CHAPTER II
The Terror Birds
"They must have thought the projectile was another chunk fallen fromPhobos!" I exclaimed; "and now they can't make out why it should flyback to the satellite again."
"The more we mystify them, the more they will fear us," said the doctor."I am going to make a swift downward swoop now, as if we would crashthrough the midst of them. Then perhaps they will let us alone till weare ready for them."
He had scarcely finished speaking when we shot down in a long curve,like the swing of a pendulum, apparently making directly for the groupof Martians. They were not seized by any quick panic; they were toophlegmatic for that. But just as the projectile threatened to smash intothem, they seemed to realize the danger, and to grasp the idea that itwas being operated and directed by some power and mind inside. Then theyturned, scrambling clumsily over each other, and fled with the awkwardprecipitation of a rhinoceros in a hurry. Our pendulum motion swung usup a little before we would have struck them, but they had scattered andwere scurrying to hiding-places behind the walls of the masonrytelescopes. We continued our flight to the edge of the plateau, whencewe could get a better view of the city and hold a more commandingposition.
"None of these who have seen our aerial evolutions are likely to troubleus again," remarked the doctor. "But they will quickly spread the newsto the city, and we must be where we can watch everything that goes onthere, and hurriedly prepare for the worst they can do to us. We willseek the principal approach to the plateau and defend it."
His ideas had suddenly become altogether warlike. I liked the excitementof it so far, and hastened to agree with him. We came to land in asheltered part of the main road leading to the plateau, and prepared toemerge and set up our telescope where it would sweep the city.
"Shall we try this air on the dog before you go out?" inquired thedoctor in all seriousness.
"Try it on the rabbit if you wish, but not on Two-spot."
He put Bunny into the discharging cylinder and pushed him out. The meeklittle animal seemed quite delighted at being released. He hopped aboutplayfully, skipping much higher and farther at each hop than I had everseen him do before.
This reassured me, and I put on the helmet again, and opened theport-hole. As the rarer Martian air swept in, my suit swelled and puffedto its fullest capacity, by the expansion of the denser air within it. Iwas so blown up that I could scarcely squeeze myself out of theport-hole. It was like a red misty day outside, though there were noclouds. The sky was a perfectly cloudless dull red, and the coppery sunwas shining almost overhead. His orb looked less than two-thirds thesize it did from the Earth, and one could look at its duller lightfixedly without hurting the eyes. Phobos was also faintly visible,steering his backward course across the ruddy sky. The thermometershowed a temperature just above freezing, but I was perfectly warmwithin the diver's suit and its envelope of air. The red haze and utterlack of breeze added a deceptive appearance of sultry heat.
I was gazing back toward the Gnomons, when suddenly a group of theMartians we had first seen came around a turn of the road and over aknoll into full view of us. They were plainly surprised beyond allmeasure by my strange appearance. My puffed and corpulent figure, mybulging face of glass, my two long rubber tentacles extending back intomy shell, must have made them think I was a very curious animal! Alsothey were probably surprised at seeing any living thing come out of themass, which they must have thought had fallen from their moon, for shewas always shying things at them. And I now had my first chance tostudy their appearance closely.
"Doctor," I said softly, to see if he could hear me through theconnecting tubes. As I had hoped, they proved to be very goodspeaking-trumpets, and I heard his answer noisily.
"Speak lower; I hear you easily," I said. "There is a party of themcoming down this road to descend to the city. They have stopped uponseeing me. They are nothing but men like ourselves. I see no wings,horns, tails, or other appendages that we have not. They are just fat,puffy, sluggish men, very white and pale in colour, and covered with apeculiar clothing that looks like feathers. I seem to be a far greaterfreak to them than they are to me."
Had he been a million miles away, I should have known that it was thedoctor answering, from his unsurprised and matter-of-fact tone. Iimagined I could see the exact expression of his face as he said,--
"After all, then, man is the most perfect animal the Creator could make.From a mechanical standpoint he needs nothing that he has not, and hasnothing that he does not need. However you change him, you would makehim imperfect. Physiologically he may be much the same on all theplanets, but there is room for the widest variations on the intellectualand spiritual side."
