The Connecticut labor news., 1921-06-03
CHAPTER V.
Learn the Lanuuaue.

AS l reached the doorway of our building a strange surprise awaited me. A warrior approached bearing the arms, ornaments and full accou- terments of his kind These he pre- sented to me with a few unintelligible words and a bearing at once respect full and menacing.
 Later Sola, with the aid of several of the other women, remodeled the trappings to fit my lesser proportions, and after they completed the work I went about garbed in all the panoply of war
 The training of myself and the young Martians was conducted solely by the women, who not only attend to the education of the young in the arts of individual defense and offense, but are also the artisans who produce every manufactured article wrought by the green Martians In time of actual warfare they form a part of the reserves, and when the necessity ligence and ferocity than the men. The men are trained in the higher branches of the art of war; in strat- egy and the maneuvering of large bodies of troops. They make the laws as they are needed; new law for each emergency. Customs have been handed down by ages of repetition, but the punishment for ignoring cus- tom is a matter for individual treat ment by a jury of the culprits peers, and I may say that justice seldom fro h11f rathoY fo a in inverse ratio to the ascendency of law. In one respect at least the Mar t1ans are a happy people; they have no lawyers.
 I did not see the prisoner again for several days subsequent to our first en- counter, and then only to catch a fleet ing glimpse of her as she was being conducted to the great audience cham Der where I had had my first meeting with Lorquas Ptomel.
 I had observed on the two occasions when I had seen her that the prisoner exchanged words with her guards, anG this convinced me that they spoke, or at least could make themselves un, derstood by common language. With this added incentive I nearly drove Sola distracted by my impOrtunities to hasten on my education, and with in a few more days I had mastered the Martian tongue sufficiently we'll to en able me to carry on a passable con versation and to fully understand practically all that I heard. At this time our sleeping quarters were occupied by three or four female: | and a couple of the recently matched l young, beside Sola and her youthful | ward, myself, and Woola the hound | After they had retired for the nigh l it was customary for the adults tt carry on a desultory conversation fo l a short time before lapsing into sleep l and now that I could understand thei language I was always a keen listener although I never proffered any re marks myself.
 On the night following the prisoner visit to the audience chamber the con
 versation finally fell upon this subject
 and I was all ears on the instant.
 Sarkoja, one of the older womel
 who shared our domicile, had beer
 present at the audience as one o the captive's guards, and it was tC
 ward her the Questioners turned.
 "When," asked one of the womer
 twill we enjoy the death throes of tn
 red one, or does Lorquas Ptomel, Jed
 intend holding her for ransom?"
 'They have decided to carry he
 with us back to Thark, and exhibi
 her last agonies at the great game
 before Tal Hajus," replied Sarkoja.
 "What will be the manner of he going out?" inquired SOla. "She
 very small and very beautiful; I ha
 hoped that they would hold her fC
 ransom"
 One thing this episode accomplishe ] was to assure me of SOla'S friendl
 ness toward the poor girl, and also
 convince me that I had been extreme
 lv fortunate in falling into her hand rather than those of some of the OthF females. I knew that she was fond ( me, and now that her remarks shove
 that she hated cruelty and barbarit I was confident that I could depen upon her to aid me and the girl cal tive to escape, provided of course ths