Produced by Al Haines.




                               THE SECRET
                             OF THE EARTH.


                                   BY

                         CHARLES WILLING BEALE.

                 _Author of "The Ghost of Guir House."_



                           F. TENNYSON NEELY,
                               PUBLISHER,
                           LONDON, NEW YORK.




                           Copyrighted, 1899,
                                 in the
                             United States
                                  and
                             Great Britain,
                                   by
                           F. TENNYSON NEELY.

                         (All Rights Reserved.)




                       *THE SECRET OF THE EARTH.*



                              *PROLOGUE.*


When Dirk Waaijen, master of the Voorne, was five days out from the
island of Celebes, a strange thing happened.

For nearly a week the Dutchman had idled along with a cargo of cocoa,
jaggaree, trepang, some Manado coffee, a few bags of nutmegs and other
products of the Archipelago, but without an incident worth logging; when
suddenly, an odd looking cask, with mast and streamer, was seen floating
in the waters ahead, and all hands became alive with excitement.  A
couple of burly fellows hauled the barrel upon the deck, with the
expectation of a prize, but were discomfited on finding that it
contained only some cotton cloth, carefully wrapped about a dirty
water-stained document, written in a language which no one could
understand.  Even Captain Waaijen himself was unable to read a word of
it, despite his wise look, and the volumes of smoke which he blew from
time to time over the packet.  Had he confided in me, his only English
speaking passenger, I might at least have made him comprehend the
importance of the paper, even if unable to render a literal translation;
but the captain was surly, and took the bundle to his room.  It is even
possible that he was ignorant of the fact that it was written in the
English language.  However this may have been, I was surprised on
reaching Gravenhage, the end of our voyage, to have the paper thrust
into my hands by Waaijen himself, and without a word of explanation.
Believing it to be merely the record of some unfortunate craft foundered
in the South Sea, I laid the packet aside, not even unrolling it for
weeks.  When I did so, I was amazed at the contents, and immediately
sought the master of the Voorne; but he had left upon another of those
endless voyages, the length of which even the company was unable to
decide.  Assured that no claim will ever be made upon the document, and
overwhelmed with the profundity of its contents, I offer it to the
public, convinced that in the history of our planet, there is nothing
half so astounding as the revelation it contains.

It is to be regretted that the paper cannot be given in its entirety;
the omissions, indicated by asterisks, being the result of damage caused
by salt water to the MS., which has made it undecipherable in those
places; the total thus lost amounting to more than a hundred pages.

The following is an exact rendering of the decipherable parts of the
Attlebridge papers, handed me by the captain of the Voorne.




                                  *I.*


I am to write roughly of the past—more carefully of the present.  Of the
past that our identity may be established by reference to certain events
which many will remember, should we be lost.  Of the present, for
reasons that will be obvious as I proceed.

On the morning of the 16th of November, 1894, I awoke to find myself the
occupant of a narrow iron bedstead, in a small, poorly furnished room.
The wall paper was mildewed, and the ceiling discolored with smoke.  I
was unable to remember where I was, and called aloud:

"Torrence!"

A sleepy answer recalled the situation, and assured me that all was
well.  Torrence, who was my twin brother, occupied the mate to my bed,
on the opposite side of the room.  Not wishing to disturb him, I lay
quietly watching the approach of dawn through a small window with
Venetian blinds, crank-sided and broken.  Later, I was myself aroused by
a curse coming from the other bed. The curse was launched broadly
against the town, and concentrated into a deeper venom as it reached its
objective climax—the room.  I smiled and turned over.

"Glad you’re awake at last," I ventured, observing that he was looking
around the place with a disgust equal to my own.  It was our first
experience of London. We were Americans, and had just landed.  Torrence
yawned and declared that he had been awake all night, despite my
assurance that he had been snoring shamefully.

"I wonder when the old lady will want her pay for all this finery," he
said, feeling the quality of the sheets, and looking up at the ceiling
dismally.  Indeed we had a right to feel blue, having but little money,
and no friends, in a strange land.

"She wants it as soon as she can get it," I replied, having consulted
our landlady on the subject the previous evening.  "In fact, she told me
on our way up the stairs last night, that she generally required her
lodgings to be paid for in advance; but that as we were Americans she
would not insist, although she trusted that we would be able to settle
in a day or two."

"She’s too trustful by a jugful.  We may not be able to pay her at all!"
yawned Torrence.

"Don’t talk that way; you scare me!" I exclaimed.

The truth is, I was never so daring as Torrence, who resembled me only
in looks, and when he alluded to our impoverished condition, and its
possible consequences, I shuddered.  Instinctively I glanced at the two
modest trunks against the wall, and reflected that they contained the
bulk of our possessions.  I knew there was not enough value in both to
pay our passage back to New York, when the little money we had brought
with us should be spent.  Moreover we had burned the bridges, and must
look ahead.

We had come to England for the same reason that Englishmen sometimes go
to America, to ply our crafts, and earn a living, and now that we were
there, I heartily wished we were back.  My eyes rested in a kind of
reverie on the ends of the trunks where our names were painted in large,
white letters—Torrence and Gurthrie Attlebridge, respectively.  Then I
began to wonder if the Attlebridges would ever distinguish themselves,
and if either of us would ever carve a fortune out of the Babylon we had
adopted as a home.  Torrence was an inventor, while I was a writer; and
strangely enough, with proclivities so widely divergent, we had managed
with twin-like harmony to quarrel with our patrons, and our bread and
butter simultaneously and irrevocably. Torrence decided at once to
accept the rather dubious offer of an Englishman, with whom he had
corresponded, to aid him in the development of his air ship, and I—well
I decided to go with Torrence.  Accordingly we scraped together what
little cash we could, and bade farewell to Gotham.  We took passage in a
cattle boat, and were nearly three weeks upon the water, having reached
London on the afternoon previous to the opening of this record.  A
search for cheap lodgings in a moderately respectable part of town, had
landed us in the cheerless apartment described.

Torrence was again stretching himself, preparatory to rising; but this
time his invectives were hurled against the ship that had brought us
over, and the bellowing beasts that had loaded it.  Not heeding my
brother’s unhappy reminiscences of the Galtic, and being anxious for the
future, I inquired how much money he had left. His answer was not
cheering.

"About twenty pounds in those white paper things; three of those little
gold pieces, and a couple of dollars’ worth of silver.  That is from my
recollection of last night; but I must get up and count it."

We jumped out of bed at the same instant, and began emptying our
pockets.  We were not expert in estimating English money, but concluded
that we had a little over two hundred dollars between us, and that being
in a strange land, with no positive assurance of work, it behooved us to
be up and stirring.  We determined to part with nothing we could help
until one or the other of us had found employment.  At Torry’s
suggestion I had requested our landlady to remit her usual rule of
advance payment, but reflection now made us doubt the wisdom of such a
course.

"She may think we have less than we really have," I remarked.

"How much time did you say she would give us?" asked Torrence in reply.

I saw that he was anxious, and when my brother was anxious, I was
generally more so.  In fact, although twins, I had always leaned upon
him, due, I suppose, to a tacit acknowledgment of his superior powers,
and the fellow had powers superior to most men.  Answering his question,
I said:

"She didn’t mention any particular day, but only remarked that gentlemen
usually paid in advance, but that as we were Americans——"

"I see, as we were not gentlemen, but Americans, she’d wait till she got
it.  What do you think under the circumstances we’d better do?  Remember
that a couple of hundred dollars for two men to live upon until they
find work in a city like this, isn’t exactly wealth. Remember also the
saying about a fool and his money. Now what shall we do about the
landlady?"

"Pay her," I said without hesitation.

"But when?"

"Now!  Give her a couple of weeks in advance, and then if we want a
couple more on credit, it will be easier to get it."

We decided that Torrence should take what funds we had, and in his
off-hand, plausible manner, make the payment agreed upon.  He had a
wonderful way of impressing people with the idea that money was of no
importance to him.  When the settlement was made, I was glad he had done
it, it being evident that Mrs. Twiteham was impressed.  I make a note of
these trivial circumstances to show our actual condition, as well as for
future reference should it ever be needed.

This little transaction disposed of, we sauntered out into the street to
look after breakfast, which we found in a neighboring restaurant.  The
voyage had sharpened our appetites, and we ate a dollar’s worth of food
in an alarmingly short space of time, an extravagance we agreed should
not be repeated.  After breakfast, however, we felt that having started
the day so liberally, it would hardly be fair to "clip off the corners
of a square meal," as Torry declared, by slighting its proper ending,
and so we bought a couple of large cigars, and then climbed on top of
one of those great omnibuses with three horses, to seek our fortunes.

It is singular how indifferent men will sometimes be to expenses with
the narrowest margin separating them from starvation, and yet how
parsimonious they often become with untold wealth at their disposal; and
in each instance their better judgment will condemn the course pursued.

My brother’s air ship had been for years upon the verge of success.  A
fortune had been already spent upon it, and his friends had grown
distrustful.  It was always a trifle that was needed to perfect the
mechanism, which was doubtless a triumph of inventive genius.  It is not
my purpose to describe the machine, in fact it would be impossible for
me to do so, being neither a mechanic nor a scientist, but I will simply
say that it was built of aluminum; shaped like an exaggerated cartridge
sharpened at both ends and supported in the air by the application of an
extraordinary discovery which neutralized the attraction of gravitation,
and propelled by a horizontal screw beneath, which could be made to
revolve at such enormous speed that the effect of the most violent
hurricane was practically inoperative.  As yet, only models had been
made of the machine, the design being too intricate and costly to admit
of a full sized apparatus until every detail had been mastered; but his
last model had flown, and come so near perfection, that an English
gentleman had written to him about it, offering assistance under certain
conditions.  This offer might never have been considered, were it not
for the disaffection of his patrons about that time, but as it was, we
left America at once.

The business firm that we were seeking was that of Wetherbee & Hart, No.
3 Kirby Street.  As the omnibus carried us through the crowded
thoroughfares, it was plain that Torrence was growing uneasy.  Things
had looked promising in the distance, but as the time approached for an
interview, we began to realize the consequences of a failure to elicit
Wetherbee’s interest. Should he refuse to aid us we could see nothing
but the poorhouse ahead.

On leaving the ’bus, we had a short distance to walk, and it is safe to
say that we were lost in less than five minutes.  The multiplicity of
ways and their labyrinthic character, was confusing to our rectangular
conception of a town, and after a number of fruitless efforts we found
ourselves back at the corner from which we had started.  But
perseverance finally conquered, and we stood facing a doorplate which
read: "Wetherbee & Hart, Inventors and Solicitors of Patents."  At that
moment I was so oppressed by the thought of the pending interview that I
wished we were lost again.

Walking up a narrow flight of stairs, we stood before a glass door with
a blue paper shade screening the interior.  There was no mistake; we
were there at last, for the firm’s name was painted in sprawling letters
over the panel.  The outward appearance was not indicative of wealth,
and our hearts sank.  There was an old-fashioned bell pull, in the
absence of electricity, and I rang.  A boy came to the door with many
brass buttons sewed on to a dirty coat, and Torrence inquired if Mr.
Wetherbee was in.

"No, sir, but Mr. Hart is here," answered the boy.

It was a disappointment, no letters having ever passed between my
brother and the gentleman named.  We decided to go in, however, and
having given our cards to the boy, passed in to an ante-room.

The place was scant of furniture, and had a poverty-stricken look.  Two
large tables were covered with models, while the walls were whitewashed
and hung with mechanical drawings.  As there were no chairs, we stood,
and as we had not finished our cigars, continued to smoke.  The sound of
a deep, pompous voice proceeded from an inner chamber, presumably the
sanctum of the proprietors.  Presently the owner of the voice entered.
He was a man with bushy eyebrows and a square chin.

"Well, gentlemen, what can I do for you?" he asked magnificently.

We were so taken aback that neither of us knew exactly what he could do.
I believe Torry thought of asking him if he could turn a handspring in a
half-bushel measure, a feat he had once seen performed at a circus, but
something in my manner must have stopped him.  I waited for Torrence to
answer respectfully, the man evidently being accustomed to inspire not
only respect but awe.  My brother, however, took his time, and after a
couple of pulls on his cigar, he said, without moving from the place
where he stood:

"Mr. Hart, I presume!"

"Yes, I am Mr. Hart.  Do you wish to see me?"

"Well, rather!" answered Torrence.  "I’ve come all the way from America
to see you: or I should say your partner, Mr. Wetherbee."

Hart coughed, and waved his hand a couple of times at an imaginary cloud
of smoke.

"I must ask you to stop smoking.  It is contrary to our rules," he
observed querulously.

"Certainly!" answered Torrence, throwing his cigar stump upon the tiled
floor and stepping on it.  There was no receptacle provided for such
things, and the floor looking as dirty as the street, I followed his
example.

Hart called for the buttons, and directed him to pick up the stumps and
throw them in the grate in the next room.  The boy did as he was bid,
and passed back into the sanctum.

"It was a matter of business," I began, observing that things looked
squally, and dreading the consequences of an unfavorable impression, at
the very beginning of our interview.  "It was in relation to my
brother’s air ship that we came, and——"

"And what, pray, do you mean by an air ship?" demanded Hart, with a look
of supercilious superiority that was more exasperating than withering.

"I supposed you must have heard of it," I ventured to observe.

"Heard of an air ship!  The idea is preposterous!" he exclaimed.

"And yet," said Torrence, "I have one, which your partner, Mr.
Wetherbee, is anxious to investigate, and perhaps to purchase, as I have
been led to believe."

"That is impossible!" cried Hart, holding his chin higher, and adding to
his general offensiveness. "Wetherbee is a man of sense—and—the thing is
absurd!"

He turned half around on his heel as if about to leave us, but my
brother’s quiet, well-possessed manner deterred him.

"I beg your pardon.  I have Mr. Wetherbee’s letters, which are
sufficient evidence.  We need capital to put the scheme into practical
shape, and give it commercial value, and I have come to London to seek
it."

"The old story.  The one desideratum with you fellows always.  You have
nothing to risk yourselves, and everything to gain.  If you can delude
some fool into pushing your crazy schemes you are satisfied.  But this,
of all the absurdities, is the most preposterous—the most utter——"

"And has Mr. Wetherbee never spoken to you of my invention?" demanded
Torrence, growing pale.

"Never! nor is he likely to do so.  Mr. Wetherbee is a sensible and
practical man."

"Perhaps it may have been his good sense and practicability that led him
to take so much interest in my patent, and I can only express surprise
that he has never mentioned it to you.  But I do not wish to intrude,
Mr. Hart, and as you are doubtless a busy man, I am merely going to ask
you to tell me where I can find your partner, my business being with
him."

"Mr. Wetherbee has neither the time nor the inclination to talk about
such balderdash as you propose, and as my time is valuable, I must bid
you good-morning."

"Stop!" cried Torrence, as the man was about to go, "when I came here I
expected to find a gentleman, but now acknowledge my mistake, and yet I
am going to honor you with a bet, if you have the nerve to take it,
which I doubt; but I now and here offer to wager you a thousand pounds
against a hundred that I will carry you to Paris in my air ship within a
month!"

It was an absurd boast considering we had not fifty pounds in the world,
and that the ship was not built, and that we depended on Wetherbee &
Hart for the money to build it.  But the speech had its effect, for Hart
relaxed a trifle from his haughty bearing, and said, with a manner
approaching civility:

"No, gentlemen, you will never carry me in your air ship anywhere, nor
will I bet with you; but if you are determined to find Mr. Wetherbee,
his address is The Bungalow, Gravesend.  He seldom comes to this office,
and you can reach him by either boat or train."

Torrence took down the address and we bid Hart good-morning; thoroughly
disappointed, but rather pleased that the interview had not terminated
in a fight.

In the street I observed that my brother looked more anxious than I had
yet seen him.  What was to become of us if we failed to interest
Wetherbee?




                                 *II.*


The Bungalow was a quaint, old-fashioned place in neither town nor
country.  The house stood in a garden, and beyond the garden were some
fields belonging to the premises; and in the distance scattered groups
of buildings like an abortive effort to start a village.  There was a
barn in one of the fields, and from the look of his surroundings, we
should have said that Mr. Wetherbee had been a farmer whose domain had
been encroached upon by the vanguard of suburban residences.

We went through an iron gate with the words "The Bungalow" blocked in
brass letters between the bars, and walked down a cemented path bordered
with boxwood, to a green door opening directly into the house. There was
no porch, and the entrance was only a step above the path.  We were
shown into a musty parlor, which felt damp and cold, although a small
fire was burning in the grate.  The windows were low and opened upon the
garden, but the trees were bare and the flowers dead. There were
pictures on the walls, and jars upon the tables and mantel, where
bunches of withered grasses were displayed as relics of the summer.  The
carpet and furniture were old and faded.  It did not look like the abode
of wealth, and we saw no ground for hope.  Observing the dejected look
on Torry’s face, I tried to comfort him with the reflection that some of
the wealthiest of the English live with the least ostentation.

"I know it," he answered looking up.  "The man may be worth a million,
but I doubt it."

There was a cough in the ball, and the sound of some one approaching
with a walking stick.  In a minute the door was opened, and an old man
bent nearly double, and supporting himself with a cane, entered the
room.

"Two of you!  I didn’t expect to see but one," he muttered, hobbling
across the carpet without further salute, and then, as he hooked the
handle of his stick into the leg of a chair, and pulled it up to the
fire for himself, added:

"Have seats."

"My brother came with me, as we have always lived together," said
Torrence, by way of explanation, "although I only sent my individual
card, as it is you and I who have corresponded.  I hope we find you
well, Mr. Wetherbee, and that this damp weather doesn’t disagree with
you."

Wetherbee grunted, and poked the fire.

"Nothing disagrees with me," he said after a minute. "I’ve been hardened
to this climate for eighty years.  It has done its best to kill me, and
failed."  Then with a grim smile, he added:

"My figure isn’t quite as good as it used to be; but I’m not vain, Mr.
Attlebridge; I’m not vain."

"I suppose you’ve been a sufferer from rheumatism?" I suggested, by way
of talk.

Evidently he did not hear me, as he was raking cinders from the bottom
of the grate.  When he had finished, he said:

"Did you come over from America in your air ship?"

Torrence laughed.

"Not this time, Mr. Wetherbee, but I expect to go back in it," he
answered.

"Great confidence!  Great confidence!" exclaimed Wetherbee; "Well, I’m
glad of it; nothing is ever accomplished without it."

The old man leaned his head upon his hands, while his elbows rested on
his knees.  It was impossible for him to sit upright.  His hair was
white, and his face wrinkled; he looked his age.  Certainly he was a
different person from what Torrence had expected.

"I suppose you have brought a model with you," continued Wetherbee; "you
Yankees are so handy with such things."  This was evidently intended as
a compliment.

"No," said Torrence, "I did not suppose it was necessary.  The
transportation would have been costly, and I knew that if you insisted,
it could be shipped after me.  My last effort was deficient in some
minor details, which would have necessitated a thorough overhauling of
the parts, with readjustment.  My position now is that of absolute
mastery of the subject, and I thought, with your assistance, that I
might build a full-sized vessel at once. There is no longer any need to
waste money on models, as the next machine will fly, full size."

Mr. Wetherbee lifted his head a little.

"How can you be sure of it?" he asked.

"Because my last model did," answered Torrence.

"And yet you admit there was an error."

"There was a slight error of calculation, which impaired the power I
hoped to evolve; but I know where the mistake lay and can remedy it.
All my plans and formulas are with me.  There is no vital principle at
stake.  The thing is assured beyond a doubt."

"And what would be the size of the vessel you propose to build?" asked
Wetherbee.

"My idea is to construct a ship for practical aerial navigation, capable
of carrying half a dozen passengers, with their luggage.  Such a vessel
would be about sixty feet long, with ten feet beam; while her greatest
depth would be about eleven feet."

"And how long a time would it take to construct such a craft?"

"With everything at our hand, and all necessary funds forthcoming, I
should say it would require about six weeks."

The old man’s figure was growing wonderfully erect. His eyes shone with
vivid intensity.  I could see that my brother was making an impression,
and hoped for a successful turn in affairs.

