Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 9 — Prospecting Begins
Butweweresointentuponourleaping,thatforatimewegavenoheedtotheirunfalteringexpansion.
Anextraordinaryelationhadtakenpossessionofus.Partly,Ithink,itwasoursenseofreleasefromtheconfinementofthesphere.Mainly,however,thethinsweetnessoftheair,whichIamcertaincontainedamuchlargerproportionofoxygenthanourterrestrialatmosphere.Inspiteofthestrangequalityofallaboutus,IfeltasadventurousandexperimentalasacockneywoulddoplacedforthefirsttimeamongmountainsandIdonotthinkitoccurredtoeitherofus,facetofacethoughwewerewiththeunknown,tobeverygreatlyafraid.
Wewerebittenbyaspiritofenterprise.Weselectedalichenouskopjeperhapsfifteenyardsaway,andlandedneatlyonitssummitoneaftertheother.“Good!”wecriedtoeachother;“good!”andCavormadethreestepsandwentofftoatemptingslopeofsnowagoodtwentyyardsandmorebeyond.Istoodforamomentstruckbythegrotesqueeffectofhissoaringfigure—hisdirtycricketcap,andspikyhair,hislittleroundbody,hisarmsandhisknicker-bockeredlegstuckeduptightly—againsttheweirdspaciousnessofthelunarscene.Agustoflaughterseizedme,andthenIsteppedofftofollow.Plump!Idroppedbesidehim.
Wemadeafewgargantuanstrides,leaptthreeorfourtimesmore,andsatdownatlastinalichenoushollow.Ourlungswerepainful.Wesatholdingoursidesandrecoveringourbreath,lookingappreciationtooneanother.Cavorpantedsomethingabout“amazingsensations.”Andthencameathoughtintomyhead