Almost the next instant they were plunged again into the joyous rays of the sun. All of this had happened in a few seconds’ time, but to their startled minds it had seemed much longer. Looking up furtively they had glimpsed, for just a moment, a slice of blackness slipping from the edge of the sun. The miniature satellite had passed from their vision into the sightless black background of space. But, no; there _was_ something there! The reflection from Mars produced a barely perceptible glow upon the jagged face of the big ball above them. It reminded Robert exactly of the faint, broken reflection of lantern light on the ceiling of a large chamber in a cave which he had once explored. There was something threatening and terrifying about the rapidly dissolving apparition. “I’ve seen enough of that baby,” sighed Taggert. “Oy, let’s go down on Mars and meet some nice, fresh cannibals before we hook up with another one of those things.” “As a matter of fact, my esteemed friend, we are still scurrying toward yon cannibalistic region to the tune of some thousand miles an hour,” volunteered Robert, adopting Taggert’s vernacular. * * * * * The curious lines and dots now stood out vividly on the ocher-tinted background. So obviously of artificial origin did they appear that neither Taggert nor Robert entertained any further doubts as to the planet’s being inhabited. Soon they were all three engrossed in a discussion concerning the probable appearance of these remarkable people, who were engaged in a desperate struggle for life against the waning of their world. “I think they are a race of giants, because no people of ordinary strength could succeed in constructing such a vast system of canals,” Taggert suggested. “I’ve heard it claimed that the Martians are probably a race of smaller stature than ourselves, in proportion to the size of their planet,” said Robert. “On the other hand, I think it quite probable,” said the professor, “that these people are much like ourselves, in size as well as formation. That they possess extraordinary intelligence I feel certain, for they are a far older race than our own, and their wits have doubtless been sharpened by their ceaseless combat with nature.” “Then you believe that their unusual skill, and not physical strength, has enabled them to achieve these wonderful feats!” “Not entirely. The force of gravity at the surface of Mars is approximately but three-eighths of that on the Earth. The result is that a being of our strength on Mars would be capable of about seven times as much work as on Earth. For example, he could dig a trench on Mars seven times as long as he could one of the same size on the Earth in the same length of time. The weight of the soil, of his arms and body, would be much less than on Earth, and the ratio of his strength over the reduced task would be augmented greatly.