a journey in other worlds-第15节

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Bearwarden　sailed　over　the　spectators'　heads　in　one　of　the
Terrestrial　Axis　Straightening　Company's　flying　machines；　while
Ayrault；　to　avoid　the　crowd；　had　come　to　the　Callisto　early；　and
was　showing　the　interior　arrangements　to　Sylvia；　who　had
accompanied　him。　　She　was　somewhat　piqued　because　at　the　last
moment　he　had　not　absolutely　insisted　on　carrying　her　off；　or
offered；　if　necessary；　to　displace　his　presidential　and
Doctor…of…Laws　friends　in　order　to　make　room。
　　　
〃You　will　have　an　ideal　trip；〃　she　said；　looking　over　some
astronomical　star…charts　and　photographic　maps　of　Jupiter　and
Saturn　that　lay　on　the　table；　with　a　pair　of　compasses；　〃and　I
hope　you　won't　lose　your　way。〃
　　　
〃I　shall　need　no　compass　to　find　my　way　back；〃　replied　Ayrault；
〃if　I　ever　succeed　in　leaving　this　planet；　neither　will
star…charts　be　necessary；　for　you　will　be　a　magnet　stronger　than
any　compass；　and；　compared　with　my　star；　all　others　are　dim。〃
　　　
〃You　should　write　a　book；〃　said　Sylvia；　〃and　put　some　of　those
things　in　it。〃　　She　was　wearing　a　bunch　of　forget…me…nots　and
violets　that　she　had　cut　from　a　small　flower…garden　of　potted
plants　Ayrault　had　sent　her；　which　she　had　placed　in　her　father's
conservatory。
　　　
At　this　moment　the　small　chime　clock　set　in　the　Callisto's
wood…work　rang　out　quarter　to　eleven。　　As　the　sounds　died　away；
Sylvia　became　very　pale；　and　began　to　regret　in　her　womanly　way
that　she　had　allowed　her　hero　to　attempt　this　experiment。
　　　
〃Oh；〃　she　said；　clinging　to　his　arm；　〃it　was　very　wrong　of　me　to
let　you　begin　this。　　I　was　so　dazzled　by　the　splendour　of　your
scheme　when　I　heard　it；　and　so　anxious　that　you　should　have　the
glory　of　being　the　first　to　surpass　Columbus；　that　I　did　not
realize　the　full　meaning。　　I　thought；　also；　you　seemed　rather
ready　to　leave　me；〃　she　added　gently；　〃and　so　said　little；　you　do
not　know　how　it　almost　breaks　my　heart　now　that　I　am　about　to
lose　you。　　It　was　quixotic　to　let　you　undertake　this　journey。〃
　　　
〃An　undertaker　would　have　given　me　his　kind　offices　for　one　even
longer；　had　I　remained　here；〃　replied　Ayrault。　　〃I　cannot　live　in
this　humdrum　world　without　you。　　The　most　sustained　excitement
cannot　even　palliate　what　seems　to　me　like　unrequited　love。〃
　　　
〃O　Dick！〃　she　exclaimed；　giving　him　a　reproachful　glance；　〃you
mustn't　say　that。　　You　know　you　have　often　told　me　my　reason　for
staying　and　taking　my　degree　was　good。　　My　lot　will　be　very　much
harder　than　yours；　for　you　will　forget　me　in　the　excitement　of
discovery　and　adventure；　but　Iwhat　can　I　do　in　the　midst　of　all
the　old　associations？〃
　　　
〃Never　mind；　sweetheart；〃　he　said；　kissing　her　hand；　〃I　have
seemed　on　the　verge　of　despair　all　the　time。〃
　　　
Seeing　that　their　separation　must　shortly　begin；　Ayrault　tried　to
assume　a　cheerful　look；　but　as　Sylvia　turned　her　eyes　away　they
were　suspiciously　moist。
　　　
Just　one　minute　before　the　starting…time　Ayrault　took　Sylvia　back
to　her　mother；　and；　after　pressing　her　hand　and　having　one　last
long　look　into　heror；　as　he　considered　them；　HISdeep…sea
eyes；　he　returned　to　the　Callisto；　and　was　standing　at　the　foot
of　the　telescopic　aluminum　ladder　when　his　friends　arrived。　　As
all　baggage　and　impedimenta　bad　been　sent　aboard　and　properly
stowed　the　day　before；　the　travellers　had　not　to　do　but　climb　to
and　enter　by　the　second…story　window。　　It　distressed　Bearwarden
that　the　north　pole's　exact　declination　on　the　21st　day　of
December；　when　the　axis　was　most　inclined；　could　not　be　figured
out　by　the　hour　at　which　they　were　to　start；　so　as　to　show　what
