Kelvin, the great English savant; Herr Roentgen, the
discover of the famous X-ray, and especially Thomas A. Edison, the
American genius of science. These men and a few others had examined with
the utmost care the engines of war, the flying machines, the generators
of mysterious destructive forces that the Martians had produced, with
the object of discovering, if possible, the sources of their power.

Suddenly from Mr. Edison's laboratory at Orange flashed the startling
intelligence that he had not only discovered the manner in which the
invaders had been able to produce the mighty energies which they
employed with such terrible effect, but that, going further, he had
found a way to overcome them.

The glad news was quickly circulated throughout the civilized world.
Luckily the Atlantic cables had not been destroyed by the Martians, so
that communication between the Eastern and Western continents 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 was 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.

"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