"And what did you say would be the probable cost of such a machine?"
inquired Wetherbee, his back still unrelaxed.

"I did not say," answered Torrence; "but from the best of my
knowledge—provided labor and material are no dearer over here than at
home—I should estimate that the thing could be turned out ready for
service, at an expense of—say, twenty thousand dollars."

Wetherbee’s eyes were fixed intently upon the fire. He looked even more
interested than our most sanguine expectations could have pictured.

"That is—let me see!" he muttered.

"About four thousand pounds," I answered.

"And you will guarantee the result?"

"Mr. Wetherbee," said Torrence, drawing his chair a little nearer the
invalid’s, "I have not the means to make a legal guaranty; but this much
I will say—so absolutely certain am I of success, that I will expend the
few pounds I have with me, in a working model, provided I have your
promise, in the event of my demonstrating satisfactorily the principle,
to place the necessary means at my disposal for building and equipping a
ship of the dimensions named.  But let me repeat my assurance that such
a model would be a waste of time and money.  I have a large batch of
evidence to prove all that I say."

Here Wetherbee left his chair and hobbled about the room without his
cane.  He seemed to have forgotten it. Suddenly he stopped, and
supporting himself by the table, while he trembled visibly, said:

"What if it should fail?"

"Why, in that event I should be the only loser!" answered Torrence.
"But it cannot fail.  I have not the slightest fear of it."

The old man’s excitement was contagious.  Here at last was an outcome
for our difficulties; a balm for every disappointment.  I pictured the
airship soaring over land and sea, the wonder of the age, and my brother
eulogized as the genius of the century.  I could hear his name upon the
lips of future generations, and I imagined the skies already filled with
glittering fleets from horizon to horizon.  Beyond all this I saw untold
wealth, and a new era of prosperity for all men.  My flight of
imagination was interrupted by a long drawn sigh from Wetherbee, as he
murmured:

"Four thousand pounds!  Ah! if I could only get it!"

The dream of bliss was cut short by a rude awakening. I was dismayed.
What did the man mean?

"If I could only get it!" he repeated with a sigh which seemed to come
from the bottom of his soul.  Then he hobbled back to the fire and
resumed his seat.  I watched Torrence, from whose face all joy had fled.
He was more solemn than ever before.

Again Wetherbee stared into the coals.  He had forgotten his
surroundings.  Neither Torrence nor I spoke, in the hope that he was
considering the best manner of raising the money.  The silence was
ominous.  A clock in a corner was forever ticking out the
words—"_Four—thous—and—pounds_."  I listened until it sounded as if
gifted with human intelligence.  Each minute was like an hour while
waiting for our host to speak, feeling that our doom hung irrevocably
upon his words.  Suddenly we were startled by a sharp voice in the hall:

"_Mr. Wetherbee, your soup is ready!_"

The old man pulled himself together, as if aroused from a dream; picked
up his cane and tottered toward the door.  At its portal he stopped, and
turning half around, said:

"Gentlemen, I will consider your proposition, and if I can see my way to
the investment—well, I have your address—and will communicate with you.
Meanwhile there is a barn in one of my fields, which is sound and roomy.
It is at your disposal, and I heartily hope you will be able to raise
the money for your enterprise. The barn you shall have at a nominal
rent, and you will find the swamps about here to be the best locality
anywhere near London for your experiments.  I wish you well.  Should you
conclude to use the barn, let me know, and I will turn the key over to
you immediately. Meanwhile I wish you luck!"

He went out without another word, leaving us alone with the talkative
clock, and the dead grasses of the previous summer.  I glanced at
Torrence, who was pale, but with an indomitable look of courage in his
eyes.  I had seen it before.

It was impossible to say from Wetherbee’s manner of departure, whether
he intended to return or not.  We could scarcely consider the interview
ended, when we had made no movement toward going ourselves, and while
deliberating what was best to do, there was a light step in the hall,
and the door again opened, admitting a middle aged woman who approached
us with a frown.  We bowed.

"May I inquire the nature of your errand?" she began, without addressing
either one of us in particular; but Torrence, stepping forward,
answered:

"Our visit is hardly in the way of an errand, madam. We are here upon an
important business engagement with Mr. Wetherbee, who I trust will soon
return to give us an opportunity to continue our conversation."

"I was afraid so!" she replied with a look of regret. She sat down in
the same chair that Wetherbee had occupied, and asked us to resume our
seats.  There was something odd in her manner, which betrayed deep
concern in our visit.  Putting her hand in her pocket she drew out a
spectacle case, and placed the glasses upon her nose.  Then she looked
at us each in turn with growing interest.

"You need not conceal your business from me, gentlemen," she continued,
"Mr. Wetherbee is my father.  As you are aware, he is a very old man,
and I am acting in the double capacity of nurse and guardian for him.
He does nothing without my knowledge."

Her manner was thoroughly earnest, and the expression of her face that
of deep concern.  Torrence replied after a moment’s hesitation as
follows:

"While not for a moment doubting your statement, madam, would it not be
a little more regular to ask Mr. Wetherbee’s consent before speaking of
a matter in which he is equally interested with ourselves?  If he says
so, I shall be more than willing to explain to you all that we have been
talking about.  Meanwhile I can only say that our business was upon a
matter of great importance, which I should hardly feel at liberty to
divulge without the agreement of all parties concerned."

She did not answer for several minutes, during which time the hard look
in her eyes softened; I even thought they were dimmed with tears.  For a
moment she averted her face and taking off her glasses polished them
thoroughly, returning them to her pocket.  Then she stared into the fire
as if thinking how to proceed, and then without removing her eyes, said:

"I shall not ask your business, gentlemen, but I will tell you something
of mine.  Mr. Wetherbee, my father, is, I am pained to confess, a
monomaniac on the subject of inventions.  His fortune, which once was
ample, has been squandered in all manner of mechanical foolery, for I
can call it by no other name.  An inventor who could once gain his eye
through the medium of print, or his ear, through that of speech, could
wring whatever money out of him he chose.  Finding that our means were
becoming scattered, and our credit going, and my good father unable to
see that he was imposed upon, I applied to the courts for his
guardianship, on the ground of mental disability.  He has no money
whatever that he can call his own; the little that is left between us
being at my disposal.  Should you have plans requiring pecuniary aid, I
must tell you frankly now, that it will be impossible to obtain it
here."

She stopped, and Torrence and I stared at each other aghast.

"But, madam!" I exclaimed, unable to contain myself, "We have come all
the way from America, and at great personal inconvenience and expense,
in response to your father’s letters, and should he refuse to aid us now
we are ruined."

"It is impossible—quite impossible, I assure you, my dear sirs, to keep
track of my father’s correspondence. He answers everything he finds in
the papers relating to patents.  It is unfortunate, deeply unfortunate,
but cannot be helped.  The public has repeatedly been warned against him
through the newspapers, and we can do no more."

"It is indeed most unfortunate," said Torrence; "but let me ask you,
madam, if in the event of my being able to demonstrate, to your entire
satisfaction, the inestimable value of my air ship, you could be induced
to aid in its construction?"

"Alas, my dear sir, I have not the means!"

There was a painful silence, in which, to me, the end of all things was
in sight.  Mentally I ran over the account of our cash, and roughly
estimated how long it would last.  Much as we had abused Mrs. Twitcham’s
lodging, I foresaw that we should have to leave it for a worse one.

"Is there, then, nothing that could induce you to take an interest in
our scheme?  Remember it is the invention of the century.  All the
railways, all the telegraphs in existence will be counted trifling by
comparison when it shall be built and given commercial value.  Remember
also, that the insignificant sum required, will be repaid ten times over
within sixty days.  Remember, my dear madam, that in refusing to aid us,
you are throwing away the greatest material blessing that man can
possibly acquire.  It is the dream of the ages—the culmination of every
hope.  Think well before you refuse!"

I was so wrought up that I spoke more earnestly than ever before,
realizing that if we failed with Wetherbee & Hart, we were outcasts.
But all my enthusiasm, and all my brother’s eloquence were futile.

"It is not that I will not, it is that I cannot," repeated the lady, who
really did not appear lacking in sympathy. or a due comprehension of the
situation.

"Then have you no friends," I persisted, "who might be induced to take a
share in the invention, I should say discovery, for it is indeed more of
a discovery than otherwise?"

"Most of our friends have already lost money through my father’s
infatuation, or weakness, and I dare not mention the subject to any of
them."

We got up to go, thanking the lady for her explanation, and the interest
she had shown.  At the door, Torrence stopped.

"I was about to forget," he said; "your father told us of a barn which
he would place at our disposal, should we need it for a workshop.  Is
the offer still open?"

The lady smiled, and said she could not refuse so simple a thing,
especially when we had come so far, and had a right to expect so much.
We thanked her, bade her farewell and departed.

We passed again down the cemented path between the boxwood bushes, and
through the iron gate.  When out once more upon the open highway,
Torrence turned toward me, and with an air of surprising indifference,
said:

"It looks as though we were checkmated, old man, but we’re not.  These
people have only stirred up the mettle in me, and I shall build the air
ship despite all of them."

As I have said before, my brother was an extraordinary man; possessed of
a fertile mind, an indomitable will, and withal a secretiveness which
even showed itself occasionally to me.  We walked on in silence; the
future looked black and disheartening, I had not the courage to discuss
it.  It was dark when we reached the river, and the small Thames boat
wended its way through innumerable lights, reflected across the water in
long, trembling lines.  The minutest object claimed my attention, and I
fell to speculating on the mental condition of a fellow-passenger who
was whistling a familiar tune at my elbow. I looked over the taffrail
into the black water beneath, and wondered how it felt to drown, and how
many people had tried it in these waters.  I pictured their corpses
still lying at the bottom, and made a rough calculation of how many
years it would take to disintegrate a man’s skeleton, after the fishes
had eaten all the flesh off his bones. Then in the dim light I saw
Torrence walking past the man who held the tiller.  He did not speak,
and I did not disturb him.  Possibly he did not see me, at all events we
walked on opposite sides of the deck, each absorbed in his own thoughts.
At last we met, as if by accident, although I had purposely wandered
over to his side.

"Well, old man!  What’s the matter?" he cried with a heartiness that
startled me.

"Nothing," I answered; "I was only going to ask why you made that
inquiry about the barn."

"Because I thought it might be useful," he answered.

"And for what, pray?"

"Why, to build the air ship in, to be sure.  Did you think I wanted it
for a billiard room?"

"And how can you build the air ship without Wetherbee & Hart?" I
inquired.

"I am not quite prepared to answer your question. But I have overcome
difficulties before, and I shall overcome this one.  Don’t fret, Gurt!
the air ship will be built."

His manner was confident, and showed such indifference to the gravity of
our situation, that I looked at him in amazement.  There was nothing
more to say, and we wandered apart again.

Once more I began an exhaustive study of my surroundings—the river—the
lights—the boat itself, and finally of my fellow-passengers.  Thus
occupied I allowed several landings to pass unheeded, when suddenly I
became interested in a low but animated conversation between two men who
were opposite me, the one standing, the other sitting.  It was nearly
dark in that part of the deck where we were, but presently the man who
was sitting, shifted his position slightly to make room for the other,
when they both came in range of a dimly burning lantern, and I was
surprised to see that one of the men was my brother.  The stranger was a
rough, dirty looking sailor, and the pair, as I say, were deeply
absorbed in conversation, in which they had evidently been engaged for
some time.

"Yes, stranger," said the sailor, "you may believe me or not as you
please, but I have proof enough of what I tell you; and three times I’ve
been locked up with lunatics for stickin’ to the truth, and not lyin’."

"And you say you can prove this?" inquired my brother in a low tone.

"Ay, and _will do it_!"

"It is too marvelous.  You astound me!  I cannot comprehend it!" said
Torrence in a voice that was scarcely audible, and which I observed was
purposely subdued.

"And indeed you may well be all o’ that, an’ more too.  I was good crazy
for a spell when I first found it out, leastways I was nigh it, but I
don’t talk about it no more since they locked me up, but when I heerd
you fellers a gassin’ about a air ship, I ’lowed you was the kind, if
ever there was any, as it wouldn’t hurt to tell.  For my part, it don’t
matter—I can’t live long no way—and I hate to have _that secret_ die
with me.  I’m a stoppin’ down the river on the Kangaroo, she’s a boat as
is fitted up as a ’orspital for crippled seamen and the like.  I’m
tullable comfortable thar, and doubt as I’ll ever anchor to any other
craft for a home this side o’ Davy Jones’."

"But surely you’ll let me see you again," said Torrence, as the man made
a move to leave the boat at the landing we were approaching.

"Course’n I will.  I won’t forgit ye," tapping his breast as if
referring to a memorandum which I supposed Torrence had given him.  "And
I’ll keep my word, too, and prove every breath I’ve done breathed to you
to-night. Ta-ta!"

The man left the boat hurriedly, and the next landing was our own.




                                 *III.*


It was snowing, and the ground was already white when we reached our
humble lodgings.  All the way from Gravesend I had been struck with my
brother’s capricious manner, at one moment buoyant, the next meditative
and despondent.  Upon my inquiring after the singular acquaintance he
had made upon the boat, he simply laughed, and said, "crank," entirely
ignoring the scraps of conversation I had overheard between them.  This
being his mood, I decided to let him alone, feeling sure that if there
were anything worth hearing, I should hear it.

We made a hasty inspection of our property, to take care that nothing
was disturbed in our absence, and then, with renewed confidence in the
landlady, walked again into the storm in search of food.  We had eaten
nothing since early morning, and were nearly famished.  Our restaurant
was not hard to find, and the light and warmth within cheered even my
dismal soul into hopefulness.

Seating ourselves in an alcove by an appetizing table, Torrence pushed
the bill of fare toward me, but I begged him to choose the dinner
himself, and to select the cheapest and bulkiest dishes.

"Rubbish!" he answered; "I’m hungry and am going to have another square
feed.  If we are to go to the devil, what difference can it possibly
make whether we get there on Monday or Saturday?"

I could never argue with Torrence; he had his own way in everything, and
yet we never quarreled.

An elaborate meal was placed before us, with a large jug of beer; the
dinner costing more than the breakfast.

"I don’t know how it is," said Torrence in the midst of a huge chop,
"but something tells me that I was never born to be starved!"

After dinner we lighted cigars, and continued to sit smoking over our
coffee, having drawn the curtains of our alcove.  We had been puffing
away for some minutes when Torrence, putting his hand in his pocket drew
out the money I had given him in the morning, together with his own, and
placing the pile upon the table, said:

"Now listen!  We will divide this money into two equal parts, and each
take our part.  There is no telling what may become of us, and it is
better to seek our fortunes separately than together.  If we travel the
same path, we will meet the some difficulties, but if we divide, there
will be double the chance for luck, and whoever hits it first can help
the other.  It will cost no more than to live under the same roof, with
the exception of having paid in advance for our beds, but other
considerations will more than compensate for that loss, which may not be
a loss after all.  We may see a very tough time before we get through,
but we will get through in the end, never fear.  Now don’t starve
yourself, old man, and don’t get down in the mouth, but dig—dig—dig.
Push your manuscript—push a hand car—jump into anything you see, but
don’t be discouraged, and above all things, write regularly and keep me
posted."

My heart was in my mouth, for I could not bear the thought of leaving
Torrence.  He had been the leading spirit in everything, and from my
early childhood I had always believed that what Torrence could not do,
could not be done.  I had brought some manuscripts with me for which I
hoped to find a publisher, but now the thought of it was abhorrent.  I
could not answer, and so Torrence continued:

"To-morrow morning, after breakfast, I shall leave you. Don’t ask what I
am going to do, because I don’t know; but I am off in search of luck,
and shall rely largely on my Yankee brains to bring me out on top of the
game. Don’t expect me ’till you see me, but I shall either write or
return when there is anything to tell."

"Are you going back to Gravesend?" I asked.

"Probably; but don’t hamper me with questions.  In the first place it
won’t help you to know what I am doing; and in the second place, it
won’t help me to have you know.  You can picture me as building the air
ship, or running a haberdashery, or anything you please; but remember
that whenever I run my nose up against luck you’ll be sure to know it;
and I only ask that you will do the same by me."

I gave him my hand, and then we ordered two portions of brandy and a
bottle of Apollinaris.

While we were disposing of this, and still smoking our cigars, the
_portières_ of our alcove were pulled suddenly apart, and a rough,
unshaved face thrust in at the aperture, and as quickly withdrawn.
Although it was for only an instant, I recognized the face as that of
the sailor I had seen on the Thames boat.  Torrence frowned, but did not
look surprised.

When we got up to go, Torrence insisted on paying the bill out of his
portion, which he did; and then, just as we were about to pass out into
the stormy street, the same rough, dirty looking sailor approached us
from one of the alcoves.

"Another word with you, stranger," said the man, advancing and touching
his hat to Torrence.

"Certainly," as if he had never seen the fellow before, and then turning
to me, Torrence added:

"Would you mind waiting a minute, Gurt, while I speak to this man?" and
without another word, the twain entered one of the alcoves.  I amused
myself looking at some fish in an aquarium that stood near the entrance,
and in watching the great flakes of snow falling against the glass panel
of the door.  How long I remained thus occupied is difficult to guess,
but it seemed interminable.  The sailor had taken the precaution to draw
the curtains after him, so it was impossible to hear anything they said,
and even the sound of their voices was drowned by the clatter of dishes,
the tramping of waiters, and the noise of arriving and departing guests.
At last the interview was ended, and my brother came out with rather a
singular expression, as I thought, and we started for home.

"And what does he want?" I asked as we trudged along the sidewalk.

Torrence laughed; and then, as if thinking of how to reply, said:

"Oh, he’s a lunatic!  Wants the loan of twenty pounds on a house and lot
he says he owns down in Deptford. Sailors are generally cranky, you
know, and I thought I would talk with him a little just to get his
ideas, and see if it would be worth our while to risk the venture, with
the possibility of becoming the owner of his property. But I’m convinced
the fellow’s a fraud."

"If he’s a lunatic I think you must be a greater one!" I exclaimed, and
then feeling sure that he was putting me off with nonsense to avoid
questioning, I turned the subject, and commenced talking about the
weather.  We did not allude to the sailor again, and I concluded that
Torrence had simply run across some poor fellow who he thought might be
useful to him, although how, I could not imagine.

The next morning we separated, and I waved Torrence a farewell as he
took his seat on an omnibus, with Gladstone bag and umbrella.  I stood
watching him until the ’bus had turned a corner, and then directed my
steps toward Paternoster row, with a bundle of MSS. under my arm.

I do not propose to harrow myself with a recital of the bitter
disappointments I underwent in that quarter of the city, nor is it
important for the identification of the Attlebridges as the real
participants in the marvels about to be recounted, that I should do more
than allude to the fact that the firm of Crumb & Crumpet, after much
haggling as to terms, long and tedious discussion regarding merit and
character, finally refused my book, as well as all shorter papers
submitted to them; a fact which those gentlemen will doubtless remember,
should their attention be called to it.

Our lodgings were dreary enough at best, but now that I was alone they
seemed unbearable.  Beyond my own gloomy feelings, I was made to
participate in those of my landlady, who constantly annoyed me with
accounts of her financial difficulties; her inability to pay her rent,
and the dread that she would be evicted.  Greatly against my better
judgment, she succeeded in coaxing me into the loan of a pound, a thing
I could not afford, but which I did, partly out of sympathy, and partly
to get rid of her importunities.

I now occupied myself in preparing a paper on the psychological
evolution of the ape, which I hoped to be able to place with another
publisher, and which, had it ever been finished, I cannot doubt would
have succeeded; but circumstances intervened before the completion of
the last pages, which compelled me to relinquish my work, and so the
world must suffer.  I continued my labor steadily for more than a week,
and then began looking anxiously for my brother’s return, and took
several long walks in the direction from which I believed he would be
coming; but I did not meet him, and returned home, each time a little
disheartened.  During these evenings I retired early, having no one for
company, and not being able to afford outside amusement.  At the end of
ten days I had been so economical that I was quite satisfied with the
standing of my finances, and felt lighter-hearted than at any time since
arriving.  Still I had found nothing to do but write, and the future was
uncertain.

