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fail。〃
〃Yes；〃 replied Bearwarden； 〃he is the right sort。 When he gave
that promise I knew his men would be there。〃
They soon perceived that they had reached the void of space； for；
though the sun blazed with a splendour they had never before
seen； the firmament was intensely black； and the stars shone as
at midnight。 Here they began to change their course to a curve
beginning with a spiral； by charging the Callisto apergetically；
and directing the current towards the moon； to act as an aid to
the lunar attraction； while still allowing the earth to repel；
and their motion gradually became the resultant of the two
forces； the change from a straight line being so gradual；
however； that for some minutes they scarcely perceived it。 The
coronal streamers about the sun； such as are visible on earth
during a total eclipse； shone with a halo against the
ultra…Cimmerian background； bursting forth to a height of twenty
or thirty thousand miles above the surface in vast cyclonic
storms； producing so rapid a motion that a column of incandescent
gas may move ten thousand miles in less than ten minutes。
Whether these great streaks were in part electrical phenomena
similar to the aurora borealis； or entirely of intensely heated
material thrown up by explosions within the sun's mass； they
could not tell even from their point of vantage。
〃I believe；〃 said Cortlandt； pointing to the streamers； 〃that
they are masses of gas thrown beyond the sun's atmosphere； which
expand enormously when the pressure to which they are subjected
in the sun is removedfor only in space freed from resistance
could they move at such velocities； and that their brilliancy is
increased by great electrical disturbance。 If they were entirely
the play of electrical forces； their change of place would be
practically instantaneous； which； however rapid their movement；
is not the case。〃
BOOK II。
CHAPTER I。
THE LAST OF THE EARTH。
Finding that they were rapidly swinging towards their proper
course； and that the earth in its journey about the sun would
move out of their way； they divided their power between repelling
the body they had left and increasing the attraction of the moon；
and then set about getting their house in order。
Bearwarden； having the largest appetite； was elected cook； the
others sagely divining that labour so largely for himself would
be no trial。 Their small but business… like…looking electric
range was therefore soon in full blast； with Bearwarden in
command。 It had enough current to provide heat for cooking for
four hundred hours； which was an ample margin； and it had this
advantage； that； no matter how much it was used； it could not
exhaust the air as any other form of heat would。
There were also a number of sixteen…candle…power incandescent
lamps； so that when passing through the shadow of a planet； or at
night after their arrival on Jupiter； their car would be brightly
illuminated。 They had also a good search…light for examining the
dark side of a satellite； or exploring the spaces in Saturn's
rings。 Having lunched sumptuously on canned chicken soup； beef
a la jardiniere； and pheasant that had been sent them by some of
their admirers that morning； they put the bones and the glass can
that had contained the soup into the double…doored partition or
vestibule； placing a large sheet of cardboard to act as a wad
between the scraps and the outside door。 By pressing a button
they unfastened the outside door； and the articles to be disposed
of were shot off by the expansion of the air between the
cardboard disk and the inside door； after which the outside door
was drawn back to its place by a current sent through a magnet；
but little power being required to reclose it with no resisting
atmospheric pressure。 As the electricity ran along a wire
passing through a hermetically sealed opening in the floor； there
was no way by which more air than that in the vestibule could
escape； and as the somewhat flat space between the doors
contained less than one cubic foot； the air… pressure inside the
Callisto could not be materially lessened by a few openings。
〃By filling the vestibule as full as possible；〃 said Bearwarden；
〃and so displacing most of its air； we shall be able to open the
outside door oftener without danger of rarefaction。〃
The things they had discharged flew off with considerable speed
and were soon out of sight； but it was not necessary for them to
move fast； provided they moved at all； for； the resistance being
nil； they would be sure to go beyond the range of vision；
provided enough time was allowed； even if the Callisto's speed
was not being increased by apergy； in which case articles outside
and not affected would be quickly left behind。
The earth； which at first had filled nearly half their sky； was
rapidly growing smaller。 Being almost between themselves and the
sun； it looked like a crescent moon； and when it was only about
twenty times the size of the moon they calculated they must have
come nearly two hundred thousand miles。 The moon was now on what
a sailor would call the starboard bowi。 e。； to the right and
ahead。 Being a little more than three quarters full； and only
about fifty thousand miles off； it presented a splendid sight；
brilliant as polished silver； and about twenty…five times as
large as they had ever before seen it with the unaided eye。
It was just ten hours since they had started； and at that moment
9 A。 M。 in New York； but； though it was night there； the Callisto
was bathed in a flood of sunlight such as never shines on earth。
The only night they would have was on the side of the Callisto
turned away from the sun； unless they passed through some shadow；
which they intended to avoid on account of the danger of
colliding with a meteor in the dark。 The moon and the Callisto
were moving on converging lines； the curve on which they had
entered having swung them to the side nearest the earth； but they
saw that their own tremendous and increasing speed would carry
them in front of the moon in its nearly circular orbit。 Wishing
to change the direction of their flight by the moon's attraction；
they shut off the power driving them from the earth； whereupon
the Callisto turned its heavy base towards the moon。 They were
already moving at such speed that their momentum alone would
carry them hundreds of thousands of miles into space； and were
then almost abreast of the earth's satellite； which was but a few
thousand miles away。 The spectacle was magnificent。 As they
looked at it through their field glasses or with the unaided eye；
the great cracks and craters showed with the utmost clearness；
sweeping past them almost as the landscape flies past a railway
train。 There was something awe…inspiring in the vast antiquity
of that furrowed lunar surface； by far the oldest thing that
mortal eye can see； since； while observing the ceaseless
political or geological changes on earth； the face of this dead
satellite； on account of the absence of air and water and
consequent erosion； has remaine