Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-10

| bosom no Martan has ever returned. oi
would be allowed to live did he return
| after once embarting upon its cold, darl
| waters.
only about one Martian in a thousant
! dies Of sickness or disease, and possibl,
about twenty take the voluntary pilgrim
| age.
The other o7o die violent deaths II
! duels, In hunting, in aviation and In war
! but perhaps by far the greatest death los
| comes during the age of childhood wher
! vast numbers of the little Martians fal
| victims to the great white apes of Mars
! The average life expectancy of a Martar
| after the age of maturity is about 30(
| years but would be nearer the 1000 mari
were It not for the various means leading
to violent death
Owing to the waning resources of tht
planet 1t evidently became necessary tc
counteract the increasing longevity which
their remarkable skill I'm therapeutics and
surgery produced and so human life has
come to be considered but lightly on
Mars, as is evidenced by their dangerous
sports and the almost continual warfare
between the various communities.
As we neared the plaza. and my pres
ence was discovered, we were Immediately
surrounded by hundreds of the creatures
who seemed anxious TO pluck mo from
my seat behind my guard.
A word from the leader OF the party
stillcd their clamor, and VIC proceeded at
n trot across the plaza to the entrance
Of as magnificent an edince as mortal
eye has ever rested upon.
The building was low, but covered an
enormous area.
IL was constructed of cleaning white
marble, inlaid with gold and brilliant
stones, which sparlsled and sclntillated in
the sunlight. The main entrance was
some hundred feet in width and projected
from the building proper to form huge
canopy above the entrance hall. There
was no stairway, but n gentle incline to
tho first floor of the building opened into
an enormous chamber encircled by gal
leries.
on the floor of this chamber, which
was dotted with highly carved wooden
desks and chairs, were assembled about
forty or fifty male Martians around the
steps of a rostrum.
on the platform proper squatted an
enormous warrior loaded with metal
ornaments, Eay-colored feathers and
beautifully wrought leather trappings in
geniously set with precious stones From
his shoulders depended short cape of
white fur, lined with brilliant scarlet
silk
What struck mo as most remarkable
about this asscmblage and the hall in
WnlCn tney were COnRregated was the
fact that the creatures were entirely out
of proportion to the desks chairs and
other furnishings, these being of size
adapted to human beings such as !,
whereas the great bulks of the Martians
could scarcely have squeezed into the
chairs, nor was there room beneath the
desks for their long legs.
Evidently, then, there were other deni-
Zens on Mars than the wild and gro
tesque creatures into whose hands 1 had
fallen, but the evidences of extreme an
tiquity which showed all round me indi-
Gated that these buildings might have
belonged to some long-cXtinct and for
gotten race in the dim antiquity Of Mars.
Our party had halted at the entrance
to the building, and at n sign from the
leader l had been lowered to the ground
Again locking his arm in mine we had
proceeded into the audience chamber.
There were few formalities observed in
approaching the Martian chieftain.
My captor merely strobe up to the ros-
trum, the others making way for him as
he advanced. The ohieftain rose to his
feet and uttered the name of my escort,
who, in turn, halted and repeated the
name of the ruler, followed by his title.