Through Space to Mars | Page 9

Mark, for he knew the old man must have been hunting.
"And Mark, too!" went on the old hunter. "Well, this is a surprise. No, I didn't have any
luck--that is, what you could call luck. There's been a weasel carrying off our chickens
and killing them, and I went out to shoot it."
"Did you cotch it, Mistah Sudds?" asked Washington anxiously.
"I didn't 'cotch' it," answered Andy with a grin. "I killed it. I guess the chickens will be
safe now, Wash. But I'm hungry. I've been hiding out there by the chicken coop all the
afternoon. But what brings you boys back from college?"
"We came home because we are going to take a trip to Mars," explained Jack.
"Mars! Mars! Good land! Where'll you folks go next?" exclaimed Andy. "Wash, pass me
some of that cold ham."
"You said you would tell us now how we were to get there, Mr. Roumann," said Jack,
who was anxious, as was Mark, to hear the particulars.
"And so I will," replied the scientist. "You must know that I have long been interested in
the planet Mars, for several reasons. Some reasons I will tell you now, and the others I
will disclose at a future time."
"Mars, you know, is the fourth major planet, computing their positions in distance from
the sun. First there is Mercury, then--"
"I know," interrupted Jack; "Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and
Neptune. I learned them at school."
"That's right," said Mr. Roumann. "But, while Mercury is only about thirty-six millions
of miles from the sun at its nearest point, the closest it ever comes to the earth is
fifty-seven millions of miles, while, as I told you, Mars is now but thirty-five millions of

miles away, a difference in favor of Mars of twenty-two millions of miles, quite a
distance when one has to travel it. Neptune, the farthest of the major planets, is two
billion eight hundred millions of miles from the sun, and it is separated from this earth
by--"
"By two billion seven hundred and eight million miles," said Mark quickly.
"How do you make that out?" asked Jack in some surprise.
"By subtracting ninety-two millions of miles, which is the distance from the earth to the
sun, from the number of miles Neptune is away from the sun," said Mark.
"That's right," admitted Mr. Henderson. "You're very quick at figures, Mark."
"Well, let's get to Mars," said Jack. "Maybe Andy can find some new kind of game
there."
"Me? I'm not going to any place so many millions of miles away from here," answered
the old hunter, looking up from his plate. "It's good enough hunting here."
"Wait until you see," said Mr. Roumann with a smile. "I expect to find many marvels on
Mars."
"If we get there," added Mr. Henderson.
"We'll get there," declared Mr. Roumann confidently. "As I said, I have long been
interested in Mars, and one reason is that I want to prove that there is life on it--that it is
inhabited by a superior race of beings. Another reason is that I expect to find on it a
supply--or at least specimens--of a most valuable substance--"
Mr. Roumann stopped suddenly.
"Well?" asked Mr. Henderson questioningly, for there was an odd manner about the
blue-eyed scientist.
"That is something I do not wish to speak about at present," said Mr. Roumann quickly.
"I will tell you my other reason for going to Mars--when we get there."
"Now, as to the method. As I told you, Professor Henderson, and as I intimated to you
boys, we will go in a long, torpedo-shaped projectile, which, though it will not be very
large in diameter, will be long enough to contain all our machinery and ourselves, with a
sufficient store of provisions for a year or more. But I know what you are going to ask,
and that is: How can I send the projectile through space?
"Well, I'll tell you--that is, partly tell you, for some parts of my secret can never be
revealed. I have discovered a wonderful power, more wonderful than man ever dreamed
of before. I have called it Etherium, for the reason that I expect it to carry us through the
ether, or space that exists outside of the atmosphere of this earth and that of Mars.

"Now, professor, do you think you and your assistants can build a proper projectile?"
"We built an airship that went to the North Pole, we constructed a submarine that took us
to the South Pole, and we had the Flying Mermaid, in which we went to the center of the
earth," said Mr. Henderson. "I think we can build you the torpedo-shaped projectile. But
what will make it move through thirty-five millions of miles