They might even live long enough to catch
a last glimpse of the distant Earth bathed in the glory of the solar
rays. They might even have strength enough left to be able to chant one
solemn final eternal adieu to their dear old Mother World, upon whose
features their mortal eyes should never again rest in love and longing!
Then, what was their Projectile to become? An inert, lifeless, extinct
mass, not a particle better than the most defunct asteroid that wanders
blindly through the fields of ether. A gloomy fate to look forward to.
Yet, instead of grieving over the inevitable, our bold travellers
actually felt thrilled with delight at the prospect of even a momentary
deliverance from those gloomy depths of darkness and of once more
finding themselves, even if only for a few hours, in the cheerful
precincts illuminated by the genial light of the blessed Sun!
The ring of light, in the meantime, becoming brighter and brighter,
Barbican was not long in discovering and pointing out to his companions
the different mountains that lay around the Moon's south pole.
"There is _Leibnitz_ on your right," said he, "and on your left you can
easily see the peaks of _Doerfel_.
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