"I have fixed you," the letter began. "You will never get to the moon.
I shall have my revenge. You took my brother Fred Axtell to Mars and
left him there. I determined to get him back, and to that end I
disguised myself as one of the boys, and got aboard. When we were
safely away from the earth, I would have compelled you to go to Mars
and rescue my brother. But my plan has failed. I will have my revenge,
though. You will never reach the moon, even if you do get started.
Beware! George, the brother of Fred Axtell, will avenge his fate!"

"The brother of the crazy machinist!" gasped Jack. "Now I understand
his strange actions. He's crazy, too--he wanted to go to Mars--he says
we will never reach the moon! Say, look here!" cried Jack, raising his
voice. "Here's bad news! That scoundrel has put some game up on us!
Maybe he's tampered with the machinery! It won't be safe to start for
the moon until we've looked over everything carefully! He says he's
fixed us, and perhaps he has!"

From the projectile came hurrying the would-be moon travellers, a vague
fear in their hearts.




CHAPTER XIV

OFF AT LAST


In the gathering twilight Professor Henderson read slowly the note Dick
had brought. Then he passed it to Professor Roumann. The latter shook