The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-07
BY PAUL COOK.

gaze upon the stately craft that was des- tined soon to leave for it's trip through limitless space.
 A full Martian year, equal to nearly twenty-four months on earth, was de- voted to preparation, and at last the eventful day arrived on which the Altar was to take her flight On the plain out side Huilpi people gathered from all the twelve cities until the ground was black with them and their temporary abodes of tolium looked like sea of gleaming white tents. Everywhere was stir and hustle befitting this most important oc- casion that was destined to mean so much for the race. As the Martians were lit- tie moved by emotions of friendship or love, the farewells were soon said and the party of 100 souls boarded the Altar.
 There were fifty warriors in complete Martian armor and fifty of the wisest scientists in the land who entered the car to the prolonged boom of chemical guns and the strains of that matchless music which the instruments of the Martians produced. All the equipment, food, and apparati was already on board and noth- ing now remained but to make all fast and depart.
 A hush fell over the Martian host as the Altar was tightly closed, and only few of those on board could be seen through the transparent windows of crystal. Astronomers without took their final measurements to determine that all was in readiness and that the Altar was directed rightly on her course. Then the signal was given. The populace retired to safe distance and the propulsive cham bers of the Altar were discharged. Inn mediately the vessel shot into space with incredible rapidity and in a moment was lost to the sight of all save those as- tronomers who were following it's course with their perspectoscopes.
 On and on the Altar sped through space. while the bodies of the earth and moon loomed ever nearer. Nothing worthy of special notice took place during the voy- age, and at the end of a Martian year the occupants of the Altar found them selves in close proximity to the moon. The long voyage through space had been remarkably free from incidents. The as- tronomers devoted themselves to con- stant observation, the soldiers lived in luxurious ease, the sharp prov of the Altar plowed easily through the heaviest clouds of cosmic dust, and the voyagers were fortunate to encounter no bodies sufficiently large to retard their course.
 The expulsive power of the chemical guns was now exerted. so that there was an appreciable decrease in the Atar's speed By easy stages the Martians per- mitted their strange craft to sink toward the barren plains of Luna, and as they drew nearer gazed in ever increasing as tonishment at the stupendous crags by which the level plateaus were sur rounded.
 At last they descened on barren plain, strewn far and wide with boulders and completely engirdled with beetling crags. After first testing the atmosphere with out and determining that its lack of density would not prove harmful to them they disembarked from the Altar and pre- pared to begin at once their exploring ex- petitions. The Altar was made head quarters, from whence they drew their supplies and returned when weary For number of Martian days the visi- tors wandered about over the desolate world inspecting its remarkable forma- tions, penetrating the caverns and mak- ing elaborate tests of all the new metals or minerals which they found. The moun- tains and extinct volcanoes were made objects of careful study while the huge bulk of the earth, looming so near. was the object of much speculation and in- teresting observation. Although the Mar tians observed the earth's surface very minutely, they were unable to locate the Englanian cities, from the fact that there was a glare of colors on the planet to which their eyes were not accustomed. But the earth interested them greatly, visit there also, before returning in tri- umph to Mars.
 After exploring all the district lying