CHAPTER	O
I	O
ON	O
THE	O
ARIZONA	O
HILLS	O
I	O
am	O
a	O
very	O
old	O
man	O
;	O
how	O
old	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
know	O
.	O

Possibly	O
I	O
am	O
a	O
hundred	O
,	O
possibly	O
more	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
can	O
not	O
tell	O
because	O
I	O
have	O
never	O
aged	O
as	O
other	O
men	O
,	O
nor	O
do	O
I	O
remember	O
any	O
childhood	O
.	O

So	O
far	O
as	O
I	O
can	O
recollect	O
I	O
have	O
always	O
been	O
a	O
man	O
,	O
a	O
man	O
of	O
about	O
thirty	O
.	O

I	O
appear	O
today	O
as	O
I	O
did	O
forty	O
years	O
and	O
more	O
ago	O
,	O
and	O
yet	O
I	O
feel	O
that	O
I	O
can	O
not	O
go	O
on	O
living	O
forever	O
;	O
that	O
some	O
day	O
I	O
shall	O
die	O
the	O
real	O
death	O
from	O
which	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
resurrection	O
.	O

I	O
do	O
not	O
know	O
why	O
I	O
should	O
fear	O
death	O
,	O
I	O
who	O
have	O
died	O
twice	O
and	O
am	O
still	O
alive	O
;	O
but	O
yet	O
I	O
have	O
the	O
same	O
horror	O
of	O
it	O
as	O
you	O
who	O
have	O
never	O
died	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
because	O
of	O
this	O
terror	O
of	O
death	O
,	O
I	O
believe	O
,	O
that	O
I	O
am	O
so	O
convinced	O
of	O
my	O
mortality	O
.	O

And	O
because	O
of	O
this	O
conviction	O
I	O
have	O
determined	O
to	O
write	O
down	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
the	O
interesting	O
periods	O
of	O
my	O
life	O
and	O
of	O
my	O
death	O
.	O

I	O
can	O
not	O
explain	O
the	O
phenomena	O
;	O
I	O
can	O
only	O
set	O
down	O
here	O
in	O
the	O
words	O
of	O
an	O
ordinary	O
soldier	O
of	O
fortune	O
a	O
chronicle	O
of	O
the	O
strange	O
events	O
that	O
befell	O
me	O
during	O
the	O
ten	O
years	O
that	O
my	O
dead	O
body	O
lay	O
undiscovered	O
in	O
an	O
Arizona	O
cave	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
never	O
told	O
this	O
story	O
,	O
nor	O
shall	O
mortal	O
man	O
see	O
this	O
manuscript	O
until	O
after	O
I	O
have	O
passed	O
over	O
for	O
eternity	O
.	O

I	O
know	O
that	O
the	O
average	O
human	O
mind	O
will	O
not	O
believe	O
what	O
it	O
can	O
not	O
grasp	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
purpose	O
being	O
pilloried	O
by	O
the	O
public	O
,	O
the	O
pulpit	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
press	O
,	O
and	O
held	O
up	O
as	O
a	O
colossal	O
liar	O
when	O
I	O
am	O
but	O
telling	O
the	O
simple	O
truths	O
which	O
some	O
day	O
science	O
will	O
substantiate	O
.	O

Possibly	O
the	O
suggestions	O
which	O
I	O
gained	O
upon	O
Mars	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
knowledge	O
which	O
I	O
can	O
set	O
down	O
in	O
this	O
chronicle	O
,	O
will	O
aid	O
in	O
an	O
earlier	O
understanding	O
of	O
the	O
mysteries	O
of	O
our	O
sister	O
planet	O
;	O
mysteries	O
to	O
you	O
,	O
but	O
no	O
longer	O
mysteries	O
to	O
me	O
.	O

My	O
name	O
is	O
John	O
Carter	O
;	O
I	O
am	O
better	O
known	O
as	O
Captain	O
Jack	O
Carter	O
of	O
Virginia	O
.	O

At	O
the	O
close	O
of	O
the	O
Civil	O
War	O
I	O
found	O
myself	O
possessed	O
of	O
several	O
hundred	O
thousand	O
dollars	O
(	O
Confederate	O
)	O
and	O
a	O
captain	O
's	O
commission	O
in	O
the	O
cavalry	O
arm	O
of	O
an	O
army	O
which	O
no	O
longer	O
existed	O
;	O
the	O
servant	O
of	O
a	O
state	O
which	O
had	O
vanished	O
with	O
the	O
hopes	O
of	O
the	O
South	O
.	O

