The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 149: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A MONTH IN THE MOON. 341 Had there heen a single individual, alive or dead, throughout this vast ex- panse he wou'd have been seen ten leagues off. But not the least vestige of animate or inanimate life disturbed the solitude. ‘Let us go back and look in the Apennines,’’ wrote Norbert, passing his note book to his companions. The great chain of mountains stretched from northwest to west. It was composed of ranges of peaks, rising to the height of ten thousand feet above the Sea of Serenity. Mauny, Dr. Briet, and Virgil accomplished the first part of the ascent in less than an hour. It was not very easy walking, but the three travelers explored it all thoroughly, climbing manfully terrace after terrace, until at length they stood on a summit, whence they commanded a view of both slopes quite sixty leagues in extent. Vainly did they sweep the immense circle with their glasses. The soli- tude was as complete as the bottom of the dried up lunar ocean. Norbert had just lowered the glass, and was about to give the signal for return, when his attention was caught by a pyramidal rock surmounting the height on which he stood. He went up to it. It had evidently been placed there by a human hand. It was rough, but was wedged carefully in, and propped up with stones to prevent it rocking. And to obviate all doubt as to its origin, the following inscription, done with a knife, was to be seen on one side: SIR BUCEPHALUS COGHILL, THE FIRST MAN THAT EVER CLIMBED THESE MOUNTAINS. ‘‘ Well, to be sure !’’ said Norbert, laughing, as he pointed out the in- scription to the doctor. ‘It was to write his name here, then, that the baronet gave us all the slip. We shall find him safe and sound, depend upon it, when we return. Who would have accused him of such a freak of vanity ?’’ / With their minds at rest the three explorers set off homeward down a new road. It wasa kind of deep gorge, that led straight to the crater of Rheticus, and was probably the bed of some ancient torrent that had forced its way to the sea. : It was shady and cool, and best of all, they could actually hear the sound of their own footsteps, which showed that they must have hit upon a stratum of air. Norbert hastened to verify the fact by taking off his oxygen respirator. But he had to put it on again quickly. ‘The floating modicum of air was not of sufficient density to suffice for animal life. : On the other hand there was no trace of vegetable existence. The stratum of air was probably a remnant of the earth’s atmosphere that had been imprisoned in these depths. So reasoned Norbert. | The ancient torrent skirted the base of Rheticus, and consequently that also of Tehbali, and brought them back to the observatory on the opposite side from that by which they had left it. They seized the opportunity of inspecting that part of the Peak. CONNICGOOOKS.CO