change；　if　any；　had　already　been　brought　about；　but　the
astronomers　were　working　industriously；　and　promised　that；　if　it
were　finished　by　midnight；　they　would　telegraph　the　result　into
space　by　flash…light　code。
　　　
Raising　his　hat　to　his　fiancee　and　his　prospective
parents…in…law；　Ayrault　followed　them　up。　　To　draw　in　and　fold
the　ladder　was　but　the　work　of　a　moment。　　As　the　clocks　in　the
neighbouring　steeples　began　to　strike　eleven；　Ayrault　touched　the
switch　that　would　correspond　to　the　throttle　of　an　engine；　and
the　motors　began　to　work　at　rapidly　increasing　speed。　　Slowly　the
Callisto　left　her　resting…place　as　a　Galatea　might　her　pedestal；
only；　instead　of　coming　down；　she　rose　still　higher。
　　　
A　large　American　flag　hanging　from　the　window；　which；　as　they
started；　fluttered　as　in　a　southern　zephyr；　soon　began　to　flap　as
in　a　stiff　breeze　as　the　car's　speed　increased。　　With　a　final
wave；　at　which　a　battery　of　twenty…one　field…pieces　made　the　air
ring　with　a　salute；　and　the　multitude　raised　a　mighty　cheer；　they
drew　it　in　and　closed　the　window；　sealing　it　hermetically　in
order　to　keep　in　the　air　that；　had　an　opening　remained；　would
soon　have　become　rarefied。
　　　
Sylvia　had　waved　her　handkerchief　with　the　utmost　enthusiasm；　in
spite　of　the　sadness　at　her　heart。　　But　she　now　had　other　use　for
it　in　trying　to　hide　her　tears。　　The　Callisto　was　still　going
straight　up；　with　a　speed　already　as　great　as　a　cannon　ball's；
and　was　almost　out　of　sight。　　The　multitude　then　began　to
disperse；　and　Sylvia　returned　to　her　home。
　　　
Let　us　now　follow　the　Callisto。　　The　earth　and　Jupiter　not　being
exactly　in　opposition；　as　they　would　be　if　the　sun；　the　earth；
and　Jupiter　were　in　line；　with　the　earth　between　the　two；　but
rather　as　shown　in　the　diagram；　the　Callisto's　journey　was
considerably　more　than　380；000；000　miles；　the　mean　opposition
distance。　　As　they　wished　to　start　by　daylighti。　e。；　from　the
side　of　the　earth　turned　towards　the　sunthey　could　not　steer
immediately　for　Jupiter；　but　were　obliged　to　go　a　few　hundred
miles　in　the　direction　of　the　sun；　then　change　their　course　to
something　like　a　tangent　to　the　earth；　and　get　their　final　right
direction　in　swinging　near　the　moon；　since　they　must　be
comparatively　near　some　material　object　to　bring　apergy　into
play。
　　　
The　maximum　power　being　turned　on；　the　projectile　shot　from　the
earth　with　tremendous　and　rapidly　increasing　speed；　by　the
shortest　coursei。　e。；　a　straight　lineso　that　for　the　present
it　was　not　necessary　to　steer。　　Until　beyond　the　limits　of　the
atmosphere　they　kept　the　greatest　apergetic　repulsion　focused　on
the　upper　part　of　their　cylinder；　so　that　its　point　went　first；
and　they　encountered　least　possible　　resistance。　　Looking　through
the　floor　windows；　therefore；　the　travellers　had　a　most　superb
view。　　The　air　being　clear；　the　eastern　border　of　North　America
and　the　Atlantic　were　outlined　as　on　a　map；　the　blue　of　the　ocean
and　brownish　colour　of　the　land；　with　white　snow…　patches　on　the
elevations；　being　very　marked。　　The　Hudson　and　the　Sound　appeared
as　clearly　　defined　blue　ribbons；　and　between　and　around　the　two
they　could　see　New　York。　　They　also　saw　the　ocean　dotted　for
miles　with　points　in　which　they　recognized　the　marine　spiders　and
cruisers　of　the　North　Atlantic　squadron；　and　the　ships　on　the
home　station；　which　they　knew　were　watching　them　through　their
glasses。
　　　
〃I　see；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃that　Deepwaters　has　been　as　good　as　his
word；　and　has　his　ships　on　the　watch　to　rescue　us　in　case　we
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
c