Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-15

possibly he any form or vegetation or
other edible products upon them.
This Wow having prevailed, we had
ceased to take IN interest in the satel-
lites, further than to regard them as
objects OF great curiosity ON account of
their motions.
The nearer of these moons, Phobos,
is only 3, 100 miles from the surface of
Mars, and vo watched it travelling
around the planet three times i'll the
course of every day. The more distant
one, Deimos, IL, 500 miles away. re-
quired considerably more than II day
to mako its circuit.
1t now happened that the two had
como into conjunction. us l have said,
Just over our heads. and, throwing my
SELF down ON my back en- the deck of
the electrical ship, for II long time |
W. he'd tue race between the two satel-
lites, until PhoboS, rapidly gaining up.
on the other, had left its rival far be-
hind.
suddenly Colonel Smith, who took
very little interest in these astronomical
curiositics, touched me, and, pointing
ahead, said:
"There they are"
/ looked, and sure enough there were
the signal lights OF the principal squad
ron, and us we gazCd we occasionally
saw, darting up from tho asst cloud
mass beneath, an electric bayonet,
f%iercely thrust into the sky, which
showed that the siege was still actively
going ON and that the Martians were
jaUbing away ut their invisible enemies
outside the curtain.
In IA short time the two fleets had
Joined. and Colonel Smith and l imme.
diately transferred ourselves to the flag
ship.
"Well. what have You done?" asked
Mr.. Edison, while others crowded around
with eager attention.
IF we have not captured their pro-
vision train, " said Colonel Smith. 1--WE
have done something just about as good.
We have foragcd on the country and
have collected u supply that l reckon
will last this fleet for ut least a month. "
whats that: What's that"
ITS Just what | say" And Colonel
Smith brought out of his pocket II OF
the square cakes of compressed food.
"Set your teeth in that and see what
you think of it, but don't take too much,
for it's powerful strong"
81 say" he continued, 1--WE have go'
enough of that stuff to last us all fer {
month, but we've done more than tina
we have got a surprise for you tina
will make you open your eyes. Jus
wait a minute"
Colonel Smith made a signal to til,
electrical ship which We had Just quit
ted to draw near. 1t came alongside, 81
that II could step from its deck on thu
flagship. Colonel Smith disappeared fu,
IA minute in the interior Of his ship
then re-emerged, leading the girl whom
We had found upon the planet.
Take her inside. quick" he said
"for she is not used TO this thin air !!
In fact, we were at so great an eleva
ton that the rarity of the atmospher
now compelled US all to wear our air
tight suits, and the girl, not being thu
attired. would have fallen unconsciou
on the deck if we had not instantly re
moved her to the interior of the car.
There she quickly recovered from III
effects of the deprivation of air and look
ed about her, pale, %astonished, but ye
apparently without fear.
Every motion of this girl convincet
me that she not only recognized us a
members of her own race, but that sh
felt that her only hope lay in our aid
Therefore, strange rs we were to her II
many respects, she did not think tina
she was in danger while among us.
The circumstances under which W
had found her were quickly explained
Her beauty, her strange fate aud tt
impenetrable mystery which surround
ed her excited universal admiration an
, wonder.
How did she get on Mars:" was tn
/, question that everybody asked and tha
, nobody could answer.
Bat while all were crowding aroun
and overwhelming the poor girl wit
their staring suddenly she burst int
tears, and then. with arms outstretche
i, in the same appealing manne whiC
. had So stirred our sympathies when W
/, frat saw her in the house of the Ma
/ tians, she broke forth in n wild recit;
t tion which was half a song and half
wall.
| As she went IN | noticed that n lear,
: cd professor of languages from the Tn
{ v|elSity of Heidelberg WAS listening
4 her with intense attention Severn
times he appeared to be on the point
! breaking IN with an exclamation
o could plainly SEQ that he WAS becon
| ing more and more excited as the wur,
{, poured from tho girls lips. CCcasiona
a ~ he nodded and muttered. smiling
himself.
Her gong flushed, the girl sank ha
e exhausted uron the floor SG' WAS lift,
). and placed i'll n reclining position NJ Il
/, side of the car,
I Then the Heidelberg professor ste
. ped to the center &c the car. in the sig
of all, and in "A most impressive manu-
said:
"Gentlemen, our sister.
Il have her tongue recognized. II
# language that she speaks the roots
n the great lndo-European or Aryan sto
h contains.
This girl, gentlemen, to the olds
v family of the human race belongs II
d language every tongue that now up
>. the earth is spoken ~antedates, Convinc
Y am l that it that great original spec
is from which have all the languag
r. OF the civilized world sprung