the same time note, by the second hand of your watch, how long it takes for the stone to reach the ground.”
He did so, and said that “As near as he could tell, the stone was just about one second of time in passing from his hand to the ground.”
“Just so,” I replied. “On Mars a falling body only moves through a space of about six feet in the first second of time. On the earth, however, the gravitation is so much greater that a falling body passes through a space of a little over sixteen feet during the first second.
“In addition to that, although you weighed twelve stones when on the earth, you only weigh about four and a half stones here upon Mars. Now you can understand why it was you seemed to fall so lightly.”
“Yes, Professor,” he replied, “and I’m glad I fell here, and not upon the earth!”
Then, picking up the stone again and throwing it high in the air, he watched its fall, and turning to me, remarked, “Professor, you were quite right; that stone seemed to be quite a long time coming down again, much longer than it would have been on our own world.”
“Well, M’Allister,” I replied, “now you know for certain that upon a small planet gravitation really is much less than upon a larger planet of the same kind.
“That’s another little wrinkle for you, and you have found it all out through tripping over a stone!”
“Losh, mon,” replied he, “I seem to have learnt something almost every day since I have been here; even a tumble down teaches me something!”
I then drew his attention to the birds flying near us, and pointed out that they had a much wider spread of wing than our birds have, and that this was owing to the fact that the air being so thin a wide spread of wing was absolutely necessary to support them in the air and enable them to fly. I further explained that, if the gravitation upon Mars were as great as upon the earth, the birds’ wings must necessarily have been still larger, as the pull of the planet would have been so much the greater, and would thus have prevented the birds from flying at all in such thin air if their wings had been small.
“M’Allister,” I then remarked, “you will, no doubt, have noticed the same thing with regard to those large and beautiful butterflies we have seen. Why, the outspread wings of the largest must have measured ten or twelve inches across, and many of the smaller varieties were more than six inches across. I wonder what our naturalists would say if they could see some specimens of these large and splendidly coloured insects!”
“Well, Professor,” he answered, “I never saw such large butterflies anywhere else, not even when I was in the tropics on our own world. It had never occurred to me that gravitation, or even the density of the air, had anything to do with their size. Even now I do not understand how it is the small insects are able to fly, for they are heavy for their size, and do not possess very large wings, yet they can move very swiftly.”
“Let me explain then,” I answered. “Large birds can only move their wings with comparative slowness, and it is therefore necessary that their wings should be large to enable them to keep their balance and be able to fly. Their wings are somewhat in the nature of aeroplanes, and they shift them to different angles to take advantage of the varying currents of air.
“In the case of humming-birds and small insects, the wings are capable of intensely rapid vibrations, so rapid indeed that, when flying, the wings are almost, if not quite, invisible. This intensely rapid movement enables them to fly, and is somewhat analogous to the rapid movements of the vertical spiral screws, which you have seen on some of the Martian air-ships that screw their way up into the air.
“Such rapid movements would not be suited to larger creatures, because their muscular powers would have to be so enormously great that their bodies would require to be larger and heavier in proportion. They would thus be very unwieldy.”
CHAPTER XXIII
I HAVE A SERIOUS TALK WITH JOHN
For some days past it had been becoming more and more evident to me that John was quite infatuated with Siloni, and also that she was not unwilling to receive his attentions. I could, therefore, no longer remain a silent spectator, so took the first opportunity of our being alone to broach the subject to him.
I began by saying, “John, have you any idea of remaining upon this planet for the rest of your life?”
He looked round at me and flushed up. Then, after a little hesitation, said, “No, Professor; why do you ask such a question as that?”
“Because, John,” I answered, “it seems to me a very necessary question to ask. If you are going away from here very shortly, what is the meaning of your attentions to our handsome young friend Siloni? You must excuse my speaking of this, but I do not like to see you placing yourself in a false position. Don’t you think it would be wise to see a little less of the lady in question during the remainder of your stay here?”
“Well, perhaps so, Professor,” he replied rather reluctantly. “I never thought it would come to this with me, considering that I am now on the wrong side of forty. It has been said that a man does not know what love really is until he has passed that age, and certainly I never did. Candidly, Professor, I must confess that I am very hard hit; and I know pretty well now what it means to be over head and ears in love with the most charming girl I ever met in my life!
“Do not imagine I have not seen the difficulty of the situation; but, really, I am puzzled to know what to do for the best. I am sure that dear girl would have me, and if I take her to England—”
“John,” I interrupted, “my dear boy, what can you be thinking of? How is it possible that you can take to England as your wife a Martian girl, who stands considerably over seven feet in height!
“Even supposing it were possible that she could live in the atmosphere and climate of our country, she would be entirely isolated from every one, and, moreover, would be an object of public curiosity wherever she went.
“It would really be most unjust, humiliating, and cruel to Siloni; and you would be made very unhappy owing to the way she would be treated.”
John looked down and fidgeted his feet about on the floor as he pondered in deep thought for some minutes, then looking up at me, he said, “I suppose you are right, Professor; you generally are; and that I have been rather foolish; but really I was thoroughly caught in the toils before I realised it. Now, what would you advise me to do in the matter?”
“I should advise you now as I did at first,” I replied—“see less of Siloni. I suppose you have not actually spoken to her on the subject yet?”
“Oh no,” he answered quickly, “I have not gone so far as that; but Siloni must be aware of my regard for her.”
“Well, that being the case,” I said, “you cannot very well say anything now, for it would place her in a most awkward and unpleasant position. You cannot tell her you were going to propose, but have thought better of it. Your only course, John, is to keep away from her as much as possible without appearing to do so intentionally.”
“But won’t she think it very strange behaviour on my part if I avoid her now, after being so much in her company?” he asked desperately, as if in hopes that I might not press him to give up the idea of continuing as before.
“No, John, I do not think so,” I replied. “You know she is a Martian, and if she has not already some intuition of the situation, the very next time you see her this trouble will be on your mind, and she will become aware of the exact position of affairs; and I have no doubt she will accept the situation, though it will probably cause her considerable pain. You should have thought of all this sooner, my boy. It is a great pity this has happened, but there is no help for it now, and no other honourable way out of it that I can see. I am, however, extremely sorry for you both.”
“Thank you, Professor,” he exclaimed, grasping me fervently by the hand; “but it is very hard luck indeed.”
He was very quiet and self-absorbed for several days after that, but things turned out just as I anticipated. The next time he and Siloni met and conversed together, she became aware of the change in him, and divined the reason of it. She said nothing, but he knew she understood; and, except that she was quieter, she never made any difference in her behaviour towards him when they met occasionally afterwards.
So, though I was sorry in some respects, I was very glad that this awkward matter was settled.
