of the land somewhat the relation
of the edge of a shallow dish to its bottom. Their rise on the land
side was too gradual to give them the appearance of hills, but on the
side toward the sea they broke down in steep banks and cliffs several
hundred feet in height. We guessed that it would be in the direction
of these elevations that the inhabitants would flee, and those who had
timely warning might thus be able to escape in case the flood did not--as
it seemed possible it might in its first mad rush--overtop the highest
elevations on Mars.

A Dreadful Scene.

As day broke and the sun slowly rose upon the dreadful scene beneath
us, we began to catch sight of some of the fleeing inhabitants. We
had shifted the position of the fleet toward the south, and were now
suspended above the southeastern corner of Aeria. Here a high bank of
reddish rock confronted the sea, whose waters ran lashing and roaring
along the bluffs to supply the rapid draught produced by the emptying
of the Syrtis Major. Along the shore there was a narrow line of land,
hundreds of miles in length, but less than a quarter of a mile broad,
which still rose slightly above the surface of the water, and this land
of refuge was absolutely packed with the monstrous inhabitants of the
planet who had fled hither on the first warning that the water was coming.

In some places it was so crowded that the later comers could not find
standing ground on dry land, but were continually slipping back and
falling into the water. It was an awful sight to look at them. It
reminded me of pictures that I had seen of the deluge in the days of
Noah, when the waters had risen to the mountain tops, and men, women
and children were fighting for a foothold upon the last dry spots that
the earth contained.

We were all moved by a desire to help our enemies, for we were overwhelmed
with feelings of pity and remorse, but to aid them was now utterly
beyond our power. The mighty floods were out, and the end was in the
hands of God.

Fortunately, we had little time for these thoughts, because no sooner
had the day begun to dawn around us than the airships of the Martians
appeared. Evidently the people in them were dazed by the disaster and
uncertain what to do. It is doubtful whether at first they comprehended
the fact that we were the agents who had produced the cataclysm.

The Flocking of the Airships.

But as the morning advanced the airships came flocking in greater and