Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-08
CHAPTER XVI.

CHAPTER NNI.
81 don't know what it is, but on in
speeding some of the compressed stores
short time ago | found that a large
number Of them were destroyed, whether
through leakage of air or what am
unable to say. | sent to inquire AZ to
the condition of the stores in the other
ships in the squadron, and | found that
similar condition of things prevailed
there.
"The fact is,' continued tho commits.
sary, 1--WE have only provisions enough
in proper condition for about ten days
consumption.
"After that we shall have To forage
on the country, then, said the army
officer.
"Why did you not report this before?"
| demanded MIR. Edison.
"Because, sir, was tho reply, "the
discovery was not made until after we
arrived close to Mars, and since then
there has been so much excitement that
l have hardly had time to make an in
vestigation and find out what the precise
condition of affairs is. Besides, thought
we should land upon the planet, and
then we would be able to renew our sup.
plies
l closely watched Mr.. Edison's ex-
preston in order to SEQ how this most
alarming news would affect him. AL
| though he fully comprehended its fear
full significance, he did not lose his self
| command.
well, we'll" he said, "then it will
| become necessary for us to act quickly.
| Evidently we cannot wait for the smoke
to clear of, even if there were any hope
Of its clearing. We must get down ON
/ Mars now, having conquered it first, il
possible; but anyway we must get down
| there in order to avoid starvation.
at is very lucky" he continued,
THAT we have ten days supply left. A
great deal can le done in ten days"
a few hours after this the commander
called mo aside and sald
81 have thought it all out. am GO
ing to reconstruct some of our disinte.
orators so rs to increase their range and
their power. Then am going TO have
some of the astronomers of the expedi.
ton locate for me the most vulnerable
points upon the planet, whore the pOpu.
lation is densest and hard blow would
have the most effect and | am going &c
pound away at them through the smoke
and SEQ whether we cannot draw them
out of their shell. A"
With his expert assistants Mr.. Edison
set to work at once to transform u mum.
Der Of the dlsintegratOrs into still more
formidable engines of the same descrip,
tion. One Of these new weapons having
been distributed to each of the member.
of the squadron, the next problem wa,
to decide where to strike.
When we first examined the surface
of the planet, it will be remembered
that we had regarded the Lake of III,
Sun and its environs as being the very
focus of the planet. While it might al
so be II strong point of defense. yet al
effective blow struck there would 20 e
the enemy's heart and be moro likely tC
bring the Martians promptly to term,
than anything else.
The first thing, then, was TO locate
the Lake of the Sun ON tho smoke hid
den surface of the planet beneath us
This was problem that tho astrono
mers could readily solve
Fortunately in the flagship Itself
there was one of these star gazing gen
tlemen who had made specially Of IN,
study of Mars. That planet, ms | have
already explained, was now in upuusi
ton TO the earth. The astronomer hGt
] ~, 4
him. by brief calculation, to say jus
when the Lake Of the sun would be OF
the meridian of Mars US seen from III,
earth. Our chronometers still kept tey
restrial time; we knew the exact mum
Der OF days and hours that had elapsed
since we had departed, and 50 it wa
possible by placing ourselves in lin,
between the earth and Mars to be prac
tically in the situation of an astronomer
i'll his observatory at home.
Then it was only necessary to wal
for the hour when the Lake of the SUI
would be upon the meridian of Mars IL
order to be certain what the true direc
tion of the latter from the flagship was
Having thus located the heart of oul
foe behind its shield of darkness, W.
prepared to strike.
81 have ascertained," said Mr.. Edi
son, "the vibration period of the smoke
so that it will be easy for us to shatte'
it into invisible atoms. You will s.
that every stroke of the disintesrator
will open hole through the black cur
tain. If their field of destruction coul
| hn do Il t,Yl, n
manner clear away the entire GOVERN
of smoke, but all that we shall real
be able to do will be to puncture it vi,
holes. which will perhaps unable US t