WONDERFUL PLAN
"I wonder what they can be talking about?" asked Mark of Jack, as
they paused outside the library door.
"I don t know, but it concerns us."
"What makes you think so?"
"Because, didn't you hear the stranger speak of us as the 'young
assistants'? That's us."
"Very likely. But who is the man in with Professor Henderson,
and what is the wonderful journey he is talking about?"
"Dat gen'man in wid de perfesser am also a perfessor." Explained
Washington in a whisper. "He's Perfesser Santell Roumann. Now I
'spects I'd better saggasiate mahself inter proximity t' de
culinary reservation."
"You mean you've got to go to the kitchen?" asked Jack with a
smile.
"Dat's what I approximated to yo'," replied the colored man.
"I wonder if we'd better go in now, or wait until Professor
Henderson is through talking to Mr. Roumann?" asked Mark.
"Yo' am to go right in," remarked Washington. "Dem's de orders I
got when I went t' de statione t' meet yo'."
"All right," assented Jack. "Come on, Mark. We'll find out
what's wanted of us."
The two boys entered the library, whence the voices of Professor
Henderson and Mr. Roumann could still be heard in earnest
discussion. Mr. Henderson looked up as his proteges advanced to
the middle of the apartment.
"Jack! Mark!" he exclaimed. "I am very glad you came so
promptly. I have something very important to communicate to
you--something that I hope will make up for the loss you suffer
in being taken away from college in the middle of the term. Or,
to be more correct, Mr. Roumann will impart most of the
information, for it is at his suggestion that I sent for you."
"Are these the young assistants of whom you spoke?" asked the
other man, and the boys noticed that he was a big, burly German,
with a bushy, gray beard, and penetrating, blue eyes.
"This is Jack Darrow," said the professor, indicating the stout
youth, "and the other is Mark Sampson. They have lived with me
several years now, and we have had many adventures together."
"Ha! Hum! Yes!" murmured Mr. Roumann, then he said something in
German.
"I beg your pardon," he went on quickly. "I have a habit of
talking to myself in my own language once in a while. What I
said was that I did not know the lads were so young. I am
somewhat apprehensive--"
"Do not be alarmed on the score of their youth," cried Professor
Henderson. "I assure you that they have had a peculiar training,
and, in some scientific attainments, they know as much as I do.
You will not find them too young for our purpose, in case we
decide that the thing can be done."
"I tell you it can be done, and it shall be done," insisted Mr.
Roumann.
"I have my doubts," went on Mr. Henderson.
Jack and Mark must have shown the wonder they felt at this talk
between the professor and his friend, for their guardian turned
to them and said:
"Boys, you must excuse me for not telling you at once the reason
why I sent for you. The truth is that Mr. Roumann has laid a
very strange proposition before me. It is so stupendous that I
hardly know whether to consider it or not. I want to talk with
you about it, and see what you think."
"They will go with us, will they not?" asked Mr. Roumann.
"That is for them to say," replied Mr. Henderson.
"Go where?" asked Jack, wondering if there was in prospect
another voyage to one of the Poles, or a trip to the interior of
the earth.
Professor Henderson looked at the other man. They were silent a
moment.
"Shall I tell them?" asked Mr. Henderson.
"Surely," assented Mr. Roumann. "It all depends on you and them
whether we go or remain on earth."
Jack started. Then there was a question of getting off the
earth. He began to think there might be exciting times for Mark
and himself.
"Mr. Roumann has proposed a wonderful plan to me," went on
Professor Henderson. "It is nothing more nor less than a trip
to--"
"Mars!" burst out the blue-eyed man. "We are going to make the
most wonderful journey on record. A trip through space to the
planet Mars! Such an opportunity for reaching it, and proving
whether or not there is life on it, will not occur again for many
years. It is now but thirty-five millions of miles away from us.
Soon it will begin to recede, at the rate of twenty-eight
millions of miles a year, until it is two hundred and thirty four
millions of miles away from us. Then we may never be able to
reach it. Now, when it is but thirty-five millions of miles
away, we have a chance to get there."
"I still believe it is impossible," said Professor Henderson in a
low voice.
"Nothing is impossible!" exclaimed Mr. Roumann. "We shall go to
Mars! I say it! I who know! I who hold the secret of the
wonderful power that will take us there, and, what is more, bring
us back! I say it! We shall go!"
