ADVENTURE books online

Reading books adventure Nowadays a big variety of genres are exist. In our electronic library you can choose any book that suits your mood, request and purpose. This website is full of free ebooks. Reading online is very popular and become mainstream. This website can provoke you to be smarter than anyone. You can read between work breaks, in public transport, in cafes over a cup of coffee and cheesecake.
No matter where, but it’s important to read books in our elibrary , without registration.



Today let's analyze the genre adventure. Genre adventure is a reference book for adults and children. But it serve for adults and children in different purposes. If a boy or girl presents himself as a brave and courageous hero, doing noble deeds, then an adult with pleasure can be a little distracted from their daily worries.


A great interest to the reader is the adventure of a historical nature. For example, question: «Who discovered America?»
Today there are quite interesting descriptions of the adventures of Portuguese sailors, who visited this continent 20 years before Columbus.




It should be noted the different quality of literary works created in the genre of adventure. There is an understandable interest of generations of people in the classic adventure. At the same time, new works, which are created by contemporary authors, make classic works in the adventure genre quite worthy competition.
The close attention of readers to the genre of adventure is explained by the very essence of man, which involves constant movement, striving for something new, struggle and achievement of success. Adventure genre is very excited
Heroes of adventure books are always strong and brave. And we, off course, want to be like them. Unfortunately, book life is very different from real life.But that doesn't stop us from loving books even more.

Read books online » Adventure » Through Space to Mars by Roy Rockwood (e ink epub reader TXT) 📖

Book online «Through Space to Mars by Roy Rockwood (e ink epub reader TXT) 📖». Author Roy Rockwood



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cried Mark.

 

“Something’s happened to the motor!” exclaimed Jack. “Maybe it’s

going too fast! Come on!”

 

They ran to the engine-room. The sight that met their eyes was a

startling one.

 

Standing with his back to them was a strange man. Over his head

he was swinging a sledge hammer, which he brought down with great

force upon the Etherium motor.

 

“I’ll smash it! I’ll stop this machine! I’ll send us all to the

bottom of the universe!” the man was muttering.

 

“Quit that!” cried Jack, springing forward.

 

The man paused and turned.

 

“The crazy machinist!” shouted Jack. “Hell break the engine all

to pieces!”

 

“That’s what I will!” replied the infuriated man. “I’ll end this

voyage now!”

 

Once more he brought his hammer down on the machine, and the

motor, with a hissing of gas and a shower of sparks, stopped

working.

 

Jack and Mark were brave lads. They sprang upon the man, though

he was large and strong, and his strength was added to by his

insane fury.

 

In an instant they were in the midst of a fierce fight. The

maniac tossed them aside as if they were mere infants, but they

returned to the attack. They sought to hold his arms to prevent

him from doing any further damage with the hammer. Fortunately

for the lads, the man was forced to drop the weapon, to enable

him to grapple with his two assailants.

 

“Can you hold him?” cried Mark.

 

“Not very well,” panted Jack, as his grip of the man’s arms was

broken and he was flung across the room.

 

“Help! Help!” suddenly cried Mark. “The crazy machinist is

here!”

 

Washington and Andy, in the living-room, heard the yells of the

boys. They rushed to the scene, and, taking in the situation at

a glance, flung themselves upon the unfortunate man, aiding the

boys in holding him.

 

Even their strength was not sufficient, and it was not until Mr.

Roumann, leaving Professor Henderson in charge of the pilot

house, had come up, that they were able to secure the maniac.

 

He was quickly bound with ropes, and placed in the storeroom as a

prisoner, while the German turned his whole attention to the

motor, a part of which had been broken. Once more the Annihilator

had ceased to advance, and was falling through space.

 

“Can you fix it?” anxiously asked Jack, who was panting from the

terrible struggle.

 

“Yes,” replied Mr. Roumann. “Fortunately he did not smash a

vital part. I will soon have it running again.”

 

In less than half an hour the motor was repaired, and was

speeding the projectile on its way. It was not set at the

greatest power, however, as Mr. Roumann did not want to put too

much strain upon it.

 

“Now I have time to inquire how it happened,” he said to the

boys. “Tell me about it.”

 

They related how they had come upon the crazy machinist.

 

“Then he has been hidden on board all the while,” commented the

German. “I was not mistaken in thinking some one opened that

port after I closed it. He sneaked in here the night before we

started, and has been waiting his chance to do us some damage.

It was he who smashed the plates.”

 

“But where could he have concealed himself?” asked Jack.

 

“I don’t know. We’ll see if he will tell us.”

 

They went to the storeroom, where the maniac was bound.

 

“Why did you try to damage my machinery?” asked Mr. Roumann.

 

“Because it is an infringement on my patent,” was the surprising

answer. “I invented a perpetual motion machine, for making dog

biscuits, and you have used it to make your airship go.

Therefore I smashed it. I have the sole right to make dog

biscuits for the king of the cannibal islands. I’m his private

secretary.”

 

“He is hopelessly insane,” murmured Jack.

 

“I fear so,” agreed Mr. Roumann. Then he asked: “Where have you

been hiding?”

 

“Ah, I fooled you, all right,” said the man with a cunning laugh.

“It was just like a game of hide and seek to watch you hunting

for me, and me looking at you all the while. Ha, ha! Oh, I had

a good place.”

 

“Where was it?” asked Mr. Roumann soothingly.

 

“Right up there,” answered the machinist, pointing to the roof of

the storeroom. The German made an investigation, and discovered

a small compartment where it had been intended to make a port,

but the idea for which had not been carried out. This left a

space in the wall of the projectile, large enough for a man to

conceal himself in. No one would suspect he was there.

 

“I sneaked on board one night,” went on the man. “I managed to

open a port into the storeroom. And I lived high, I can tell

you.”

