I finally regained my composure and
essayed to remove the keys to my chains 
from my jailer's dead body, 
but as I groped for it 
I discovered that it was gone. 
To my horror, the owners of
the gleaming eyes had taken it to devour 
in their neighboring lair, 
much as they someday planned for me, 
no doubt.

Survivors of the Heliumitic expedition 
ambushed by the Tharks at Korad 
had limped home toward Helium, 
but while passing by
the enemy city of Zodanga, 
they had been attacked yet again, 
and all but the ship he was aboard
were destroyed.  
Kantos Kan and nine others had escaped
in the battered vessel 
back to Helium.

Upon hearing of Dejah Thoris' 
capture by the brutal Tharks, 
Helium immediately sent 
seven hundred warships 
in search of her, 
but the fleets were searching in the north, 
and had only begun recently to look southward.
Two green martian hordes had been
wiped off the face of Barsoom by the 
avenging fleets. 

The fleets had found 
no sign of the Princess, 
and had detailed two thousand 
smallcraft to widen the search.
Kantos Kan had landed 
his tiny, one-man flier 
and searched the city
for two days, lone, 
but his luck ran out--

--he was captured 
by a small party of Warhoons, 
just as he was about to leave the city, 
and thrown into the dungeon with me.  
He had found no trace 
of the Princess,
but assured me that from the hills 
where I had last seen 
her it was but a few miles
to the waterway and safety.

During the days of our captivity, 
Kantos Kan and I became well acquainted, 
and formed a warm personal friendship.
Then one day 
we were dragged in early morning 
to a huge amphitheater 
for the Great Games, 
and were caged together 
at one end of the rough arena.

The vast, unkempt area had been 
crudely walled with stone 
from the ruins of the city, 
and cages at either end held 
wild calots, thoats, mad zitidars, 
green prisoners of other hordes, 
and many strange, 
ferocious beasts and men 
that I had never seen.  
The din of the horrendous collection 
was deafening. 

Kantos Kan explained to me 
that at the end of 
this long bloody day the last 
survivor would be set free.  

The winners of each contest
would be pitted 
against each other 
until but one victor was freed, 
for each of ten days.

Then Dak Kova gave 
the sign to begin the Games.

The uproar 
of the savage crowd 
was tremendous.

Kantos Kan told me
when it was over, 
and I turned to see 
but three remaining calots, 
snarling over the bodies 
of their prey.  
The women had given a good 
account of themselves.

Next a mad zitidar 
was loosed 
among the remaining dogs, 
and so it went 
throughout the 
long, 
hot, 
horrible morning.
 

Then about mid-day 
I was rudely summoned; 
it was my turn to fight.

I wondered briefly 
if I was to battle bare-handed,
but then saw -- to my great 
relief and joy -- 
that I would have 
a fighting chance, equipped--

--with the greatest 
type of blade 
that I have ever had
the privilege to 
wield--

--a 
Barsoomian 
longsword...