ommunicating sound. If so, what were the words--what language? The
possibility of what I heard being words, made me strain every nerve to
catch the slightest resemblance to such sounds, but alas, with no
success. That they were intended to convey a message, I became fully
convinced, but I could not rest in the belief that this jumble of sounds
was the Martian language. If the Martians themselves resembled, in so
striking a degree, the inhabitants of Earth, I argued, then it was in
the nature of things to expect a language that, in some way,
corresponded to one of our languages. The fault lay in my instrument, I
was sure of that, and in the keen disappointment of my failure to
receive his message and the excitement of the moment, I gave utterance
to an exclamation of despair. Immediately a smile overspread the
Martian's countenance, and, to my great astonishment, he put down the
instrument and clapped his hands by way of showing his approval.

Before I could recover from my surprise at this new evidence of Martian
familiarity with the customs of Earth, the light suddenly grew dim and
in a few seconds had disappeared completely, leaving the instrument
plunged in darkness. Mars had risen above the frame of the skylight, and
I was no longer in contact with the light-waves. I listened intently,
thinking that if the sound-waves were of the nature of the
electrical-waves we employ in the wireless system, I would still be in
touch with my newly found friend, but I heard no further sound from the
instrument, thus proving that these waves also were projected by the
mysterious agent known only to the Martians.

I had so much to occupy my mind, with what I had just witnessed, and so
many thoughts rushed in upon me regarding the perfecting of my
instrument so that it might properly respond to the sound-waves, that I
did not experience the disappointment I had felt before at the short
duration of our contact with each other. I was glad of the opportunity
to think; I felt that it was necessary to do so before further action,
if I ever hoped to attain the knowledge of Mars and its inhabitants that
my remarkable discovery had placed within my reach. I determined that on
the morrow, if I did not meet with better results in the sound
vibrations, I would try to communicate with the Martian by writing some
simple sentence in a bold hand, and in as many languages as I could.
This I would expose in front of the instrument, but I placed little