Today is the big day, when the Mars rocket ship is to make its first appearance in public, and incidentally to aid in the sale of stock in the Mars Expedition Corporation. This is also the day that Squire Skimp plans to leave town because he sees no other way out of the spot he's gotten himself into. As we look in on the little community today, we find the citizens of Pine Ridge gathered around a speaker stand on the vacant lot opposite the observatory. Professor Sloane has just finished his speech...