Lost on the Moon | Page 8

oxygen to breathe. But
it will be interesting to see if there are people on the moon."
"If there are any, they must have a queer time," went on Mark.
"Why?" asked Jack, who wasn't very fond of study.
"Why? Because the moon is only about one forty-ninth the size of the
earth. Its diameter is 2,163 miles--only a quarter of the earth's--and,
comparing the force of gravity, ours is much greater. A body that
weighs six pounds on the earth, would weigh only one pound on the
moon, and a man on the moon could jump six times as high as he can
on this earth, and throw a stone six times as far."
"What's dat?" inquired Washington White quickly, nearly dropping
some packages he was carrying into the projectile. "What was yo'
pleased t' saggasiate, in remarkin' concernin' de untranquility ob the
densityness ob stones jumpin' ober a man what is six times high?" he
asked.
"Do you mean what did I say?" asked Mark solemnly.

"Dat's what I done asked yo'," spoke the colored man gravely.
"Well, you didn't, but perhaps you meant to," went on the youth, and he
repeated his remarks.
"'Scuse me, I guess I'd better not go on dish yeah trip after all," came
from Washington.
"Why not?" demanded Professor Henderson.
"'Cause I ain't goin' t' no place whar ef yo' wants t' take a little jump yo'
has t' go six times as far as yo' does when yo' is on dis yeah earth. An'
s'posin' some ob dem moon men takes a notion t' throw a stone at me?
Whar'll I be, when a stone goes six times as far as it does on heah? No,
sah, I ain't goin'!"
"But perhaps there are no men on the moon," said Mark quickly. "It is
only a theory of astronomers that I'm talking about."
"Oh, only a theory; eh?" asked Washington quickly.
"That's all."
"Oh, if it's only a theory, den I reckons it's all right," came from the
colored man. "I didn't know it were a theory. Dat makes it all right. It's
jest in theory, am it, Massa Mark, dat a stone goes six times as far?"
"That's all."
"Oh, well, den, why didn't yo' say so fust, dat it was only a theory? I
don't mind theories. I--I used t' eat 'em boiled an' roasted befo' de wah."
And, with a contented smile on his face, Washington went into the
projectile, to finish stowing things away in his kitchen lockers.
The big projectile was housed in the shed where it had been constructed,
and the professor and the boys were working over it there, carefully
guarded from curious eyes, for the German inventor did not want the
secret of his Cardite motor to become known.

The work went on from day to day, good progress being made. The
boys were of great assistance, for they were practical mechanics, and
had had considerable experience.
"Well, I shall try the Cardite motor to-morrow," announced Professor
Roumann one night, after a hard day's work on the projectile.
"Do you think it will work?" asked Mr. Henderson.
"I think so, yes. My experiments have made me hopeful."
"And if it does work, when can we start?" asked Jack.
"Two days later; that is, if everything else is in readiness, the food and
other, supplies on board."
"They are all ready to be stowed away," said Andy Sudds, who had
been hunting all day.
It was an anxious assemblage that gathered inside the big shed the next
day, to watch Professor Roumann try the Cardite motor. Would it work
as well as had the Etherium one? Would it send them along through
space at enormous speed? True, they would not have to travel so far,
nor so fast, but more power would be needed, since, as it was feared no
food, water, nor air could be had on the moon, many more supplies
were to be taken along than on the trip to Mars, and this made the
projectile heavier.
"We will test the Cardite in this small motor first," said Mr. Roumann,
as he pointed to a machine in the projectile used for winding a cable
around a windlass when there was necessity for hauling the Annihilator
about, without sending it into the air.
Into the receptacle of the motor, the German professor placed some of
the wonderful red substance he had secured from Mars. Then he closed
the heavy metal box that held it, and, looking about to see if all was in
readiness, he motioned to those watching him that he was about to shift
the lever that would start the motor.

"If it works as well as I hope it will," he said, "it ought to pull the
projectile slowly across the shop--a