CHAPTER XXII
THE NEW CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES
That same day all America heard of the affair of Captain Nicholland President Barbicane, as well as its singular _denouement_.From that day forth, Michel Ardan had not one moment's rest.Deputations from all corners of the Union harassed him withoutcessation or intermission. He was compelled to receive themall, whether he would or no. How many hands he shook, how manypeople he was "hail-fellow-well-met" with, it is impossibleto guess! Such a triumphal result would have intoxicated anyother man; but he managed to keep himself in a state of delightful_semi_-tipsiness.
Among the deputations of all kinds which assailed him, that of"The Lunatics" were careful not to forget what they owed to thefuture conqueror of the moon. One day, certain of these poorpeople, so numerous in America, came to call upon him, andrequested permission to return with him to their native country.
"Singular hallucination!" said he to Barbicane, after havingdismissed the deputation with promises to convey numbers ofmessages to friends in the moon. "Do you believe in theinfluence of the moon upon distempers?"
"Scarcely!"
"No more do I, despite some remarkable recorded facts of history.For instance, during an epidemic in 1693, a large number ofpersons died at the very moment of an eclipse. The celebratedBacon always fainted during an eclipse. Charles VI relapsedsix times into madness during the year 1399, sometimes duringthe new, sometimes during the full moon. Gall observed thatinsane persons underwent an accession of their disorder twicein every month, at the epochs of new and full moon. In fact,numerous observations made upon fevers, somnambulisms, and otherhuman maladies, seem to prove that the moon does exercise somemysterious influence upon man."
"But the how and the wherefore?" asked Barbicane.
"Well, I can only give you the answer which Arago borrowed fromPlutarch, which is nineteen centuries old. `Perhaps the storiesare not true!'"
In the height of his triumph, Michel Ardan had to encounter allthe annoyances incidental to a man of celebrity. Managers ofentertainments wanted to exhibit him. Barnum offered him amillion dollars to make a tour of the United States in his show.As for his photographs, they were sold of all size, and hisportrait taken in every imaginable posture. More than half amillion copies were disposed of in an incredibly short space of time.
But it was not only the men who paid him homage, but the womenas well. He might have married well a hundred times over, if hehad been willing to settle in life. The old maids, inparticular, of forty years and upward, and dry in proportion,devoured his photographs day and night. They would have marriedhim by hundreds, even if he had imposed upon them the conditionof accompanying him into space. He had, however, no intentionof transplanting a race of Franco-Americans upon the surface ofthe moon.
He therefore declined all offers.
As soon as he could withdraw from these somewhat embarrassingdemonstrations, he went, accompanied by his friends, to pay avisit to the Columbiad. He was highly gratified by hisinspection, and made the descent to the bottom of the tube ofthis gigantic machine which was presently to launch him to theregions of the moon. It is necessary here to mention a proposalof J. T. Maston's. When the secretary of the Gun Club foundthat Barbicane and Nicholl accepted the proposal of MichelArdan, he determined to join them, and make one of a smug partyof four. So one day he determined to be admitted as one of thetravelers. Barbicane, pained at having to refuse him, gave himclearly to understand that the projectile could not possiblycontain so many passengers. Maston, in despair, went in searchof Michel Ardan, who counseled him to resign himself to thesituation, adding one or two arguments _ad hominem_.
"You see, old fellow," he said, "you must not take what I say inbad part; but really, between ourselves, you are in tooincomplete a condition to appear in the moon!"
"Incomplete?" shrieked the valiant invalid.
"Yes, my dear fellow! imagine our meeting some of theinhabitants up there! Would you like to give them such amelancholy notion of what goes on down here? to teach them whatwar is, to inform them that we employ our time chiefly indevouring each other, in smashing arms and legs, and that tooon a globe which is capable of supporting a hundred billionsof inhabitants, and which actually does contain nearly twohundred millions? Why, my worthy friend, we should have toturn you out of doors!"
"But still, if you arrive there in pieces, you will be asincomplete as I am."
"Unquestionably," replied Michel Ardan; "but we shall not."
In fact, a preparatory experiment, tried on the 18th of October,had yielded the best results and caused the most well-groundedhopes of success. Barbicane, desirous of obtaining some notionof the effect of the shock at the moment of the projectile'sdeparture, had procured a 38-inch mortar from the arsenalof Pensacola. He had this placed on the bank of HillisboroughRoads, in order that the shell might fall back into the sea, andthe shock be thereby destroyed. His object was to ascertain theextent of the shock of departure, and not that of the return.
A hollow projectile had been prepared for this curious experiment.A thick padding fastened upon a kind of elastic network, made ofthe best steel, lined the inside of the walls. It was a veritable_nest_ most carefully wadded.
"What a pity I can't find room in there," said J. T. Maston,regretting that his height did not allow of his trying the adventure.
Within this shell were shut up a large cat, and a squirrelbelonging to J. T. Maston, and of which he was particularly fond.They were desirous, however, of ascertaining how this littleanimal, least of all others subject to giddiness, would endurethis experimental voyage.
The mortar was charged with 160 pounds of powder, and the shellplaced in the chamber. On being fired, the projectile rose withgreat velocity, described a majestic parabola, attained a heightof about a thousand feet, and with a graceful curve descended inthe midst of the vessels that lay there at anchor.
Without a moment's loss of time a small boat put off in thedirection of its fall; some divers plunged into the waterand attached ropes to the handles of the shell, which wasquickly dragged on board. Five minutes did not elapse betweenthe moment of enclosing the animals and that of unscrewing thecoverlid of their prison.
Ardan, Barbicane, Maston, and Nicholl were present on board theboat, and assisted at the operation with an interest which mayreadily be comprehended. Hardly had the shell been opened whenthe cat leaped out, slightly bruised, but full of life, andexhibiting no signs whatever of having made an aerial expedition.No trace, however, of the squirrel could be discovered. The truthat last became apparent-- the cat had eaten its fellow-traveler!
J. T. Maston grieved much for the loss of his poor squirrel, andproposed to add its case to that of other martyrs to science.
After this experiment all hesitation, all fear disappeared.Besides, Barbicane's plans would ensure greater perfection forhis projectile, and go far to annihilate altogether the effectsof the shock. Nothing now remained but to go!
Two days later Michel Ardan received a message from thePresident of the United States, an honor of which he showedhimself especially sensible.
After the example of his illustrious fellow-countryman, theMarquis de la Fayette, the government had decreed to him thetitle of "Citizen of the United States of America."