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

, "I did not mention it, of course, but I hope you will not let it become known in the village that we are c

built several things in the shop here, and no one ever kn

th his rifle," suggested Mark. "That will

good idea," decl

overed," put in Mr. Henderson, who was busy p

bothered by curious persons, but I so

t?" inquired

ild current of electricity. Some people got shocked by coming too close, a

out Washington White? He is so fond of talking, an

tion, I have not told him what our object is. All he knows is that we are build

t's

ind out he'll not wan

take him with us?"

shall not tell him where we are going until we are almost ready to start. But now, Mr. Roumann, I'd like to consult with

name as any other. We'll

all the other o

othe

h we are to go through th

Mr. Roumann. "However, there is no hurry about that. I w

while Jack and Mark, with the aid of the machinists,

ed by Professor Henderson. The plates were riveted together, in the shape of a great cigar, two hundred feet long. This work took

t through space. In this compartment would be many strange machines, including the one which

cturing oxygen, dynamos for furnishing light to the interior of the Annihilator,

y the food supplies, and the materials necessary for generating th

e projectile, economy of room was enforced. Still, the place was a lengthy one, with tables and chairs, which could be folded up out of the way when not in use.

sked Jack of Mr. Roumann, as the lad glanced over a sheet of

he German, "are

're too big for guns. They are lar

t on Mr. Roumann. "From those openings, and you will see that there

d them?" a

itants of the planet. While I believe that the people there are of a very high grade of intelligence, we must be prepared for the

ack. "We had to fight t

in the center of th

ing–rooms, consisting of two long, narrow compartments, with a passageway between them, like the ai

stons and other apparatus that controlled the big projectile. Standing in it, and peering out through a heavy plate glass

ator, the distance it was above the earth, and there was an indicator to note how near the travelers came to Mars.

to cover thirty–five millions of miles," observed Jack,

will we have to

igured out," rep

rked Mr. Henderson. "We did not have to mak

peed," when on Mr. Roumann, looking up from his study of some blue–prints. "You may be ast

nd!" exclaimed Jack. "Tha

undred and forty thousand miles a day,"

s would take us less than five days,"

upted Mr. Roumann, "though I fancy we will b

asked

n of the air. Therefore, I shall send the Annihilator comparatively slowly through the earth's atmosphere, and perhaps I will find that I shall have to do the same thing when

" began Jack, "is go

st anything except ligh

a second," stated Mark, who remembered his physics. "Th

degrees above zero. In a warmer atmosphere it travels slightly faster. We are going much faster than sound ever travels. A cannon ball will travel a

eed," remarked Jack dubiously,

now we are building the Annihilator with a dou

d Jack que

the heat that may be generated by our flight through space," went on Mr. Roum