when approaching its master.

Thuvia glanced quickly toward Carthoris. He wasstanding erect, with high-held head and arms foldedacross his broad chest. A haughty smile curved his lips.

The man upon the dais was eyeing him intently, andCarthoris of Helium was looking straight in the other's face.

"Who be these, Jav?" asked the man of him whocrawled upon his belly along the floor.

"O Tario, most glorious Jeddak," replied Jav, "these bestrangers who came with the hordes of Torquas to our gates,saying that they were prisoners of the green men.They tell strange tales of cities far beyond Lothar."

"Arise, Jav," commanded Tario, "and ask these twowhy they show not to Tario the respect that is his due."

Jav arose and faced the strangers. At sight of theirerect positions his face went livid. He leaped toward them.

"Creatures!" he screamed. "Down! Down upon yourbellies before the last of the jeddaks of Barsoom!"