Through Space to Mars - Roy Rockwood (life changing books TXT) 📗
- Author: Roy Rockwood
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“Well, we don’t know,” went on the lad. “But we seem to be
approaching some big city.”
Off in the distance, on the side of a hill, which rose from the
midst of a great lake or canal, were many glittering buildings.
It was a city of large size.
“The question is, what are they going to do with us when they get
us there?” spoke Mark. “Maybe they’re cannibals.”
“They are too highly an educated race for that,” replied Mr.
Roumann. “No, I fancy they will treat us well. They will want
to know about the planet we came from, as well as we want to know
about them. I think they will treat us with respect.”
“They certainly have, so far,” remarked Mr. Henderson. “I only
hope none of them meddle with our projectile.”
“I’m a little apprehensive about that myself,” added Mr. Roumann.
“And I trust that crazy man does not get loose. But we can’t
help ourselves, and we’ll hope for the best.”
They were now close to the water-front of the city, and they saw
the shore lined with a great throng. Evidently their approach
had been heralded, and they were being eagerly awaited.
“Looks as if we were going to have quite a reception,” remarked
Jack. “I hope it’s a pleasant one.”
“If it isn’t, we can’t help ourselves,” went on Andy. “I can’t
use my gun in a land where the bullet has about as much force as
a pea in a putty shooter. But if they attack us we can pick up
stones and fire at them.”
“Stones won’t be much more effective than the bullets,” said Mr.
Roumann.
“Why not?”
“Because they’ll be light, too. Things here will weigh only
about a third as much as they do on earth. In fact, that is one
reason why we are moved about so easily by their thought power.
We are only a third as heavy as we were on earth, though we weigh
more than the Martians, for all that.”
By this time they were at the dock, and they found themselves
being moved out of the boat, and up to the pier, through the
crowd of people.
Their guide—the Martian with the squared triangle—called out an
order, and the crowd opened up a living lane, through which the
adventurers passed. They could not help noticing how polite the
Martian inhabitants were, for there were no idle remarks on the
appearance of the strangers, such as would have taken place under
similar circumstances on earth. But the Martians made up for it
by staring with their great eyes, listening with their great
ears, and sniffing, the air with their long noses, though they
kept a profound silence.
At the end of the pier the travelers found some queer carriages
waiting for them. They were boxes, fitted up with soft cushions,
and were on runners, like those of a sled. Jack looked and saw
that the street was paved with a substance like glass, very
slippery.
“We’re going to have a sleigh ride!” he exclaimed; “but I don’t
see any horses to pull us.”
“Maybe these are automobile sleds,” suggested Mark.
“If they are, there’s no motor in them,” declared Jack, making a
careful examination.
“Then they move by the same power as do the boats,” was his
chum’s opinion. “Yes, see the metal box?” and he pointed to one
in each vehicle.
The leading Martian motioned for Jack and Mark to get in one
sled, Mr. Roumann and Professor Henderson were assigned to
another, and Washington and Andy to a third. The leading Martian
took his place in the vehicle with the two men, while two others
of the queer people got in the remaining two sleds, which the
boys dubbed the vehicles. No sooner had they done so than they
started off as if by magic, sliding over the smooth, glass-like
streets.
“Well, they certainly have the transportation problem down to a
science,” remarked Jack. “This beats a taxicab all to pieces.”
“That’s right,” agreed Mark. “But say, this is a mighty fine
city.”
The boys looked on either side of them. The street, which was
thronged with the queer feather and fur covered inhabitants, led
between rows of stately buildings, all built of some light-colored
substance. The designs were like those usually seen in fantastic
fairy pictures—beautiful in the extreme.
The street led to a great public square, and as the vehicles
swung into it, the boys could not repress a murmur of delight.
For, at the head of the square was a great palace of glass, its
walls so transparent that everything going on within could be
seen from without.
“This must be their city hall, the palace of justice, the main
administration building, or whatever they call it,” said Jack.
“Evidently the Martians don’t believe in conducting politics in
the dark.”
“Well, it’s going to be dark pretty soon,” observed Mark, “for
the sun is setting.”
“And look at what a small sun it is,” added Jack.
For the first time they noticed that the great luminary was much
smaller than it appeared to them on the earth. It was about half
the size, but, though Mars must have received considerably less
heat from it than did the earth, it was not at all chilly, but,
on the contrary, warmer than on the earth at the same time of
year.
The little sun slowly sank down behind the distant hills, and
when the sleds came to a stop in front of the glass palace, the
boys and others found themselves being moved up the broad steps.
“Evidently there’s going to be an inquiry concerning us,”
commented Jack.
