The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-01-02

cloud curtain. were summoned to de
scend, and, with more than a hundred
men, we returned to the building. anc
this time almost entirely exhausted it.
stores, each man carrying as much a:
he could stagger under
fortunately our proceedings lad been
conducted without much noise, and, the
storehouse being situated at consider.
able distance from other buildings.
none OF the Martians except those who
would never tell the story, had known
OF our arrival or of our doings on the
planet.
Now, we'll return and surprise Ed
lson with the news,' said Colonel
Smith
Our ship was the last 70 pass up
through the clouds, and it was strange
sight to watch the others as one after
another they rose toward the great
dome, entered it, though from below it
resembled solid vault of grayish pink
marble, and disappeared.
We quickly followed them, and hav-
Ing penetrated the enormous curtain
were considerably surprised on emerg-
ing at the upper side to find that the
sun was shining brilliantly upon us. 1t
Will be remembered that it was night
on this side of Mars when we went
down, but our adventure had occupied
several hours and now Mars had SO far
turned upon its axis that the portion of
lts surface over which we were had
come around into the sunlight.
We knew that the squadron which
we had left besieging the Lake of the
Sun must also have been carried around
IN similar manner, passing into the
night while the side of the planet where
we were was emerging into day.
Our shortest way back would be by
travelling westward. because then we
should be moving in a direction oppo-
site to that in which the planet rotated.
ana the main squadron, sharing that
rotation, would be continually moving
i'll our direction.
but to travel westward was to pene
trate once more into the night side of
the planet.
Inc prows, If | may so call them. of
our ships were accordingly turned in
the direction Of the vast shadow which
Mars was invisibly projecting into space
oehlnd 1t, and on entering that shadow
che sun disappeared from our ewes. and
once more the huge hidden globe be-
meath us became black chasm among
the stars
NOW that we were in the neipbbor
mod OF a globe capable of impartinp
considerable weight to all things under
the influence of its attraction that peoul.
lar condition which i have before de-
sorlbed as existing in the midst of space.
where there was neither up nor down
lor us, had ceased. Here where we had
weight up and down" had resumed
their old meanings Down" was 70.
ward the center of Mars, and "upp
was away from that center.
Standing on the deck and LOOKING
overhead as we swiftly plowed our
smooth way at great height through
the now imperceptible atmosphere of
the planet, l saw the two moons of
Mars meeting in the sky exactly above
us.
Before our arrival at Mars, there had
been considerable discussion among the
learned men as to the adyisabilitv of
touching at one of their moons. and
when the discovery was made that our
provisions were nearly exhausted IL had
been suggested that the Marian sateI.
lltes might furnish us with an additional
supply.
But it had appeared a sufficient renlv
70 this suggestion that the moons of
Mars are both insignificant bodies. NOT
much Larger than the asteroid we had
allen in with, and that there could NOT /
possibly be any forns of vegetation or ]
'ther edible products upon them.
Ihis view having prevailed. we had
leased to take an interest in the satel,
ties further than to regard them &c
'oJeots OF great curiosity on account Of
heir motions.
Inc nearer OF these moons, Phobos
; only 3, 700 miles from the surface If
OARS and we watched it traveling
round the planet three times in the