The herald., 1898-02-27

this Is the place Wnere tne MartlanH
come to dig gold, and If this is the
height of their season, as you say, they
are not likely to leave us here long un-
disturbed"
i. These fellows must have been
pirates that they had the fight with"
said another.
"But what's become of the regulars.
them"
Gone back to Mars for help. prob
ably. and they'll be here again pretty
quick am afraid"
Considerable alarm was caused by
this view of the case. and orders were
sent to several of the electrical ships
to cruise out to safe distance in the
direction of Mars and keep a sharp
lookout for the approach of enemies.
meanwhile our prisonsr awoke. He
turned his eyes upon those standing
about him, without any appearance Of
fear. but rather with a look OF con-
tempt like that which Gulliyer must
have felt for the Liliputians who had
bound him under similar circum-
stances.
There were both hatred and defiance
In his glance. He attempted to free
himself, and the ropes strained with
the tremendous pressure that he put
upon them, but he could not break
loose.
Satisfied that the Martian was safely
bound. we left him where he lay, and.
while awaiting news from the ships
which had been sent to reconnoitre.
continued the exploration of the little
planet.
At point nearly opposite to that
where we had landed we came upon the
mine which the Martans had been
working. They had removed the thin
coating of soil. laying bare the rich
stores of gold beneath. and large guam
titles of the latter had been removed
Some of it was so solidly packed that
the strokes of the instruments bv
which they had detached 1t were visible
like the streaks left by knife cutting
cheese.
There were many detached masses of
gold scattered about, and some of the
men, on picking them up. exclaimed
with establishment at their lack of
weight. forgetting for a moment that
the same law which caused their own
bodies to weigh so little must neces-
sarily affect everything else in like de-
gree.
A mass of gold that on the earth no
man would have been able to lift could
here be tossed about like a hollow rub
ber ball.
| While we were examining the mine,
one of the men left to guard the Mar
tian came running to inform us that
the latter evidently wished to make
some communication. Mr.. Edison and
others hurried to the side of the pris-
oner He still lay on his back. from
which position he was not able to move.
Notwithstanding all his efforts. But by
the motion Of his eyes. aided by a pam
tomime with his fingers, he made us
understand that there was something
in metallic box fastened at his side
which he wished to reach.
| With some difficulty we succeeded In
opening the box. and in 1t there ap-
peared number of bright red pellets.
as large as ordinary egg.
When the Martian saw these in our
hands he gave us to understand by the
motion of his lips that he wished to
swallow one of them. A pellet was &C.
cordingly placed in his mouth, and he
instantly and with great eagerness
swallowed it.
While trying to communicate his
wishes to us, the prisoner had seemed
to be in no little distress. He exhibited
spasmodic movements which led some
of the bystanders to think that he was
on the point of dying. but within a few
seconds after he had swallowed the pei
let he appeared to be completely re-
stored. All evidences of distress van
ished, and look Of content came over
his ugly face.
ut must be a powerful medicine"
said one of the bystanders. II wonder
what it is."
Il will explain to you my notion"
said Professor Moissan, the great
French chemist. IT think it was a pill
of the air, which he has taken"
What do you mean by that?"
MY meaning is said Professor
Moissan. that the Martian must have,
for that he may live. the nitrogen and
the oxygen. These he cannot obtain
here where there is not the atmosphere.
Therefore must he get them in some
other manner This has he managed
to do by combining in these pills the
oxygen and the nitrogen in the propor-
tions which make atmospheric air.
Doubtless upon Mars there are the very
great chemists. They have discovered
how this may be done When the Mar
tian has swallowed his little pill, the
oxygen ana tHe nitrogen are rendered
to his blood as if he had breathed them,
and so he can live with that air which
has been distributed to him with the
aid of his stomach in the place Of his
lungs"
If Monsieur Moissan's explanation
was not correct, at any rate it seemed
the only one that would fit the fects, be-
fore us. Certainly the Martian could
not breathe where there was practical
ly on air. yet just as certainly after he
had swallowed his pill he seemed as
comfortable, as any of u.s.
Suddenly, while we were gathered
around the prisoner, and interested in
this fresh evidence of the wonderful in
genuity of the Martians, and of their
control over the processes of nature.
one of the electrical ships that had
been sent off in the direction of Mars
was seen rapidly returning and dis
playing signals.
1t reported that the Martians were
coming!
TO BE CONTINUED