"09 - Synthetic Men of Mars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Burroughs Edgar Rice)

and suggested the only way that we might be victorious.
"Behead them, Vor Daj!" The Warlord directed, and even as he spoke he lopped the
head from another.
I tell you, it was a gruesome sight. The thing kept on fighting, and its head
lay on the ground screaming and cursing. John Carter had to disarm it, and then
it lunged forward and struck him with the weight of its headless torso just
below the knees, throwing him off balance. It was fortunate that I happened to
see what was going on, for another of the creatures would have run The Warlord
through had I not. I was just in time, and I caught the thing with a clean cut
that sent its head toppling to the ground. That left only two of our
antagonists, and these the dwar called off.
They withdrew to their mounts, and I saw that the officer was issuing
instructions; but what he was saying, I could not overhear. I thought they would
give up then and go away, for several of them rose from the ground on their
great malagors; but the dwar did not even remount. He just stood there watching.
Those who had taken to the air circled just above us, out of reach of our
swords; and a number of their fellows dismounted and approached us; but they,
too, kept their distance. The three severed heads lay upon the ground, reviling
us. The bodies of two of them had been disarmed and trussed up, while that of
the third dashed hither and thither pursued by a couple of its fellows who
sought to entangle it in nets which they cast at it whenever they could come
near enough to it.
These side lights I caught in swift glances, for my attention was more concerned
with the action of those who soared above us, in an effort to determine what
their next mode of attack would be; nor did I have long to wait before my
curiosity was satisfied. Unslinging nets which they wore wrapped about their
waists and which I had previously thought were only articles of apparel, they
dragged them around and over us in an attempt to entangle us. With a growing
sense of futility we slashed at the fabric; and though we cut it in places, we
could not escape it; and when they dexterously dropped a couple of them over us
we were hopelessly enmeshed. Then those who had surrounded us on foot rushed in
and bound us. We fought, but even the great strength of The Warlord was of no
avail against the entangling meshes of the nets and the brute strength of the
hideous creatures who so greatly outnumbered him. I thought that they would
probably kill us now, but at a word of command from their dwar, they fell back.
Those in the air alighted and gathered up their nets. Several heads and arms
were collected and tied to the backs of malagors, as were the headless bodies;
and while these things were being attended to, the officer approached and talked
with us. He seemed to bear us no ill will for the damage we had inflicted upon
his warriors, and was gracious enough to compliment us upon our courage and
swordsmanship.
"However," he added, "you would have been wise to have taken my advice and
surrendered in the first place. It is a miracle that you were not killed or at
least badly wounded. Only your miraculous swordsmanship saved you."
"The only miracle involved," replied John Carter, "is that any of your men
escaped with their heads. Their swordsmanship is abominable."
The dwar smiled. "I quite agree with you, but what they lack in technique they
more than make up for in brute strength and fearlessness and the fact that they
must be dismembered in order to be rendered harmless. As you may have noticed,
they can't be killed."