Roy Rockwood

“ Instantly they felt themselves being moved backward to the projectile. They went a few feet, then were moved forward toward the crowd again. Then they found themselves stationary.
"It's thought force!" cried Jack. "That's what it is. They simply will for a thing to be done, and it is done—at least with persons from another planet. They have the power to make us move by merely wishing it."
"Then they ought to be able to read our thoughts," spoke Mark.
"Maybe their power extends only to motion," suggested Mr. Henderson. ”

“ First time I ever saw a bullet come from a gun! We're in a strange land, friends!"
"I have it!" cried Professor Henderson. "The attraction of gravitation on Mars is a third of that on the earth. The atmosphere is also less dense. Your gun only makes half the noise, Andy, and the bullet doesn't go nearly as fast, nor with nearly so much force. That's why you could see the bullet. It went very slowly. Your gun is of no use here."
"And is that what makes us move?" asked Jack. "Because we're so light?" ”

“ Roumann looked first. Then he uttered an exclamation.
"Can you really see our earth?" asked Jack.
"I can! Look for yourself! This is a marvelous telescope! No wonder the Martians understand something about us. They can clearly make out the shapes of our continents."
Jack peered through the eyepiece. There, far off, shining in the light of the distant sun, which was now on the other side of Mars, he saw the earth they had left about two weeks ago. ”

“ Roumann firmly.
"Then we shall attack you!"
"And we shall defend ourselves. Now, let me warn you. We have powerful forces within this projectile. We will use them against you and your men."
"You cannot harm us," insisted the Martian in the red cloak. "Your machines of war will be powerless against those we have. Be warned in time. You must choose between the Cardite and death!"
"We will keep the Cardite, and we will also keep our lives!" retorted the German. ”

“ The Annihilator had landed on a broad, sandy plain, one of the largest on the planet, as it afterward developed, and so gentle had been the descent, that the projectile was not injured in the least. But leaving that vicinity, and following their guide, the travelers found themselves in the midst of a network of waterways.
"These must be some of the canals the astronomers see," observed Jack.
"Yes," assented Mark. "There isn't much land to spare. I should think the Martians would be a sort of water race. But they don't appear to have any boats."
"Yes, they do," put in Mr. Roumann. ”

“ Roumann. "No, I fancy they will treat us well. They will want to know about the planet we came from, as well as we want to know about them. I think they will treat us with respect."
"They certainly have, so far," remarked Mr. Henderson. "I only hope none of them meddle with our projectile."
"I'm a little apprehensive about that myself," added Mr. Roumann. "And I trust that crazy man does not get loose. But we can't help ourselves, and we'll hope for the best." ”

“ Inside was a small metal box, which he also opened, disclosing a lump of the red substance.
"They cook with it, too!" exclaimed Mr. Roumann. "And I have no doubt that they warm their houses with it in winter. A wonderful substance—most marvelous! It exceeds my wildest dreams—light, heat and power! Our fortunes are made! It is good that we came to Mars!"
"And it's a good thing they've got something to eat!" remarked Jack. "Come on, I'm half starved."
"I'll wait on table fo' yo'," said Washington, as they went back to the dining–room, and the Martian left. ”

“ We do not revolve, so there will no night, only day."
"Are we headed for the sun?" asked Mark
"No, for Mars. But as we will take good care not to head for any other planet, so as to get it between us and the sun, we shall never have any darkness."
"But it doesn't look like sunshine out there," objected Jack, pointing out of the window.
"No, because we are surrounded by a mass of vapor. I think it will presently pass and we shall see the sun. The difference in temperature between the projectile and the surrounding atmosphere causes us to be enveloped in a sort of cloud. ”

“ They went to the storeroom, where the maniac was bound.
"Why did you try to damage my machinery?" asked Mr. Roumann.
"Because it is an infringement on my patent," was the surprising answer. "I invented a perpetual motion machine, for making dog biscuits, and you have used it to make your airship go. Therefore I smashed it. I have the sole right to make dog biscuits for the king of the cannibal islands. I'm his private secretary."
"He is hopelessly insane," murmured Jack.
"I fear so," agreed Mr. Roumann. Then he asked: "Where have you been hiding?" ”

“ There great ice caps are to be found."
"But what makes the planet so red?" asked Jack.
"That," said Mr. Roumann quickly, "is what hope to discover and use for our benefit, but I not wish to discuss it now."
They talked of Mars for some time further, discussing the many queer features, and during this time the Annihilator was shooting through space at terrific speed. Inside the projectile the adventurers moved about, living and breathing, comfortably as if they were on earth, for the great tanks of stored air provided all the oxygen they needed. ”

“ The leading Martian motioned for Jack and Mark to get in one sled, Mr. Roumann and Professor Henderson were assigned to another, and Washington and Andy to a third. The leading Martian took his place in the vehicle with the two men, while two others of the queer people got in the remaining two sleds, which the boys dubbed the vehicles. No sooner had they done so than they started off as if by magic, sliding over the smooth, glass–like streets.
"Well, they certainly have the transportation problem down to a science," remarked Jack. ”

“ Think of simply putting a bit of it in a stove and having heat, or hanging up some in a room and getting light from it. But, more than this, think of having it move machinery, I would not be surprised but what I could transform it into energy that would operate the motors of the Annihilator."
"But wouldn't you need a new supply every once in a while?" asked Jack.
"I think not. I believe it is like radium, and will last forever. In fact, you notice that the metal boxes it is contained in, except the ones in the boats, are securely sealed. ”

“ It was several days after this before the boys had the chance to work alone in the laboratory again, and Jack had to promise not to try his experiment with the new gas before this privilege was granted him.
"Want any help?" asked Dick Jenfer, another student, as he saw Jack and Mark enter the laboratory.
"Yes, if you want to hold a test tube for me," answered Jack. "I'm going to try a new way of making oxygen."
"No, thanks! Not for mine!" exclaimed Dick as he turned away. "I don't want to be around when you try your new experiments. The old way of making oxygen is good enough for me." ”