Sunday morning was dark and gloomy, and it having been nearly two weeks
since Torrence had left, I began to wonder with increased anxiety what
had become of him.  I had a right to expect him by now, but had neither
seen nor heard a word from him since his departure.  Could anything have
happened?  I did not believe it, and knowing how averse he was to letter
writing, set it down to the fact that he was busy; and I sincerely hoped
profitably so.  Still I passed the day in gloomy forebodings, and
resolved to go to Gravesend the following morning.  That night, however,
as I was going to my room, the servant handed me a letter, and I did not
realize until I had read it, how anxious I was becoming. The letter ran
as follows:


"20 NARROW LANE, GRAVESEND.

Sunday Morning.

"DEAR GURT: Sorry, but can’t get over to-day as I expected.  Will try
and come before next Lord’s day. How’s the book?  Keep your mouth
straight, and don’t get discouraged,

Yours, "TORRY."


It wasn’t much of a letter, but it was better than nothing, and I was
thankful for it.  I put it in my pocket, and gave up all thought of
Gravesend for the present. Evidently Torrence had found something to
occupy him, and I didn’t believe he was a man to work long for nothing,
but felt provoked that he had not told me what it was.  True, I had
never written to him, which he had told me to do in Wetherbee’s care,
should there be anything to write about; but as there wasn’t I felt
justified in my silence.  However, I should now see him soon, and
comforted myself with the thought that all was well.

During the ensuing week, I answered several advertisements, in the hope
of finding employment, for despite the satisfaction felt in my ability
to economize, there were moments when the reflection that I was making
absolutely nothing would come upon me with such force, that I grew
despondent, and would gladly have welcomed anything offering even the
smallest return.  But every effort to find work was unavailing;
evidently London was overcrowded.

Another week passed without Torrence, and when the following Sunday came
and went without bringing him, I became not only impatient but provoked.
Why could he not run up to see me?  It certainly seemed strange. Had he
not been so emphatic in requesting me to let him alone, I should have
gone to Gravesend long before.  But here was I scarcely daring to leave
the house, fearing that he would come and go in my absence.

A few days after this an incident occurred which placed me in a most
unfortunate predicament.  My landlady came to me with tears in her eyes,
saying she would be dispossessed immediately if unable to raise ten
pounds.  She assured me that if I would advance her a part of the money
she would—but why go into details—I was swindled out of much more than I
could afford to lose; I had lost a friend, and injured my chances of
success, and not only was the landlady dispossessed, but all her lodgers
as well.  I was obliged at once to find new quarters, and with greatly
reduced means.  Things now looked very squally, and I firmly believed
the poorhouse was in the next block, and that I might stumble upon it
any day, without warning.  I wrote at once to Torrence to tell him of
the change in my situation and circumstances, and urging him to come
immediately for a consultation.  By return mail, I got the following
answer:


"20 NARROW LANE, GRAVESEND.

"DEAR GURT: Sorry to hear of your bad luck, but don’t fret about a
trifle.  A handful of gold more or less isn’t worth a thought.  A begger
can pick it up on London Bridge without being much the better for it,
and as I told you before, a day or two sooner or later at his majesty’s
hothouse won’t count much in eternity.  I shall be with you in a day or
two, and hunt you up in your new quarters.  Now be thankful you got off
so cheap, and don’t worry.  I have been awfully busy.

"Hastily Yours, T."


My brother always took things easily, but in this letter he had quite
eclipsed himself.  I could not doubt that he had found some employment.

Again I had been obliged to pay in advance for my new lodgings, and my
stock of cash had dwindled alarmingly. If Torrence did not come soon, I
should be arrested as a vagrant.

About three days after this, just as I was about to start for Gravesend,
having seen nothing of my brother since his letter, a hansom was driven
to the door and Torrence alighted.

"Well, old boy!" he said as cheery as possible; "glad to find you at
last.  But what made you move to such a place as this?"

He looked with disfavor upon the dirty, sad-visaged house I had chosen
for a residence.  I explained everything as we went up the steps, even
telling him to a penny the amount of money I had left.  Instead of being
dismayed, he only laughed, and turning to the cabby, tossed him his
fare, with a liberal surplus, and then we went on into the house.  My
brother’s extravagance had always surprised me, but in our present
circumstances, his indifference to money seemed unpardonable.

Torrence looked around my little room with disgust.

"I don’t like this place," he said.  "We must move out of it."

"When?" I asked in amazement.

"Now!" he answered.

"It’s the cheapest I could find."

"I should think so!" he replied.

"But even if you are making a little money, wouldn’t it be unwise to
spend it?  Remember I am doing nothing."

Torrence smiled and said:

"Now, Gurt, don’t undertake to lecture me, but order a four wheeler
instead—perhaps we had better say a couple—for I want to carry all our
traps at once, before they become too strongly impregnated with these
quarters, and—  Do you owe anything?"

I explained that I had already paid in advance, that we had lost money
once in that way, and that I hoped he would not consent to a further
frittering of our funds; but Torrence was determined; and in less than
an hour we found ourselves seated in a comfortable cab, with our luggage
on top.  As the driver was about to close the door, he stood for a
moment to receive the order, I heard my brother say, quite distinctly;

"_Hotel Mustapha!_"




                                 *IV.*


Now, the Mustapha is among the very swellest hotels of London; indeed I
doubt if there is any place of public entertainment in the whole of
Europe, which is more magnificent, or whose rates are more exorbitant;
and when I found myself standing in one of its superb corridors, I
naturally wondered why we had come.

In a few moments we were shown an apartment consisting of three large
communicating rooms; two bed-chambers with a _salon_ between and all
furnished palatially.

"Do you think it will do?" inquired Torrence, looking around with a
critical air of indifference.

"For what?" I inquired.

"For us."

"The devil!" I exclaimed.

"No, not for the devil but for you and me."

I looked at him in dumb amazement, and then without another word, my
brother dismissed the attendant, saying that he thought the rooms would
answer the purpose, and ordered our luggage sent up immediately.  Was
the fellow losing his head?  I feared he had already lost it.

When left alone, we stood for a moment taking in the grandeur that
surrounded us, from the gorgeous frescoes on the ceiling, to the
sumptuous carpets beneath our feet; and then unable to contain myself, I
asked Torrence if he were really going mad.  The earnestness of my
manner, and the dead serious look upon my face, made him laugh until he
rolled over upon one of the Turkish divans.

"Yes! can’t you see it?" he cried, "why don’t you send for a doctor?
But no, you couldn’t afford the expense, find this is better than any
asylum I’m sure.  Don’t fret, old boy; if I am mad there’s a method in
it, and a devilish good one too.  Now you make yourself at ease, for
your brother’s madness will never hurt you.  But it is rather neat,
isn’t it?" he added, getting up and looking around the room.  "You know
I searched all over London before I could find apartments to suit me
exactly; and I’m glad you admire my taste!"

"Well!" I answered, drawing a long breath, "you certainly must be making
a fortune, and rapidly, too; but all the same I don’t approve of your
extravagance.  But tell me, have you paid for all this? and how much is
it to cost us?"

"_Us_!  I admire _that_, when you are my guest.  Why it is to cost you
nothing, of course!   But wait here a few minutes, as it seems to worry
you, I will satisfy your mind on the money question.  I am going to the
office, and will be back immediately."

While he was gone I interested myself in a further inspection of the
rooms.  The more thoroughly I went into their equipment, the more amazed
I became at the lavish disregard for money displayed upon every hand.
The beds were regal; the chairs and other furniture of the most costly
type imaginable, and even the walls were adorned with paintings, which I
saw at once were of a very high order of merit.  The bathrooms, of which
there were two, were on a scale of princely magnificence, and everywhere
were mirrors, bronzes, and decorations which appeared to me quite too
costly for a public house; indeed there could be few palaces more
splendid.

Presently I heard Torrence returning, and as he entered the room he held
a paper toward me.

"There now read this, and make yourself easy!" he cried.

It was a receipt in full for the rent of the rooms for two entire months
in advance, three hundred pounds.

"Well!" I exclaimed, looking first at the paper, then at my brother,
"wherever you got this money, I can’t guess, but I will say, that
although my fears for the immediate future are relieved, I consider it a
wicked waste for people in our circumstances to throw away their means
as you have done."

I was provoked and showed it.

"Wait, old man, until you know what you’re talking about," was his only
rejoinder.

"I suppose you’ve sold some interest in your air ship," I suggested
doggedly.

"How absurd!  I haven’t even thought of such a thing."

He seemed to enjoy my perplexity, and walked about the room whistling.

"You have sold the invention out and out, then?" I persisted.

"Guess again, dear boy, for I shall never part with the air ship to any
human being!"

"And will it ever be built?"

"Rather!  I am working on it now.  What did you suppose I’d been doing
at Gravesend all this time? Courting old man Wetherbee’s daughter, eh?
Well, you’re mistaken, for I’ve been doing nothing of the kind; but the
air ship is begun."

I might as well have pumped the clerk in the office for information, and
so decided to ask no more questions. But my resolution was short-lived,
for in the next breath I inquired how long it would probably take to
complete it; to which Torrence answered that he thought six weeks would
probably suffice, and had therefore only taken our rooms for two months,
but that the time required for such delicate workmanship as would be
necessary on the air ship, was difficult to estimate, and he had
therefore stipulated for the refusal of our apartments, should we need
them longer, at the expiration of the term, as he did not wish to go in
search of lodgings again.  He rattled on about contracts he had signed
for work upon the air ship, involving such large sums of money that I
could only stand with my mouth open and gasp.

At 8 o’clock we sat down in our _salon_ to such a dinner as could hardly
be surpassed by the royal board itself. The table was loaded with
flowers and silver, and lighted with candles.  Two men were in
attendance; one behind each of us.  The wines were of the choicest; each
course being accompanied by its appropriate beverage.  Such Burgundies
and Tokays, such champagnes and liquers, and all dispensed with the
utmost prodigality, bottles being opened, merely tasted and set aside
for a better vintage.  I sat and ate and drank like one in a dream, and
earnestly prayed that the money would not give out before we had settled
this bill.  For our credit, I will say that neither of us drank too
much.  Indeed the glory undermined my appetite, and I perceived that
although there was quite an array of bottles and decanters, mere wasted
material, Torrence was also extremely moderate.

After dinner the attendants were dismissed, while we continued to sit
around the table, smoking and talking. Our cigars were of the finest,
and our conversation consisted mainly of questions upon my part; some
answers, and many evasions on Torrence’s.

"And where have you located your workshop?" I inquired.

"The air ship is building in Wetherbee’s barn; at least the parts, when
completed, will be put together there under my supervision," answered
Torrence.

"Do you expect to go to Gravesend every day to superintend the work?  It
strikes me as rather a long journey. Won’t it take up a lot of your
time?"

"It would under ordinary circumstances," he answered; "but you see I
shall travel by private conveyance. In fact I have purchased a steam
launch; she is very fast, so that I can run up and down without
trouble."

"Oh!" I ejaculated, unable entirely to conceal my surprise even at this
minor, and perhaps more reasonable extravagance.

"I suppose you will keep a crew on board then?"

"Oh, yes."

"And the thing will always be waiting for you?"

"Exactly!"

"Couldn’t we have saved a lot of money by sleeping on her?" I asked.

"Probably; but I don’t think it would have been so comfortable.  Surely,
Gurt, you’re not dissatisfied with our quarters already?"

"Dissatisfied!  Heaven forbid!  I was only thinking of your purse."

"That, my dear boy, can take care of itself.  By the by, do you know we
ought to have more clothes, and a couple of men—_valets_, I mean; for
whoever heard of people in our position, dressing themselves?  I think I
shall put an ’ad’ in the _Times_ to-morrow."

"I hope not," I answered; "for my part I should feel like a fool to have
a fellow tinkering about me, holding my trousers while I stepped into
them, and washing my face—why I understand that even the Prince of Wales
puts on his own clothes!"

"That ought to settle it then," said Torrence; "but a greater variety of
wearing apparel is necessary; for the servants that wait on us are
better clad than we are."

I didn’t offer any objection to the clothes, feeling that they were a
tangible asset, which in the event of failure might be turned to some
account.  But the _valets_ were quite superfluous, a money sink, as well
as an affectation which I swore to eschew.

The transition from poverty to opulence had been so sudden, that it
might have been unnerving were it not for my brother’s extraordinary
influence.  I had always regarded him with unswerving confidence, and
even now the relief from monetary anxiety quite outweighed any misgiving
I might have felt concerning the manner of this suddenly acquired
wealth.  As it was, while my wonder was stimulated, my curiosity partook
more of the nature of a child’s toward a parent’s resources, and my
efforts to unravel the mystery being so successfully thwarted, I soon
became, in a measure, satisfied to receive and ask no questions.  I say,
in a measure, for of course it was impossible at times to help thinking
how this sudden change in our circumstances had been achieved.

After dinner I went down into the lower corridor of the hotel, and
admired its superb finish, and elegant appointments, as well as the gay
throng that constantly gathered there.  Thence wandering into the
reading room, I indited a number of letters to friends at home, feeling
a peculiar satisfaction in using the gorgeous note paper with the words,
Hotel Mustapha, engraved upon the top of each sheet.  While I was
writing Torrence amused himself in the billiard room, where he had
already made acquaintances.  When through with my letters, I joined the
party, a bevy of fashionable men, who evidently looked up to Torrence as
their leader.  They were playing pool for stakes, and when the game was
over, my brother, putting his hand in his pocket, pulled out a huge
bundle of bank bills, and settled the score.  The amount lost could not
have been large, as he received several gold pieces and some silver back
in change, out of a single bill.  I marked this fact with interest, as
it tended to show that Torrence was not gambling to any excess.  He
introduced me to the men as his twin brother; and then we went into the
smoking room and drank some hot Scotches, and smoked very expensive
cigars, my brother again paying the bill.

We soon became looked upon as the Yankee millionaires, no distinction
being made between us, and being well supplied with funds myself, I was
always able to appear as a gentleman.

A few days after our arrival, I was informed that one of the best boxes
at a neighboring theater was reserved for us.  Torrence had taken it for
the season.  "Not that I expect to go there every night," he said, "but
it is pleasant to have one’s own corner to drop in upon, when one
happens in the mood.  To-night, for instance, I think it would be nice
to take a peep at the ballet; don’t you?"

I agreed that it would, and after our usual sumptuous dinner, we entered
a very handsome closed carriage, and were driven away.  There were two
men upon the box in livery, and as we rolled noiselessly on upon rubber
tires, I remarked that it was quite the swellest public rig I had ever
seen.  My observation was received with scorn.

"Public rig be blowed!" said Torrence; "surely you know better than to
take this for a hackney coach!"

"What then?" I inquired.

"Private, of course.  I bought the entire outfit, horses and all this
morning.  This is my maiden trip with them; and they—I mean the
animals—are a pair of spankers, I can tell you!"

"And how much did the whole outfit cost?" I inquired, unable to restrain
my curiosity on the money question.

"Eight fifty!" said Torrence, in an easy off-hand way, as if four
thousand two hundred and fifty dollars were the merest bagatelle.  I
would have been stunned had I not been growing gradually accustomed to
that sort of thing.  As it was, I simply remarked that I couldn’t see
how he was going to find time to exercise his purchase.

"Oh, I’ll leave that to you," he answered, "I don’t want you to go about
town in a manner unbefitting the role; savey?"

We were ushered into the theater with all the deference that could have
been heaped upon her majesty, so I thought; and I half expected the
audience to rise as we entered our box.

The play was one of those dazzling effects of lights and legs, as
Torrence expressed it, with little or nothing beside, and I soon
observed that a pretty little soubrette was the principal attraction.
Before the second act was over, an attendant was summoned and despatched
with a five pound bill, and an order for the prettiest basket of flowers
to be bought, which at the first opportunity found its way upon the
stage.  At times it made me sick to see the money my brother wasted, but
I was a more puppet in his keeping, and could do nothing to deter him.
I fully expected he would be going to the green room after the
performance for an introduction, but to my amazement he did nothing of
the kind, and instead we got into our carriage, and driving to a
fashionable restaurant, had supper.

"And why did you throw away your money on those flowers?" I asked him,
lingering over a bottle of Pomard.

"Do you call that throwing money away?  Why the poor little thing looked
as if she needed all the encouragement she could get.  I think of
leaving an order with the florist to-morrow to send her half a dozen
every night. Take them in from different parts of the auditorium, you
know, so that she will never suspect they came from the same person."

"And you won’t send your card?"

"Decidedly not!"

"And you don’t want her to know it is you?"

"Decidedly not!"

"Have you taken leave of your senses?"

"Decidedly not!  Why, Gurt, don’t you know it would give her a lot more
pleasure to think she was a general favorite than a special one?"

"Decidedly not!" I answered, taking up his cue, "any girl would
rather—but no, on further consideration, I believe you’re right."  And
it seemed to me that Torrence was always right.

Later we got into our carriage and were driven to the hotel.  The night
was wet and cold, and I was glad to find myself once more in the
cheerful Mustapha.  We had a game of billiards, followed by some hot
Scotch and a cigar, and then went to our rooms, and to bed.

Once in the dark and alone I kept revolving in my mind the events of the
day, and of the time since our change of fortune; and naturally fell to
speculating as to the most probable manner in which all this wealth had
been acquired.  Nothing I could think of was satisfactory, and one idea
after another was set aside as equally improbable.  I suppose I must
have fallen asleep when I began to wonder if the receipt he had shown me
were genuine.  It was an unreasonable doubt, and at variance with my
faith in Torrence, and yet it took hold of me as sleeping thoughts some
times will.  Had I not seen his money?  Why should he not have used it
for hotels as well as anything else?  And yet the thought annoyed me, so
that I could not dismiss it; and finally I found myself sitting up in
bed, brooding over it.  Lighting my candle I walked quietly across the
room and entered the _salon_.  Listening at my brother’s door for a
moment, and making sure that he was asleep, I returned to my own room
and dressed.  The lights were still burning brightly all over the house,
and looking at my watch, I saw that it was only a little past midnight.
There could be nothing extraordinary in going to the hotel office and
inquiring in a casual way if the rooms had been paid for. It would set
my mind at rest to have the verbal assurance of the proprietor that they
were.  I could not help feeling that it was an underhanded advantage to
take of my sleeping relative; but I was driven by a great fear, and
after a moment’s hesitation, I sped down the stairway into the lobby
below.  I sauntered into the billiard room, not so much to see if there
were any players left, as to assume an appearance of merely lounging
about the premises without definite purpose.  Half a dozen men were
still plying their cues, and I recognized the one to whom Torrence had
introduced me.  I was invited to join the game, but dread of being led
into a carouse deterred me, and after looking on for a few minutes, I
said good-night and wandered back toward the office.  I walked up and
down a couple of times with an unlighted cigarette between my teeth, as
if merely seeking diversion, and then going up to the desk, asked some
irrelevant questions about the arrivals during the day.  My question
answered, I turned carelessly as if about to depart, and then as though
the thought had suddenly presented itself, looked back, and said:

"Oh! by the by; did I understand correctly that my brother, Mr. Torrence
Attlebridge, had settled for our apartments?"

The clerk did not have to refer to his books, but answered promptly with
a pleased smile:

"Oh, yes, sir.  Everything is settled for in full.  Your brother has
paid in advance for two months.  He has our receipt for the amount—three
hundred pounds.  They are our very best apartments, sir; decorated by
LeBrune, and furnished by Haltzeimer entirely regardless—I hope Mr.
Attlebridge finds everything satisfactory!"

I assured him that everything was just as we desired and went away
comforted, with the exception of wishing that I had the money instead of
the rooms.  But such thoughts were idle; I was in Torrence’s hands.

After loitering about the smoking room for a few minutes, I returned to
my room, and to bed.




                                  *V.*


When I got up in the morning Torrence had gone. He had left without
disturbing me, as he said he should, the journey to Gravesend requiring
an early start.