Masterless	O
,	O
penniless	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
my	O
only	O
means	O
of	O
livelihood	O
,	O
fighting	O
,	O
gone	O
,	O
I	O
determined	O
to	O
work	O
my	O
way	O
to	O
the	O
southwest	O
and	O
attempt	O
to	O
retrieve	O
my	O
fallen	O
fortunes	O
in	O
a	O
search	O
for	O
gold	O
.	O

I	O
spent	O
nearly	O
a	O
year	O
prospecting	O
in	O
company	O
with	O
another	O
Confederate	O
officer	O
,	O
Captain	O
James	O
K.	O
Powell	O
of	O
Richmond	O
.	O

We	O
were	O
extremely	O
fortunate	O
,	O
for	O
late	O
in	O
the	O
winter	O
of	O
1865	O
,	O
after	O
many	O
hardships	O
and	O
privations	O
,	O
we	O
located	EVENT
the	O
most	O
remarkable	O
gold-bearing	O
quartz	O
vein	O
that	O
our	O
wildest	O
dreams	O
had	O
ever	O
pictured	O
.	O

Powell	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
a	O
mining	O
engineer	O
by	O
education	O
,	O
stated	EVENT
that	O
we	O
had	O
uncovered	O
over	O
a	O
million	O
dollars	O
worth	O
of	O
ore	O
in	O
a	O
trifle	O
over	O
three	O
months	O
.	O

As	O
our	O
equipment	O
was	O
crude	O
in	O
the	O
extreme	O
we	O
decided	EVENT
that	O
one	O
of	O
us	O
must	O
return	O
to	O
civilization	O
,	O
purchase	O
the	O
necessary	O
machinery	O
and	O
return	O
with	O
a	O
sufficient	O
force	O
of	O
men	O
properly	O
to	O
work	O
the	O
mine	O
.	O

As	O
Powell	O
was	O
familiar	O
with	O
the	O
country	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
with	O
the	O
mechanical	O
requirements	O
of	O
mining	O
we	O
determined	EVENT
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
best	O
for	O
him	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
trip	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
agreed	EVENT
that	O
I	O
was	O
to	O
hold	O
down	O
our	O
claim	O
against	O
the	O
remote	O
possibility	O
of	O
its	O
being	O
jumped	O
by	O
some	O
wandering	O
prospector	O
.	O

On	O
March	O
3	O
,	O
1866	O
,	O
Powell	O
and	O
I	O
packed	EVENT
his	O
provisions	O
on	O
two	O
of	O
our	O
burros	O
,	O
and	O
bidding	EVENT
me	O
good-bye	O
he	O
mounted	EVENT
his	O
horse	O
,	O
and	O
started	EVENT
down	O
the	O
mountainside	O
toward	O
the	O
valley	O
,	O
across	O
which	O
led	O
the	O
first	O
stage	O
of	O
his	O
journey	O
.	O

The	O
morning	O
of	O
Powell	O
's	O
departure	EVENT
was	O
,	O
like	O
nearly	O
all	O
Arizona	O
mornings	O
,	O
clear	O
and	O
beautiful	O
;	O
I	O
could	O
see	EVENT
him	O
and	O
his	O
little	O
pack	O
animals	O
picking	EVENT
their	O
way	O
down	O
the	O
mountainside	O
toward	O
the	O
valley	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
during	O
the	O
morning	O
I	O
would	O
catch	O
occasional	O
glimpses	EVENT
of	O
them	O
as	O
they	O
topped	EVENT
a	O
hog	O
back	O
or	O
came	EVENT
out	O
upon	O
a	O
level	O
plateau	O
.	O

My	O
last	O
sight	O
of	O
Powell	O
was	O
about	O
three	O
in	O
the	O
afternoon	O
as	O
he	O
entered	EVENT
the	O
shadows	O
of	O
the	O
range	O
on	O
the	O
opposite	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
valley	O
.	O

Some	O
half	O
hour	O
later	O
I	O
happened	O
to	O
glance	EVENT
casually	O
across	O
the	O
valley	O
and	O
was	O
much	O
surprised	EVENT
to	O
note	EVENT
three	O
little	O
dots	O
in	O
about	O
the	O
same	O
place	O
I	O
had	O
last	O
seen	EVENT
my	O
friend	O
and	O
his	O
two	O
pack	O
animals	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
not	O
given	O
to	O
needless	O
worrying	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
more	O
I	O
tried	EVENT
to	O
convince	O
myself	O
that	O
all	O
was	O
well	O
with	O
Powell	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
dots	O
I	O
had	O
seen	O
on	O
his	O
trail	O
were	O
antelope	O
or	O
wild	O
horses	O
,	O
the	O
less	O
I	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
assure	O
myself	O
.	O

