Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-01-05
CHA pTER XIV

The blow was so unexpected that foI
second we all remained riveted to tn
spot Then | saw Colonel Smith fac
turn livid, and at the same instau
heard the whir of his disintegrato.
while Sydney Phillips forgetting tn
deadly instrument that he carried in l.!
hand, sprung madly toward the bru,
who had kicked Alma, as il he intendet
to throttle him, colossus as he was
But Colonel Smiths aim, thougl
instantaneously taken, as he had bee,
accustomed to shoot On the plains, wa.
true, and Phillips, plunging madly for
ward, seemed wreathed il faint blu
INSTALL that the disintegrator had LEI.
of the gigantic Marian.
Who could adequately describe tn,
scene that followed:
remember that the Marian emperor
sprang to Eis feet. looking tenfold NOR,
terrible than before. | remember that
there instantly burst from the line OF
guards on either side orinkling beams
of death fire that seemed to scar the eye
balls. | saw half dozen of our mn
fall in heaps of ashes, and even at thai
terrific moment had time to wonder
that single one of us remained alive
Rather by instinct than in conse-
quence of any order given, we formed
ourselves in hollow square, with Alma
lying apparently lifeless, in the center,
and then with gritted teeth we did our
work
The lines of guards melted before the
disintegrators like rows of snow men
before licking flame.
The discharge of tho lightning en-.
gines in the hands of the Martians in
that confined space made an uproar SO
tremendous that it seemed to pass the
bounds of Iman sense.
More OF our men fell before their aw
full fire, and for the second time since
our arrival on this dreadful planet OF
war our humiliation seemed inevitable
But in a moment the whole scent
changed. Suddenly there was dis
charge into the room which | knew
came from one of the disintegrators OF
the electrical ships, 1t swept through
the crowded throng like destroyiug
blast. Instantly from another sid.
wished second discharge no less d.
Structive, and this was quickly followe.
by third. Our ships were firms
through the windows,
Almost at the same moment | say
the flagship, which had been moored il
the air close to the entrance and float
ing only three or four feet above til.
ground, pushing its way through til,
gigantic doorway from the anteroom
with its great disintegrators pointe,
upon the crowd like the muzzles Of
cruiser s guns
And now the Martians saw that III,
contest was hopeless for them, and thei
mad struggle to get out of the range O
the disintegrators and to escape frol
the death chamber was more appallin'
to look upon than anything that ha,
yet occurred.
1t was panic of giants. They tro,
one another underfoot; they yeller
and screamed in their terror: they tor
each other with their clawlike fingers
They no longer thought of resistance
The battle spirit had been blown out 0
item by a breath Of terror that shiveret
their marrow.
Still the pitiless disintegrators playe'
upon them until Mr.. Edison, making
himself heard, now that the thunder q
their engines had ceased to reverberat
through the chamber, commanded tina
our fire should cease.
In the meantime the armed Marian
outside the palace, hearing the uproa
within, seeing our men pouring thei
fire through the windows and suppos
ing that we were guilty at once G
treaohery and assassination, had at
tempted All attack upon tho electrica
ships stationed round the building. Blu
fortunately they had none of their large
engines at hand, and with their han
arms alone they had not been able
stand uD against the disintegratori