Through Space to Mars by Roy Rockwood (e ink epub reader TXT) 📖

I done axed yo’.”

 

“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.