"Do not forget that my patriarchal ancestors record that God made manin His own image, upon which there could be no improvement," I put in.
"Yes, but modern scientists would have us believe that your patriarchswould have written a different fable if they had understood the theoryof evolution. It appears that man is really a little lower than theangels, by being material and ponderable and visible, but the generalimage may be the same. Perhaps upon the various planets it may be thatthe same lines of differences prevail, as between the heathen tribes andthe civilized people on earth. There at least we are sure thatphysiologically no marked difference exists between the lowest savageand the wisest sage."
"Except, perhaps, that the savage may have the best digestion," I added."Those look as if they had but few troubles and plenty to eat. I see nowrinkles or hard lines. Their forms and features are gracefully rounded.Their eyes are larger and stronger, with a liquid depth suited to thissoft and weaker light. None of them wear beards, and very little hair isvisible. I must say they do not look at all warlike. If we could onlymake them understand that we are friendly, I think they would gladly bidus to a feast of freshly-cooked meats and good wines, and ask us,chuckling, for the latest after-dinner stories that are current onEarth."
"Make friendly signs to them, and see how they behave," he suggested.
I slowly waved my hand to them to approach, and extended my arm as if toshake hands. While talking with the doctor I had stood perfectly still,and they had been warily watching me all the time. When I moved andstretched out my arm, they took fright and fled precipitately.
"I have scared them away, as if they were a lot of roe deer!" Iexclaimed.
"Then let us hasten preparations while they are gone," he replied. "Ifyou can stand the pressure I have given you, it will be safe to throwoff the helmet and suit."
Upon lifting the cover from my head, I caught a draught of fresh coldair that was unspeakably invigorating. I drank it in deep breaths, andfelt like skipping about for joy. Kicking off the suit that trammelledme, I put it and the helmet back inside and closed the port-hole. Thenthe doctor pulled away the bulkhead and breathed the mixed atmosphere,half-Martian from my compartment and half-Earthly from his. He sufferedno inconvenience from the sudden half-way step toward a lower density,and presently he emerged into the exhilarating air with me.
"This atmosphere has a stimulation in it like thin wine, and it gives mean appetite. I feel strong and virile enough to tip Mars topsy-turvy," Isaid. "At least, let me get some cigars to smoke while we are arming ourstronghold."
When I went in for the guns, I put a handful of Havanas in my vestpocket, and emerging, I laid the rifles handy and proceeded to light aweed. I was watching the bright flame of the match, and puffing withgusto at the fragrant smoke, when from another direction a second squadof Martians came into view very near us. They immediately halted andgazed at us in open-mouthed wonder, which soon changed to a look ofhorror. Remembering the pipe of peace among the American Indians, I drewout a cigar, and hastily striking a match upon my trousers, I held theweed and flame toward them. Not a man of them stayed to see any more.Their flight was more precipitate than the other party's had been.
"It was your smoke they were afraid of," said the doctor. "Whenever youpuffed, I saw them looking at each other blan
kly and dropping back alittle. They have taken you for a fire-eater and a smoke-breather, andwhen you drew the flame from your lungs it was too much for them. Butall this serves our purpose of frightening them. They will spreadstrange stories in the city below!"
I helped him carry out the telescope, and we placed it in a commandingposition. Then we propped up the broad shields, so that each of us couldcrouch behind one, and I laid a broadsword and rifle handy to each. Thenwe put on the linked-wire shirts under our coats, buckled the revolversabout us, and, as it was rather cold, we each put on a thick pair ofgloves and a heavy topcoat.
The doctor, who was carefully watching things down in the city throughthe telescope, cried out to me presently,--
"There is wild commotion and great excitement down yonder by the greatpalace. The news has reached them! They are preparing to come in forceto take us!"
"I wish I knew what their sign of peace is, we might save a conflict,"said I. "Perhaps our fire-arms won't harm them."
"More likely they will blow them all to pieces," answered the doctor."But we must not fire unless it becomes absolutely necessary to defendourselves, for if we kill any of them, they will then have cause to dealwith us as dreadfully as they can. We cannot hope to overcome them all.It will be enough to demonstrate our supremacy, so that they will allowus to live among them. Therefore, let us simply defend ourselves and donothing offensive, thus showing that we are peaceably disposed."
