The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

A MONTH IN ‘THE MOON. 535 ‘‘ Give me these wretches, that I may punish them as they deserve !”’ ‘‘T should be most happy to hand them over to you,’’ answered Norbert, ‘‘ but I have passed my word to them, and I cannot withdraw it.’’ : CHAPTER XXXIV.—THE PRISONERS. THE three commissioners presented a most miserable aspect. They were emaciated, haggard, and dirty. They were as abject now as hitherto they had been arrogant. The fire- arms in their possession proved to be those that had been missed from the observatory the first day the castaways had sallied forth to reconnoiter. Norbert would not speak tothem himself, but commissioned Virgil to see to their wants, and carried off the poor baronet to the drawing room. He was soon restored by a few puffs of pure oxygen. He then related his adventures, and explained the presence on the moon of the three scoundrels. ““When you left me at the opening of the crater,’’ he said, addressing himself to Norbert, ‘‘ I soon got tired of picking up stones, and thought how the work would be done in five minutes when help came. The sight of the Apennines on the right was very tempting. I longed to climb them, and have something to tell when I return to London, if I ever do return. ‘“T yielded to the strong temptation, and in about an hour’s time I had climbed the nearest peak, erected a little commemorative obelisk at the top, and descended the dried up bed of the torrent into the plain. Iwas then quietly returning up Tehbali, when suddenly three shadows bounded from behind a big rock, threw me down, and seized my box of oxygen. ‘“By good fortune there was just a little breathable air in the gorge at the bottom of the deep valley. JI don’t know where the air came from, but there it was, and it kept me alive, as until then it had kept the three rogues alive. It appears that the glass foundry which was their prison at the bot- tom of the peak was carried off with us, and fell into this gorge, where in- deed I saw the broken pieces of glass.’’ ‘“So did we,’’ said Norbert, ‘‘ when we were searching for you.’’ ‘‘You saw them too, did you? Well, Wagner, who is more knave than fool, understood the position at once, aided thereto by the fact that he could not breathe outside the valley. The villains had no provisions. ‘They saw the observatory in the distance, and knew that we were there, but they could not traverse the intervening space owing to their want of oxygen. ‘‘In this juncture they suddenly perceived me climbing up the Apen- nines, and conceived the idea of awaiting my return to pounce at once upon me and my box of oxygen. Equipped with my respirator, Wagner started off directly to reconnoiter, and finding the observatory deserted he took the opportunity of visiting the store room, and threw out of the window every eatable he could lay his hands on, besides three respirators which you have not perhaps missed.’’ ‘‘T beg your pardon, I noticed their absence at once, but ventured to sup- pose that you must have taken them, in order to prolong your escapade,”’ said Norbert. GOMIGDOOKSEEO