MARS AT LAST
Anticipating, as they had for some time past, such an
announcement, it was none the less startling to the boys.
"Then we are really nearing Mars?" exclaimed Jack.
"Not only nearing it, but we will be there within twenty-four
hours," answered the German scientist. "I was looking for this.
I expected the Etherium motor to stop as soon as it reached the
atmosphere of the planet, and it has done so. We will not have
to start it again until we make the return trip. I will now
again put into operation the atmospheric motor, and we will see
how it behaves. Kindly inform Mr. Henderson, so he will
understand what is taking place."
Mark hastened to the pilot house with this message, and then
returned to watch Mr. Roumann, the professor agreeing to remain
at the steering wheel until relieved by his friend.
Mr. Roumann began adjusting the second motor. It had been kept
in readiness for instant service, and did not require much
attention.
"I don't see why we have to use it at all," said Jack.
"Why shouldn't we?" Mark wanted to know.
"Because if we are near Mars it ought to attract us, just as if
we were near the earth. We ought to fall right into it."
"That is just the danger," commented Mr. Roumann. "We don't want
to fall. We want our projectile under perfect control, and I can
only attain that end by using the motor. Besides, we are not
near enough to Mars to be attracted by its force of gravitation,
even supposing it is the same as that of our earth. We might not
be attracted at all, and if we did not use the motor we might
float around the planet as if we were a moon. No, if we wish to
reach Mars we must use the atmospheric motor."
A few minutes later it was started, and the Annihilator was once
more speeding along, this time under new power, and not quite so
fast. All on board the projectile found themselves anticipating
what they would see on the new and wonderful planet they were
soon to visit.
"It hardly seems possible," murmured Jack, "that we have made
such a journey--the longest on record."
"It will be more wonderful if we get back to earth," spoke Mark.
"Oh, I don't know," went on his chum. "We may like it so on
Mars, that we'll want to stay. And there isn't any reason why we
shouldn't, provided we find nice people there. We haven't many
friends, Mark. Our best ones are right here with us. We could
just as well stay as not."
"Yes, provided, as you say, that the Martians are nice people.
But you must remember that we're going to be strangers in a
strange land."
"Well, one always treats strangers politely," declared Jack. "I
guess we'll get along all right. Anyhow, I'm glad we're near
there."
"So am I," declared Mr. Henderson. "I will be able to make some
scientific observations, and, perhaps, write a book about them
when I get back to earth. I might make some money out of it."
"You won't need to make money, if what I suspect is true," said
Mr. Roumann.
"What is that?"
"Well, I can't go into details now, but I hope to secure
something that will make our fortunes. There is only one thing I
fear."
"What is that?"
"The Martians may prevent me taking any of it away. But I am not
going to borrow trouble. Let us see how the motor is working."
They had all gone, with the exception of Andy and Washington, to
the pilot house, and they now returned to the engine-room.
"Ha! That is rather strange!" exclaimed Mr. Roumann as he looked
at the buzzing machinery.
"What's the matter?" asked Mark.
"The atmospheric motor is running much faster than I ever saw it
go before. I wonder if that crazy machinist could have gotten
loose and meddled with it?"
"I'll look," volunteered Jack, but he soon ascertained that the
man was still securely bound.
The motor was humming and snapping away, and a gage connected
with it showed that it was forcing the Annihilator along at the
rate of two hundred miles a second.
"That is faster even than we moved when the Etherium machine was
working at its best," said Mr. Roumann with a puzzled look. "Can
I have made a mistake in my calculations? I hardly think so."
"Jack, run to the pilot house, and see if the automatic steering
apparatus is all right. Also see what the speed gage there
indicates." Jack hurried off, and soon returned.
"We're heading right for Mars, as indicated on the chart," he
said, for there was an arrangement whereby the projectile could
be automatically steered.
"What speed does the gage there show?" asked the German
scientist.
"Two hundred miles a second."
"The same as here," murmured Mr. Roumann. "I wonder what can
cause it?"
He leaned over the motor, and made some calculations. Then he
exclaimed:
"I have it!"
"What is the reason?" inquired the professor.
"It is because we are speeding through an atmosphere much less
dense than that of our earth. There the motor would only work at
a certain speed. Here, in the atmosphere of Mars, it goes more
than twice as fast, because there is less resistance."
"Is that good or bad?" asked Jack.
"Good. We shall reach the planet all the sooner now. Boys, get
ready to land on Mars in a few hours!"
The news was startling in itself, but so many strange things had
happened on the trip that this only produced a momentary
impression.
