e more severe."

After this manner spake the glib-tongued fellows and, behold, their
speeches were as oil on the troubled waters. Under their sophistries the
laborers were content and peacefully went to their tasks again after
three months of unrest.

Then did the members of the corporations consult again and spake among
themselves in this fashion:

"For our protection let us gather, from the laborers, the youthful and
the strong, have them taught in tactics of war, and make it unlawful for
any to carry deadly weapons, except these trained men, whom we will call
our Soil Defenders, and if any of the laborers should ask: 'Wherefore
are we called to do this work?' we will say to them, 'For the defense of
the soil and the defense of our families are ye called, therefore quit
yourselves nobly.'

"And it shall come to pass that when the laborers commence a foolish
struggle for their own selfish gain, we can use these trained soldiers
to keep them in peace, and thus we need not spend so much of our breath
by way of persuasion."

Behold this thing seemed reasonable and seasonable in the eyes of the
Trust. They did according to these suggestions and gathered unto
themselves, in the name of the civil law, the strongest of the youth and
trained them in all the ways of war. Thus did these workmen lose all
their liberties by slow degrees, until they were no more troublesome,
but labored like slaves to get the wherewithal to live.

As I witnessed this sad picture resulting from the inhumanity of man to
man, I was at once reminded of what I had seen on Mars, and of the
struggle now pending in my own world. Once more I breathed a silent
prayer to the Ruler of all worlds in behalf of the crushed hands and
bleeding hearts that are bruised in order that certain men may make
their thousands in a day.

I studied the social life of the refined villagers and learned, with
much interest, that the word they use for soil, is used in the same
esteemed connection in which we use the word gold or diamond.

Preachers, teachers and orators make endless references to the soil.
Finally I approached, in a visible form, a few professors who were
engaged in a special discussion.

They were alarmed at my sudden appearance, not knowing whence I came nor
what sort of an animal I might be. I quickly calmed their troubled minds
by using language they easily understood, and explained that I was
neither a ghost nor a spirit, but a mere citizen of ano