Since	O
we	O
had	O
entered	EVENT
the	O
territory	O
we	O
had	O
not	O
seen	O
a	O
hostile	O
Indian	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
had	O
,	O
therefore	O
,	O
become	O
careless	O
in	O
the	O
extreme	O
,	O
and	O
were	O
wont	O
to	O
ridicule	O
the	O
stories	O
we	O
had	O
heard	O
of	O
the	O
great	O
numbers	O
of	O
these	O
vicious	O
marauders	O
that	O
were	O
supposed	O
to	O
haunt	O
the	O
trails	O
,	O
taking	O
their	O
toll	O
in	O
lives	O
and	O
torture	O
of	O
every	O
white	O
party	O
which	O
fell	O
into	O
their	O
merciless	O
clutches	O
.	O

Powell	O
,	O
I	O
knew	O
,	O
was	O
well	O
armed	O
and	O
,	O
further	O
,	O
an	O
experienced	O
Indian	O
fighter	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
too	O
had	O
lived	O
and	O
fought	O
for	O
years	O
among	O
the	O
Sioux	O
in	O
the	O
North	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
knew	O
that	O
his	O
chances	O
were	O
small	O
against	O
a	O
party	O
of	O
cunning	O
trailing	O
Apaches	O
.	O

Finally	O
I	O
could	O
endure	O
the	O
suspense	EVENT
no	O
longer	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
arming	EVENT
myself	O
with	O
my	O
two	O
Colt	O
revolvers	O
and	O
a	O
carbine	O
,	O
I	O
strapped	EVENT
two	O
belts	O
of	O
cartridges	O
about	O
me	O
and	O
catching	EVENT
my	O
saddle	O
horse	O
,	O
started	EVENT
down	O
the	O
trail	O
taken	O
by	O
Powell	O
in	O
the	O
morning	O
.	O

As	O
soon	O
as	O
I	O
reached	EVENT
comparatively	O
level	O
ground	O
I	O
urged	EVENT
my	O
mount	O
into	O
a	O
canter	O
and	O
continued	EVENT
this	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
going	O
permitted	O
,	O
until	O
,	O
close	O
upon	O
dusk	O
,	O
I	O
discovered	EVENT
the	O
point	O
where	O
other	O
tracks	O
joined	O
those	O
of	O
Powell	O
.	O

They	O
were	O
the	O
tracks	O
of	O
unshod	O
ponies	O
,	O
three	O
of	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
ponies	O
had	O
been	O
galloping	EVENT
.	O

I	O
followed	EVENT
rapidly	O
until	O
,	O
darkness	EVENT
shutting	O
down	O
,	O
I	O
was	O
forced	EVENT
to	O
await	EVENT
the	O
rising	O
of	O
the	O
moon	O
,	O
and	O
given	O
an	O
opportunity	O
to	O
speculate	O
on	O
the	O
question	O
of	O
the	O
wisdom	O
of	O
my	O
chase	O
.	O

Possibly	O
I	O
had	O
conjured	O
up	O
impossible	O
dangers	O
,	O
like	O
some	O
nervous	O
old	O
housewife	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
I	O
should	O
catch	O
up	O
with	O
Powell	O
would	O
get	O
a	O
good	O
laugh	O
for	O
my	O
pains	O
.	O

However	O
,	O
I	O
am	O
not	O
prone	O
to	O
sensitiveness	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
following	O
of	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
duty	O
,	O
wherever	O
it	O
may	O
lead	O
,	O
has	O
always	O
been	O
a	O
kind	O
of	O
fetich	O
with	O
me	O
throughout	O
my	O
life	O
;	O
which	O
may	O
account	O
for	O
the	O
honors	O
bestowed	O
upon	O
me	O
by	O
three	O
republics	O
and	O
the	O
decorations	O
and	O
friendships	O
of	O
an	O
old	O
and	O
powerful	O
emperor	O
and	O
several	O
lesser	O
kings	O
,	O
in	O
whose	O
service	O
my	O
sword	O
has	O
been	O
red	O
many	O
a	O
time	O
.	O

