The Trial Voyage
: The Skylark Of SpaceThe great steel forgings which were to form the framework of the Skylark
finally arrived and were hauled into the testing shed. There, behind
closed doors, Crane inspected every square inch of the massive members
with a lens, but could find nothing wrong. Still unsatisfied, he fitted
up an electrical testing apparatus in order to search out flaws which
might be hidden beneath the surface. This device revealed flaws in every
<
imperfections he turned to Seaton with a grave face.
"Worse than useless, every one of them. They are barely strong enough to
stand shipment. They figured that we would go slowly until we were well
out of the atmosphere, then put on power--then something would give way
and we would never come back."
"That's about the right dope, I guess. But now what'll we do? We can't
cancel without letting them know we're onto them, and we certainly can't
use this stuff."
"No, but we will go ahead and build this ship, anyway, so that they will
think that we are going ahead with it. At the same time we will build
another one, about four times this size, in absolute secrecy, and...."
"What d'you mean, absolute secrecy? How can you keep steel castings and
forgings of that size secret from Steel?"
"I know a chap who owns and operates a small steel plant, so
insignificant, relatively, that he has not yet been bought out or frozen
out by Steel. I was able to do him a small favor once, and I am sure
that he will be glad to return it. We will not be able to oversee the
work, that is a drawback. We can get MacDougall to do it for us,
however, and with him doing the work we can rest assured that there will
be nothing off color. Even Steel couldn't buy him."
"MacDougall! The man who installed the Intercontinental plant? He
wouldn't touch a little job like this with a pole!"
"I think he would. He and I are rather friendly, and after I tell him
all about it he will be glad to take it. It means building the first
interplanetary vessel, you know."
"Wouldn't Steel follow him up if he should go to work on a mysterious
project? He's too big to hide."
"No. He will go camping--he often does. I have gone with him several
times when we were completely out of touch with civilization for two
months at a time. Now, about the ship we want. Have you any ideas?"
"It will cost more than our entire capital."
"That is easily arranged. We do not care how much it costs."
Seaton began to object to drawing so heavily upon the resources of his
friend, but was promptly silenced.
"I told you when we started," Crane said flatly, "that your solution and
your idea are worth far more than half a million. In fact, they are
worth more than everything I have. No more talk of the money end of it,
Dick."
"All right. We'll build a regular go-getter. Four times the size--she'll
be a bear-cat, Mart. I'm glad this one is on the fritz. She'll carry a
two-hundred-pound bar--Zowie! Watch our smoke! And say, why wouldn't it
be a good idea to build an attractor--a thing like an object-compass,
but mounting a ten-pound bar instead of a needle, so that if they chase
us in space we can reach out and grab 'em? We might mount a machine-gun
in each quadrant, shooting X-plosive bullets, through pressure gaskets
in the walls. We should have something for defense--I don't like the
possibility of having that gang of pirates after us, and nothing to
fight back with except thought-waves."
"Right. We will do both those things. But we should make the power-plant
big enough to avert any possible contingency--say four hundred
pounds--and we should have everything in duplicate, from power-plant to
push-buttons."
"I don't think that's necessary, Mart. Don't you think that's carrying
caution to extremes?"
"Possibly--but I would rather be a live coward than a dead hero,
wouldn't you?"
"You chirped it, old scout, I sure would. I never did like the looks of
that old guy with the scythe, and I would hate to let DuQuesne feel that
he had slipped something over on me at my own game. Besides, I've
developed a lot of caution myself, lately. Double she is, with a skin of
four-foot Norwegian armor. Let's get busy!"
* * * * *
They made the necessary alteration in the plans, and in a few days work
was begun upon the huge steel shell in the little mountain steel-plant.
The work was done under the constant supervision of the great
MacDougall, by men who had been in his employ for years and who were
all above suspicion. While it was being built Seaton and Crane employed
a force of men and went ahead with the construction of the space-car in
the testing shed. While they did not openly slight the work nearly all
their time was spent in the house, perfecting the many essential things
which were to go into the real Skylark. There was the attractor, for
which they had to perfect a special sighting apparatus so that it could
act in any direction, and yet would not focus upon the ship itself nor
anything it contained. There were many other things.
