Part 20 (1/2)

”I say, Mark, look here! There's the moon over there. We're not heading for it at all!”

”By Jove! You're right!” agreed his chum. ”We're off our course!”

”We must tell Professor Henderson!” cried Jack. ”I'll do it. You stay here and watch things.”

A few seconds later a very much alarmed youth was rapidly talking to the two scientists, who were in the pilot-house.

”Some unknown force must have pulled us off our course,” Jack was saying. ”The moon is away off to one side of us.”

To his surprise, instead of being alarmed, Mr. Roumann only smiled.

”It's true,” insisted Jack.

”Of course, it is,” agreed Mr. Henderson. ”We can see it from here, Jack,” and he pointed to the observation window, from which could be noticed the moon floating in the sky at the same time the sun was s.h.i.+ning, a phenomenon which is often visible on the earth early in the morning at certain of the moon's phases.

”Will we ever get there?” asked Jack.

”Of course,” replied Mr. Roumann. ”You must remember, Jack, that the moon is moving at the same time we are. Had I headed the projectile for Luna, and kept it on that course, she would, by the time we reached her, been in another part of the firmament, and we would have overshot our mark. So, instead, I aimed the _Annihilator_ at a spot in the heavens where I calculated the moon would be when we arrived there.

And, if I am not mistaken, we will reach there at the same time, and drop gently down on Luna.”

”Oh, is that it?” asked the lad, much relieved.

”That's it,” replied Mr. Henderson. ”And that's why we seem to be headed away from the moon. Her motion will bring her into the right position for us to land on when the time comes.”

”Then I'd better go tell Mark,” said the lad. ”He's quite worried.” He soon explained matters to his chum, and together they discussed the many things necessary to keep in mind when one navigates the heavens.

That day saw several thousand more miles reeled off on the journey to the moon, and that evening (or rather what corresponded to evening, for it was perpetual daylight) they began to make their preparations for landing. Their wonderful journey through s.p.a.ce was nearing an end.

”I guess that crazy Axtell fellow was only joking when he said we'd never reach the moon,” ventured Jack. ”Nothing has happened yet.”

”Only the meteor,” said Mark, ”and he couldn't know about that. I guess he didn't get a chance to damage any of the machinery.”

”No, we seem to be making good time,” went on his chum. ”I think I'll go and----”

Jack did not finish his sentence. Instead he stared at one of the instruments hanging from the walls of the engine room. It was a sort of barometer to tell their distance from the earth, and it swung to and fro like a pendulum. Now the instrument was swinging out away from the wall to which it was attached. Further and further over it inclined.

Jack felt a curious sensation. Mark put his hand to his head.

”I feel--feel dizzy!” he exclaimed. ”What is the matter?”

”Something has happened,” cried Jack.

The instrument swung over still more. Some tools fell from a work bench, and landed on the steel floor with a crash. The boys were staggering about the engine room, unable to maintain their balance.

There came cries of fear from the galley, where Was.h.i.+ngton White was rattling away amid his pots and pans. Andy Sudds was calling to some one, and from the pilot-house came the excited exclamations of Professors Henderson and Roumann.

”We're turning turtle!” suddenly yelled Jack. ”The projectile is turning over in the air! Something has gone wrong! Perhaps this is the revenge of that crazy man!” and, as he spoke, he fell over backward, Mark following him, while the _Annihilator_ was turned completely over and seemed to be falling down into unfathomable depths.

CHAPTER XVIII