Daybreak: A Romance of an Old World

loss of the instruments and other apparatus which had cost him so much care, and then there were our official papers. Our introduction to Mona had be

t us anything. But I had my own reasons for preferring to remain where we were. I was happy and was expecting every day to be happier still,

ad been left entirely to ourselves. But Mona heard us talking it over one day and said we co

d so assuring that the doctor determined to make the attempt. I was obliged to acquiesce, fearing, i

quite different from its usual tone. Meditating on this phenomenon, and speaking to each other as we could find breath, we ascended the side of the crater, when there burs

troduce you to

oo well acquainted before a great whil

reateningly, we all agreed that it would be rash to return into the interior of the moon, to be crushed to death in the shock of the impending

d of many exhibitions of courage and indifference to danger, but here we had the very personification of fearlessness and contentment. She talked freely of our situation and of what was likely to happen, but appeared to be as l

is a feeling excited by th

en for our good, and I am sure it will be so in the future. I have but a short time to remain as the sole inhabitant of this now useless globe, and the manner of my taking off is not of the slightest moment. This old world's day is now passed, and I realize in that fact the reason for its unseemly behavior, first kno

erned about it as I was. I thought she ought to have shown more anxiety about her future

cape with us. If I thought there was no hope of that, I am sure I should prop

d as she sang ou

t cheer up, we will all stand by each other to the last." It was in her abounding good nature and in her faculty

arer every minute, flying at such a terrific rate and aimed, apparently, for a direct collision, it may be imagined that the doctor a

n to picture the rest. As we entered the atmosphere of the planet, the rush of air increased till it seemed as if a hundred Niagaras were sounding in our ears. I remember having a dim feeling of satisfaction in the belief that such a violent conta

as far as my senses could inform me, alone in a new world. Such a sensation of homesickness came over me, such a longing fo

l view. There were certainly favorable evidences all about me. I was breathing an atmosphere evidently made for lungs like mine. The air was soft and pleasant, and though I was drenched with water by my fall I was not uncomfortable. I tasted the water and, oh! joyful reminder of home, it was salt. The sun shed a beautiful light around me, and as I glanced upward to see how bright and cheerful the sky was, my reverie was suddenly broken o

I cried, "thy

ALD DISCOVERS ONE OF

with my changed condition. If the doctor had only been with me we would have been able to extract considerable comfort from our surroundings. But, as it was, I was very lonesome, and whatever consolation I got from my reasoning about the planet's habitability was increased a thousand fold by seeing a speck upon the horizon, which I hoped might prove to be a sail. I watched it with intense interest, and was not disappointed. I will not try to describe my feelings as this ship of Mars approached me, while I sat wondering what

the little fellow w

have him speak good, plain English; but the other circumstances were so entirely novel that, instead

ars has passed its

e just the words to commend me to my new friend, for a

must have misunderstood him, for he

g over this strange

one in the ship whom y

in Mars if all the inhabitants talked in suc

the ship to be pleased. I am delighte

of our journey on the moon and of my mysterious arrival on their planet. I expatiated on the merits of t

eached the ship's side, I looked up and saw the doctor himself standing on the deck, a pigmy am

were the first

replied. "

ed. "Well, you have rec

him was missing. In the fall from the moon he had evidently lost his wits. I thoug

hurt. When I came to my senses I found mysel

tely, and they picked me up, and then, at my re

nd I am very thankful for it, bu

ast you saw of

h some force that I must not let his mental condition become known to the men of Mars around us; and so, instead of replying

a collision and sending the moon bounding back over the path by which it had come. Probably at the moment when it was nearest the surface, we had fallen off into the ocean. The re

ble time to visit them, for Mars had not bee

o that they appeared quite monstrous to us. But they were agile and even graceful in their movemen

he history and condition of Mars than we could have gained in any other way. The men were all kind to us and seemed to be all equally able to impart information, but most of our intercourse was with Thorwald. He gave us much of his tim

igence. His questions and answers were all so pertinent that I should have supposed his mind was entirely unaffected, had I not known to the c