The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1921-02-11
CHAPTER ~.
My Advent on Mars.


was on Mars; not once did | question
either my sanity or my wakefulness.
II was midday, the sun was shining
full upon me and the heat OF II was
rather intense upon my naked body.
yet no greater than would have been
true under similar conditions on an
Arizona desert.
A little to my left, perhaps a hun
dred yards. appeared a low. walled
enclosure about four feet In height.
No water. and no other vegetation
than moss was in evidence. and as |
was somewhat thirsty | determined 10
do a little exploring.
Springlng to my feet I received my
first Marian surprise, for the effort,
which on Earth would have brought
me standing upright. carried me into
the Marian air 20 the height Of about
three yards. alighted softly upon
the ground. however, without appre-
ciable shock or Jar. Now commenced
a series Of evolutions which even then
seemed ludlcrous in the extreme. My
muscles, perfectly attuned and accus-
toned 10 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
air pressure on Mars.
| was determined. however, TO eI-
plore the low structure which was the
only evidence Of habitation In sight
and so hit upon the unique plan OF
reverting 10 first principles in locomo-
ton. creeping / did fairly well az
this and In few moments had
reached the low, enclrcllng wall OF the
enclosure cautiously gained my feet
and peered over the top upon the
strangest sight IL had ever been given
me 20 see.
The roof OF the enclosure was
solid glass about four or FIVE inches
in thickness, and beneath this were
several hundred large eggs, perfectly
round and snowy white. The eggs
were nearly uniform In size, being
about two and one-half feet In diane
ter.
Five or six had already Matched
and the grotesque cnricntures which
sat blinking in the sunlight we're
enough Ia cause me 10 doubt my san
ity. They seemed mostly head, with
little Scrawny bodies. long uccSS and
six legs, or, as | afterward learned,
two legs and two arms. with an inter
medlary pair OF limbs which could be
used az will either rs arms or legs.
Their eyes were set az the extreme
sides ~ their heads a trite above the
center and protruded IN such % man.
ncr that they could be directed either
forward or back and also independents
Is OF each other, thus permitting this
queer animal 10 look IN any direction,
or in two directions at once. without
the necessity Of turning The bend.
There was no hair on 'ho.r bodies.
which were of very light yellow
green color. In the adults, as | was
On lrarr quite soon. this color decpcnS
to am olive green and is darker In the
male than p the female.
The iris of the eyes Is blood red, rs
!u Allinus. while the pupil is dark.
T.a es.haH itself is very white. as
a-, ,hc fa.'h These latter ada % most
ferucou, appearance 90 an otherwise
fearSomr and terrible couutpuancc, as
the lower WSks curve upward TO sharp
points which end about whore the eyes
" earthly human beings are located
The Wilderness of the teeth IS not that
Of ivory. but OF the snowieSt and most
cleaning Of china.
I was given but little time 20 Spccu'
late on the wonders Of my new dis
covery. l had seen that the eggs were
In the process OF Matching, and as |
stood watching the hideOuS little mon
s,ers break from their shells | failed
10 note the approach Of a score OF
full. grown Martians from behind me.
They might have captured me easily,
but their intentions were far more
sinister II was thr nttling Of the
Announcements OF ''.' foremost war
rior which v"r...I me. Had not the
rife of tnr riGer of the party swung
from it's lustenings beside his saddle
I'm such a way as to strike against the
butt OF his great metal-shod spear
should have snuffed out without ever
knowing that death was near me. But
the little sound caused me 10 turn,
and there upon me. not ten feet from
my breast, was the point OF that huge
spear, q spear forty feet long, tipped
with cleaning metal. and held low at
the side Of a mounted replica Of the
little devils ! had been watching.
But how puny snd harmless they
now looked beside this huge and ter
rife incarnation OF hate. of vengeance.
and OF death. The man himself, for
such may call him. was fully fifteen
feet In height aud. on earth, would
have weighed some four hundred
pounds.
And his h,ount How can earthly
words describe Il II lowered ten feet