CHAPTER II
SOMETHING ABOUT OUR HEROES
"Are you in earnest in proposing this trip?" asked Professor Hendersonof Jack. The lad, with flushed face and bright eyes, stood in thecentre of the apartment, holding the paper which the aged scientist hadreturned to him.
"I certainly am," was the reply. "It ought not to be a difficultundertaking, after our trip to the North Pole through the air, the oneto the South Pole under water, our journey to the centre of the earth,and our flight to Mars. Why, a trip to the moon ought to be a littlepleasure jaunt, like an automobile tour. Can't we go, Professor?"
"From the standpoint of possibility, I presume we could make a trip tothe moon," the scientist admitted. "It would not take so long, norwould it be as dangerous, as was our trip to Mars. And yet, I don'tknow that I care to go. I am getting along in years, and I have moneyenough to live on. Even a field of diamonds hardly sounds attractive tome." Jack's face showed the disappointment he felt.
"And yet," went on the aged scientist with a smile, "there are certainattractions about another trip through space. I had hoped to settledown in life now, and devote my time to scientific study and thewriting of books. But this is something new. We never have been to themoon, and----"
"There are lots of problems about it that are still unsolved!" criedJack eagerly. "You will be able to discover if the moon has anatmosphere and moisture; and also what the other side--the one that isalways turned away from us--looks like."
"It does sound tempting," went on the aged scientist slowly. "And wecould do it in our projectile, the _Annihilator_. It is in good workingorder; isn't it, Professor Roumann?"
"Couldn't be better. If you ask me, I, for one, would like to make atrip to the moon. It would give me a better chance to test the powersof Cardite, that wonderful red substance we brought from Mars. I canuse that in the Etherium motor. If you left it to me, I'd say, 'go tothe moon.'"
"Well, perhaps we will," spoke Mr. Henderson thoughtfully.
"You'll go, too, won't you, Mark?" asked Jack.
"Oh, I'm not going to be left behind. I'll go if the rest do, but Idon't believe you'll find any diamonds on the moon. If there ever wereany, the Martians took them." For Mark had been partly convinced afterthe confirmation by the two professors of Jack's translation.
"I'll take a chance on the sparklers," said his chum. "But now, let'sgo into details, and figure out when we can start. It ought not to takevery long to get ready."
As has been explained in detail in the other books of this series,Professor Amos Henderson and the two lads, Mark Sampson and JackDarrow, had undertaken many strange voyages together. Sometimes theywere accompanied by friends and assistants, while Washington White, asort of servant, helper, and man-of-all-work, and Andy Sudds, an oldhunter, always went with them.
Mark and Jack were orphans, who had been adopted by ProfessorHenderson, who spent all his time making wonderful machines fortransportation, or conducting strange experiments.
The two boys had been rescued by Professor Henderson and WashingtonWhite from a train wreck. Although both boys were badly hurt, they werenursed back to health by the eminent scientist, who soon learned tocare for the lads as though they had been his own sons.
They aided the professor, as soon as they were able, in constructing anairship, called the _Electric Monarch_, in which Professor Hendersonhoped to be able to reach the North Pole. The boys thoroughly enjoyedthe trip through the air, and had many thrills fighting the savageEskimos. Finally, they succeeded in passing over the exact spot of theNorth Pole during a violent snowstorm.
Not satisfied with their experiences after conquering the North, theadventurers set out for the Antarctic regions in a submarine boat. Thistrip, even more remarkable than the first, took them to many strangeplaces in the South Atlantic. They were trapped for a time in theSargasso Sea, and they walked on the ocean floor in new diving suits,one of the professor's marvelous inventions.
It was on the voyage to the south that, coming to the surface one day,the adventurers saw a strange island in the Atlantic Ocean, far fromthe coast of South America. On it was a great whirlpool, into which the_Porpoise_, their submarine boat, was nearly drawn by the powerfulsuction.
The chasm might lead to the center of the earth, it was suggested, and,after thinking the matter over, on their return from the Antarctic,Professor Henderson decided to build a craft in which they might solvethe mystery.
The details of the voyage they took in the _Flying Mermaid_, are toldof in the third volume, entitled "Five Thousand Miles Underground." The_Mermaid_ could sail on the water, or float in the air like a balloon.In this craft the travellers descended into the centre of the earth,and had many wonderful adventures. They nearly lost their lives, andhad to escape, after running through danger of the spouting water,leaving their craft behind.
For some time they undertook no further voyages, and the two boys, wholived with Professor Henderson in a small town on the coast of Maine,were sent to attend the Universal Electrical and Chemical College.Washington remained at home to minister to the wants of the oldprofessor, and Andy Sudds went off on occasional hunting trips.
But the spirit of adventure was still strong in the hearts of the boysand the professor. One day, in the midst of some risky experiments atcollege, Jack and Mark, as related in "Through Space to Mars," receiveda telegram from Professor Henderson, calling them home.
There they found their friend entertaining as a guest Professor SantellRoumann, who was almost as celebrated as was Mr. Henderson, in thematter of inventions.
Professor Roumann made a strange proposition. He said if the oldscientist and his young friends would build the proper kind of aprojectile, they could make a trip to the planet Mars, by means of awonderful motor, operated by a power called Etherium, of which Mr.Roumann held the secret.
