A Princess of Mars, Part 1

ANNOUNCER: Now,the Special English program, American Stories.

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Today,we begin a new series from a book by American writer Edgar RiceBurroughs.  The book is called “A Princess of Mars.”  It is the firstbook in a series that Mister Burroughs wrote about a man who travels to Marsduring the last years of the eighteen hundreds. There, the man meetsstrange beings and sees strange sights. At first he is a captive, then awarrior, and after many battles, a prince of a royal family. 

ShepO’Neal begins the story of “A Princess of Mars.”

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JOHNCARTER:  I am a very old man. How old I do not know. It is possible I am ahundred, maybe more.  I cannot tell because I have never aged as other mendo. 

Sofar as I can remember, I have always been a man of about thirty.  I appeartoday as I did forty years ago.  Yet, I feel that I cannot go on livingforever.  Someday I will die the real death from which there is noescape.  I do not know why I should fear death. I who have died two timesand am still alive.

Ihave never told this story. I know the human mind will not believe what itcannot understand.  I cannot explain what happened to me. I can only tellof the ten years my dead body lay undiscovered in anArizonacave.

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Myname is John Carter.  I am from the state ofVirginia.  At the close of the CivilWar I found myself without a home, without money and without work. 

Idecided the best plan was to search for gold in the great deserts of theAmerican Southwest.

Ispent almost a year searching for gold with another former soldier, CaptainJames Powell, also ofVirginia. We were extremely lucky.  In the winter of eighteen sixty-five we foundrocks that held gold.

Powellwas trained as a mining engineer.  He said we had uncovered over a milliondollars worth of gold in only three months.  But the work was slow withonly two men and not much equipment.  So we decided Powell should go tothe nearest settlement to seek equipment and men to help us with thework.  On March third, eighteen sixty-six, Powell said good-bye.  Herode his horse down the mountain toward the valley. I followed his progress forseveral hours.

Themorning Powell left was like all mornings in the deserts of the great Southwest-- clear and beautiful. 

Notmuch later I looked across the valley.  I was surprised to see threeriders in the same place where I had last seen my friend.  After watchingfor some time, I decided the three riders must be hostile Indians. 

Powell,I knew, was well armed and an experienced soldier.  But I knew he wouldneed my aid.  I found my weapons, placed a saddle on my horse and startedas fast as possible down the trail taken by Powell.

Ifollowed as quickly as I could until dark.  About nine o’clock the moonbecame very bright.  I had no difficulty following Powell’s trail.  Isoon found the trail left by the three riders following Powell.  I knewthey were Indians.  I was sure they wanted to capture Powell.

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SuddenlyI heard shots far ahead of me.  I hurried ahead as fast as I could. Soon I came to a small camp.  Several hundred Apache Indians were in thecenter of the camp.  I could see Powell on the ground.  I did noteven think about what to do, I just acted.  I pulled out my guns and beganshooting.

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TheApaches were surprised and fled.  I forced my horse into the camp andtoward Powell. I reached down and pulled him up on the horse by his belt. I urged the horse to greater speed.  The Apaches by now realized that Iwas alone and quickly began to follow.  We were soon in very roughcountry.

Thetrail I chose began to rise sharply.  It went up and up.  I followedthe trail for several hundred meters more until I came to the mouth of a largecave.

Itwas almost morning now.  I got off my horse and laid Powell on theground.  I tried to give him water.  But it was no use.  Powellwas dead.  I laid his body down and continued to the cave.

Ibegan to explore the cave.  I was looking for a safe place to defendmyself, or perhaps for a way out.  But I became very sleepy.  It wasa pleasant feeling.  My body became extremely heavy.  I had troublemoving.  Soon I had to lay down against the side of the cave.  Forsome reason I could not move my arms or legs.

Ilay facing the opening of the cave.  I could see part of the trail thathad led me here.  And now I could see the Apaches.  They had foundme.  But I could do nothing.

Withina minute one of them came into the cave.  He looked at me, but he came nocloser.  His eyes grew wide.  His mouth opened.  He had a lookof terror on his face.  He looked behind me for moment and then fled.

SuddenlyI heard a low noise behind me.

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Socould the rest of the Apaches.  They all turned and fled.  The soundbecame louder.  But still I could not move.  I could not turn my headto see what was behind me.  All day I lay like this.  I tried againto rise, and again, but still I could not move.  Then I heard a sharpsound.  It was like a steel wire breaking.  I quickly stood up. My back was against the cave wall.

Ilooked down.  There before me lay my body. 

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Fora few moments, I stood looking at my body.  I could not bring myself totouch it.  I was very frightened.  The sounds of the cave and thesight of my body forced me away.  I slowly backed to the opening of thecave.

Iturned to look at theArizonanight.  I could see a thousand stars.  As I stood there I turned myeyes to a large red star.  I could not stop looking at it.  It wasMars…the red planet…the red god of war.  It seemed to pull me near.

Then,for a moment, I closed my eyes.  There was an instant of extreme cold andtotal darkness.  Suddenly I was in deep, dreamless, peaceful sleep.

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Iopened my eyes upon a very strange land.  I immediately knew then I was onMars.  Not once did I question this fact.  My mind told me I was onMars as your mind tells you that you are upon Earth.  You do not questionthe fact, nor did I.

Ifound myself lying on a bed of yellow colored grass that covered the land forkilometers.  The time was near the middle of the day and the sun was shiningfull upon me.  It was warm.

Idecided to do a little exploring.   Springing to my feet, I receivedmy first Martian surprise.  The effort to stand carried me into theMartian air to the height of about one meter.  I landed softly upon theground, however, without incident. 

Ifound that I must learn to walk all over again.  My muscles were used tothe gravity of Earth.  Mars has less gravity.  My attempts to walkresulted in jumps and hops, which took me into the air.  I once landed onmy face.  I soon learned that it took much less effort for me to move onMars than it did on Earth.

Nearme was a small, low wall.  Carefully, I made my way to the wall and lookedover.  It was filled with eggs, some already broken open.  Small,green creatures were in them.  They looked at me with huge red eyes.

AsI watched the fierce-looking creatures, I failed to hear twenty full-grownMartians coming from behind me.  They had come without warning.  As Iturned, I saw them.  One was coming at me with a huge spear, with itssharp tip pointed at my heart!

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ANNOUNCER:This is Bob Doughty.  You have been listening to American Stories and ourversion of “A Princess of Mars.”  The voice of John Carter was ShepO’Neal.  Our program was written for radio, produced and directed by PaulThompson.

Joinus again next week for the next part of the Edgar Rice Burroughs story, “APrincess of Mars,”  on the Special English program, American Stories, onthe Voice of .