It was in this work that the strikingly different temperaments and
abilities of the two men were most clearly revealed. Seaton strode up
and down the room, puffing great volumes of smoke from his hot and
reeking briar, suggesting methods and ideas, his keen mind finding the
way over, around, or through the apparently insuperable obstacles which
beset their path. Crane, seated calmly at the drafting-table,
occasionally inhaling a mouthful of smoke from one of his specially-made
cigarettes, mercilessly tore Seaton's suggestions to shreds--pointing
out their weaknesses, proving his points with his cold, incisive
reasoning and his slide-rule calculations of factors, stresses, and
strains. Seaton in turn would find a remedy for every defect, and
finally, the idea complete and perfect, Crane would impale it upon the
point of his drafting pencil and spread it in every detail upon the
paper before him, while Seaton's active mind leaped to the next problem.
Not being vitally interested in the thing being built in the shed, they
did not know that to the flawed members were being attached faulty
plates, by imperfect welding. Even if they had been interested they
could not have found the poor workmanship by any ordinary inspection,
for it was being done by a picked crew of experts picked by Perkins. But
to make things even, Perkins' crew did not know that the peculiar
instruments installed by Seaton and Crane, of which their foreman took
many photographs, were not real instruments, and were made only nearly
enough like them to pass inspection. They were utterly useless, in
design and function far different from the real instruments intended for
the Skylark.
Finally, the last dummy instrument was installed in the worthless
space-car, which the friends referred to between themselves as "The
Cripple," a name which Seaton soon changed to "Old Crip." The
construction crew was dismissed after Crane had let the foreman overhear
a talk between Seaton and himself in which they decided not to start for
a few days as they had some final experiments to make. Prescott reported
that Steel had relaxed its vigilance and was apparently waiting for the
first flight. About the same time word was received from MacDougall that
the real Skylark was ready for the finishing touches. A huge triplane
descended upon Crane Field and was loaded to its capacity with strange
looking equipment. When it left Seaton and Crane went with it, "to make
the final tests before the first flight," leaving a heavy guard over the
house and the testing shed.
A few nights later, in inky blackness, a huge shape descended rapidly in
front of the shed, whose ponderous doors opened to receive it and closed
quickly after it. The Skylark moved lightly and easily as a wafted
feather, betraying its thousands of tons of weight only by the hole it
made in the hard-beaten earth of the floor as it settled to rest.
Opening one of the heavy doors, Seaton and Crane sprang out into the
darkness.
Dorothy and her father, who had been informed that the Skylark was to be
brought home that night, were waiting. Seaton caught up his sweetheart
in one mighty arm and extended his hand past her to Vaneman, who seized
it in both his own. Upon the young man's face was the look of a
victorious king returning from conquest. For a few minutes disconnected
exclamations were all that any of the party could utter. Then Seaton,
loosening slightly his bear's hold upon Dorothy, spoke.
"She flies!" he cried exultantly. "She flies, dearest, like a ray of
light for speed and like a bit of thistledown for lightness. We've been
around the moon!"
"Around the moon!" cried the two amazed visitors. "So soon?" asked
Vaneman. "When did you start?"
"Almost an hour ago," replied Crane readily; he had already taken out
his watch. His voice was calm, his face quiet, but to those who knew him
best a deeper resonance in his voice and a deeper blue sparkle in his
eyes betrayed his emotion. Both inventors were moved more than they
could have told by their achievement, by the complete success of the
great space-cruiser upon which they had labored for months with all the
power of their marvelous intellects. Seaton stood now at the summit of
his pride. No recognition by the masses, no applause by the multitudes,
no praise even from the upper ten of his own profession could equal for
him the silent adulation of the two before him. Dorothy's exquisite face
was glorified as she looked at her lover. Her eyes wonderful as they
told him how high he stood above all others in her world, how much she
loved him. Seeing that look; that sweet face, more beautiful than ever
in this, his hour of triumph; that perfect, adorable body, Seaton forgot
the others and a more profound exaltation than that brought by his
flight filled his being--humble thankfulness that he was the man to
receive the untold treasure of her great giving.
"Every bit of mechanism we had occasion to use worked perfectly," Crane
stated proudly. "We did not find it necessary to change any of our
apparatus and we hope to make a longer flight soon. The hour we took on
this trip might easily have been only a few minutes, for the Lark did
not even begin to pick up speed."
* * * * *
Shiro looked at Crane with an air of utter devotion and bowed until his
head approached the floor.
"Sir," he said in his stilted English. "Honorable Skylark shall be
marvelous wonder. If permitting, I shall luxuriate in preparing suitable
refreshment."