I determined to put in the day writing, having evolved some ideas which
I thought might suit a certain American journal; but it is astonishing
when the necessity for work has been removed, how indifferent we become
to it. Every effort seemed absolutely futile, and after an hour, I put
away my writing materials and went out for a drive in the park.  I could
see that my brother’s new outfit was greatly admired, and I leaned back
upon the satin cushions, conscious that I was looked upon as an
important person—possibly a duke.  I lunched at a fashionable restaurant
near the marble arch, and then, after a drive along Edgeware road,
returned to the hotel.

The mail was just in, and there was a large batch of letters and papers
for Torrence.  Some of these were unsealed; presumably advertisements,
and as such I examined them.  But the examination was disappointing,
only serving to whet my interest, and enhance my wonder. For what was
here?  Unaccountable scribbling—such extraordinary charts and
figures—such attempts at drawing of birds and unknown animals—such
efforts at natural scenery—and withal such crude and childish
explanations, in such outlandish chirography, that it was quite
impossible to say whether the work was that of a madman or not.  Indeed
I was by no means sure what any one of the designs was really intended
to mean.  I pored over these papers for more than an hour, in the very
ecstasy of wonder, and then without having reached a single conclusion,
put them back in the envelopes to await the owner’s arrival.

I tried to believe that the drawings referred to some of the more
intricate parts of the air ship; although it was impossible to help
feeling that this was absurd.

About an hour before dinner Torrence arrived, cheery as ever.  I gave
him his mail, and then seating myself near the window, watched him open
it.  It is not always easy to interpret the emotions by the expression
of the face, but on my brother’s countenance I was sure that a
comprehensive wonder, a wonder that grasped the meaning of what he saw,
was clearly depicted.  At one moment he would smile with infatuation; a
paroxysm of delight; at the next he would frown, and look frightened at
the paper before him, and once he passed his arm roughly across his
eyes, as if wiping away a tear.  If the papers themselves were
mysterious, Torrence’s behavior was even more so.  When through, he put
them carefully together and carried them into his own room.

"Anything important?" I inquired, with an assumed indifference, when he
returned to the _salon_.

"Nothing," he answered, glancing at me, as I thought, with a slight look
of suspicion, "nothing only a lot of detailed drawings about the work
going on at Gravesend."

I did not answer, but felt sure that he had not told me the truth.  Then
he went on to speak of various contracts, which he hoped would soon be
under way, and which were to be delivered at Gravesend within a month,
and of others that would take longer to complete, and all of which were
to be put together at Wetherbee’s barn as soon as possible.  He was
afraid the vessel would be longer building than he had at first been led
to believe, but concluded that it would not matter very much after all,
as the season was not propitious for a trial.

"No," I answered, "I should imagine that warm weather would be better,
but then your expenses here would be running on fearfully!"

Torrence sneered at the suggestion.  Expense was always the thing he
seemed to think of last.

We dined sumptuously again, and after dinner drove to a music hall.
Here the usual extravagance was repeated, indeed it exceeded all bounds.
Not only did he buy flowers in vast heaps, which he distributed upon the
stage; but later went into the green room, and disbursed considerable
money among the actresses.  His prodigality was so absurd and unmeaning
that I finally left him in disgust, returning to the hotel alone.  It
was quite late when he came in, and I met him in rather angry mood:

"Well, you have made a fool of yourself!" I exclaimed, as he threw
himself upon a large Persian _musnud_ to finish his cigar before
retiring.

"How?" he asked, quite innocently.

"By throwing away your money among a lot of sharpies, who wouldn’t lend
you a copper to save your soul!"

Torrence roared, as if he thought it the best joke imaginable.

"Now, look here, old boy," he said in another minute, "don’t lose your
temper, because it doesn’t pay.  What’s the use of money if not to give
pleasure?  That’s my way of enjoying myself, and I don’t either ask or
expect any favors in return.  As you see, it takes a lot of money to buy
my pleasure, but I can afford it!"

"If you have such an income that you can’t spend it," I replied,
"suppose you give a little of it to me.  You might be glad some day if
you found that I had saved a few pounds for you!"

The speech would have been contemptible, considering the amount of money
Torrence had already given me, were it not for the fact that I intended
it for his good as well as my own, hoping to save at least a part of a
fortune, which was being squandered so shamefully under my eyes.

"Why, certainly," he answered good naturedly, and half-rising from the
lounge, "how much do you want?"

"Anything you have to spare!"

Without another word he got up, and going to the writing table, signed a
blank check and handed it to me.

"There! fill it out for yourself!" he exclaimed.

"For how much?"

"Anything you please," he replied, with a look of utter indifference.

"But you must say," I persisted.

"Really, I don’t care, Gurt," he answered, striking a match to relight
his cigar.  "My bankers will pay anything you put on it, I fancy."

"Have you as much as a thousand pounds with these people?"

He laughed outright.

"I should hope so!" he shouted; "but if that is all you want, I have
probably as much about me, for you must remember that I am a business
man now, and am conducting costly experiments in connection with the air
ship, which I intend shall be the most perfect thing on earth!"

"I suppose then it will cost you more than the twenty thousand dollars
you thought?"

"Well, rather!  If I get off with as many pounds I shall be lucky!"

I gasped but said nothing.

"Why don’t you fill out your check?" he continued, observing that I was
standing idly by the table, my mouth open in astonishment.

"Shall I put down a thousand?" I asked, not knowing what to say.

"Yes, and two of them, if you wish.  I really don’t care."

I filled out the cheek for an even thousand, not being able to overcome
my horror at the thought of a larger figure, for notwithstanding all the
evidence to the contrary, I was unable to overcome a certain fear that
the check might be refused.  I showed it to Torrence, whose only remark
was that he couldn’t see why I had not doubled it.  I was determined to
save this much for a rainy day, and resolved to go at once to the
banker’s when my brother had gone back to Gravesend and cash it.  I also
determined to find out, if possible something about his affairs, as the
mystery of all this sudden wealth was preying on my mind.  I had quite
relinquished the hope of learning anything from Torrence himself, and
should now apply to other sources.

That night we retired early, as my brother said he was fatigued with the
work of the day, and not knowing what else to do, I followed his
example, fully resolved to cash my check and investigate matters on the
morrow.

After a couple of hours of restlessness, and finding it impossible to
sleep, I got up to go into the adjoining room for a glass of water.  I
did not take a light, knowing exactly where to find it, but imagine my
surprise, when half-way across the floor of our _salon_, at seeing thet
the light in my brother’s room was still burning brightly and shining
through the keyhole and under the bottom of the door.  Scarcely had I
observed this, when I caught the sound of low voices issuing from the
room, as of two people talking in an undertone.  I stepped noiselessly
up to the door and listened.

"There is no danger; he is asleep!" said one of the voices, which I
thought was Torry’s; and then some whispering followed, impossible to
understand.  At this moment a horrid thought flashed upon me.  Had
Torrence embarked in any crime, which he was trying to conceal?  The
mere suspicion sickened me.  I could not believe it.

"It’s for you to say," remarked the other; "for my part, I don’t care a
damn who knows it, provided the news don’t come from me.  Now look at
this."

I could hear the rustling of papers.

"And this; and this.  The society shan’t never see one of ’em again—I’ll
let ’em rot first."

Then came Torry’s voice.

"Of course if it’s so, my brother Gurthrie will know all about it before
long.  Only I don’t want to tell him yet.  It isn’t that I distrust you,
Merrick, but naturally you can see for yourself what a laughing stock I
should become if there should prove to be any mistake."

"Don’t I know it? and without there bein’ any mistake," answered the
other.

"Precisely; and that being the case, I prefer to wait until the thing is
proved to my own senses before announcing this most stupendous fact of
history to anyone."

I was relieved.  There was something in both the tone and words that
convinced me there could be nothing criminal under consideration.  And
yet the mystery was deeper than ever.  Here was no explanation of how
the money had come; which was an assured fact, but dark innuendoes of
problems yet unsolved.  I continued to listen, absorbed with interest.

"Now, as to the matter o’ beasts and birds, bein’ no scholar, I can’t
prove nothin’.  Thim you’ll hev to study for your own self, and make
your own deductions regardin’ em.  Nayther can I explain the how and
wherefore of the light—but it’s thar all the same, and you’ll see it. I
could a’ give my notions to the society, but the cussed fools wouldn’t
listen to nothin’, and they can go see for theirselves if they wants to,
afore I’ll tell ’em another word.  Now, don’t let that slip your mind,
’cause you’re the only man, ’fore God a’ mighty!"

"Now, about this belt," said Torrence, "how wide did you say it was?"

By the sound I imagined him to be tapping on the table with a pencil;
but the words that followed were impossible to hear; and then the men
had evidently got their heads together in poring over some document or
paper which I could not see.  Suddenly it occurred to me to stoop down
and peep through the keyhole. Undoubtedly it was contemptible, but was
it any more so than listening?  "An eavesdropper is bad enough, but a
peeper is worse," I thought, and yet my curiosity was so aroused it was
impossible to help it, and I excused myself partly on the ground that it
was right to be forearmed if I was not to be led blindly as an
accomplice into a possible crime.  And so I succumbed, and placing my
eye against the opening, obtained a circumscribed view of my brother’s
apartment.  To my amazement I immediately recognized the stranger as the
man we had met upon the Thames boat, and afterward in the restaurant. He
was the same dirty, unshaved sailor; at least his appearance indicated
that he had followed the sea for a living, and I could not doubt that he
had.  The men were sitting on opposite sides of a table, upon which a
pile of papers was heaped in confusion; and so far as I could judge some
of these were the same that had come in the afternoon’s mail.

"Give him as much time as he wants!" said the sailor, speaking again.
"He won’t believe it at first, and it ain’t reasonable as how he should;
but it ’ill come over him by degrees like.  He’s bound to believe it ef
he studies on it—there ain’t no other chance."

"No, not if it’s so," answered Torrence, "and he won’t be as hard to
convince as you might suppose; perhaps no harder than I was, for I’ve
half believed it myself, and talked about it before.  You found me an
apt scholar, didn’t you?"

"The only one with any sense I ever had," snarled the man.  "But I don’t
care now," he continued, "I haven’t long to live nohow; but I did hate
to die with that secret, ’case another million years might pass afore it
was found out.  I’m satisfied so long as you ’uns knows it, ’case the
world’s bound to get it.  But as for them cussed fools——!"

The man rapped on the table with his clinched fist.

"Hush!" said Torrence, "you might wake him up!"

The sailor grinned and scratched his head.

"No harm done, I reckon ef I did," he replied.

"No, but I told you my reasons for keeping mum!"

"Precisely; I mind your word.  And the proofs, you found them all
correct?"

"Quite so; but tell me don’t you want any yourself?"

"Hell, no.  I’ll send you up a trunk full to-morrow. I’ve got all the
swag I want—a good bed, plenty o’ company, and a place to die in; for I
tell you I can’t last long.  It’s taken the stuffin’ out o’ me—but the
secret—the secret—Well, thank God, I shan’t die with it, and that’s all
I wanted."

Of course, this talk might almost as well have been in Hindoostanee, for
aught I could make out of it.  At one moment my fear of evil was aroused
to a terrible pitch, at the next, I felt nothing but idle curiosity.  I
was, however, surprised to find so little that was intelligible in what
I heard.  Presently the men began turning over bundles of papers, and
Torry having moved his chair, it was impossible to see what these were,
and this fact may have helped arouse the awful suspicion that suddenly
seized me; a thought which I am sure would never have presented itself
under any but the bewildering circumstances in which I had been so
blindly plunged.  Could it be possible that the money which my brother
had thrown about so freely, was counterfeit?  A moment’s reflection
convinced me that it was not possible, and yet a terrible distrust had
taken hold of me.  For a moment I hesitated.  My first impulse was to
call out and ask what was the matter.  It would have been the frank and
natural thing to do, had my suspicions not been aroused, but as they
were, I felt that such a procedure would be silly and fruitless.  A
burning desire to know consumed me, and I walked about the room in an
agony of unrest. Again I looked through the keyhole, and was relieved to
see no plates, stamps, dies or machinery of any kind.  I drew a long
breath.  Then I recalled that there had been nothing in the conversation
to indicate any such business; and I drew another breath.  Finally,
unable to gain the slightest clew to the mystery, I returned to my room,
and went to bed in a very uncomfortable frame of mind.




                                 *VI.*


The next morning I awoke early, and resolved to go at once to Torrence’s
room and ask him to lend me a five pound note.  It was my intention to
have it examined by a banker in the city for its genuineness, hoping to
relieve the anxiety which had so tortured me during the night.  While my
judgment was opposed to the counterfeiting theory as improbable, yet it
was difficult to overcome the thought that it might be the correct one.
The truth is, I was impelled to discover some plausible explanation of
the mystery.  I could not rest as the recipient of means which had no
visible source, and especially when there appeared to be so much ground
for doubting their legitimacy.

Torrence was already up, preparing for an early start, as I sauntered
into his room.

"By the by, old fellow," I said, "have you a fiver about you?  I think I
might use one to advantage until I can get down to the bank with your
check."

He took a roll of bills out of his pocket, and instead of one five,
tossed me a couple of tens.

"Let it go for luck!" he called, as he hurriedly left the room on the
way to his business.

We rarely breakfasted together, Torry being so full of enthusiasm about
his work, that he would brook no chance of delay, and so it was
understood that we should not meet until after his return from
Gravesend.  On this occasion, when he had left me, and after
breakfasting alone, I ordered the carriage, and drove into the city.
Taking my check at once to the banker upon whom it was drawn, I inquired
if it were all right.  The cashier smiled, and simply asked how I would
have it.  I told him I did not want it at all, but wished to place it to
my credit.

"Oh!" said the man looking up, "I thought you were Mr. Attlebridge."

"So I am," I answered, "but not Torrence.  I am his twin brother.  We
look very much alike."

"I see!" he exclaimed, somewhat surprised.  He then proceeded to take my
signature, and give me a book with credit on it for a thousand pounds.
There was no mistake about this.  Here was an actual transfer of credit
from Torrence to myself.  I wanted to ask the man some questions about
the amount Torrence held in the bank, but hesitated, fearing it might
create a suspicion that I doubted his methods.  Presently, while still
chatting in a careless way, I took out one of the tens my brother had
given me, and asked if it were all right, pretending to have received it
at a place I was not quite sure of.  The man looked at it carefully, and
pronounced it perfectly good, and my doubts were relieved.  I was about
to say "good-morning," when the teller observed:

"We should be greatly pleased, Mr. Attlebridge, if you and your brother
would keep your principal account with us, believing that we can offer
special facilities, and——"

It was what I wanted.  He had opened the subject.

"Oh!" I interrupted, "can you tell me which is my brother’s principal
banking house at present?"

"Unfortunately," answered the man, "he has not favored us with the name;
although I believe it is one of the larger houses in the city.  Mr.
Attlebridge’s deposits with us are all made through an American firm."

I was about to express surprise, but remembered myself in time, so
merely smiled and tried to look as if I had known as much before.

"And why do you suppose that my brother keeps another account in
London?" I asked.

"Oh!" said the man, shrugging his shoulders, "merely because I once
heard him mentioned as the purchaser of a very large foreign draft from
one of our city houses. Nothing else, I assure you."

"And you do not remember the name of the concern?" I asked, growing
interested.

"No," answered the teller, "I do not.  It is even quite possible that I
never heard it.  The remark was only one of those incidental scraps of
conversation that referred more particularly to business in general,
than to that of any special banker."

I had heard enough to give me a clew, although I confess, a slight one.
Torrence evidently had business with another bank, and also had funds in
America of which I had never heard, and could not understand.  A thought
had flashed upon me.  I would go into the different banking streets and
find out where this other account was kept, if possible, by passing
myself off for my brother.  Doubtless I should be taken for him as soon
as I entered the right establishment, as I had been here. Bidding the
teller "good-day," I passed out, fully bent upon my new enterprise.  It
was a bold scheme, but I was growing desperate to know something about
Torry’s affairs; moreover, I was conscious of greater independence with
a credit of a thousand pounds in my pocket and a bank book, which I
pressed against my finger from time to time when needing encouragement.

As luck would have it, the first place I entered was the right one, and
as I had surmised, the clerks recognized me at once as Torrence.  I had
made up my mind how to act, and what to say while walking along the
street, having dismissed the carriage as unnecessary, and was fully
prepared on finding myself addressed as Mr. Attlebridge.

"By the by," I began quite carelessly.  "What was that last—er—that
last——"

I purposely halted to give the teller a chance to help me out.  This he
did, but I was utterly unprepared for the word.  I expected to hear
deposit, or check, but when the man came to my assistance with the word
cable, I was dumfounded.  Was Torrence trying to hang himself?  However,
my common sense returned, and I replied as if suddenly recalling my
errand:

"Oh, yes, that was it.  Will you let me see it again please, if you have
a copy of it?"

I had not the slightest idea what the cablegram was about, but knew that
copies of important messages were always preserved, and thought I might
as well see this one.  In a minute a clerk appeared with the copy in
question, and the teller glancing at it for a second to make sure it was
the right one, passed it over for my inspection, and I read as follows.


"LONDON, December —, 1894.

"To DEADWOOD AND BATES, BANKERS, New York City.

"Place to the credit of Torrence Attlebridge sixty three thousand eight
hundred and forty pounds sterling, and charge same to our account.

"WHITEHOUSE, MORSE & PLUNKET."


I almost choked with astonishment.  Here was a single deposit of
considerably more than three hundred thousand dollars.  No wonder he
could so easily afford to give me the check for a thousand pounds.  I
was provoked that I had not asked for ten times as much.  But where did
all this money come from in the first instance?  I continued to look at
the message in amazement, not knowing what to say; and then pulling
myself together, remarked, still as if trying to refresh my memory:

"And let me see—I gave you for this, a draft on——"

"You forget, Mr. Attlebridge," promptly responded the man, "you merely
drew upon your credit with us, reducing your account to that extent!"

"So I did," I answered, apparently quite satisfied. "My memory is so
fearfully faulty sometimes, I not only forget amounts, but the manner of
payment."  Then remembering that Torrence had no doubt a further balance
here, I thought I would make another effort to discover what it was
before leaving.  The question was not nearly so difficult as the others.

"By the by, be kind enough to tell me what my balance is to-day, here
with you."

The big books were turned over, and in a minute I was informed that my
brother had still more than one hundred thousand pounds with these
people, Whitehouse, Morse & Plunket.  I was astounded.  Instead of
solving a mystery I had only sunk deeper in the mire.  Here was a credit
that was practically boundless.  A bank account worthy of a king.  I
could not show my amazement, and so for a minute turned my back, trying
to collect my thoughts.  Could I leave the place without one more
question?  I resolved to risk it, and so added:

"Sorry to trouble you again, but be good enough to tell me how my last
deposit with you was made."

"By a large batch of your own drafts, Mr. Attlebridge, on prominent
bankers in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, St. Petersburg, Constantinople,
Munich, Rome, Naples, New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and San
Francisco, besides others.  We have a list of the bankers here if you
would like to see it; and, by the by, I forgot to mention that several
of the drafts were upon London houses, which you doubtless remember.
Beyond this you have not forgotten that several thousand pounds were
paid to us in cash!"

"True!" I said, and turning hurriedly, left the place, only too glad to
get away.  Evidently my brother’s drafts had all been honored, or the
balance would not be to his credit.

I wandered down the street like one in a dream.  I could see no earthly
chance of ever solving this problem, except through Torrence himself;
but I could not ask him, and if I did, had no reason to expect an
answer. No, I must wait for further developments.  Something was sure to
turn up.  To my certain knowledge, then, my brother had nearly a million
dollars to his credit in New York and London, and from what I had heard
it seemed probable that he had much more elsewhere.