About	O
nine	O
o'clock	O
the	O
moon	O
was	O
sufficiently	O
bright	O
for	O
me	O
to	O
proceed	O
on	O
my	O
way	O
and	O
I	O
had	O
no	O
difficulty	O
in	O
following	EVENT
the	O
trail	O
at	O
a	O
fast	O
walk	EVENT
,	O
and	O
in	O
some	O
places	O
at	O
a	O
brisk	O
trot	EVENT
until	O
,	O
about	O
midnight	O
,	O
I	O
reached	EVENT
the	O
water	O
hole	O
where	O
Powell	O
had	O
expected	O
to	O
camp	O
.	O

I	O
came	EVENT
upon	O
the	O
spot	O
unexpectedly	O
,	O
finding	EVENT
it	O
entirely	O
deserted	O
,	O
with	O
no	O
signs	O
of	O
having	O
been	O
recently	O
occupied	O
as	O
a	O
camp	O
.	O

I	O
was	O
interested	O
to	O
note	EVENT
that	O
the	O
tracks	O
of	O
the	O
pursuing	EVENT
horsemen	O
,	O
for	O
such	O
I	O
was	O
now	O
convinced	O
they	O
must	O
be	O
,	O
continued	EVENT
after	O
Powell	O
with	O
only	O
a	O
brief	O
stop	EVENT
at	O
the	O
hole	O
for	O
water	O
;	O
and	O
always	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
rate	O
of	O
speed	O
as	O
his	O
.	O

I	O
was	O
positive	EVENT
now	O
that	O
the	O
trailers	O
were	O
Apaches	O
and	O
that	O
they	O
wished	O
to	O
capture	O
Powell	O
alive	O
for	O
the	O
fiendish	O
pleasure	O
of	O
the	O
torture	O
,	O
so	O
I	O
urged	EVENT
my	O
horse	O
onward	O
at	O
a	O
most	O
dangerous	O
pace	O
,	O
hoping	EVENT
against	O
hope	O
that	O
I	O
would	O
catch	O
up	O
with	O
the	O
red	O
rascals	O
before	O
they	O
attacked	O
him	O
.	O

Further	O
speculation	O
was	O
suddenly	O
cut	EVENT
short	O
by	O
the	O
faint	O
report	EVENT
of	O
two	O
shots	EVENT
far	O
ahead	O
of	O
me	O
.	O

I	O
knew	O
that	O
Powell	O
would	O
need	O
me	O
now	O
if	O
ever	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
instantly	O
urged	EVENT
my	O
horse	O
to	O
his	O
topmost	O
speed	O
up	O
the	O
narrow	O
and	O
difficult	O
mountain	O
trail	O
.	O

I	O
had	O
forged	EVENT
ahead	O
for	O
perhaps	O
a	O
mile	O
or	O
more	O
without	O
hearing	O
further	O
sounds	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
trail	O
suddenly	O
debouched	O
onto	O
a	O
small	O
,	O
open	O
plateau	O
near	O
the	O
summit	O
of	O
the	O
pass	O
.	O

I	O
had	O
passed	EVENT
through	O
a	O
narrow	O
,	O
overhanging	O
gorge	O
just	O
before	O
entering	EVENT
suddenly	O
upon	O
this	O
table	O
land	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
sight	O
which	O
met	EVENT
my	O
eyes	O
filled	O
me	O
with	O
consternation	EVENT
and	O
dismay	EVENT
.	O

The	O
little	O
stretch	O
of	O
level	O
land	O
was	O
white	O
with	O
Indian	O
tepees	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
were	O
probably	O
half	O
a	O
thousand	O
red	O
warriors	O
clustered	O
around	O
some	O
object	O
near	O
the	O
center	O
of	O
the	O
camp	O
.	O

Their	O
attention	O
was	O
so	O
wholly	O
riveted	EVENT
to	O
this	O
point	O
of	O
interest	O
that	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
notice	O
me	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
easily	O
could	O
have	O
turned	O
back	O
into	O
the	O
dark	O
recesses	O
of	O
the	O
gorge	O
and	O
made	O
my	O
escape	O
with	O
perfect	O
safety	O
.	O

The	O
fact	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
that	O
this	O
thought	O
did	O
not	O
occur	O
to	O
me	O
until	O
the	O
following	O
day	O
removes	O
any	O
possible	O
right	O
to	O
a	O
claim	O
to	O
heroism	O
to	O
which	O
the	O
narration	EVENT
of	O
this	O
episode	O
might	O
possibly	O
otherwise	O
entitle	O
me	O
.	O