 

“Golly! He’s been at mah kitchen stuff!” exclaimed Washington.

 

“Did that other man come aboard with you?” asked Jack. He

referred to the tramp who had peered in the window of the

professor’s house.

 

“No. He’s been elected King of France,” was the answer. “He had

to go over there to get his crown fitted on. I’m all alone here.

A few minutes more and I would have smashed that engine.”

 

“I guess you would,” responded Mr. Roumann. “Well, we’ll take

good care that you do not get loose again.”

 

The bonds of the maniac were made more secure, and Washington

White was told to keep, close watch over him.

 

It was the day after this occurrence, though Jack and Mark had

not gotten over talking about it, that they were in the pilot

house with Professor Henderson. The projectile was speeding

along rapidly, and from calculations that had been made it was

believed they would arrive at Mars in about two days.

 

“I’ll be glad of it,” said Jack. “I want a chance to stretch my

legs.”

 

“And grow lighter,” added Mark. “You’re fatter than ever since

you began this trip.”

 

“That’s because I don’t have any exercise. But I’ll make up for

it. I understand that on Mars one can jump twice as far as he

can on the earth, due to the less dense atmosphere.”

 

“Well, we’ll soon see,” said Mark.

 

Mr. Henderson suddenly bent over one of the indicators. He

pressed a lever, turned a wheel, and then exclaimed:

 

“The Etherium motor has stopped working ‘again! I wonder if the

maniac is loose!”

 

“We’ll see!” cried Jack, as he and Mark hurried toward the

engine-room. They found Mr. Roumann there.

 

“The motor has stopped!” exclaimed Jack.

 

“I know it.”

 

“Has there been an accident?”

 

“No.”

 

“What’s the matter, then?”

 

“We have completed our journey through the ether. The motor will

only work in that.”

 

“And that means—” began Mark.

 

“That we have reached the atmosphere of Mars!” exclaimed Mr.

Roumann in triumph.

CHAPTER XXI

MARS AT LAST

 

Anticipating, as they had for some time past, such an

announcement, it was none the less startling to the boys.

 

“Then we are really nearing Mars?” exclaimed Jack.

 

“Not only nearing it, but we will be there within twenty-four

hours,” answered the German scientist. “I was looking for this.

I expected the Etherium motor to stop as soon as it reached the

atmosphere of the planet, and it has done so. We will not have

to start it again until we make the return trip. I will now

again put into operation the atmospheric motor, and we will see

how it behaves. Kindly inform Mr. Henderson, so he will

understand what is taking place.”

 

Mark hastened to the pilot house with this message, and then

returned to watch Mr. Roumann, the professor agreeing to remain

at the steering wheel until relieved by his friend.

 

Mr. Roumann began adjusting the second motor. It had been kept

in readiness for instant service, and did not require much

attention.

 

“I don’t see why we have to use it at all,” said Jack.

 

“Why shouldn’t we?” Mark wanted to know.

 

“Because if we are near Mars it ought to attract us, just as if

we were near the earth. We ought to fall right into it.”

 

“That is just the danger,” commented Mr. Roumann. “We don’t want

to fall. We want our projectile under perfect control, and I can

only attain that end by using the motor. Besides, we are not

near enough to Mars to be attracted by its force of gravitation,

even supposing it is the same as that of our earth. We might not

be attracted at all, and if we did not use the motor we might

float around the planet as if we were a moon. No, if we wish to

reach Mars we must use the atmospheric motor.”

 

A few minutes later it was started, and the Annihilator was once

more speeding along, this time under new power, and not quite so

fast. All on board the projectile found themselves anticipating

what they would see on the new and wonderful planet they were

soon to visit.

 

“It hardly seems possible,” murmured Jack, “that we have made

such a journey—the longest on record.”

 

“It will be more wonderful if we get back to earth,” spoke Mark.

 

“Oh, I don’t know,” went on his chum. “We may like it so on

Mars, that we’ll want to stay. And there isn’t any reason why we

shouldn’t, provided we find nice people there. We haven’t many

friends, Mark. Our best ones are right here with us. We could

just as well stay as not.”

 

“Yes, provided, as you say, that the Martians are nice people.

But you must remember that we’re going to be strangers in a

strange land.”

 

“Well, one always treats strangers politely,” declared Jack. “I

guess we’ll get along all right. Anyhow, I’m glad we’re near

there.”

 

“So am I,” declared Mr. Henderson. “I will be able to make some

scientific observations, and, perhaps, write a book about them

when I get back to earth. I might make some money out of it.”

 

“You won’t need to make money, if what I suspect is true,” said

Mr. Roumann.

 

“What is that?”

 

“Well, I can’t go into details now, but I hope to secure

something that will make our fortunes. There is only one thing I

fear.”

 

“What is that?”

 

“The Martians may prevent me taking any of it away. But I am not

going to borrow trouble. Let us see how the motor is working.”

 

They had all gone, with the exception of Andy and Washington, to

the pilot house, and they now returned to the engine-room.

 

“Ha! That is rather strange!” exclaimed Mr. Roumann as he looked

at the buzzing machinery.

 

“What’s the matter?” asked Mark.

 

“The atmospheric motor is running much faster than I ever saw it

go before. I wonder if that crazy machinist could have gotten

loose and meddled with it?”

 

“I’ll look,” volunteered Jack, but he soon ascertained that the

man was still securely bound.

 

The motor was humming and snapping away, and a gage connected

with it showed that it was forcing the Annihilator along at the

rate of two hundred miles a second.

 

“That is faster even than we moved when the Etherium machine was

working at its best,” said Mr. Roumann with a puzzled look. “Can

I have made a mistake in my calculations? I hardly think so.”

 

“Jack, run to the pilot house, and see if the automatic steering

apparatus is all right. Also see

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