round the moon-第4节

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pay　afterward。　　It　is　quite　possible　that　Barbicane's　reasoning
is　correct；　and　that　I　have　lost　my　nine　thousand　dollars。　　But　a
new　hypothesis　presents　itself　to　my　mind；　and　it　annuls　the　wager。〃

〃What　is　that？〃　asked　Barbicane　quickly。

〃The　hypothesis　that；　for　some　reason　or　other；　fire　was　never
set　to　the　powder；　and　we　have　not　started　at　all。〃

〃My　goodness；　captain；〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　〃that　hypothesis
is　not　worthy　of　my　brain！　　It　cannot　be　a　serious　one。　　For　have
we　not　been　half　annihilated　by　the　shock？　　Did　I　not　recall　you
to　life？　　Is　not　the　president's　shoulder　still　bleeding　from　the
blow　it　has　received？〃

〃Granted；〃　replied　Nicholl；　〃but　one　question。〃

〃Well；　captain？〃

〃Did　you　hear　the　detonation；　which　certainly　ought　to　be　loud？〃

〃No；〃　replied　Ardan；　much　surprised；　〃certainly　I　did　not　hear
the　detonation。〃

〃And　you；　Barbicane？〃

〃Nor　I；　either。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Nicholl。

〃Well　now；〃　murmured　the　president　〃why　did　we　not　hear　the　detonation？〃

The　three　friends　looked　at　each　other　with　a　disconcerted　air。
It　was　quite　an　inexplicable　phenomenon。　　The　projectile　had
started；　and　consequently　there　must　have　been　a　detonation。

〃Let　us　first　find　out　where　we　are；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃and　let
down　this　panel。〃

This　very　simple　operation　was　soon　accomplished。

The　nuts　which　held　the　bolts　to　the　outer　plates　of　the
right…hand　scuttle　gave　way　under　the　pressure　of　the
English　wrench。　　These　bolts　were　pushed　outside；　and　the
buffers　covered　with　India…rubber　stopped　up　the　holes　which　let
them　through。　　Immediately　the　outer　plate　fell　back　upon　its
hinges　like　a　porthole；　and　the　lenticular　glass　which　closed
the　scuttle　appeared。　　A　similar　one　was　let　into　the　thick
partition　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　projectile；　another　in　the
top　of　the　dome；　and　finally　a　fourth　in　the　middle　of　the　base。
They　could；　therefore；　make　observations　in　four　different
directions；　the　firmament　by　the　side　and　most　direct　windows；
the　earth　or　the　moon　by　the　upper　and　under　openings　in
the　projectile。

Barbicane　and　his　two　companions　immediately　rushed　to　the
uncovered　window。　　But　it　was　lit　by　no　ray　of　light。
Profound　darkness　surrounded　them；　which；　however；　did　not
prevent　the　president　from　exclaiming：

〃No；　my　friends；　we　have　not　fallen　back　upon　the　earth；　no；　nor
are　we　submerged　in　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　　Yes！　we　are　mounting
into　space。　　See　those　stars　shining　in　the　night；　and　that
impenetrable　darkness　heaped　up　between　the　earth　and　us！〃

〃Hurrah！　hurrah！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan　and　Nicholl　in　one　voice。

Indeed；　this　thick　darkness　proved　that　the　projectile　had　left
the　earth；　for　the　soil；　brilliantly　lit　by　the　moon…beams　would
have　been　visible　to　the　travelers；　if　they　had　been　lying　on
its　surface。　　This　darkness　also　showed　that　the　projectile　had
passed　the　atmospheric　strata；　for　the　diffused　light　spread　in
the　air　would　have　been　reflected　on　the　metal　walls；　which
reflection　was　wanting。　　This　light　would　have　lit　the　window；
and　the　window　was　dark。　　Doubt　was　no　longer　possible；　the
travelers　had　left　the　earth。

〃I　have　lost；〃　said　Nicholl。

〃I　congratulate　you；〃　replied　Ardan。

〃Here　are　the　nine　thousand　dollars；〃　said　the　captain；　drawing
a　roll　of　paper　dollars　from　his　pocket。

〃Will　you　have　a　receipt　for　it？〃　asked　Barbicane；　taking　the　sum。

〃If　you　do　not　mind；〃　answered　Nicholl；　〃it　is　more　business…like。〃

And　coolly　and　seriously；　as　if　he　had　been　at　his　strong…box；
the　president　drew　forth　his　notebook；　tore　out　a　blank　leaf；
wrote　a　proper　receipt　in　pencil；　dated　and　signed　it　with　the
usual　flourish；　＇1＇　and　gave　it　to　the　captain；　who　carefully　placed
it　in　his　pocketbook。　　Michel　Ardan；　taking　off　his　hat；　bowed　to
his　two　companions　without　speaking。　　So　much　formality　under　such
circumstances　left　him　speechless。　　He　had　never　before　seen
anything　so　〃American。〃

＇1＇　This　is　a　purely　French　habit。

This　affair　settled；　Barbicane　and　Nicholl　had　returned　to　the
window；　and　were　watching　the　constellations。　　The　stars　looked
like　bright　points　on　the　black　sky。　　But　from　that　side　they
could　not　see　the　orb　of　night；　which；　traveling　from　east　to
west；　would　rise　by　degrees　toward　the　zenith。　　Its　absence　drew
the　following　remark　from　Ardan：

〃And　the　moon；　will　she　perchance　fail　at　our　rendezvous？〃

〃Do　not　alarm　yourself；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃our　future　globe　is　at
its　post；　but　we　cannot　see　her　from　this　side；　let　us　open　the　other。〃

