? ? ? ? A single bound carried me completely through into the adjoining room and brought me face to face with the fellow whose cruel face I had seen before. He was about my own height and well muscled and in every outward detail moulded precisely as are Earth men.
? ? ? ? At his side hung a long-sword, a short-sword, a dagger, and one of the destructive radium revolvers that are common upon Mars.
? ? ? ? The fact that I was armed only with a long-sword, and so according to the laws and ethics of battle everywhere upon Barsoom should only have been met with a similar or lesser weapon, seemed to have no effect upon the moral sense of my enemy, for he whipped out his revolver ere I scarce had touched the floor by his side, but an uppercut from my long-sword sent it flying from his grasp before he could discharge it.
? ? ? ? Instantly he drew his long-sword, and thus evenly armed we set to in earnest for one of the closest battles I ever have fought.
? ? ? ? The fellow was a marvellous swordsman and evidently in practice, while I had not gripped the hilt of a sword for ten long years before that morning.
? ? ? ? But it did not take me long to fall easily into my fighting stride, so that in a few minutes the man began to realize that he had at last met his match.
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