greetings," said the young man, "and commands me
to inform you that though he is fully advised of the plot to make you
Jeddak of Helium, he is, however, not inclined to withdraw the offer
which he has made you. To gain your freedom you have but to request me
to advise Zat Arrras that you accept the terms of his proposition."

I but shook my head. The youth said no more, and, after placing the
food upon the floor at my side, returned up the corridor, taking the
light with him.

Twice a day for many days this youth came to my cell with food, and
ever the same greetings from Zat Arrras. For a long time I tried to
engage him in conversation upon other matters, but he would not talk,
and so, at length, I desisted.

For months I sought to devise methods to inform Carthoris of my
whereabouts. For months I scraped and scraped upon a single link of
the massive chain which held me, hoping eventually to wear it through,
that I might follow the youth back through the winding tunnels to a
point where I could make a break for liberty.

I was beside myself with anxiety for knowledge of the progress of the
expedition which was to rescue Dejah Thoris. I felt that Carthoris
would not let the matter drop, were he free to act, but in so far as I
knew, he also might be a prisoner in Zat Arrras' pits.

That Zat Arrras' spy had overheard our conversation relative to the
selection of a new Jeddak, I knew, and scarcely a half-dozen minutes
prior we had discussed the details of the plan to rescue Dejah Thoris.
The chances were that that matter, too, was well known to him.
Carthoris, Kantos Kan, Tars Tarkas, Hor Vastus, and Xodar might even
now be the victims of Zat Arrras' assassins, or else his prisoners.

I determined to make at least one more effort to learn something, and
to this end I adopted strategy when next the youth came to my cell. I
had noticed that he was a handsome fellow, about the size and age of
Carthoris. And I had also noticed that his shabby trappings but illy
comported with his dignified and noble bearing.

It was with these observations as a basis that I opened my negotiations
with him upon his next subsequent visit.

"You have been very kind to me during my imprisonment here," I said to
him, "and as I feel that I have at best but a very short time to live,
I wish, ere it is too late, to furnish substantial testimony of my
appreciation of all that you have done to render my imprisonment
bearable.

"Prompt