The herald., 1898-03-06

evidences Of a certain degree Of grati-
tude in his expression. This was en-
couraging, because it gave additional
promise of the possibility of our being
able to communicate with him m some
more effective way than by mere signs.
But once inside the car, where he had
a supply of air kept at the ordinary
pressure experienced on the earth, he
could breathe like the rest OF us.
The best linguists Of the expedition.
as Mr.. Edison had suggested, were now
assembled in the flag ship, where the
prisoner was, and they set to work to
devise some means of ascertaining the
manner in which he was accustomed
to EXPRESS his thought. We had not
heard him speak, because until we car
ried him into our car there was no at
mosphere capable of conveying any
sounds he might attempt to utter.
1t seemed a fair assumption that the
language Of the Martians would pe
scientific in its structure. We had SO
much evidence of the practical pent OF
their minds, and of the immense pro-
gress which they had made in the d.
rection of the scientific conquest OF
nature, that it was not to be supposed
their medium of communication with
one another would be lacking In clear
ness. or would possess any OF the puz-
zling or unnecessary antiquities that
characterized the languages spoken on
the earth.
II think" said German enthusiast,
that it will be universal language,
the Volapuk of Mars spoken by all the
habitants of that planet"
But all these speculations." broke
in Mr.. Edison. do not help you much.
Why not begin in a practical manner
by finding out what the Martian calls
himself. for instance"
This seemed good suggestion, and
accordingly several of the bystanders
began an expressive pantomime, in
tended to indicate to the giant, who
was following all their motions with
his eyes, that they wished to know by
what name he called himself. Point
ing their fingers to their own breasts
they repeated one after the other, the
word man."
| If our prise her had been a stupid
savage, of course any such attempt as
this to make him understand would
have been idle. But it must be remem-
bered that we were dealing with a
parsonage who had presumably in
herited from hundreds of generations
the results of civilization. and an in
tellectual advance. measured by the
constant progress of millions Of years.
| Accordingly we We're not very much
astonished, when, after few repeti-
tions of the experiment, the Martian-
one of whose arms had been partly re-
leased from it's bonds in order to give
him a little freedom of motion-imita-
ted the action of his interrogators by
pressing his finger over his heart.
Then opening his mouth he gave ut
terance to a sound which shook the air
of the car like the hoarse roar of a
lion. He seemed himself surprised by
the noise he made. for he had not
been used to speak in so dense an at
mosphere.
Our ears were deafened and con-
fused, and we recoiled in astonishment.
not to say, half in terror.
With an ugly grin distorting his face
as if he enjoyed our discontinue, the
Martian repeated the motion and the
sound.
| "R-r-r-r-r-r-h!"
1t was not articulate to our ears, and
not to be repeated by any combination
of letters.
Faith" exclaimed Dublin Univer-
sity professor. III that's what they call
themselves, how shall we ever trans
late their names when we come to
write the history of the conquest?"
whist. mon." replied professor
from the University Of Aberdeen, 'let
us whip the gillravaging villains first,
and then we can describe them by any
intitulation that may suit our deespo-
sition.'
These efforts to learn the language Of
Mars were renewed and repeated every
few hours, all the experience. learning
and genius of the squadron being con-
centrated upon the work. and the re-
suit was that in the course of few
DAYS we had actually succeeded in
learning a dozen or more of the Mar
tian's words and were able to make
him understand us when we pro-
nounced them. as we'll as to under
stand him when our ears had become
accustomed to the growing of his
voice.
Finally, one day the prisoner, who
seemed to be in an unusually cheerful
frame of mind, indicated that he car
ried in his breast some object which
he wished us to see.
With our assistance he pulled out a
book!
Actually, it was a book, not very un-
like the books which we have upon the
earth, but printed, of course, in char
acters that were entirely strange and
unknown to us. Yet these characters
evidently gave expression to highly
intellectual language. All those who
were standing by at the moment ut
tered a shout Of wonder and of delight
and the cry OF "a book! a book" ran
around the circle, and the good news
was even promptly communicated to
some of the neighboring electric ships
of the suadron. Several other learned
men were summoned in haste from
them to examine our new treasure.
! The Martian, whose good nature had
manifestly been growing day after
day. watched our inspection of his
book with evidences of great interest,
not unmingled with amusement. Final
ly he beckoned the holder of the book
to his side, and placing his broad fin
ger upon one of the huge letters-if
letters they were, for they more nearly
resembled the characters employed by
the Chinese printer-he uttered a sound
which we, of course, took to be a word,
but which was different from any we
had yet heard. Then he pointed to one
after another of us standing around.