Argosy, Volume XXIII — Index Page, 1897 — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

748 . A MONTH IN THE MOON. It was, indeed, a volcano in miniature, for the orifice was not ten yards across. It was the last survivor of a myriad other craters now extinct for- ever, the last spark of some gigantic fire that had once raged throughout the plain. But, small as it was, the miniature volcano gave out a welcome heat. Kaddour and Norbert encamped thankfully beside the fire and warmed their frozen limbs, delighted to be able to breathe freely once more. Every now and again the crater belched forth fire and smoke, and was lit by the expiring flames, while a subterranean grumbling rolled out ever and anon with a kind of sigh, after which silence would reign for an instant. During these intervals Norbert fancied he heard water flowing. Looking about for the cause of the noise, he discovered at the foot of the crater on the opposite side a tiny geyser quite in keeping with the volcano that fed it. From it rose a waterspout about a yard in height, that increased to seven or eight yards when the explosions took place. The water was not good-—it was full of sulphurous cinders that inade it nauseous ; but still it was water, and a treasure, therefore, not to be despised. They dcicdmined to remain there, and, fortifying themselves with a substan- tial repast of biscuit, cold meat, and tea, they wrapped themselves in woolen coverings and were soon fast asleep, taking the precaution to renew the oxygen in the heat of the waterspout. When he awoke Norbert set up his telescope and studied the sky. ‘There was not time for him to take many observations, but he saw enough to give him an idea of what might have been the result to science had it been pos- sible to set up an observatory there. ) Uranus and Neptune were not visible. He looked at Saturn, remember- ing well the first time he had seen the planet, when one day in his youth he had been allowed to look through an ordinary telescope in a public garden, and had then and there settled on his future career. But what was that early impression to his present emotion as he noted the clear brightness of the mysterious ring that surrounds Saturn as with a golden band! ‘The ring appeared divided into three segments, and formed of séveral concentric circles. The shadow it cast upon the planet, as well as the shadow cast by the planet upon it, and the bands encircling the globe, all stood out like a flame colored drawing on the background of black sea. One might have thought only a few yards separated the moon from the planet, and that one only had to stretch out a hand, as it were, to touch that far distant world. If he could have spared the time, what discoveries might not Norbert have made from such a vantage ground in the fervor of his scientific genius ! What interesting observations of the starry heavens! What studies in spectral analysis! He gazed at the wonders above him till time itself was forgotten, and he no longer knew whether he was in the moon or suspended in space, beyond the condition of mortality. On a sudden his sleeve was pulled, and looking down, coming down from the highest heaven, he beheld Kaddour raising beseeching eyes to him. ‘“Ah, it is you, Kaddour! Do you want to look through the telescope ?”’ f 3) (€(0) Eomichbooks