CHAPTER XXXTHE ESCAPE—CONCLUSION
Nor was the professor mistaken. In less than an hour the Martians returned, in larger numbers than before, and, while the first throng had seemed to consist of only soldiers or police, the next attack was made by thousands of men, women and children. They all seemed anxious to destroy, the strangers.
Those who had been disabled by the electric guns revived, and were able to crawl away, but they were too weak to resume the attack.
"Well, we'll have to shoot at them again," observed Jack, as he and the others noted that the attack was to be resumed.
"Let 'em have it!" cried Mr. Roumann.
Once more the electric cannons were fired, and thousands fell at each discharge of the powerful current.
But, in their turn, the Martians brought into use new weapons. First they hurled great rocks and chunks of lead at the projectile, but, as the missiles weighed only a third as much as they would have done on the earth, they only dented the heavy steel sides.
Finding that this would not answer, the little people created clouds of noxious gases, that swirled around the projectile like a fog. But this was harmless, as the adventurers could shut themselves in tightly, and breathe air of their own making. The gases had no more effect on them than did the ether through which they had traveled through space.
Meanwhile, the electric cannons were constantly being fired, and the ranks of the attackers were constantly being thinned. But, ever as the Martians fell, new ones arrived to take their places. They seemed determined to drive the newcomers off the planet or destroy them.
There was a lull in the fighting. The Martians seemed to be waiting for something. At last a large crowd was observed coming from the direction of the city. They carried great bundles of wood and torches.
"They're going to try to burn us out!" cried Jack.
"Good land a' massy!" yelled Washington. "Let me go! I ain't ready t' burn yet! No, indeedy!"
With shouts the Martians piled fuel all about the projectile. Then they set fire to it, and tongues of flame leaped up.
"Don't be alarmed," said Mr. Roumann. "We have passed safely through greater heat than they can produce. The gas in the projectile will absorb all the heat."
And this was exactly what happened. The flames had no effect on theAnnihilator, whereas the electric cannons continued to mow down the Martians.
The day was now well advanced, and the defenders were getting tired and hungry, as well as apprehensive, for there seemed to be no limit to the fury of the little people, and their scientific knowledge was such that it was probably only a matter of time before they would find a way to destroy the projectile.
During a lull in the fighting, when the fire that had been kindled died away, Washington White came around with some food he had prepared.
They felt better after the meal, but immediately there came a new apprehension, for they saw that the Martians were digging a great hole to one side of the projectile.
"What can they be doing that for?" asked Andy. "Maybe they're going to roll us into it," said Mark.
"No," spoke Mr. Roumann, after watching the crowd at work, "I'm inclined to think they're laying a mine, and are going to blow us up."
"Blow us up?"
"Yes. They evidently have some explosive over there, to judge by the manner in which they guard it."
"Can we stand being blown up?" asked Jack.
"I hardly think so. The projectile itself might not be harmed, as it is very strong, but the machinery and motors would probably be damaged."
"Then what can we do?"
"The only thing left for us to do is to escape."
"Escape? You mean leave the projectile?" asked Mr. Henderson.
"No, I mean escape in theAnnihilator. There is no reason why we should stay here any longer. We have what we came to seek, and though I should like to make some further scientific observations, we will have to forego them. We will start the atmospheric motor, and leave Mars."
"That's the stuff!" cried Jack. "Back to earth for ours! It's nice up here, when you don't do something they don't like, but the earth is good enough for me!"
"That's what I say," added Mark.
The Martians were hurrying their preparations to blow up the projectile. Perhaps they guessed that they must act promptly, or they may have had an intimation that something was going to happen, when the ports of the electric cannons were closed.
The shutter of the observation tower was sealed, all openings were well fastened, and, just as the mine was completed and the explosive was about to be put in, Mr. Roumann started the atmospheric motor, and the projectile left Mars with a rush.
Of course, the travelers could not see the blank looks of astonishment on the great faces of the Martians, but they could imagine them, as they shot away from the queer little planet at the rate of sixty miles a second.
"Well," remarked Mr. Roumann as he went to the pilot house, after seeing that the motor was working well, "we got to the place we set out for, and we secured some Cardite, which is what I wanted. I am now able to repay you for building this projectile, Professor Henderson, you need never worry about money again."
"I'm glad of it, as I shall devote the remainder of my life to science, and I may write a book about Mars."
"Well, ob all de transmigatoriousness dat I eber seed," exclaimed Washington, "de continual exteriorosity ob de inhabitants ob dat planetary sphere am de mostest indisputatious!" Though what he meant by that no one knew. But it seemed to give the colored man great satisfaction.
In due time they passed beyond the limits of the atmosphere of Mars, and again were sailing through space, the Etherium motor doing good work. Mr. Roumann tried some Cardite in it, and their speed was increased by half, so they reached the atmosphere of the earth in much shorter time than they calculated.
They met with no mishaps, though they narrowly escaped collision with a great meteorite that was rushing through space, white hot.
"Well, in a few days we will be at home," remarked Mr. Roumann one night, as he set the atmospheric motor in operation. "And I must say I have greatly enjoyed the trip."
"So have I," admitted Jack, and Mark agreed with him.
"Maybe mah Shanghai rooster won't be glad t' git on terra cotta again," spoke Washington. "I'se glad I didn't let him out on Mars. Dem funny fellers might 'a' eat him up."
The rooster crowed as if glad to be nearing the earth.
Three days later they came in sight of their own planet, but as night came on, and they did not want to land in the dark, the projectile was kept up above until daylight, and a day later a landing was made near the machine shed where theAnnihilatorhad been built.
"Well, here we are, safe home again," said Mark.
"All but the crazy machinist," added Jack. "I hope he likes it up there among the Martians."
"I wonder if we'll ever take another trip like this?" asked Andy.
"Perhaps, some day," replied Mr. Roumann.
"I have some other ideas regarding distant planets that I would like to prove. But we'll take a rest, and see what use we can make of the Cardite. I would also like to learn if my enemy, Forker, sent that crazy machinist to bother me," but he never found out.
As the German had predicted, the red material brought back was enormously valuable, and the projectile was more than paid for by a small part of it. The boys resumed their studies at school, and Professor Henderson devoted much of his time to writing a book describing some of the peculiar conditions on Mars, while Mr. Roumann invented a new motor to run with Cardite, he having revealed the secret of the Etherium one to Professor Henderson.
As for Washington White, he is learning new big words, while Andy says he is glad to be back on a world where a bullet is a bullet and a gun a gun.
THE END
THE END