Jules Verne

All Around the Moon Jules Verne

The moment that the great clock belonging to the works at Stony Hill had struck ten, Barbican, Ardan and M'Nicholl began to take their last farewells of the numerous friends surrounding them. The two dogs intended to accompany them had been already deposited in the Projectile. The threetravellers approached the mouth of the enormous cannon, seated themselves in the flying car, andonce more took leave for the last time of the vast throng standing in silence around them. Thewindlass creaked, the car started, and the three daring men disappeared in the yawning gulf. The trap-hole giving them ready access to the interior of the Projectile, the car soon came backempty; the great windlass was presently rolled away; the tackle and scaffolding were removed, and ina short space of time the great mouth of the Columbiad was completely rid of all obstructions. M'Nicholl took upon himself to fasten the door of the trap on the inside by means of a powerfulcombination of screws and bolts of his own invention. He also covered up very carefully the glasslights with strong iron plates of extreme solidity and tightly fitting joints. Ardan's first care was to turn on the gas, which he found burning rather low; but he lit no more thanone burner, being desirous to economize as much as possible their store of light and heat, which, ashe well knew, could not at the very utmost last them longer than a few weeks. Under the cheerful blaze, the interior of the Projectile looked like a comfortable little chamber, withits circular sofa, nicely padded walls, and dome shaped ceiling