had worshiped her, to be torn to pieces in her own temple."

That put an end to Thurid's grinning, for he had been high in the
favor of Issus.

"Let us have an end to this blaspheming!" he cried, turning to the
Father of Therns.

Matai Shang rose and, leaning over the edge of the balcony, gave
voice to the weird call that I had heard from the lips of the
priests upon the tiny balcony upon the face of the Golden Cliffs
overlooking the Valley Dor, when, in times past, they called
the fearsome white apes and the hideous plant men to the feast of
victims floating down the broad bosom of the mysterious Iss toward
the silian-infested waters of the Lost Sea of Korus. "Let loose
the death!" he cried, and immediately a dozen doors in the base of
the tower swung open, and a dozen grim and terrible banths sprang
into the arena.

This was not the first time that I had faced the ferocious Barsoomian
lion, but never had I been pitted, single-handed, against a full
dozen of them. Even with the assistance of the fierce Woola, there
could be but a single outcome to so unequal a struggle.

For a moment the beasts hesitated beneath the brilliant glare
of the torches; but presently their eyes, becoming accustomed to
the light, fell upon Woola and me, and with bristling manes and
deep-throated roars they advanced, lashing their tawny sides with
their powerful tails.

In the brief interval of life that was left me I shot a last,
parting glance toward my Dejah Thoris. Her beautiful face was set
in an expression of horror; and as my eyes met hers she extended
both arms toward me as, struggling with the guards who now held
her, she endeavored to cast herself from the balcony into the pit
beneath, that she might share my death with me. Then, as the banths
were about to close upon me, she turned and buried her dear face
in her arms.

Suddenly my attention was drawn toward Thuvia of Ptarth. The
beautiful girl was leaning far over the edge of the balcony, her
eyes bright with excitement.

In another instant the banths would be upon me, but I could not
force my gaze from the features of the red girl, for I knew that
her expression meant anything but the enjoyment of the grim tragedy
that would so soon be enacted below her; there was some deeper,
hidden meaning which I sought to solve.

For an instant I thought of relying on my earthly muscles and
agility to escape the banths and reach the balcony, which I could
easily have done,