with Earth came as a great surprise to me."

So accustomed was I to hear the Martian speak of the most miraculous
occurrences in an ordinary conversational tone, that the idea of there
still remaining something on Mars to be discovered appeared a still
greater wonder.

"We have made a most important discovery," pursued Almos. "I say 'we,'
as without the response of your instrument the action of a super-radium
current on sound-waves would not have been discovered."

"I feel that I can hardly share in the honors," I protested modestly.
"Without the super-radium current from Mars, I would still be
experimenting with the hope of finding a substitute for glass."

I now entered into a full account of the experiments I had conducted,
describing how, quite accidentally, I had made a substance responsive to
the waves from Mars. He was greatly amused upon hearing of my
astonishment at finding that Martians resembled the people on Earth; and
when I drew for him a verbal picture of the ferocious creatures the
inhabitants of Mars were supposed to be, he laughed aloud.

"We never suspected that the people of Earth did us such a great
injustice," he said, his whole countenance lighting up with good humor.
"I have several volumes here giving accounts of observations of Earth,
some of them written eight hundred years ago. It would perhaps interest
you to hear what the Martian conception of the inhabitants of Earth was
at that time."

"Indeed it would," I exclaimed, with rising curiosity.