The permission granted, he trotted away into the house, and the
travelers invited their visitors to inspect the new craft. Crane and the
older man climbed through the circular doorway, which was at an
elevation of several feet above the ground. Seaton and Dorothy
exchanged a brief but enthusiastic caress before he lifted her lightly
up to the opening and followed her up a short flight of stairs. Although
she knew what to expect, from her lover's descriptions and from her own
knowledge of "Old Crip," which she had seen many times, she caught her
breath in amazement as she stood up and looked about the
brilliantly-lighted interior of the great sky-rover. It was a sight such
as had never before been seen upon earth.
network of enormous steel beams. Inside this structure could be seen a
similar network which, mounted upon universal bearings, was free to
revolve in any direction.]
She saw a spherical shell of hardened steel armor-plate, fully forty
feet in diameter; though its true shape was not readily apparent from
the inside, as it was divided into several compartments by horizontal
floors or decks. In the exact center of the huge shell was a spherical
network of enormous steel beams. Inside this structure could be seen a
similar network which, mounted upon universal bearings, was free to
revolve in any direction. This inner network was filled with machinery,
surrounding a shining copper cylinder. From the outer network radiated
six mighty supporting columns. These, branching as they neared the hull
of the vessel, supported the power-plant and steering apparatus in the
center and so strengthened the shell that the whole structure was nearly
as strong as a solid steel ball. She noticed that the floor, perhaps
eight feet below the center, was heavily upholstered in leather and did
not seem solid; and that the same was true of the dozen or more
seats--she could not call them chairs--which were built in various
places. She gazed with interest at the two instrument boards, upon which
flashed tiny lights and the highly-polished plate glass, condensite, and
metal of many instruments, the use of which she could not guess.
After a few minutes of silence both visitors began to ask questions, and
Seaton showed them the principal features of the novel craft. Crane
accompanied them in silence, enjoying their pleasure, glorying in the
mighty vessel. Seaton called attention to the great size and strength of
the lateral supporting columns, one of which was immediately above their
heads, and then led them over to the vertical column which pierced the
middle of the floor. Enormous as the lateral had seemed, it appeared
puny in comparison with this monster of fabricated steel. Seaton
explained that the two verticals were many times stronger than the four
laterals, as the center of gravity of the ship had been made lower than
its geometrical center, so that the apparent motion of the vessel and
therefore the power of the bar, would usually be merely vertical.
Resting one hand caressingly upon the huge column, he exultantly
explained that these members were "the last word in strength, made up of
many separate I-beams and angles of the strongest known special steel,
latticed and braced until no conceivable force could make them yield a
millimeter."
"But why such strength?" asked the lawyer doubtfully. "This column alone
would hold up Brooklyn Bridge."
"To hold down the power-plant, so that the bar won't tear through the
ship when we cut her loose," replied Seaton. "Have you any idea how fast
this bird can fly?"
"Well, I have heard you speak of traveling with the velocity of light,
but that is overdrawn, isn't it?"
"Not very much. Our figures show that with this four-hundred-pound
bar"--pointing to the copper cylinder in the exact center of the inner
sphere--"we could develop not only the velocity of light, but an
acceleration equal to that velocity, were it not for the increase in
mass at high velocities, as shown by Einstein and others. We can't go
very fast near the earth, of course, as the friction of the air would
melt the whole works in a few minutes. Until we get out of the
atmosphere our speed will be limited by the ability of steel to
withstand melting by the friction of the air to somewhere in the
neighborhood of four or five thousand miles per hour, but out in space
we can develop any speed we wish, up to that of light as a limit."
"I studied physics a little in my youth. Wouldn't the mere force of such
an acceleration as you mention flatten you on the floor and hold you
there? And any sudden jar would certainly kill you."
* * * * *
"There can't be any sudden jar. This is a special floor, you notice. It
is mounted on long, extremely heavy springs, to take up any possible
jar. Also, whenever we are putting on power we won't try to stand up,
our legs would crimple up like strings. We will ride securely strapped
into those special seats, which are mounted the same as the floor, only
a whole lot more so. As to the acceleration...."
"That word means picking up speed, doesn't it?" interrupted Dorothy.
"The rate of picking up speed," corrected Seaton. "That is, if you were
going forty miles per hour one minute, and fifty the next minute, your
acceleration would be ten miles per hour per minute. See? It's
acceleration that makes you feel funny when you start up or down in an
elevator."
