From the Earth to the Moon | Page 5

be a fresh
opportunity of trying the ranges of projectiles? Shall the air never again
be lighted with the glare of our guns? No international difficulty ever
arise to enable us to declare war against some transatlantic power?
Shall not the French sink one of our steamers, or the English, in
defiance of the rights of nations, hang a few of our countrymen?"
"No such luck," replied Colonel Blomsberry; "nothing of the kind is
likely to happen; and even if it did, we should not profit by it.
American susceptibility is fast declining, and we are all going to the
dogs."

"It is too true," replied J. T. Maston, with fresh violence; "there are a
thousand grounds for fighting, and yet we don't fight. We save up our
arms and legs for the benefit of nations who don't know what to do with
them! But stop-- without going out of one's way to find a cause for
war-- did not North America once belong to the English?"
"Undoubtedly," replied Tom Hunter, stamping his crutch with fury.
"Well, then," replied J. T. Maston, "why should not England in her turn
belong to the Americans?"
"It would be but just and fair," returned Colonel Blomsberry.
"Go and propose it to the President of the United States," cried J. T.
Maston, "and see how he will receive you."
"Bah!" growled Bilsby between the four teeth which the war had left
him; "that will never do!"
"By Jove!" cried J. T. Maston, "he mustn't count on my vote at the next
election!"
"Nor on ours," replied unanimously all the bellicose invalids.
"Meanwhile," replied J. T. Maston, "allow me to say that, if I cannot
get an opportunity to try my new mortars on a real field of battle, I shall
say good-by to the members of the Gun Club, and go and bury myself
in the prairies of Arkansas!"
"In that case we will accompany you," cried the others.
Matters were in this unfortunate condition, and the club was threatened
with approaching dissolution, when an unexpected circumstance
occurred to prevent so deplorable a catastrophe.
On the morrow after this conversation every member of the association
received a sealed circular couched in the following terms:
BALTIMORE, October 3. The president of the Gun Club has the honor

to inform his colleagues that, at the meeting of the 5th instant, he will
bring before them a communication of an extremely interesting nature.
He requests, therefore, that they will make it convenient to attend in
accordance with the present invitation. Very cordially, IMPEY
BARBICANE, P.G.C.
CHAPTER II
PRESIDENT BARBICANE'S COMMUNICATION
On the 5th of October, at eight p.m., a dense crowd pressed toward the
saloons of the Gun Club at No. 21 Union Square. All the members of
the association resident in Baltimore attended the invitation of their
president. As regards the corresponding members, notices were
delivered by hundreds throughout the streets of the city, and, large as
was the great hall, it was quite inadequate to accommodate the crowd
of savants. They overflowed into the adjoining rooms, down the narrow
passages, into the outer courtyards. There they ran against the vulgar
herd who pressed up to the doors, each struggling to reach the front
ranks, all eager to learn the nature of the important communication of
President Barbicane; all pushing, squeezing, crushing with that perfect
freedom of action which is so peculiar to the masses when educated in
ideas of "self-government."
On that evening a stranger who might have chanced to be in Baltimore
could not have gained admission for love or money into the great hall.
That was reserved exclusively for resident or corresponding members;
no one else could possibly have obtained a place; and the city magnates,
municipal councilors, and "select men" were compelled to mingle with
the mere townspeople in order to catch stray bits of news from the
interior.
Nevertheless the vast hall presented a curious spectacle. Its immense
area was singularly adapted to the purpose. Lofty pillars formed of
cannon, superposed upon huge mortars as a base, supported the fine
ironwork of the arches, a perfect piece of cast-iron lacework. Trophies
of blunderbuses, matchlocks, arquebuses, carbines, all kinds of firearms,

ancient and modern, were picturesquely interlaced against the walls.
The gas lit up in full glare myriads of revolvers grouped in the form of
lustres, while groups of pistols, and candelabra formed of muskets
bound together, completed this magnificent display of brilliance.
Models of cannon, bronze castings, sights covered with dents, plates
battered by the shots of the Gun Club, assortments of rammers and
sponges, chaplets of shells, wreaths of projectiles, garlands of
howitzers-- in short, all the apparatus of the artillerist, enchanted the
eye by this wonderful arrangement and induced a kind of belief that
their real purpose was ornamental rather than deadly.