round the moon-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


world；　rising　and　setting　to　the　great　planets　like　a　simple
morning　or　evening　star！　　This　globe；　where　they　had　left　all
their　affections；　was　nothing　more　than　a　fugitive　crescent！

Long　did　the　three　friends　look　without　speaking；　though　united
in　heart；　while　the　projectile　sped　onward　with　an
ever…decreasing　speed。　　Then　an　irresistible　drowsiness　crept
over　their　brain。　　Was　it　weariness　of　body　and　mind？　　No　doubt；
for　after　the　over…excitement　of　those　last　hours　passed　upon
earth；　reaction　was　inevitable。

〃Well；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃since　we　must　sleep；　let　us　sleep。〃

And　stretching　themselves　on　their　couches；　they　were　all　three
soon　in　a　profound　slumber。

But　they　had　not　forgotten　themselves　more　than　a　quarter　of　an
hour；　when　Barbicane　sat　up　suddenly；　and　rousing　his　companions
with　a　loud　voice；　exclaimed

〃I　have　found　it！〃

〃What　have　you　found？〃　asked　Michel　Ardan；　jumping　from　his　bed。

〃The　reason　why　we　did　not　hear　the　detonation　of　the　Columbiad。〃

〃And　it　is？〃　said　Nicholl。

〃Because　our　projectile　traveled　faster　than　the　sound！〃





CHAPTER　III


THEIR　PLACE　OF　SHELTER


This　curious　but　certainly　correct　explanation　once　given；　the
three　friends　returned　to　their　slumbers。　　Could　they　have　found
a　calmer　or　more　peaceful　spot　to　sleep　in？　　On　the　earth；
houses；　towns；　cottages；　and　country　feel　every　shock　given　to
the　exterior　of　the　globe。　　On　sea；　the　vessels　rocked　by　the
waves　are　still　in　motion；　in　the　air；　the　balloon　oscillates
incessantly　on　the　fluid　strata　of　divers　densities。
This　projectile　alone；　floating　in　perfect　space；　in　the　midst
of　perfect　silence；　offered　perfect　repose。

Thus　the　sleep　of　our　adventurous　travelers　might　have　been
indefinitely　prolonged；　if　an　unexpected　noise　had　not　awakened
them　at　about　seven　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　the　2nd　of
December；　eight　hours　after　their　departure。

This　noise　was　a　very　natural　barking。

〃The　dogs！　it　is　the　dogs！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　rising　at　once。

〃They　are　hungry；〃　said　Nicholl。

〃By　Jove！〃　replied　Michel；　〃we　have　forgotten　them。〃

〃Where　are　they？〃　asked　Barbicane。

They　looked　and　found　one　of　the　animals　crouched　under　the　divan。
Terrified　and　shaken　by　the　initiatory　shock；　it　had　remained
in　the　corner　till　its　voice　returned　with　the　pangs　of　hunger。
It　was　the　amiable　Diana；　still　very　confused；　who　crept　out　of
her　retreat；　though　not　without　much　persuasion；　Michel　Ardan
encouraging　her　with　most　gracious　words。

〃Come；　Diana；〃　said　he：　　〃come；　my　girl！　thou　whose　destiny　will
be　marked　in　the　cynegetic　annals；　thou　whom　the　pagans　would
have　given　as　companion　to　the　god　Anubis；　and　Christians　as
friend　to　St。　Roch；　thou　who　art　rushing　into　interplanetary
space；　and　wilt　perhaps　be　the　Eve　of　all　Selenite　dogs！　come；
Diana；　come　here。〃

Diana；　flattered　or　not；　advanced　by　degrees；　uttering
plaintive　cries。

〃Good；〃　said　Barbicane：　　〃I　see　Eve；　but　where　is　Adam？〃

〃Adam？〃　replied　Michel；　〃Adam　cannot　be　far　off；　he　is　there
somewhere；　we　must　call　him。　　Satellite！　here；　Satellite！〃

But　Satellite　did　not　appear。　　Diana　would　not　leave　off　howling。
They　found；　however；　that　she　was　not　bruised；　and　they　gave　her
a　pie；　which　silenced　her　complaints。　　As　to　Satellite；　he　seemed
quite　lost。　　They　had　to　hunt　a　long　time　before　finding　him　in
one　of　the　upper　compartments　of　the　projectile；　whither　some
unaccountable　shock　must　have　violently　hurled　him。　　The　poor
beast；　much　hurt；　was　in　a　piteous　state。

〃The　devil！〃　said　Michel。

They　brought　the　unfortunate　dog　down　with　great　care。　　Its　skull
had　been　broken　against　the　roof；　and　it　seemed　unlikely　that　he
could　recover　from　such　a　shock。　　Meanwhile；　he　was　stretched
comfortably　on　a　cushion。　　Once　there；　he　heaved　a　sigh。

〃We　will　take　care　of　you；〃　said　Michel；　〃we　are　responsible　for
your　existence。　　I　would　rather　lose　an　arm　than　a　paw　of　my
poor　Satellite。〃

Saying　which；　he　offered　some　water　to　the　wounded　dog；　who
swallowed　it　with　avidity。

