The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-12-12
CONTINUED from Page 6. ]

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 Marian was safely
bound, we left him where he lay, and
while awaiting news from the ships
which had been sent to reconnoiter con-
tinued the exploration of the little
planet.
At a point nearly opposite to that
where we had landed we came upon the
mine which the Martians 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 by means
of which they had detached it were Wis
ible like the streaks left by knife cut
ting cheese.
The more we saw Of this golden plan
ct the greater became. our establishment.
What the Martians had removed was a
mere nothing in comparison with the
entire bulk of the asteroid. Had the &C.
lestial mine been easier to reach per-
haps they would have removed more, or
possibly their political economists per-
fectly understood the necessity of prop
erly controlling the amount of precious
metal in circulation. Very likely, we
thought the mining operations were
under government control in Mars, and
it might be that the majority of the
people there knew nothing of this store
of wealth floating in the armament.
That would account for the battle
with the supposed pirates, who no
doubt had organized secret expedition
to the asteroid and been caught red
handed at the mine.
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 moment that
the same law which caused their own
bodies to weigh SO little must necessari-
ly affect everything else in like degree
A mass of gold that on the earth no
man would have been able to lift could
here be tossed about like hollow rub
Der ball.
While we were examining the mine
one of the men left to guard the Marian
came running to inform us that the lat
ter evidently wished to make some com
munication. Mr.. Edison and others hur-
ried to the side of the prisoner. 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 pantomime 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 it there appeared
number of bright red pellets as large
as an ordinary egg
When the Marian saw these in our
hands, he gave us to understand by the
motion of his lips that be wished to
swallow one of them. A pellet was &C
cordingly placed in his mouth, and he
instantly and with great eagerness swal-
lowed 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.
1T must be powerful medicine, "
said one of the bystanders. 81 wonder
what it is -
Il will explain to you my notion"
said Professor Moissan, the great French
chemist. 81 think it was pill of the
air which he has taken.'
What do you mean by that?''
My meaning is" said Professor
Moissan, "that the Marian must have
for that he may live, the nitrogen and
the oxygen. These can he not 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 oxy-
gen and the nitrogen in the proportions
which make atmospheric air. Doubtless
upon Mars there are the very great
chemists. They have discovered how
this may be done. When the Marian
has swallowed his little pill, the oxygen
and the nitrogen are rendered to his
blood as If he had ,reathed them, and
80 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 M. Moissap,s explanation was NOT