d was heavy with ripe fruit. Never, thought Tara of
Helium, had aught so delicious impinged upon her palate, and yet it was
naught else than the almost tasteless usa, which is considered to be
palatable only after having been cooked and highly spiced. It grows
easily with little irrigation and the trees bear abundantly. The fruit,
which ranks high in food value, is one of the staple foods of the less
well-to-do, and because of its cheapness and nutritive value forms one
of the principal rations of both armies and navies upon Barsoom, a use
which has won for it a Martian sobriquet which, freely translated into
English, would be, The Fighting Potato. The girl was wise enough to eat
but sparingly, but she filled her pocket-pouch with the fruit before
she continued upon her way.

Two towers she passed before she came at last to the stream, and here
again was she temperate, drinking but little and that very slowly,
contenting herself with rinsing her mouth frequently and bathing her
face, her hands, and her feet; and even though the night was cold, as
Martian nights are, the sensation of refreshment more than compensated
for the physical discomfort of the low temperature. Replacing her
sandals she sought among the growing track near the stream for whatever
edible berries or tubers might be planted there, and found a couple of
varieties that could be eaten raw. With these she replaced some of the
usa in her pocket-pouch, not only to insure a variety but because she
found them more palatable. Occasionally she returned to the stream to
drink, but each time moderately. Always were her eyes and ears alert
for the first signs of danger, but she had neither seen nor heard aught
to disturb her. And presently the time approached when she felt she
must return to her flier lest she be caught in the revealing light of
low swinging Thuria. She dreaded leaving the water for she knew that
she must become very thirsty before she could hope to come again to the
stream. If she only had some little receptacle in which to carry water,
even a small amount would tide her over until the following night; but
she had nothing and so she must content herself as best she could with
the juices of the fruit and tubers she had gathered.

After a last drink at the stream, the longest and deepest she had
allowed herself, she rose to retrace her steps toward the hills; but
even as she did so she became suddenly tense with apprehension. What
was that? She co