nearest　me；　but　as　the　wall　was　but　about　four　feet　high　I
  cautiously　gained　my　feet　and　peered　over　the　top　upon　the
  strangest　sight　it　had　ever　been　given　me　to　see。
  The　roof　of　the　enclosure　was　of　solid　glass　about　four　or
  five　inches　in　thickness；　and　beneath　this　were　several　hundred
  large　eggs；　perfectly　round　and　snowy　white。　　The　eggs　were
  nearly　uniform　in　size　being　about　two　and　one…half　feet　in
  diameter。
  Five　or　six　had　already　hatched　and　the　grotesque　caricatures
  which　sat　blinking　in　the　sunlight　were　enough　to　cause
  me　to　doubt　my　sanity。　　They　seemed　mostly　head；　with　little
  scrawny　bodies；　long　necks　and　six　legs；　or；　as　I　afterward
  learned；　two　legs　and　two　arms；　with　an　intermediary　pair　of
  limbs　which　could　be　used　at　will　either　as　arms　or　legs。　　Their
  eyes　were　set　at　the　extreme　sides　of　their　heads　a　trifle　above
  the　center　and　protruded　in　such　a　manner　that　they　could
  be　directed　either　forward　or　back　and　also　independently　of
  each　other；　thus　permitting　this　queer　animal　to　look　in　any
  direction；　or　in　two　directions　at　once；　without　the　necessity
  of　turning　the　head。
  The　ears；　which　were　slightly　above　the　eyes　and　closer　together；
  were　small；　cup…shaped　antennae；　protruding　not　more　than　an　inch　on
  these　young　specimens。　　Their　noses　were　but　longitudinal　slits　in
  the　center　of　their　faces；　midway　between　their　mouths　and　ears。
  There　was　no　hair　on　their　bodies；　which　were　of　a　very
  light　yellowish…green　color。　　In　the　adults；　as　I　was　to　learn
  quite　soon；　this　color　deepens　to　an　olive　green　and　is　darker
  in　the　male　than　in　the　female。　　Further；　the　heads　of　the
  adults　are　not　so　out　of　proportion　to　their　bodies　as　in　the
  case　of　the　young。
  The　iris　of　the　eyes　is　blood　red；　as　in　Albinos；　while　the
  pupil　is　dark。　　The　eyeball　itself　is　very　white；　as　are　the　teeth。
  These　latter　add　a　most　ferocious　appearance　to　an　otherwise
  fearsome　and　terrible　countenance；　as　the　lower　tusks
  curve　upward　to　sharp　points　which　end　about　where　the　eyes
  of　earthly　human　beings　are　located。　　The　whiteness　of　the
  teeth　is　not　that　of　ivory；　but　of　the　snowiest　and　most　gleaming
  of　china。　　Against　the　dark　background　of　their　olive
  skins　their　tusks　stand　out　in　a　most　striking　manner；　making
  these　weapons　present　a　singularly　formidable　appearance。
  Most　of　these　details　I　noted　later；　for　I　was　given　but　little
  time　to　speculate　on　the　wonders　of　my　new　discovery。　　I　had
  seen　that　the　eggs　were　in　the　process　of　hatching；　and　as　I
  stood　watching　the　hideous　little　monsters　break　from　their
  shells　I　failed　to　note　the　approach　of　a　score　of　full…grown
  Martians　from　behind　me。
  Coming；　as　they　did；　over　the　soft　and　soundless　moss；
  which　covers　practically　the　entire　surface　of　Mars　with　the
  exception　of　the　frozen　areas　at　the　poles　and　the　scattered
  cultivated　districts；　they　might　have　captured　me　easily；　but
  their　intentions　were　far　more　sinister。　　It　was　the　rattling　of
  the　accouterments　of　the　foremost　warrior　which　warned　me。
  On　such　a　little　thing　my　life　hung　that　I　often　marvel　that
  I　escaped　so　easily。　　Had　not　the　rifle　of　the　leader　of　the
  party　swung　from　its　fastenings　beside　his　saddle　in　such　a
  way　as　to　strike　against　the　butt　of　his　great　metal　shod　spear
  I　should　have　snuffed　out　without　ever　knowing　that　death　was
  near　me。　　But　the　little　sound　caused　me　to　turn；　and　there
  upon　me；　not　ten　feet　from　my　breast；　was　the　point　of　that
  huge　spear；　a　spear　forty　feet　long；　tipped　with　gleaming
  metal；　and　held　low　at　the　side　of　a　mounted　replica　of　the
  little　devils　I　had　been　watching。
  But　how　puny　and　harmless　they　now　looked　beside　this
  huge　and　terrific　incarnation　of　hate；　of　vengeance　and　of
  death。　　The　man　himself；　for　such　I　may　call　him；　was　fully
  fifteen　feet　in　height　and；　on　Earth；　would　have　weighed　some
  four　hundred　pounds。　　He　sat　his　mount　as　we　sit　a　horse；
  grasping　the　animal's　barrel　with　his　lower　limbs；　while　the
  hands　of　his　two　right　arms　held　his　immense　spear　low　at　the
  side　of　his　mount；　his　two　left　arms　were　outstretched　laterally
  to　help　preserve　his　balance；　the　thing　he　rode　having　neither
  bridle　or　reins　of　any　description　for　guidance。
  And　his　mount！　　How　can　earthly　words　describe　it！　　It
  towered　ten　feet　at　the　shoulder；　had　four　legs　on　either
  side；　a　broad　flat　tail；　larger　at　the　tip　than　at　the　root；　and
  which　it　held　straight　out　behind　while　running；　a　gaping
