The herald., 1898-04-10

| language of the Martians we shall
probably have no difficulty in arriving
at an understanding"
Accordingly the flag ship was care
fully brought further down in front o.
the entrance to the palace, which hao
been kept clear by the Martian guards
and while the remainder of the squad
ron assembled within few feet, direct
ly over our heads, with the diSintegra.
tors turned upon the palace and the
crowd below, Mr.. Edison and myself
accompanied by Alma, stepped ou,
upon the ground.
There was a forward movement in
the immense crowd. but the guards
sternly kept everybody back. A party
of dozen giants, preceded by one who
seemed to be their commander, gor-
geously attired in jeweled garments
advanced from the entrance of the
palace to meet us. Alma addressed q
few words to the leader, who replied
sternly, and then, beckoning us to fol-
low, retraced his steps into the pal
ace.
Notwithstanding our confidence that
all resistance had ceased, we did not
deem it wise actually to venture into
the lions den without having taken
every precaution against n surprise.
Accordingly, before following the Mar
tian into the palace, we had twenty of
the electrical ships moored around it in
such positions that they commanded
not only the entrance but all of the
principal windows, and then q party
of forty picked men, each doubly
armed with powerful disintegrators,
was selected to attend us into the
building. This party was placed un-
der the command of Colonel Smith,
and Sidney Phillips insisted on being a
member of it.
In the meantime the Martian with
his attendants who had first invited
us to enter, finding that we did not fol-
low him, had returned to the front of
the palace. He saw the disposition that
we had made of our forces. and in
stantly comprehended it's significance,
for his manner changed somewhat. and
he seemed more desirous than before to
conciliate us.
When he again beckoned us to enter,
we unhesitatingly followed him, and,
passing through the magnificent en-
trance, found ourselves in a vast an
te-chamber, adorned after the manner
of the Martians in the most expensive
manner. Thence we passed into a
great circular apartment witt a dome
painted in imitation of the sh~, and so
lofty that to our eyes it seemed like
the armament itself. Here we found
ourselves approaching an elevated
throne situated in the center of the
apartment, while long rows of bril-
ordc MI
either side, and, grouped around the
throne, some standing and others re-
clining upon the flights of steps which
appeared to be of solid gold, was an
array of Martian women, beautifully
and becomingly attired, all of whom
greatly astonished us by the singular
charm of their faces and bearing, so
different from the aspect of most of
the Martians whom we had already en-
cOuntered.
Despite their stature-for these
women averaged twelve or thirteen
feet in heght-the beauty of their
compilations, of a dark, olive tint,
was no less brilliant than that of the
women of Italy or Spain.
At the top of the steps on a magnif-
cent golden throne, sat the Emperor
himself. There are some busts of Car
acalla which / have seen that are al
most as ugly as the face of the Martian
ruler. He was of gigantic stature,
larger than the majority of his sub
iects, and as near as 1 could Judge
must have been between fifteen and
sixteen feet in height.
/ had learned from Alma that Mars
was under military government, and
that the military class had absolute
control of the planet | was somewhat
startled, then. in looking at the head
and center of the great military svs-
TEN of Mars to find in his appearance
striking confirmation of the specula-
tions of our terrestrial phrenologists.
His broad misshapen head bulged in
those parts where they have placed
the so-called organs of combativeness.
destructiveness, etc.
Plainly, this was an effect of his
training and education. His very brain
had become a military engine; and the
aspect of his face, the pitiless lines of
his mouth and chin, the evil glare of
his eyes, the attitude and carriage of
his muscular body, all tended TO COM
plete the Warlike ensemble
He was magnificently dressed in
some Vesture that had the luster of q
polished plate of gold with the supple-
ness of velvet. AS we approached he
fixed his immense, deep-Set ewes stern
ly upon our faces.
Mr. Edison, Colonel Smith, Sidney
Phillips, Alma and myself, advanced
at the head of the procession. our
guard following in close order behind
us. 1t had been evident from the mo-
ment that we entered the palace that
Alma was regarded with aversion by
all of the Martians. Even the women
about the throne gazed scowlingly at
her as we drew near. Apparently. the
bitterness of feeling which had led to
the awful massacre of all her race had
not yet vanished.
1t was clear to me that the feeling
aroused by her appearance was every
moment becoming more intense. Still
the thought of a violent outbreak did
not occur to me. because our recent
triumph had seemed so complete that
l believed the Martians would be awed
by our presence and would not nm
dertake actually to injure the girl
| think we all had the same impress
sion, but as the event proved, we were
mistaken.
Suddenly one of the gigantic guards
as if actuated by a fit of ungovernable
hatred, lifted his foot and kicked
Alma. With loud Shrek she fell to
the floor.