The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-01-23

person OF the chief ruler.
The fleet was accordingly concen-
trated, and we rapidly approached the
great Marian palace. AS we came down
within 100 feet of them and boldly
made our way among their airships,
which retreated at our approach, the
Martians gazed at us with mingled fear
and establishment.
We were their conquerors, and they
knew it. We were coming to demand
their surrender, and they evidently I'M
derstood that also. AS we approached
the palace signals were made from it
with brilliant colored banners. which
Alma informed us were intended as a
token of truce.
eve shall have to go down and have
confab with them, suppose" said
Mr.. Edison. "We can't kill them off
now that they are helpless, but we must
manage somehow to make them under
stand that unconditional surrender is
their only chance.
Let us take Alma with u.s." | sug-
gested, land, since she can speak the
language of the Martians, we shall prob
ably have no difficulty in arriving at an
understanding
Accordingly the flagship was careful
ly brought farther down in front of the
entrance to the palace, which had been
kept clear by the Marian guards, and
while the remainder of the squadron as
sembled within few feet directly over
our heads with the disintegrators turned
upon the palace and the crowd below
Mr.. Edison and myself, accompanied by
Alma, stepped out upon the ground.
There was a forward movement in the
immense crowd, but the guards sternly
kept every body back A party of a dozen
giants, preceded by one who seemed to
be their commander, gorgeously attired
III jeweled garments, advanced from the
entrance of the palace to meet us. A ina
addressed few words to the leader,
who replied sternly, and then, beckon-
ing us to follow. retraced his steps into
the palace
Notwithstanding our confidence that
all resistance had ceased, we did not
deem it wise actually to venture into
the lions den without having taken ev-
cry precaution against Il surprise. Ac-
oordingly before following the Martian
into the palace we had 20 of the cleo
trical ships moored around it in such
positions that they commanded not only
the entrance, but all of the principal
windows, and then party of 40 picked
men, each doubly armed with powerful
dlsintegrators, were selected to attend
US into the building. This party was
placed under the command of Colonel
Smith, and Sydney Phillips insisted on
being a member of it.
In the meantime the Marian, with his
attendants, who had first invited us to
enter, finding that we did not follow
him, had returned to the front of the
palace, He saw tbs disr >sition that we
had made of our forces and instantly
comprehended it's significance, for his
manner changed somewhat, and he
seemed more DESTROYS than before to
conciliate us.
When he again beckoned us to enter,
we unhesitatingly followed him and,
passing through the magnificent en-
trance, found ourselves in vast ante
chamber, adorned after the manner of
the Martians in the most expensive man.
ner Thence we passed into a great cir
cular apartment with dome painted in
imitation of the sky and so lofty that
to our eyes it seemed like the armament
itself. Here we found ourselves ap-
an elevated throne situated in
the center OF the apartment, while long
rows OF brilliantly armored guards
thanked us Oh either side, and grouped
around the throne, some standing and
others reclining upon the flights of steps,
which appeared to be of solid gold, was
an array of Martian women beautifully
and beoomingly attired, all of whom
greatly astonished us by the singular
charm of their faces and bearing, SO diff
ferent from the aspect of most of the
Martians whom we had already enooun-
tered.
Despite their stature-for these wom-
en- averaged IL or l3 feet in height
the beauty of their oomplexions-of a
dark, olive tint-was no less brilliant
than that Of the women of Italy or
Spain.
Al the top of the steps, on magnifi-
cent golden throne, sat the emperor
There are some busts of Cara
Gala which | have seen that are almost |
as ugly as the face of the Marian ruler.
he was of gigantic stature, larger than
the majority of his subjects, and as near
as could judge must have been be.
tween 10 and 10 feet in height.
AS looked at him understood a re-.
mark which had been made by Alma to
the effect that the Martians were not
all alike, and that the peculiarities of
their minds were imprinted on their
faces and expressed in their forms in a
very wonderful and sometimes terrible
had also learned from her that Mars
was under military government and
that the military class had absolute con.
'rol of the planet. | was somewhat
startled, then, IN looking at the head
md center of the great military system
IL Mars to find in his appearance a
striking confirmation of the speculations
u our terrestrial phrenologists. His
broad, misshapen head bulged in those
parts where they have placed the SO call
"a organs OF combativeness, destructive