The Washington times., 1910-05-11
.By !. q. FREDERICK

detected minGte mOdulations, which
proved them TO be sounds Issuing
from an individual.
For three months the earth and Mars
lay comparatively near Achernar In
summer heat, which rendered unneces-
sary any artificial lighting and heating.
Amazing crops OF Enthusiastically colcred
vegetables anJ fruits were raised. Ap-
pies were black when they ripened and
cherries blue beets yellow Flowers
grew into the most unhedrd-Of cOmbIua-
tions Of colOr-aU in tones Of black pur-
pie. dark blue
But progress was undoubtedly being
made, for Acheruanr understood our
mission 70 be friendly and gTasped the
meaning Of certain sounds, while our
linguists were able to understand hstlI
Of what was said They made rapid
progress in getting the individual VINO
spoke 10 them TO teach them the other
I half and 10 comprehend the lang uase
Of the earth.
No attempt was made TO discuss the
situation till perfect communication was
established between the spheres When
this time came there was a big STIR OF
curiosity among the people, as well as
among the people Of Mars.
ElversOn was the first TO say one
wcrd TO Aci eTnar concerning the mis-
sion.
said, speaking very slowly and care
fully in joining US IN compelling
Campus TO cease his persecution OF
/ yourself and ourselves and the entire
Q
The answer Gamer
"ae has demanded a tribute OF Ger
I tain metals, which are precious mere,
and Is nov waiting until we collect II
/ for him. we tried TO resist him, but he
caused gaseous explosions 20 kill a
great many Of Us, and we had 20 sur
render ] believe our people would De
willing &c 90 anything 20 outWit hiifl-
{ Get your people 90 act on the matter
{ OF Joining us in crusade against him
! at once replied ElversOn- "MeanW hlles
Z ~
/ electricians 10 he ready 10 take instrUc-
/ tious from us IN how 70 navigate your
: sphere and how 10 esta blish a screen
which viii defend you against an enemy S
/ electric currents First, however. we
I must know about your temperature and
/ electrical conditions.
! This Interesting process OF discovering
I a totally new kind Of humanity ana
I civilization was keenIy watched by
. everybody II took a little tine until
mutual attempts of the earth and
] Acheruar TO explain each other and de-
( scribe conditions about them could be
/ compreheuded.
/ Then IL was learned that the new
/ people were Of Vaporous, gaseous com
J position, startlinEly like what we have
/ been in the habit Of calling ghosts
Yet this was perfectly consistent, scien-
I tificaUy, with the known nature oi
Achernar. on which anything was
I stiu in an intensely heated. vaporous
/ These Achernarians LIVED only on GER
tain portions OF their sphere, which
were not iu an absolutely eruptiye
stage. They were acquainted with cleo
rricltv and many other natural forces
and were far ahead OF the earth oI
Mars in their uudeTstan3iT Z Of gases
heat. and elemental matter
They had government, law and tustl
tutiouS Of a high order Their indivld
j uaI shape was matter which Ereatly
puzzled Elversonr because he could T0'
make them understand what such q
thing was for a long time Finally n
was able 10 gather that they had n
absolutely permanent shape, but thai
their form was reuuOuS and duCtile. ye
individ uallv cohesive
{ As 10 questions Of nou-ishment, prop
aEaffon. and senses. the Acherna ran!
could not possibly be made 20 under
stand what such things meant The1
were, there ore. regarded as a mos
R tautaliZiDE mystery ElVeTSon said ~
8 could only Euess that they we're tuOr
gaufc masses Of atoms. with an indivtd
uality and a power Of reflection an'
thought
The crisis Of the trip had now beel
reached. and the march 70 Campus wa
F begun AZ the earliest moment
Like "a great general studying a bat
tie Elverson watched the campaign a
{ every. point vet no general in any arm,
+ ever had mis- mammoth respOusi ihilitr-
Not thousands. but billions OF lives
and the fate Of worlds. not nations
. hung upon his Eeneralship.
r Small wonder, then. that he locke