"You cry peace, but look at the great army they are sending against us!"I exclaimed. "There are four companies of foot soldiers marching throughthe streets, and each man is armed with a very long cross-bow and wearsa brightly-coloured bird-wing on his forehead. The streets are fillingwith people to see them pass. Now three more companies wheel out of thepalace, but they have no cross-bows. They are whirling something aroundtheir heads."
The doctor anxiously awaited his turn at the telescope, and as he lookedhe clutched his pistol though they were still several miles away.
"Those are slings they are whirling about their heads," he said. "Andthe commander of each company rides an ambling donkey, and wears a heavyplaited beard and long braided hair, without head covering."
"But look further back, coming out of the palace now!" I cried. "Whatare those strange, stately animals far behind the soldiers? I can seethem with the naked eye."
"_Donnerwetter!_ what towering birds!" he muttered under his breath."Like ostriches in form, but as tall and graceful as a giraffe! There isa man riding astride the neck of each of them, yet he could scarcelyreach half-way to their heads!"
"Are those monstrous things birds?" I demanded. "Let me look. What longand bony legs they have! They would stride over us without touching ourheads; but how they could kick!"
"And how they could run!" put in the doctor. "See, they stride easilyover seven or eight feet with a single step. They must be messengerbirds, for there are only four of them, and their riders are notarmed."
"They may have hundreds more of them in reserve, and they could fightfar more viciously than the men. See what a wicked beak and what a longmuscular neck they have. They could crush a skull in a twinkling withone swift swoop of that head! I will fight the men, but I will take nochances with those birds!"
Although these strange, small-winged creatures had started long afterthe soldiers, they had quickly passed them, and were now beginning tomount toward our plateau. They were making swift detours at intervals,as if to reconnoitre. We were hidden behind our rocks and shields, andthe riders could not see us, and they had evidently not yet seen thebrass barrel of our telescope. It would be folly for them to attempt tocome up the road we were guarding, for we could easily heave bouldersover and crush them. I had already put my shoulder to an immense rocknear the brink, to see if it was as heavy as it looked. I found itporous and crumbly, and no heavier than so much chalk. Up the roadwaythe great birds climbed with wonderful ease. Their riders were evidentlylooking for us without any idea where we were.
"I won't see those elephantine bipeds come any nearer to me!" Iexclaimed, and rushing to the boulder, which was certainly four feet indiameter, I toppled it over the brink, and expected to see it carryeverything down before it. It rolled slowly down the steep bank, withhardly a third the force and speed of the same mass on Earth. Thisdiscouraged me, but I watched for it to reach the foremost bird. He wassurprised by it, but made one step sideways, and, lifting his greatright leg, the stone rolled under him without any damage. He gave aqueer, guttural croak, accompanied by a most violent motion of the headand neck. The other birds, thus warned, dodged quickly sidewise, andavoided the slowly rolling boulder; but all three of the riders werethrown by the swift lateral movement of the birds. The astonished menpicked themselves up slowly from the bushes and approached their birds.But they could scarcely reach with their hands the lower part of theneck where they had sat.
"Unless they are good jumpers, they cannot mount again without aladder!" said the doctor.
"Jumping is easier than standing still here," I interrupted. "I can jumpten feet high with no trouble."
"Yes; but these Martian boobies haven't your muscles. _Aber Blitzen!_did you see that fellow mount his bird again?"
I had seen it, and I do not remember anything more wonderful than thisoperation, which was repeated for each rider. The man went in front ofhis bird, turned his back, and stooped forward. The bird then curved hislong neck to the ground, and put his head and neck between the legs ofthe rider, who clutched tightly with his arms and legs. With a swift,graceful swing, the bird lifted its head on high, carrying the rider asif he were nothing. When the great neck was again erect, the man slidcarefully down it to his place, much as one might slip down a telegraphpole. Then two of the birds turned back to the city as swiftly as theycould go, and the other two took separate side trails and soondisappeared.