Argosy, Volume XXIII — Index Page, 1897 — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

‘ A MONTH IN THE MOON. 761 colder and colder, As the thermometer sank, the buried stones lost their heat, and ceased to affect the temperature. At last the cold was so terribly severe that even Sir Bucephalus could hold out no longer. ‘I would give my eyes for a good fire!’’ cried he, on rising from the dinner table. Every one chorused his wish, and Norbert yielded to the general consensus. ; ; ‘It is folly on our part,’’ he exclaimed ; ‘‘ but for once we must be foolish. We will have a fire. There is coal in the valley ; let us go and fetch it.’’ In less than ten minutes Virgil and Smith were ready. Seizing some sacks, they reached the valley, with great leaps and brought back a good supply of anthracite from the dried up bed of the torrent. This was heaped up in a hole made for a chimney in the wall of the circular passage, and set on fire. For two hours they enjoyed themselves thoroughly, roasting their backs and faces, and making tea, and winding up with a dance. It did them all good, and strengthened them to to go on bravely to the end. ‘* Well, we ave extravagant !’’ said Norbert, shaking his head. ‘“‘’To think that we have just burned up for our enjoyment the breathing ammu- nition for twenty four hours !’’ Fortunately, the long night was now near its close, and after a little more suffering, during which the thermometer sank two or three degrees lower still, the sun made his appearance in the east,-just as they were getting up from dinner. : There was no dawn. A fringe of rays was seen on the horizon, followed by a fragment of disk peeping up as if over a wall. This soon increased in size, and rose into the heavens, tipping all the craters and summits with gold. The day had come back for three ‘hundred and fifty four hours, and the moment for the return to the earth was near. CHAPTER XLIII.—A Dancrrovus Loss. ‘“ComE,’’ cried Norbert, ‘‘ let us not lose a minute, but do our best to get out of this misery as soon as possible. It will not last long now. I will go at once and overhaul the solar heat condensers and the other machines, and Virgil and Kaddour shall set them going. In forty eight hours, at the latest, we will begin the descent. In six days, eleven hours, and ‘elght minutes, we shall reach the earth !’’ ‘“Why,’’ asked Gertrude, ‘‘ are we to take three hours longer to descend than it took the moon to come down to the earth ?”’ ‘“ Because she is at present farther off from the earth. But first of all we must renew our store cf oxygen for this last week. Virgil will do this, while I go on a tour of inspection. Will you come, doctor?” The doctor assented, and joined Norbert. Gertrude and Sir Bucephalus were glad to accompany them into the welcome warmth of the sunshine after their long deprivation of its cheering rays. The inspection of the conical mirrors made, they were turning back after their agreeable walk of about twenty minutes, when Virgil suddenly made Eomichbooks (Eo)