a journey in other worlds-第16节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　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　remained　unchanged　for　bygone　ages；　as　it
doubtless　will　for　many　more。
　　　
They　closely　watched　the　Callisto's　course。　　At　first　it　did　not
seem　to　deflect　from　a　straight　line；　and　they　stood　ready　to
turn　on　the　apergetic　force　again；　when　the　car　very　slowly　began
to　show　the　effect　of　the　moon's　near　pull；　but　not　till　they　had
so　far　passed　it　that　the　dark　side　was　towards　them　were　they
heading　straight　for　Jupiter。　　Then　they　again　turned　on　full
power　and　got　a　send…off　shove　on　the　moon　and　earth　combined；
which　increased　their　speed　so　rapidly　that　they　felt　they　could
soon　shut　off　the　current　altogether　and　save　their　supply。
　　　
〃We　must　be　ready　to　watch　the　signals　from　the　arctic　circle；〃
said　Bearwarden。　　〃At　midnight；　if　the　calculations　are　finished；
the　result　will　be　flashed　by　the　searchlight。〃　　It　was　then　ten
minutes　to　twelve；　and　the　earth　was　already　over　four　hundred
thousand　miles　away。　　Focusing　their　glasses　upon　the　region　near
the　north　pole；　which；　being　turned　from　the　sun；　was　towards
them　and　in　darkness；　they　waited。
　　　
〃In　this　blaze　of　sunlight；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃I　am　afraid　we　can
see　nothing。〃
　　　
Fortunately；　at　this　moment　the　Callisto　entered　the　moon's
tapering　shadow。
　　　
〃This；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃is　good　luck。　　We　could　of　course　have
gone　into　the　shadow；　but　to　change　our　course　would　have　delayed
us；　and　we　might　have　lost　part　of　the　chance　of　increasing　our
speed。〃
　　　
〃There　will　be　no　danger　from；　meteors　or　sub…satellites　here；〃
said　Bearwarden；　〃for　anything　revolving　about　the　moon　at　this
distance　would　be　caught　by　the　earth。〃
　　　
The　sun　had　apparently　set　behind　the　moon；　and　they　were
eclipsed。　　The　stars　shone　with　the　utmost　splendour　against　the
dead…black　sky；　and　the　earth　appeared　as　a　large　crescent；　still
considerably　larger　than　the　satellite　to　which　they　were
accustomed。　　Exactly　at　midnight　a　faint　phosphorescent　light；
like　that　of　a　glow…worm；　appeared　in　the　region　of　Greenland　on
the　planet　they　had　left。　　It　gradually　increased　its　strength
till　it　shone　like　a　long　white　beam　projected　from　a　lighthouse；
and　in　this　they　beheld　the　work　of　the　greatest　search…light
ever　made　by　man；　receiving　for　a　few　moments　all　the　electricity
generated　by　the　available　dynamos　at　Niagara　and　the　Bay　of
Fundy；　the　steam　engines；　and　other　sources　of　power　in　the
northern　hemisphere。　　The　beam　lasted　with　growing　intensity　for
one　minute；　it　then　spelled　out　with　clean…cut　intervals；
according　to　the　Cable　Code：　　〃23@　no'　6〃。　　The　southern
hemisphere　pumps　are　now　raising　and　storing　water　at　full　blast。　
We　have　already　begun　to　lower　the　Arctic　Ocean。〃
　　　
〃Victory！〃　shouted　Bearwarden；　in　an　ecstasy　of　delight。　　〃Nearly
half　a　degree　in　six　months；　with　but　one　pole　working。　　If　we
can　add　at　this　rate　each　time　to　the　speed　of　straightening　
already　acquired；　we　can　reverse　our　engines　in　five　years；　and
in　five　more　the　earth　will　be　at　rest　and　right。〃
　　　
〃Look！〃　said　Ayrault；　〃they　are　sending　something　else。〃　　The
flashes　came　in　rapid　succession；　reaching　far　into　space。　　With
their　glasses　fixed　upon　them；　they　made　out　these　sentences：　
〃Our　telescopes；　in　whatever　part　of　the　earth　was　turned　towards
you；　have　followed　you　since　you　started；　and　did　not　lose　sight
of　you　till　you　entered　the　moon's　shadow。　　On　your　present
course　you　will　be　in　darkness　till　12。16；　when　we　shall　see　you
again。〃
　　　
On　receiving　this　last　earthly　message；　the　travellers　sprang　to
their　searchlight；　and；　using　its　full　power；　telegraphed　back
the　following：　　〃Many　thanks　to　you　for　good　news　about　earth；
and　to　Secretary　Deepwaters　for　lending　us　the　navy。　　Result　of
work　most　glorious。　　Remember　us　to　everybody。　　Shadow's　edge
approaching。〃
　　　
This　was　read　by　the　men　in　the　great　observatories；　who
evidently　telephoned　to　the　arctic　Signal　Light　immediately；　for
it　flashed　back：　　〃Got　your　message　perfectly。　　Wish　you　greatest
luck。　　The　T。　A。　S。