Lost on the Moon, Roy Rockwood [best reads of all time .txt] 📗

CHAPTER I

A WONDERFUL STORY

 

“Well, what do you think of it, Mark?” asked Jack Darrow, as he laid

aside a portion of a newspaper, covered with strange printed

characters. “Great; isn’t it?”

 

“You don’t mean to tell me that you believe that preposterous story, do

you, Jack?” And Mark Sampson looked across the table at his companion

in some astonishment.

 

“Oh, I don’t know; it may be true,” went on Jack, again picking up the

paper and gazing thoughtfully at it. “I wish it was.”

 

“But think of it!” exclaimed Mark. “Why, if such a thing exists, and if

we, or some one else, should attempt to bring all those precious stones

to this earth, it would revolutionize the diamond industry of the

world. It can’t be true!”

 

“Well, here It is, in plain print. You can read it for yourself, as you

know the Martian language as well as I do. It states that a large field

of ‘Reonaris’ was discovered on the moon near Mare Tranquilitatis (or

Tranquil Ocean, I suppose that could be translated), and that the men

of Mars brought back some of the Reonaris with them. Here, read it, if

you don’t believe me.”

 

“Oh, I believe you, all right—that is, I think you have translated

that article as well as you can. But suppose you have made some error?

We didn’t have much time to study the language of Mars while we were

there, and we might make some mistake in the words. That article might

be an account of a dog-fight on the red planet, instead of an account

of a trip to the moon and the discovery of a field of Reonaris; eh,

Jack?”

 

“Of course, I’m likely to have made an error, for it isn’t easy to

translate this stuff.” And Jack gazed intently at the strangely printed

page, which was covered with characters not unlike Greek. “I may be

wrong,” went on the lad, “but you must remember that I translated some

other articles in this paper, and Professor Henderson also translated

them substantially as I did, and Professor Roumann agreed with him.

There is Reonaris on the moon, and I wish we could go there and

get some.”

 

“But maybe after you got the Reonaris it would turn out to be only

common crystals,” objected Mark.

 

“No!” exclaimed Jack. “Reonaris is what the Martians call it in their

language, and that means diamonds. I’m sure of it!”

 

“Well, I don’t agree with you,” declared the other lad.

 

“Don’t be cranky and contrary,” begged Jack.

 

“I’m not; but what’s the use of believing anything so wild and weird as

that? It’s a crazy yarn!”

 

“It’s nothing of the sort! There are diamonds on the moon; and I can

prove it!”

 

“Well, don’t get excited,” suggested Mark calmly. “I don’t believe it;

that’s all. You’re mistaken about what Reonaris is; that’s what you

are.”

 

“I am not!” Jack had arisen from his chair, and seemed much elated. In

his hand he held clinched the paper which had caused the lively

discussion. It was as near to a disagreement as Jack Darrow and Mark

Sampson had come in some time.

 

“Sit down,” begged Mark.

 

“I’ll not!” retorted Jack. “I’m going to prove to you that I’m right.”

 

“How are you going to do it?”

 

“I’m going to get Professor Henderson and Professor Roumann to

translate this article for you, and then you can ask them what Reonaris

is. Guess that’ll convince you; won’t it?”

 

“Maybe; but why don’t you ask Andy Sudds or Washington White to give

their opinion?”

 

“Don’t get funny,” advised the other lad sharply, and then, seeing that

his chum was smiling, Jack laughed, cooled down a bit, looked at the

paper which he had crumpled in his hand, and said:

 

“I guess I was getting a little too excited. But I’m sure I’m right.

Here’s the paper I brought from Mars to prove it, and the only thing

there’s any doubt about is whether or not Reonaris means diamonds. I’ll

ask–-”

 

At that moment the door of the library, in which Jack and Mark were

seated, was cautiously opened, and a black, woolly head was thrust in.

Then two widely-opened eyes gazed at the boys.

 

“What’s the matter, Washington?” asked Jack, with a laugh.

 

“‘Scuse me, Massa Jack,” answered the colored man, “but did I done heah

you’ to promulgate some conversationess regarding de transmigatorability

ob diamonds?”

 

“Do you mean, were we talking about diamonds?” inquired Mark.

 

“Dat’s what I done said, Massa Mark.”

 

“No, you didn’t say it, but you meant it, I guess,” went on Jack.

“Yes, we were talking about diamonds, Washington. I know a place

that’s full of them.”

 

“Where?” inquired the colored man, thrusting his head farther into the

room, and opening his eyes to their fullest extent. “Ef it ain’t

violatin’ no confidences, Massa Jack, would yo’ jest kindly mention it

to yo’s truly,” and Professor Henderson’s faithful servant, who had

followed him into many dangers, looked at the two boys, who, of late

years, had shared the labors of the well-known scientist. “Where am

dose diamonds, Massa Jack?”

