The Snowflake herald., 1921-02-18
CHAPTER u.
NV Advent on Mars.

,ood my ewes upon a strange
% n.oird landscape. | knew that !
'u ,n Mars: not once did | question
W. ,.s,r r'r nv sanity or my wakefulness.
'I,' ~ was midday, the sun was shining
!" /" nooD me and the heat of 1t was
n a@or r intense upon my naked body
r5 a no greater than would have been
~ ,.ao nrdpr similar conditions on an
Arizona desert.
little TO nv left. perhaps a hun
,sd wards. appeared low walled
closure about four feet in height
VI water and no other vegetation
n., moss was in evidence. and as
no, somewhat thirsty l determined tc
5a little exploring.
Swinging to my feet ] received my
Ant Marian surprise, for the effort,
rbcb on Earth would have brought
MO standing upright, carried ME into
ae Marian air to the height of about
hpp wards. I alighted softly upon
ae ground. however. without appre-
liable shock or Jar Now commenced
series of evolutiOnS which even then
seemed ludicrous in the extreme. My
muscles perfectly attuned and accus-
toned to the force of gravity on
EARTH played the mischief with me In
attempting for the first time TO cope
With the lesser gravitation and lower
lr pressure on Mars.
was determined, however, to ex-
Iore the low structure which was the
nly evidence of habitation in sight.
and so hit upon the unique plan of
FvertDg to first principles in loc0mo-
tOn creeping I did fairly we'll at
hS and in few moments had
reached the low. encircling wall Of the
enclosure ! cautiously gained my feet
md peered over the top upon the
qHngest sight it had ever been given
me 10 see.
The roof Of the enclosure was
solid glass about four or FIVE inches
0 thickness, and beneath this were
several hundred large eggs. perfectly
round and snowy white. The eggs
we're nearly uniform in size, being
a0Out two and one-half feet in diane
hr
rive or six had already hatched
ao the grOtesQue caricatures which
N blinking in the sunlight were
"Ougn TO cause me to doubt my san
~ They seemed mostly head, with
,'Ie Scrawny bodies. long necks and
"a egS or, as I afterward learned.
W. lpgs and two arms. with an inter-
"7lIary pair of limbs which could be
rTu al will either as arms or legs.
~ ,1''r eyes were set at the extreme
.'5S =" Iheir heads trifle above the
.o'er and prOtruded in such a man.
y y u'at they could be directed either
!. %1a'u or back and also independent.
~, y each other, thus permitting this
). ,.''' animal to look in any direction,
A. a u Two directions at once. without
NJ "eVeSSlty of turning the head.
,,, ,l''e was no hair on their bodies.
goo. ~" were Of a very light yellow
+ W. VOIor' In the adults. as | was
i i ~9rn quite soon. this color deepens
n.,a u y OIIve green and is darker In the
',s NE 'nan in the female.
h 'ay 1nl IRIS of the eyes is blood red. as
no 'ullOs, while the pupil is dark.
ss ~ seo"ll itself is very white. as
ta,,.,' ule teeth. These latter add a most
fp,,souS ouS appearance to an otherwise
Mp lo, e and terrible cOuntenance. as
DOln,, We, i 'usks curve upward to sharp
Of oo,Si p,llch end about where the eyes
The y rS' human beings are located
olvo.a nu''eness of the teeth is not that
ge,m,ss, y, out of the snowiest and most
,'''ng Of china.
h. was "a given but little time to snecu.
ove,r Ile wonders Of my new dis.
h Ibs mad seen that the eggs were
rood rp p,ocess Of Matching. and as ]
seB hra h".vlllng the hideous little mon.
o Do,a eaR a from their shells I failed
hng,o,. 'e approach of a score OF
no. Martins from behind me.
Spi i'tg ~ might have captured pq me- easily ,si1,
tlste, Intentions were far more
sccOuhon,n : was the rafting of the
for vbtas ,e''S Of the foremost war
aae of y = warned me. Had not the
inn Its 4e ). leader of the party swuns
hncb . iastenings beside his saddle
@t Of n way as to strike against the
Should ba, ,s great metaI-shod spear J
borina@ lave y snnfred out without eve,
al death was near me. But