I heard shouts of astonishment mingled with cries of rage and fear.
A number of small craft took after me; but I knew that they could not overtake me, and that they would not dare fire on me for fear of killing Hin Abtol.
Hin Abtol lay trembling at my side, almost paralyzed with terror. "What are you?" he finally managed to stammer. "What are you going to do with me?"
I did not reply; I thought that that would terrify him the more; and I know that it did, for after a while he implored me to speak.
We flew back, high over Gathol, which was now safe from attack. Early the next morning I saw a great fleet coming out of the southeast-it was the fleet from Helium that Tardos Mors was bringing to relieve Gathol.
As I was approaching it, the effects of the invisibility sphere diminished rapidly; and I materialized before the astounded gaze of Hin Abtol.
"Who are you? What are you?" he demanded.
"I am the man whose flier you stole at Horz," I replied. "I am the man who took it from beneath your nose in Pankor, and with it Llana of Gathol-I am John Carter, Prince of Helium; have you ever heard of me?"
Nearing the fleet, I broke out my colors-the colors of the Prince of Helium; and a great cheer rose from the deck of every ship that could distinguish them.
The rest is history now-how Helium's great fleet destroyed Hin Abtol's fleet, and the army of Helium routed the forces which had for so long invested Gathol.
When the brief war was over, we set free nearly a million of the frozen men of Panar; and I returned to Helium and Dejah Thoris, from whom I hope never to be separated again.
I had brought with me Jad-han and Pan Dan Chee, whom we had found among the prisoners of the Panars; and though I was not present at the assured me that the dangers and vicissitudes he had suffered for love of the fair Gatholian had not been in vain.