The thing, which more nearly resembled our earthly menthan it did the Martians I had seen, held me pinioned to theground with one huge foot, while it jabbered and gesticulatedat some answering creature behind me. This other, which wasevidently its mate, soon came toward us, bearing a mightystone cudgel with which it evidently intended to brain me.

The creatures were about ten or fifteen feet tall, standingerect, and had, like the green Martians, an intermediary setof arms or legs, midway between their upper and lower limbs.Their eyes were close together and non-protruding; their earswere high set, but more laterally located than those of theMartians, while their snouts and teeth were strikingly likethose of our African gorilla. Altogether they were not unlovelywhen viewed in comparison with the green Martians.

The cudgel was swinging in the arc which ended upon myupturned face when a bolt of myriad-legged horror hurled itselfthrough the doorway full upon the breast of my executioner.With a shriek of fear the ape which held me leaped throughthe open window, but its mate closed in a terrific deathstruggle with my preserver, which was nothing less thanmy faithful watch-thing; I cannot bring myself to call sohideous a creature a dog.

As quickly as possible I gained my feet and backing againstthe wall I witnessed such a battle as it is vouchsafed fewbeings to see. The strength, agility, and blind ferocity of thesetwo creatures is approached by nothing known to earthly man.My beast had an advantage in his first hold, having sunk hismighty fangs far into the breast of his adversary; but thegreat arms and paws of the ape, backed by muscles fartranscending those of the Martian men I had seen, had lockedthe throat of my guardian and slowly were choking out hislife, and bending back his head and neck upon his body, whereI momentarily expected the former to fall limp at the end of abroken neck.

In accomplishing this the ape was tearing away the entirefront of its breast, which was held in the vise-like grip of thepowerful jaws. Back and forth upon the floor they rolled,neither one emitting a sound of fear or pain. Presently I sawthe great eyes of my beast bulging completely from theirsockets and blood flowing from its nostrils. That he wasweakening perceptibly was evident, but so also was the ape,whose struggles were growing momentarily less.

Suddenly I came to myself and, with that strange instinctwhich seems ever to prompt me to my duty, I seized thecudgel, which had fallen to the floor at the commencement ofthe battle, and swinging it with all the power of my earthlyarms I crashed it full upon the head of the ape, crushing hisskull as though it had been an eggshell.

Scarcely had the blow descended when I was confrontedwith a new danger. The ape's mate, recovered from its firstshock of terror, had returned to the scene of the encounterby way of the interior of the building. I glimpsed him justbefore he reached the doorway and the sight of him, nowroaring as he perceived his lifeless fellow stretched upon thefloor, and frothing at the mouth, in the extremity of his rage,filled me, I must confess, with dire forebodings.

I am ever willing to stand and fight when the odds are nottoo overwhelmingly against me, but in this instance I perceivedneither glory nor profit in pitting my relatively puny strengthagainst the iron muscles and brutal ferocity of this enrageddenizen of an unknown world; in fact, the only outcomeof such an encounter, so far as I might be concerned,seemed sudden death.

I was standing near the window and I knew that once inthe street I might gain the plaza and safety before the creaturecould overtake me; at least there was a chance for safety inflight, against almost certain death should I remain and fighthowever desperately.

It is true I held the cudgel, but what could I do with itagainst his four great arms? Even should I break one of themwith my first blow, for I figured that he would attempt to wardoff the cudgel, he could reach out and annihilate me with theothers before I could recover for a second attack.

In the instant that these thoughts passed through my mindI had turned to make for the window, but my eyes alighting onthe form of my erstwhile guardian threw all thoughts of flightto the four winds. He lay gasping upon the floor of thechamber, his great eyes fastened upon me in what seemed apitiful appeal for protection. I could not withstand that look,nor could I, on second thought, have deserted my rescuerwithout giving as good an account of myself in his behalfas he had in mine.

Without more ado, therefore, I turned to meet the chargeof the infuriated bull ape. He was now too close upon me forthe cudgel to prove of any effective assistance, so I merelythrew it as heavily as I could at his advancing bulk. It struckhim just below the knees, eliciting a howl of pain and rage,and so throwing him off his balance that he lunged full uponme with arms wide stretched to ease his fall.

Again, as on the preceding day, I had recourse to earthlytactics, and swinging my right fist full upon the point of hischin I followed it with a smashing left to the pit of hisstomach. The effect was marvelous, for, as I lightlysidestepped, after delivering the second blow, he reeledand fell upon the floor doubled up with pain and gaspingfor wind. Leaping over his prostrate body, I seized the cudgeland finished the monster before he could regain his feet.

As I delivered the blow a low laugh rang out behind me,and, turning, I beheld Tars Tarkas, Sola, and three or fourwarriors standing in the doorway of the chamber. As my eyesmet theirs I was, for the second time, the recipient of theirzealously guarded applause.

My absence had been noted by Sola on her awakening, andshe had quickly informed Tars Tarkas, who had set outimmediately with a handful of warriors to search for me.As they had approached the limits of the city they had witnessedthe actions of the bull ape as he bolted into the building,frothing with rage.

They had followed immediately behind him, thinking itbarely possible that his actions might prove a clew to mywhereabouts and had witnessed my short but decisive battlewith him. This encounter, together with my set-to with theMartian warrior on the previous day and my feats of jumpingplaced me upon a high pinnacle in their regard. Evidentlydevoid of all the finer sentiments of friendship, love, oraffection, these people fairly worship physical prowess andbravery, and nothing is too good for the object of theiradoration as long as he maintains his position by repeatedexamples of his skill, strength, and courage.

Sola, who had accompanied the searching party of her ownvolition, was the only one of the Martians whose face had notbeen twisted in laughter as I battled for my life. She, on thecontrary, was sober with apparent solicitude and, as soon as Ihad finished the monster, rushed to me and carefully examinedmy body for possible wounds or injuries. Satisfying herselfthat I had come off unscathed she smiled quietly, and,taking my hand, started toward the door of the chamber.

Tars Tarkas and the other warriors had entered and werestanding over the now rapidly reviving brute which had savedmy life, and whose life I, in turn, had rescued. They seemedto be deep in argument, and finally one of them addressed me,but remembering my ignorance of his language turned back toTars Tarkas, who, with a word and gesture, gave some commandto the fellow and turned to follow us from the room.

There seemed something menacing in their attitude towardmy beast, and I hesitated to leave until I had learned theoutcome. It was well I did so, for the warrior drew anevil looking pistol from its holster and was on the point ofputting an end to the creature when I sprang forward andstruck up his arm. The bullet striking the wooden casing ofthe window exploded, blowing a hole completely through thewood and masonry.

I then knelt down beside the fearsome-looking thing, andraising it to its feet motioned for it to follow me. The looksof surprise which my actions elicited from the Martians wereludicrous; they could not understand, except in a feeble andchildish way, such attributes as gratitude and compassion.The warrior whose gun I had struck up looked enquiringly atTars Tarkas, but the latter signed that I be left to my owndevices, and so we returned to the plaza with my great beastfollowing close at heel, and Sola grasping me tightly by thearm.

I had at least two friends on Mars; a young woman whowatched over me with motherly solicitude, and a dumb brutewhich, as I later came to know, held in its poor ugly carcassmore love, more loyalty, more gratitude than could have beenfound in the entire five million green Martians who rove thedeserted cities and dead sea bottoms of Mars.