READ THE NOVEL- Chapters 1-31 - ERBzine

Tarzan on Mars
what appeared to be very light chain, wheras his own chains
were double. Moreover, his arms and legs had been doubly
bound with thongs of thick, tough hide. Undoubtedly, it was
this added precaution on the part of his captors which had
caused the others to stare at him with amazement.
Even so, he smiled openly under the cover of darkness,
it was evidently difficult for the Martians to conceive of the
tremendous difference between his own kind of strength and
theirs. his leather bonds, and his chains, constructed of a
softer metal than iron, were relatively weak. He had tested
them secretly, and although they might have been sufficient
to restrict an ordinary man of Earth, he knew they were not
a match for the abnormal muscular powers with which his
lifelong jungle environment had endowed him.
That he could break his bonds he was certain, yet he lay
there in silent contemplation of his predicament while he
attempted to plan out the best method of taking advantage of
his secret. Unfortunately, they had taken his hunting knife
from him and he was totally unarmed. But that, too, could be
remedied when the time came for action, he reflected.
A red Martian close beside him whispered to him in a
furtive attempt at communication, but as he knew the barrier
of language was as yet insurmountable, he made no attempt
to reply. The tongue of Barsoom, he had noted, was somehow
hauntingly familiar. Somewhere, it seemed to Tarzan that he
had heard it spoken before in one of the strange regions of
Africa to which his past adventures had taken him, but he
could not quite place it.
Other prisoners were carrying on a delsultory conversation
now, and several times he heard the word, "Lothar,"
which he assumed was the name of the ancient city in which
he now found himself incarcerated.
It was difficult to judge the passage of time in such
complete darkness, and how long he had lain there before his
captors came again he did not know. But come they did, and
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