by Roy Rockwood
CHAPTER XI
READY FOR THE MOON
There were busy times for the moon-voyagers the next day. They were upearly, for at the last moment many little details needed to be settled.The Cardite motor had been thoroughly repaired, for the damage causedby the unknown enemy had done no permanent harm.
When the injured one appeared the bandage on his head seemed largerthan ever, and his features were almost hidden. He still wore his armin a sling.
"Well, how do you feel?" asked Jack, looking narrowly at the figure. Hecould not get rid of a suspicion that something was wrong with Mark.
"Oh, I'm feeling pretty fair," was the mumbled answer. "I didn't sleepmuch, though."
"Well, take care of yourself," advised Jack. "We are about ready tostart. We'll get off about noon, Professor Henderson says. Don't try todo anything and injure your broken arm. You certainly had a tough timeof it."
"Yes, I guess I did. I can't do much to help you."
"You don't need to. We're all but finished. Just hang around and watchme work. There isn't much to do."
But though Jack gave an invitation to remain near him, the other seemedto prefer being off by himself. He wandered in and out of theprojectile, now and then helping Andy or Washington to carry lightobjects into the _Annihilator_. But all the while he was careful not todisturb the bandage on his face, and several times he stopped toreadjust it. Nor did he talk much, which Jack ascribed to his statementthat his teeth hurt him. And when the bandaged figure did speak, it wasin mumbling tones, very different from Mark's usually cheerful ones.
"Well," remarked Professor Roumann, after a final inspection of the bigCardite motor--the one that was to be depended on to carry them to themoon--"I think we are about ready to leave this earth. How about it,Professor Henderson?"
"Yes, I think so. Have you made any calculation as to speed?"
"Yes, we will not have to move nearly as fast as we did when we went toMars. We only have to cover a quarter of a million of miles at themost, and probably less than that. The motor will send us along at therate of about a mile a second, which is three thousand six hundredmiles an hour, or eighty-six thousand four hundred miles a--day. Atthat rate we would be at the moon in less than three days.
"But I don't want to travel as fast as that," the German went on. "Iwant time to make some scientific observations on the way, and so Ihave reduced the speed of the Cardite motor by half, though should weneed to hasten our trip we can do so."
"Then we'll be about a week on the way?" asked Jack.
"About that, yes," assented Mr. Roumann.
"And could we go farther than to the moon if we wanted to?" inquiredthe bandaged figure mumblingly.
"Farther? What do you mean?" asked Professor Henderson quickly.
"I mean could we go to Mars if we wanted to?"
"You don't mean to say you want to go back there, and run the chance ofbeing attacked by the savage Martians, do you?" asked Jack.
"No, I was only asking," and the other seemed confused.
"Well, of course, we _could_ go there, as we have plenty of suppliesand enough of the Cardite," said Mr. Roumann. "But I think the moonwill be the limit of our trip this time."
The work went on, the last things to be put aboard the projectile beinga number of scientific instruments. The injured one wandered in andout, now being in the house and again in the big shed. He seemedrestless and ill at ease, and frequently he walked to the front gateand gazed down the road.
"You seem to be looking for some one," spoke Jack. "Are you expectingyour girl to come along and bid you good-by, Mark?"
"Who--me? No, I--I was just looking to see if--if it was going to rain."
"Rain? Well, rain won't make much difference to us soon. We will beoutside of the earth's atmosphere in a jiffy after we have started, andthen rain won't worry us. Is your stateroom all fixed up?"
"No, I didn't think of that. Guess I'd better look after it."
The two started together for the projectile. The stout one enteredfirst, and made his way through the engine room and main cabin to thecompartment off which the staterooms opened. He entered one.
"Here, that's not yours," cried Jack. "That's where Professor Hendersonsleeps. Yours is next to mine."
"That's right; I forgot," mumbled the other. "I must be getting absentminded since my accident. But I'll be all right soon. I'll get my roomto rights, and then probably we'll start."
"I guess so," answered Jack, but he shook his head as he gazed afterhis chum. "Mark has certainly changed," he murmured. "I wish he'd takethose bandages off, so I could get a look at his face."
The last details were completed. The big _Annihilator_ had been run outon trucks into the yard surrounding the shed, ready to be hurledthrough the air. The shop, shed and house had been locked up and givenin charge of a caretaker, who would remain on guard until our friendsreturned.
"Are we all ready?" asked Professor Henderson, as he stood ready toclose the main entrance door and seal it hermetically.
"All ready, I guess," answered Jack. The stout one had gone to hisstateroom, where he could be heard moving about.
"I'm ready," announced Professor Roumann. "Say the word and I'll startthe motor." He was in the engine room, looking over the machinery. Atthat moment there came a loud yell from the galley where WashingtonWhite was.
"Heah, heah! Come back!" cried the colored man. "My Shanghai rooster isgot loose!" he yelled, and, an instant later, the fowl came sailing outof the projectile, with Washington in full chase after him.
"I'll help you catch him," volunteered Jack, springing to the cook'said, while Professor Henderson laughed, and a bandaged figure, lookingfrom a stateroom port, wondered at the delay in starting the projectile.
