loneliness seemed to confront them.

"Maybe it's better on some other part of the surface," said Jack, in a
low voice.

"Perhaps," agreed Mark. "It's certainly not inviting there."

Nearer and nearer they came to the moon. It no longer looked like a
great sphere, for they were so close that their vision could only take
in part of the surface, and it began to flatten out, as the earth does
to a balloonist.

And the nearer they came to it the more rugged, the more terrible, the
more desolate did it appear. Would they be able to find a place to
land, or would they go hurtling down into some awful crater, or be
dashed upon the sharp peak of some mountain of the moon?

It was a momentous question, and anxious were the faces of the two
professors.

"Mr. Henderson, if you will undertake to steer to some level place, I
will take charge of the motor," suggested Mr. Roumann. "I will
gradually reduce the speed, and get the repelling machine in readiness,
so as to render our landing gentle."

"Very well," responded the aged scientist, as he grasped the steering
wheel.

The progress of the _Annihilator_ was gradually checked. More and more
slowly it approached the moon. The mountains seemed even higher now,