I	O
do	O
not	O
believe	O
that	O
I	O
am	O
made	O
of	O
the	O
stuff	O
which	O
constitutes	O
heroes	O
,	O
because	O
,	O
in	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
hundreds	O
of	O
instances	O
that	O
my	O
voluntary	O
acts	O
have	O
placed	O
me	O
face	O
to	O
face	O
with	O
death	O
,	O
I	O
can	O
not	O
recall	O
a	O
single	O
one	O
where	O
any	O
alternative	O
step	O
to	O
that	O
I	O
took	O
occurred	O
to	O
me	O
until	O
many	O
hours	O
later	O
.	O

My	O
mind	O
is	O
evidently	O
so	O
constituted	O
that	O
I	O
am	O
subconsciously	O
forced	O
into	O
the	O
path	O
of	O
duty	O
without	O
recourse	O
to	O
tiresome	O
mental	O
processes	O
.	O

However	O
that	O
may	O
be	O
,	O
I	O
have	O
never	O
regretted	O
that	O
cowardice	O
is	O
not	O
optional	O
with	O
me	O
.	O

In	O
this	O
instance	O
I	O
was	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
positive	O
that	O
Powell	O
was	O
the	O
center	O
of	O
attraction	O
,	O
but	O
whether	O
I	O
thought	O
or	O
acted	O
first	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
know	O
,	O
but	O
within	O
an	O
instant	O
from	O
the	O
moment	O
the	O
scene	O
broke	EVENT
upon	O
my	O
view	O
I	O
had	O
whipped	EVENT
out	O
my	O
revolvers	O
and	O
was	O
charging	EVENT
down	O
upon	O
the	O
entire	O
army	O
of	O
warriors	O
,	O
shooting	EVENT
rapidly	O
,	O
and	O
whooping	EVENT
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
my	O
lungs	O
.	O

Singlehanded	O
,	O
I	O
could	O
not	O
have	O
pursued	O
better	O
tactics	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
red	O
men	O
,	O
convinced	EVENT
by	O
sudden	O
surprise	EVENT
that	O
not	O
less	O
than	O
a	O
regiment	O
of	O
regulars	O
was	O
upon	O
them	O
,	O
turned	EVENT
and	O
fled	EVENT
in	O
every	O
direction	O
for	O
their	O
bows	O
,	O
arrows	O
,	O
and	O
rifles	O
.	O

The	O
view	O
which	O
their	O
hurried	O
routing	EVENT
disclosed	EVENT
filled	O
me	O
with	O
apprehension	EVENT
and	O
with	O
rage	EVENT
.	O

Under	O
the	O
clear	O
rays	O
of	O
the	O
Arizona	O
moon	O
lay	O
Powell	O
,	O
his	O
body	O
fairly	O
bristling	O
with	O
the	O
hostile	O
arrows	O
of	O
the	O
braves	O
.	O

That	O
he	O
was	O
already	O
dead	O
I	O
could	O
not	O
but	O
be	O
convinced	EVENT
,	O
and	O
yet	O
I	O
would	O
have	O
saved	O
his	O
body	O
from	O
mutilation	O
at	O
the	O
hands	O
of	O
the	O
Apaches	O
as	O
quickly	O
as	O
I	O
would	O
have	O
saved	O
the	O
man	O
himself	O
from	O
death	O
.	O

Riding	EVENT
close	O
to	O
him	O
I	O
reached	EVENT
down	O
from	O
the	O
saddle	O
,	O
and	O
grasping	EVENT
his	O
cartridge	O
belt	O
drew	EVENT
him	O
up	O
across	O
the	O
withers	O
of	O
my	O
mount	O
.	O

A	O
backward	O
glance	EVENT
convinced	EVENT
me	O
that	O
to	O
return	O
by	O
the	O
way	O
I	O
had	O
come	O
would	O
be	O
more	O
hazardous	O
than	O
to	O
continue	O
across	O
the	O
plateau	O
,	O
so	O
,	O
putting	EVENT
spurs	O
to	O
my	O
poor	O
beast	O
,	O
I	O
made	O
a	O
dash	EVENT
for	O
the	O
opening	O
to	O
the	O
pass	O
which	O
I	O
could	O
distinguish	EVENT
on	O
the	O
far	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
table	O
land	O
.	O