The Lamar register., 1921-02-09


being permitted to run the full length
OF the aisle, where they were cap
tured one at q time by the women and
older children; the last In the line
capturing the first little one to reach
the end Of the gauntlet. her opposite
In the line capturing the second. and
SO on until all the little fellows had
left the enclosure and been appro-
priated by some youth or female As
the women caught the young they fell
out of line and returned TO their re-
spective chariots. while those who fell
into the hands of the young men were
later turned over to some Of the
women.
saw that the ceremony. II 1t could
be dignifled by such Q name. was over.
and seeking out Sola ] found her In
our chariot with hideous little crea.
ture held tightly In her arms
The work Of rearing young. green
Martians consists solely in teaching
them to talk, and to use the weapons
Of warfare, with which they are load
ed down from the very nrst year Of
their lives Coming from eggs In which
they have lain for Eve years. the
period of incubation. they step forth
Into the world perfectly developed ex.
cept In size Entirely unknown to
their own mothers. who. In turn. would
have difficulty in pointing out the ia.
thers- with any degree Of accuracy.
they are the common children Of the
community. and their education de-
wolves upon the females who chance
to capture them as they leave the In
cubntor.
By careful selection the Martians
rear only the hardest specimens Of
each species, and with almost super.
natural foresight they regulate the
birth rate to merely offset the loss by
death. Each adult Martiau female
brings forth about thirteen eggs each
year. and those which meet the size.
weight and specific gravity tests are
hidden In the recesses of some subter-
ranean vault where the temperature
Is too low for incubation. Every year
these eggs are carefully examined by
q council OF twenty chieftains. and all
but about one hundred OF the most
perfect are destroyed out of each
yearly supply. At the end Of five
years about five hundred almost per-
feet eggs have been chosen from the
thousands brought forth. These are
then placed In the almost air-tight In.
cubators to be Matched by the suns
rays after = period of another I'VE
years.
The incubators are built ln remote
where there Is little or no
likelihood OF their being discovered
by other tribes. The result Of such
catastrophe would mean no children
10 the community for another dve
years. was later to witness the re-
suits Of the discovery of an alien incu-
bator.
Sols's duties were now doubled. as
she WAS compelled TO care for the
young Marian as well as for me. but
neither one OF us required much at
tention. and as we were both about
equally advanced In Marian educa-
tion. Sols took IL upon herself 10 train
US together.
Her prize consisted In q male about
four feet tall. very strong and phys
icaily perfect; also, he learned quick
ly. and We had considerable snuse-
ment, at least I did. over the keen
rivalry we displayed The Martian
language. as I have said, Is extremely
simple, and in a week ! could make
all my wants known and understand
nearly everything that was said 10 me.
Likewise. under Sola's tutelage. l de
veloped my telepathic powers so tina
] shortly could sense practically everJ
thing that went Oh around me.
The third day after the Incubator
ceremony we set forth toward home.
but scarcely had the head Of the pro-
cession debouched i1to the open
ground before the city than orders
were given for an Immediate and
hasty return. AS though trained for
years in this particular evolution, the
green Martians melted like mist into
the spacious doorways OF the nearby
until. in less than three
the entire cavalcade OF
chariots, mastodons and mounted war
riors was nowhere to be seen.
Soia and / had entered a building
upon the front Of the city. in fact, the