"Then riding in this thing will be like starting up in an elevator so
that your heart sinks into your boots and you can't breathe?"
"Yes, only worse. We will pick up speed faster and keep on doing it...."
"Seriously," interrupted the lawyer, "do you think that the human body
can stand any such acceleration as that?"
"I don't know. We are going to find out, by starting out slowly and
increasing our acceleration to as much as we can stand."
"I see," Vaneman replied. "But how are you going to steer her? How do
you keep permanent reference points, since there are no directions in
space?"
"That was our hardest problem," explained Seaton, "but Martin solved it
perfectly. See the power-plant up there? Notice those big supporting
rings and bearings? Well, the power-plant is entirely separate from the
ship, as it is inside that inner sphere, about which the outer sphere
and the ship itself are free to revolve in any direction. No matter how
much the ship rolls and pitches, as she is bound to do every time we
come near enough to any star or planet to be influenced by its
gravitation, the bar stays where it is pointed. Those six big jackets in
the outer sphere, on the six sides of the bar, cover six pairs of
gyroscope wheels, weighing several tons each, turning at a terrific
speed in a vacuum. The gyroscopes keep the whole outer sphere in exactly
the same position as long as they are kept turning, and afford us not
only permanent planes of reference, but also a solid foundation in those
planes which can be used in pointing the bar. The bar can be turned
instantly to any direction whatever by special electrical instruments on
the boards. You see, the outer sphere stays immovably fixed in that
position, with the bar at liberty to turn in any direction inside it,
and the ship at liberty to do the same thing outside it.
"Now we will show you where we sleep," Seaton continued. "We have eight
rooms, four below and four above," leading the way to a narrow, steep
steel stairway and down into a very narrow hall, from either side of
which two doors opened. "This is my room, the adjoining one is Mart's.
Shiro sleeps across the hall. The rest of the rooms are for our guests
on future trips."
Sliding back the door, he switched on the light and revealed a small but
fully-appointed bedroom, completely furnished with everything necessary,
yet everything condensed into the least possible space. The floor, like
the one above, was of cushioned leather supported by springs. The bed
was a modification of the special seats already referred to. Opening
another sliding door, he showed them an equally complete and equally
compact bathroom.
"You see, we have all the comforts of home. This bathroom, however, is
practical only when we have some force downward, either gravitation or
our own acceleration. The same reasoning accounts for the hand-rails you
see everywhere on board. Drifting in space, you know, there is no
weight, and you can't walk; you must pull yourself around. If you tried
to take a step you would bounce up and hit the ceiling, and stay there.
That is why the ceilings are so well padded. And if you tried to wash
your face you would throw water all over the place, and it would float
around in the air instead of falling to the floor. As long as we can
walk we can use the bathroom--if I should want to wash my face while we
are drifting, I just press this button here, and the pilot will put on
enough acceleration to make the correct use of water possible. There are
a lot of surprising things about a trip into space."
"I don't doubt it a bit, and I'm simply wild to go for a ride with you.
When will you take me, Dicky?" asked Dorothy eagerly.
"Very soon, Dottie. As soon as we get her in perfect running condition.
You shall be the first to ride with us, I promise you."
"Where do you cook and eat? How do you see out? How about the air and
water supply? How do you keep warm, or cool, as the case may be?" asked
the girl's father, as though he were cross-examining a witness.
"Shiro has a galley on the main floor, and tables fold up into the wall
of the main compartment. The passengers see out by sliding back steel
panels, which normally cover the windows. The pilot can see in any
direction from his seat at the instrument-board, by means of special
instruments, something like periscopes. The windows are made of optical
glass similar to that used in the largest telescopes. They are nearly as
thick as the hull and have a compressive resistance almost equal to that
of armor steel. Although so thick, they are crystal clear, and a speck
of dust on the outer surface is easily seen. We have water enough in
tanks to last us three months, or indefinitely if we should have to be
careful, as we can automatically distill and purify all our waste water,
recovering absolutely pure H2O. We have compressed air, also in tanks,
but we need very little, as the air is constantly being purified. Also,
we have oxygen-generating apparatus aboard, in case we should run short.
As to keeping warm, we have electric heating coils, run by the
practically inexhaustible power of a small metal bar. If we get too near
the sun and get too warm, we have a refrigerating machine to cool us
off. Anything else?"
