The Washington times., 1903-03-22

catastrophe had seemingly swallowed up
tents, batteries. men. and beasts!
But the strangest fact was the great
height from which they now looked
down. 1t seemed as II. in the general
upheaval. the earth at the foot OF the
mountain had sunk at the same time
This was the general impression Their
eyes had been accustomed for long
while to the vertical distance of four or
FIVE thousand feet separating them from
the plain: but this was something quite
different. for they looked down now
from a height of at least fifteen or TWEEN
ty thousand feet. perhaps even more.
Amusement kept them all silent. They
were speIlbound-
On a sudden. Norbert darted TO the
door and ran on to the esplanade, as IL
a new idea had struck him.
But he had taken only a few steps.
when he felt himself greatly oppressed.
The blood mounted TO his brain. he
gasped for breath. staggered. and had but
just time to get back to the observatory.
He was on the point OF suffocation.
AS soon as be got indoors he felt re-
lieved at once. His lungs resumed their
function. and he breathed freely again
To the general surprise. he rushed to
the half-open door. and slammed it vio-
IDENTIFY; then. hurrying to the two win
dows. be carefully stopped up every
crevice with all the bits OF rag he could
lay hands on.
What are you doing?" asked the
baronet Are you afraid OF draft"
Il am boarding up the little amount
OF air that we have" answered Norbert.
when we have used UP what we have
now we shall have no more."
They looked at one another with Gu
riosity.
Had the catastrophe. perchance.
turned even his we'll balanced brain :?
Was he under some temporary haIlucina-
ton?
He read the thought in the doctors
eyes. and could not repress a smile.
"Oh. make yourself easy" he said.
Il am not mad. But I have something
TO tell you which is OF much greater i'm
portanoe. and OF which you are far from
selle.' he continued. turning TO Ger
! trude ARE you strong enough to hear
great surprise. and. fear. a painful
ons2"
Gertrude grew pale: but she looked at
the young astronomer bravely.
Speak on she replied. with her usual
calm dignity. Il promise TO be cour-
ageous, whatever II is. Anything is
preferable to suspense"
Listen, then. A while ago you were
remarking upon the extraordinary
changes In our surroundings; you at
tributed them, and doubtless you still at
tribute them, to the catastrophe that
had nigh been the death of us all. Well.
ii Is no such thing Nothing has
changed around us; of that 1 am GER
tain. II Is we who have changed place.
We are no longer in a state Of siege. We
are castaways, We are no longer in the
Soudan. we are no longer in Africa, nor
even on the terrestrial globe, We have
been transported-to the moon"
ITO the moon,' cried Sir Bucepha.
lus. DO you mean to say that the
rocks and craters around US are part of
the lunar landscape"
Precisely So" replied Norbert. Il
have not yet studied the question suf-
lhciently to be able TO tell you how II
has happened that the disaster has
transported US and all our belongings
from the plateau OF Tehbali to a lunar
plateau, but there can be no doubt that
we were blown into the air. and then
drawn up by the attraction of the
moon"
This is only a hypothesis of yours
But the fact remains that we are ac-
tually transpIanted to a new world, sep
arated from our own by an immense dis
lance, and there is every proof that this
new world can be no other than the
moon, You see for yourself that every
thing now before your eyes is quite diff
ferent from an earthly landscape? For
my. part, as I have just been out. 1 car
aIhrm that the exterior atmosphere Of
indeed. it exists at ALI is absolutely
unbreathable."
In one word" said Gertrude gently
you have some to the conclusion
that we are on the moon
; Il have so little doubt OF it," re-
! piled Norbert. that l have already
, taken the most pressing measure fol
our safety by closing our doors and
, Windows
well, well; there is nothing q
dreadful about It, after ALL" said Ger.
trude cheerfully. to reassure the terri
fed Eatiula eft wac aluav. -c,,- l.