Oroville Union High School - Nugget Yearbook (Oroville, CA)

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a glistening white expanse toward the east. We soon volplaned over a city whose white buildings and well-kept streets shone in the sunlight. We soon alighted in an open giassy plot. People fled In all directions, as if pursued by the Evil One; but as we remained still, curiosity overcame fear and they cautiously advanced They carried no weapons so we stepped from the car to meet them. These were the Martians! Their appearance rather disappointed us, as they were men. averaging about five feet in height and having dark and black hair. All were dressed in long flowing robes, light sandals and broad brimmed hats. We had expected savages but found instead rather handsome white men. All fears vanished when they saw us. and they crowded forward talking excitedly in a clear, musical tongue which we could not understand. One. a person of some rank, motioned for us to follow him. and commanded two of his men to guard the monoplane. A five-minutes' walk brought us to a large, stone building which we rightly guessed was a palace. We gingerly followed our guide into a large, cool reception hall. He clapped his hands—a servant entered who took our hats while another offered us a sort of fruit sherbert which we found excellent after our seven days of tabloid food. Another conducted us to a large pool in the court, screened with shrubbery and we were provided with complete Martian outfits. “Are we dreaming, or are we on Mars?” “I’ll be better able to tell you after a swim. Here goes!” And in we both went. We donned the Martian costume, sandals and all. but had scarcely started when Clarence hopped around on one foot, growling, “Darn these sandals; they don't protect a fellow’s feet at all. At this moment a servant appeared and motioned us to follow. We were conducted to our host who was sitting in a plain white room, lined around the walls with comfortable divans Our host spoke but again we did not understand. He pointed to himself and said. “Rondo. We decided that this was his name and when we repeated it after him he was delighted and repeated a few other words and by motions indicated their meanings. A servant entered and announced something to Rondo. “I hope it's the eats, said Clarence and I hopefully agreed with him. Following our host we tried to appear at ease in our new garments, but we felt about as comfortable as fish on the desert of Sahara. In the dining-room stood an inviting looking meal. The curtains on the other side of the room were parted and Rondo’s wife. son. and two daughters entered. They saluted us in wonder, then conversed among themselves, only now' and then directing a remark to us. We replied always in complimentary terms—in English of course. The girls smiled when we spoke and Clarence, touching me on the arm. said with satisfaction; Say. Bob. we’re surely in right here. Um. urn! That tallest girl is certainly some class. Yes. she’s some class all right, but the little one—well she’s more class. We are in luck. After dinner we went out to see the town. As It was some sort of a religious holiday, the streets were crowded with robed men and women. The Martians seemed to he

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Mars Claude House, '15 11 — i At last we had succeeded! There before us, resting gracefully on Its rubber-tired wheels, lay the monoplane on which we had spent so much time and labor. Edison's discovery in 1923 of renium and petroline had solved the problem for us. Renium Is a metal, which, in comparison with alum num has practically no weight, yet it possesses all the qualities of steel save weight. By building the frame and motor of this metal, we increased the carrying capacity to three men. The new fluid, petroline. possesses all the properties of gasoline except that it is more than fifty times as powerful. Enough of this fluid could be carried to last many days. Inside of the cat was the little machine on which we had woiked so hard. By generating oxygen with this, we could make the upper air much more breathable Because of this and because our propeller increased the speed to more than two hundred and fifty miles we were confident of making many interesting explorations. After a satisfactory trial flight, we decided to start on our journey of exploration to worlds beyond Mars we had chosen as our object point, because scientific experiment had proven in 1922 that Mars is inhabited. Early next morning we rose into the air and said good- bye to earth, little dreaming how long it would be before our return. As soon as we were a few hundred feet in the air, I opened the motor to one hundred miles and at this rate we soon reached the lighter air currents. Then we started the Oxyfacit, thus making the air easily breathable. As we left the earth farther below, our speed reached the remarkable limit of seventy-five miles per hour. For seven days we kept up this remarkable speed, taking turns at the wheel and eating only food tabloids and water, sans meat, sans bread, sans everything else. Through the telescope Mars became plainer and plainer and on the evening of the seventh day we were so close to it that we were able to open the car window and breathe real air once more. The motor was stopped, we volplaned down to a clear place and landeu for the night. The air was cool and damp. We had landed in a grassy meadow bordered on one side by a heavy jungle-like vegetation from which were heard the songs of numerous birds. The strange planet about which scientists had w'ondered for age9 seemed to be almost identical with that part of the earth near i' e equator. Next morning, as the sunlight became brighter, we saw 20

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about as far advanced as people of the Augustan age. Among the women, we saw a great many attractive g rls who wore no elaborate coiffures, but whose complexions betrayed an acquaintance with rouge and the powder puff. Clarence, settling himself comfortably in his riding-chair, leaned over and grinned. What would the fellows down home ay if they could see us now? Search me; but 1 do know 1 wouldn't trade places, by any means. This place is interesting enough for me. Um! Look at that little queen over there in the blue robe. Say. I'd like lo get acquainted.” What’s the use. you couldn’t talk to her anyway? he te-plied quite truthfully. Not et. but soon. was my earnest reply. III. Ve learned their linqua sufficiently in a few days to speak in ordinary conversation, and one day at dinner we told our complete history from the time we had left old mother Earth until we saw our hosts. They were especially interested in many of the strange customs of our world, in reply Hondo told us something of his life. He was a nobleman of high rank, in fact, the prince of the neighboring nation of Donia, but several years ago his family had been banished by a usurping Prince: he also added in a tone of despair that he still had hopes of regaining his throne. Clarence and I eii thusiastically shook his hand, promising him our help. The Prince’s story aroused my interest and that evening 1 suddenly had an idea. Say. Doc. if we took the old boy to his native land in the A A. wouldn’t it make quite an impres- -2 sion on the people? Maybe they’d think he had his native Cods backing him. “Good idea, it should work and we can at least try it. We got Hondo to tell us the details of his banishment after we explained our plan. He concluded by saying that the usurper had not ruled as he had promised, and as a result there was quite a large faction who favored their banished prince. He was an orator himself and if our plans were carried out he thought he could start something. “Oh! for a couple of regiments of Uncle Sam’s Regulars! Why they could clean up the whole Martian planet with their pokers and over-grown butcher knives.” Well, yes. but the only trouble is they’re not here, so it’s up to us to use our wits instead.” When the rest or the family learned of the plan they were grateful and appeared more cheerful than usual. And a shy glame from my favorite made me secretly resolve to do something or know the reason why. A messenger was sent the leaders of the Rondoist party calling for a meeting in a castle near the border the following week. On the evening of the appointed day we all met in a large room in the castle and the discussion of the great question began. Rondo spoke first, and after thanking them for their loyalty, he briefly outlined a plan of rebellion. Clarence and I also explained our part in the scheme and the meeting ended by their swearing allegiance to their exiled Prince. We also learned that at least a third of th » pcopl were in open sympathy with the Donians. Our enthusiasm reached its highest pitch at this welcome news, and 2-