THE CHESSMEN OF MARS Edgar Rice Burroughs This public-domain (U.S.) text was prepared by Judy Boss, Omaha, NE. The Project Gutenberg edition (“cmars12”) was subse- quently converted to LATEX using Guten- Mark software and re-edited (for formatting only) by Ron Burkey. Report problems to
[email protected]. Revision C1 differs from C in that “—-” has everywhere been replaced by “—”. Revision: C1 Date: 01/27/2008 Contents PRELUDE. JOHN CARTER COMES TO EARTH 1 CHAPTER I. TARA IN A TANTRUM 5 CHAPTER II. AT THE GALE’S MERCY 21 CHAPTER III. THE HEADLESS HUMANS 37 CHAPTER IV. CAPTURED 55 CHAPTER V. THE PERFECT BRAIN 73 CHAPTER VI. IN THE TOILS OF HORROR 87 CHAPTER VII. A REPELLENT SIGHT 105 CHAPTER VIII. CLOSE WORK 123 i ii CHAPTER IX. ADRIFT OVER STRANGE REGIONS 137 CHAPTER X. ENTRAPPED 153 CHAPTER XI. THE CHOICE OF TARA 167 CHAPTER XII. GHEK PLAYS PRANKS 183 CHAPTER XIII. A DESPERATE DEED 197 CHAPTER XIV. AT GHEKS COMMAND 213 CHAPTER XV. THE OLD MAN OF THE PITS 229 CHAPTER XVI. ANOTHER CHANGE OF NAME 245 CHAPTER XVII. A PLAY TO THE DEATH 261 CHAPTER XVIII. A TASK FOR LOYALTY 277 CHAPTER XIX. THE MENACE OF THE DEAD 295 CHAPTER XX. THE CHARGE OF COWARDICE 309 CHAPTER XXI. A RISK FOR LOVE 325 iii CHAPTER XXII. AT THE MOMENT OF MARRIAGE 339 JETAN, OR MARTIAN CHESS 357 iv PRELUDE. JOHN CARTER COMES TO EARTH Shea had just beaten me at chess, as usual, and, also as usual, I had gleaned what questionable satisfaction I might by twitting him with this indication of failing mental- ity by calling his attention to the nth time to that theory, propounded by certain sci- entists, which is based upon the assertion that phenomenal chess players are always found to be from the ranks of children un- der twelve, adults over seventy-two or the mentally defective—a theory that is lightly ig- nored upon those rare occasions that I win.