The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-01-09
fDISON'1 & G{oNQUfN
4hMARS4aes.
BY GARRETT P. SERVISS
coPYRlGAI 1898 BY GARRETT p SERvlSS


what are they? Gentlemen, they are I'll
great mystery of the land of the Mill
the pyramids. The gigantic statue
their leader that they at the foot {
their artificial mountains have set up
gentlemen, what is that? 1t is til
SPHINX
The professor agitation was so grea
that he could go no further. And in
deed there was not one of us who di
not fully share his excitement. To thin
that we should have come to the plane
Mars to solve one of the standing mys
terles of the earth, which had puzzled
mankind and defied all their efforts a
solution for SO many centuriesl Here
then, was the explanation of how thos,
gigantic blocks that constitute the grea
pyramid of Cheops had been swung tC
their lofty elevation. 1t was not the
work OF puny man. as many an engineer
had declared that it could not be. but
the work of these giants of Mars.
Alma resumed her story
"At length, our traditions saw. a
great pestilence broke out in the land
OF sand, and a partial vengeance was
granted to us in the destruction of the
large number of our enemies. At last
the giants who remained, fleeing before
this scourge of the gods, used the mys-
FERROUS means at their command, and,
carrying our ancestors with them, re-
turned to their own world, in which
we have ever since lived. -
Then there are more of your people
in MarsY" said one of the professors
Alas, nor replied Alma, her ewes
filling with tears. Il alone am left. I"
For few minutes she was unable to
speak. Then she continued
What fury possessed them do not
know. but not long ago an expedition
departed from the planet the purpose
OF which, as it was noised about over
Mars, was the conquest Of distant
world After time few survivors of
that expedition returned. The story
they told caused great excitement
among our masters. They had been sue
cessful in their battles with the inhab-
itants OF the world ii ey had invaded
but as III the days of our forefathers in
the land OF sand pestilence smote
Them, and but few survivors ESCAPED.
Not long after that, you, with your
mysterious ships appeared in the sky OF
Mars. Our masters studied you with
their telescopes, and those who had re
turned from the unfortunate expedition
declared that you were inhabitants of
the world which they had invaded.
come, doubtless, to take vengeance upon
them.
Some of my people who were per-
mitted to look through the telescopes of
the Martians saw you also and recog-
hlzed you as members of their own race.
There were several thousand of us al-
together, and we were kept by the Mar
tlans to serve them as slaves and mar
tloularly to delight their ears with mn
sic, for our people have always been es.
peclally skillful in the playing of mu-
slcal Instruments and in songs, and
while the Martians have but little mu-
sicai skill themselves they are exceed.
lngly fond of these things.
Although Mars has completed not
less than 5000 circuits about the SIM
since our ancestors were brought as
prisoners to its surface, vet the memory
u our distant home has never persisted
rom the hearts of our race, and when
we recognized you, as we believed our
OWN brothers, come to rescue us from
ong Imprisonment there wes great re.
olclng The news spread from mouth
20 mouth wherever we were in the
houses and families of our masters. We
seemed to be powerless to aid You or TO
with you in any manner.
fet our hearts went out to you as in
'our ships you hung above the planet
ma preparations were secretly made by
NJ the members of our race for your re-
eptlon when, as we believed would
'ccur, you should effect landing upon
he planet and destroy our enemies.
But in some manner the fact that
We mad recognized you and were prepar-
ng 20 welcome you came to the ears of
he Martians. "
AT this point the girl suddenly Gov
RED her eyes with her hands, shudder
ng and falling back in her seat.
Oh, you do not know them as dop'
{ length she exclaimed. "The mon |
tersl Their vengeance was too terrible
instantly the order went forth that we
hould all be butchered, and that awful
ommand was executed"
How, then, did you escape?n asked
he Heidelberg professor.
Alma seemed unable to sneak for
while. Finally mastering her emotion.
be replied:
one OF the chief officers of the Mar
ANS wished me to remain alive. He.
nth his aids, carried me to one of the
Military depots of supplies, where I was
'und and rescued" And as she said
ais she turned toward Colonel Smith
'lth smile that reflected on his ruddv
ice and made it glow like a Chinese
Intern
by - muttered Colonel Smith \
Inat was the fellow we blew into moth.
lg. Blast him, he got off too easyIn
Inc remainder of Aina's story NAV
briefly told.
When Colonel Smith and I entered
10 mysterious building which. as n
ow proved, was not storebouse be.
'nging to village, as we had supposed
az one OF the military depots of the
lartlans tae girl, on catching sight Of
= immediately recognized us as be-
'nglhg to the strange SQUADRON in tba