Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 9 — Prospecting Begins
Hepointedoutthatalthoughitwascertainlyanoxygenatedatmosphereoutside,itmightstillbesorarefiedastocauseusgraveinjury.Heremindedmeofmountainsickness,andofthebleedingthatoftenafflictsaeronautswhohaveascendedtooswiftly,andhespentsometimeinthepreparationofasickly-tastingdrinkwhichheinsistedonmysharing.Itmademefeelalittlenumb,butotherwisehadnoeffectonme.Thenhepermittedmetobeginunscrewing.
Presentlytheglassstopperofthemanholewassofarundonethatthedenserairwithinourspherebegantoescapealongthethreadofthescrew,singingasakettlesingsbeforeitboils.Thereuponhemademedesist.Itspeedilybecameevidentthatthepressureoutsidewasverymuchlessthanitwaswithin.Howmuchlessitwaswehadnomeansoftelling.
Isatgraspingthestopperwithbothhands,readytocloseitagainif,inspiteofourintensehope,thelunaratmosphereshouldafterallprovetoorarefiedforus,andCavorsatwithacylinderofcompressedoxygenathandtorestoreourpressure.Welookedatoneanotherinsilence,andthenatthefantasticvegetationthatswayedandgrewvisiblyandnoiselesslywithout.Andeverthatshrillpipingcontinued.
Myblood-vesselsbegantothrobinmyears,andthesoundofCavor’smovementsdiminished.Inotedhowstilleverythinghadbecome,becauseofthethinningoftheair.
Asourairsizzledoutfromthescrewthemoistureofitcondensedinlittlepuffs.
