Argosy, Volume XXIII — Index Page, 1897 — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

A MONTH IN THE MOON. * The marvelous experiences that grew out of the Lunar Company, Limited—How the catch- penny scheme of three adventurers was transformed into an extraordinary contribution to the world of science—Scenes and incidents of a sojourn on the earth’s satellite. SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTERS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED. MESSRS. GRYPHINS, VOGEL, AND WAGNER, three adventurers in Melbourne, Australia, start The Lunar Company, for the Conquest and Exploration of the Mineral Riches of the Moon, The control of the enterprise passes into the hands of Norbert Mauny, a young French scientist, who has a plan of attracting the moon to the earth by erecting a series of powerful magnets, The Bayouda Desert in the Soudan is selected as the site. At Suakim Mauny meets the French consul, M. Kersain, and his daughter Gertrude, who decide to accompany him on a visit to the Mogaddem of Rhadameh, a local ruler whose favor must be obtained before the transportation of the material across the desert can be made. After promising to pay certain large sums as tribute, Norbert secures the cooperation he desires and the expedition sets out for the Bayouda Desert. Here the reflectors are erected on the Peak of Tehbali, and work proceeds with gratifying success till Messrs. Gryphins, Vogel, and Wagner are detected in a conspiracy to turn the workmen against Norbert. They are imprisoned, and then Norbert, hearing that trouble threatens Khartoum, where M. Kersain has been transferred, determines to go thither and see if he cannot induce him and his daughter to take refuge at the Peak. The consul refuses to leave his post, but it is finally arranged that Gertrude, accompanied by Dr. Briet, her uncle, and Fatima, her maid, set out with Norbert for Tehbali. On the road they are intercepted by Kaddour, the Mogaddem’s dwarf, who makes them all prisoners and endeavors to obtain Gertrude’s hand in matriage. Failing in this he resolves to march with the forces he possesses on the Peak, taking the prisoners with him, and there destroy before their very eyes the work on which Mauny has built such high hopes. But the men employed by the young astronomer and those in the service of the dwarf come from the same country, and they refuse to fight agairist one another. Kaddour is taken captive and placed in charge of Virgil, Mauny’s right hand man., Discovered in an attempt to win away the allegiance of the negro guard, he is condemned to be shot, but swallows poison just before the execution is to take place. Soon afterward the Mahdi’s forces surround the Peak and call upon Mauny to surrender, which he stoutly refuses to do, Meantime the magnets are working splendidly, and at length Norbert sets in operation the forces that, in six days, are to bring the moon down to the earth. The satellite responds readily, . and by the sixth day is so close and appears so immense that not enly are the Mahdi’s forces utterly panic stricken, but Norbert’s party themselves are terrified. Sir Bucephalus Coghill, one of the chief members of the company, ventures to hint to the young astronomer that he thinks it would be safer for all hands if the experiment be stopped—which Mauny says can be done by simply touching two knobs—when the baronet’s valet, Tyrrel Smith, in an agony of apprehen- sion, rushes to the tablet where the knobs controlling all the motors are situated, raises one and lowers another. A fearful crash ensues and all are thrown into insensibility. ' When they come to again the astounding discovery is made that the whole mountain of Tehbali, with the observatory and all that it contains, has been transferred to the moon. As soon as he realizes what has happened, Norbert hastens to close and hermetically seal all the windows, in order that no air may escape, as the moon being without atmosphere, man cannot breathe there. However, he provides respirators, with which he and the baronet are enabled to start out on an exploring trip. They find that they cannot make any audible sounds and are obliged to communicate with each other by means of note books. *This story began in the February issue of THE ArGosy. The five back numbers will be matled to any address on receipt of 50 cents. Eomichbooks (Eo)