                                 *VII.*


At the expiration of the six weeks the air ship was still far from
finished.  Contractors had disappointed; orders for material had failed
to be filled, and only two courses of the hull were laid.  As Torrence
took everything good-naturedly, he was not seriously disturbed, although
he considered it a duty to push the work forward as fast as possible,
hoping to make his trial trip early in the Spring. The plans were
difficult of execution, the more delicate parts of the mechanism
requiring the labor of the most skillful workmen and my brother’s
constant supervision. He spent the whole of every day at Gravesend, and
sometimes the night; meanwhile our expenses at the Mustapha continued at
the same extravagant rate.  The apartments had been retaken
indefinitely, and the proprietor would have regretted losing us, as we
probably spent twice as much money as a score of his best guests. Of
course, I was the principal beneficiary of all this luxury, Torrence
being at home so little, but this fact did not disturb him in the least.

At the end of two months there was no prospect of completing the vessel
for a considerable time to come, as new complications and fresh
disappointments had arisen; nevertheless, things were getting well in
hand, and the first warm Spring days would probably see her ready for a
start.

It is not my purpose to recount our life during this Winter and the
following Spring in the great metropolis. It is sufficient for the
purposes hereinbefore named to say that it was a period of extravagance
beyond reason, and of somewhat equivocal pleasures when I considered the
vast sums these pleasures cost.  Wherever we went we were looked upon as
the great American millionaires; the men whose pockets had no bottom,
and whose bank accounts were exhaustless.  My efforts to discover the
goose that laid our golden eggs continued fruitless, and if I still
doubted the regularity of the methods, so far as I could see, no one
else did.  As the time wore on, Torrence would occasionally show some
irritability at the unavoidable delays; though what he intended to do
with the vessel when finished was a myth.  The time was when I had
looked upon it as a means of wealth, if not fame; but now with a vast
fortune at our command, he seemed even more anxious about the machine
than ever. More than once I thought seriously of leaving him, fearing
some dreadful climax to our affairs in which I might be implicated; but
when I alluded to the separation he seemed hurt, and so I remained.

During all this time we were in the swim of fashionable life, both
entertaining and being entertained constantly.  If Torrence gambled it
was never extensively, so that he never either won or lost any
considerable amount.  Every effort had been made to keep the intention
of the air ship a secret, and so thoroughly had the workmen been
mystified, that when Spring came it was exceedingly doubtful if any of
them knew what it was, and fortunately old Mr. Wetherbee was so laid up
with rheumatism that he never left the house.  I think the general
impression was that it was a new kind of torpedo boat, although some
believed it to be a submarine passenger craft.  The barn was kept
closely shut during working hours, and the outer world had little chance
of guessing what it contained.

By the middle of May the thing was nearly completed, and I saw by my
brother’s increased anxiety that his hopes were soon to be either
realized or dashed to the ground.  It was an unfortunate remark when I
inquired, innocently enough, if he were sure the vessel would rise. He
answered with an oath in the affirmative, but became moody and out of
sorts immediately after.  Upon several different occasions I felt sure
that I heard him conversing with the sailor at a late hour, although I
never again looked through the keyhole.  Once when the conversation was
particularly lively, I confess to listening, though only for a few
minutes, and with poor result, as I could understand but little that was
said.  It was in reply to some remark of my brother’s that the man
answered:

"Don’t bother about me.  My pay comes in satisfaction! Revenge!  Sabe?
Now if you’ll do as you’re told, you’ll do more for me than the five
continents full o’ men, women, and children ever would do.  No, pardner,
I’m alone in this world, and that stuff’s no good to me, as I done told
you; couldn’t use it nohow; but I’ll damn the society, and every one of
’em as turned a cold shoulder on me, through you.  Now, I don’t expect
to live to see it, but I’ll die happy, and that’s worth more’n money can
buy.  Now, don’t ever let your nerve give out; in fact there ain’t no
occasion for it, seein’ how much better you ’uns is fixed than I was.
Promise you won’t never turn your back on it."

"I’ll do my best; no man can do more!" answered Torrence.

"And you’ll never regret it!"

"I’ve no doubt about my part of the contract," he added, "and can feel
but little doubt of all you’ve told me, after the proofs."

"That’s right, you’re my man—God bless you, and if ever you——"

Here there was a shuffling of feet, and fearing they might be coming
into the _salon_, I beat a hasty retreat to my own room.  Of course I
could form no conception of what they were talking about, and went to
bed trying to put meaning into the maze of words.

Some days after this, while brooding over our absurd and unfettered
prodigality, I resolved to ask Torrence for another and larger check.
My object was, as before, to save something out of the whirlwind of our
extravagances, fearing my brother’s improvidence.  I pretended that
there was an investment which I was anxious to make, that would take
quite a large sum.  Without a word of inquiry he turned with alacrity
and said:

"Why, certainly!  How much?"

I began an explanation which partook of the nature of a sermon on the
expediency of putting by something for a rainy day, but he cut me short:

"Now, my dear fellow, I can’t really stop for the lecture to-day; keep
that for to-morrow; but as to the money, why it’s yours anyhow, and you
might as well take it now as at any other time.  How much did you say?"

"Well, I didn’t say exactly, but a good deal would be necessary to do
what I thought of doing," I replied.

"Since you don’t seem to know exactly how much, take this," he said,
"and if it isn’t enough, let me know!"

Without another word he sat down and dashed off a check for twenty
thousand pounds, and handed it to me.

"Here, take it," he said, "it’s only a small payment on account at best.
Let me know if you want more."

He was off in a second, and left me standing like one petrified with the
paper in my hand.  I placed the amount to my credit with Whitehouse,
Morse & Plunket, and got a friend to identify me as Gurthrie, instead of
Torrence, Attlebridge.

Shortly after this my brother came to me one day with a despatch box in
his hand.  Opening the box he showed me that it contained a canvas bag,
in which was a smaller one of oil silk.  These he opened and emptied the
contents upon the table.  To my amazement I saw that it was a batch of
conveyances, or deeds for houses and lands, real estate of great value
in America, all in my name.  By the values here mentioned alone I was
worth more than a million dollars.  According to the vouchers before me,
this property had all been paid for by myself within the past few
months.  I felt as if I must unknowingly have come into the possession
of Aladdin’s lamp.  I was dumfounded, but before I could utter a word
Torrence went on to say:

"There now, all this is yours!—now, not a word—I have only a moment in
which to speak, and wish to say this.  Of course all this stuff is
properly registered, recorded, and witnessed, and all that sort of thing
as you can see; but for your future convenience and perhaps for mine, I
must remind you of the importance of keeping this packet in your
possession.  There are other papers in it which we have not time to
examine now, but if ever you should be hurried to move anywhere, don’t
forget to throw away the box, and shove this wallet in your pocket. It
is of the utmost importance!"

I promised without asking a question; and when he was gone I went to a
tailor’s and had the packet, minus the canvas bag, securely sewed inside
the coat I was wearing; seeing to it myself that the job was well done.

As the time wore on Torrence grew more impatient at the delay in
finishing the work.  Evidently there was something he was dreading;
which I thought might be the possible failure of the machine to rise.

"Suppose she fails," I said one day, "we have plenty to live on, and
what does it matter?"

He looked at me with an expression of horror, and walked away without a
word.

One day I walked suddenly into his room without knocking, thinking he
was away.  To my surprise I found him and the sailor, Merrick, talking
together.  As before they were sitting on opposite sides of the table,
upon which was spread a packet of papers; some of them I recognized as
having seen before.  Torrence immediately got up, and asked if I would
mind coming a little later, as he was just going over some important
business, and of course I went out immediately.  Although only in the
room a minute, the strange motley of papers was distinctly seen.  The
same extraordinary attempts at drawing and chirograph?—and among these I
observed what I had not seen before—a crude representation of a human
face, but with so peculiar an expression that I could not forget it.
There was also a lengthy, and very illiterate looking document, which
appeared as if the signatures at the bottom had been done by children.

I went immediately into the _salon_, where although not really intending
to listen, I overheard quite accidentally a remark of the sailor’s,
which, as nearly as I can remember, was as follows:

"You’ll find him thar, jest as I’se told ye, pard, without he’s died
since; and you’ll find the box, and them docyments inside of it, I
reckon, if you hunts for ’em whar I tell you.  There ain’t nothin’ to be
afeard of in him; he’s just plumb gone, don’t know nothin’.  You needn’t
try to catch him, because you can’t do it.  Now, I must be goin’.
Reckon I’d better be fixin’ to die anyway!"

This was really all; at least all I could understand; and a few minutes
later the door was shut and the man evidently gone.

On the 25th of May Torrence came home rather later than usual, and the
moment he entered the room I saw that something had happened.  The look
upon his face was one of unequivocal delight.  Striking an attitude in
the middle of the floor, he shouted:

"Hooray!"

"Not so loud!" I cried, "you’ll disturb people in the house."

"Let them be disturbed.  It’s time they were disturbed," he replied,
pouring himself out a glass of wine at the sideboard.  Then holding the
bumper aloft, exclaimed:

"Here’s to the air ship; God bless her.  But where’s your glass?"

I joined him in the toast.  "Well, what’s happened?" I inquired,
touching my glass to his.

"She rises; she floats; she steers.  She advances and reverses, just as
I please.  She cuts the teeth of the wind.  I tell you, Gurt, it is the
triumph of the century—of the ages.  A child can handle her.  We shall
be off in a couple of days!"

"The devil, you say!  Have you had a trial trip?"

"Well, rather! but no one knows it.  The truth is I took her out in the
dark, before day, all alone, and had her back in the barn before any one
guessed it.  Arranged it all beforehand.  Sent all the hands off.  She
responds like a leaf in a gale.  We can sit in her, solid as a rock, one
foot above the ground, or ten thousand, just as we please.  We can float
along four miles an hour, or a mile a minute.  We can stand before the
wind, or we can run in the teeth of a hurricane.  We can right about
face, or maneuver her with more ease than you could a wheelbarrow.  Her
power is exhaustless, and is evolved without steam, electricity or—but
what’s the use of going into that?  You couldn’t understand if I did.
It would take a course of mathematics to get into the first principles;
but some day, when you and I are floating away in the blue sky, above
the fogs of London town, I’ll take time and explain it all to you."

"At all events she’s a success," I answered, finishing my wine.

"She’s more than that; she’s perfect!" and Torrence drained his glass.
Then lighting a cigarette, he added:

"We’ll be off in a couple of clays, old man, or near about it, as I just
now told you."

"And for where?" I asked.

Torrence pulled down the corner of his left eye.

"That’s my secret!" he said.

I congratulated him on his success, and told him I was ready to go
anywhere away from the fog and gloom of the city.  We embraced each
other, and despite my warning, sent up three cheers for the air ship.  I
had never seen Torrence so elated about anything in my life; indeed it
was contagious, for I was almost as happy as he was.

"And you are sure there will be no hitch?" I said, fearing the news was
almost too good.

"Sure!  Haven’t I tried her?  We have taken out the end of old
Wetherbee’s barn, and I sailed out over the fields alone.  I ran her
myself the other night, through the darkness and fog when no one could
see.  There were then a few slight changes to make for absolute control
which have since been completed.  Last night I had her out again through
the river fogs when every one was asleep below, and, as I have just told
you, she is simply perfect!  Oh, Gurt, you don’t know what it is to
float aloft out of reach of everyone.  Fortunately the fields were
deserted, and the air too thick for a man to see more than fifty yards,
even had it been day, otherwise I should have frightened some of those
Gravesender’s to death.  And I had a nice time, too, in finding my way
back to the barn, despite the red and green lights I had hung out for
signals!"

Torrence danced around the room.

"Suppose she should drop with all aboard!" I suggested.

"Drop!  She can’t.  The thing’s impossible so long as the current is—but
what’s the use of my explaining to you?  She can no more drop than you
can fly."

"But suppose she did," I persisted.

"Well, such a thing can’t possibly happen, unless the current is turned
off too suddenly, and if it did, nobody would be hurt, because the
pneumatic buffers on her bottom would make the contact with earth
scarcely more than perceptible.  No, my dear fellow, she can’t go up, or
she can’t come down until I want her to, but when I do, up or down she
goes.  In short she is under absolute control.  When the current is at
the neutralizing point it is as natural for the air ship to float in the
upper atmosphere as for you to walk on dry land, or a fish to swim.
Don’t be uneasy.  I tell you I have mastered the secret of aerial
navigation."

I had to be satisfied, and was really full of confidence in Terry’s
ability.

"Do you propose to make a long journey to begin with?" I inquired.

"Yes," said Torrence, "a very extended one, as you will see for
yourself.  I have had her stocked with enough provisions to run this
hotel, figuratively speaking, for a year, and all manner of other
necessaries; in fact, we shall be supplied with all the luxuries of
life.  You won’t mind going with me, old man, will you, and letting me
act as your pilot?"

"To be sure not; but when shall we be off?"

"Very soon.  But you must not say a word to any one. Remember our
movements are not to be known.  Have I your word?"

I promised; but why he demanded this I was at a loss to guess.

Before going to bed that night Torrence told me that he should probably
be absent a couple of days attending to the final equipment of the
machine; and when I bid him good-night it was with the understanding
that we should not meet for a day or two.  He would certainly return
before the end of the week; and I was to have everything ready for
leaving at a moment’s notice, as he was anxious there should be no
delay.  That was on Tuesday.  Imagine, therefore, my surprise upon
seeing him enter my bedroom at a late hour Wednesday night. I had been
in bed long enough to fall asleep, and was aroused by a light shining in
my eyes.  There was a strange look in Torry’s face, and I started up
alarmed.

"Hello!" I cried, jumping up.  "What’s the matter? Has any thing
happened?"

Torrence put his finger to his lips and said:

"Hush!  Be quiet!  Don’t be scared, but get up at once and do as I tell
you without losing a moment’s time!"

I did as I was bid; and dressed as hurriedly as possible, not doubting
but the climax I had so long dreaded had come at last.

"We must be off immediately," said he, as I was putting the finishing
touches to my toilet.  There was something too dead earnest in his look
and manner to permit of a single question.

"The trunks are quite ready," I observed; my teeth chattering with
excitement.

"Damn the trunks!  We must leave them behind. Have you the package?"

I showed it to him, sewed in my pocket.

Torrence looked at his watch.

"What o’clock is it?" I inquired.

"Nearly one," he answered reflectively, and then turning to me, he added
with a look I shall never forget.

"Now, Gurt, if you have any nerve, I shall expect you to show it, No
flunking or crawling, mind!  Do exactly as I say, and without question
or hesitation."

I nodded assent, for I could not speak.  I saw something bulky under his
coat, and wondered what it could be; but it was no time for such an
inquiry.

Torrence then opened the door into the hall softly, and put out the
light.

"Follow me; but walk quietly and don’t speak a word," he said, leading
the way.

We walked along the passage until reaching the grand stairway, when,
instead of descending, as we had been in the habit of doing, Torrence
led the way above.  We climbed several stories until we stood at the
foot of a narrow flight of steps, which ended in a scuttle above. From
time to time he looked around to see if we were observed, and then
stalked ahead, apparently satisfied. Reaching the scuttle, which was
bolted upon the inside, he slipped the iron tongue noiselessly back,
pushed open the hatch, and told me to follow.  I found myself upon the
roof of the hotel with my brother, who quietly closed the heavy door
behind us.  At that moment an awful thought flashed upon me.  Had the
fellow become in anyway connected with a gang of burglars?  Had all this
vast wealth come by theft?  I stood still, petrified.  It was not too
late to retreat.  I would not be led thus blindly as an accomplice to a
crime never even suspected by me!  It was too horrible.  I was paralyzed
with terror at the thought.  Seeing that I had stopped, Torrence turned
suddenly and exclaimed in a low excited tone:

"For God’s sake! what’s the matter?"

"I will not go another step," I answered; "I believe you are bent on
some damnable crime!"

Torrence positively laughed.  Nothing he could have done or said would
have been more reassuring.

"Why, you old fool, Gurt!  Have you taken leave of your senses?"

"Swear to me that there is nothing of the kind," I replied, still
without moving.

"Swear!  Why, of course, I’ll swear.  Do you suppose with the money I’ve
already accumulated it would be necessary to risk my neck in
housebreaking, for the sake of a few paltry dollars more?  Really you
have less common sense than I imagined."

Something in the tone of his voice convinced me that I was mistaken.

"Torry," I answered, "I will believe you.  We have lived together all
our lives, and I have never yet found you doing a dishonorable act."

"And you never will!" he exclaimed with feeling. "You will soon know
everything.  Now don’t make a fool of yourself, but follow me and look
where you step, too, for we are at least a hundred and fifty feet above
the pavement, and I don’t want to be responsible for your scattered
remains!"

We approached the edge of the roof, and looked out over the city of
London.  It was a grand picture with great masses of shadow, and small
flickering lights through a sea of mist below.  Torrence stooped and
walked along the cornice as if looking for something. Presently he stood
still and looked down.  What was he about?  Did he intend committing
suicide?  I entreated him not to go so near the edge of the roof.

"We’ve got to go over it in a minute," he answered, without even looking
back at me.  Then he struck a match and examined his surroundings more
carefully.  I was completely unnerved and called:

"I’ll be damned if I’ll follow you another step.  I believe you’ve lost
your mind!" at the same minute I turned to go back.  Torrence ran after
me.

"You’ll regret it all your life if you don’t come with me now!" he
exclaimed excitedly.  "I swear to you that neither of us shall be hurt,
if you will only do as I say."

I hesitated and allowed myself to be persuaded.  Again he approached the
edge of the roof, and when I reached him I saw that we were standing
above another building at the back of our own, but which seemed about
two stories lower.  Torrence did not now stop long, but reaching under
his coat, drew out a coil of stout rope, with an iron hook fastened at
one end of it.  It was the bulky thing I had observed when he entered my
room.




                                *VIII.*


Without further hesitation Torrence hitched the hook onto the cornice,
and throw down the other end of the rope.  He then, having obtained my
promise to follow, commenced letting himself over to the building below.
I slipped after him as quickly as possible, until we found ourselves
standing side by side upon the lower level.  It was here that I again
demanded an explanation, though foolishly enough, when I had come so
far; retreat being now out of the question, as the hook had been
disengaged from above, by a dexterous twirl of the rope and caught
without striking.  He only answered by saying:

"If you value your life and liberty, you will follow me as quickly as
possible!"

I saw it was no time to hold back.  We slid from roof to roof, Torrence
always unloosing the hook above, and catching it before it struck.  At
last we found ourselves on the top of a low building, overlooking an
alley, at the head of which a solitary gas lamp was burning.  Here we
paused.

"I’d give a thousand pounds if that light was out!" said Torrence, not
seeming to know how to proceed. Then he added:

"Now, listen!  An officer will be due in about five minutes.  We must
stop where we are until he has gone; then we must get down into the
alley and cut for our lives!"

We crouched in the shadow of a chimney and waited. The alley and the
street beyond seemed equally deserted. There was no sound, save for that
of an occasional cab, or the shout of a passing reveler in the distance.
Fortunately there was a light fog and if the wall below was not too
closely windowed, I thought we had a fair chance of escape; though why
he had not come by the front door of the Mustapha was a riddle I saw no
prospect of guessing.

"Quiet!" said Torrence, suddenly pressing his hand against my shoulder,
"he is coming!"

There was the slow even step of a policeman.  I could hear him pause as
he reached the end of the alley, and imagined him looking up it to see
if all were well. Presumably he was satisfied, for the step gradually
receded into the distance, and the street became quiet again.  I was
intensely excited and resolved to elude the vigilance of the officer if
it were possible to do so.

"This way!" said Torrence, stepping softly along the edge of the gutter
in search of a suitable anchorage for the hook.  But the place looked
dangerous.  There was an attic window hard by, which we must avoid, and
the gutter flared too broadly for a holding.  Fortunately there was
plenty of rope, as the drop to the ground could not have been more than
twenty feet.

"Now don’t make a sound for your life.  I am going to take a loop around
the chimney.  There is a blank wall where we must drop, but whole
families are asleep beneath us.  Follow me and hold your breath.  If we
can once gain the air ship we are safe!"

It was the first intimation he had given of where we were going, and I
was relieved to be assured that we were headed for our own property,
though why we should be afraid to go there openly was the mystery.

We passed the line around the chimney and made a loop with the hook, and
then Torrence, grasping the rope firmly, disappeared over the edge into
the alley below. I followed him as quickly as possible, but must have
made more noise than I intended, for scarcely had I touched the ground
than a window opened above me, and a man’s head was thrust out.

