rmed us were intended as a token of truce.

"We shall have to go down and have a confab with them, I suppose,"
said Mr. Edison. "We can't kill them off now that they are helpless,
but we must manage somehow to make them understand that unconditional
surrender is their only chance."

A Parley with the Enemy.

"Let us take Aina with us," I suggested, "and since she can speak the
language of the Martians we shall probably have no difficulty in arriving
at an understanding."

Accordingly the flagship was carefully brought further down in front
of the entrance to the palace, which had been kept clear by the Martian
guards, and while the remainder of the squadron assembled within a few
feet directly over our heads with the disintegrators turned upon the
palace and the crowd below. Mr. Edison and myself, accompanied by Aina,
stepped out upon the ground.

There was a forward movement in the immense crowd, but the guards sternly
kept everybody back. A party of a dozen giants, preceded by one who
seemed to be their commander, gorgeously attired in jewelled garments,
advanced from the entrance of the palace to meet us. Aina addressed a
few words to the leader, who replied sternly, and then, beckoning us to
follow, retraced his steps into the palace.

Notwithstanding our confidence that all resistance had ceased, we did
not deem it wise actually to venture into the lion's den without having
taken every precaution against a surprise. Accordingly, before following
the Martian into the palace, we had twenty of the electrical ships moored
around it in such a position that they commanded not only the entrance
but all of the principal windows, and then a party of forty picked men,
each doubly armed with powerful disintegrators, were selected to attend
us into the building. This party was placed under the command of Colonel
Smith, and Sidney Phillips insisted on being a member of it.

A Nearer Sight of the Martians.

In the meantime the Martian with his attendants who had first invited us
to enter, finding that we did not follow him, had returned to the front
of the palace. He saw the disposition that we had made of our forces,
and instantly comprehended its significance, for his manner changed
somewhat, and he seemed more desirous than before to conciliate us.

When he again beckoned us to enter, we unhesitatingly followed him,
and, passing through the magnificent entrance, found ourselves in a
vast ante-chamber, adorned af