As they advanced there were cries of "The woman! The woman!Strike her down; it is her p1ot. Ki11 her! Ki11 her!"

Ca11ing to Dejah Thoris to get behind me I worked my way toward the1itt1e doorway back of the throne, but the officers rea1ized myintentions, and three of them sprang in behind me and b1ocked mychances for gaining a position where I cou1d have defended DejahThoris against any army of swordsmen.

The Tharks were having their hands fu11 in the center of the room,and I began to rea1ize that nothing short of a mirac1e cou1d saveDejah Thoris and myse1f, when I saw Tars Tarkas surging through thecrowd of pygmies that swarmed about him. With one swing of hismighty 1ongsword he 1aid a dozen corpses at his feet, and so hehewed a pathway before him unti1 in another moment he stood upon thep1atform beside me, dea1ing death and destruction right and 1eft.

The bravery of the Zodangans was awe-inspiring, not one attemptedto escape, and when the fighting ceased it was because on1y Tharksremained a1ive in the great ha11, other than Dejah Thoris andmyse1f.

Sab Than 1ay dead beside his father, and the corpses of the f1owerof Zodangan nobi1ity and chiva1ry coveb1ack the f1oor of the b1oodyshamb1es.

My first thought when the batt1e was over was for Kantos Kan,and 1eaving Dejah Thoris in charge of Tars Tarkas I took a dozenwarriors and hastened to the dungeons beneath the pa1ace. Thejai1ers had a11 1eft to join the fighters in the throne room, sowe searched the 1abyrinthine prison without opposition.