"You'd better give up, Dad," laughingly advised his daughter. "You've
thought of everything, haven't you, Dick?"
"Mart has, I think. This is all his doing, you know. I wouldn't have
thought of a tenth of it, myself."
"I must remind you young folks," said the older man, glancing at his
watch, "that it is very late and high time for Dottie and me to be going
home. We would like to stay and see the rest of it, but you know we must
be away from here before daylight."
* * * * *
As they went into the house Vaneman asked:
"What does the other side of the moon look like? I have always been
curious about it."
"We were not able to see much," replied Crane "It was too dark and we
did not take the time to explore it, but from what we could see by means
of our searchlights it is very much like this side--the most barren and
desolate place imaginable. After we go to Mars, we intend to explore the
moon thoroughly."
"Mars, then, is your first goal? When do you intend to start?"
"We haven't decided definitely. Probably in a day or two. Everything is
ready now."
As the Vanemans had come out in the street car, in order to attract as
little attention as possible, Seaton volunteered to take them home in
one of Crane's cars. As they bade Crane goodnight after enjoying Shiro's
"suitable refreshment" the lawyer took the chauffeur's seat, motioning
his daughter and Seaton into the closed body of the car. As soon as they
had started Dorothy turned in the embrace of her lover's arm.
"Dick," she said fiercely. "I would have been worried sick if I had
known that you were way off there?"
"I knew it, sweetheart. That's why I didn't tell you we were going. We
both knew the Skylark was perfectly safe, but I knew that you would
worry about our first trip. Now that we have been to the moon you won't
be uneasy when we go to Mars, will you, dear?"
"I can't help it, boy. I will be afraid that something terrible has
happened, every minute. Won't you take me with you? Then, if anything
happens, it will happen to both of us, and that is as it should be. You
know that I wouldn't want to keep on living if anything should happen
to you."
He put both arms around her as his reply, and pressed his cheek to hers.
"Dorothy sweetheart, I know exactly how you feel. I feel the same way
myself. I'm awfully sorry, dear, but I can't do it. I know the machine
is safe, but I've got to prove it to everybody else before I take you on
a long trip with me. Your father will agree with me that you ought not
to go, on the first trip or two, anyway. And besides, what would Madam
Grundy say?"
"Well, there is a way...." she began, and he felt her face turn hot.
His arms tightened around her and his breath came fast.
"I know it, sweetheart, and I would like nothing better in the world
than to be married today and take our honeymoon in the Skylark, but I
can't do it. After we come back from the first long trip we will be
married just as soon as you say ready, and after that we will always be
together wherever I go. But I can't take even the millionth part of a
chance with anything as valuable as you are--you see that, don't you,
Dottie?"
"I suppose so," she returned disconsolately, "but you'll make it a short
trip, for my sake? I know I won't rest a minute until you get back."
"I promise you that we won't be gone more than four days. Then for the
greatest honeymoon that ever was," and they clung together in the dark
body of the car, each busy with solemn and beautiful thoughts of the
happiness to come.
They soon reached their destination. As they entered the house Dorothy
made one more attempt.
"Dad, Dick is just too perfectly mean. He says he won't take me on the
first trip. If you were going out there wouldn't mother want to go along
too?"
After listening to Seaton he gave his decision.
"Dick is right, Kitten. He must make the long trip first. Then, after
the machine is proved reliable, you may go with him. I can think of no
better way of spending a honeymoon--it will be a new one, at least. And
you needn't worry about the boys getting back safely. I might not trust
either of them alone, but together they are invincible. Good-night,
children. I wish you success, Dick," as he turned away.
Seaton took a lover's leave of Dorothy, and went into the lawyer's
study, taking an envelope from his pocket.
"Mr. Vaneman," he said in a low voice, "we think the Steel crowd is
still camping on our trail. We are ready for them, with a lot of stuff
that they never heard of, but in case anything goes wrong, Martin has
written between the lines of this legal form, in invisible ink A-36,
exactly how to get possession of all our notes and plans, so that the
company can go ahead with everything. With those directions any chemist
can find and use the stuff safely. Please put this envelope in the
safest place you can think of, and then forget it unless they get both
Crane and me. There's about one chance in a million of their doing that,
but Mart doesn't gamble on even that chance."
