"And could we go farther than to the moon if we wanted to?" inquired the bandaged figure mumblingly.
"Farther? What do you mean?" asked Professor Henderson quickly.
"I mean could we go to Mars if we wanted to?"
"You don't mean to say you want to go back there, and run the chance of being attacked by the savage Martians, do you?" asked Jack.
"No, I was only asking," and the other seemed confused.
"Well, of course, we could go there, as we have plenty of supplies and enough of the Cardite," said Mr. Roumann. "But I think the moon will be the limit of our trip this time."
The work went on, the last things to be put aboard the projectile being a number of scientific instruments. The injured one wandered in and out, now being in the house and again in the big shed. He seemed restless and ill at ease, and frequently he walked to the front gate and gazed down the road.
"You seem to be looking for some one," spoke Jack. "Are you expecting your girl to come along and bid you good-by, Mark?"
"Who—me? No, I—I was just looking to see if—if it was going to rain."
"Rain? Well, rain won't make much difference to us soon. We will be outside of the earth's atmosphere in a jiffy after we have started, and then rain won't worry us. Is your stateroom all fixed up?"