The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-12-19

locity.
In consequence Of the com aratively
small size Of the asteroid it's electric in
f1uence was very much less than that of
the earth, and Notwithstanding the ap-
pliances which we possessed for intensi-
flying the electrical effect it was not
possible to produce sufficient repulsion
to start us off for Mars with anything
like the impulse which we had received
from the earth on our original departure
The utmost velocity that we could
generate did not exceed three miles in
a second, and to get this required our
utmost efforts. In fact, it had not SEEM
ed possible that we should attain even
SO great speed as that 1t was far more
than we could have expected, and even
Mr.. Edison was surprised as we'll as
greatly gratified when he found that we
were moving with the velocity that
have named.
We were still about 6, 900, 900 miles
from Mars so that, travelling three
miles in second, we should require at
least 23 days to reach the immediate
neighborhood of the planet.
Meanwhile we had plenty Of occu-
patton to make the time pass quickly.
Our prisoner was transported along with
US, and we now began our attempts to
ascertain what his language was, and
if possible to master it ourselves.
Before quitting the asteroid we had
found that it was necessary for him to
swallow one of his "air pills" as Pro-
fessor Moissan called them, at least
three times in the course of every "a
hours. One Of us supplied him regular
ly, and l thought l could detect evil
dences of a certain degree of gratitude
in his expression. This was encourage
ing, because it gave additional promise
of the possibility of our being able to
communicate with him in some more
effective way than by mere signs But
once inside the car, where we had a
supply of air kept at the ordinary pres
sure experienced on the earth, he could
breathe like the rest of us.
The best linguists in the expedition,
as Mr.. Edison had suggested, were now
assembled in the flagship, where the
prisoner was, and they set to work to
devise some means of ascertaining the
manner in which he was accustomed to
express his thoughts. We had not heard
him speak, because until we carried him
into our car there was no atmosphere
capable Of conveying any sounds he
might attempt to ntter
1t seemed fair assumption that the
language of the Martians would be sci
entific in it's structure. We had SO much
evidence of the practical bent of their
minds and of the immense progress
which they had made in the direction
of the scientific conquest Of nature that
it was not to be supposed their medium
of communication with one another
would be lacking in clearness, or would
possess any of the puzzling and unneces-
sary antiquities that characterized the
languages spoken on the earth.
eve shall not find them making hes
and shes of Stones sticks and other in
animate Objects" said one of the Amer
lean linguists. "They must certainly
have got rid of all that nonsense long
ago.. "
"Ah," said a French professor from
the Sorbonne, one of the makers of the
never to be finished dictionary, sit will
be like the language of my country,
transparent, similar to the diamond
and sparkling as is the fountain.
81 think, said German enthusiast,
"that it will be universal language,
the Volapuk of Mars, spoken by all the
inhabitants of that planet.
but all these speculations, broke
in Mr.. Edison, edo not help you much.
Why not begin in practical manner
by finding out what the Marian calls
himself, for instance?"
This seemed good suggestion, and
accordingly several of the bystanders
began an expressive pantomime, intend
ed to Indicate to the giant, who was
following all their motions with his
eyes, that they wished to know by what
name he called himself Pointing their
fingers to their own breasts, they repeat
ed, one after the other, the word
imam"
II our prisoner had been stupid saw
age, OF course any such attempt as this
to make him understand would have
been idle. But it must be remem bered
that we were dealing with parsonage
who had presumably inherited from
hundreds of generations the results of a
civilization and an intellectual advance
measured by the constant progress of
millions of years.
Accordingly we were not very much
aStOni she'd W hon aftar q foxu ropot;+;opc
of the experiment, the Martian-one of
whose arms had been partially released
from its bonds in order to give him a
little freedom of motion-imitated the
action of his interrogators by pressing
his finger over his heart
CHAPTER XIV.
Then, opening his mouth, he gave
utterance to sound which shook the
air Of fha cor lilo tho bOorco roor - q