One sect of theologians stoutly maintained that it was hurled with malicious intent by a malignant five legged star, and struck the fair mark it was aimed at with terrible precision. Another sect held that it was only an accident; the missile was probably fired by a friendly six pointer, missed its mark and unfortunately struck where it was not intended to. As there was not a particle of proof for either side, affirmations and assertions took the place of argument, and were dogmatically made and maintained with no little acrimony on both sides. But they all agreed in rendering divine honors to Lucy with their sympathies and condolences: Poor Lucy! Perfidious Jack! “When the King learned what the Lunarians wanted him to give them a mortgage on, he laughed heartily and thought it a good joke. He could hardly be made to believe they were in earnest. “As for the poles if there is anything there except snow and rocks,” said he, “whoever gets them will earn them, I warrant you. “As for the moons, I shall never undertake to deliver them in case you foreclose on them, and your mortgage must distinctly state that you are to take them running.” “The King thought the idea of mortgaging his moons was peculiarly comical; and after the deal was consummated and the papers all signed, he would sometimes stand on the door step and call out to Lucy as she rushed along overhead with the speed of a cannon ball, and ask her how she felt to be mortgaged. In addition to the scheme for the construction of the canals, the Lunarians asked and easily obtained a charter or concession from the king for an easement or right of way twenty miles wide, ten miles on each side of the equator, and reaching entirely around the planet, for the purpose of one or more lines of telegraph and cables for the conveyance of electrical power and for railroads etc. This region was entirely uninhabited, and not suited for the occupation of Martians, but the Lunarians said they would have use for it in the course of time and wished to have it understood so they could know what to depend on. “All the preliminary negotiations being at last concluded, and the contracts signed, they went to work with a will. The bonus or subsidy of 100 kiks per acre was raised by taxation, those who had no money being compelled to work out their tax on the canal. The route selected for the first line was across a low swampy country. The work was light and much of it in the water where the Martians were at home. The Lunarians had flat boats constructed on which the excavated muck and earth were loaded and floated to the deep places which they partially filled up or deposited on the dry land. The canal was made 200 feet wide at first, one-half of which was kept entirely clear, while the other half was planted to the sea-weed.