Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-02-07

other; but I noticed that when I smiled
slightly on concluding he did likewise.
This fact and the similar occurrence
during my first talk with Tars Tarkas
convinced me that we had at least
something in common; the ability to
smile, therefore to laugh; denoting a
sense of humor. But / was to learn
that the Marian smile is merely per-
functory and that the Marian laugh
is a thing to cause strong men to
blanch with horror.
The ideas of humor among the green
men of Mars are widely at variance
with our conceptions of incitants to
merriment. The death agonies Of a
fellow being are, to these strange crea-
lures, provocative of the widest hlar-
ity, while their chief form of common
est amusement is to inflict death on
their prisoners of war in various In
Eenious and horrible ways.
The assembled warriors and chief
tains examined me closely, feeling my
muscles and texture Of my skin. The
principal chieftain then evidently sig
nified desire to see me perform, and,
motioning me to follow, he started
with Tars Tarkas for the open plaza.
Now. l had made no attempt to
walk, since my first signal failure, ex-
cept while tightly grasping and fitting
about among the desks and chairs like
some monstrous grasshopper. After
bruising myself severely, much to the
amusement of the Martians, | again
had recourse to creeping but this did
not suit them and l was roughly
ierked to my feet by towering fell
low who had laughed most heartily at
my misfortunes.
AS he banged me down upon my
| feet his face was bent close to mine
and l did the only thing gentleman
might do under the circumstances OF
| brutality, boorishness and lack Of con
| sideration for strangers rights;
swung my fist squarely to his jaw anC
he went down like a felled OK. A:
he sunk to the floor I wheeled around
with my back toward the nearest desk
expecting to be overwhelmed by th'
vengeance of his fellows, but deter
| mined to give them as good a battle
as the unequal odds would permit be
fore l gave up my life.
My fears were groundless, however
as the other Martians, at first strucl
dumb with wonderment, finally brok'
into wild peals of laughter and ap
plause. did not recognize the ap
plause as such, but later, when | hat
become acquainted with their customs
learned that I had won what the,
seldom accord, manifestation of ap
probation.
The fellow whom l had struck la
where he had fallen, nor did any of hi
mates approach him. Tars Tarkas &C
vanced toward me, holding out one Q
his arms and we thus proceeded to tn
plaza without further mishap. | di
not, of course know the reason TO
which we had come to the open, bu
/ was not long in being enlightened
They first repeated the word "sak
number or times, ana then lars Ia
'kas made several jumps, repeatin
the same word before each leap; thel
turning to me, he said. "Sakw sa
; what they were after, and gatherin
myself together l sacked" with sue
marvellous success that l cleared
good hundred and fifty feet; nor dl
| this time lose my equilibrium, bt
landed sQuare,y upon my feet withol
falling. I then returned by easy JUMP
of twenty-five or thirty feet to tn
little group of warriors.
My exhibition had been witnesse
by several hundred lesser Marian
: and they Immediately broke into d.
mands for repetition. But l ws
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