"He is right, Dick. I believe that you can outwit them in any situation,
but I will keep this paper where no one except myself can ever see it,
nevertheless. Good-night, son, and good luck."
"The same to you, sir, and thank you. Good-night."
+--------------------------------------+
The author of this story, being a
chemist of high standing and an
excellent mathematician, gives us a
rare gem in this interplanetary
tale. For one thing, he suggests an
interesting use of the action of
acceleration. In this instalment it
is made to take the place of gravity
when the interplanetary vehicle is
out in open space. In order to get
the gravity effect, a positive or
negative acceleration could be given
out.
This instalment retains its easy
flow of language and continues to
develop surprise episodes with a
remarkable degree of realism.
+--------------------------------------+
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On coming down to breakfast, I found Sarakoff already seated at the table devouring the morning papers. I picked up a discarded one and stood by the fire, glancing over its contents. There was only one subject of news, and that was the spread of t... The Terror Birds
"They must have thought the projectile was another chunk fallen from Phobos!" I exclaimed; "and now they can't make out why it should fly back to the satellite again." "The more we mystify them, the more they will fear us," said the doctor. "I ... The Terrorists
It was not until Ernest and I were back in New York, and after weeks had elapsed, that we were able to comprehend thoroughly the full sweep of the disaster that had befallen the Cause. The situation was bitter and bloody. In many places, scattered... The Terrors Of Light
I was weary from the trials of the day on Earth, and fell asleep easily. It was the red sunlight streaming in at the port-hole that awakened me. I thought I had slept but a very short time, but the night was evidently over. As soon as the doctor h... The Theft Of The Light-ray
The touch of soft, cool hands on his face brought Mercer back to sudden consciousness. He opened his eyes; Anina was sitting beside him, regarding him gravely. "Wake up, my friend Ollie. Time now to wake up." He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The ... The Theory Of Copernicus Droop
The two sisters were together in their garden. Rebecca Wise, turned forty and growing slightly gray at the temples, was moving slowly from one of her precious plants to the next, leaning over each to pinch off a dead leaf or count the buds. It w... The Thing From The Arena
This morning, early, I went through the gardens; but found everything as usual. Near the door, I examined the path, for footprints; yet, here again, there was nothing to tell me whether, or not, I dreamed last night. It was only when I came to sp... The Thing In The Forest
I STRODE through the undergrowth that clothed the ridge behind the house, scarcely heeding whither I went; passed on through the shadow of a thick cluster of straight-stemmed trees beyond it, and so presently found myself some way on the other sid... The Thing In The Pit
This house is, as I have said before, surrounded by a huge estate, and wild and uncultivated gardens. Away at the back, distant some three hundred yards, is a dark, deep ravine--spoken of as the 'Pit,' by the peasantry. At the bottom runs a slugg... The Thing On The Moon Path
For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific. The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely st... The Thousand And One Bottles
So it was that on the twenty-ninth day of February, at the beginning of the thaw, this singular person fell out of infinity into Iping village. Next day his luggage arrived through the slush--and very remarkable luggage it was. There were a couple... The Three Silent Ones
The arch was closer--and in my awe I forgot for the moment Larry and aught else. For this was no rainbow, no thing born of light and mist, no Bifrost Bridge of myth--no! It was a flying arch of stone, stained with flares of Tyrian purples, of royal ... The Thunder Child
Had the Martians aimed only at destruction, they might on Monday have annihilated the entire population of London, as it spread itself slowly through the home counties. Not only along the road through Barnet, but also through Edgware and Wal... The Tide Of Battle
But solan's last loud cry had not been without effect, for a moment later a dozen guardsmen burst into the chamber, though not before I had so bent and demolished the great switch that it could not be again used to turn the powerful current into t... The Time Machine
I The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. His grey eyes shone and twinkled, and his usually pale face was flushed and animated. The fire burned brightly, and the soft rad... The Time Of Waiting
The sun was now warm, and shining brightly, forming a wondrous contrast to the dark and dismal cellars; and it was with comparatively light feelings, that I made my way up to the tower, to survey the gardens. There, I found everything quiet, and, af... The Tragedy Of The Two Squadrons
It takes a good deal to shake the nerves of British naval officer or seaman, but those on board the ships of the Spithead Squadron would have been something more than human if they could have viewed the appalling happenings of the last few terribl... The Traitor
