"I neutralized the electric current," explained the German. "I antic.i.p.ated that in our flight through s.p.a.ce we might meet with electric storms. I provided so that in such a case I could throw a counter current of electricity all about the projectile. That is what happened just now, though not exactly as I expected it.

I have rendered their weapons useless--at least, for the time being."

"And we can now try ours on them!" cried Jack.

"Exactly! Get ready to fire the electric cannons!" called Mr.

Roumann.

The Martians seemed to understand that something had gone wrong.

They were running about, consulting among themselves, and pointing to the projectile. The figure in red and the machinist were talking earnestly together.

"He's probably telling them something about the machinery," said Jack.

"Man the guns!" cried Mr. Henderson.

He and the German were at the cannon on one side, and Jack and Mark on the other.

"Fire!" shouted Mr. Roumann, pulling the lever that worked the weapon. The others did likewise. There was a flash of sparks from the muzzles of the guns, and a powerful and disabling, though not deadly, current of electricity shot toward the Martians.

Score after score of the queer creatures went down, among the first to fall being the machinist and Zun Flor.

"Once more!" cried Mr. Roumann, and another volley was sent out, stunning hundreds.

Then came a third one, but this was enough. The remaining Martians, leaving their helpless comrades on the ground, turned and fled.

"We've driven them away!" cried Jack.

"For a time, at least," answered Professor Henderson gravely.

"But I think they will come back."

CHAPTER x.x.x

THE ESCAPE--CONCLUSION

Nor was the professor mistaken. In less than an hour the Martians returned, in larger numbers than before, and, while the first throng had seemed to consist of only soldiers or police, the next attack was made by thousands of men, women and children.

They all seemed anxious to destroy, the strangers.

Those who had been disabled by the electric guns revived, and were able to crawl away, but they were too weak to resume the attack.

"Well, we'll have to shoot at them again," observed Jack, as he and the others noted that the attack was to be resumed.

"Let 'em have it!" cried Mr. Roumann.

Once more the electric cannons were fired, and thousands fell at each discharge of the powerful current.

But, in their turn, the Martians brought into use new weapons.

First they hurled great rocks and chunks of lead at the projectile, but, as the missiles weighed only a third as much as they would have done on the earth, they only dented the heavy steel sides.

Finding that this would not answer, the little people created clouds of noxious gases, that swirled around the projectile like a fog. But this was harmless, as the adventurers could shut themselves in tightly, and breathe air of their own making. The gases had no more effect on them than did the ether through which they had traveled through s.p.a.ce.

Meanwhile, the electric cannons were constantly being fired, and the ranks of the attackers were constantly being thinned. But, ever as the Martians fell, new ones arrived to take their places.

They seemed determined to drive the newcomers off the planet or destroy them.

There was a lull in the fighting. The Martians seemed to be waiting for something. At last a large crowd was observed coming from the direction of the city. They carried great bundles of wood and torches.

"They're going to try to burn us out!" cried Jack.

"Good land a' ma.s.sy!" yelled Washington. "Let me go! I ain't ready t' burn yet! No, indeedy!"

With shouts the Martians piled fuel all about the projectile.

Then they set fire to it, and tongues of flame leaped up.

"Don't be alarmed," said Mr. Roumann. "We have pa.s.sed safely through greater heat than they can produce. The gas in the projectile will absorb all the heat."

And this was exactly what happened. The flames had no effect on the Annihilator, whereas the electric cannons continued to mow down the Martians.

The day was now well advanced, and the defenders were getting tired and hungry, as well as apprehensive, for there seemed to be no limit to the fury of the little people, and their scientific knowledge was such that it was probably only a matter of time before they would find a way to destroy the projectile.

During a lull in the fighting, when the fire that had been kindled died away, Washington White came around with some food he had prepared.

They felt better after the meal, but immediately there came a new apprehension, for they saw that the Martians were digging a great hole to one side of the projectile.

"What can they be doing that for?" asked Andy. "Maybe they're going to roll us into it," said Mark.

"No," spoke Mr. Roumann, after watching the crowd at work, "I'm inclined to think they're laying a mine, and are going to blow us up."

"Blow us up?"

"Yes. They evidently have some explosive over there, to judge by the manner in which they guard it."

"Can we stand being blown up?" asked Jack.

"I hardly think so. The projectile itself might not be harmed, as it is very strong, but the machinery and motors would probably be damaged."

"Then what can we do?"

"The only thing left for us to do is to escape."

"Escape? You mean leave the projectile?" asked Mr. Henderson.

"No, I mean escape in the Annihilator. There is no reason why we should stay here any longer. We have what we came to seek, and though I should like to make some further scientific observations, we will have to forego them. We will start the atmospheric motor, and leave Mars."

"That's the stuff!" cried Jack. "Back to earth for ours! It's nice up here, when you don't do something they don't like, but the earth is good enough for me!"

"That's what I say," added Mark.