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"No, I was only asking," and the other seemed confused. "Well, of course, we could go there, as we have plenty of supplies and enough of the Cardite," said Mr. Roumann. "But I think the moon will be the limit of our trip this time." The work went on, the last things to be put aboard the projectile being a number of scientific instruments.
"The gauge shows that we're making twenty-five miles a second." "We will soon go much faster," announced Professor Roumann. "I have not yet had a chance to test my Cardite motor to its fullest speed, and I think I will do so. I wish to see if it will equal my Etherium machine. I'll turn on the power gradually now, and we'll see what happens."
This was one of the most serious phases of the accident, for the great Cardite motor was built to run while in the other position, and when it was turned upside down it immediately stopped, and the projectile, deprived of its motive power, at once began falling through space. "What has happened?
"Are we going to move any faster than this?" asked Jack, who seemed possessed of a speed mania. "Not right away," replied Mr. Henderson. "Professor Roumann wants to thoroughly test the Cardite motor first. Then, when he finds that it works all right, we may go faster. But we will be at the moon soon enough as it is.
"They don't seem to be operating very smoothly," admitted Mark, after an examination. "That's what I thought. Let's call Mr. Henderson. The machinery may need adjusting." Jack started from the engine room to do this, and as he paused on the threshold there was a sudden crash. Part of the air pump seemed to fly off at a tangent, and a second later had smashed down on the Cardite motor.
"My kitchen done turned upside down on me!" wailed Washington, "an' a whole kettle ob soup emptied on my head! Oh, golly! What happened?" The aged scientist looked toward the German. The latter was gazing up at the motionless Cardite motor over his head. "There is but one way," he answered. "We must restore our centre of gravity to where it was before. Then the projectile will right herself."
"The pool is not very large, and seems to be only, directly in front of the red hill." This they found to be the case, and they were soon safely beyond the swirling waters, and on their way back to Martopolis. "We had better not land at a public dock," suggested Professor Henderson. "Why not?" asked the German. "Because the Martians may see that we have some of the Cardite, and take it from us."
They were up early, for at the last moment many little details needed to be settled. The Cardite motor had been thoroughly repaired, for the damage caused by the unknown enemy had done no permanent harm. When the injured one appeared the bandage on his head seemed larger than ever, and his features were almost hidden. He still wore his arm in a sling.
Then he spoke again, more earnestly than before, and waved the strangers away from the red hill. "We're not going," said Mr. Roumann, and he added a few of the Martian words he had learned, endeavoring to state that they were going to take only a little of the Cardite. The officer, with a last warning shake of his big head, suddenly turned and ran away.
"Well, we'll soon be back on earth," observed Mark, and a little later the Cardite motor was out in operation, and the journey back to this world begun. Little of moment happened on the return trip. The boys went more into detail about their wanderings, and told how they had managed to live during the time they were lost.
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