"Yes, but we went much faster when we went to Mars. Still, no matter
how fast we travel, you'd never realize it inside here."

This was true. So well balanced was the projectile, and so delicately
poised was the machinery, that the terrifically fast rate of travel,
rivalling that of the earth, was no more noticed than we, on this
globe, notice our pace of nineteen miles a second around the sun.

"Everything seems to be all right," observed Professor Henderson, as he
looked out of the plate-glass window of the pilot house into a sea of
rolling mist, which represented the ether, for they had soon passed
through the atmosphere of the earth, which scientists estimate to be
two hundred miles in thickness.

"Are we going to move any faster than this?" asked Jack, who seemed
possessed of a speed mania.

"Not right away," replied Mr. Henderson. "Professor Roumann wants to
thoroughly test the Cardite motor first. Then, when he finds that it
works all right, we may go faster. But we will be at the moon soon
enough as it is. It is time we headed more directly on our proper way,
though, so I think I will ask Mr. Roumann to step here and aid me in
getting the projectile on the right course. You boys had better remain
also and learn how it is done. You may need to know some time."

"I'll call the professor here, if he can leave the engine room," said
Mark, and he found the German bending over some complicated apparatus.
The scientist announced that the machines would run themselves
automatically for a while, so he accompanied the lad back to the pilot-