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Every one but myselfmen； women； and childrenwere
heavily armed； and at the tail of each chariot trotted a
Martian hound； my own beast following closely behind ours； in
fact； the faithful creature never left me voluntarily during the
entire ten years I spent on Mars。 Our way led out across the
little valley before the city； through the hills； and down into
the dead sea bottom which I had traversed on my journey
from the incubator to the plaza。 The incubator； as it proved；
was the terminal point of our journey this day； and； as the
entire cavalcade broke into a mad gallop as soon as we
reached the level expanse of sea bottom； we were soon within
sight of our goal。
On reaching it the chariots were parked with military
precision on the four sides of the enclosure； and half a score
of warriors； headed by the enormous chieftain； and including
Tars Tarkas and several other lesser chiefs； dismounted and
advanced toward it。 I could see Tars Tarkas explaining something
to the principal chieftain； whose name； by the way； was；
as nearly as I can translate it into English； Lorquas Ptomel；
Jed； jed being his title。
I was soon appraised of the subject of their conversation； as；
calling to Sola； Tars Tarkas signed for her to send me to him。
I had by this time mastered the intricacies of walking under
Martian conditions； and quickly responding to his command
I advanced to the side of the incubator where the warriors
stood。
As I reached their side a glance showed me that all but a
very few eggs had hatched； the incubator being fairly alive
with the hideous little devils。 They ranged in height from
three to four feet； and were moving restlessly about the
enclosure as though searching for food。
As I came to a halt before him； Tars Tarkas pointed over
the incubator and said； 〃Sak。〃 I saw that he wanted me to
repeat my performance of yesterday for the edification of
Lorquas Ptomel； and； as I must confess that my prowess gave
me no little satisfaction； I responded quickly； leaping entirely
over the parked chariots on the far side of the incubator。 As
I returned； Lorquas Ptomel grunted something at me； and
turning to his warriors gave a few words of command relative
to the incubator。 They paid no further attention to me and I
was thus permitted to remain close and watch their operations；
which consisted in breaking an opening in the wall of the
incubator large enough to permit of the exit of the young Martians。
On either side of this opening the women and the younger Martians；
both male and female； formed two solid walls leading out
through the chariots and quite away into the plain beyond。
Between these walls the little Martians scampered；
wild as deer； being permitted to run the full length of the
aisle； where they were captured one at a time by the women
and older children； the last in the line capturing the first little
one to reach the end of the gauntlet； her opposite in the line
capturing the second； and so on until all the little fellows had
left the enclosure and been appropriated by some youth or
female。 As the women caught the young they fell out of line
and returned to their respective chariots； while those who fell
into the hands of the young men were later turned over to
some of the women。
I saw that the ceremony； if it could be dignified by such
a name； was over； and seeking out Sola I found her in our
chariot with a hideous little creature held tightly in her arms。
The work of rearing young； green Martians consists solely
in teaching them to talk； and to use the weapons of warfare
with which they are loaded down from the very first year of
their lives。 Coming from eggs in which they have lain for
five years； the period of incubation； they step forth into the
world perfectly developed except in size。 Entirely unknown
to their mothers； who； in turn； would have difficulty in
pointing out the fathers with any degree of accuracy； they are
the common children of the community； and their education
devolves upon the females who chance to capture them as
they leave the incubator。
Their foster mothers may not even have had an egg in the
incubator； as was the case with Sola； who had not commenced
to lay； until less than a year before she became the mother of
another woman's offspring。 But this counts for little among
the green Martians； as parental and filial love is as unknown to
them as it is common among us。 I believe this horrible system
which has been carried on for ages is the direct cause of the
loss of all the finer feelings and higher humanitarian instincts
among these poor creatures。 From birth they know no father
or mother love； they know not the meaning of the word home；
they are taught that they are only suffered to live until they
can demonstrate by their physique and ferocity that they are
fit to live。 Should they prove deformed or defective in any way
they are promptly shot； nor do they see a tear shed for a
single one of the many cruel hardships they pass through from
earliest infancy。
I do not mean that the adult Martians are unnecessarily or
intentionally cruel to the young； but theirs is a hard and
pitiless struggle for existence upon a dying planet； the natural
resources of which have dwindled to a point where the support
of each additional life means an added tax upon the community
into which it is thrown。
By careful selection they rear only the hardiest specimens
of each species； and with almost supernatural foresight
they regulate the birth rate to merely offset the loss by death。
Each adult Martian female brings forth about thirteen eggs
each year； and those which meet the size； weight； and specific
gravity tests are hidden in the recesses of some subterranean
vault where the temperature is too low for incubation。 Every
year these eggs are carefully examined by a council of twenty
chieftains； and all but about one hundred of the most perfect
are destroyed out of each yearly supply。 At the end of five
years about five hundred almost perfect eggs have been chosen
from the thousands brought forth。 These are then placed in
the almost air…tight incubators to be hatched by the sun's rays
after a period of another five years。 The hatching which we
had witnessed today was a fairly representative event of its
kind； all but about one per cent of the eggs hatching in two
days。 If the remaining eggs ever hatched we knew nothing of
the fate of the little Martians。 They were not wanted； as their
offspring might inherit and transmit the tendency to prolonged
incubation； and thus upset the system which has maintained
for ages and which permits the adult Martians to figure the
proper time for return to the incubators； almost to an hour。
The incubators are built in remote fastnesses； where there
is little or no likelihood of their being discovered by other
tribes。 The result of such a catastrophe would mean no children
in the community for another five years。 I was later to witness
the results of the discovery of an alien incubator。
The community of which the green Martians with whom
my lot was cast formed a part was composed of some thirty
thousand souls。 They roamed an enormous tract of arid and
semi…arid land between forty and eighty degrees south latitude；
and bounded on the east and west by two large fertile tracts。
Their headquarters lay in the southwest corner of this district；
near the crossing of two of the so…called Martian canals。
As the incubator had been placed far north of their own
territory in a supposedly uninhabited and unfrequented area；
we had before us a tremendous journey； concerning which I；
of course； knew nothing。
After our return to the dead city I passed several days in
comparative idleness。 On the day following our return all the
warriors had ridden forth early in the morning and had not
returned until just before darkness fell。 As I later learned；
they had been to the subterranean vaults in which the eggs
were kept and had transported them to the incubator； which
they had then walled up for another five years； and which； in
all probability； would not be visited again during that period。
The vaults which hid the eggs until they were ready for the
incubator were located many miles south of the incubator；
and would be visited yearly by the council of twenty chieftains。
Why they did not arrange to build their vaults and incubators
nearer home has always been a mystery to me； and； like many
other Martian mysteries； unsolved and unsolvable by earthly
reasoning and customs。
Sola's duties were now doubled； as she was compelled to
care for the young Martian as well as for me； but neither one
of us required much attention； and as we were both about
equally advanced in Martian education； Sola took it upon
herself to train us together。
Her prize consisted in a male about four feet tall； v