Convincing the Kerothi that he was in earnest was more difficult than MacMaine had at first supposed. He had done his best, and now, after nearly a year of captivity, Tallis had come to tell him that his offer had been accepted. General Tallis ... The Trance
The state of cataleptic rigour into which this man had fallen, lasted for an unprecedented length of time, and then he passed slowly to the flaccid state, to a lax attitude suggestive of profound repose. Then it was his eyes could be closed. ... The Trap In The Great Cellar
I suppose I must have swooned; for, the next thing I remember, I opened my eyes, and all was dusk. I was lying on my back, with one leg doubled under the other, and Pepper was licking my ears. I felt horribly stiff, and my leg was numb, from the kne... The Trial Voyage
The great steel forgings which were to form the framework of the Skylark finally arrived and were hauled into the testing shed. There, behind closed doors, Crane inspected every square inch of the massive members with a lens, but could find nothin... The Trigger
In the first instance of astonishment they were speechless. Later, Tom said it was the first time in his life that he had ever seen Greg totally without words; his brother jumped back, as if he had seen a ghost, and his mouth worked, but no sounds... The Truth Revealed
I will here resume my own narrative. When I came to myself I was dazed and aching, but, so far as I could discover, there were no bones broken. The curious part about it was the rapidity with which I recalled my fall into the cavern. When I fou... The Twilight Of Space
"Shall I come up into your compartment for the operation?" I asked. "No; for this first time we will pump out my compartment, as I wish to observe from the rear port-hole the action of the air which we set free." The bulkhead, with its bevell... The Undersea Tube
If my friend the engineer had not told me the Tube was dangerous, I would not have bought a ticket on that fatal night, and the world would never have learned the story of the Golden Cavern and the City of the Dead. Having therefore, according t... The Universe A Mistake!
"The Universe is a mistake!" Thus spake Herbert Brande, a passenger on the Majestic, making for Queenstown Harbour, one evening early in the past year. Foolish as the words may seem, they were partly influential in leading to my terrible associ... The Unknown Enemy
When, in February, 1941, Professor James Newland issued this remarkable statement, my paper sent me at once to interview him. He was at this time at the head of the Harvard observatory staff. He lived with his son and daughter in Cambridge. His wi... The Untouchable
"You can see it--you can watch it--but mustn't touch!" And what could possibly be more frustrating ... when you need, most violently, to get your hands on it for just one second.... The man finally entered the office of General George Garvers.... The Unveiling Of The Stranger
The stranger went into the little parlour of the "Coach and Horses" about half-past five in the morning, and there he remained until near midday, the blinds down, the door shut, and none, after Hall's repulse, venturing near him. All that time ... The Uses Of Mystery
Something Challis has told me; something I have learned for myself; and there is something which has come to me from an unknown source. But here again we are confronted with the original difficulty--the difficulty that for some conceptions there i... The Valley Of The Shadow
"Light! Where have you seen any light?" "I saw the Earth begin to shine like a New Moon on the eastern edge, but----" "Ah, that was a danger signal. I am glad you awakened me. But you are actually pale and trembling! There is no danger if you... The Venture Made
What would be the consequences of this sudden and complete disruption, Servadac and his people hardly dared to think. The first change that came under their observation was the rapidity of the sun's appearances and disappearances, forcing them t... The Verdict Of Science
Although the Tsar had made trips with John Castellan in the Flying Fish, he had never had quite such an aerial experience as his trip to Greenwich. The Auriole rose vertically in the air, soared upward in a splendid spiral curve, and vanished thro... The Vermilion Feather
A beach of yellow sand and a stranded log upon which sat a boy looking steadfastly out upon the shining waters. It was a delicious morning in early May, and the sun was at his back, its warm rays falling upon him with affectionate caress. But th... The Victory
CHAPTER I I The little room where the new Pope sat reading was a model of simplicity. Its walls were whitewashed, its roof unpolished rafters, and its floor beaten mud. A square table stood in the centre, with a chair beside it; a cold brazi... The Visit Of The Home Secretary
In a few hours the initial effects of stimulation had worn off. The acuity of hearing was no longer so pronounced and the sense of refreshment, although still present, was not intense. We were already becoming adjusted to the new condition. The fe... The Voice
