Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-05-13

rlorS was nowhere 10 De seen.
Sofa and l had entered a building
upon the front of the city, In fact, the
sarae one in which I had had my en-
counter with the apes. and. wishing TO
see what had caused the sudden re
treat, mounted to an upper floor and
peered from the window out over the
valley and the hills beyond; and there
l saw the cause of their sudden sour
rying to cover. A huge craft. long,
low and gray painted, swung slowly
over the crest of the nearest hill. Fol-
lowing IL came another, and another,
and another. until twenty of them,
swinging low above the ground. sailed
slowly and majestlcally toward US.
Each carried strange banner
swung from stem to stern above the
upper works, and upon the prov of
each was painted some odd device that
cleaned In the sunlight and showed
plainly even at the distance at which
we we're from the vessels. could see
figures crowding the forward decks
and upper works of the aircraft.
Whether they had discovered us or
simply were looking at the deserted
city I could not say. but ~ any event
they received a rude reception. for
suddenly and without warning the
green Marian warriors fired terrific
volley from the windows of the build
ings facing the little valley across
which the great ships were so peace
fully advancing.
Instantly the scene changed as by
magic: the foremost vessel swung
broadside toward us. and bringing her
guns into play returned our fire. at the
same time moving parallel to our front
for short distance and then turning
back with the evident intention Of
completing great circle which would
bring her up TO position once more
opposite our firing line the other ves-
sells followed In her wake, each one
opening upon us as she swung into
position. Our own fire never dimin-
ished, and doubt IL IS per cert OF
our shots went wild. 1t had never
been given me to see such deadly nc
euracy of aim, and II seemed as
though a little figure on one OF the
craft dropped at the explosion Of each
bullet, while the banners and upper
works dissolved in spurts of flame as
the Irresistible proiectiles Of our war
riors moved through them.
The fire from the vessels was most
Intellectual, owing. as l afterward
learned, to the unexpected suddenness
Of the first volley, which caught the
ships crews entirely unprepared and
the sighting apparatus of the guns I'M
protected from" the deadly aim of our
warriors.
Twenty minutes after the first vol
ley the great feet swung trailing on
In the direction from which IL had
first appeared Several of the craft
were limping perceptibly. and seemed
but barely under the control of their
| depleted crews. Their fire had ceased
entirely and all their energies seemed
focused upon escape. Our warriors
! then rushed up to the roofs of the
| buildings which we occupied and fol.
lowed the retreating armada with a
continuous fusillade of deadly fire.
One by one. however, the ships man
| aged to dip below the crests Of the
outlying hills until only one barely
moving craft was In sight This had
| received the brunt of our fire and
seemed TO be entirely unnamed, as
not a moving figure was visible upon
| her decks. Slowly she swung from
her course, circlIng back toward US In
an erratic and pltiful manner. In
stantly the warriors ceased firing, for
II was quite apparent that the vessel
was entirely helpless, and. far from
| being in a position to infiict harm
| upon us, she could not even control
| herself sufficiently TO escape.
AS she neared the city the warriors
rushed out upon the plain to meet hor,
but It was evident that she still was
J too high for them to hope to reach her
| decks.
She was drifting some fifty feet
above the ground, followed by all but
some hundred Of the warriors who
had been ordered back to the roofs
10 cover the possibility Of return Of
] the fleet. or for re-enforcements.
AS the craft neared the building,
and just before she struck, the Mar
tan warriors swarmed upon her from
the windows, and with their great
| spears eased the shock OF the COLL
sion. and in a few moments they had
thrown out graphing hooks and the
big boat was being hauled TO ground
| by their fellows below.
After making her fast. they
swarmed the sides ard searched the
vessel from stem TO stern. could see
them examining the dead sailors. evil
IDENTIFY for signs Of life, and presently
party Of them appeared from below
dragging a little figure among them.
| The creature was considerably less
than half as tall as the green Marian
warriors, and from my balcony could
see that It walked erect upon two legs
| and G1rmiepd that N was some new