"Hello, there!" he cried; and then seeing the rope, which was hanging in
full view of the gaslight, shouted at the top of his voice:

"Police!  Stop thief!  Police!"

"Run for your life!" cried Torrence, "but don’t lose sight of me!"

He led the way down the alley at a lively pace; I followed, though
farther off than I liked.  It was only a short distance to where a
street crossed at right angles. Turning to the left we dashed down the
thoroughfare at full speed, and before I had gone fifty yards, ran
square into the arms of a policeman.

"No so fast, young man!" said the officer, holding me firmly, "what’s
all this about?"

"What’s it about," I answered indignantly; "I’m trying to catch the
thief, and there he is."  I pointed to Torrence, who at that minute
turned another corner, "and if you’d do your duty and help, instead of
standing here holding me like an idiot, we’d have him!" I added.

"And what’s he done?" asked the man stupidly, evidently mortified at his
mistake.  "Has he robbed you?"

"I should say so.  He’s grabbed my watch and chain and made away with
it; and we’ll never get it back again either, if you keep me here much
longer."

The man released his hold.  Fortunately my coat was buttoned up so that
the chain was covered.  The policeman had only got a glimpse of
Torrence, who passed while he was on the opposite side of the street,
but he was now convinced that he was in error and had caught the wrong
man, and so joined me in the pursuit. Scarcely had we turned the corner
after Torrence than we met that gentleman walking very leisurely toward
us.

"Did you see a fellow running this way?" asked the officer excitedly.

"Yes," said my brother; "he’s just ahead of you!  If you run I think you
may catch him!"

Having delivered himself of this information, the gentleman walked on
leisurely; not, however, without having given me the tip to meet him on
the lower corner.  And then to divest myself of all suspicion, should
any still be lurking in the officer’s mind, I feigned considerable
feeling at the loss of my watch, and even went so far as to offer a
reward for it, paying the man ten shillings down on account.  Of course
I gave him a fictitious name and address.  It was a capital ruse, if I
do say it myself, and worked like a pair of charms.

As soon as I was free I hurried down the street to join Torrence, who
was waiting quietly for me on the corner.

"And now the sooner we get out of this neighborhood the better!" he
said, leading the way quickly down the thoroughfare; "but mind, we must
not run.  Not a step."

We then hastened along all manner of back streets, till I thought we
were lost, but suddenly emerged on the bank of the river, at a small
wharf, where, to my surprise, I found the launch already waiting, with
steam up.  In an instant we were aboard, and in a couple of minutes more
had shoved off, and were out in the channel of the river.

"Give her her head!" called Torrence to one of his men.  "We have lost
time, and must make it up!"

We were soon shoving down the stream at a tremendous pace; the ghostly
houses on either side rushing by, and giving me a happy sense of relief
after our scary adventure.

"I’m glad we’re free at last!" I said, cuddling up to Torrence in the
stern of the boat.

"Don’t crow before you’re cut of the woods!" he answered. "We shan’t be
safe until we’re in the air ship, above the heads of all of them!"

"Not knowing who the _them_ are, I’m not in a position to disagree with
you!" I answered.

"Nor to agree with me, either," said he; "but wait ’till we’re up in the
clouds; then I’ll tell you all about it."

The launch trembled under the pressure of steam put upon her.  The grim
docks, just showing their heads through the darkness, and the black
swirling water beneath, made it seem as if we were rushing down some
giant millrace.  It was the stillest hour of night, and Torrence said we
must make Gravesend before dawn, which at that season of the year, would
not be long in coming.

As usual, a tremendous fog came piling in from the sea, as we swept down
the river; and before reaching our landing, we were enveloped in a dense
cloud-like vapor which wet us to the skin.  Luckily our pilot knew his
business, and I believe that with points of the compass given, and
revolutions of the screw, he could have landed us with his eyes shut.
However that may have been, we got there without an accident; and when
ready to go ashore, I saw Torrence put a pile of money into the hands of
each of the men; at the same time, he said:

"Boys, she’s yours!  I shall never want her again!"

Then leading the way with his lantern, we hastened forward toward
Wetherbee’s barn.

The air was thick, and the road difficult to find, but we stumbled along
without a word, until reaching an old fence, where Torrence suddenly
stopped.

"We are nearly there," he said, putting his hand on my shoulder, and
speaking impressively.  "The air ship is ready to carry us aloft at a
touch from my hand; but for certain reasons which I cannot now explain,
there is an obstacle in the way of our leaving which we must overcome
before the approach, of dawn.  It is this.  The barn is surrounded by a
force of armed men, whose object is to prevent our escape.  I will tell
you all about this as soon as we are out of their reach; meanwhile, if
you, Gurt, will stand by me, and do exactly as I say, we shall outwit
them.  No human being in this wide world understands the mechanism of
this thing but me.  At this hour we may reasonably expect those
lubberheads to be asleep.  We must crawl in among them stealthily, climb
up into the machine and be off before one of them suspects that anything
is wrong.  If by any accident they should be aroused and attempt to
detain us, why I intend to plow through them like a reaper in a wheat
field. There are, however, two points in this programme which must be
carefully observed, and adopted if necessary. The first is, if we are
suspected, drop immediately on the ground, and assume to be one of the
watchers by feigning sleep, and a due suspicion of the others.  Second,
if we find them awake and recognizing us, fight if necessary; but reach
the air ship under any circumstances, for once in it we can plow them
down like chaff.  Whatever you do, be sure and take your cue from me,
and follow close upon my heels."

Torrence blew out the light, and threw the lantern away as a useless
encumbrance, and we plodded along through the dark.  I confess that my
anticipation of trouble did not put me in the most cheerful frame of
mind, but I resolved to do my best and stand by my leader at all
hazards.  Presently we climbed a fence and I knew that I was in
Wetherbee’s field; the one in which the barn stood.  We moved stealthily
on, over a grassy sod, and once, as I looked aloft, thought I saw the
faint flickering of a star, and called Torrence’s attention to it as a
good omen.

"We don’t want any stars to-night," he whispered; "the denser the fog
the better."

Suddenly he stopped.

"We are there!" he said; "now remember!"

We felt our way with utmost caution among the sleeping bodies around us,
examining the ground carefully with each foot before setting it down.
Our progress was naturally slow, but after awhile I saw the dark outline
of the barn looming up through the fog, in the first faint intimation of
approaching dawn.  We were getting along famously, and beginning to
congratulate ourselves upon our success, when Torrence reached for my
hand and then with his mouth against my ear, said:

"Now, be doubly careful; we are about to enter the building.  They are
thick as hail upon the floor!"

We crept slowly forward among legs and arms.  A dozen men were snoring
around us, and one fellow turned over, muttering something in his sleep,
as my boot brushed against his shoulder.  The ladder was gained. We
climbed up the side of the great machine without a sound, and took our
places within, as best we could in the darkness.  Again Torry’s mouth
was at my ear.

"I must wait a minute," he said, "until my eyes become accustomed to the
light.  As soon as I can see the outlines a little better we are off!"

The silence was only broken by the breathing of the sleeping men around
us.  I was in an agony of suspense fearing there would be some hitch at
the last—something wrong about the machine which might prevent its
rising. The time seemed eternal.  But the great open end of the barn was
growing in clearness of outline.  The fog was friendly; but the dawn was
approaching.  Again my brother’s hand was upon my shoulder.

"Now brace yourself!" he said; "we are going!"

The air ship trembled.  It was a sensation never experienced before.
The vibrations seemed to pass through the innermost fibers of my being.
I felt that we were being lifted in the air, and then that we were
slowly floating out at the open end of the barn.

There was a shout and a curse and a call to arms. Noiseless as our
movements had been, the men were aroused, and in an instant a score of
voices were calling and yelling in every direction:

"Stop thief!  Surround the barn!  Where are they?"

A hideous medley of curses, groans, and sounds of fighting rose through
the darkness from every quarter of the field; but the air ship was far
above, and hidden from eight in the dense gloom of the morning fog.

"Let them fight it out among themselves," said Torrence, drawing a long
sigh of relief; "we shall never see them again!"

We rose steadily and slowly for several minutes, Torrence saying it
would be necessary to be well above the houses, as we were going to pass
directly over London and must take no risk of a collision in the
darkness. Presently I could feel that we were sweeping ahead.  The
movement was perfect, and as we sped rapidly forward through the dense
atmosphere, catching an occasional glint of a street lamp below, all
sense of fear departed. The trembling had ceased; and I felt as though
we were floating rapidly away on the breast of a cloud, or upon, the
back of some monstrous bird; only here there was no effort.  It was the
only element comprehended.  I could imagine nothing more sublime, more
exhilarating.  It was the absolutely finished poetry of flight.  Beyond
this, there was a feeling of safety far surpassing that of earthly
locomotion, possibly due to the knowledge that we were lifted clear
above all obstacles; that no uncertain switch, or ill-timed train could
affect us.  On we swept, in an ecstasy of rapture, realizing neither our
speed nor place, engrossed only with the novelty of our situation, and
watching the coming dawn.

Suddenly a great, dazzling object not twenty yards away flashed past us.

"_Great God!_" exclaimed Torrence, rising, "I thought I was too high for
that."

"What was it?" I asked in amazement.

"The cross on top of St. Paul’s!"

We had narrowly missed it, and caught sight of it, just as it reflected
the first rays of the rising sun, in a rift of the fog, and just as I
was congratulating myself upon being above every earthly object.  But it
was a clear miss and no harm done.

Presently the fog cleared and we looked down upon the great city of
London speeding away below.

"And where are we going, old man?" I inquired at last, hardly able to
contain myself with the strange delight of this new sensation of flying.

"To the North Pole!" said Torrence, holding fast to his levers, screws,
and steering apparatus.




                                 *IX.*


With the rising of the sun the fog cleared, and the great city of London
was spread out away beneath us. It was a sight I can never forget, and a
sensation unequalled by any previous experience.  Patches of smoke
blocked out large areas of the metropolis, but there was promise of a
day of rare, Spring-like beauty.  As we floated aloft, above the smoke
and grime, through an atmosphere of translucent purity, we watched with
interest the shifting masses beneath, and drank in with delight the
marvelous scene.  On and on we flew, at one moment unscreened from the
streets and houses of the city, at, the next catching only occasional
glimpses of a tower or steeple piercing an earthward cloud, like the
finger of a submarine monster pointing heavenward. But far to the north
the smoke had vanished, and the green fields of Spring would soon be
under us.  It was a dream of bliss, transcending the power of words to
picture, or the imagination of man to conceive.

"It makes me shudder," said Torrence, "to think of what a narrow escape
we had just now.  A few feet more to the left and we would have banged
into St. Paul’s cross!"

I admitted that it would have been an ugly collision.

"The truth is," he continued, "I miscalculated our height; and in the
fog and darkness, we may have had some other close shaves, for all I
know."

"Hardly," I answered; "the houses in London are not high, as a rule."

"There are the Queen Anne flats at Victoria station," observed Torrence.

"True; but surely we did not go as far to the west as that?"

"Indeed we did.  I ran considerably out of our course intentionally.
You see I wanted to take in London by daylight; and wouldn’t have missed
the sight for a barrel of money.  I ran slow, as well as indirectly, or
we would have been well out of Middlesex by now.  But I really thought
we were higher, and should have consulted the barometer; but in getting
away from those hounds I never thought of it.  But thank God we’re all
right now. How do you like the air ship?"

"It’s the grandest thing on the earth or off of it!" I answered; "but
you haven’t told me why those fellows wanted us; and why we had to sneak
out of the hotel like thieves."

"There’s lots of time for that," he answered; "but let us not miss this
sight while we have it."

And I did not want to miss it myself, but before we had quite passed the
suburbs Torrence explained as follows:

"You remember Hart?" he began.

"Perfectly; you mean Wetherbee’s partner; the fellow we had our first
interview with."

"Yes.  Well, do you know that when the scoundrel discovered that we were
building the machine without his aid, and that we were becoming the talk
of London for our wealth, and manner of living, he was consumed with
envy, and fearing that he had lost a good thing, got out an injunction
against our moving the vessel, on the ground of being Wetherbee’s
partner?  Of course he totally misrepresented the facts, and——"

"Then you did violate the law after all!" I exclaimed, feeling that I
had been deceived.

"Not in the least!" he answered; "the paper was never served; I took
care that it shouldn’t be.  But there were men in waiting at the
entrance to the Mustapha, who confidently expected to catch me as I
passed in or out, and if I had not come by a private entrance and left
as we did, we should be down there now, and perhaps for a year to come,
waiting the settlement of a legal investigation. Now, I knew if I
stopped to explain matters to you, we might not get off.  You would
naturally argue the point, and the precious time be lost.  I was warned
of this pending injunction by one of the gentlemen I introduced you to
in the billiard room, who certainly did me a very decent turn in return
for my favors in the money line. The fellow found it out quite
accidentally, but he didn’t forget me."

I was amazed, and greatly relieved to find so simple an explanation of
what, but a few hours before had a painfully criminal aspect.  If
Torrence could explain the mystery of his sudden wealth as
satisfactorily I should be more than gratified; and this I suggested to
him.

"My dear boy," he answered, "every penny I have spent will be as
satisfactorily accounted for as being my own legitimate money as what I
have just told you.  I have never committed an illegal or dishonorable
act in its acquirement, and when the time comes to explain, I will do
it; but not yet."

He touched a button on his left, and I was conscious of slightly
increased speed.

The green fields were now beneath us, and the few clouds that hovered
above only kept the sun from being too warm.  The motion of the most
perfect boat, gliding before an imperceptible breeze, would be barbarous
compared with ours.

Our vessel was loaded with every luxury, including such clothing as we
should need in the latitudes we proposed to visit.  And not only were
there suits for cold weather but for warm as well, we having left our
trunks at the Mustapha.  Furs and eider-downs were here galore, beside
every contrivance for Arctic comfort. Beyond these, we had abundance of
fire-arms, and ammunition.  Our sleeping apartments were luxurious.
They were situated forward, with a comfortable bed in each, and
separated by a curtain with rings which slid upon a brass rod, running
parallel with the length.  Our cooking arrangements were astern, and
immediately before them our dining room or saloon—a cosy little
apartment with sliding windows, which could be opened to admit the
purest air in the world.  Indeed the ventilation had been admirably
planned, and nowhere, or in any kind of weather need we suffer from a
fetid atmosphere.  In the center, but below the main deck, was the
motive power, controlled from a small table above, where Torrence
manipulated screws, levers, and springs, utterly beyond my
comprehension.  The machinery was entirely out of the way, and the space
utilized to admirable advantage.  Cushioned seats surrounded the wall of
the saloon, and above was an open deck which ran the entire length of
the boat. This was surrounded by an aluminum rail, filled in with a fine
net of the same material.  It required more nerve than I possessed at
first to mount the ladder and look out over the taffrail, although the
sense of security below was perfect, so that I could inspect the country
from the saloon windows with as much indifference as though I were on
the deck of an ocean steamer.  It was not long, however, before I could
go above and lean over the bulwarks with equal intrepidity.  Through the
hatch the sky was always visible, even in the saloon, which was never
closed except in cold or stormy weather.

In order to make the construction of our air ship perfectly clear, let
the reader imagine a gigantic cartridge or cigar, tapering at each end.
Now flatten the top of your cigar, and put a railing around it and it
would represent our upper deck.  Now, divide your cigar longitudinally
halfway between the upper deck and the bottom, and from end to end; and
you have our main deck; in the center of which is the saloon or dining
room, or general living room, to the rear of which is the kitchen, and
forward, our beds.  Beneath this deck is the machinery, entirely out of
sight, and operated from either the saloon or the upper deck.

Our larder was more than ample; comprising an endless variety of tinned
goods, as well as quantities of such vegetables as would keep in the
open.  We had large supplies of both fresh and salt meats, and all
arranged to handle conveniently.  In short, it was a camping outfit upon
an extended scale, including wines, fruits, medicines and implements
which might become necessary during the voyage.  Having to do our own
work, the equipment had been planned upon the most judicious and labor
saving lines, so that it was astonishing how little effort was required
to prepare a meal; and having no back yard to keep tidy, it was only
necessary to throw the scraps and refuse overboard.

At times when we hovered nearer the surface of the earth it was amusing
to see what excitement we caused the populace.  In passing over a
village the entire population would turn out into the streets, and shout
themselves hoarse before leaving them out of sight, and being unlike the
ordinary balloon, we were naturally looked upon with greater
astonishment.  Torrence having set his controlling apparatus, it no
longer required attention, until some change in speed, elevation, or
direction was desired; so that he was as free to move about the vessel
as I was.  The landscape was passing beneath us, with a steady flowing
motion, giving the impression that a considerable distance would be
covered during the day, although the rate of speed was deceptive.  It
was interesting to trace our course over the charts, with which we were
amply provided.  Maps of each of the counties were spread out upon the
table, and we were singularly well situated to test their accuracy.

I was wondering how fast we were going and inquired.

"About twenty-five miles an hour," said Torrence; "she is capable of
much greater speed; but there’s no hurry, and I don’t want to strain her
on her maiden trip."

"And how high are we?"

"About five hundred feet."

I was reflecting that it was no very great height, or extraordinary
speed, when I heard the sharp swinging sound of a bullet, and looked
down.  I saw a man passing through a field with a gun in his hand and
looking up.  Evidently he had fired at us, not knowing what we were;
possibly with the intention of finding out.

"He’s going to shoot again!" I called to Torrence; but at that minute my
brother pressed a button and we were swung aloft with great velocity, as
if seized by some gigantic hand.

"I shan’t give him a chance," he answered, as we plunged into a cloud,
and then darted forward with increased speed.  Again we were enveloped
in a dense wet blanket, but as there was no fear of a collision, did not
slacken our rate, but swept on like a hurricane unable to see a thing in
any direction beyond the vessel.

"Now," said Torrence, looking at a small instrument on the governing
board, "we are whirling along at the rate of fifty miles an hour.  Risky
business on land in a cloud like this, but here—thank Heaven—there is
nothing on the track!  When we lower ourselves out of the fog, and come
in view of the earth again, our sporting friend will be lost to sight."

In about ten minutes we dropped to our former level, and reduced our
speed.  Of course there was no reason why we should not remain above,
except that it was more interesting to have the earth for a companion.

"Suppose he had hit us?" I observed.

"There’s not one chance in a hundred that he would hurt us if he had.  I
prepared for such enterprising fools by protecting her critical parts
with asbestos and rubber; but it isn’t pleasant to be fired at, and when
one can move out of range so easily it seems the right thing to do."

Later in the day I went above and found it the pleasantest part of the
boat, and was surprised to find how all fear had left me.  I asked
Torrence if he intended to land anywhere in England; to which he gave a
negative answer, saying that it might not be safe, from the danger of
having papers served upon him.

"There is no necessity to halt," he added; "our course is probably
watched, and the news of our landing will be telegraphed to London, and
they might make it difficult for us to get away again.  We are safe out
of their reach now, and it would be better to lot well enough alone.
When I land it will be upon some uninhabited coast where they can’t find
us."

"How long can you keep afloat?" I inquired.

Torrence laughed.

"Forever, if I want to.  There’s no limit to our capacity in that line.
When the chemicals are exhausted, or have formed new combinations, I
have only to supply the proper proportions of air and water, and the
original conditions are restored.  So if for any reason it should prove
inconvenient to land, all we have to do is to drop a line with a bucket
over any river or sea, and pull up a pail of water, run the compressor
into the generator with the chemicals—and presto—all the power is
restored.  It is perpetual motion, with the very minimum of attention.
Rather it is gravitation neutralized; and so simple, it is a marvel men
never thought of it before."

I had made no inquiry about the North Pole, supposing it was only a
jest; not doubting, however, that he really meant to make an extended
trip northward; but now, on alluding to the subject, Torrence declared
that it was his serious intention to penetrate into the mysteries of the
Polar regions, farther than any navigator had ever gone.

"We may find it worth our while," he said, "and there is no reason why
we should not."

