Finally one of the company struck upon a popular theory.  He argued that I belonged to a tribe of creatures that had developed far away in one of their almost unending forests, and that I was the first of my kind that had ever ventured so far from home.

“But how did he learn our language?” queried one.

“Any intelligent creature would by nature alone come to our language,” was the conceited explanation of another.

Another gave a better theory which was at length accepted.  He said that no doubt I belonged to a company that had emigrated long, long ago from one of the valleys.

After all their pains I satisfied their ruling desire by speaking.  They knew not what to say as I gave them a general description of the world from which I came.

Purposely I used their most cultured forms of expression.  At once I rose to a high level in their estimation and they gradually accepted my words as true.  With absorbing interest they listened to every syllable and, when I paused, their questions fell upon me in wild profusion.  On my account the schools were abandoned, all the leading teachers of five elevations became my astonished auditors, and after every period of sleep I was confronted by still other classes of specialists, some from more distant elevations.

Finally, feigning ignorance, I asked where they obtained their sustenance, as I had not seen one field in cultivation.  They told me the whole history of the toilers in the valley as already recounted, and how the curtain magnates received their tributes which were sufficient to feed all the people of the elevations.

“What right,” I asked, “has any one to form a monopoly on sunlight or rain which are free bounties from above?”

“There can be nothing wrong about that,” came the positive answer.  “Any man who was wise enough to think of such a splendid system of valley-covers surely deserves all the benefit that can be secured from it.”

“How did you succeed in getting the people to submit to such a system?”

“It all came by force.  At first they were unwilling enough, but we withdrew their education and kept them isolated.  With ignorance you can conquer any people.  Now they are our perfect servants, and in a short time we need not use the curtains any more.  A few masters can control the whole valley.  All we need to give them will be enough to eat, and the remainder of their products we can send to the elevations.”

I was struck with horror at this revolting scheme, and expressed myself in strong terms.  I thought of the conditions of our world and felt thankful that it had not gone so far that the laboring classes were galley slaves to the rich; and I breathed my prayer that it might never be so.

My investigations on this planet were long extended.  The educated people gave me many new ideas, although they are ignorant of many advantages which we enjoy.  Their means of transportation are miserable compared with ours, and when I was explaining to the Marsmen our methods of travel they were surprised beyond measure.  However their knowledge of nature and forms of animal life is far superior to ours.  There I solved some of the complex questions of Biology which had long puzzled my mind during my stay on the Earth.