  mouth　which　split　its　head　from　its　snout　to　its　long；　massive
  neck。
  Like　its　master；　it　was　entirely　devoid　of　hair；　but　was　of　a
  dark　slate　color　and　exceeding　smooth　and　glossy。　　Its　belly
  was　white；　and　its　legs　shaded　from　the　slate　of　its　shoulders
  and　hips　to　a　vivid　yellow　at　the　feet。　　The　feet　themselves　were
  heavily　padded　and　nailless；　which　fact　had　also　contributed
  to　the　noiselessness　of　their　approach；　and；　in　common
  with　a　multiplicity　of　legs；　is　a　characteristic　feature　of　the
  fauna　of　Mars。　　The　highest　type　of　man　and　one　other　animal；
  the　only　mammal　existing　on　Mars；　alone　have　well…formed
  nails；　and　there　are　absolutely　no　hoofed　animals　in　existence
  there。
  Behind　this　first　charging　demon　trailed　nineteen　others；
  similar　in　all　respects；　but；　as　I　learned　later；　bearing
  individual　characteristics　peculiar　to　themselves；　precisely　as
  no　two　of　us　are　identical　although　we　are　all　cast　in　a　similar
  mold。　　This　picture；　or　rather　materialized　nightmare；　which
  I　have　described　at　length；　made　but　one　terrible　and　swift
  impression　on　me　as　I　turned　to　meet　it。
  Unarmed　and　naked　as　I　was；　the　first　law　of　nature　manifested
  itself　in　the　only　possible　solution　of　my　immediate　problem；
  and　that　was　to　get　out　of　the　vicinity　of　the　point　of
  the　charging　spear。　　Consequently　I　gave　a　very　earthly　and　at
  the　same　time　superhuman　leap　to　reach　the　top　of　the
  Martian　incubator；　for　such　I　had　determined　it　must　be。
  My　effort　was　crowned　with　a　success　which　appalled　me
  no　less　than　it　seemed　to　surprise　the　Martian　warriors；　for　it
  carried　me　fully　thirty　feet　into　the　air　and　landed　me　a
  hundred　feet　from　my　pursuers　and　on　the　opposite　side　of
  the　enclosure。
  I　alighted　upon　the　soft　moss　easily　and　without　mishap；
  and　turning　saw　my　enemies　lined　up　along　the　further　wall。
  Some　were　surveying　me　with　expressions　which　I　afterward
  discovered　marked　extreme　astonishment；　and　the　others　were
  evidently　satisfying　themselves　that　I　had　not　molested　their
  young。
  They　were　conversing　together　in　low　tones；　and
  gesticulating　and　pointing　toward　me。　　Their　discovery　that　I　had
  not　harmed　the　little　Martians；　and　that　I　was　unarmed；　must　have
  caused　them　to　look　upon　me　with　less　ferocity；　but；　as　I　was
  to　learn　later；　the　thing　which　weighed　most　in　my　favor　was
  my　exhibition　of　hurdling。
  While　the　Martians　are　immense；　their　bones　are　very　large
  and　they　are　muscled　only　in　proportion　to　the　gravitation
  which　they　must　overcome。　　The　result　is　that　they　are　infinitely
  less　agile　and　less　powerful；　in　proportion　to　their　weight；
  than　an　Earth　man；　and　I　doubt　that　were　one　of　them　suddenly
  to　be　transported　to　Earth　he　could　lift　his　own　weight　from
  the　ground；　in　fact；　I　am　convinced　that　he　could　not　do　so。
  My　feat　then　was　as　marvelous　upon　Mars　as　it　would　have
  been　upon　Earth；　and　from　desiring　to　annihilate　me　they
  suddenly　looked　upon　me　as　a　wonderful　discovery　to　be
  captured　and　exhibited　among　their　fellows。
  The　respite　my　unexpected　agility　had　given　me　permitted
  me　to　formulate　plans　for　the　immediate　future　and　to　note
  more　closely　the　appearance　of　the　warriors；　for　I　could　not
  disassociate　these　people　in　my　mind　from　those　other
  warriors　who；　only　the　day　before；　had　been　pursuing　me。
  I　noted　that　each　was　armed　with　several　other　weapons　in
  addition　to　the　huge　spear　which　I　have　described。　　The
  weapon　which　caused　me　to　decide　against　an　attempt　at
  escape　by　flight　was　what　was　evidently　a　rifle　of　some
  description；　and　which　I　felt；　for　some　reason；　they　were
  peculiarly　efficient　in　handling。
  These　rifles　were　of　a　white　metal　stocked　with　wood；　which
  I　learned　later　was　a　very　light　and　intensely　hard　growth
  much　prized　on　Mars；　and　entirely　unknown　to　us　denizens
  of　Earth。　　The　metal　of　the　barrel　is　an　alloy　composed
  principally　of　aluminum　and　steel　which　they　have　learned
  to　temper　to　a　hardness　far　exceeding　that　of　the　steel　with
  which　we　are　familiar。　　The　weight　of　these　rifles　is　comparatively
  little；　and　with　the　small　caliber；　explosive；　radium　projectiles
  which　they　use；　and　the　great　length　of　the　barrel；　they　are
  deadly　in　the　extreme　and　at　ranges　which　would　be　unthinkable
  on　Earth。　　The　theoretic　effective　radius　of　this　rifle　is
  three　hundred　miles；　but　the　best　they　can　do　in　actual
  service　when　equipped　with　their　wireless　finders　an