The Martians, alarmed by the approach of a crowd, had killed a
number of people with a quick-firing gun, so the story ran.  The
telegram concluded with the words: "Formidable as they seem to be, the
Martians have not moved from the pit into which they have fallen, and,
indeed, seem incapable of doing so.  Probably this is due to the
relative strength of the earth's gravitational energy."  On that last
text their leader-writer expanded very comfortingly.