"Well, to–morrow we start," spoke Jack that night, as they were gathered in the dining–room of the professor's house after supper, discussing the great trip.
"And to think that in ten days we'll be on thirty–five millions of miles away from the earth!" added Mark.
"It's a mighty long way," said Andy. "Mebby we'll never git back."
"Oh, I guess we will," declared Jack "We got back all right from—"
His words were interrupted by a breaking of glass. One of the windows crashed in, and something came through it into the room. It fell upon the floor—a square, black object.
"Dat's one ob dem bombs!" cried Washington. "Look out, everybody! It'll go off!"
There was a scramble to get out of the room, Washington falling down on the threshold. Jack, who was in a corner, behind some chairs, found his way blocked. This gave him a chance to take a little longer look at the object that had been thrown through the window.
"That's not a bomb!" he cried. "It's something wrapped in black paper."
The professor, Mark and Mr. Roumann stopped their hurried egress. They came back and looked at the object. As Jack had said, it was something tied up in black paper with pink string.
"It doesn't look like a bomb," observed Mark.