The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-12-26
CHAPTER XVI.

II don't know what it is, but on in
speoting some of the compressed stores
short time ago found that large
number of them were destroyed, whether
through leakage of air or what am
unable to say. / sent to inquire as 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 the 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, them" said the army
officer.
"Why did you not report this before?"
demanded Mr.. Edison.
because, SIR, was the reply, "the
discovery was not made until after we
arrived close to Mars, and since then
there has been SO much excitement that
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. -
I closely watched Mr.. Edison's ex-
preston in order to see 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 off, even if there were any hope
of it's clearing. We must get down on
Mars now, having conquered it first, if
possible; but anyway we must get down
there in order to avoid starvation.
sit is very lucky he continued,
"that we have ten days supply left. A
great deal can be done in ten days"
A few hours after this the commander
called me aside and said:
81 have thought it all out. am 60
ing to reconstruct some of our disinte-
orators so as 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, where the popu-
lation is densest and hard blow would
have the most effect, and am going to
pound away at them through the smoke
and see whether we cannot draw them
out of their shell.''
With his expert assistants Mr.. Edison
set to work at once to transform mum
Der of the di -integrators into still more
formidable engines of the same descrip-
tion. One CT these new weapons having
been distributed to each of the members
of the squadron, the next problem was
to decide where to strike.
When we first examined the surface
of the planet, it will be remem bered
that we had regarded the Lake of the
Sun and its environs as being the very
focus of the planet. While it might al
so be strong point of defense, yet an
effective blow struck there would go tc
the enemy's heart and be more likely tc
bring the Martians promptly to terms
than anything else.
The first thing, then, was to locate
the Lake of the Sun on the smoke hid
den surface of the planet beneath us.
This was problem that the astrono.
mers could readily solve
Fortunately in the flagship itself
there was one of these star gazing gen
tlemen who had made specially of the
study of Mars. That planet, as l have
already explained, was now in opposi
ton to the earth. The astronomer hai
records in his pocket which enabled