Through Space to Mars; Or, the Longest Journey on Record

about?" asked Mark of Jack, as th

ow, but it

kes you

stranger speak of us as the

h Professor Henderson, and what is the

ngton in a whisper. "He's Perfesser Santell Roumann. Now I 'spects I'd

o go to the kitchen?"

imated to yo'," repl

wait until Professor Henderson is throu

shington. "Dem's de orders I got whe

. "Come on, Mark. We'll fi

son and Mr. Roumann could still be heard in earnest discussion. Mr. Hen

something that I hope will make up for the loss you suffer in being taken away from college in the middle of the term. O

e other man, and the boys noticed that he was a big, burly G

t youth, "and the other is Mark Sampson. They have lived with

d Mr. Roumann, then he

to myself in my own language once in a while. What I said was that

hey have had a peculiar training, and, in some scientific attainments, they know as much as I do

ne, and it shall be done

bts," went on

lt at this talk between the professor and his fr

s that Mr. Roumann has laid a very strange proposition before me. It is so stupendous that I har

us, will they not?"

m to say," repli

as in prospect another voyage to one of the

ked at the other man. T

them?" asked

"It all depends on you and them

tting off the earth. He began to think there

n to me," went on Professor Henderson. "I

t there is life on it, will not occur again for many years. It is now but thirty–five millions of miles away from us. Soon it will begin to recede, at the rate of twenty–eight millions of miles a year

possible," said Professor

ay it! I who know! I who hold the secret of the wonderful power that will

the professor again

red Mr. Roumann. "I will pro

rs!" excl

th awe in his tones. "How can we ever cover th

id Mr. Roumann, "but somethin

lain from the beginning,"

be better," ass

n Mr. Henderson. "I have known him for several years, but I had not seen him in a long time, until he called on me the other day

the wonderful power that will ta

can get to the red planet, which, as he correctly says, is nearer to us now than it will

other. "The power which I shall use is strongest kno

?" ask

f you and Professor Henderson can buil

ile!" excl

lt like a cigar or a torpedo, is the only feasible means of reaching Mars. We shall go in a projectile, two hundred feet long, and ten feet in diameter at the largest point. That will offer th

o wanted to know the

s dense than is that surrounding the earth, and the attraction of gravitation there is about two–thirds less

e stuff!"

r. Roumann in

d and eighty pounds, and that's too much for a lad of my age. When I get to Mars I'll only weigh-le

exclaimed Mark, who

to Mars, Mr. Roum

e professor have constructed the projectile, after plans which

iness ob de interplanetary conjunction what am waitin' fo' yo' heah, de obverseness of de inner c

s ready, Washington?" as

ah. It

didn't y

, perf

of using big words, just because they sound so imposing," went on th

t," remarked Mr.

supper?" went on Mr. Henders

t," admit

if you do," warned

. Wait until w

elling us how we were to get

cientist. "I confess that Washington's announceme