ance was most forlorn, and their
attitudes indicated only despair and desperation, but as they caught sight
of us their malign power of intellect instantly penetrated the mystery,
and they recognized us for what we were.

Their despair immediately gave place to reawakened malevolence. On the
instant they were astir, with such heart-chilling movements as those
that characterize a venomous serpent preparing to strike.

Not imagining that they would be in a position to make serious resistance,
we had been somewhat incautious in approaching.

The Awful Heat Ray.

Suddenly there was a quicker movement than usual among the Martians,
a swift adjustment of that one of their engines of war which, as already
noticed, seemed to be practically uninjured, and then there darted from it
and alighted upon one of the foremost ships a dazzling lightning stroke
a mile in length, at whose touch the metallic sides of the car curled
and withered and, licked for a moment by what seemed lambent flames,
collapsed into a mere cinder.

Another Ship Destroyed.

The Death-Dealing Martians Strike a Fearful Blow at the Earth's
Warriors.

For an instant not a word was spoken, so sudden and unexpected was
the blow.

We knew that every soul in the stricken car had perished.

"Back! Back!" was the signal instantaneously flashed from the flagship,
and reversing their polarities the members of the squadron sprang
away from the little planet as rapidly as the electrical impulse could
drive them.

But before we were out of reach a second flaming tongue of death shot
from the fearful engine, and another of our ships, with all its crew,
was destroyed.

A Discouraging Beginning.

It was an inauspicious beginning for us. Two of our electrical ships,
with their entire crews, had been wiped out of existence, and this
appalling blow had been dealt by a few stranded and disabled enemies
floating on an asteroid.

What hope would there be for us when we came to encounter the millions
of Mars itself on their own ground and prepared for war?

However, it would not do to despond. We had been incautious, and we
should take good care not to commit the same fault again.

Vengeance the First Thing!

The first thing to do was to avenge the death of our comrades. The
question whether we were able to meet these Martians and overcome them
might as well be settled right here and now. They had proved what they
could do, even when disabled and at a dis