round the moon-第13节

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〃You　do　not　know！〃　exclaimed　Michel；　with　a　bellow　which
provoked　a　sonorous　echo　in　the　projectile。

〃No；　I　have　not　even　thought　about　it；〃　retorted　Barbicane；　in
the　same　loud　tone。

〃Well；　I　know；〃　replied　Michel。

〃Speak；　then；〃　cried　Nicholl；　who　could　no　longer　contain　the
growling　of　his　voice。

〃I　shall　speak　if　it　suits　me；〃　exclaimed　Michel；　seizing　his
companions'　arms　with　violence。

〃_It　must_　suit　you；〃　said　Barbicane；　with　an　eye　on　fire　and　a
threatening　hand。　　〃It　was　you　who　drew　us　into　this　frightful
journey；　and　we　want　to　know　what　for。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　captain；　〃now　that　I　do　not　know　_where_　I　am
going；　I　want　to　know　_why_　I　am　going。〃

〃Why？〃　exclaimed　Michel；　jumping　a　yard　high；　〃why？　　To　take
possession　of　the　moon　in　the　name　of　the　United　States；　to　add
a　fortieth　State　to　the　Union；　to　colonize　the　lunar　regions；
to　cultivate　them；　to　people　them；　to　transport　thither　all　the
prodigies　of　art；　of　science；　and　industry；　to　civilize　the
Selenites；　unless　they　are　more　civilized　than　we　are；　and　to
constitute　them　a　republic；　if　they　are　not　already　one！〃

〃And　if　there　are　no　Selenites？〃　retorted　Nicholl；　who；　under　the
influence　of　this　unaccountable　intoxication；　was　very　contradictory。

〃Who　said　that　there　were　no　Selenites？〃　exclaimed　Michel　in　a
threatening　tone。

〃I　do；〃　howled　Nicholl。

〃Captain；〃　said　Michel；　〃do　not　repreat　that　insolence；　or　I
will　knock　your　teeth　down　your　throat！〃

The　two　adversaries　were　going　to　fall　upon　each　other；　and　the
incoherent　discussion　threatened　to　merge　into　a　fight；　when
Barbicane　intervened　with　one　bound。

〃Stop；　miserable　men；〃　said　he；　separating　his　two　companions；
〃if　there　are　no　Selenites；　we　will　do　without　them。〃

〃Yes；〃　exclaimed　Michel；　who　was　not　particular；　〃yes；　we　will
do　without　them。　　We　have　only　to　make　Selenites。　　Down　with
the　Selenites！〃

〃The　empire　of　the　moon　belongs　to　us；〃　said　Nicholl。

〃Let　us　three　constitute　the　republic。〃

〃I　will　be　the　congress；〃　cried　Michel。

〃And　I　the　senate；〃　retorted　Nicholl。

〃And　Barbicane；　the　president；〃　howled　Michel。

〃Not　a　president　elected　by　the　nation；〃　replied　Barbicane。

〃Very　well；　a　president　elected　by　the　congress；〃　cried　Michel；
〃and　as　I　am　the　congress；　you　are　unanimously　elected！〃

〃Hurrah！　hurrah！　hurrah！　for　President　Barbicane；〃　exclaimed　Nicholl。

〃Hip！　hip！　hip！〃　vociferated　Michel　Ardan。

Then　the　president　and　the　senate　struck　up　in　a　tremendous
voice　the　popular　song　〃Yankee　Doodle；〃　while　from　the　congress
resounded　the　masculine　tones　of　the　〃Marseillaise。〃

Then　they　struck　up　a　frantic　dance；　with　maniacal　gestures；
idiotic　stampings；　and　somersaults　like　those　of　the　boneless
clowns　in　the　circus。　　Diana；　joining　in　the　dance；　and　howling
in　her　turn；　jumped　to　the　top　of　the　projectile。　　An　unaccountable
flapping　of　wings　was　then　heard　amid　most　fantastic　cock…crows；
while　five　or　six　hens　fluttered　like　bats　against　the　walls。

