nents was
uninterrupted. It was a proud day for America. Even while the Martians
had been upon the earth, carrying everything before them, demonstrating
to the confusion of the most optimistic that there was no possibility
of standing against them, a feeling--a confidence had manifested itself
in France, to a minor extent in England, and particularly in Russia,
that the Americans might discover means to meet and master the invaders.

Now, it seemed, this hope and expectation were to be realized. Too
late, it is true, in a certain sense, but not too late to meet the new
invasion which the astronomers had announced was impending. The effect
was as wonderful and indescribable as that of the despondency which but
a little while before had overspread the world. One could almost hear
the universal sigh of relief which went up from humanity. To relief
succeeded confidence--so quickly does the human spirit recover like an
elastic spring, when pressure is released.

"We Are Ready for Them!"

"Let them come," was the almost joyous cry. "We shall be ready for
them now. The Americans have solved the problem. Edison has placed
the means of victory within our power."

Looking back upon that time now, I recall, with a thrill, the pride that
stirred me at the thought that, after all, the inhabitants of the Earth
were a match for those terrible men from Mars, despite all the advantage
which they had gained from their millions of years of prior civilization
and science.

As good fortunes, like bad, never come singly, the news of Mr. Edison's
discovery was quickly followed by additional glad tidings from that
laboratory of marvels in the lap of the Orange mountains. During their
career of conquest the Martians had astonished the inhabitants of the
earth no less with their flying machines--which navigated our atmosphere
as easily as they had that of their native planet--than with their more
destructive inventions. These flying machines in themselves had given
them an enormous advantage in the contest. High above the desolation
that they had caused to reign on the surface of the earth, and, out of
the range of our guns, they had hung safe in the upper air. From the
clouds they had dropped death upon the earth.

Edison's Flying Machine.

Now, rumor declared that Mr. Edison had invented and perfected a flying
machine much more complete and manageable than those of the Martians
had been. Wonderful stories quickly found their way in