I told him that while I felt some doubt about the ice barriers, I was
ready to follow him anywhere; to which he answered with a good deal of
force that so long as the vessel depended only on the atmosphere for her
support, he could see no reason why we could not ride over icebergs,
frozen mountains and continents, to the ends of the earth.  All we had
to do was to keep above all obstructions, and to prevent ourselves from
freezing, against which possibility we were amply provided.  He showed
me how our saloon could be made perfectly snug, and heated to any
temperature desired; and that the motive apparatus was entirely
protected, and could likewise be kept warm.

"Should our upper deck become loaded with snow," he added, "we shall be
obliged to put on our extra feathers and go above to clean it off; not
such a very difficult matter when you consider that we are well provided
with the appliances."

Indeed, it seemed to me that nothing had been overlooked, and as
Torrence had all his life had a hankering for Arctic exploration, I was
not greatly astonished at his decision.  I reflected that the pole could
never be reached except by balloon, and that the difficulty of ordinary
ballooning was the impossibility of advancing against air currents, and
that since our ship had overcome that point, it did really appear as if
we might be in a fair way to accomplish something more than other
explorers.  I became greatly interested, and began to look for marvelous
results.

At noon I went into the galley and prepared dinner, while Torrence kept
watch above on the upper deck, where there was also a duplicate
controlling board.  We had eaten nothing since the previous night; the
excitement of getting off having kept the thought of food from entering
our heads, but now we were hungry.  It was undoubtedly the first time
since the creation that a meal had been cooked and eaten at that
elevation over Northhampton, but it was none the worse for that, and two
hungrier men could not have honored the occasion. From our seats in the
saloon we had a good outlook upon every side.  Forward we looked
directly ahead through the cuddy ports—aft—through our stern lights in
the galley, and upon either side were great sliding windows. The watch
was, of course, only to guard against any unexpected elevation in the
land, such as a hill, otherwise—or even had we been a little higher—we
might have drawn the blinds and run on with impunity.  After dinner we
threw the scraps overboard, and went on deck for a smoke, and watched
the country steadily slipping away beneath us.  We were fanned by a
gentle breeze, which might have been stiffer, but such wind as there
was, was blowing dead aft.

"This," said Torrence, looking about him with pride, "is what I call the
climax of living.  Above your enemies; above your friends; and out of
reach of all the petty annoyances of earth!"

I was as jubilant as he, and found it quite as difficult to conceal my
emotions, which were altogether natural; for has not flight been always
regarded as a prerogative of angels? and has not man aspired to it as
the most perfect form of migration?  The exhilaration was beyond
description; and as we swept on through that long summer day, there was
a sense of power and freedom which no other form of locomotion could
impart.

"I could never be content to live down there again!" I said, flipping
the ashes from my cigar overboard.

"Nor I," said Torrence; "not after this experience. The sky is good
enough for me!"

Toward evening we could hear the tinkling of bells and lowing of herds,
and catch an occasional shout of surprise from a frightened farmer, as
we dipped a little nearer earthward, and then skurried aloft and away,
before he had time to recover his equanimity.  At a small village in the
southern part of Lincolnshire we pounced suddenly upon a traveling
circus, and stampeded the entire crowd, not one of which will ever
forget us. It was the grandest game imaginable; to come swooping down to
within fifty or seventy-five feet of the ground, over an unsuspecting
congregation of countrymen, and then dart onward and upward amid their
shouts of consternation.  However, we did not indulge in this sort of
thing often, not wishing to incur the risk of being fired at.  It
showed, nevertheless, the absolute control we had over the machine, and
was interesting from a scientific, as well as a humorous point of view.

Toward sundown I smelled salt air, and knew we were approaching the sea.
Then we ran into a bank of mist, and the earth was lost to view.  I
asked Torrence where we were heading for, and he said:

"I am going to run around the city of Hull; leaving it a few miles upon
our right, so as not to attract attention, and then cross over to
Norway."

"You surely don’t intend to try the North Sea to-night!" I exclaimed in
surprise.

"Why not?  There is no danger," he answered.

I did not argue the matter, feeling safe in his hands. The fog bank
continued for some minutes, and when we suddenly ran out of it, imagine
my astonishment to find ourselves hovering directly over a large city,
with the sea beyond.




                                  *X.*


Torrence jumped up in consternation, and looking overboard, exclaimed
with an oath that he thought we were at least five miles to the
southwest of that town.

"And what difference does it make?" I inquired.

"Look for yourself!" he cried; "they are expecting us.  I feared our
course would be telegraphed to all sea ports; but they shan’t track me
out of the country," he added, looking aloft significantly, "that is,
not if I can help it."

"I should say we had decidedly the whip handle of them!" I replied.

"So we have.  Of course they can’t stop us, but I think it will be just
as well to give them a false scent for their trouble.  It may be
interesting to use a little strategy with these people, Gurt, although
we are undoubtedly masters of the situation."

Looking down I saw that the streets were crowded with people gazing up
at us; and around the Wilberforce monument, on both sides of the bridge,
it looked as if a mob had gathered to intercept our progress.  In the
open square, probably not less than a hundred soldiers had been
assembled under arms, and had a very threatening aspect.

"Surely they won’t fire on us!" I exclaimed.

"Not a bit of danger, they wouldn’t dare; and if they did, they couldn’t
hurt us.  No, the red coats are only for show; but if they got ugly, we
could clean out the crowd by simply dropping a lot of cartridges
overboard, without taking our guns out of the racks."

He pressed a button, turned a lever, and we slowed down.

"They want to speak to us, and perhaps it will be just as well to give
them a chance."

A man was waving a white flag, evidently intended to attract our
attention.  He appeared to be some high functionary of the town, judging
from his dress and general deportment.  He held a paper in his other
hand, which he indicated was for us.  Torrence waved his handkerchief in
reply, and pulled the air ship down to a dead halt, about two hundred
and fifty feet above the level of the street.

"It may be the injunction!" I suggested.

"Too late for that now," said Torrence; "they can’t enjoin me after I’ve
left.  But I don’t want them to know my course, and shall therefore
humbug them a little."

He looked earnestly above at a great white cloud that had crept up from
the southwest, and which had now nearly covered the sky.  He then took a
pencil, and with a writing pad resting on the rail, wrote:

"If you have any communication to make I will let down a line."

This he threw overboard.  It was picked up immediately, and handed to
the official who was standing quite separate from the others.  Shouts of
"lower your line!" were now heard distinctly, and in another minute we
had dropped a cord overboard, with a screw tied to the end for a weight.
It did not take long to draw up the line again, at the end of which was
an official looking document.  Torrence tore open the envelope hastily,
and began reading.  In a minute he thrust it into his pocket and said:

"Rot!"

"What’s the matter?" I asked him.

"That blackguard, Hart, wants to get me back to London.  Pretends I’ve
committed a crime by moving the air ship without his consent.  Promises
forgiveness—the lunatic—if I’ll return; and—of all the gall in
creation—says he will pay down a handsome sum, as he calls it, for a
half interest in the air ship, if I’ll come back and make it over to
him; and then to cap the climax, has the effrontery to threaten me if I
don’t do it.  The fellow must either be a dolt himself or take me for
one.  But I’ll make it interesting for him, nevertheless!"

"They must take us for a brace of nincompoops," I replied; "but is it in
the form of a summons?"

"Seems to be a kind of _capias_ for my arrest, but how on earth can they
execute their orders while I’m up here?" said Torrence.

"You surely don’t intend to return," I said, looking over his shoulder.

"Of course not; but I’m determined not to be tracked out of the country.
The man has done all he could to thwart me by foul means.  He has tried
to entrap me in a pretended form of law.  He endeavored to prevent my
sailing by procuring an injunction issued upon false representations,
and if he’s fool enough to suppose that I’d return to London—why let him
suppose it, and wait, and sweat!"

He now headed the air ship toward London, and rising, sailed away from
the town.

"Let them think what they please!" he said.  Torrence got up on the top
deck and waved his hat, and then every one shouted.  I think there was
some doubt, however, as to whether we really intended to return, until
they saw us gradually head about, and point our prow toward London; then
there was an unmistakable yell of delight from every throat.

We were soon running against the wind, due south. The cloud bank which
had been steadily pushing up out of the southwest now nearly covered the
sky at an elevation of many thousand feet.  The city of Hull was fading
in the distance.  It would soon be lost to sight.  I looked at the earth
below, and saw that we were steadily ascending upon an inclined plane.

"When we are wrapt in the bosom of the clouds," said Torrence, "I intend
to put about, and run directly over their heads, out of sight, and be
far to seaward before the sun sets."

The clouds were still at a great altitude above us; and to prevent our
real intentions being discovered we made the ascent very gradually,
still steering south, but on an ascending plane, so that upon entering
the cloud bank it would be apparent to all that we were still headed for
London.  The elevation might be easily accounted for on the hypothesis
of air currents, so that no suspicion of insincerity would be aroused on
the part of those watching us.

"Now," said Torrence, "as we are going up to a great height, we might
find it more comfortable to slip on warmer clothing; or at all events to
get out some top coats."

This we did, and then seating ourselves on deck, watched the great
feathery mass into whose bosom we were gradually ascending.  All at once
the earth, the sky, and the greater part of the air ship vanished.  We
had plunged into the cloud, and I could not even see Torry, who was
sitting only a few feet away.  Luckily we had on tarpaulins, or we
should have been wet to the skin.  It was like unaided flight, not even
our support being visible.  Torrence’s voice came out of the invisible,
producing a weird sensation, and I could feel that we were still being
borne rapidly upward.

"Still ascending?" I inquired, feeling as if I were addressing chaos.

"Still ascending!" came the answer.

"How much higher do we go?"

"Clear above this bank.  It will be pleasanter."

The words had a strange unnatural sound, as if coming from under the
water.  My body was the only objective reality in all creation, and even
the more distant parts of that showed a tendency to evade me.  Still
onward and upward, with nothing to prove our motion save the feeling
which the vessel imparted.  Suddenly a flood of sunlight enveloped us,
and we rose like a duck out of the water into another element.  A
milk-white sea was spread beneath; a dazzling sky above.  Again Torrence
was at his screws and levers.  We halted, and trembled for a moment in
midair, preparatory to changing our course; and then, with the rush of a
sudden gale, went swirling ahead in the opposite direction.  A minute
later he looked at the register and said:

"Altitude, eight thousand two hundred.  Speed, a mile a minute.  Course,
northeast by north!"

And now the Hullites could amuse themselves speculating how long it
would take us to reach London, while we swept on to the North Sea.

Our present altitude was unpleasantly cold, and the atmosphere
perceptibly rarefied, but it was not the intention to remain at such an
elevation longer than necessary, and when well beyond the English coast
we would descend to our former level.  It was here that a strange sight
attracted our attention.

As the sun worn down, our milky ocean became transfused with color.  At
first the change was slight, merely a rosy flush caught against the
higher points; but quickly the entire surface was emblazoned; flooded
with a million dyes of liquid fire, of a depth and splendor that was
dazzling.  Such purples, greens, and violets—vivid, intense, pale, and
shadowy.  It was as if we had suddenly discovered the polychromatic sea
of an unknown planet, but a sea whose waters were strangely lacking in
specific gravity and from whose surface a myriad eddies of violet and
other colored smokes arose like incense, curling, twisting, and falling,
and constantly changing tone, shape, and density over the entire mass.

We were bewildered—dazed.  While looking down upon this marvelous
panorama we were suddenly startled by a sight I shall never forget.  Far
down to the east another air ship was following at tremendous speed.
Black and forbidding it plunged along through the fiery waves, as if
bent on running us down.  It was the counterpart of our own vessel.  We
seized each other’s hands in amazement, overcome with horror.  So
brilliant was the scene below that it was an instant before we realized
that the awful object was our own phantom, or shadow, cast upon the
clouds beneath; but during that instant it was a terrifying sight.

When the sun disappeared we were left in the dull gray of twilight, and
as the cold was increasing began at once descending to a lower level.
Again the cloud drift was about us, darker and denser than ever; but we
quickly passed through it, and I was surprised on emerging, to find the
North Sea beneath, and the bluffs of Scarborough fading in the distance.

"There is no danger of our being sighted from land now!" said Torrence,
checking our descent, and fixing the altitude at about five hundred feet
above the sea, He also reduced our speed to its former rate, twenty-five
miles an hour, which he said was fast enough.  The temperature here was
warm and pleasant, with light breeze from the southwest, which, by the
by, we did not catch, as we were moving faster, in the opposite
direction, making our own wind.  The sea was deserted, and the land
barely visible.  It would still be some time before dark, and we took
places on deck to watch out for vessels.  We had purposely taken a
course away from the track of the Wilson steamers, which ply between
Drontheim and Hull; not that it was a matter of any vital importance,
but Torrence wanted to keep our movements from the public if possible.
This was easily done, both by reason of an extended horizon and the
enormous speed we could develop if necessary.

As darkness came on we went below, closing the shutters to all lookouts,
so as not to reveal our position, and then lighted a swinging lamp,
deriving all necessary ventilation from above, whence no light was
visible. Having thus shut ourselves in from the observation of the
world, we set about getting supper.  Nothing could be more cosy;
suspended in midair, and surrounded with every luxury, while partaking
of our evening meal.  The consciousness of absolute independence of the
world; the sense of power, which our command of the situation imparted,
was, to say the least, extremely gratifying.  The feudal lord in his
castle might be harried and captured by an enemy; but our enemies could
be laughed at with impunity.  After supper we amused ourselves with an
experiment at dish washing, which proved very satisfactory. The plates
were simply piled into a net and lowered to the sea by a cord.  After
swishing about for a while, they were drawn up clean.  Of course we
dropped our level to within forty or fifty feet of the water, and
greatly slackened speed during the performance, but it saved a lot of
trouble.  On completing these housekeeping arrangements we climbed up on
deck, for a chat and smoke before retiring.

The night was dark, there being no moon, and the sky overcast, beside
which the air was misty.  We kept our position well above all
mast-heads, should there be any, and took extra precaution to prevent a
certain nimbus-like reflection against the mist by putting out the
lights as soon as supper was over.

Torrence touched his controller, and we rose to our former altitude,
remarking that our course only insured us against collision with
steamers; and that sailing ships were liable to be found wherever there
was water enough to float them.

"And there is no danger of dropping to a lower level unawares?" I asked.

"Such a thing is impossible!" he replied.  "The air ship has just such
an antipathy for earth as her vibrations impart.  It is like the
negative pole of a magnet, and unless my controllers move of their own
accord, which is an impossibility, the vessel must remain upon just such
a plane as I put her."

"How about our being discovered in the morning? Will you run up into the
clouds again?"

"No," he said, "let them discover us.  I was only anxious to delude
those Hullites into the belief that we had really gone back to London.
If we are seen to-morrow, they won’t find it out until the next day, and
they are welcome to all the satisfaction it will give them. One thing is
certain; they will never follow where we are going!"

"No," I replied, "not if we succeed in reaching the Pole!"

"There is no _if_ in this matter," said Torrence, "for straight through
the Arctic regions we go, and without many stations either.  I know the
road.  We ’ve got the machine.  We’re stocked with provisions and
clothing. The great mystery will be solved at last.  By the by, old man,
hadn’t you better keep a record of our trip?"

"Decidedly!" I replied.

From that time, whenever possible, I wrote up the account of this
voyage, beginning with our landing in London; and the present voluminous
paper is the result.

At 11 o’clock Torrence insisted on my going below to bed, while he
continued the watch above.  It was a strange sensation, this crawling
into a bunk to sleep on an air ship, but I was exhausted with the
excitement of the day, and soon fell into a sound slumber, rocked by the
gentle swaying of the car.  Nothing could have been more soothing than
the situation; though why I should have felt no fear of falling was a
mystery, possibly induced by the negation of gravity which pervaded all
my surroundings, and perhaps, to a certain extent, even penetrated my
own body; though this is only a surmise.

If I dreamed, I do not know it, but was awakened while it was still dark
by the sound of music.  Sitting up, I listened in amazement.  Several
instruments were distinctly audible, and these were accompanied by half
a dozen voices.  Probably every one is familiar with the ravishing charm
of music while sleeping, and I awoke enraptured with this unearthly
fascination, believing at first that the sound had only been in my
dreams; but to my amazement it continued.  I recalled immediately where
I was, and my astonishment was only increased on remembering our
singular isolation.  There could be no doubt about it—there were musical
instruments, and there were human voices—but where out of heaven or
earth did they come from.  Slowly I crawled down from my bunk and groped
my way through the dividing curtains to Torrence’s; but he was not
there.  I thought it must be nearly morning but evidently he had not
come to bed.  Had he crossed the North Sea and landed without my
knowledge?  I could not believe it; nor could I think that we had
returned to England.  I pinched myself and bit my finger to make sure
that I was awake, and then slowly felt the way into the saloon, and
having reached the ladder, commenced climbing above, with a horrid dread
of some awful catastrophe having befallen us.  I stepped out upon the
deck and looked around. The dull red glow of Torry’s cigar caught my
eye; for there he was in the gloom, still sitting where I had left him,
his chair against the rail, and his arm hanging over.  Evidently he was
looking at something below, and leaning outward, did not see me.  Here
the music was even clearer than it had been below, and I paused for a
moment in dumb amazement to listen.  The instruments were well played,
and the voices strong and thrilling, with a wild pathos.  I glanced out
over the taffrail. The misty waters were still spread around us, and the
swish of the waves was distinctly heard.  Feeling as though suddenly
bewitched, I groped my way toward Torrence, who at that moment caught
sight of me.  He raised his hand, and said softly:

"Hush!  Do not speak a word!"

I moved cautiously along to his elbow.

"What is it?" I whispered; "where are we, and what does this music
mean?"

Taking me by the arm, he said in a low voice:

"We are floating just above the masthead of a Norwegian bark.  The men
are having a little frolic on board, and are playing and singing!"

He then went on to explain how he had overhauled the bark shortly after
I had gone below, and hearing the music had dropped a little and
slackened speed to enjoy it.

I looked over the rail and a weird sight it was.  Just below, through
the turgid atmosphere, was the huge silhouette of the ship, magnified in
the fog.  A few lights were visible along her deck, and near the center
was a reddish glow through which shadowy figures moved and danced.  No
detail was visible.  Nothing but the shifting shadows and the light, and
the great mass of the vessel. It was like a huge kinetoscope, with the
addition of music.

"The fellows are having a good time!" said Torrence; "sometimes in rifts
of the fog we can see them more distinctly.  Far from home, and with a
good-natured skipper, there is nothing to prevent their enjoying
themselves!"

At one moment the shadows would form a circle, when one would step into
the glowing center and perform some fantastic evolutions to the music.
The whole scene was wild and weird in the extreme.  A pink nebulosity
from out which dark mysterious figures were forever coming and going,
dancing, falling, and jumping.

We lingered quite awhile, looking and listening without their having a
suspicion of our proximity, and then Torrence, with a sudden burst of
enthusiasm over one of the performers, shouted "Hooray," at the top of
his voice.  Instantly the music stopped, and every man, seized with
panic, looked aloft; but we were dark and silent, and gave no token.
Slowly we rose again in the air, and in another minute had left the
Norwegian bark far behind.  It was a queer experience, and I have often
wondered how those people explained the mystery of the heavenward voice.




                                 *XI.*


The morning was radiant; not a cloud in the sky, nor a hatful of wind.
It was Torry’s turn to rest, while I kept watch, and that he needed it
was shown by the fact that he slept until noon.  Meanwhile I got my own
breakfast, and set his aside; and then resumed the lookout above.  From
my lofty perch I caught the occasional glint of a sail, or the dark
trail of smoke from a southerly steamer, but these were quickly dropped
astern, no matter what their course.  Our rate of progress was
uninterrupted, and the fascination of flight grew with familiarity.
When Torrence came on deck he decided to increase our speed, wishing to
make the coast of Norway before night, on account of the intricacy of
the mountain channels to be encountered there.

"Once in sight of land," he said, "we can shape our course and elevation
accordingly."

