And well he might, for all the box contained was a lump of what
seemed to be red clay. There were no wheels, no machinery of any
kind, and there appeared to be no propeller on the boat with
which the box was connected. Nevertheless, the craft continued
to move along swiftly, and the Martian had indicated that the
object in the box made it go.
"The red substance!" exclaimed Mr. Roumann in a low voice. "I
wonder if this can be what I seek?"
Once more he looked at the crimson mass in the metal box. He
reached forward his finger as if to touch it, but the chief
Martian, with a warning cry, suddenly dosed down the lid.
"Humph! I guess they're afraid we'll steal it," exclaimed Jack.
"Maybe it's dangerous to touch," added Mark.
The Martians conversed among themselves in low voices, and from
the glances they cast at the travelers every now and then, from
their great, protruding eyes, it was evident that the little men
were discussing the strangers.
"Has yo' folks any adequate perceptionability ob de exteriorness
in de inverse ratio ob de objectiveness ob de transportation
projection ob our destination?" asked Washington White, breaking
a rather lengthy silence.
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