“ Roumann. "From those openings, and you will see that there are four of them, will protrude the muzzles of my electric cannons."
"Do we need them?" asked Jack.
"You can't tell what we'll need when we get to Mars," was the slow answer. "You must remember that we know nothing about the inhabitants of the planet. While I believe that the people there are of a very high grade of intelligence, we must be prepared for the worst. We may find them terrible savages, who will want to attack and destroy us. With the electric cannon we can defend ourselves." ”

“ We'll be mighty cold in winter—if we arrive in winter," said Jack with a shiver.
"Unless the Martians have a means of making up for this loss of light and heat," said Mr. Roumann. "I believe they have."
"I shall be much interested in seeing how the great canals on the planet are dug," said Professor Henderson. "I have seen a map of Mars, made by a scientist named Schiaparelli, and he has drawn a number of large bodies of water, among which are intermeshed continents and islands. The surface of Mars must be a curious one." ”

“ Professor Henderson, having finished his meal, went to the pilot house to relieve Mr. Roumann.
The latter paid a visit to the engine–room before sitting down.
"Is everything all right?" asked Jack.
"The motor is working like a charm," was the reply. "I shall soon expect you boys to take your turn at guiding the projectile through space."
"I want to wait until we get into the ether," said Jack. "We'll go faster then. It's something wonderful to steer a machine going a hundred miles a second." ”

“ Roumann, indicating another among the many on the wall of the projectile. "This is automatically kept pointed at Mars, and by means of a hand and dial I can tell how to keep the Annihilator aimed directly at the red planet."
"Even when it is on the opposite side of the earth from us?" asked Jack.
"We are now far above the earth," was the answer, "and the planet on which we lived offers no obstruction to my telescope being pointed at Mars, even though it is daytime, when Mars is on the opposite side of the earth." ”

“ Because we will not dare travel at such terrific speed as one hundred miles a second through the atmosphere of the earth. We would be burned into cinders by the mere friction of the air. Therefore, I shall send the Annihilator comparatively slowly through the earth's atmosphere, and perhaps I will find that I shall have to do the same thing when we near Mars. ”

“ Roumann and Professor Henderson," suggested Mark.
They started toward the pilot house, but met the two scientists rushing back toward the engine–room.
"Has anything happened?" asked Jack.
"Yes," answered the German. "The Etherium motor has stopped working!"
"And are we falling?" asked Mark.
"Yes, in a sense," answered Mr. Henderson, as the other inventor hurried on. "The gravitation of the earth no longer attracts us, but we are not heading in a straight line for Mars. We may be falling into some other planet, or the sun." ”

“ I have called it Etherium, for the reason that I expect it to carry us through the ether, or space that exists outside of the atmosphere of this earth and that of Mars.
"Now, professor, do you think you and your assistants can build a proper projectile?"
"We built an airship that went to the North Pole, we constructed a submarine that took us to the South Pole, and we had the Flying Mermaid, in which we went to the center of the earth," said Mr. Henderson. "I think we can build you the torpedo–shaped projectile. But what will make it move through thirty–five millions of miles of space?" ”

“ In a warmer atmosphere it travels slightly faster. We are going much faster than sound ever travels. A cannon ball will travel about three thousand feet per second, so we are even going to beat cannon balls. At least, we hope we are, when we get beyond the earth's atmosphere."
"That's going to be terrific speed," remarked Jack dubiously, as if there was some risk in it.
"You need not worry," said Mr. Roumann. "You know we are building the Annihilator with a double shell, with a space between the two walls." ”

“ 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." ”

“ My gun is no good."
"You forget that we have electrical cannons," said Jack.
"That's so," added Mr. Henderson. "And it might not be a bad plan to get, them in working order."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed the German scientist. "The Martians will never bother us. They are thinking too much about the stars, the sun, moons and other planets—they are too intent on studying to bother us. That is all they do—study. That's what makes their ears, eyes, nose and mouth so big. They use them to listen to scientific sounds, to look at scientific objects, smell scientific odors, and talk of scientific things. ”

“ Roumann, "and maybe we can find where they keep the red stuff, or where they get it from."
They strolled about the streets of Martopolis, noting many strange sights. The queer little people were hurrying to and fro, with a peculiar gliding motion, much faster than the ordinary walk, yet it was not a run. The peculiar lightness in weight of everything on Mars probably accounted for this, as the travelers themselves found they could move about very swiftly, and with little fatigue.
Nor did the world–dwellers attract as much attention as they expected they would. ”

“ The Martians seemed to be waiting for something. At last a large crowd was observed coming from the direction of the city. They carried great bundles of wood and torches.
"They're going to try to burn us out!" cried Jack.
"Good land a' massy!" yelled Washington. "Let me go! I ain't ready t' burn yet! No, indeedy!"
With shouts the Martians piled fuel all about the projectile. Then they set fire to it, and tongues of flame leaped up.
"Don't be alarmed," said Mr. Roumann. "We have passed safely through greater heat than they can produce. The gas in the projectile will absorb all the heat." ”

“ Roumann was working alone in the machine shop. The boys and Professor Henderson had done all there was for them to do, and the Annihilator was practically finished.
"Are you going to take along any extra–sized bullets, Andy?" asked Jack of the old hunter, who was on guard, as usual, at the door.
"I don't see why I should. I guess the regular ones will do when I get to Mars."
"I don't know about that," went on Jack. "We may find bigger game than elephants or sea lions there."
"If we do, I'll use a new kind of explosive electric bullet Mr. Roumann told me about," declared Andy. ”