what we could carry if, perchance, we should find the wind had left 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, and so I put
the doctor off by reminding him that the weather was very bad outside and
that we had been glad enough to get in with our lives.

I think he would have agreed with me and would have been contented to stay
if the question had been left entirely to ourselves. But Mona heard us
talking it over one day and said we could go without much risk if we cared
to try it, and she would go with us to take care of us.

Although it would be difficult to tell how Mona could help us when we were
outside, this idea sounded so assuring that the doctor determined to make
the attempt. I was obliged to acquiesce, fearing, in my ignorance of all
that was to happen to us, that the trip would keep me too much from Mona's
side.

After due preparation we started, and reached the upper end of the long
passage without incident. But as we emerged we noticed that the light had
a peculiar tinge of red, 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 burst upon our view a
magnificent world, apparently but a little way off. Its ruddy face showed
us plainly what had caused the red light, and the doctor made haste to
exclaim:

"Aha! let me introduce you to the planet Mars."

"Yes," I replied, "and we may become too well acquainted before a great
while if our rapid flight is not checked."