Then　the　three　traveling　companions；　acted　upon　by　some
unaccountable　influence　above　that　of　intoxication；　inflamed　by
the　air　which　had　set　their　respiratory　apparatus　on　fire；　fell
motionless　to　the　bottom　of　the　projectile。





CHAPTER　VIII


AT　SEVENTY…EIGHT　THOUSAND　FIVE　HUNDRED　AND　FOURTEEN　LEAGUES

What　had　happened？　　Whence　the　cause　of　this　singular
intoxication；　the　consequences　of　which　might　have　been
very　disastrous？　　A　simple　blunder　of　Michel's；　which；
fortunately；　Nicholl　was　able　to　correct　in　time。

After　a　perfect　swoon；　which　lasted　some　minutes；　the　captain；
recovering　first；　soon　collected　his　scattered　senses。
Although　he　had　breakfasted　only　two　hours　before；　he　felt　a
gnawing　hunger；　as　if　he　had　not　eaten　anything　for　several　days。
Everything　about　him；　stomach　and　brain；　were　overexcited　to　the
highest　degree。　　He　got　up　and　demanded　from　Michel　a
supplementary　repast。　　Michel；　utterly　done　up；　did　not　answer。

Nicholl　then　tried　to　prepare　some　tea　destined　to　help　the
absorption　of　a　dozen　sandwiches。　　He　first　tried　to　get　some
fire；　and　struck　a　match　sharply。　　What　was　his　surprise　to　see
the　sulphur　shine　with　so　extraordinary　a　brilliancy　as　to　be
almost　unbearable　to　the　eye。　　From　the　gas…burner　which　he　lit
rose　a　flame　equal　to　a　jet　of　electric　light。

A　revelation　dawned　on　Nicholl's　mind。　　That　intensity　of　light；
the　physiological　troubles　which　had　arisen　in　him；　the
overexcitement　of　all　his　moral　and　quarrelsome　faculties　he
understood　all。

〃The　oxygen！〃　he　exclaimed。

And　leaning　over　the　air　apparatus；　he　saw　that　the　tap　was
allowing　the　colorless　gas　to　escape　freely；　life…giving；　but　in
its　pure　state　producing　the　gravest　disorders　in　the　system。
Michel　had　blunderingly　opened　the　tap　of　the　apparatus　to　the　full。

Nicholl　hastened　to　stop　the　escape　of　oxygen　with　which　the
atmosphere　was　saturated；　which　would　have　been　the　death　of　the
travelers；　not　by　suffocation；　but　by　combustion。　　An　hour
later；　the　air　less　charged　with　it　restored　the　lungs　to　their
normal　condition。　　By　degrees　the　three　friends　recovered　from
their　intoxication；　but　they　were　obliged　to　sleep　themselves
sober　over　their　oxygen　as　a　drunkard　does　over　his　wine。

When　Michel　learned　his　share　of　the　responsibility　of　this
incident；　he　was　not　much　disconcerted。　　This　unexpected
drunkenness　broke　the　monotony　of　the　journey。　　Many　foolish
things　had　been　said　while　under　its　influence；　but　also
quickly　forgotten。

〃And　then；〃　added　the　merry　Frenchman；　〃I　am　not　sorry　to　have
tasted　a　little　of　this　heady　gas。　　Do　you　know；　my　friends；
that　a　curious　establishment　might　be　founded　with　rooms　of
oxygen；　where　people　whose　system　is　weakened　could　for　a　few
hours　live　a　more　active　life。　　Fancy　parties　where　the　room　was
saturated　with　this　heroic　fluid；　theaters　where　it　should　be
kept　at　high　pressure；　what　passion　in　the　souls　of　the　actors
and　spectators！　what　fire；　what　enthusiasm！　　And　if；　instead　of
an　assembly　only　a　whole　people　could　be　saturated；　what　activity
in　its　functions；　what　a　supplement　to　life　it　would　derive。
From　an　exhausted　nation　they　might　make　a　great　and　strong　one；
and　I　know　more　than　one　state　in　old　Europe　which　ought　to　put
itself　under　the　regime　of　oxygen　for　the　sake　of　its　health！〃