They were taken into a vast audience chamber. At one end was a
raised platform, upon which were seated a number of Martians.
Each one had a golden circlet on his head, and in the center of
each band was some geometrical figure.
In the middle of the throng on the platform was a Martian attired
in a golden, shimmering robe. And on his head was a small
circlet, made apparently of diamonds.
“He must be the high muck-a-muck,” said Jack in a whisper.
“Hush!” cautioned Mark.
As the adventurers felt themselves advancing toward the raised
platform, there came a shout from the throng. And the words
sounded like:
“Silex Corundum!”
At this the Martian with the diamond circle on his head arose and
bowed.
“That must be his name,” whispered jack.
“Hush!” spoke Mark again, and he who appeared to be a sort of
chief or king began to speak.
He made quite a lengthy address, and as he went on it grew
darker, with the approach of evening.
Suddenly, from various points in the great room, there glowed a
red light, until the apartment was as bright as day. And the
boys, looking up, saw that the light streamed from the sides of
small metal boxes fastened to the glass walls.
“The mysterious red substance!” murmured Mr. Roumann. “It is a
source of power, it gives forth light, and what will it not do?
I must certainly secure some of it!”
The red glow increased as it grew darker outside, and, looking
through the glass sides of the palace, the boys saw that the
palace was surrounded by a great crowd of Martians, who were
watching what went on within.
A MARVELOUS SUBSTANCE
“Say, that’s a good way to have a building,” observed Jack in a
low voice to his chum. “Those who can’t get in can see just as
well what’s going on as if they were here. But I wonder what
he’s saying?”
“Probably telling his people about us,” replied Mark, and this
seemed to be so, for Silex Corundum, as they later learned was
the name of the ruler of Mars, frequently motioned toward the
adventurers, who stood in a group in front of the platform.
Much interest was manifested by the throng, and even those on the
platform, who seemed to be members of a sort of council or
governing body, could not restrain their interest.
When the chief ruler had ceased speaking the Martian with the
triangle on his head—the one who had first greeted the world
travelers, stepped forward, and made an address.
“He’s telling ‘em how we got here,” was Mark’s opinion, and Jack
nodded.
When this one had finished, the guide who had conducted them to
the palace had his turn, and at greater length he described the
strangers, the curious craft in which they had arrived on the
planet, and many other details, which, of course, our friends
could not comprehend.
This done, Silex Corundum made another address, and at its close
a great blackboard was brought forward, some pieces of chalk were
handed to Mr. Roumann and to Professor Henderson, and by signs
they were invited to illustrate something of themselves and their
wonderful journey.
“What shall we draw?” asked Mr. Henderson.
“First see if you can make them understand something of the earth
where we came from,” suggested Mr. Roumann; and the professor,
who was a good draughtsman, soon placed on the board a sort of
map of the universe, indicating the position of Mars, the sun,
the other planets and the earth. To his surprise a delighted
shout told him that he was understood. The chief ruler, with a
rapid motion, pointed to a great telescope, located in one corner
of the big audience chamber. He motioned for the travelers to
look through it, and after it was adjusted he pointed to the
drawing of the earth on the board, and indicated that the
adventurers could see their own planet through the telescope.
Mr. Roumann looked first. Then he uttered an exclamation.
“Can you really see our earth?” asked Jack.
“I can! Look for yourself! This is a marvelous telescope! No
wonder the Martians understand something about us. They can
clearly make out the shapes of our continents.”
Jack peered through the eyepiece. There, far off, shining in the
light of the distant sun, which was now on the other side of
Mars, he saw the earth they had left about two weeks ago. It was
like looking at some map in a geography, and he could clearly
make out the shapes of North and South America.
“Take a look, Mark!” he cried. “I almost thought I could make
out the place where we live, and where we built the Annihilator!”
In turn they all gazed at the earth, distant thirty five millions
of miles, but which was made very plain to them through the
powerful glass.
Silex Corundum made a motion as of some body flying through
space, and looked inquiringly at the travelers.
“He wants to know how we got here,” interpreted Mark.
“I’ll draw a picture of the projectile,”’ said Mr. Roumann, and
he put on the board one containing many details. So interested
was the chief ruler and his cabinet, that they all came down off
the platform to examine it more closely. They appeared to
understand everything but the Etherium motor, but Mr. Roumann
illustrated the force by which it was worked, by pointing to the
metal boxes containing the red substance, which gave out light as
well as power, indicating that some force like that worked the
motor.
This appeared to satisfy the questioners, and after some talk
among themselves they motioned that the travelers would be given
a place to sleep.
“I’d a heap sight radder hab soffin’ t’ eat,” said Washington,
when it was made known that
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