_ CHAPTER XXIX. THE REPULSE
"Do you suppose they're going to attack us?"' asked Mr. Roumann.
"It looks very much like it," answered Professor Henderson. "But we will wait and see. Are the electric cannons in shape?"
"Yes, they are all ready to work. All that is necessary is to open the ports and fire them. They will not kill, but they will disable the Martians for a time, in case we have to use them."
"I hope we'll not have to," said Jack. "They have been very good to us, and I shouldn't want to harm them."
"There's a big crowd of them," added Mark. "I wonder how that crazy man came to be with them?"
"He must be leading them against us out of revenge," was Mr. Henderson's opinion. "He may have induced them to try to kill us, and they may be very willing to do so, because we have taken some of the Cardite."
"I hope not," murmured Mr. Roumann.
The throng approached nearer. In front was the insane machinist, who was leaping about, running to and fro, and shouting at the top of his voice. His words came faintly to those in the projectile.
"They seem to have a new leader," remarked Jack. "I understood that the ruler, Silex Corundum, always went at the head of the troops when there was to be a battle, but there's a different person now."
A little in the rear of the crazy machinist was a Martian enveloped in a scarlet cloak, which hung from his shoulders to the ground. And fastened on his head to the golden circlet, which seemed to be a common badge of office for all leading Martians, was a small metal box.
"I believe that box has Cardite in it," said Jack. "Maybe he's the keeper of all the Cardite on this planet, and he and his soldiers have come to get it back."
"They don't look like soldiers," commented Mark.
"No; but they all have some sort of weapons," said Jack. "They look like sticks with small boxes of Cardite on the end of them. They must he a new kind of gun."
"And probably very effective, too," commented the professor. "But they are evidently going to hold a parley with us. The machinist and the Martian in the scarlet cloak are advancing alone."
The main body of Martians had come to a halt a short distance away from the projectile, while the two strange figures, so greatly contrasted--that of the insane man and the little officer-advanced together.
"Open the window to hear what they say," suggested Mr. Henderson, and the German scientist did so.
"Hello, you in there!" called the machinist.
"Well, what do you want?" asked Mr. Henderson.
"We want you to come out and be killed. I'm going to pay you back for all the trouble you caused me. I couldn't wreck your airship that you stole from me, but I'll have my revenge now. These little fellows will do whatever I say, and I want you to come out and be killed."
"Suppose we refuse?"
"Then we'll make you! Oh, they've got the power to, all right. I'm going to be their king next week, and they'll do anything I say. Come on out!"
"I'm afraid we shall have to decline," answered the professor.
The machinist began a rambling talk, and the scarlet-cloaked figure stepped forward. He spoke slowly, using simple words in the Martian tongue, such as he knew the travelers could understand.
"My name is Zun Flor," he began. "I am the keeper of the Cardite, and I am told by one of my assistants that you have taken some."
"Well?" asked Mr. Roumann.
"You must return it at once. It is against our laws for strangers to have any of the Cardite."
"But we came here to get it. We only took a little, and you have so much."
"That makes no difference. You must return it at once, and then you must go away. We do not want you here."
"Suppose we refuse?"
"Then you will perish! Be warned in time. Give up the Cardite, and take your departure."
"What will happen if we do not?"
"You and your machine shall vanish from this planet and never more be seen. We cannot have any of our precious Cardite taken away to another world."
"We have only taken a little," repeated Mr. Roumann. "We desire it for scientific purposes, and as you are so fond of science, you ought to let us keep it."
"Give it back!" exclaimed Zun Flor, and he seemed to be very angry. His big, bulging eyes flashed. "Return it to me, and all will be forgiven."
"We will not!" declared Mr. Roumann firmly.
"Then we shall attack you!"
"And we shall defend ourselves. Now, let me warn you. We have powerful forces within this projectile. We will use them against you and your men."
"You cannot harm us," insisted the Martian in the red cloak. "Your machines of war will be powerless against those we have. Be warned in time. You must choose between the Cardite and death!"
"We will keep the Cardite, and we will also keep our lives!" retorted the German.
He slammed the glass window shut with a bang, and locked it. Then he closed an inner shutter of steel over it.
"We, can't see what's going on, and what they do," objected Jack.
"Yes, we can," said Mr. Roumann.
He pressed a lever, and a shutter made of strong steel slats, that was on the plate-glass window of the projectile, opened. This gave a view all about the Annihilator.
This done, the ports covering the muzzles of the electric cannons were let down, and four guns, two on either side, were aimed at the throng of Martians.
"They are going to fire, or something!" exclaimed Jack, as he looked outside. "They are pointing those sticks at us!"
Instantly every one in the projectile felt as if a thousand pins and needles were sticking into him.
"They're discharging an electric current, or something like it, at us!" cried Professor Henderson.
A moment later every one felt himself drawn against one side or the other of the projectile, just as a magnet draws steel filings to itself through a piece of cardboard.
"They're trying to pull us through the steel sides!" cried Mark. "I can't move."
Neither could any one else. They were stuck there like flies on the wall.
"Maybe they are going to keep us here forever!" cried old Andy, while Washington was too frightened to use any big words.
Mr. Roumann was near some levers. He managed to pull one, and instantly those in the projectile felt themselves free.
"How did you do that?" asked Mr. Henderson.
"I neutralized the electric current," explained the German. "I anticipated that in our flight through space we might meet with electric storms. I provided so that in such a case I could throw a counter current of electricity all about the projectile. That is what happened just now, though not exactly as I expected it. I have rendered their weapons useless--at least, for the time being."
"And we can now try ours on them!" cried Jack.
"Exactly! Get ready to fire the electric cannons!" called Mr. Roumann.
The Martians seemed to understand that something had gone wrong. They were running about, consulting among themselves, and pointing to the projectile. The figure in red and the machinist were talking earnestly together.
"He's probably telling them something about the machinery," said Jack.
"Man the guns!" cried Mr. Henderson.
He and the German were at the cannon on one side, and Jack and Mark on the other.
"Fire!" shouted Mr. Roumann, pulling the lever that worked the weapon. The others did likewise. There was a flash of sparks from the muzzles of the guns, and a powerful and disabling, though not deadly, current of electricity shot toward the Martians.
Score after score of the queer creatures went down, among the first to fall being the machinist and Zun Flor.
"Once more!" cried Mr. Roumann, and another volley was sent out, stunning hundreds.
Then came a third one, but this was enough. The remaining Martians, leaving their helpless comrades on the ground, turned and fled.
"We've driven them away!" cried Jack.
"For a time, at least," answered Professor Henderson gravely. "But I think they will come back." _