Lost on the Moon by Roy Rockwood (best fiction novels .txt) 📕

CHAPTER X

MARK’S STRANGE ACTIONS

 

Jack Darrow fairly burst into the big shed where the two scientists

were at work over the ruined motor. They looked up at his excitable

entrance, and Mr. Henderson called out:

 

“Why, Jack, what’s the matter?”

 

“Quite a lot, I’m afraid,” answered the lad, and there was that in his

voice which alarmed the professors.

 

“What do you mean?” inquired Mr. Roumann, laying aside some of the

damaged motor plates.

 

“Mark’s gone!” gasped Jack.

 

“Gone! Where?” exclaimed Mr. Henderson.

 

“I don’t know, but he went to the deserted house, where we thought the

mysterious man was hiding, and since then I can’t find him.”

 

Then the frightened lad proceeded to explain what he and Mark had

undertaken, and the outcome of it; how his chum had failed to meet him

at the rendezvous, and how Jack had searched through the old house

without result.

 

“There’s but one thing to do,” declared Professor Henderson, when he

had listened to the story. “We must go back there and make a more

thorough search.”

 

“What—tonight?” exclaimed the German.

 

“Surely. Why not? We can’t leave Mark there all alone. He may be hurt,

or in trouble.”

 

“That’s what I think,” said Jack. “I’ll tell Washington and Andy, and

we’ll go back and hunt for him. Poor Mark! If he had only waited for

me, perhaps this would never have happened, and if I hadn’t stopped at

the dog-fight maybe Mark would have waited for me. Well, it’s too late

to worry about that now. The thing is to find him; and I guess we can.”

 

Jack would not stop longer than to snatch a hasty bite of supper before

he joined the searching party. Washington and he carried lanterns,

while Andy Sudds had his trusty rifle, and the two professors brought

up in the rear, armed with stout clubs, for Jack’s account of the

affair made them think that perhaps they might have to deal with a

violent man.

 

“Hadn’t you better notify the police?” suggested Andy. “A couple of

constables would be some help.”

 

“Not very much,” declared Jack. “Besides, there are only two in

Bayside, and it’s hard to locate either one when you want them. I guess

we can manage alone.”

 

“Yes, I would rather not notify the police if it can be avoided,” said

Professor Henderson.

 

The searching party hurried along the country highway, which was now

deserted, as it was quite dark. Their lanterns flashed from side to

side, but they had no hope of getting any trace of Mark until they came

to the old barn, at least, though Jack wished several times that he

might meet his chum running toward them along the road.

 

They reached the barn in due course, and while Washington, Jack and

Andy began a search of it, the two scientists went up to the house of

the man who owned it and enlisted his aid. They asked him if he had

seen Mark around that afternoon, but the farmer had not.

 

“But me an’ my hired man’ll come out and help you hunt through the

barn,” he said. “I remember once, when I was a lad, that my brother

fell off the hay mow and lay unconscious in a manger for five hours

before we found him. Maybe that’s what’s happened to this young man,”

suggested Mr. Hampton, which was the farmer’s name.

 

“I looked around pretty well this afternoon,” explained Jack, when the

farmer and his man had reached the barn, “but, of course, I didn’t know

all the nooks and corners.”

 

A thorough search of the structure, however, failed to reveal the

presence of Mark, and then the farmer volunteered to accompany the

party on to the old Preakness house. His offer was received with

thanks, and, bringing two more lanterns with them, Mr. Hampton and his

man added considerable to the illumination.

 

They went through the old mansion from garret to cellar, and called

repeatedly, but there was no answer. And good reason, for in the secret

room, with his captive, the mysterious man heard the first approach of

the searching party; and he quickly bound Mark and gagged him, so that

he could not answer.

 

There was nothing to do but to leave, and it was with sad hearts that

Jack and his friends departed, their search having been unavailing.

They turned toward home, which they reached quite late, but found

nothing disturbed.

 

No one in Professor Henderson’s house slept much that night, and in the

morning pale and wan faces looked at each other, all asking the same

question: “Where is Mark?”

 

But no one could answer.

 

They talked over the matter, and decided that Jack, with Andy and

Washington, should form a searching party to scour the surrounding

country. The two scientists were too old for such work, and, as the aid

of the police was not desired, it was felt that the three could do all

that was necessary.

 

Accordingly, while Professor Henderson and his German friend went to

work on the damaged motor, which did not need as much repairing as at

first was thought to put it in working shape again, Jack and the two

men started off to hunt for Mark.

 

They were gone all that day, returning very much discouraged at dusk,

saying that they could get no trace of him.

