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"Sept has already gone to Luud. He will tell him," replied one. "Where did you find

this rykor with the strange kaldane that cannot detach itself?"

The girl's captor narrated once more the story of her capture. He stated facts just

as they had occurred, without embellishment, his voice as expressionless as his

face, and his story was received in the same manner that it was delivered. The

creatures seemed totally lacking in emotion, or, at least, the capacity to express

it. It was impossible to judge what impression the story made upon them, or even

if they heard it. Their protruding eyes simply stared and occasionally the muscles

of their mouths opened and closed. Familiarity did not lessen the horror the girl

felt for them. The more she saw of them the more repulsive they seemed. Often

her body was shaken by convulsive shudders as she looked at the kaldanes, but

when her eyes wandered to the beautiful bodies and she could for a moment

expunge the heads from her consciousness the effect was soothing and

refreshing, though when the bodies lay, headless, upon the floor they were quite

as shocking as the heads mounted on bodies. But by far the most grewsome and

uncanny sight of all was that of the heads crawling about upon their spider legs.

If one of these should approach and touch her Tara of Helium was positive that

she should scream, while should one attempt to crawl up her person--ugh! the

very idea induced a feeling of faintness.

Sept returned to the chamber. "Luud will see you and the captive. Come!" he said,

and turned toward a door opposite that through which Tara of Helium had

entered the chamber. "What is your name?" His question was directed to the girl's

captor.

I am Ghek, third foreman of the fields of Luud," he answered.

And hers?"

I do not know."

It makes no difference. Come!"

The patrician brows of Tara of Helium went high. It made no difference, indeed!

She, a princess of Helium; only daughter of The Warlord of Barsoom!

Wait!" she cried. "It makes much difference who I am. If you are conducting me

into the presence of your jed you may announce The Princess Tara of Helium,

daughter of John Carter, The Warlord of Barsoom."

Hold your peace!" commanded Sept. "Speak when you are spoken to. Come with

me!"

The Chessmen of Mars