It's only
the secret of the power that he wants to keep."
"I wonder what he wants to go to Mars for, anyhow?"
"Well, you know what he said. That he wants to get possession of
some wonderful substance. I guess it is the same stuff that
makes the planet seem red to us."
"What's he going to do with it?"
"I don't know."
"Wonder what it is?"
"I don't know that, either. Maybe it's some sort of a mineral,
like radium."
"Radium would be valuable, if he could get that. Maybe that's what
he's going after."
"No, I think not. If it was, he wouldn't be particular about not
telling us. We'll just have to wait and see."
The following two days were busy ones, as many little adjustments
had to be made to the machine. But at last Mr. Roumann announced
that all was completed.
"We will start day after to-morrow," he said. "All the stores
are in the projectile, I have every thing arranged, and we will
begin our trip Mars."
"Are we going to go up like a balloon, through the roof of the
shed?" asked Jack. "If we we'll have to take the roof off."
"No, we'll start out through the great doors," said the German.
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