“A carrier-pigeon! And by all the saints of Montmartre, there is a little bag attached to its neck!”

“We can carry our own provisions on our backs in knapsacks,” interposed Servadac, quickly, unwilling to recognize any difficulty in the way.

Apart from motives of humanity, motives of self-interest made it a matter of the deepest concern to restore animation to that senseless form.

“You are on my comet, on Gallia itself!”

To the naked eye this constellation consists of only six stars, but through a telescope ten inches in diameter, as many as six thousand are visible.

“Pray, gentlemen, do not interrupt me,” said the professor, authoritatively, as if ex cathedra. “I need no instruction on these points.”

“I want a word with you,” said Servadac, “but I do not want to stand talking out here in the cold.”

“Now, gentlemen,” said Professor Rosette, “we are in a position to complete our calculation; we can now arrive at Gallia’s attraction, density, and mass.”

“I forget my astronomy, lieutenant,” said Servadac. “Tell me all you can about this formidable neighbor.”

Of the anxiety endured during the last two months Isaac Hakkabut had known nothing.

One contingency there was, almost too terrible to be taken into account.

Ben Zoof would have liked to reprimand him for his courtesy to a man whom he so cordially despised.

“If we fail in our object, and cannot get to the depths of the mountain, our little colony is doomed,” said Count Timascheff.

The readings around the long table ceased to be attractive, and the debates, sustained by few, became utterly wanting in animation.

“The old reprobate, the rascal has cheated us! His steelyard is wrong! He is a thief!”

The project was the annexation of Ceuta to the French dominion.

“One great use of learning,” said Count Timascheff with a smile, “is to make us know our own ignorance.”

“Governor-General! humbug!” roared Rosette. “Gallia is my comet!”

There were not 20,000 miles between the comet and the earth!

“Where on earth have you been to all this time? In the name of peace, what have you been doing with yourself?”