AWFUL MOMENTS.
Day after day, week after week, and month after month sped the _Sirius_
on its journey, like a meteor across the gulf of space. We had now been
eighteen months away from Earth, and our distance from that planet
we computed to be quite nineteen millions of miles. The Earth was
remarkably small in appearance, and the moon could only be detected
through a glass. On the other hand, Mars had risen in elevation, and
sensibly increased in brilliancy and apparent size. Other heavenly
bodies had also changed considerably in their aspect. Some had got much
larger, others smaller, many had disappeared entirely from our vision,
whilst several new orbs had been discovered. The Doctor was able to
make many observations of the little-known asteroids which travel round
the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Scores of new ones were
seen.
For a long time Doctor Hermann had been worried by the course which
the _Sirius_ was taking. In spite of the fact that we were apparently
steadily travelling onwards across the vast belt of space between Earth
and Mars, certain of his calculations appeared to demonstrate that we
were being drawn rapidly towards the sun! The quantity of water we
condensed from the atmosphere now became very small, and eventually
failed altogether, so that we had to depend upon our scanty store and
the lozenges.
After an unusually long and tedious day, the Doctor gloomily threw
aside his papers and his instruments, exclaiming to Graham in almost
pathetic tones, "It is as I have long expected; the sun is too much for
us!"
"But, Doctor, you may have erred in your calculations. Do you really
think it wise to take such a pessimistic view of our situation?"
answered Graham, with a hopefulness that he was far from actually
feeling.
"If Temple can spare us a moment, ask him to join us, and I will
endeavour to explain our actual position, and the prospects we have
before us."
"A horrible one! A most horrible one!" the Doctor muttered under his
breath, as Graham walked thoughtfully away.
Temple and Graham joined the Doctor almost immediately.
"Now, Doctor, what have you got to tell us this time? What new
discovery have you made? Nothing unpleasant, I sincerely hope," said
Temple, in his usual cheery way.
"My dear friends," began the Doctor, "I am afraid I have bad news to
communicate--very bad news. But let us look the situation squarely
in the face, and discuss it calmly and philosophically, as becomes
intelligent men."
"Many weeks ago," continued the Doctor, "I explained to Graham and
yourself that our centre of gravity had changed from the Earth to
the sun; instead of earth glimmering at our feet, nineteen millions
of miles below us, we have the fiery sun, as both of you cannot
have failed to observe. This I must hasten to explain, is cause for
no surprise; it is just what I expected would be the case until we
came within the attractive forces of Mars. But my instruments have
demonstrated that our motors are now absolutely of no use. They are
working just as usual, but our speed increases rather than diminishes,
and from this I infer we are influenced by some vast attractive force.
That centre of attraction to which we seem hurrying can only be the
sun! No further words of mine are needed to render more clear the
horrible doom which awaits us."
As he finished speaking, the Doctor rested his head on his hand, the
usual attitude he assumed when engaged in deep thought.
"But, Doctor, before we take all this for granted, at least let us
satisfy ourselves more completely that things are really so bad," said
Graham.
"No use, Graham, no use; I have studied these matters too long and too
carefully needlessly to alarm you," answered the Doctor.
"Well, Doctor," said Graham, "at least allow me to stop our motors.
Then what you say cannot possibly be refuted."
"I think Graham is right, Doctor," remarked Temple. "It seems to me a
very practical suggestion."
"You may do so if you like, but it is trouble thrown away," the Doctor
answered.
Graham was already hastening from the laboratory down the steps to the
engine-room, followed by his two friends, and a moment afterwards the
machinery ceased to work; the bright cranks and wheels and rods were
still; the motors ceased to revolve. At last this beautiful monument of
engineering skill, which had kept incessantly at work for upwards of
eighteen months, was stopped, and breathlessly the three men awaited
the result.
Doctor Hermann, cool and collected even in such awful moments, walked
slowly back to the laboratory to consult his instruments. Graham and
Temple followed, too excited to speak.
"Well, Doctor," said Temple at last, after he had patiently waited his
investigation, "what are your conclusions?"
With marvellous coolness, as though answering the merest commonplace
remark, Doctor Hermann replied: "It is as I said before; the _Sirius_
is falling with ever-increasing speed into the sun! We are lost!
"Our doom, even if our speed goes on increasing, cannot overtake us
for several years," continued the Doctor, "but I doubt if our supplies
could hold out for such a period."
"Doctor," broke in Temple excitedly, "that is poor comfort; you ask us
too much endurance. I, for one, will not, cannot, go on in such misery,
only to be overwhelmed at last. Two alternatives are left to us. We can
either go on in a lingering agony of suspense, and meet our doom by
starvation, or by fire; or, we can end our woes swiftly and effectually
with these"--and as he spoke he pointed to the four nickel-plated
revolvers hanging loaded against the wall. "We can but die like men!"
"I must confess, if all hope is really gone, that I incline to
Mr. Temple's view of the situation, and would prefer a sharp and
practically painless death to, it may be, years of horrible suspense,
crowned with the ten thousand times more awful fate of being hurled
into yonder furnace at last," said Graham.
