"Friedrich Mader - Distant Worlds" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mader Friedrich)

DISTANT WORLDS
THE STORY OF A VOYAGE TO THE PLANETS
BY


FRIEDRICH MADER
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY


MAX SHACHTMAN

ILLUSTRATED BY


ROBERT A. GRAEF

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

NEW YORK . LONDON 1932

I
A DARING VENTURE

PROFESSOR DOCTOR HENRY SCHULZE leaned back meditatively in his chair. On the writing table before him,
covered with books and papers, lay a letter that occupied his thoughts.

The bell rang at the front door of his dwelling and shortly thereafter came a tremendous rapping on the door of the
study.

"Come in!" called the Professor, rising from his seat.

The door opened and there appeared an elderly, yet hale and hearty-looking man of generous build.

"Captain Munchhausen!" cried Schulze and rushed towards him with delight and astonishment, both hands
outstretched. "What favorable monsoon guides you from Australia to Berlin, and just at this time? I am dumbfounded!
My goodness, my thoughts were just dwelling upon you in Adelaide and I was wishing you could be conjured up."

"Well, the spell worked!" laughed Munchhausen. "Here I am. And what brings me here? You know that I cannot bear
sitting around inactively on civilized ground for long. Well, I thought to myself: go and take a look at what old man
Schulze is doing; maybe he is planning some new bang-up enterprise; I must be there with him! And if he isn't
planning any, then I'll shake him up and we'll plan one together. Eh? How do things stand. Prof?"

"I tell you, you come in the nick of time. Here, sit right down, old man."

Meanwhile the Professor pressed the button of an electric bell and ordered the servant who appeared to bring a flask
of wine and two glasses, and then to fix up a cold snack in the dining room. "The best in the house," he urged, "the
Captain is an epicure."

"Oho!" laughed the latter. "Haven't I tasted white ants, caterpillars, and water rats, when it comes to that? I take things
as they come."