The herald., 1898-03-13

commotion IN the cloud bsneaeh ~, Il
seemed to be beaten and hurled IL
every direction and punctured like
sieve with nearly hundred circular
holes. Through these gaps We could zee
clearly a large region Of the plunet's
surface with many air ships foatine
above 1t, and the blaxe OF fnnumerable
electric lights Illuminating II. The
Martians had created an artificial day
under the curtain.
This time there was no question that
the blow had been effective. Four or
five of the air ships. partially destroyed.
tumbled headlong toward the ground.
while even from our great distance
there was unmistakable evidence that
fearful execution had been done among
the crowded structures along the shore
of the Lake.
As each of our ships possessed but
one Of the new dlsintegrators. and
since a minute or SO was required to
adjust them for a fresh discharge. we
remained for a little while inactive at
ter delivering the blow. Meanwhile
the cloud curtain. though rent to
shrcds by the concentrated discharge
of the disintegrators, quickly became
uniform black sheet again, hiding
everything.
We had just had time to congratulate
ourselves on the successful opening OF
our bombardment, and the disintegra-
tor of the flagship was poised for an
other discharge, when suddenly out OF
the black expanse beneath, quivered
immense electric beams, clear cut and
straight as bars Of steel, but dag
zling our eyes with uncomfortable bril-
lance.
1t was the reply Of the Martians to
our attack.
Three or four of the electrical ships
were seriously damaged, ana one, close
beside the flagship, changed color.
withered and collapsed. with the same
sickening phenomena that had made
our hearts shudder when the first dis
aster of this kind occurred during our
brief battle over the asteroid.
Another score of our comrades were
gone, and yet we had hardly begun the
fight.
Glancing at the other ships, which
had been injured. I saw that the
damage to them was not so serious,
although they were evidently "hors de
combat" for the present.
Our fighting blood was now boiling
and we did not stop long to count
our losses.
Into the smoker was the signal,
and the ninety and more electro ships
which still remained in condition for
action Immediately shot downward.
1t was a wild plunge. We kept of
the decks while rushing through the
binding smoke, but the instant we
emerged below where we found our
selves still a mile above the ground.
we were out again ready to strike.
have simply confused recollection
of flashing lights beneath. and a great,
dark arch of clouds above. out of which
our ships seemed dropping on all sides.
and then the fray burst upon and
around us and no man could see or
notice anything except by half-com-
pretended glances.
| Almost in an instant 1t seemed
swarm Of air ships surrounded US,
while from what, for lack of a more de-
scriptive name, I shall call the forts
about the Lake of the Sun, leaped
tongues of electric fire. before which
some of our ships were driven like bits
of flaming paper in a high wind, gleam-
| ing for moment, then curling UP and
gone forever!
1t was an awful sight; but the bat
tie fever was raging in us, and we. on
our part, were not idle.
Every man carried a disintegrator.
and these hand Instruments. together
with those of heavier calibre on the
ships, poured their reslstless vibrations
in every direction through the Quiver-
ing air.
The air ships of the Martians were
destroyed by the score, but yet they
fiocked upon us thicker and faster.
We dropped lower, and our blows fell
upon the forts and upon the wide
spread city bordering the Lake of the
Sun. We almost entirely silenced the
fire of one of the forts; but there were
forty more in full action within reach
of our eyes!
Some of the metallic buildings were
partly unroofed by the dlsintegrators
and some had their walls riddled and
fell with laundering crashes, whose
sound rose to our ears above the hellsh
din of battle. I caught glimpses of
giant forms struggling in the ruins
and rushing wildly through the streets,
but there was no time to see anything
clearly.
Our flagship seemed charmed. A
crowd of air ships hung upon us like
swarm Of angry bees, and, at times,
one could not see for the lightning
strokes-yet we escaped destruction,
while ourselves dealing death on every
hand.
| 1t was a glorious fight, but it was not
war; no, it was not war. We really
had no more chance of ultimate sue
| cess amid that multitude of enemies
than a prisoner running the gauntlet
in crowd OF savages has of es-
cape.
A conviction of the hopelessness of
the contest finally forced itself upon
our minds. and the shattered squad
! ron. which had kept we'll together
amid the storm of death was signaled
to retreat.
Shaking off their pursuers, as hunt
ed bear shakes off the dogs, sixty of
the electrical ships rose up through the
| clouds where more than ninety had
| gone down!
The Martians did not for an instant
cease their fire, even when we were far
beyond their reach. With furious per-
sistence they blazed away through the
cloud curtains and the vivid spikes Of
| lightning shuddered SO swiftly on one
another's track that they were like
flaming halo of electric lances around
the frowning helmet Of the War
Planet.
| But after while they stopped their