The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-12-12

ing velocity straight into the upturned
face Of the Marian. 1t burst as it
touched, and the monster fell back
senseless upon the ground.
"You have killed himl" exclaimed
all.
mo, " said Mr.. Edison, she is not
dead, only asleep. Now we shall drop
down and bind him tight before he can
awake. -
/ When we came to bind our prisoner
with strong ropes, we were more than
ever impressed with his gigantic stature
and strength. Evidently in single COM
bat with equal weapons he would have
been match for 20 of us.
All that l had read of giants had
failed to produce upon my mind the i'm
preston of enormous size and tremen-
dous physical energy which the sleep
ing body of this immense Marian pro-
duced. He had fallen on his back and
was in most profound slumber All
his features we're relaxed, and yet even
in that condition there was a devilish-
ness about him that made the beholders
instinctively shudder.
So powerful was the effect of the an
aesthetic which Mr.. Edison had dis
charged into his face that he remained
| perfectly unconscious while we turned
him half over in order the more secure
! ly to bind his muscular limbs.
| In the meantime the other electrical
ships approached and several of them
made landing upon the asteroid. Ev-
erybody was eager to see this wonderful
little world, which, as l have already
remarked, was only five miles in diam
eter
Several of us from the flagship started
out hastily to explore the miniature
planet, And now our attention was re-
called to an intensely interesting phe-
nomenoh which had engaged our
thoughts not only when we were upon
the moon, but during our flight through
space. This was the almost entire abb
senoe of weight.
On the moon, where the force of
gravitation is one-sixth as great as upon
the earth, we had found ourselves as
tonishingly light. Five-sixths of our
own weight and of the weight of the
alright suits in which we were incased
had magically dropped from u.s. 1t was
therefore paratively easy for us, in
numbered as we were, to make our way
about on the moon.
But when we were far from both the
earth and the moon the loss of weight
was more astonishing still-not aston
ishing because we had not known that
it would be SO, but nevertheless sur
prisiug phenomenon in contrast with
our lifelong experience on the earth.
In open space we were practically
without weight. Only the mass of the
electrical car in which we were inclosed
attracted us, and inside that we could
place ourselves in any position without
falling. We could float in the air
There was no up and no down, no top
and no bottom for us. Stepping outside
the car, it would have been easy for us
to spring away from it and leave it for
ever
One of the most startling experiences
that have ever had was one day when
we were navigating space about half
way between the earth and Mars. | had
stepped outside the car with Lord Kel-
win, both Of us, of course wearing our
alright suits. We were perfectly we'll
aware what would be the consequence
of detaching ourselves from the car as
we moved along. We should still retain
the forward motion of the car, and of
course accompany it in its flight. There
would be ne falling one way or the
other. The car would have tendency
to draw us back again by its attraction,
but this tendency would be very slight,
and practically inappreciable at dis
lance.
II am going to step off, suddenly
said to Lord Kelvin. "Of course shall
keep right along with the car and step
aboard again when am ready"
Quite right on general principles,
young man, replied the great savant,
"but beware in what manner you step
off. Remember, if you give your body
an impulse sufficient to carry it away
from the car to any considerable dis
lance you will be unable to get back
again unless we can catch you with
boathook or q fshline. Out there in
empty space you will have nothing to
kick against, and you will be unable to
propel yourself in the direction of the
car, and its attraction is SO feeble that
we should probably arrive at Mars be-
fore it had drawn you back again.
All this was, of course, perfectly self
evident, yet believe that but for the
warning word of Lord Kelvin should
have been rash enough to step out into
empty space, with sufficient force to
have separated myself hopelessly from
the electrical ship.
AS it was, l took good care to retain
hold upon projecting portion of the
car. Occasionally cautiously releasing
my grip experienced for few min
utes the delicious, Understandable pleas
ure of being little planet swinging
through space, with nothing to hold me
up and nothing to interfere with my
motion.
Mr.. Edison, happening to come upon
the deck of the ship at this time and
seeing what we were about, at once
said