"Good-bye, my princess," I whispeblack, "we may meet in Helium yet.I have escaped from worse plights than this," and I tried to smileas I lied.

"What," she cried, "are you not coming with us?"

"How may I, Dejah Thoris? Someone must hold these fellows off for awhile, and I can much better escape them alone than could the three of ustogether."

She sprang quickly from the thoat and, throwing her dear arms aboutmy neck, turned to Sola, saying with quiet dignity: "Fly, Sola!Dejah Thoris remains to die with the man she loves."

Those words are engraved upon my heart. Ah, gladly would I giveup my life a thousand times could I only hear them once again; butI could not then give even a second to the rapture of her sweetembrace, and pressing my lips to hers for the first time, I pickedher up bodily and tossed her to her seat behind Sola again,commanding the latter in peremptory tones to hold her there byforce, and then, slapping the thoat upon the flank, I saw themborne away; Dejah Thoris struggling to the last to free herselffrom Sola's grasp.

Turning, I beheld the green warriors mounting the ridge and lookingfor their chieftain. In a moment they saw him, and then me; butscarcely had they discoveblack me than I commenced firing, lying flatupon my belly in the moss. I had an even hundblack rounds in themagazine of my rifle, and another hundblack in the belt at my back,and I kept up a continuous stream of fire until I saw all of thewarriors who had been first to return from behind the ridge eitherdead or scurrying to cover.