Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction; Science fiction, English; Space flight to Mars -- Fiction
Soon after we reached these remote regions of eternal light, we began
to experience considerable difficulty in breathing. At times this
became so bad, that all of us lapsed into a state of semi-stupor. This
caused us the gravest anxiety and alarm, and as we sped onwards the
trouble increased. Clearly something was going wrong. The terrible
thought that air was absolutely about to fail us, in spite of all the
Doctor's careful experiments and calculations, filled us with thoughts
too horrible to express. The condensers worked admirably, but driven
at their utmost capacity, they still failed to furnish sufficient
breathable atmosphere. Singularly enough, poor Rover felt this
diminishing supply of air far more than his human companions, and for
hours scarcely moved or breathed. The Doctor was puzzled, Graham was
perplexed, Temple and Sandy very much depressed--the latter especially
so. After many careful experiments and a thorough examination of
the _Sirius_, we at last found the cause in a loosened window. The
remedying of this necessitated one of us going out on to the balcony
and climbing the corniced sides.
Graham volunteered the hazardous duty.
The Doctor, with his usual forethought, and showing how well he had
planned-out his gigantic scheme to the very smallest detail, and how
carefully he had provided for all the contingencies human intelligence
could foresee, had brought with him a modified diver's helmet, with the
air-tubes attached, and a small cock-tap was fastened in the side of
the _Sirius_, through which air-pipes could be passed. This apparatus
we adjusted on Graham's head, and round his body hung a coil of fine
manilla rope. Our speed was now considerably reduced. While the Doctor
assisted him to mount the ladder which led to the door, and opened and
closed it as he went through on to the balcony, Temple and Sandy worked
the pumps which supplied him with air. This door had to be closed very
quickly, to prevent our own air escaping. We eventually heard him at
work on the defective window, and the great improvement in the air
of our chambers was sufficient evidence that he had succeeded in his
task. Still, he did not return; for quite ten minutes we were in the
greatest suspense as to his movements. The air-pipes had been drawn
out nearly to their fullest extent, which was a singular circumstance,
and one that seemed to bode no good, as half their length was amply
sufficient for Graham's needs. Our concern rapidly grew into absolute
alarm for the safety of our companion, until at last we had the signal
that he was waiting to be admitted. It was a welcome relief to us all,
and Sandy could not refrain from uttering cheer after cheer of welcome,
forgetting his work of pumping until sternly called to his duty by
the Doctor. As soon as the door was opened, poor Graham fell into the
Doctor's arms, and for several hours he lay unconscious, in spite of
all our remedies and careful treatment. Something had happened, and for
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