branch of the C., B. and Q.,
about ten miles from the Mercutians--were as yet unharmed. They were,
however, entirely deserted by the 15th.

During these days the Mercutians did not move from their first landing
place. Newspaper speculation regarding their capabilities for offensive
action ran rife. Perhaps they could not move. They appeared to possess but
one ray of light-fire; this had an effective radius of ten miles. The only
other offensive weapon shown was the rocket, or bomb, that had destroyed
the C., B. and Q. train near Garland and the town itself. Reports differed
as to what had set fire to the town of Powell.

All these points were less than ten miles away from the Mercutian base.
Obviously, then, the danger was grossly exaggerated. The unknown invaders
could safely and easily be shelled by artillery from a much greater
distance. Mercury had passed inferior conjunction; no other Mercutian
vehicles had been reported as landing anywhere on the earth. A few days,
and the danger would be over. Thus the newspapers of the country settled
the affair.

On March 14th it was announced that General Price would conduct the
military operations against the Mercutians. Press dispatches
simultaneously announced that troops, machine guns and artillery were
being rushed to Billings. This provoked a caustic comment from the
Preparedness League of America, to the effect that no military operations
of any offensive value could be conducted by the United States against
anybody or anything.

This statement was to some extent true. During the twenty years that had
elapsed since the World War armament of all kinds had fallen into disuse.
Few improvements in offensive weapons had been made. The military
organization and equipment of the United States, and, indeed, that of many
of the other great powers, was admittedly inadequate to cope with any very
powerful enemy.

Professor Newland telegraphed to the War Department at Washington on the
14th, stating that in his opinion new scientific measures would have to be
devised to deal with this enemy, and that whatever scientific knowledge he
had on the subject was at their disposal at their request. To this
telegram the government never replied.

It was a day or two after that--on the morning of the 16th, to be
exact--that the next most important development in this strange affair
took place. Alan Newland rose that morning at dawn and took his launch for
a trip up one of the neighbor