"Temple, and you, too, Graham," answered the Doctor, "you surprise me
by such a shallow mode of reasoning. Listen to me. Both of you are free
agents to act as you may think fit; but before you rashly take your
lives, at least wait a little longer. We are in the midst of strange
surroundings, and still stranger possibilities. There is nothing to
warrant you in taking such extreme measures."
"My sentiments, Doctor, must, I suppose, be attributed to my weakness,"
answered Temple.
"You may taunt me as you will," said Graham, "but I believe there are
rare occasions in life when self-murder can be no crime--nay, is even
justified."
"Then all I can say is that your ethics are not mine, that your
theology is not half the comfort or support to you in your extremity
that my philosophy is to me in mine," remarked the Doctor.
"Once more," said the Doctor, "let me bid you wait. Let the motors be
started again, Graham, at full pressure. Some unforeseen occurrence may
yet work our salvation."
As time went on, Graham and Temple became more resigned to their fate;
and, in answer to the Doctor's urgent entreaties, gave him their
promise to think no more of suicide, at least until matters became
more desperate. The Doctor never abandoned hope. Calmly he bore up
under all difficulties, plodding along with his instruments and his
calculations; writing up his journals, and making voluminous notes,
though every word he penned was probably never destined to be read by
any other mortal but himself.
During the twentieth month of our absence from Earth, vast clouds of
meteorolites passed within a few miles of us; and at one time the whole
range of our vision was filled with these brilliant objects, just like
a snowstorm of sparkling fire. Many small ones struck the _Sirius_,
others exploded close by with sharp reports. We were too much alarmed
and too disconsolate thoroughly to enjoy the glorious sight, the
effects being beautiful in the extreme, and we were thankful when we
passed beyond this shower of fire.
Onwards, onwards and onwards we sped, falling with awful velocity
through space. So fast did we travel that our indicators failed to
record the rate of speed, but still the sun did not appear any closer.
This was our one assuring hope. The Doctor was assiduous in his
observations, but could not arrive at any definite conclusion. A week
before our second Christmas in the _Sirius_, after a careful scrutiny
through his largest telescope, he joyfully announced that Mars was
greatly increasing in apparent size, and that he had actually detected
the presence of two satellites revolving round the planet! Here was
welcome news, indeed! If this were true, then, after all, we had
nothing to fear from the sun. After some further investigation we were
thoroughly convinced of our safety. No words can tell our feelings of
thankfulness. We felt as though we had been snatched from the very jaws
of death.
"I can only explain our apparent fall towards the sun," said the
Doctor, "by the extreme rarity of the ether around us. This was not
sufficient to float us, nor to afford resistance to our motors: hence
we fell into space, instead of being propelled through it. I made the
very natural error of supposing that some attractive force was at work,
other than that exerted by the planet Mars. Once more our prospect is
unclouded. The worst part of the journey is over; we may expect at any
time now to find our centre of gravity fixed on Mars, at last--then
success may almost be counted upon as a certainty."
Our second Christmas in the _Sirius_ was spent as happily as the first.
The past year had been an exciting and eventful one for us; full of
dangers, full of trials; and three of our party felt that we had
overcome them, thanks in a great measure to Doctor Hermann's skill and
indomitable courage.
Almost daily we found the ether around us becoming more dense, and the
speed of the _Sirius_ sensibly decreased. Our water supply once more
became plentiful, the condensers now working admirably.
We kept New Year's Day as a great holiday--a red-letter day in our
experience, each of us feeling that we ought to inaugurate such an
eventful year in not only our own history, but that of mankind, in
a manner suited to its vast importance. As the clocks on Earth were
striking midnight on the 31st of December, 1876, and New Year's
greetings were being exchanged in all parts of the world we had
left, four human beings, millions of miles away in space, were doing
likewise. Earth shone steadily, like a pale beautiful star, below us.
During the first few moments of that glad New Year, we drank with mild
and boisterous enthusiasm to the planet Mars, to the men on Earth, and
to our own success.
Owing to the increased rate of speed at which we had been travelling,
our distance from the Earth had increased much more than we had
suspected. The Doctor computed our distance from Earth to be now
28,000,000 miles! If all went well, we should arrive at Mars in about
six months' time. We all of us had long felt weary of our close
confinement. Owing to the strict rules of hygiene that the Doctor
enforced, not one of the party had suffered from disease. Still, it was
a great joy to know that we should soon be released from the _Sirius_,
and the wonders of a new world were a rich reward in store.
Mars, now, was a most beautiful object in the heavens. Long and often
did we peer at it through our telescopes in wondering astonishment, as
it shone in brilliant ruddy glory, still millions of miles away. The
Doctor was enchanted with his discovery of the satellites of Mars.
By the end of January, 1877, we had crossed those regions of rarefied
ether, which were little more than an absolute vacuum; and the _Sirius_
was once again propelled by its motive forces alone.
We now thought it advisable slightly to check our engines, and our
speed was reduced to about twelve hundred miles per hour. Another
interesting phenomenon was the change in our centre of gravity, which
was now the planet of Mars. This last great discovery set all our
doubts at rest. Between five and six millions of miles had still to be
traversed, many perils had still to be undergone, many difficulties
remained to be overcome--but Mars, bright, glorious, ruddy Mars, was
conquered at last!