After some discussion, the projectile, called the _Annihilator_, fromthe fact that it annihilated space, was begun. It was two hundred feetlong, ten feet in diameter in the middle, and shaped like a cigar. Itconsisted of a double shell of strong metal, with a non-conducting gasbetween the two sides.
Within it were various machines, besides the Etherium motor, whichwould send the projectile along at the rate of one hundred miles asecond. This great speed was necessary in order to reach the planetMars, which, at the time our friends started for it, was aboutthirty-five millions of miles away from this earth. It has sincereceded some distance farther than this.
Finally all was in readiness for the start to Mars. Professor Roumannwanted to prove that the planet was inhabited, and he also wanted toget some of a peculiar substance, which he believed gave the planet itsrosy hue. He had an idea that it would prove of great value.
But, though every precaution was taken, the adventurers were not to getaway from the earth safely. Almost at the last minute, a crazymachinist, named Fred Axtell, who was refused work on the projectile,tried to blow it up with a bomb. He partly succeeded, but the damagewas repaired, and the start made.
Inside the projectile our friends shut themselves up, and the powerfulmotors were started. Off it shot, at the rate of one hundred miles asecond, but the travellers were as comfortable as in a Pullman car.They had plenty to eat and drink, they manufactured their own air andwater, and they slept when they so desired.
But Axtell, the crazy machinist, had hidden himself aboard, and, inmid-air, he tried to wreck the projectile. He was caught, and locked upin a spare room, but, when Mars was reached, he escaped.
The book tells how our friends were welcomed by the Martians, how theylearned the language, saw many strange sights, and finally got on thetrack of the Cardite, or red substance, which the German professor, Mr.Roumann, had come so far to seek. This Cardite was capable of greatforce, and, properly controlled, could move great weights and operatepowerful machinery.
Our friends wanted to take some back to earth with them, but when theyattempted to store it in their projectile, they met with objections,for the Martians did not want th
em to take any. They had considerabletrouble, and the crazy machinist led an attack of the soldiers of thered planet against our friends, the adventurers in the projectile.
Among the other curiosities brought away by our friends, was anewspaper printed in Mars, for the inhabitants of that place where muchfurther advanced along certain lines than we are on this earth, but inthe matter of newspapers they had little to boast of, save that thesheets were printed by wireless electricity, no presses being needed.
As told at the opening of this story, Jack had noticed on one of thesheets they brought back, an account of how some of the Martians made atrip to the moon, and discovered a field of Reonaris. This trip wasmade shortly before our friends made their hasty departure, and it wasundertaken by some Martian adventurers on another part of the redplanet than where the projectile landed, and so Professor Henderson andhis friends did not hear of it at the time.
"Well, then, suppose we make the attempt to go to the moon," saidProfessor Roumann, after a long discussion in the laboratory. "It willnot take long to get ready."
"I'd like to go," said Jack. "How about you, Professor Henderson? Oh,by the way, Washington said you wanted to see Mark and me, but I was sointerested in this news item, that I forgot to ask what it as about."
"I merely wanted to inquire when you and Mark thought of resuming yourstudies at college," said the aged man, "but, since this matter hascome up, it will be just as well if you do not arrange to resume yourlessons right away."
"We can study while making the trip to the moon," suggested Mark.
"Not much," declared Jack, with a laugh. "There'll be too much to see."
"Well, we'll discuss that later," went on Mr. Henderson. "Practicallyspeaking, I think the voyage can be made, and, the more I think of it,the better I like the idea. We will look over the projectile in themorning, and see what needs to be done to it to get it ready foranother trip through space."
"Not much will have to be done, I fancy," remarked the Germanscientist. "But I want to make a few improvements in the Cardite motor,which I will use in place of the Etherium one, that took us to Mars."
A little later there came a knock on the rear door of the rambling oldhouse where the professor lived and did much of his experimental work.
"I'll go," volunteered Jack, and when he opened the portal there stoodon the threshold a small boy, Dick Johnson, one of the village lads.
"What is it you want, Dick?" asked Mark.
"Here's a note for you," went on the boy, passing over a slip of paper."I met a man down the road, and he gave me a quarter to bring it here.He said it was very important, and he's waiting for you down by thewhite bridge over the creek."
"Waiting for who?" asked Jack.
"For Mark, I guess; but I don't know. Anyhow, the note's for him."
"Hum! This is rather strange," mused Mark.
"What is it?" asked Jack.
"Why, this note. It says: 'It is important that I see you. I will waitfor you at the white bridge.' That's all there is to it."
"No name signed?" asked Jack.
"Not a name. But I'll just take a run down and see what it is. I'll notbe long. Much obliged, Dick."
The boy who had brought the note turned to leave the house, and Markprepared to follow. Jack said:
"Let me see that note."
He scanned it closely, and, as Mark was getting on his hat and coat,for the night was chilly, his chum went on:
"Mark, if I didn't know, that we had left Axtell, the crazy machinist,up on Mars, I'd say that this was his writing. But, of course, it'simpossible."
"Of course--impossible," agreed Mark.
"But, there's one thing, though," continued Jack.
"What's that?" asked Mark.
"I don't like the idea of you going off alone in the dark, to meet aman who doesn't sign his name to the note he wrote. So, if you have noobjections, I'll go with you. No use taking any chances."
"I don't believe I run any risk," said Mark, "but I'll be glad of yourcompany. Come along. Maybe it's only a joke." And the two lads startedoff together in the darkness toward the white bridge.