 

“I don’t see where he can be!” exclaimed Jack desperately, for, though

the two lads were not related, they had been friends so long, and had

shared so many pleasures and dangers together, that they were like

brothers. “You won’t start for the moon until you find him, will you,

Professor?” asked Jack.

 

“No, indeed; though we could start to-morrow if he was here,” replied

the aged scientist. “The special tools came to-day, and the motor has

been repaired. We have tested it, and the Cardite power works even

better than did the Etherium apparatus.”

 

“Then we can start as soon as Mark is found?” asked Andy Sudds.

 

“Yes, for everything has been put inside the projectile, and all that

remains is to haul it out of the shed, point it at the moon, and start

the motor.”

 

“Then I guess I’ll give my gun a final cleaning, and get ready. There

may be good hunting on the moon,” said the old hunter.

 

Jack was tired from his long tramp that day, searching for his missing

chum, but before he went to bed he wanted to go out and take a look at

the big projectile, which was now ready to start for the moon.

 

As he turned around the corner of the immense shed to enter the door,

he was startled by seeing a figure coming toward him. Jack started,

rubbed his eyes, and peered again.

 

“Is it possible? Can I be mistaken?” he whispered.

 

The figure came nearer. Jack, who had come to a halt, broke into a run.

 

“Mark! Mark!” he cried joyously. “Oh, you’ve come back! Where have you

been?”

 

Jack was about to clasp his chum in his arms when he saw that Mark’s

arm was in a sling, and that his face was all bandaged up, so that

scarcely any of his features showed. Had it not been for the clothes,

and a certain stoutness of which Mark never could seem to get rid, Jack

would scarcely have known his friend.

 

“Why, Mark, what happened?” cried Jack. “Have you met with an accident?

Where have you been? In a hospital? What became of you? Why didn’t you

wait for me?”

 

“I can’t answer all those questions at once,” was the reply, and Jack

thought Mark’s voice was curiously muffled and hoarse, entirely unlike

his usual tones. But he ascribed that to the bandages around the mouth.

 

“Well, answer one at a time then,” said Jack, and there was an

undefinable, strange air about his chum which cooled Jack’s first

impulse of gladness. “Whatever happened to you, Mark? Are you hurt?”

 

“I was—yes,” came the reply, in short, jerky tones. “I had an

accident, and I’ve been in a hospital. That’s why I couldn’t send you

word. But I’m all right now. When does the projectile start?”

 

“To-morrow, now that you’re here. But tell me more about it. Where were

you hurt?”

 

“On my head and arm.”

 

“No; I mean where did the accident occur?”

 

“Oh, in the old house where I went to—to look for that man.”

 

“Did you find him?” asked Jack eagerly.

 

“No. He’s not there now.”

 

“Well, never mind. We won’t bother about him. Come on to the house. My,

but I’m glad to see you again! And so will the others be.”

 

In his enthusiasm at seeing his chum again Jack wanted to hug him. He

approached Mark, but the latter cried out:

 

“Look out! Don’t come too close!”

 

“Why not? Have you caught some disease?”

 

“No, but you might hurt my broken arm!”

 

“Oh, is it broken? That’s tough luck. Did you fall?”

 

“Yes—in the old house. I fell down stairs.”

 

“And your head is all bandaged up, too,” went on Jack, trying to peer

into his friend’s face through the roll of bandages.

 

“Look out! Don’t come too near!” again warned the other. “You might

jostle against me, and knock off some of the bandages.”

 

“Did you lose some of your teeth, the reason your voice sounds so

funny?” asked Jack.

 

“Yes, I did knock out a few when I tumbled. But don’t bother about me.

I’ll be all right soon. Let’s go in the house. I want to go to bed.”

 

“But they’ll all want to see you, and hear about the accident, Mark,”

insisted Jack. “My, but we’ve been all worked up about you. How did you

happen to be taken to a hospital?”

 

“A farmer came along, and I hailed him. Then I lost consciousness, and

couldn’t let you know where I was. But never mind the details. I’m

anxious to get started on the trip to the moon. Couldn’t we start

tonight?”

 

“I don’t believe so. You need rest. But come on in the house.” Then

Jack hurried on ahead, calling: “Mark’s found! Mark is back!”

 

His cries brought all of the others out on the porch, and at first they

could scarcely believe the good news, but soon Jack and the new arrival

came in sight. As Jack had been, the two professors and the others were

startled when they saw how Mark was bundled up in bandages.

 

“He fell down stairs,” explained Jack.

 

“Come over here where it’s light, so I can see you,” suggested

Professor Henderson. “Perhaps some of the bandages have slipped off

since you came from the hospital. Why did you come alone? Why didn’t

you send us word where you were as soon as you were conscious, and we

would have come for you.”

 

“Oh, I didn’t want to bother you,” explained the bundled-up figure. “I

managed to