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

ourselves crawling through grass Sc
tall that if we had stood erect it would
have risen we'll above our heads.
"This affords good protection, sale
Colonel Smith, recalling his adventures
on the western plains. "We can gel
close in to the Indians-I beg pardon,
mean the Martians-without being
seen.
Heavens, what an adventure was
this-to be crawling about in the night
on the face of another world and ven
turing perhaps into the jaws of dan
ger which human experience could not
measured
But on we went, and in little while
we had emerged from the tall grass and
were somewhat startled by the discov-
cry that we had got close to the wall of
the building.
Carefully we crept around toward the
open door.
AS we neared it we suddenly stopped
as if we had been stricken with instan-
taneous paralysis.
Out of the door foated, on the soft
night air, the sweetest music / have
ever listened to-
1t carried me back in an instant to
my own world. 1t was the music of the
earth. 1t was the melodious expression
of human soul. 1t thrilled us both to
the hearts core.
My GodP' exclaimed Colonel Smith
"What can that be? Are we dreaming,
or where in heaven S name are we?'
Still the enchanting harmony fioated
out upon the air. What the instrument
was | could not tell, but the sound
seemed more nearly to resemble that of
violin than of anything else / could
think of.
When we first heard it, the strains
were gentle, sweet, caressing and full of
an infinite depth of feeling, but in lit
tie while Its tone changed, and it be-
came magnificent march, throbbing
upon tie air in stirring notes that set
our hearts beating in unison with its
stride and inspiring in us a courage that
we had not felt before.
Then it drifted into wild fantastic,
still inexpressibly sweet, and from that
changed again into requiem or lament
whose mellifluous tide of harmony
swept our thoughts back again to the
earth.
81 can endure this no longer p' said.
II must see who it is that makes that
music 1t is the product of a human
heart and must come from the touch of
human fingers"
We carefully shifted our position I'M
til we stood in the blaze of light that
poured out of the door.
The doorway was an immense arched
opening, magnificently ornamented, ris-
ing to height, l should say, not less
than 20 or 25 feet and broad in proper
tlon The door itself stood widely open,
and it, together with all of it's fittings
and surroundings, was composed of the
same beautiful red metal.
Stepping out little way into the
fight, l could see within the door an
immense apartment, glittering on all
sides with metallic ornaments and gems
ana lighted from the center by great
chandelier of electric candles.
In the middle of the great floor. hold
ing the instrument delicately poised and
still awaking its ravishing voice, stood
a figure the sight of which almost stop-
ped my breath.
Ii was slender sylph of a grill
A girl of my own race-a human he.
ing here upon the planet Marsl
Her hair was loosely coiled, and she
was attired in graceful white drapery.
BY -" cried Colonel Smith.
"she's human
Still the bewildering strains of the
music came to our ears, and yet we
stood there unperceived, though in the
full glare of the chandelier.
The girls face was presented in pro-
1le. 1t was exquisite in beauty, pale.
delicate, with certain pleading sadness
which stirred us to the heart.
An element of romance and a touoh of
interest such as we had NOT
looked for suddenly entered into our adj
venture.
Colonel Smiths mind still ran back
TO the perils of the plains.
"She is prisoner, (" he said. land nv
lne Seven Devils of Dona Ana, we'll
not leave her here. But where are the
Hellhounus tnemSelveSY'
Our attention had been so absorbed
by the sight of the girl that we had
scarcely thought of looking to see if
there was any one else in the room.
CHANGING beyond her, 1 now perceived
sitting In richly decorated chairs three
or four gigantic Martians. They were
listening to the music as if charmed.
Inc whole story told itself. This
girl, If not their slave, was at any rate
lnder their control, and she was fur.
lshlns entertainment for them by her
musical skill The fact that they could
lnd pleasure in music so beautiful was
perhaps an indication that they were
lou really as savage as they seemed.
Yet our hearts went out to the girl
md were turned against them with an
uncomfortable hatred.
Ihey were of the same remorseless
ace with those who so lately had laid
waste our fair earth and who would
rave completed its destruction had not
providence interfered in our behalf
Singularly enough, although we stood
uli IN the light, they had not vet seen
is. '' 'oon
Suddenly the girl moved bv what
impulse l know not turned bo,. g., 49,