"Am I? Well, I must have made another mistake. My head can't be right," and with that the other came out and hastily went into the adjoining apartment.
For a moment Jack stood in the hall. He looked at the door that had closed behind the bandaged figure.
"There's something wrong," said Jack in a low voice. "How strange Mark acts! I wonder what can be the matter?"
There were busy times for the moon-voyagers the next day. They were up early, for at the last moment many little details needed to be settled. The Cardite motor had been thoroughly repaired, for the damage caused by the unknown enemy had done no permanent harm.
When the injured one appeared the bandage on his head seemed larger than ever, and his features were almost hidden. He still wore his arm in a sling.
"Well, how do you feel?" asked Jack, looking narrowly at the figure. He could not get rid of a suspicion that something was wrong with Mark.
"Oh, I'm feeling pretty fair," was the mumbled answer. "I didn't sleep much, though."
"Well, take care of yourself," advised Jack. "We are about ready to start. We'll get off about noon, Professor Henderson says. Don't try to do anything and injure your broken arm. You certainly had a tough time of it."
"Yes, I guess I did. I can't do much to help you."
"You don't need to. We're all but finished. Just hang around and watch me work. There isn't much to do."
But though Jack gave an invitation to remain near him, the other seemed to prefer being off by himself. He wandered in and out of the projectile, now and then helping Andy or Washington to carry light objects into the _Annihilator_. But all the while he was careful not to disturb the bandage on his face, and several times he stopped to readjust it. Nor did he talk much, which Jack ascribed to his statement that his teeth hurt him. And when the bandaged figure did speak, it was in mumbling tones, very different from Mark's usually cheerful ones.
"Well," remarked Professor Roumann, after a final inspection of the big Cardite motor--the one that was to be depended on to carry them to the moon--"I think we are about ready to leave this earth. How about it, Professor Henderson?"
"Yes, I think so. Have you made any calculation as to speed?"