THE ATTACK
"They've discovered us!" exclaimed Jack, as he stood up and
watched the Martian.
"What?" cried Mr. Roumann. "Oh, it's only one of them," he
added, "and he hasn't any of those electrical sticks. Go ahead
and take some more of the Cardite."
But the Martian advanced on the travelers, and, by his voice and
gestures, seemed to be warning them to stop taking the red
material.
"Maybe he's a guard," suggested Mark.
"Very likely," assented Professor Henderson.
"I'll see if I can't scare him with my gun," remarked Andy.
"I've put in more powder, and a heavier bullet."
He fired in the air, over the Martian's head, but to the surprise
of the adventurers the weapon only gave a faint sound, like that
of a pop gun, while the bullet rolled from the barrel and dropped
at Andy's feet.
"Why, that's worse than ever!" he exclaimed. "I guess the red
stuff must have taken all the power out of your gun, Andy," said
Mark.
The Martian stood still for a moment. Then he spoke again, more
earnestly than before, and waved the strangers away from the red
hill.
"We're not going," said Mr. Roumann, and he added a few of the
Martian words he had learned, endeavoring to state that they were
going to take only a little of the Cardite.
The officer, with a last warning shake of his big head, suddenly
turned and ran away.
"I guess he's gone for reinforcements," said Jack.
"No matter," spoke Mr. Roumann. "We'll soon have all we can
carry, and then we'll hurry back to the projectile. When we get
there we can defy them."
They continued to fill the boxes with the Cardite, and soon had a
good supply. Then, taking a look to see if the Martian had
summoned any guards, but finding that none was in sight, the
adventurers made their way back to their boat, and set it in
motion.
"How are we going to escape the whirlpool?" asked Mark.
"I think if we skirt down the shores of the lake for some
distance, and then strike across to the city, we'll avoid it,"
replied Professor Henderson. "The pool is not very large, and
seems to be only, directly in front of the red hill."
This they found to be the case, and they were soon safely beyond
the swirling waters, and on their way back to Martopolis.
"We had better not land at a public dock," suggested Professor
Henderson.
"Why not?" asked the German.
"Because the Martians may see that we have some of the Cardite,
and take it from us."
"What would you suggest?"
"Why, there is a landing place farther down, and we might go
there and make our way from it to the projectile unobserved."
This was voted a good plan, and was successfully carried out.
Though quite a few Martians saw the adventurers land, they
evinced no curiosity in what they carried, and that evening the
little party was back in the Annihilator, where they determined
to stay all night.
Mr. Roumann tested some of the red matter, and found, when he
applied the proper electrical treatment, that it gave off light,
heat or power, according to the adjustments.
"This is the most wonderful material in the world!" he exclaimed.
"Yes, or in the whole universe. It is better than perpetual
motion, for it is not only that, but perpetual light and heat. I
believe I can use it in the Etherium motor in place of the force
I ordinarily employ."
He made some experiments, and found that this could be done.
"I wonder what's become of the crazy machinist?" asked Jack.
"Oh, maybe he's made friends with the Martians," said Mark, "and
has told them he's a king, or something like that, and they're
treating him with royal honors."
"More likely he's plotting mischief," declared old Andy. "I wish
my gun was in working order. Somehow I don't like the way that
fellow acted on the red hill."
"Why, you're not afraid, are you?" asked Professor Henderson.
"No, not exactly, but I was just thinking how we could defend
ourselves in case they attacked us. My gun is no good."
"You forget that we have electrical cannons," said Jack.
"That's so," added Mr. Henderson. "And it might not be a bad
plan to get, them in working order."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed the German scientist. "The Martians will
never bother us. They are thinking too much about the stars, the
sun, moons and other planets--they are too intent on studying to
bother us. That is all they do--study. That's what makes their
ears, eyes, nose and mouth so big. They use them to listen to
scientific sounds, to look at scientific objects, smell
scientific odors, and talk of scientific things. They'll never
bother us."
"Maybe not, but perhaps the crazy machinist will," suggested
Mark.
"I'll make some inquiries to-morrow, and see if the Martians know
anything of him," promised Mr. Henderson.
But if the Martians knew anything of the insane man, they would
not tell. When the adventurers made cautious inquiries on the
morrow, they were only met with vacant stares from the big eyes.
The boys and their friends made several excursions about
Martopolis in the next week, and even traveled in the big sleds
to distant cities, which they found much the same as the one they
were in.
They saw no signs of the crazy machinist, and began to believe
that he had disappeared for good. They were making progress in
the Martian language, and could converse with the people. No
longer did the Martians cause the travelers to move about by the
thought force, and our friends were allowed to go here and there
as they pleased. They found traveling exceedingly easy, as their
bodies were so light.
They had again taken up their residence in the house in the city,
paying occasional visits to the projectile, which remained on the
soft sand where it had landed, but tilted upward, ready for a
flight.
One afternoon Jack and Mark, who had been out taking a walk, came
back rather hurriedly. They found Professor Henderson and Mr.
Roumann doing some scientific work, while Washington and Andy
were discussing the many strange things on Mars.
"Professor," said Jack, "I think something is up."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, there's something unusual going on. The Martians are
acting very queerly. There's a big meeting in the glass palace,
and when we tried to go in we were stopped. Crowds in the street
kept following us, and they haven't done that since we first
landed."
"Yes," added Mark, "and I think I saw that same man who watched
us taking the Cardite with a lot of other officers, following us,
too. And, besides, no persons here seem as friendly as they used
to. Did they, Jack?"
"No, indeed. I think they have discovered that we have taken some
of the red stuff, and they don't like it."
Professor Henderson and Mr. Roumann looked grave. If this was
the case, it might mean serious trouble for them all.
"But they're a long while finding out that we took the stuff,"
said Andy, who listened intently to what the boys said.
"Maybe they knew it all the while," suggested Jack; "but they are
so interested in scientific matters that they didn't want to take
any action on it until now."
"Well," remarked Mr. Roumann, "whatever it is, I think we will be
safer in the projectile. Come, we will all go out there and
spend the night. We can defend ourselves in case anything
happens, though I don't believe it will."
They started at once, and there was a feeling of security when
they had clamped fast the great steel doors in the side of the
Annihilator.
Contrary to their fears, the night passed without incident. They
were all at breakfast the next morning, when Mark, happening to
look through a heavy plate-glass window in the living-room,
called out:
"Look what's coming!"
They saw a vast throng of Martians advancing toward the
projectile.
"See who's leading them!" called Jack. "The crazy machinist!"