Argosy, Volume XXIII — Index Page, 1897 — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

A MONTH IN THE MOON. co 749 ‘‘ Do you know how long you have been star gazing?’’ said Kaddour, in pantomimic language. ‘“No; perhaps thirty minutes or more.’’ ‘‘Four hours !’’ answered Kaddour. ‘‘I should not have disturbed you now, only that I am afraid your friends will be anxious.’’ ‘You are right, and Iam much obliged to you for reminding me, Kad- dour. We must not alarm them uselessly. But just take a glance at the rings of Saturn, and at anything else you like in the sky, then we will pack up and go back.’’ ; | Twenty hours later the two weary travelers returned to the observatory. CHAPTER XXXVIII.—THE MANUSCRIPT. _ ON returning to Tehbali, Norbert and Kaddour recounted their adventures in the invisible hemisphere, and heard in return a full account of Gertrude’s discovery. Norbert at once announced his intention of visiting the selenic monument without delay. Gertrude and the doctor accompanied him. He had no sooner entered the building than his eye was arrested by a strange peculiarity in all the frescoes and bas reliefs, which was indeed well calculated to strike the eye of an astronomer. ‘Two suns were represented in the lunar sky—one small, the other large. His companion looked on with the deepest attention while Norbert ex- plained on his fingers the reason of the phenomenon. ‘‘ There can be little doubt,’’ he said, ‘‘ that the big sun in these decora- tions represents the earth still in an incandescent stage, which is in itself a proof of the extreme antiquity of this building. Its preservation is due to the non existence of rain, wind, or atmospheric disturbance of any kind, and the variations of lunar temperature have probably but little effect.’’ _ Remarking the pyramidal shape of the edifice, he continued : “It would seem that the Selenites were acquainted with the laws of mechanics before the earth was sufficiently cold to admit of life upon her sur- face. As weight is six times less here than on terrestrial soil, the buildings had to be raised accordingly on much wider and deeper foundations. ‘The Selenites knew this ; hence their monument stands after myriads of ages have passed.’’ ; ‘ What can this be?’’ asked Gertrude, stopping short before a kind of triangular frame that she had not noticed on her first visit. On examination it turned out to be an immense door, closed by means of metallic slides shutting like a fan one over the other. ‘This door gave access into a second hall, which, unlike the other, was not empty. It contained a great many articles of furniture, all of them broad and massive, reminding one of a pyramid, even the seats going up into a point. These latter, of colossal dimensions, were intended, apparently, for forms as gigantic as the Buddhas of the Indian temples. This hypothesis was con- firmed by the discovery that they were all made of fine gold, now much tarnished by time. On the earth these seats would have been of enormous value from a pecuniary point of view. GOmichbooks =i) (EC)