The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-01-30
CONTINUED from last week,
CHAPTER XIV

4
turn livid. and at the same instant
heard the whir of his disintegrator,
while Sydney Phillips, forgetting the
deadly instrument that he carried in his
hand, sprung madly toward the brute
who had kicked Alma, as if he intended
to throttle him, colossus as he was
But Colonel Smiths aim, though
instantaneously taken, as be had been
accustomed to shoot ON the plains, was
true, and Phillips, plunging madly for
ward, seemed wreathed il faint blue
INSTALL that the disintegrator had left
of the gigantic Marian.
Who could adequately describe the
scene that followedf
remember that the Marian emperor
sprang to his feet. looking tenfold more
terrible than before. | remember that
there instantly burst from the line of
guards on either side drinking beams
of death fire that seemed to scar the eye
balls. | saw half a dozen of our men
fall in heaps of ashes, and even at that
terrific moment had time to wonder
that single one Of us remained alive.
Rather by instinct than in conse-
quenoe 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 fame.
The discharge Of the lightning en-
gines In the hands Of the Martians In
that confined space made an uproar 60
trsnsndous that II seemed 10 pass the
bounds of humxn sense.
Moro Of our men fell before their aw-
full Ere, and for the second time since
our arrival on this dreadful planet OF
war our humiliation seemed inevitable.
But in moment the whole scene
changed. Suddenly there was dis
charge into the room which l knew
came from one Of the disintegrators Of
the electrical ships 1t swept through
the crowded throng like destroying
blast. Instantly from another side
swished second discharge no less de-
structive, and this was quickly followed
by third. Our ships were firing
through the windows.
Almost at the same moment I saw
the flagship, which had been moored in
the air close to the entrance and float
ing only three or four feet above the
ground, pushing it's way through the
gigantic doorway from the anteroom,
with it's great disintegrators pointed
upon the crowd like the muzzles of q
cruisers guns
And now the Martians saw that the
contest was hopeless for them, and their
mad struggle to get out of the range OF
the disintegrators and to escape from
the death chamber was more appalling
to look upon than anything that had
yet occurred
1t was panic Of giants. They trod
one another underfoot; they yelled
and screamed in their terror: they tore
each other with their clawlike fingers.
They no longer thought of resistance.
The battle spirit had been blown out Of
them bya breath Of terror that shivered
their marrow.
Still the pitiless disintegrators played
upon them until Mr.. Edison, making
himself heard, now that the thunder of
their engines had ceased to reyerberate
through the chamber, commanded that
our fire should cease.
In the meantime the armed Martians
outside the palace, hearing the uproar
within, seeing our men pouring their
fire through the windows and suppos.
ing that we were guilty at once of
treaohery and assassination, had at
tempted an attack upon tho electrical
ships stationed round the building. But
fortunately they had none Of their larger
engines at hand, and with their hand
arms alone they had not been able to
stand up against the disintegrators.
They were blown away before the with
ering fire of the ships by the hundred
until fleeing from destruction, they
rushed madly, driving their unarmed
companions before them, into the seeth.
ing waters Of the food close at hand.
Through all this terrible contest the
emperor Of the Martians had remained
standing upon his throne, gazing at the
awful spectacle, and not moving from
the spot. Neither he nor the frightened
women gathered upon the steps of the
throne had been injured by the disin
tegrators. Their immunity was due tc
the fact that the position and elevation
Of the throne were such that it was moi
within the range of fire Of the electrical
ships which had poured their vibratory
discharges through the windows, and
we inside had only directed our fire to-
ward the warriors who had attacked us
Now that the struggle was over We
turned our attention to Alma. Forth
nately the girl had not been seriously
injured. and she was quickly restored t.
consciousness Had she been killed VIZ
would have been practically helpless il
attempting further negotiations, be-
cause the knowledge which we had 40.
quired OF the language Of the Martianl
from the prisoner captured on the gold
en- asteroid was not sufficient to meet
the requirements of the occasion.
When the Marian monarch saw that
We had ceased the work of death, he
sank upon his throne. There he remain.
ed, leaning his chin upon his two hands