The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-20

rQgrpf HAS IDA NY bi'hN N'N''ft s'''''f
hdolung. so declared Has he not said
ftot the Valley Of Cashmere was the
cradle Of the human race alresdy2'
"From the Valley OF Cashmere 20 the
planet Mars-what rOmance! eXclaim-
ed one Of the bystanders.
Colonel Smith appeared 70 be paruc-
ularly moved. and ] heard him humming
under his breath, greatly 10 my astonish-
nent. for this rough soldier was not
much given 10 poetry or music:
''Who has not heard OF the Vale OF CASH
mere.
with ,ts roses the brightest that earth
ever gave
It's temples, its grottoes, its fountains as
clear.
As the love-Hehted eyes that hang over
the wave"
Mr.. Sidney Phillips standing by, and
also catching the murmur Of Colonel
Smith words showed In his handsome
countenance some indications OF distress
as IL he wished he had thought Of those
lines himself.
The girl resumed her narrative:
Suddenly there dropped down out or
tho sky strange gigantic enemies, armed
with mysterious weapons, and began 10
say and burn ana make desolate our
forefa.hers could not withstand them
They seemed Ike demons who had been
sent from the abodcs Of evil 20 destroy
our race
some OF the wise men said that this
thing had come upon our people because
they had been very wicked, and the
Gods i'm heaven were angry. Some said
they came from the moon, and some from
the far.awav stars. But Of these things
my forcfathers knew nothing for "a GER
tainty.
THE destroycrz showed no mercy 20 the
inha bitauts OF the beautiful valley. Not
content with making It a desert, they
SWEPT over other parts OF the earth
Tie tadiuons say that they carried
of fc,,n the valley, which was our ma
tive ar large number OF orr people
taking them first into strange country
where there were oceans Of sand, but
where a great river, flowing through the
midst Of the sands. created a narrow land
Of fertility. Here. after having slain and
driven ont the native inhabitants, they
remained for many years, Keeping our
people. whom they had carried into cap
tivity as slaves.
And in th.s Land Of sand It IS said,
they did many wonderful works.
"They had been astonished az the sight
Of the great mountains which surrounded
our valley, for on Mars there are no
mountains. ana after they came into the
l.1Mu OF t1ANA Aa4Nf hNlAN hiANAN Ntt+t tt'+rfr
blocks Of stone mountains IN imitation
OF what they had seen. and used them
for purposes which our people did not un-
derstand.
"Then. too. St Sc said that they LETT
there al the foot Of these mountains that
they had made. a gigantic image OF the
great chief who led them in their con-
quest of our world
At this point in the story the Heidelberg
professor again broke in, fairly trembling
with excitement
Gentlemen. gentlemen" he cried us
81 that Won DO not understand? This Land
Of sand and Of q wonderful fertilizing
river-What can 81 be? Gentlemen, 10 Is
Egypt These mountains Of rock that the
Naruans have erected. what are they!
Gentlemen they arc the great mystery
Of the land OF the Nile the Pyramids
The gigantic statue Of their leader that
they at the foot Of their artificial noun
tains have set up-gentiemen, what IS
that? 1t IS the sphinx
The professors agitation was so great
that he could 80 no further And, indeed.
there was rot one Of us who did not fully
share his excitement. To think that We
should have come TO the planet Mars 20
solve one Of the standing mysteries Of the
earth. which had puzzled mankind and
dclcd all their efforts at solution for so
many centuries. Here, then, was the OK
planation of how those gigantic blocks
that constitute the great Pyramid Of
Cheops had been swung TO their lofty
elevation. It was not the work Of puny
men, as many an engineer had declared
that it could not be, but the Work or
those giants OF Mars.
Alma resumed her story:
AT length our traditions say great
pestncnce broke out I'm the Land sand,
and a partial vengeance was granted TO
us i'm tho destruction Of the larger num-
Der Of our enemies. At last the giants VINO
remained, neelng before this scourse Of
the gods. used the mysterious means az
their command, and, carrying our ances-
tors with them, returned TO their own
world. I'm which we have ever since lived.
"Then there are some OF your people IN
Mars" eaid one of the professors.
alas. no." replied Alma, hey eyes filling
with tears, az eiore am left"
For q few minutes She was unable 20
speak. Then she continued:
"What fury possessed them I do not
know. but not long ago an expedition
departed from the planet the purpose OF
which. as il was n0iscd about over Mars,
was the conquest of a distant world. After
a time few survivors of that expedition
returned. The story they told caused great
excitement among our masters. They had
been successful in their battles with the
| inhabitants OF the world they had in-
vaded. but as I'm the days OF our ore
fathers. in the Land OF Sand a pesilence
smote them, and but few survivors Csc
capped.
mot long after that you, with your
mysterious ships. appeared IN the sky
| Of Mars. Our masters studied you with
| their telescopes and those who had re-
| turned from the unfortunate expedition
| declared that you were inhabitants Of the
| world which they had invaded, come
| doubtless. to take vengeance upon them
Some of my people who were permit
! ted 10 look thrCU ugh the telescopes or the
Martians. saw you also. and recognized
you as members OF their own race. There
were several thousand Of us all together,
| and we arc kept by the Martians 20 serve
| them as slaves. and particularly 10 de-
light their c1ts with music. for our people
| have alway~ 1ecn especially skifu IN the
playing OF musical instruments, and IN
songs. and while the Martians have but
little musical skill themselves, they are
exceedingly fond Of these things
although Mars had completed not less
| that five thousand circuits about the
sun since our ancestors were brought as
prisoners 20 its surface yet the memory
| OF our distant home had never persisted
from the hearts of our race, and whom
We recognized you az we believed, our
| own brothers, come 20 rescue 1855 from
| long Imprisonment, there was great re-
| ioicing Tho news spread from mouth
| 10 mouth. wherever we were I'm the houses
! and families Of our masters We seemed