The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-03-26
lat he was making overtures OF

tnaI ne WIS uldhihS
peace.
Stretching my hand toward him
advanced and took the armlet from
his open palm. clasping it about my
arm above the elbow; smiled al MIN
and stood waiting. His wide mouth
spread into an answering smiie' anu
locking one OF his intermediary arms
in mine we turned and walked BACK
toward his mount. At the same time
he motioned his followers to advance.
He exchanged a few words with MS
men, motioned to me that would ride
behind one of them, and then mounted
his own animal. The fellow desls-
mated reached down two or three
hands and lifted me up behind him on
the glossy back Of his mount. where
/ hung on as best I could by the Deits
and straps which held the Martians
weapons and ornaments.
The entire cavalcade then turned
and gaIloped away toward the range
of hills in the distance.
In short time we gained the foot
of the mountains. and after traversing
n narrow gorge came to an open val
ley, at the far extremity of which was
a low tableland upon which beheid
an enormous city. Toward this we
galloped, entering 1t by what appeared
to be ruined roadway leading out
from the city, but only to the edge OF
the tableland, where 1t ended abrupt
ly in a flight of broad steps.
Upon closer observation l saw as
we passed them that the buiioihgs
were deserted. and while not greatly
decayed had the appearance OF not
having been tenanted for years, pos
sibIy for ages. Toward the center or
the city was large plaza, and upon
this and in the buildings Immediately
surrounding it were camped some nine
or fen hundred creatures of the same
breed as my captors. for such i now
considered them, despite the suave
manner in which had been trapped.
With the exception of their orna-
ments all were naked. The women
varied in appearance but little from
THE men, except that their tusks were
much larger in proportion to their
height, in some instances curving near
ly to their high-set ears. The adult
females ranged in height from ten to
twelve feet.
The children were light in color.
even lighter than the women. and all
looked precisely alike to me. except
that some were taller than others;
older, I presumed.
saw no signs of extreme age among
them. nor is there any appreciate diff
ference in their appearance from the
age Of maturity. about forty. until, at
about the age of one thousand years
they go voluntarily upon their last
strange pilgrimage down the river iss,
which leads no living Marian knows
whittier and from whose bosom no
Marian has ever returned or would
be allowed to live did he return after
once embarking upon its cold, dark
waters.
Only about one Marian In thou
sand dies Of sickness or disease, and
possibly about twenty take the volun-
tary pilgrimage. The other nine hum
dred and seventy-nine die violent
deaths In duels, In hunting. in aviation
and In war: but perhaps by far the
greatest death loss comes during the
age Of childhood, when vast numbers
of the little Martians fall victims to
the great white apes Of Mars.
Az we neared the plaza and my
presence was discovered we were i'm
mediately surrounded by hundreds of
the creatures. who seemed anxious to
pluck me from my seat behind the
guard. A word from the leader of the
party stilled their clamor, and we pro-
ceeded at trot across the plaza to the
entrance of as magnificent an edifice
as mortal eve has rested upon.
The building was low, but covered
an enormous area. 1t was constructed
| Of cleaning white marble inlaid with
gold and brilliant stones which spar
killed. and scintillated in the sunlight.
| There was no stairway, but gentle
| incline to the first floor of the building
opened into an enormous chamber en-
circled by galleries.
| 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 rosfrum. On
the platform proper squatted an enor-
nous warrior heavily loaded with
1 metal ornaments, gay-colored feathers
and beautifully wrought leather trap
pings ingeniously set with precious
stones.
What struck me as most remarkable
about this assemblage and the hall In
which they were congregated was the
/ fact thar the creatures were entirely
out Of proportion to the desks. chairs
and other furnishings. these being OF
size adapted to human beings such
i as /, whereas the great bulks OF the
Martians could scarcely have squeezed
i 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
j tesque creatures into whose hands
had fallen.
| Our party had halted at the en-
i trance to the building. and at sigr
.DI -