They are not fortifications,
certainly: and cannot be ancient beds of dried up rivers, for two very
good and sufficient reasons: first, water, even under the most favorable
circumstances on the Moon's surface, could have never ploughed up such
vast channels; secondly, these chasms often traverse lofty craters
through and through, like an immense railroad cutting.
At these details, Ardan's imagination became unusually excited and of
course it was not without some result. It even happened that he hit on
an idea that had already suggested itself to Schmidt of Athens.
"Why not consider them," he asked, "to be the simple phenomena of
vegetation?"
"What do you mean?" asked Barbican.
"Rows of sugar cane?" suggested M'Nicholl with a snicker.
"Not exactly, my worthy Captain," answered Ardan quietly, "though you
were perhaps nearer to the mark than you expected. I don't mean exactly
rows of sugar cane, but I do mean vast avenues of trees--poplars, for
instance--planted regularly on each side of a great high road."
"Still harping on vegetation!" said the Captain. "Ardan, what a splendid
historian was spoiled in you! The less you know about your facts, the
readier you are to account for them.
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