Roy Rockwood by Through Space to Mars

Author:Through Space to Mars [Mars, Through Space to]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-01-25T15:52:53+00:00

CHAPTER XVI

THROUGH THE ETHER

“What’s that, Washington?” asked Mark, as the colored cook put something on the lad’s plate. “It looks like chicken.”

“It tastes like chicken,” added Jack, after making a test.

“It am chicken,” declared Washington. “I roasted some ob mah fowls, an’ put ‘em in de cold storage room. I was purty suah dere warn’t any chickens on dat red planet where we’re goin’.”

“Probably not,” answered Professor Henderson. “It was a good idea, Washington. Pass me some, please.”

“Ain’t Mr. Roumann comin’ to dinnah?”

“Not now,” answered the scientist. “He will stay in the pilot house until I relieve him.”

“It seems mighty queer to be sitting down to a meal, and all the while we’re shooting along at fifty miles a second,” remarked Jack.

“Yes; it doesn’t seem as if we were moving at all,” agreed Mark.

Indeed, the dining–room of the Annihilator was a very comfortable place, though the space was rather contracted, due to the shape of the projectile and the necessity for carrying a great quantity of stores. The living–room served as the place for serving the meals, which were prepared in a sort of galley or kitchen off the engine–room.

“It’s like eating in a dining–car on a railroad train,” observed Andy Sudds, “only it is more steady. No curves, and nothing like that.”

“Do you like it?” inquired Mr. Henderson.

“Well, it’s nice, of course, and there isn’t any better cook than Washington, but, to tell the honest truth, I’ve eaten with more satisfaction when I made a fire in the woods and boiled coffee and fried bacon. I’m sort of hampered for elbow room.”

“Still, it isn’t as crowded as when we all got in the cylinder and were shot up from the center of the earth on the geyser,” commented Jack.

“That’s right,” came from Mark.

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.”

“I should say so; six thousand miles a minute,” observed Mark. “The fastest automobile would seem like a snail compared to it.”

“Yes, and we are going faster than some stars,” added Mr. Roumann.

“But there isn’t anything to see,” objected Andy. “Now, I like scenery when I travel.”

“Well, it’s something to always be in sight of the sun,” put in Mark.

“Yes, and when we get to Mars there’ll be plenty to look at,” suggested Jack. “We can see the rings around it.”

“Mars hasn’t any rings around it,” retorted Mark, who had a good memory for scientific facts. “That’s Saturn you’re thinking of.”

“Oh, yes, so it is. But hasn’t Mars got a lot of moons, or something like that? Seems to me I’ve heard about ‘em.”

“Mars has two moons, or satellites,” stated Mr.

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