Michel　spoke　with　so　much　animation　that　one　might　have　fancied
that　the　tap　was　still　too　open。　　But　a　few　words　from　Barbicane
soon　shattered　his　enthusiasm。

〃That　is　all　very　well；　friend　Michel；〃　said　he；　〃but　will　you
inform　us　where　these　chickens　came　from　which　have　mixed
themselves　up　in　our　concert？〃

〃Those　chickens？〃

〃Yes。〃

Indeed；　half　a　dozen　chickens　and　a　fine　cock　were　walking
about；　flapping　their　wings　and　chattering。

〃Ah；　the　awkward　things！〃　exclaimed　Michel。　　〃The　oxygen　has
made　them　revolt。〃

〃But　what　do　you　want　to　do　with　these　chickens？〃　asked　Barbicane。

〃To　acclimatize　them　in　the　moon；　by　Jove！〃

〃Then　why　did　you　hide　them？〃

〃A　joke；　my　worthy　president；　a　simple　joke；　which　has　proved　a
miserable　failure。　　I　wanted　to　set　them　free　on　the　lunar
continent；　without　saying　anything。　　Oh；　what　would　have　been
your　amazement　on　seeing　these　earthly…winged　animals　pecking　in
your　lunar　fields！〃

〃You　rascal；　you　unmitigated　rascal；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃you　do
not　want　oxygen　to　mount　to　the　head。　　You　are　always　what　we
were　under　the　influence　of　the　gas；　you　are　always　foolish！〃

〃Ah；　who　says　that　we　were　not　wise　then？〃　replied　Michel　Ardan。

After　this　philosophical　reflection；　the　three　friends　set　about
restoring　the　order　of　the　projectile。　　Chickens　and　cock　were
reinstated　in　their　coop。　　But　while　proceeding　with　this
operation；　Barbicane　and　his　two　companions　had　a　most　desired
perception　of　a　new　phenomenon。　　From　the　moment　of　leaving　the
earth；　their　own　weight；　that　of　the　projectile；　and　the　objects
it　enclosed；　had　been　subject　to　an　increasing　diminution。　　If　they
could　not　prove　this　loss　of　the　projectile；　a　moment　would　arrive
when　it　would　be　sensibly　felt　upon　themselves　and　the　utensils
and　instruments　they　used。

It　is　needless　to　say　that　a　scale　would　not　show　this　loss；　for
the　weight　destined　to　weight　the　object　would　have　lost　exactly
as　much　as　the　object　itself；　but　a　spring　steelyard　for
example；　the　tension　of　which　was　independent　of　the　attraction；
would　have　given　a　just　estimate　of　this　loss。

We　know　that　the　attraction；　otherwise　called　the　weight；　is　in
proportion　to　the　densities　of　the　bodies；　and　inversely　as　the
squares　of　the　distances。　　Hence　this　effect：　　If　the　earth　had
been　alone　in　space；　if　the　other　celestial　bodies　had　been
suddenly　annihilated；　the　projectile；　according　to　Newton's
laws；　would　weigh　less　as　it　got　farther　from　the　earth；　but
without　ever　losing　its　weight　entirely；　for　the　terrestrial
attraction　would　always　have　made　itself　felt；　at　whatever　distance。

But；　in　reality；　a　time　must　come　when　the　projectile　would　no
longer　be　subject　to　the　law　of　weight；　after　allowing　for　the
other　celestial　bodies　whose　effect　could　not　be　set　down　as　zero。
Indeed；　the　projectile's　course