Lost on the Moon | Page 3

can be on the
moon."
"You can read this for yourself," suggested Jack, passing over the paper,
which was one of some souvenirs brought back from what was the
longest journey on record, ever taken by human beings.
Mr. Roumann adjusted his glasses, and carefully read the article that
was printed in such strange characters. As he perused it, he nodded his
head thoughtfully from time to time. Then he passed the paper to

Professor Henderson.
The older scientist was somewhat longer in going over the article, but
when he had finished, he looked at the two boys, and said: "Jack is
right! This is an account of a trip made to the moon by some of the
Martians, who have advanced much further in the art of air navigation
than have we. Some of the words I am not altogether familiar with, but
in the main, that is what the paper states."
"And doesn't it tell about them finding a field of Reonaris?" asked Jack
eagerly, for he was anxious to prove to his chum that he was right.
"Yes, it does," replied Mr. Henderson.
"And Reonaris is diamonds, isn't it?" asked Jack.
"It is," answered Professor Roumann gravely.
"Then," cried Jack, "what's to hinder us from going to the moon, and
getting some of those diamonds? The Martians must have left some!
Let's go to the moon and get them! We can do it in the projectile with
which we made the journey to Mars. Let's start for the moon!"
For a moment there was silence in the laboratory of the scientist. It was
broken by Washington White, who remarked:
"Good land a' massy! Annodder ob dem trips through de air! Well, I
ain't goin' to no moon--no sah!! Ef I went dere, I'd suah get looney, an' I
has troubles enough now wid'out dat, I suah has!" And, shaking his
head dubiously, the colored man shuffled from the room.
CHAPTER II
SOMETHING ABOUT OUR HEROES
"Are you in earnest in proposing this trip?" asked Professor Henderson
of Jack. The lad, with flushed face and bright eyes, stood in the centre
of the apartment, holding the paper which the aged scientist had

returned to him.
"I certainly am," was the reply. "It ought not to be a difficult
undertaking, after our trip to the North Pole through the air, the one to
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 little pleasure
jaunt, like an automobile tour. Can't we go, Professor?"
"From the standpoint of possibility, I presume we could make a trip to
the moon," the scientist admitted. "It would not take so long, nor would
it be as dangerous, as was our trip to Mars. And yet, I don't know that I
care to go. I am getting along in years, and I have money enough to live
on. Even a field of diamonds hardly sounds attractive to me." Jack's
face showed the disappointment he felt.
"And yet," went on the aged scientist with a smile, "there are certain
attractions about another trip through space. I had hoped to settle down
in life now, and devote my time to scientific study and the writing of
books. But this is something new. We never have been to the moon,
and----"
"There are lots of problems about it that are still unsolved!" cried Jack
eagerly. "You will be able to discover if the moon has an atmosphere
and moisture; and also what the other side--the one that is always
turned away from us--looks like."
"It does sound tempting," went on the aged scientist slowly. "And we
could do it in our projectile, the Annihilator. It is in good working order;
isn't it, Professor Roumann?"
"Couldn't be better. If you ask me, I, for one, would like to make a trip
to the moon. It would give me a better chance to test the powers of
Cardite, that wonderful red substance we brought from Mars. I can use
that in the Etherium motor. If you left it to me, I'd say, 'go to the
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 I don't
believe you'll find any diamonds on the moon. If there ever were any,
the Martians took them." For Mark had been partly convinced after the
confirmation by the two professors of Jack's translation.
"I'll take a chance on the sparklers," said his chum. "But now, let's go
into details, and figure out when we can start. It ought not to take very
long to get ready."
As has been explained in detail in the