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No," he replied. "Tell me how you do it."

It is difficult to explain," she told him, "since any explanation of it presupposes

some knowledge of melody and of music, while your very question indicates that

you have no knowledge of either."

"No," he said, "I do not know what you are talking about; but tell me how you do

it."

It is merely the melodious modulations of my voice," she explained. "Listen!" and

again she sang.

I do not understand," he insisted; "but I like it. Could you teach me to do it?"

I do not know, but I shall be glad to try."

We will see what Luud does with you," he said. "If he does not want you I will

keep you and you shall teach me to make sounds like that."

At his request she sang again as they continued their way along the winding

tunnel, which was now lighted by occasional bulbs which appeared to be similar

to the radium bulbs with which she was familiar and which were common to all

the nations of Barsoom, insofar as she knew, having been perfected at so remote

a period that their very origin was lost in antiquity. They consist, usually, of a

hemispherical bowl of heavy glass in which is packed a compound containing

what, according to John Carter, must be radium. The bowl is then cemented into

a metal plate with a heavily insulated back and the whole affair set in the

masonry of wall or ceiling as desired, where it gives off light of greater or less

intensity, according to the composition of the filling material, for an almost

incalculable period of time.

As they proceeded they met a greater number of the inhabitants of this

underground world, and the girl noted that among many of these the metal and

harness were more ornate than had been those of the workers in the fields above.

The heads and bodies, however, were similar, even identical, she thought. No one

offered her harm and she was now experiencing a feeling of relief almost akin to

happiness, when her guide turned suddenly into an opening on the right side of

the tunnel and she found herself in a large, well lighted chamber.

The Chessmen of Mars