Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-08

ships were driven like bits of flaming
paper ia a high wind, cleaning for
moment, then curling up and gone for
ever.
1t was an awful sight, but the battle
fever was raging in us, and we, ON our
part, were not idle
Every man carried disintegrator,
and these hand instruments, together
with those of heavier caliber ON the
ships, poured their resistless vibrations
in every direction through the culver
ing air.
The airships of the Martians were de-
stroyed by the score, but yet they flock
ed upon us thicker and faster.
We dropped lower and our blows fell
upon the forts and upon the widespread
city bordering the Lake of the Sun. We
almost entirely silenced the fire of one
Of the forts, but there were 40 more in
full action within reach of our eyes.
Some Of the metallic buildings were
partly unroofed by the disintegrators
and some had their walls riddled and
fell with laundering crashes, whose
sound rose to our ears above the hellish
din of battle. | caugh; plimpses Of giant
forms strurTlin. in the ruins and rush
ing wildly through the streets, but
there was no time to sec anything
clearly
Our flagship seemed charmed. \
crowd Of airships hung upon it like n
swarm of angry bees, and ut times one
could nos ste ior the lightning strokes,
. Il l.
selves dealing death ON every hand.
IL was glorious fight, but it was not
/ war no, 1t was not war We really had
no more chance of ultimate success
amid that multitude Of enemies than n
/ prisoner running the yantlet in a crowd
/ OF Slvnces has of escape
y conviction Of the hopelessness Of
I the contest finally forced itself upon our
minds, and the shattered squadron.
7 which had kept we'll together amid the
. storm Of death, was sienaled to retreat.
Shaking Of their pursuers as a hunted
bear shakes of the dogs GO Of tho olec.
tricGl ships rose up through the clouds
where more than 30 had gone down.
Madly we rushed upward through tho
vast curtain and continued our flight to
n great elevation. far beyond the reach
Of the awful artillery Of the enemy.
! Looking back. il seemed the very
mouth Of he'll that we had escaped from
The Martians did not for an instant
Cease their FIRE even when we were far
beyond their reach. With furious per
siStencc they blazed away through tho
cloud curtains, and the vivid spikes of
lightning shutdcred so swiftly on one
anO;hsr's track that they were like a
flaming halo % electric lances around
the trowninr helmet Of the war pl,.Iet
But after awhile they stopped their
terrific sparrin., and once more tho i'm
mense globe assumed the appearance of
n vas; tall Of black smoke, still wildly
agi;aicd by the recent disturbance, but
exhibiting no opening through which
we could discern what was going ON be.
meath.
Evidently the Martians believed they
had finished Us
AT no time since the beginning &C our
adventure had it appeared To me quite
So hopeless, reckless and mad as 1t SEEM
I'd NJ present
! We lad suffered fearful losses, and We;
what had we accomplished: We had
won two fights ON the asteroid, it is
true. but then We had overwhelming
numbers on our side
\ Now We were facing millions on their
own ground, and our very first assault
had resulted in disastrous repulse,
with thu loss Of at least 80 electric ships
and 600 men!
Evidently we could not endure this
sort of thing We must ind some other
means of aSsailins Mars, or els, give NJ
the attempt
But the latter was not 10 be though,
Of. IL was no mere question Of self
pride. however, and no consideration Of
the tremendous interests at stake,
which would compel Us TO continue oul
apparently VAIN attempt