 

“On the moon,” was the answer.

 

“On de moon? Ha! Ha! Dat’s a joke!” And Washington began to laugh. “On

de moon! Ha! Ho!”

 

“Well, you can read it for yourself,” went on the lad, tossing the

paper over to the colored man. The latter picked it up, gazed at it,

first from one side, and then from the other. Next he turned it upside

down, but, as this did not make the article any clearer, he turned the

paper back again. Then he remarked, with a puzzled air:

 

“Well, I neber could read without mah glasses, Massa Jack, so I guess

I’ll hab t’ let it go until annoder time. Diamonds on de moon, eh?

Dat’s wonderful! I wonder what dey’ll be doin’ next? But I’se got t’

go. Diamonds on de moon, eh? Diamonds on de moon!”

 

As Washington turned to leave the room, for he had entered it when Jack

and Mark were talking to aim, the latter lad asked:

 

“Did you want to see us about anything particular, Wash?”

 

“Why, I suah did,” was the reply, “I did come t’ tell yo’ dat Perfesser

Henderson would be pleased to hold some conversations wid yo’, but when

Massa Jack done mentioned about dem diamonds, I clean fo’got it.

Diamonds on de moon, eh?”

 

“Well, if the professor wants us we’d better go,” suggested Mark. “Come

on, Jack, and stop dreaming about Reonaris and the moonbeams. Get back

to earth.”

 

“All right; laugh if you want to,” said Jack sturdily, “but the time

will come, Mark, when you’ll find out that I’m right.”

 

“How?” asked Mark.

 

“I don’t know, but I’m sure I can prove what I say.”

 

The two boys were to have the wonderful diamond story demonstrated to

them sooner than either expected. Following the colored man, the lads,

Jack carrying the paper, made their way to the laboratory of Professor

Henderson. His door was open, and the aged man, whose hair and beard

were now white with age, was bending over a table covered with papers,

chemical apparatus, test tubes, alembecs, Bunsen burners, globes, and

various pieces of apparatus. Another man, not quite so old as was Mr.

Henderson, was on the point of leaving the apartment.

 

“Ah, boys,” remarked the older professor, as he caught sight of them,

“I hope I didn’t disturb you by sending for you.”

 

“No; Jack and I were only having a red-hot discussion about diamonds on

the moon,” said Mark, with a laugh.

 

“Diamonds on the moon!” exclaimed Professor Henderson.

 

“Diamonds on the moon?” repeated his friend, Prof. Santell Roumann. “Is

this a joke, boys?”

 

“Mark thinks so, but I don’t!” cried Jack, enthusiastically. “Look

here, Professor Henderson, and also Mr. Roumann. Here is one of the

newspapers that we brought back with us in our projectile, the

Annihilator, after our trip to Mars. I have been translating some of

the articles in it, and tonight I came across one that told of a trip

made by some of the inhabitants of Mars to the moon, in a sort of

projectile, like ours, only more on the design of an aeroplane.

 

“They landed on the moon, the article states, and found a big field, or

deposit, of Reonaris, which I claim are diamonds. Mark says I’m wrong,

but, Professor Henderson, isn’t Reonaris to the Martians what diamonds

are to us?”

 

“It certainly is,” agreed the older scientist, and he looked for

confirmation to his scholarly companion.

 

“Reonaris is substantially a diamond,” said Professor Roumann. “It has

the same chemical constitution, and also the diamond’s hardness and

brilliancy. But I don’t understand how any diamonds can be on the

moon.”

 

“You can read this for yourself,” suggested Jack, passing over the

paper, which was one of some souvenirs brought back from what was the

longest journey on record, ever taken by human beings.

 

Mr. Roumann adjusted his glasses, and carefully read the article that

was printed in such strange characters. As he perused it, he nodded his

head thoughtfully from time to time. Then he passed the paper to

Professor Henderson.

 

The older scientist was somewhat longer in going over the article, but

when he had finished, he looked at the two boys, and said: “Jack is

right! This is an account of a trip made to the moon by some of the

Martians, who have advanced much further in the art of air navigation

than have we. Some of the words I am not altogether familiar with, but

in the main, that is what the paper states.”

 

“And doesn’t it tell about them finding a field of Reonaris?” asked

Jack eagerly, for he was anxious to prove to his chum that he was

right.

 

“Yes, it does,” replied Mr. Henderson.

 

“And Reonaris is diamonds, isn’t it?” asked Jack.

 

“It is,” answered Professor Roumann gravely.

 

“Then,” cried Jack, “what’s to hinder us from going to the moon, and

getting some of those diamonds? The Martians must have left