The chilled surface of the fallen meteorites were broken up
by areas of glowing cinder-like surfaces. The glittering and opaline
city of glass, the City of Scandor, capital of the Martian world, was
buried beneath the scorching and stony fragments of a minor comet, or
some diminished and wandering meteor train which suddenly issuing from
the unknown depths of space had descended with mathematical precision
upon the treasure city of the planet.
"The Martian legions remained on the hilltops, sombered and silent. The
awful reality, impregnable and drear, before them had changed their
spirit, and they looked into each other's faces with bewilderment.
"I had stayed with Alca throughout the night, and I now turning to him
said:
"'Let us go! What can we do here? Let us walk away for awhile. I am
dizzy with terror.'
"'Yes,' he answered, and tears seemed filling his eyes, 'we will go. We
will walk out into the hill and river country beyond the canal. Many are
wandering over the country now. The farmers will harbor us and the
beauty of the lanes will bring us cheerfulness.'
"And so we went away, hastening with the Martian velocity of motion
until as the sun hung in the zenith, we had reached a hillside sloping
upon a meadow space through which passed the clear but sluggish waters
of a wide stream. A tulip-like grass was distributed in the heavy
luxuriant growth of the meadow, which bore upon pendant threads a blue
bell-like flower.
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