tmosphere.
It was so lacking in density that it resembled the air on the summits of
the loftiest terrestrial mountains.

Having reached the foot of the tree in safety, we lay down for a moment
on the ground to recover ourselves and to become accustomed to our new
surroundings.

A thrill, born half of wonder, half of incredulity, ran through me at
the touch of the soil of Mars. Here was I, actually on that planet,
which had seemed so far away, so inaccessible, and so full of mysteries
when viewed from the earth. And yet, surrounding me, were
things--gigantic, it is true--but still resembling and recalling the
familiar sights of my own world.

After a little while our lungs became accustomed to the rarity of the
atmosphere and we experienced a certain stimulation in breathing.

We then got upon our feet and stepped out from under the shadow of the
gigantic tree. High above we could faintly see our electrical ship,
gently swaying in the air close to the tree top.

There were no electric lights in our immediate neighborhood, but we
noticed that the whole surface of the planet around us was gleaming with
them, producing an effect like the glow of a great city seen from a
distance at night. The glare was faintly reflected from the vast dome of
clouds above, producing the general impression of a moonlight night upon
the earth.

It was a wonderfully quiet and beautiful spot where we had come down.
The air had a delicate feel and a bracing temperature, while a soft
breeze soughed through the leaves of the tree above our heads.

Not far away was the bank of a canal, bordered by a magnificent avenue
shaded by a double row of immense umbrageous trees.

We approached the canal, and, getting upon the road, turned to the left
to make an exploration in that direction. The shadow of the trees
falling upon the roadway produced a dense gloom, in the midst of which
we felt that we should be safe, unless the Martians had eyes like those
of cats.

As we pushed along, our hearts, I confess, beating a little quickly, a
shadow stirred in front of us.

Something darker than the night itself approached.

As it drew near it assumed the appearance of an enormous dog, as tall as
an ox, which ran swiftly our way with a threatening motion of its head.
But before it could even utter a snarl, the whirr of Colonel Smith's
disintegrator was heard and the creature vanished in the shadow.

"Gracious, did you ever see such a beast?" said the C