"Yo' say dat we am shortly goin' t' promulgate eurseves inter
conjunctionary juxtaposition wid de exterior circumference an'
surface ob de planetary sphere commonly called Mars?" asked
Washington White.
"If you mean whether or not we are near Mars, why, we are,"
answered Jack with a laugh. "But, Wash, if you use such language
as that I don't know what the Martians will think of you."
"I knows," answered the colored man with great dignity. "Dey'll
take me fo' jest what I am--a mostest profundity educationalized
specimen ob de human fambly. But I'se glad we's so neah Mars."
"Why? Are you tired of being cooped up here?" asked Mark.
"Not prexactly, but mah Shanghai rooster am. He's dat lonesome
dat's he's homesick for t' git out an' do a bit ob scratchin' on
de ground."
"Look out that he doesn't fly away when he gets on Mars,"
cautioned Jack. "Things there are twice as light as they are on
the earth, and he'll only weigh a pound or so, instead of two or
three."
Washington grunted, but said nothing. He served a meal, probably
the last one that would be eaten before their arrival.
"We have been just twelve days, so far, on our journey," declared
Mr. Roumann. "That is a little longer than I calculated, but it
was due to unexpected troubles."
"Well, we've been very comfortable here," commented Mr.
Henderson.
And indeed they had. Except for the rather cramped quarters, and
the absence of scenery, they had lived as well as they could have
done at home. They had plenty to eat and drink during their
marvelous trip through space, they had enjoyed the reading of
books, had listened to fine music, and had been traveling in
perpetual sunlight.
What was before them? Every one asked himself that question.
On and on the projectile sped. Mr. Roumann, who had taken charge
of the steering wheel called the attention of the boys to a
small, dark object off to the right.
"What is it?" asked Jack. "It looks like a bright ball of fire."
"One of the moons of Mars," was the answer. "That is Deimos, and
we are now but ten thousand miles from the planet, for that is
the moon distance from Mars."
"How small it is!" commented Mark.
"Yes, it isn't much like our moon, but I suppose it answers for
the Martians."
"But if we're only ten thousand miles away from Mars, and are
traveling at two hundred miles a second, we'll be there in less
than a minute!" cried Jack.
"We would, only I have shut down the motor. We are now
approaching only from the force of the attraction of gravitation,
and that, I find, is much less than on our earth. At the proper
time I will reverse the motor, to make our landing easy."
The indicators showed that the Annihilator was now traveling
along at about the rate of a fast automobile.
"We're almost there!" cried Mark.
Mr. Roumann adjusted the machinery. Sometimes he speeded it up,
and again he slowed it down. He found he had the projectile
under perfect control. Once again he set the motor in motion,
approaching Mars at a fast rate.
They shot past another shining body.
"The second moon!" he called to the boys. "We are but sixteen
hundred miles away now."
"Get ready to land!" cried Jack. "All ashore that's going
ashore!"
"Maybe we'll land in the water," spoke Mark.
"No, I can so regulate the projectile that such a thing won't
happen," declared Mr. Roumann.
"I will send it ahead for a few seconds, and then see what
happens."
They sped forward. Suddenly there loomed up before them a great
mass. It seemed to be rushing to meet them. It looked something
like the earth, as seen from a balloon at a great height.
"Mars!" cried Mr. Roumann. "There is the planet we aimed for!
Mars at last!"
He reversed the motor. The motion of the projectile became less.
Nearer and nearer it approached the wonderful planet on which all
their thoughts were centered.
"But it isn't red!" objected Jack.
"Wait until night," said the German. "We are approaching it from
the daylight side."
"Am we goin' t' ram it hard?" asked Washington.
"I trust not," was Mr. Roumann's reply.
He reversed the atmospheric motor still more. They were so near
the planet now that they could distinguish land and water, great
buildings, patches of woodland and open spaces.
"There are people there! I see people!" cried Jack.
Indeed, there did seem to be a mass of beings looking up at the
approaching projectile.
Very gently the Annihilator came nearer and nearer. There was no
doubt now but that Mars was inhabited--but by what a strange
race! Before those in the projectile had time to wonder at the
inhabitants, they felt a sudden jar. The Annihilator came to
rest. It had landed in a soft bed of sand.
"Welcome to Mars!" cried Mr. Roumann, opening a door in the side
of the craft and stepping out, followed by his companions. They
were at once surrounded by a throng of the queerest people that
they had ever imagined.
A great shout arose, and as the adventurers stood in a group near
their craft, they suddenly found themselves being moved forward
toward the crowd by some strange, mysterious force.