〃As　Barbicane　was　about　leaving　the　window　to　open　the　opposite
scuttle；　his　attention　was　attracted　by　the　approach　of　a
brilliant　object。　　It　was　an　enormous　disc；　whose　colossal
dimension　could　not　be　estimated。　　Its　face；　which　was　turned　to
the　earth；　was　very　bright。　　One　might　have　thought　it　a　small
moon　reflecting　the　light　of　the　large　one。　　She　advanced　with
great　speed；　and　seemed　to　describe　an　orbit　round　the　earth；
which　would　intersect　the　passage　of　the　projectile。　　This　body
revolved　upon　its　axis；　and　exhibited　the　phenomena　of　all
celestial　bodies　abandoned　in　space。

〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　〃What　is　that？　another　projectile？〃

Barbicane　did　not　answer。　　The　appearance　of　this　enormous　body
surprised　and　troubled　him。　　A　collision　was　possible；　and　might
be　attended　with　deplorable　results；　either　the　projectile　would
deviate　from　its　path；　or　a　shock；　breaking　its　impetus；　might
precipitate　it　to　earth；　or；　lastly；　it　might　be　irresistibly
drawn　away　by　the　powerful　asteroid。　　The　president　caught　at　a
glance　the　consequences　of　these　three　hypotheses；　either　of
which　would；　one　way　or　the　other；　bring　their　experiment　to　an
unsuccessful　and　fatal　termination。　　His　companions　stood
silently　looking　into　space。　　The　object　grew　rapidly　as　it
approached　them；　and　by　an　optical　illusion　the　projectile
seemed　to　be　throwing　itself　before　it。

〃By　Jove！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　〃we　shall　run　into　one　another！〃

Instinctively　the　travelers　drew　back。　　Their　dread　was　great；
but　it　did　not　last　many　seconds。　　The　asteroid　passed　several
hundred　yards　from　the　projectile　and　disappeared；　not　so　much
from　the　rapidity　of　its　course；　as　that　its　face　being　opposite
the　moon；　it　was　suddenly　merged　into　the　perfect　darkness　of　space。

〃A　happy　journey　to　you；〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　with　a　sigh
of　relief。　　〃Surely　infinity　of　space　is　large　enough　for　a　poor
little　projectile　to　walk　through　without　fear。　　Now；　what　is
this　portentous　globe　which　nearly　struck　us？〃

〃I　know；〃　replied　Barbicane。

〃Oh；　indeed！　you　know　everything。〃

〃It　is；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃a　simple　meteorite；　but　an　enormous　one；
which　the　attraction　of　the　earth　has　retained　as　a　satellite。〃

〃Is　it　possible！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　〃the　earth　then　has
two　moons　like　Neptune？〃

〃Yes；　my　friends；　two　moons；　though　it　passes　generally　for
having　only　one；　but　this　second　moon　is　so　small；　and　its
speed　so　great；　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　earth　cannot　see　it。
It　was　by　noticing　disturbances　that　a　French　astronomer；　M。　Petit；
was　able　to　determine　the　existence　of　this　second　satellite　and
calculate　its　elements。　　According　to　his　observations；　this
meteorite　will　accomplish　its　revolution　around　the　earth　in
three　hours　and　twenty　minutes；　which　implies　a　wonderful　rate
of　speed。〃

〃Do　all　astronomers　admit　the　existence　of　this　satellite？〃
asked　Nicholl。

〃No；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃but　if；　like　us；　they　had　met　it；　they
could　no　longer　doubt　it。　　Indeed；　I　think　that　this　meteorite；
which；　had　it　struck　the　projectile；　would　have　much　embarrassed
us；　will　give　us　the　means　of　deciding　what　our　position　in
space　is。〃

〃How？〃　said　Ardan。

〃Because　its　distance　is　known；　and　when　we　met　it；　we　were
exactly　four　thousand　six　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　the
surface　of　the　terrestrial　globe。〃

〃More　than　two　thousand　French　leagues；〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan。
〃That　beats　the　express　trains　of　the　pitiful　globe　called　the　earth。〃

〃I　should　think　so；〃　replied　Nicholl；　consulting　his
chronometer；　〃it　is　eleven　o'clock；　and　it　is　only　thirteen
minutes　since　we　left　the　American　continent。〃

〃Only　thirteen　minutes？〃　said　Barbicane。

〃Yes；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃and　if　our　initiatory　speed　of　twelve
thousand　yards　has　been　kept　up；　we　shall　have　made　about　twenty
thousand　miles　in　the　hour。〃

〃That　is　all　very　well；　my　friends；〃　said　the　president；　〃but
the　insoluble　question　still　remains。　　Why　did　we　not　hear　the
detonation　of　the　Columbiad？〃

For　want　of　an　answer　the　conversation　dropped；　and　Barbicane
began　thoughtfully　to　let　down　the　shutter　of　the　second　side。
He　succeeded；　and　through　the　uncovered　glass　the　moon　filled
the　projectile　with　a　brilliant　light。　　Nicholl；　as　an
economical　man；　put　out　the　gas；　now　useless；　and　whose
brilliancy　prevented　any　observation　of　the　inter…planetary　space。

The　lunar　disc　shone　with　wonderful　purity。　　Her　rays；　no　longer
filtered　through　the　vapory　atmosphere　of　the　terrestrial　globe；
shone　through　the　glass；　filling　the　air　in　the　interior　of　the
projectile　with　silvery　reflections。　　The　black　curtain　of　the