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Turan!" she whispered. "It is I-Gos, whom I thought to have slain in the pits of O-

Tar. It is I-Gos and he recognizes you and will--"

But what I-Gos would do was already transpiring. In his falsetto voice he fairly

screamed: "It is the slave Turan who stole the woman Tara from your throne

room, O-Tar. He desecrated the dead chief I-Mal and wears his harness now!"

Instantly all was pandemonium. Warriors drew their swords and leaped to their

feet. Gahan's victorious players rushed forward in a body, sweeping The Keeper of

the Towers from his feet. Val Dor and Floran threw open the gates beneath the

royal enclosure, opening the tunnel that led to the avenue in the city beyond the

Towers. Gahan, surrounded by his men, drew Tara and Lan-O into the

passageway, and at a rapid pace the party sought to reach the opposite end of the

tunnel before their escape could be cut off. They were successful and when they

emerged into the city the sun had set and darkness had come, relieved only by an

antiquated and ineffective lighting system, which cast but a pale glow over the

shadowy streets.

Now it was that Tara of Helium guessed why the Black Chief had drawn out his

duel with U-Dor and realized that he might have slain his man at almost any

moment he had elected. The whole plan that Gahan had whispered to his players

before the game was thoroughly understood. They were to make their way to The

Gate of Enemies and there offer their services to U-Thor, the great Jed of

Manatos. The fact that most of them were Gatholians and that Gahan could lead

rescuers to the pit where A-Kor, the son of U-Thor's wife, was confined, convinced

the Jed of Gathol that they would meet with no rebuff at the hands of U-Thor.

But even should he refuse them, still were they bound together to go on toward

freedom, if necessary cutting their way through the forces of U-Thor at The Gate

of Enemies--twenty men against a small army; but of such stuff are the warriors

of Barsoom.

They had covered a considerable distance along the almost deserted avenue

before signs of pursuit developed and then there came upon them suddenly from

behind a dozen warriors mounted on thoats--a detachment, evidently, from The

Jeddak's Guard. Instantly the avenue was a pandemonium of clashing blades,

cursing warriors, and squealing thoats. In the first onslaught life blood was

spilled upon both sides. Two of Gahan's men went down, and upon the enemies'

side three riderless thoats attested at least a portion of their casualties.

Gahan was engaged with a fellow who appeared to have been selected to account

for him only, since he rode straight for him and sought to cut him down without

giving the slightest heed to several who slashed at him as he passed them. The

Gatholian, practiced in the art of combating a mounted warrior from the ground,

154

The Chessmen of Mars