r,
the boy by himself; and behind locked doors we were again prisoners of
the First Born.

CHAPTER XIII

A BREAK FOR LIBERTY

Xodar listened in incredulous astonishment to my narration of the
events which had transpired within the arena at the rites of Issus. He
could scarce conceive, even though he had already professed his doubt
as to the deity of Issus, that one could threaten her with sword in
hand and not be blasted into a thousand fragments by the mere fury of
her divine wrath.

"It is the final proof," he said, at last. "No more is needed to
completely shatter the last remnant of my superstitious belief in the
divinity of Issus. She is only a wicked old woman, wielding a mighty
power for evil through machinations that have kept her own people and
all Barsoom in religious ignorance for ages."

"She is still all-powerful here, however," I replied. "So it behooves
us to leave at the first moment that appears at all propitious."

"I hope that you may find a propitious moment," he said, with a laugh,
"for it is certain that in all my life I have never seen one in which a
prisoner of the First Born might escape."

"To-night will do as well as any," I replied.

"It will soon be night," said Xodar. "How may I aid in the adventure?"

"Can you swim?" I asked him.

"No slimy silian that haunts the depths of Korus is more at home in
water than is Xodar," he replied.

"Good. The red one in all probability cannot swim," I said, "since
there is scarce enough water in all their domains to float the tiniest
craft. One of us therefore will have to support him through the sea to
the craft we select. I had hoped that we might make the entire
distance below the surface, but I fear that the red youth could not
thus perform the trip. Even the bravest of the brave among them are
terrorized at the mere thought of deep water, for it has been ages
since their forebears saw a lake, a river or a sea."

"The red one is to accompany us?" asked Xodar.

"Yes."

"It is well. Three swords are better than two. Especially when the
third is as mighty as this fellow's. I have seen him battle in the
arena at the rites of Issus many times. Never, until I saw you fight,
had I seen one who seemed unconquerable even in the face of great odds.
One might think you two master and pupil, or father and son. Come to
recall his face there is a resemblance between you. It is very marked
when you fight--there is the same gr