We aren't going to start until ten o'clock."
"No; but I couldn't sleep any longer," declared Jack. "I'm going
out to take a look at the Annihilator."
He quickly dressed, and was on his way down stairs when there
arose quite a commotion out of the garden. Washington's voice was
heard crying:
"Come back heah, yo' unregenerated specimen ob a ungrateful
bipedical ornithology! What fo' yo' want t' distress mah
longanimity fo'? Come back heah!"
"What's the matter, Wash?" asked Jack.
"Oh, dat Shanghai rooster got away jest as I were shuttin' him up
in de cage, an' I'se been runnin' all ober de garden after him.
'Pears laik he doan't want t' go t' Mars."
"Wait a minute and I'll help you," volunteered Jack. "Come on,
Mark," he added. "Washington's pet has got away."
The two boys went below, and, with their aid, the colored man
succeeded in catching the rooster, which, crowing a loud protest,
was shut up in a wooden cage and taken to the shop, ready to be
placed in the projectile.
There was little to do at the last moment. Professor Henderson
had arranged for a relative to come and live in the house during
the time of the journey to Mars, and this gentleman arrived about
nine o'clock.
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