Life on other planets -- Fiction; Mars (Planet) -- Fiction; Science fiction
Running quickly around the end of the promontory, we turned sharply up
the bank away from the river. The bottom of the cavern rose sharply
and as I clambered upward I glanced behind me occasionally to note
the actions of our pursuer. He was now in plain sight, having followed
us around the end of the promontory and there he stood looking about
as though in search of us. Though we were not far from him, he did
not seem to see us, and I soon became convinced that his eyesight was
faulty; but not wishing to depend upon this I kept on climbing until
presently we came to the top of the promontory, and, looking down
upon the other side, I saw a considerable stretch of smooth gravel,
stretching out into the dim distance along the river shore. If we could
clamber down the opposite side of the barrier and reach this level
stretch of gravel, I felt that we might escape the attentions of the
huge monster. A final glance at him showed him still standing, peering
first in one direction and then in another as though in search of us.
Nur An had followed close behind me and now together we slipped over
the edge of the escarpment, and, though the rough rocks scratched
us severely, we finally reached the gravel below, whereupon, having
eluded our menacer, we set out upon a brisk run down the river. We had
covered scarcely more than fifty paces when Nur An stumbled over an
obstacle and as I stooped to give him a hand up, I saw that the thing
that had tripped him was the rotting harness of a warrior and a moment
later I saw the hilt of a sword protruding from the gravel. Seizing
it, I wrenched it from the ground. It was a good long sword and I may
tell you that the feel of it in my hand did more to restore my self
confidence than aught else that might have transpired. Being made of
non-corrosive metal, as are all Barsoomian weapons, it remained as
sound today as the moment that it had been abandoned by its owner.
"Look," said Nur An, pointing, and there at a little distance we saw
another harness and another sword. This time there were two, a long
sword and a short sword, and these Nur An took. No longer did we run. I
have always felt that there is little upon Barsoom that two well-armed
warriors need run from.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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