This　attention　paid；　the　travelers　watched　the　earth　and　the
moon　attentively。　　The　earth　was　now　only　discernible　by　a
cloudy　disc　ending　in　a　crescent；　rather　more　contracted　than
that　of　the　previous　evening；　but　its　expanse　was　still
enormous；　compared　with　that　of　the　moon；　which　was　approaching
nearer　and　nearer　to　a　perfect　circle。

〃By　Jove！〃　said　Michel　Ardan；　〃I　am　really　sorry　that　we　did　not
start　when　the　earth　was　full；　that　is　to　say；　when　our　globe
was　in　opposition　to　the　sun。〃

〃Why？〃　said　Nicholl。

〃Because　we　should　have　seen　our　continents　and　seas　in　a　new
light　the　first　resplendent　under　the　solar　rays；　the　latter
cloudy　as　represented　on　some　maps　of　the　world。　　I　should　like
to　have　seen　those　poles　of　the　earth　on　which　the　eye　of　man
has　never　yet　rested。

〃I　dare　say；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃but　if　the　earth　had　been
_full_；　the　moon　would　have　been　_new_；　that　is　to　say；
invisible；　because　of　the　rays　of　the　sun。　　It　is　better
for　us　to　see　the　destination　we　wish　to　reach；　than　the　point
of　departure。〃

〃You　are　right；　Barbicane；〃　replied　Captain　Nicholl；　〃and；
besides；　when　we　have　reached　the　moon；　we　shall　have　time
during　the　long　lunar　nights　to　consider　at　our　leisure　the
globe　on　which　our　likenesses　swarm。〃

〃Our　likenesses！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　〃They　are　no　more　our
likenesses　than　the　Selenites　are！　　We　inhabit　a　new　world；
peopled　by　ourselves　the　projectile！　　I　am　Barbicane's
likeness；　and　Barbicane　is　Nicholl's。　　Beyond　us；　around　us；
human　nature　is　at　an　end；　and　we　are　the　only　population　of
this　microcosm　until　we　become　pure　Selenites。〃

〃In　about　eighty…eight　hours；〃　replied　the　captain。

〃Which　means　to　say？〃　asked　Michel　Ardan。

〃That　it　is　half…past　eight；〃　replied　Nicholl。

〃Very　well；〃　retorted　Michel；　〃then　it　is　impossible　for　me　to
find　even　the　shadow　of　a　reason　why　we　should　not　go　to　breakfast。〃

Indeed　the　inhabitants　of　the　new　star　could　not　live　without
eating；　and　their　stomachs　were　suffering　from　the　imperious
laws　of　hunger。　　Michel　Ardan；　as　a　Frenchman；　was　declared
chief　cook；　an　important　function；　which　raised　no　rival。
The　gas　gave　sufficient　heat　for　the　culinary　apparatus；　and
the　provision　box　furnished　the　elements　of　this　first　feast。

The　breakfast　began　with　three　bowls　of　excellent　soup；　thanks　to
the　liquefaction　in　hot　water　of　those　precious　cakes　of　Liebig；
prepared　from　the　best　parts　of　the　ruminants　of　the　Pampas。
To　the　soup　succeeded　some　beefsteaks；　compressed　by　an　hydraulic
press；　as　tender　and　succulent　as　if　brought　straight　from　the
kitchen　of　an　English　eating…house。　　Michel；　who　was　imaginative；
maintained　that　they　were　even　〃red。〃

Preserved　vegetables　（〃fresher　than　nature；〃　said　the　amiable
Michel）　succeeded　the　dish　of　meat；　and　was　followed　by　some
cups　of　tea　with　bread　and　butter；　after　the　American　fashion。

The　beverage　was　declared　exquisite；　and　was　due　to　the
infusion　of　the　choicest　leaves；　of　which　the　emperor　of　Russia
had　given　some　chests　for　the　benefit　of　the　travelers。

And　lastly；　to　crown　the　repast；　Ardan　had　brought　out　a　fine
bottle　of　Nuits；　which　was　found　〃by　chance〃　in　the
provision…box。　　The　three　friends　drank　to　the　union　of　the
earth　and　her　satellite。

And；　as　if　he　had　not　already　done　enough　for　the　generous　wine
which　he　had　distilled　on　the　slopes　of　Burgundy；　the　sun　chose
to　be　part　of　the　party。　　At　this　moment　the　projectile　emerged
from　the　conical　shadow　cast　by　the　terrestrial　globe；　and　the
rays　of　the　radiant　orb　struck　the　lower　disc　of　the　projectile
direct　occasioned　by　the　angle　which　the　moon's　orbit　makes　with
that　of　the　earth。

〃The　sun！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan。

〃No　doubt；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃I　expected　it。〃

〃But；〃　said　Michel；　〃the　conical　shadow　which　the　earth　leaves
in　space　extends　beyond　the　moon？〃

〃Far　beyond　it；　if　the　atmospheric　refraction　is　not　taken　into
consideration；〃　said　Barbicane。　　〃But　when　the　moon　is　enveloped
in　this　shadow；　it　is　because　the　centers　of　the　three　stars；
the　sun；　the　earth；　and　the　moon；　are　all　in　one　and　the　same
straight