"Impossible!" said the professor again, shaking his head.
"Don't say that word!" implored Mr. Roumann. "I will prove to
you that we shall go."
"Go to Mars!" exclaimed Mark.
"Thirty-five million miles!" exclaimed Jack with awe in his
tones. "How can we ever cover that distance? No airship ever
made would do it."
"Not an airship, perhaps," said Mr. Roumann, "but something
else. I will tell you how--"
"Perhaps I had better explain from the beginning," interrupted
Mr. Henderson.
"Maybe it will be better," assented the other.
"Boys, be seated," spoke their guardian, and Jack and Mark took
chairs. "Mr. Santell Roumann is an inventor, like myself," went
on Mr. Henderson. "I have known him for several years, but I had
not seen him in a long time, until he called on me the other day
with his strange proposition. We used to attend the same
college, but since his graduation he has been experimenting in
Germany."
"Where I discovered the secret of the wonderful power that will
take us to Mars," added Mr. Roumann.
"That is one point on which we differ," continued Mr. Henderson.
"Mr. Roumann believes we can get to the red planet, which, as he
correctly says, is nearer to us now than it will be again in many
years. I do not see how we can get there through the intervening
space."
"And I will prove to you that we can," insisted the other. "The
power which I shall use is strongest known. But it depends on
you and your young assistants."
"On us?" asked Jack.
"Yes," replied Mr. Santell Roumann. "If and Professor Henderson
can build the proper projectile, we shall go."
"A projectile!" exclaimed Jack.
"A projectile," said Mr. Roumann again. "I have studied it all
out, and I think the projectile, shaped somewhat like a great
shell, such as they use in warfare, or, more properly speaking,
built like a cigar or a torpedo, is the only feasible means of
reaching Mars. We shall go in a projectile, two hundred feet
long, and ten feet in diameter at the largest point. That will
offer the least resistance to the atmosphere of the earth, though
when we get within the atmosphere of Mars, and are subjected to
its attraction of gravitation, we shall meet with even less
resistance."
"Why?" asked Jack, who wanted to know the reason for everything.
"Because," answered Mr. Roumann, "from my observations I have
proved that the atmosphere of Mars is much less dense than is
that surrounding the earth, and the attraction of gravitation
there is about two-thirds less. That is, an object that weighs
one hundred pounds on the earth will weigh only thirty-three
pounds on Mars."
"That's the stuff!" cried Jack.
"Why?" asked Mr. Roumann in some surprise.
"Then I'll have a chance to lose weight," replied Jack. "I'm
getting too fat here. I weigh a hundred and eighty pounds, and
that's too much for a lad of my age. When I get to Mars I'll
only weigh--let's see, two-thirds of one hundred and eighty--"
and Jack got out pencil and paper and began figuring.
"It's sixty pounds!" exclaimed Mark, who was quick at figures.
"How are we to get to Mars, Mr. Roumann?" demanded Jack.
"I will tell you," answered the blue-eyed man. "When you and the
professor have constructed the projectile, after plans which I
shall draw, I will apply my new, wonderful, secret power, and--"
"If yo' gen'men will kindly project yo'se'ves hitherward, an'
proceed to discuss de similitodinariness ob de interplanetary
conjunction what am waitin' fo' yo' heah, de obverseness of de
inner constitutions will be expeditiously relieved," spoke the
colored man, suddenly looking in the room.
"Does that mean supper is ready, Washington?" asked Professor
Henderson.
"Yes, sah. It suah do."
"Then why didn't you say so?"
"I did, perfesser."
"Well, perhaps you thought so. Washington has a very peculiar
habit of using big words, just because they sound so imposing,"
went on the professor. "He spends all his spare time consulting
the dictionary."
"I have noticed it," remarked Mr. Roumann, smiling.
"Well, suppose we go out to supper?" went on Mr. Henderson. "You
boys must be hungry."
"I can eat," admitted Jack.
"You'll get stouter if you do," warned Mark with a smile.
"Can't help it. Wait until we get to Mars."
"Oh, yes, you didn't finish telling us how we were to get there,
Mr. Roumann," said Jack.
"I'll tell you while we're at supper," said the scientist. "I
confess that Washington's announcement came just at the right
time. I am very hungry."