A Journey in Other Worlds [84]
hardly confuse our senses. The strange thing is, that we all
seem to have been impressed the same way."
Concluding that they must have been mistaken, they continued on
their journey.
All about they heard a curious humming, as that of bees, or like
the murmuring of prayers in a resonant cathedral. Thinking it
was the wind in the great trees that grew singly around them,
they paid no attention to it until, emerging on an open plain and
finding that the sound continued, they stopped.
"Now," said Bearwarden, "this is more curious than anything we
found on Jupiter. Here we have an incessant and rather pleasant
sound, with no visible cause."
"It may possibly be some peculiarity of the grass," replied
Cortlandt, "though, should it continue when we reach sandy or
bare soil, I shall believe we need a dose of quinine."
"I FEEL perfectly well," said Ayrault; "how is it with you?"
Each finding that he was in a normal state, they proceeded,
determined, if possible, to discover the source from which the
sounds came. Suddenly Bearwarden raised his gun to bring down a
long-beaked hawk; but the bird flew off, and he did not shoot.
"Plague the luck!" said he; "I went blind just as I was about to
pull. A haze seemed to cover both barrels, and completely
screened the bird."
"The Callisto will soon be hidden by those trees," said
Cortlandt. "I think we had better take our bearings, for, if our
crack shot is going to miss like that, we may want canned
provisions."
Accordingly, he got out his sextant, took the altitude of the
sun, got cross-bearings and a few angles, and began to make a
rough calculation. For several minutes he worked industriously,
used the rubber at the end of his pencil, tried again, and then
scratched out. "That humming confuses me so that I cannot work
correctly," said he, "while the most irrelevant things enter my
mind in spite of me, and mix up my figures."
"I found the same thing," said Bearwarden, "but said nothing, for
fear I should not be believed. In addition to going blind, for a
moment I almost forgot what I was trying to do."
Changing their course slightly, they went towards a range of
hills, in the hope of finding rocky or sandy soil, in order to
test the sounds, and ascertain if they would cease or vary.
Having ascended a few hundred feet, they sat down near some trees
to rest, the musical hum continuing meanwhile unchanged. The
ground was strewn with large coloured crystals, apparently
rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, about the size of hens' eggs,
and also large sheets of isinglass. Picking up one of the
latter, Ayrault examined it. Points of light and shade kept
forming on its surface, from which rings radiated like the
circles spreading in all directions from a place in still water
at which a pebble is thrown. He called his companions, and the
three examined it. The isinglass was about ten inches long by
eight across, and contained but few impurities. In addition to
the spreading rings, curious forms were continually taking shape
and dissolving.
"This is more interesting," said Bearwarden, "than sounding
shells at the sea-shore. We must make a note of it as another
thing to study."
They then spread their handkerchiefs on a mound of earth, so as
to make a table, and began examining the gems.
"Does it not seem to you," asked Ayrault, a few minutes later,
addressing his companions, "as though we were not alone? I have
thought many times there was some one--or perhaps several
persons--here besides ourselves."
"The same idea has occurred to me," replied Cortlandt. "I was
convinced, a moment ago, that a shadow crossed the page on which
I was taking notes. Can it be there are objects about us we
cannot see? We know there are vibrations of both light and sound
that do not affect our senses. I wish we had brought the
magnetic eye; perchance that might tell us."
"Anything sufficiently dense to cast a shadow," said Ayrault,
"should be seen, since it would