The Snowflake herald., 1921-02-18

SHuipPCu Win tHelr wireless
nnders and sighters is but a trifle
over two hundred miles.
The Martians, after conversing for
snort time. turned and rode away
IN the direction from which they had
come, leaving one of their number
alone by the enclosure. When they
had covered perhaps two hundred
YARDS they halted and turning their
mounts toward us sat watching the
warrior by the enclosure.
When his force had come 70 halt
he dismounted, threw down his smear
and small arms and came around the
END OF the incubator toward me en-
urelV unarnied and as naked as /
eAcept Tor the ornaments strapped up.
on MS head, limbs and breast.
When he was within about fifty feet
or me he unclasped an enormous met
al armlet and holding it toward me in
the open palm of his hand, addressed
me In clear resonant voice. but in
language, 1t is needless TO say. l
could not understand. He then stopped
as though waiting for my reply,
prlcKlng up his antennae-like ears and
cooking his strengthening eyes still
further toward me.
AS the silence became painful !
concluded to hazard little CONVERSE
tlon on my own part as had guessed
that he was making overtures of
peace.
stretching my hand toward him !
advanced and took the armlet from
MS open palm, clasping 1t about my
arm above the elbow; smiled at him
and stood waiting. His wide mouth
spread into an answering smile, and
locking one of his intermediary arms
In mine we turned and walked back
toward his mount AT the same time
ne motioned his followers to advance.
He exchanged a few words with his
men, motioned to me that | would ride
behind one of them, and then mounted
his own animal The fellow desig-
mated reached down two or three
hands and lifted me up behind him on
the glossy back of his mount, where
] hung on as best could by fhe belts
and straps which held the Martian's
weapons and ornaments.
The entire cavalcade then turned
and galloped awav toward the range
of hills in the distance.
In short time we gained the foot
of the mountains, and after traverSing
a narrow gorge came to an open val
slf hn f.ar VIZ w ~ i0H
n low tahleland upon which | beheld
an enormous city. Toward this we
gallOped. entering it by what appeared
to he a ruined roadway leading out
from the city, but only to the edge Of
the tableland, where 1t ended abrupt
ly in a flight of broad steps
Upon closer observation | saw as
we passed them that the buildings
were deserted. and while not greatly
decayed had the appearance of not
having been tenanted for years. pos
Sibly for ages Toward the center of
the city was large plazas and upon
this and in the buildings Immediately
surrounding it were camped some nine
or ten hundred creatures of the same
breed as my captors for Snch ! now
considered them despite the suave
manner In which had been trapped
With the exception of their Orna
ments all were naked. The women
varied in appearance hut little from
the men, except that their tusks were
much larger In proportion to their
height, In some instances curving near
ly to their high-set ears. The adult
females ranged In height from ten TO
twelve feet.
The children were light in color.
even lighter than the women, and all
looked precisely alike to me, except
that some were taller than others;
older ] presumed.
| saw no signs Of extreme age among
them. nor is there any appreciable diff
ference in their appearance from the
age of maturity. about forty, until. at
about the age Of one thousand years.
they go voluntarily upon their last
strange pilgrimage down the river Iss,
which leads no living Martian knows
:whither and from whose bosom no
Martian has ever returned, or would
be allowed to live did he return after
once embarking upon its cold. dark
waters.
Only about one Martian in thou
sand dies of .sickness or disease, and
possibly about twenty take the volun-
.tary pilgnmage The other nine hun
dred. and sevehtyinine die violent
! deaths in duels in hunting, in aviation
ana in war; but perhaps by far the
greatest death loss comes during the
age of childhood. when vast numbers
of the little Martians fall victims to
the great white apes Of Mars.
AS we neared the plaza and my
presence was discovered we were i'm
mediately surrounded by hundreds OF
the creatures. who seemed anxious TO
pluck me from my seat behind the
guard. A word from the leader OF the
nartv stilled their clamor, and we pro-
ceeded at trot across the plaza to the
entrance of as magnificent an edifice