CHAPTER XIX
TORCHES OF LIFE
The natural inclination of the boys to rush out on the surface of themoon to see what it was like was checked by the words of caution fromProfessor Roumann.
"Do you think it would be dangerous to venture outside the projectile?"asked Jack, as he looked from the window and noted the rugged, unevensurface of the moon.
"Very much so," was the answer. "According to most astronomers, thereis absolutely no air on the moon, also no moisture, and the temperatureis either very high or around the freezing point. We must find out whatit is."
"How can we?" inquired Mark.
"I'll soon show you," went on the German. "Professor Henderson, willyou kindly assist me."
When it had been decided to come to the moon in quest for the field ofdiamonds, certain changes had been made in the _Annihilator_ to fit itfor new conditions that might be met. One of these consisted of anaperture in the two sides of the projectile permitting certain delicateinstruments to be thrust out, so that the conditions they indicatedcould be read on dials or graduated scales from within.
"We will first make a test of the temperature," said Mr. Roumann, "asthat will be the easiest." Accordingly a thermometer was put outside,and those in the air-craft anxiously watched the red column of spirits.The temperature was marked as seventy-five inside the _Annihilator_,but the thermometer had not been outside more than a second before itbegan falling.
"Good!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson, as he noted it. "The temperature isgoing down. I'd rather have it too cold than too hot. We can stand aminus fifty of cold better than two hundred and twelve of heat. We havefur garments with us."
"It is still going down," remarked Jack, as he saw the red column dropdown past the thirty mark.
"Below freezing," added Mark.
The spirits fell in the tube until they touched twenty-eight degrees,and there they remained.
"Twenty-eight degrees," remarked Professor Henderson. "That isn't sobad. At least, we can stand that if we are warmly clad."
"Yes, but it will be colder to-night," said Jack. For they had landedon the moon in bright sunlight.
"To-night?" questioned the German scientist, with a smile.
"Yes, it's always colder when the sun goes down," went on the lad.
"You have forgotten one thing," said Mr. Henderson, with a smile at hisyoung protege. "You must remember, Jack, that the nights and days hereare each fourteen days long--that is, fourteen of our days."
"How's that?" asked Jack.
"Why," broke in Mark, who was a trifle better student than was hischum, "don't you remember that the moon rotates on its axis once amonth, or in about twenty-eight days, to be exact, and so half of thattime is day and half night, just as on our earth, when it revolves onits axis in twenty-four hours, half the time is day and half the timeis night."
"Sure, I ought to have remembered," declared Jack.
"Mark is right," added Mr. Henderson. "And, as we have most fortunatelyarrived on the moon at the beginning of the long day, we will havefourteen days of sunshine, during which we may expect the temperatureto remain at about twenty-eight degrees. But now about the atmosphere.""We will test that directly," went on the German. "It will take sometime longer, though."
Various instruments were brought forth and thrust out of the opening inthe side of the projectile, which opening was so arranged that it wasclosed hermetically while the instruments were put forth. Then thereadings of the dials or scales were taken, and computations made. Infact, some of what corresponded to the moon's atmosphere was secured ina hollow steel cup and brought inside the _Annihilator_ for analysis.
"Well," remarked Professor Roumann, as he bent over a test tube, thecontents of which he had put through several processes, "I am afraid wecannot breathe on the moon."
"Can't breathe on it?" gasped Jack. "Then we can't go out and walkaround it."
"I didn't say that," resumed the German, with a smile. "I said wecouldn't breathe the moon's atmosphere. In fact there is nothing therethat we would call atmosphere. There is absolutely no oxygen, and thereare a number of poisonous gases that would instantly cause death ifinhaled."
"Then how are we to get out and hunt for those diamonds, Professor?"went on Jack. "Gee whiz! if I'd known that, I wouldn't have come. Thisis tough luck!"
"Maybe the professor can suggest a way out of the difficulty, boys,"spoke Mr. Henderson. "It certainly would be too bad if, after ourperilous trip, we couldn't get out of our cage and walk around themoon."
"I think perhaps I can discover a way so that it will be safe toventure forth," said Mr. Roumann. "But I must first conduct somefurther experiments. In the meanwhile suppose you boys get out somefur-lined garments, for, though it is only twenty-eight degrees, wewill need to be well clad after the time spent inside this warmprojectile."
"It does look as if he expected to get us out," remarked Jack, as heand his chum went to where Andy Sudds was.
"Yes, you'll get a chance to pick up diamonds after all, Jack. That is,if there are any here."
"Of course there are diamonds. You wait and see," and then, with thehelp of the old hunter, they took from the store-room their furgarments.
It was half an hour before the warm clothes were sorted out, and thenthe boys went back to where the two professors were.
"Well," asked Jack cautiously, "can we go outside?"
"I think so," answered the German cheerfully. "But you must always becareful to carry one of these with you," and he handed to each of theboys a steel rod about two feet long, at the end of which was a smalliron box, with perforations in the sides and top.
"What is this?" asked Jack. "It looks like a magician's wand."
"And that is exactly what it is," said Mr. Henderson. "As there is noatmosphere fit to breathe on the moon, we have been forced to make ourown, boys. You each hold what may be called torches of life. To ventureout without them would mean instant death by suffocation or poison."
"And will these save our lives?" asked Mark.
"Yes," said Mr. Roumann. "In the iron boxes on those rods are certainchemicals, rich in oxygen and other elements, which, when brought incontact with the gases on the moon, will dispel a cloud of air aboutwhoever carries them--air such as we find on our earth. So, boys, becareful never to venture out without the torches of life. I had themprepared in anticipation of some such emergency as this, and all thatwas necessary was to put in the chemicals. This I have done, and now,if you wish, you may go out and stroll about the moon."