Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-04-22

charfots, mastodons and mounted wan
riors was nowhere to be seen.
Sofa and / had entered 4 building
upon the front Of the city. In fact. the
sarce one in which ! had had my en-
counter with the apes, and. wishing To
see what had caused the sudden re-
treat, I mounted to an upper floor and
peered from the window out over the
valley and the hills beyond; and there
/ saw the cause of their sudden scur
rying to cover. A huge craft, long,
low and gray painted. swung slowly
over the crest of the nearest HILL Fol-
lowing II came another. and another
and another, until twenty Of them
swinging low above the ground. sailed
slowly and majestically 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 thai
cleaned in the sunlight and showed
plainly even at the distance at which
we were from the vessels. could see
figures crowding the forward decki
and upper works Of the aircraft
Whether they had discovered us OF
simply were looking at the deserted
city I could not say, but in any event
they received a rude reception, foi
suddenly and without warning the
green Marian warriors fred terrific
volley from the windows Of the build
ings facing the little valley acrosi
which the great ships were SO peace
fully advancing.
Instantly the scene changed as BY
magic; the foremost vessel swuni
broadside toward us, and bringing hei
guns into play returned our fire, at the
same time moving parallel to our front
for q short distance and then turning
back with the evident intention OF
completing a great circle which would
bring her up to position once more
opposite our firing line; the other YES
sells followed In her wake, each one
opening upon us as she. swung Into
position. Our own fire never dimin-
ished, and I doubt II 25 per cent OF
our shots went wild. It had never
been given me to see such deadly &C
curacy of aim, and 1t seemed al
though 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 projectiles of our war.
riors moved through them.
The fire from the vessels was most
Intellectual, owing, as 1 afterward
learned. to the unexpected suddenness
of the first volley, which caught the
ships crews entirely unprepared and
the sighting apparatus of the guns un.
protected from the deadly aim of our
warriors.
Twenty minutes after the first vol.
ley the great feet swung trailing of
in the direction from which 1t 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 tho
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 moving figure was visible upon
ber docks SLOWLY she suunp from
her course, circling back toward us in
an erratic and pitiful manner. In.
stsntlv the warriors ceased firing for
II was quite apparent that the vessel
was entirely HELPLESS. and. far from
being In position to infiict harm
| upop us. she could not even control
| herself sufficiently to escape.
As she neared rho cItv the warriors
rushed out upon the plain TO meet her
but II was evident that she still was
| 80, . =. :,