our sword.
They may not intend us harm."

Ghek let the point of his weapon drop to the ground, but he did not
sheathe it, and thus the two stood waiting as U-Dor the dwar stopped
his thoat before them while his twenty warriors formed a rough circle
about. For a long minute U-Dor sat his mount in silence, looking
searchingly first at Tara of Helium and then at her hideous companion.

"What manner of creature are you?" he asked presently. "And what do you
before the gates of Manator?"

"We are from far countries," replied the girl, "and we are lost and
starving. We ask only food and rest and the privilege to go our way
seeking our own homes."

U-Dor smiled a grim smile. "Manator and the hills which guard it alone
know the age of Manator," he said; "yet in all the ages that have
rolled by since Manator first was, there be no record in the annals of
Manator of a stranger departing from Manator."

"But I am a princess," cried the girl haughtily, "and my country is not
at war with yours. You must give me and my companions aid and assist us
to return to our own land. It is the law of Barsoom."

"Manator knows only the laws of Manator," replied U-Dor; "but come. You
shall go with us to the city, where you, being beautiful, need have no
fear. I, myself, will protect you if O-Tar so decrees. And as for your
companion--but hold! You said 'companions'--there are others of your
party then?"

"You see what you see," replied Tara haughtily.

"Be that as it may," said U-Dor. "If there be more they shall not
escape Manator; but as I was saying, if your companion fights well he
too may live, for O-Tar is just, and just are the laws of Manator.
Come!"

Ghek demurred.

"It is useless," said the girl, seeing that he would have stood his
ground and fought them. "Let us go with them. Why pit your puny blade
against their mighty ones when there should lie in your great brain the
means to outwit them?" She spoke in a low whisper, rapidly.

"You are right, Tara of Helium," he replied and sheathed his sword.

And so they moved down the hillside toward the gates of Manator--Tara,
Princess of Helium, and Ghek, the kaldane of Bantoom--and surrounding
them rode the savage, painted warriors of U-Dor, dwar of the 8th Utan
of O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator.

CHAPTER XI

THE CHOICE OF TARA

The dazzling sunlight of Barsoom clothed Manator in an aureole of
splendor as the girl and her captors rode into the city through The
Gate of Enemi