Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-22

4 NSNN' uue idter Investigators noU taken
issue with this opinion, and the qnes-
ton where the Aryans originated upon
the earth bad long been one Of the most
puzzling that science presented.
This question seemed now to have
been settled
Alma had said that Mars had com
pleted 5000 circuits about the sun since
hor people were brought to it as cap
tves. One circuit of Mars occupies 6e7
days. More than 1000 years had there
fore elapsed since the first invasion of
the earth by the Martians.
Another great mystery, that of the
origin of those gigantic and inexplicable
monuments, the great pyramids and the
sphinx on the banks of the Nile, had
also apparently been solved by us, al
though these Egyptian wonders had
been the furthest things from our
thoughts when we set out for the planet
of Mars.
We had travelled more than 30, O00,-
600 of miles in order to get answers to
questions which could not be solved at
home.
But from these speculations and retro.
spects we were recalled by the COM
mander Of the expedition
This IL all very interesting and very
romantic, gentlemen" he said, "but
now let us get ut the practical side of
it. We have learned Aiua's language
and have heard her story. Let us next
ascertain whether she cannot place in
our hands some key which will put
Mars at our mercy. Remember what we
came here fer, and remember that the
earth expects every man of us to do his
duty"
This Nelsonlike summons again
changed the current of our thoughts,
and we instantly set to work to learn
from Alma if Mars, like Achilles, had
not some vulnerable point where "a blow
would be mortal.
1t was q curious scene when the mo-
mentous interview which was to deter
mine our fate and that of Mars began
Alma had been warned of what was
coming We III tho flagship had all
learned to speak her language with
moro or less ease, but it was deemed
best that the heidelberg professor, as
J
act as interpreter.
! The girl, flushed with the excitement
| Of the novel situation, fully appreciat-
{ ing the Importance of what was about
/ to occur and, looking moro charming
! than before, stood at one side of the
! principal apartment Directly facing
her were the interpreters, and the rest
/ of us, all with ears intent and eyes
focused upon Alma, stood i'll double row
/ behind them.
AS heretofore, am setting down her
words translated into our own tongue,
! having taken only so much liberty as to
! connect the sentences into stricter
| sequence than they had when falling
from her lips in reply to the questions
that were showered upon her.
You will never be victorious, " she
said "if you attack them openly as
you have been doing They are too
strong and too numerous They are we'll
prepared for such attacks, because they
| have had TO resist them before
They have waged war with the in
habitants of the asteroid Ceres, whose
people are giants greater than them
selves. Their enemies from Ceres have
| attacked them here. Hence these fortili.
cations, with weapons pointing sky.
ward, and the great air fleets which
you have encountered.
But there must DO some point" said
Mr.. Edison, "where we can"
Eyes, yes" interrupted the girl
| quickly, there is one blow you can
deal them which they could not with
stand. "
What is that:" eagerly inquired the
commander,
You can drown them out. "
How? With the canals"
Eyes, | will explain TO you, have
already told you, and in fact you must
have seen it for yourselves, that there
are almost no mountains on Mars. \
very learned man of my race used 10 say
that the reason was because Mars is so
very old a world that the mountains it
| once had have been almost completely
leveled and the entire surface of the
planet has become great plain. There
are depressions, however, most of which
are occupied by the seas. The greater
part of the land lies below the level of
the oceans. LII order Mt the Same time
TO irrigate the soil and mako it fruitful
and 10 protect themselves from overfiows
by the ocean breaking in upon them
the Martians have constructed tho I'M
mense and innumerable canals which
you see running in all directions over
the continents.
There is one period in the year, and
that period has now arrived, when there
is special danger of great deluge.
Most of the oceans of Mars lie in tie
southern hemisphere. When it is sum-
mer in that hemisphere. the great
masses of ice and snow collected around
the south pole melt rapidly away"
Eyes, that is so, " broke in one of our
astronomers, who was listening atten.
lively. MANY time / have seen the
vast snowfelds around the southern
pole of Mars completely disappear as
the summer sun rose high upon them"
with tho melting of these SHOWS"
continued Alma, "a rapid rise in the
level of the water in the southern oceans
occurs. On the side facing these oceans
the continents of Mars are sufficiently
elevated to prevent an overflow, but
nearer the equator the level of the land
sinks lower
with your telescopes you have no
doubt noticed that there is great bend.
ing sea connecting the oceans of the