spectacle as no man who loves a woman may see and live. Even the sheet, that might else have hidden the poor skeleton, was eaten away.
Termites and warrier ants are entering from the provision room now in two long, steady streams. It is time to cut off the rocket blast, and let the vessel fall ten thousand feet to earth.
If the other spaceship arrived safely, these words may some day be read. Farewell.
Birna.
Epilogue
"Twaddle!" said I, tossing away the last sheet.
"Yes—twaddle," agreed Corker doubtfully.
"How could termites consume a metal ship? And if moon-men did reach earth, what became of them? They were a million years ahead of our ancestors."
"You are quite right," chirped Corker.
"And why should the termites have preserved this manuscript? Don't try to tell me that they knew it commemorated their conquest of the moon!"
"And yet—" said Corker.
'Twaddle!" I repeated acidly.
"Twaddle!" echoed Corker, reaching for the cribbage deck.
The waning moon peered benignly over our window sill.
THE END
Science Questionnaire
- Give some examples of omens of ancient days. (See Page 15)
- Why would information from the stars come too late to do us any good? (See Page 15)
- Can any astronomical relations be traced between the motion of stars and planets and future events on our earth? (See Page 16)
- In past ages astronomy and astrology moved side by side. Is it on record that many distinguished men believed in both? (See Page 16)
- Does astrology suggest that there is no need of making any provision for the future? (See Page 16)
- Has agnosticism ever been described as an intellectual disease and that some faith, even in some absurdity, is better than no faith at all? (See Page 17)
- What distinction can be drawn from the work of the Weather Bureau and the alleged work of astrologers? (See Page 18)
- Name some of the principal satellites of Jupiter. (See Page 22)
- Describe a theoretical connection between metal fatigue and intracrystal vibrations. (See Pages 23–24)
- Sound is due to the vibration of matter. To what is light attributed? (See Page 31)
- How could you convert monochromatic light so as to produce annihilation of energy? (See Page 33)
- What would be the effect of high peripheral velocity in a rotating body? (See Page 53)
- Give a suggestion for a substitute for the present telescope. (See Page 64)
- How might an electrolysis beam operate on the human body? (See Page 66)
- Describe chromosomes and genes and the operation of the genes. (See Page 93)
- What problem in the development of life, is considered unsolvable? (See Page 93)
- What peculiar theory is held by some biologists about the connection between radio-active deposits in the earth and genes? (See Page 94)