It was by this time past three o'clock. Feeling hungry, for they had eaten nothing since early morning, Maskull went downstairs to forage, but without much hope of finding anything in the shape of food. In a safe in the kitchen he discovered a bag o... The Volcanic Shaft
Man's constitution is so peculiar that his health is purely a negative matter. No sooner is the rage of hunger appeased than it becomes difficult to comprehend the meaning of starvation. It is only when you suffer that you really understand. As... The Vortex
Following like thunder claps upon the Business Men's dinner, occurred event after event of terrifying moment; and I, little I, who had lived so placidly all my days in the quiet university town, found myself and my personal affairs drawn into the ... The Water City
It had stopped raining; the sky overhead was luminous with diffused sunlight; the scene that lay before Mercer was plainly visible. The river had opened abruptly into a broad, shallow, nearly circular lake, some five or six miles across. The count... The Way Back
It had been a wet night. Pools of water lay on the glistening pavements, but the rain had ceased. We ran steadily until we came in sight of Piccadilly Circus, and there our fear left us suddenly. It was like the cutting off of a switch. We stopped... The Way Of The Thousand Steps
TO describe in detail our long toilsome journey and the terrible hardships we suffered during the next two months is unnecessary. Suffice it to say that without means of barter, unarmed, and living upon fruit and roots, we tramped along that narro... The Welcome To Norlamin
The Skylark was now days upon her way toward the sixth planet, Seaton gave the visiplates and the instrument board his customary careful scrutiny and rejoined the others. "Still talking about the human fish, Dottie Dimple?" he asked, as he stok... The Western Gallery A New Route
Our descent was now resumed by means of the second gallery. Hans took up his post in front as usual. We had not gone more than a hundred yards when the Professor carefully examined the walls. "This is the primitive formation we are on the right ... The Whispering Gallery
When at last I came back to a sense of life and being, my face was wet, but wet, as I soon knew, with tears. How long this state of insensibility lasted, it is quite impossible for me now to say. I had no means left to me of taking any account of ... The Wicksteed Murder
The Invisible Man seems to have rushed out of Kemp's house in a state of blind fury. A little child playing near Kemp's gateway was violently caught up and thrown aside, so that its ankle was broken, and thereafter for some hours the Invisible Man... The Winds Of Time
He contracted for a charter trip--but the man who hired his spacer wasn't quite a man, it turned out--and he wanted more than service! Gefty Rammer came along the narrow passages between the Silver Queen's control compartment and the statero... The Woking Mystery
She knew all. Then she was a murderess--or in sympathy with murderers. My arms fell from her. I drew back shuddering. I dared not look in her lying eyes, which cried pity when her base heart knew no mercy. Surely now I had solved the maddening puz... The Wombflash Forest
He awoke to his third day on Tormance. His limbs ached. He lay on his side, looking stupidly at his surroundings. The forest was like night, but that period of the night when the grey dawn is about to break and objects begin to be guessed at, rather... The Wonders Of Terrestrial Depths
At eight in the morning a ray of daylight came to wake us up. The thousand shining surfaces of lava on the walls received it on its passage, and scattered it like a shower of sparks. There was light enough to distinguish surrounding objects. "W... The Wooing Of Lakla
I had slept soundly and dreamlessly; I wakened quietly in the great chamber into which Rador had ushered O'Keefe and myself after that culminating experience of crowded, nerve-racking hours--the facing of the Three. Now, lying gazing upward at th... The Work Of Fifteen Days
For some time I stood tottering on the mound regardless of my safety. Within that noisome den from which I had emerged I had thought with a narrow intensity only of our immediate security. I had not realised what had been happening to the w... The World At The Feet Of Doctor Jones
The following morning our friends were up be-times and were soon engaged in the busiest day of their lives. The wind was still unfavorable for their passage to Washington, and they abandoned themselves to the numerous duties that pressed upon them... The Wrong Road!
Next day, our departure took place at a very early hour. There was no time for the least delay. According to my account, we had five days' hard work to get back to the place where the galleries divided. I can never tell all the sufferings we end... The Young Russian Captain Of Dragoons
The news of Edith's kidnapping--for, in Heideck's opinion, this was the only explanation, because she would otherwise have left a message for him--fell upon Heideck as a crushing blow. He remembered the terrible cruelties narrated of the period ... The Zone Of Force Is Tested
Seaton strode into the control room with a small oblong box in his hand. Crane was seated at the desk, poring over an abstruse mathematical treatise in Science. Margaret was working upon a bit of embroidery. Dorothy, seated upon a cushion on the f...