The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

536 A MONTH IN THE MOON. ‘‘See how one is calumniated! In short, Wagner returned, and led us around Tehbali on the opposite side of the zigzag road, and brought us to the commissioners’ old quarters. You must bear in mind that all this time my arms were tied to the rifle. It was impossible for me to call out, since there is no sound in this confounded land. We reached the place where you found us, and have been here ever since—I with my feet and wrists bound, and threatened with death if I tried to escape. I think they intended to attack you in your sleep, and get possession of the observatory. But they had not sufficient firearms ; that was why Costerus made that attempt on the store- room during your breakfast. He was discovered in time, luckily for us 1 de As the baronet ended his recital his voice suddenly fell, and his eyes opened wide with an expression of utter stupefication. He had just caught sight of Kaddour, whom he had not noticed before. His amazement at be- holding him in life whom he had seen in death was only equaled by the sur- prise with which he noted the familiar terms on which Ee dwarf evidently was with the inhabitants of the Hall of Motors. They explained matters to him, however, and he ended by trusting to the evidence of his senses that Kaddour really had risen again. Virgil, meanwhile, was concerning himself with settling the prisoners as quickly as possible. He had cleverly repaired the broken windows and the smashed door, and had made a hole in the wall for the purpose of communi- cating with the circular gallery of the observatory, where the aerating wel] was. This secured a fair amount of breathable air to the three commis- sioners, and a cistern full of water was assigned to them, as well as daily rations of food. Norbert gave them his written instructions as to the amount of labor he required from them. It consisted of repairing and polishing a certain number of conical mirrors that had been injured by the catastrophe and rendered unfit for use. Norbert was rather disturbed in his calculations by this sudden increase in the number of inhabitants, for it meant a larger consumption of air aud provisions, 3 } : ‘I had calculated,’’ he said with a sigh, ‘‘ on a sufficient supply of air for eight persons during twenty two days. I can only count upon enough for sixteen days, since there will be eleven pairs of lungs to fill. We shall be obliged, before the end, to make large quantities of oxygen.”’ ‘‘ All the more reason to get rid of these rogues!’ cried Kaddour. He had been as restless as an angry tiger ever since his tormentors had appeared on the scene. ‘‘ Give them to me, Monsieur Mauny; give them to me for two or three hours, and I undertake to suppress them in due form. You will be able to keep your air for those who have a right to it.”’ But Norbert took the trouble to explain to Kaddour that such sentiments were both cruel and revolting. ‘‘ Revolting !’ cried the dwarf, writhing as if under a hot iron. ‘‘Ishould like to see what you would say if you had been kept in a metallic mold for fifteen years, and transformed into a monster !”’ ‘“'True,’’ answered Norbert, trying to appease the little creature. ‘‘ But Eomichbooks =)