Adrift in the Unknown

g though some of them proved to be. It is with our experiences on the planet which finally claimed us tha

und themselves continually at bay; and at nothing did they stand more a

ty of one hundred miles per second, six thousand miles per minute, three hundred and sixty

chibald Meigs, who happened to be the only two who were wide awake. It has been my lasting regret that they did no

d plunge. We had traveled a little more than half an hour at our ultimate velocity; taking this into consideration, and noting the exact m

d that our velocity was substantially as he had supposed, but also discovered that the moon's attraction, so powerful on the tide

k void with ghostly radiance, was probably worth the trip and its attendant inconvenience

ey precluding any such thing as monotony. In fact, we hardly allow

f any asteroid with which we might possibly come into collision. Only once did this dange

nged for shutting off the power of the anti-gravity cubes. By lessening our speed, the professor suffere

ays of the sun, it is true, but the lack of an atmospher

he car's attraction, circled around us continually. These satellites were the four knotted handkerchiefs cont

tentious satellites would have done. It would be difficult t

oty, waxing and waning under my eyes, planted in my nature tho

am while I sat with my eye at the lower end o

us together within the narrow confines of the car, but no social barriers had been leveled. Occasionally the novelty of our situ

r bank accounts, behind them, and what little collateral they had had upon their persons was now "satelliting" about the car

a sandwich, contrived out of two c

Mr. Munn," said he, "upo

from his own experience, Mr. Markham," said I, "

e books. Were you not horrified wit

ing of a jimmy, and I was horrified to think how any dealer in burglar's kits c

tared at

es,'" I proceeded, "and one of the first of my ten rules for success in any sa

hoarsely. "Think of the people from wh

to wish that I had been abl

Markham. "You really exult

the iron stairs had I not

the wheat market was cornered-and a man by the name of Markham did the cornering. The people who had

asteroids in sight?"

er did any reflecti

m looked away as I took my eye from the

'Forty Ways to Starve the Poor.' You have material enough for a p

lear thinking to liken the results of high finance with those of your own petty and highly criminal procee

rkham!" I breathed,

business with false ideals," he went o

awful!" I

to ride it down, "I trust you will hold your criminal instincts in check. If there are any people there

little my ideals,"

at you set yourself up as being any better than

I answered airily. "What you don't understand, it strik

alled only by your colossal egotism. I am sorry that I

You are a past master in successful trickery-trickery of the sort that oug

plunging for the stairs

ought that my angle of vision was distorted. I have regretted expressing my views in this frank

s my duty to bulletin the hour, with its equivalent in days such as we were accustomed to, upon a blackboard i

Gilhooly and the lookout as students. The railway magnate's aberration continued; all we could do wa

n, is distant some twenty-five million miles from Terra, as Quinn called our own planet. Counting out the delays at starting, an

hat seventy hours had passed, began to brush their clothes and tidy themse

ofessor decided that it was nearing superior conjunction and was somewher

le matter. Meigs further added-with a good deal of childishness as I thought-that the role of a derelict was distastefu

for the professor had taken fast hold of me a

een myself and the Wall Street

imed directly at the orbit of another world, and I can so manipulate the lever

?" said Popham, pri

he smallest orb in our solar system and mea

large schemes as ourselves," remarked Meigs, shaking hi

coal mines there?" murm

w wheat and cott

certainly be as necessary there as on the earth. I don't know,

t a pity it will be if the Mercuria

ach this planet you speak of

miles per second, while we are moving at one hundred miles. At a rough estimate, I should say we can effect a j

elieving that my nerves were the steadiest, the professor placed me at the te

lanet we were endeavoring to intercept. Through the telescope I saw huge mountains and broad plai

left the lever and came upstairs to have

ost from now on, while you go below and station yourself at the switch board. The slightest mismanagement, wh

numbered from zero to ninety. I will call down to you the number to which you must t

e, sir,"

o without still further impressing upon

ere. By proceeding intelligently in the matter, we shall make the car weigh slightly more than the atmosphere we encounter; then, w

essor," I answered

ires as well as giving them a point of vantage from which to watch events. Gilhooly was the only one besides myself in the

ar, but in the main the lever was held on the number, 90, which gave a maximum velocity. Th

door. Behind the door stood two men with revolvers. For two seconds I stared agape at t

two men, then spread out the two seconds to cover a half hour. In this way only can

d to me from overhead. Above them I he

er

ed, throwing the

energy. Instantly there came the sickening sensation of a fall, accompan

ve!" shri

elled, throwing t

threw me to my knees. We were moving upward ag

came down

arsely, struggling erec

rofessor was juggling with an unknown atmosphere, a

fte

er went the lever

rom the window by the switch board I look

, and I turned away that my sight migh

ied the p

threw the switch

ropped, but slo

iv

r, yet not so fiercely as before. Then, all of a sudden, I felt a grip of finge

ngers of steel. The fire of an insane purpose gleamed in his e

ve tried to rise under the thousand

cried

not, for my tongue was

d Quinn. "Ten-

heard a frantic clamor above and then there was such a

, and I collapsed into an unconsciousn