Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-01

small size of the astcroid it's electric in
fluence was very much less than that of
the earth, and Notwithstanding the ap-
pliances which we possessed for intensi-
flying the electrical effect it was not
possible to produce a sufficient repulsion
to start us off for Mars with anything
like the impulse which wo had received
from the earth on our original departure.
Tho utmost velocity that we could
generate did not exceed three miles in
"a second, and to get this required our
utmost efforts. In fact, it had not SEEM
cd possible that we should attain even
so great speed as that. 1t was far more
than we could have expected, and even
Mr.. Edison was surprised as well as
greatly gratified when hefound that we
were moving with the velocity that /
have named
We wero still about 5000, 900 miles
from Mars, so that, travelling three
miles in second, we should require at
least 23 days to reach the immediate
neighborhood of the planet.
Meanwhile we had plenty of occu-
patton to make the tire pass quickly.
Our prisoner was transported along with
us, and we now began our attempts to
ascertain what his language was, and
if possible TO master it ourselves.
Before quitting the asteroid we had
found that it was necessary for him to
swallow one of his "air pills." as Pro-
fessor Moissm called them, at least
three times in the course of every 20
hours. One Of us supplied him regular
ly, and l thought / could detect evil
donces of certain degree Of gratitude
in his expression This was oncourag-
ing, because it gave additional promise
of the possibility of our being able to
communicate with him in some moro
effective way than by mere signs, But
once inside the car. where we had
supply Of air kept at the ordinary pres
sure experienced on the earth, he could
breathe like tho rest of us.
The best linguists in the expedition,
as Mr.. Edison had suggested, We're now
assembled il the flagship, where the
prisoner was, and they set to work to
devise some means of ascCrtaining the
manner in which he was accustomed to
express his thoughts. We had not heard
him speak, because until we carried him
into our car there was no atmosphere
capable Of conveying any sounds ho
might attempt to utter.
1t seemed a fair assumption that the
language Of the Martians would be sci
entitic in its structure. We had so much
evidence Of the practical bent of their
minds and Of the immense progress
which they had made in the direction
of the scientific conquest OF nature that
it was not 20 be supposed their medium
Of communication with enc another
would be lacking in clearness or would
possess any of the pulling and unneces-
sary antiquities that characterized the
languages spoken Oh the earth.
1--WE shall not find them making hes
and shes of stones, sticks and other in
animate Objects" said one of the Amer
lean linguists. They must certainly
have got rid Of all that nonsense long
ago"
"Ah," said French professor from
the Sorbonnc, one of the makers of he
never to he flushed dictionary, "it Will
be like the language of my country,
transparent, similar to the diamond
and sparkling as is the fountain.
81 think" said German enthusiast,
that it will be universal language,
the Nolapuk Of Mars spoken by all the
inhabitants of that planet"
But all these speculations, broke
in Mr.. Edison, "do not help You much.
Why net begin in II practical manner
by finding out what tho Marian calls
himself, for instance"
This seemed good suggestion, and
accordingly several Of the bystando !
began an expressive paLtomime, intend
cd 20 indicate TO the giant, who was
following all their motions with his
eyes, that they wished to know by what
name he called himself. Pointing their
fingers to their own breasts, they repeat
ed, ono after the other, the word
imam"
!: our prisoner had been stupid saw.
age, IF course any such attempt as this
to make him understand would have
been idle. BIT it must lie remembered
that We were dealing with parsonage
who had presumably inherited from
hundreds Of generations the results of q
civilization and an intellectual advance
measured by the constant progress OF
millions Of years.
Accordingly we were not very much
astonished when. after few repetition
of the experiment, the Martian-one Of
whose arms had been partially released
from its bonds in order to give him /;
little freedom of motion-imitated thl
action of his interrogators by pressing
his finger over his heart.
CHAPTER XIV.
Then, opening his mouth, he CAV,
utterauce to sound which shook til,