which seemed to move somewhat, though, of course, in their extreme
distance their relative size underwent no change. The Sun and the stars
looked exactly as they had appeared when observed from the Earth. The
Moon indeed had become considerably enlarged in size, but the
travellers' telescopes were still too weak to enable them to make any
important observation regarding the nature of her surface, or that might
determine her topographical or geological features.

Naturally, therefore, the time slipped away in endless conversation. The
Moon, of course, was the chief topic. Each one contributed his share of
peculiar information, or peculiar ignorance, as the case might be.
Barbican and M'Nicholl always treated the subject gravely, as became
learned scientists, but Ardan preferred to look on things with the eye
of fancy. The Projectile, its situation, its direction, the incidents
possible to occur, the precautions necessary to take in order to break
the fall on the Moon's surface--these and many other subjects furnished
endless food for constant debate and inexhaustible conjectures.

For instance, at breakfast that morning, a question of Ardan's regarding
the Projectile drew from Barbican an answer curious enough to be
reported.

"Suppose, on the night that we were shot up from Stony Hill," said
Ardan, "suppose the Projectile had encountered some obstacle powerful
enough to stop it--what would be the consequence of the sudden halt?"

"But," replied Barbican, "I don't understand what obstacle it could have
met powerful enough to stop it."

"Suppose some obstacle, for the sake of argument," said Ardan.

"Suppose what can't be supposed," replied the matter-of-fact Barbican,
"what cannot possibly be supposed, unless indeed the original impulse
proved too weak. In that case, the velocity would have decreased by
degrees, but the Projectile itself would not have suddenly stopped."

"Suppose it had struck against some body in space."

"What body, for instance?"

"Well, that enormous bolide which we met."

"Oh!" hastily observed the Captain, "the Projectile would have been
dashed into a thousand pieces and we along with it."

"Better than that," observed Barbican; "we should have been burned
alive."

"Burned alive!" laughed Ardan. "What a pity we missed so interesting an
experiment! How I should have liked to find out how it felt!"

"You would not have much time to record your observations, friend
Michael, I assure y