I agreed with him, and the water was soon rushing beneath us at a
fearful rate.  Both sailing ships and steamers were now passed like
stationary objects, but the wonder with which we inspired the passengers
unfortunately escaped our observation.  The day was warm, and the speed
agreeable, allowing us to remain on deck in comfort.

While racing, we passed a fleet of schooners loaded with lumber.  The
consternation caused on board was made apparent by the blast of half a
dozen trumpets, which reached our ears in a chorus, although we left the
boats so rapidly that the sound was only heard for a minute, and in a
quarter of an hour the fleet was out of sight.

At 4 o’clock we caught the first glimpse of the island peaks, off the
coast of Norway, and knowing that it would not be dark until after ten,
we slackened speed.

Nearing the land the sight was singularly beautiful. The dark blues and
greens against the black rocks of those mountain islands, made an
intensely vivid picture. Between these lofty heights were revealed
far-stretching vistas of bluest sea, bounded again by other islands and
other mountains.

Torrence said he should not venture in any of these channels, but
proposed running entirely outside the cordon of islands, keeping the
coast well in hand upon the right.  Fortunately there would be but two
or three hours of darkness, or it might have been expedient to seek a
higher level to avoid the possibility of accident by collision; as it
was, a sharp lookout would be all that was necessary.

After sailing up the coast for a couple of hours, I went below to
prepare supper, which we decided to eat on deck, so as not to miss the
magnificent scenery.  This we did, and later I was instructed in the art
of aerial navigation, and after changing our course a few points to
seaward for safety, Torrence went below to sleep, leaving me in charge.
During this watch our speed was materially lowered, as we did not deem
it wise to run rapidly along this dangerous coast, while I was alone on
deck.

The feeling of power as I sat there with absolute control of the vessel
was exhilarating.  I had never had such a sensation before.  Like a
visitor from another planet I floated on above the sea, inspecting the
most exquisitely weird and beautiful scenery, made doubly entrancing by
the lingering twilight, which seemed as if it would never fade away.
The intensity of the coloring, the purity of the atmosphere, and the
marvelous shapes of these mountain islands, made impressions not easily
obliterated.  There was an endless variety of fiords and water vistas
opening between them, and each vista and each island showed something
new.

Torrence slept soundly until 10:30 o’clock when, as the twilight had
deepened into gloom, I thought it best to call him, and went below to
sleep myself.  The night was quickly passed, as there was little of it,
and in the watches we rounded the headlands of the Sogne, the Geiranger,
and the Romsdal fiords, and then steering a little more to the east with
the trend of the coast, made for the great bay of Trondhjem, which we
reached about the middle of the afternoon.  Skirting the opening of the
fiord, Torrence asked if I thought it worth while to pay a visit to this
historic city of the Norwegians—Trondhjem being one of their most
important and beautiful towns.  If we concluded to go, he said it would
be best, in order not to attract attention, to land upon one of the
lonely island hilltops near the town, and thence make our way by foot
and boat.  We talked the matter over, but finally decided to let all
towns alone, it being possible that the authorities held orders for our
detention, as they had in Hull.

"We are quite safe where we are," said Torrence, "and when we stop, let
it be away from people."

Having decided to stick to the air ship, we went directly on past the
mouth of the bay without entering it.  The town itself is a number of
miles further up the fiord.

We now headed straight for the North Cape, which we reached in about
five days from London.  We passed the Lofoten isles, the Vest fiord,
Tromsoe, Hammerfest, and other points of beauty and interest along this
marvelous coast, without stopping at any of them, and landed upon the
northernmost point of Europe without accident.  On this desolate
headland we decided to make our first landing, to overhaul the
machinery, stretch our legs, and have a general pow-wow on Mother Earth
before proceeding further.

An elevated plain, lopped off at one end by a wall of granite, hundreds
of feet high, and overlooking the sea, stood ready to receive us.  No
human habitation is visible, but thousands of pigeons living in the
crannies of the cliff were frightened at our approach, and flew about
wildly in all directions.  Above this plain we halted, and then slowly
began our descent.

At the water level on the east is a steamboat landing, where the Olaff
Kyrre stops once or twice during the summer for the benefit of tourists
who find their way to the top by a winding path cut in the face of the
wall. Thence to the northern cliff is a level walk of over a mile across
this plain, along which a wire is stretched to guide those who happen to
be caught in a fog, which at times is very dense and sudden.

This plain afforded the isolation we sought, and with a slow and steady
movement we descended upon it.  We touched the ground so lightly that I
was not aware of our landing until Torrence threw out the ladder and
stepped over.  I followed immediately, and then we sent up a shout of
triumph for the success that had so far attended our journey.  We walked
around the air ship, admiring her from every point of view, and then
went away to see how she looked at a distance.  She was perfect!  The
grandest thing ever constructed; the most powerful engine for the
advance of man’s material welfare ever executed.  Torrence made a
careful examination of her working parts.  Not a screw or bearing was
out of place; and not withstanding the way we had speeded her on
occasions, she was none the worse for it.  She was carefully oiled, and
where necessary lubricated with graphite, and we had the satisfaction of
knowing that she was in quite as good condition as on leaving London.

"I am willing to trust my life in her across the frozen sea!" said
Torrence, observing her with intense admiration.

"Now is the time to decide if you’re not," I answered; "though for my
part I believe she is safer than dry land!"

"That is exactly my idea," said he, "although, if you should feel
inclined to change your mind, there is another chance at Spitzbergen,
where we shall stop again before the final leap."

"I have not the slightest intention of doing so, old boy, in fact I am
quite as anxious to get to the pole as you are; and strange as it may
seem I feel safer in the air ship than standing here."

We were unanimous in our determination to go to the pole, and I will
guarantee that no expedition ever started for there with so good a
prospect of reaching it, or with greater comforts than we had.

We cooked our supper near the edge of the cliff overlooking the Arctic
Ocean, and we both felt that it was a solemn occasion, for we should
soon be placing an impassable gulf between ourselves and the land of
human habitations, and entering the great solitudes of the unexplored
North.

As there was no wood for fuel, we used an armful of our own kindling,
which we had brought for just such occasions, and while drinking hot
coffee we discussed the past, and the prospect of the future.

"I am absolutely certain of success," said Torrence; "nothing but an air
ship can reach the pole, and an air ship has never yet tried to get
there.  What’s the use of an old water-tank endeavoring to screw her way
through a continent of ice.  She might as well run her nose against
Gibraltar, in the hope of coming out on the other side.  The mystery to
me is why no one has ever tried this before."

"You’re not there yet, old man," I answered; "don’t crow before you’re
out of the woods."

"Ah!" said Torrence, smiling, "I believe the worst wood we had to get
out of was London; and having shot the rapids at Gravesend, I think we
can go the rest of the way."

I was quite as enthusiastic as he, but being without his knowledge, had
not the same convictions.

"And so Spitzbergen will be our next stopping place?" I observed,
between mouthfuls of coffee.

"Yes, when we shoot off this cliff to the northward we’ll set neither
eye nor foot on land for five hundred miles.  So make the most of this
boggy sward while we have it.  Five hundred miles to the north of this
is pretty far north—and then——"

"And then our real journey begins," I interrupted.

"You may say so," he answered, broiling a piece of bacon with a fork
over the coals.  "Certainly the most interesting part begins after
leaving Spitzbergen.  I flatter myself that the entire voyage from that
point will be one of unusual interest."

I had every confidence in our ability to reach the pole, for without the
difficulty of ice to encounter, I could see no good reason why we should
not.  Moreover, the season of the year would insure pleasant weather in
high latitudes; there would probably be no detention, as in other
expeditions, and it seemed a reasonable presumption that we should reach
90° north, while the summer was yet at its height.

Presently a dense fog came rolling in from the sea, and in a few minutes
the air ship was lost to view, although not more than forty or fifty
yards from where we were sitting.  We continued eating our lunch like a
couple of specters on each side of the fire, until, finding that we were
getting wet, I got up to go after some oilskins.  I thought I knew
exactly where the machine was, believing that I had sat down with my
back toward it, and at best did not suppose it possible to lose so large
an object so close at band.  I walked until quite sure that I had
covered the distance separating me from it, and then continued to walk
on farther.  Suddenly I stopped, convinced that I had mistaken the
direction.  I started upon another course, and after another
unsuccessful tramp stopped again.  Then I called for Torrence, and told
him that I was lost.  His voice sounded much farther than I thought it
should, and I tried to get back to him by following it.  Presently he
called out imperatively:

"Stop! don’t try to find me.  Stand perfectly still until it clears!"

"Why not? if you’ll keep on talking I’m sure to find you."

Then he shouted vehemently.

"Stop! for God’s sake, stop!  You’re risking your life with every step.
Have you forgotten that we’re on the edge of a precipice?"

I had not forgotten it, but his words startled me into realizing the
danger of my position, and I stood perfectly still.  Strangely enough I
had not thought of the possibility of tumbling over the cliff, believing
all the while that I was walking in the opposite direction; but now the
murmur of the sea on the rocks below convinced me that I was nearer than
I had supposed.

"If you move at all," shouted Torrence, "go only one step at a time.  I
mean, look carefully at each step before you take it."

I could not imagine how I had come so far, for his voice sounded
strangely distant.

"Have you moved from where I left you?" I called.

"No," was the answer, "and don’t intend to."

"That’s right.  I think I can find you if you keep talking."

"All right; go ahead; but watch the ground carefully at every step!"

The truth is I could not see much above a yard at a time, and a misstep
would have been fatal.  Torrence continued to talk, and I slowly
advanced in the direction from which his voice seemed to come.  Suddenly
my way was blocked by a solid wall and in another instant I saw that it
was the air ship.  I now perceived why the voice had been so faint, for
I had wandered clear around the machine, which had intercepted it.

Feeling my way carefully to the ladder I called out that all was well.

"No matter about the skins," came the answer, "let us get off as soon as
possible.  Go into the saloon and fetch a ball of twine from the locker;
tie one end to the step, then make your way slowly!"

I found the twine; groped forward with the ball in my hand, and reached
camp without accident.  Then we commenced carrying our cook tools back
to the boat.

"There is no place like home!" yelled Torrence, returning with the last
load.  In another minute he had climbed over the side, and drawing a
breath of relief, added:

"It is fortunate we travel by air instead of land or water, because we
shan’t have to wait for the fog!"

A few minutes more and the ladder was hauled in, the gangway closed, the
hatch to the upper deck shut down, and we were comfortably established
in our cosy cabin. Then Torrence going to his controlling board, pressed
a button, moved a lever, turned a screw, and we were swung gently up,
and resumed our journey north, 11° west, headed for Spitzbergen, which
Torrence said we should reach within twenty-four hours.

I don’t know why it was always such an indescribable pleasure to feel
clear of earth; and yet this was the fact. The first sensation of being
above the ground was a thrill of inexplicable delight.  It seemed as if
we were lifted into a higher plane of being, morally as well as bodily,
involving a certain arrogant sympathy for those left behind.  The poor
creatures knew so little about life, and it even amazed me to think that
I had been one of them for so many years without realizing the depravity
of my state.  Life without an air ship was not worth the living; but
with it, I could answer Mr. Mallock’s question without thought or
hesitation.

When the fog cleared we were many miles to seaward, and the rock-bound
coast of Europe showed only as a dark line against the horizon.
Torrence said there was nothing to prevent our going into the cuddy for
a sleep, which we needed, that in our present position there was no
danger; that collision was impossible, and falling equally so.  That the
air ship was headed for Spitzbergen, and could take care of herself—in
short, that we should be just as safe as if sleeping in the Mustapha.  I
suggested the possibility of icebergs but he explained that we were
above the altitude of the highest ever known in this quarter, and that,
moreover, it was improbable that any would be passed at this season and
this locality.  And so, taking his word for it, we both turned in and
slept ten hours without waking.  At the end of that time we felt like
new men, and climbed up on deck to look out.

A dull gray sea, bounded only by the sky-line, was rushing away beneath,
and so far as I could tell, our speed and elevation had remained
unchanged.  Despite my brother’s assurance, I could not help feeling
that we had taken an awful risk about the icebergs; but when he told me
that the ice masses formed off Spitzbergen were greatly inferior in size
to those coming down from Greenland, I was better satisfied.  Indeed, it
was very rare, he said, that an iceberg in this part of the ocean was
more than one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet in height; they were
differently shaped, being flat on top, and covering considerable area,
but never high; while our own altitude was more than a thousand feet.
Torrence had made quite a study of the polar regions, and I had great
confidence in his judgment.

On we sped—I cannot say during the day, for there was no night, although
we kept a record of the time, and at regular intervals darkened our
sleeping apartments to delude ourselves into the belief that it was
night above. While on watch we sunk to a lower level, as being warmer,
although it was getting to be the time of year when the mercury seldom
falls below freezing even in this latitude.  Occasional masses of ice
were now passed, though none of any considerable size, and I can
truthfully say that, except when above the clouds, we had not, so far,
suffered from cold.

About thirty hours after leaving the North Cape of Norway the irregular,
saw-shaped outline of Spitzbergen peeped above the horizon.  Our passage
had been uneventful, and as we neared the barren shores of the west
island, there was nothing to invite us to linger.  We decided, however,
to land for a short time before pursuing our journey northward.

Proceeding with care we entered the channel to the east of Prince
Charles Foreland, known as Foreland Bay. Moving up this passage to its
upper terminal, and then crossing King’s Bay, we effected a landing
opposite Cape Mitra, on the eastern shore of Cross Bay.  The whole
country was desolate beyond description, and we only halted for another
examination of our vessel before plunging into the great unknown beyond.

We touched earth on a shelly beach, and congratulated ourselves on
having reached this high latitude in safety.

Drift wood abounded, and we soon had a roaring fire, with the prospect
of a good meal ahead.  We took care this time to guard against fog by
carrying a line from the air ship to our encampment.

Torrence wanted to shoot a reindeer, an ice fox, or a polar bear before
leaving, although neither of us cared to make a sporting tour for fear
of getting lost; moreover, the time was valuable.  There were no
indications of life from our point of landing, although we knew the
islands abounded in Arctic game, and that the animals mentioned were
plentiful.  Torrence seemed particularly anxious to run across a herd of
deer, and when I suggested that a white bear would be a finer sight, he
shrugged his shoulders and said:

"Perhaps; but I have special reasons for wanting a deer, which I will
explain later; meanwhile let us get dinner."

And so we set to work upon the best our larder afforded, feeling that it
would probably be our last meal on land for a very indefinite time.
Indeed when I thought of the future and the unexplored regions ahead,
and the mysteries of the unknown awaiting us, I confess to some nervous
apprehension.

The realm we were about to penetrate had been from all time screened
from the eyes of man; was it not sacrilege to force the hand of
Providence and expose it now?

                     *      *      *      *      *




                                 *XII.*


We were in the midst of dinner when down the beach came a great, white,
swaggering bear, sniffing the air from side to side, for the fumes of
bacon, sausage, and fried potatoes which happened just then to be in the
pan. The suddenness of the apparition froze every drop of sporting blood
in my veins; but this perhaps, is not so much to be marveled at, when it
is remembered that we had left our arms and ammunition in the air ship,
full fifty yards away, though fortunately in the other direction.
Dropping the remains of dinner on the ground, we ran with one accord and
mortifying speed to the big machine, tumbled in over the side, and
hauled up the ladder with a dexterity never before equalled.  Here we
armed ourselves with a couple of Winchester rifles, and then crawled up
on deck to watch the enemy.  It was a painful sight to see our excellent
repast scattered right and left, nosed, pawed, and devoured before our
very eyes; but it was satisfactory to observe that the beast burned his
mouth and paws in his greediness.  When he got through licking his chops
and sucking his fingers he had time to look around, and catching sight
of the air ship, was surprised.  Evidently he was familiar with that
part of the coast and had never seen such a thing before. We decided to
wait until curiosity had brought him nearer, which it was not long in
doing.  Still sniffing, now probably for danger, the monster slowly
approached, and when two-thirds of the distance had been covered, he
stopped suddenly, overcome with astonishment.  It was our time to fire,
and crack went the rifles, almost at the same instant.  It had been
previously agreed that I was to aim for the head, while Torrence was to
shoot immediately behind the shoulder.  The animal started up with a
snort, surprised and wounded.  He showed his teeth and snapped as he
caught sight of us, and then turned and began licking his wound.  I was
surprised that he had not keeled over stone dead, for as the blood
trickled down over his long, dirty, white hair it looked to me as if it
issued from a vital point, but it was difficult to tell.  Presently the
sound of our voices renewed his anger, and he came at us, on a gallop.
We waited until he touched the vessel, when, just as we were about to
fire again, the bear raised himself upon his hind legs as if trying to
get a foothold to board us, and rolled over dead without a struggle.  We
discharged our rifles into the animal’s skull as he lay there, and then
after a few minutes went to work upon him.  It was a great find, as he
was large and fat.  We soon had him bled, and cut up into convenient
sizes.  We left the skin for other explorers, not caring to bother with
it, but the principal part of the meat was carefully stowed on board.
After this adventure we went back and finished our dinner, or rather we
cooked another; this time being careful to carry the rifles with us.

As we sat smoking our pipes around the camp fire, after finishing our
repast, I asked Torrence why he had been so anxious to kill a reindeer.

"For marks!" he said, blowing a volume of smoke into the air.

"Marks!" I exclaimed in astonishment; "what marks? What are you talking
about?"

"Ear marks," he answered, still puffing away at his pipe.

"And why are the ear marks of a Spitzbergen reindeer especially
interesting?" I inquired.

Torrence looked at me thoughtfully as he answered:

"Because they have been made by the hand of man!"

"And why shouldn’t they be?"

"For a very simple reason.  Because man does not inhabit these islands!"

"Then how is your theory supported?"

"By an enormous array of accumulated evidence that there are vast
continents to the north of us, which are inhabited both by man,
reindeer, and other animals!"

"You mean _continent_, not _continents_," I suggested.

"On the contrary; I believe there are continents fully equaling in size
Europe, Asia, Africa and the two Americas!"

Had the fellow lost his mind?  I looked carefully to see if he were
serious, and observing no indications of a joke, answered:

"Your theory might be all right if there was room enough around the pole
for all the land you speak of; but as there isn’t, I am afraid you’ll
have to be contented with one very moderate-sized continent, which I
will admit it is barely possible may exist.  As for its being inhabited,
I don’t believe it."

"It’s a pity, Gurthrie, for you’ll have to believe a great deal more
than that before you get through with this journey.  But speaking of the
reindeer, do you know that immense herds of them roam over these
islands; and that the enormous numbers which have been killed in former
years—amounting to several thousand sometimes, in a single season—tends
to support the theory that they have migrated from another land?  But
that is not all; for these creatures carry with them stronger evidences
of a habitable region to the north—for they cannot have migrated from
the south."

"And what is that evidence?" I asked.

"The ear marks we were speaking of," continued Torrence, "thousands of
these reindeer are marked; that is, they have their ears cut in a way to
indicate that it was done by the hand of man.  It is the opinion of many
hunters in this region that these animals have emigrated from an unknown
country to the north; and that is my belief also!"

"But you spoke of _continents_!" I urged.

"And I still speak of continents.  But wait; I do not wish to startle
you, or shake your faith in my sanity. What I know, I know; and what I
know, you shall soon see for yourself.  But mind, we are going into a
warmer climate, and we shall find all that I have intimated.  But a
little at a time; do not strain your mind with thoughts you have never
yet learned to assimilate."

I admitted that if it were a fact about the ear marks it was certainly a
curious one; whereupon Torrence declared that it was only one out of
many reasons for the theory, which he would explain later.  Altogether
there was a conviction in his manner which was very impressive. I
listened to him talk for more than an hour, and must confess that he
produced an array of alleged facts that were startling.  He ended by
declaring that our discoveries would vastly exceed those of Columbus in
their magnitude, and that we should go down to history as the greatest
of all explorers!

When Torrence stopped talking, our pipes had gone out, and the fire was
reduced to a few glowing coals. We got up to make preparations for a
final departure into the great unknown, and I confess, with a good deal
more awe than I had previously thought possible.  If Torrence was
oppressed by the contemplation of what we were about to undertake, he
only showed it by a more earnest and serious demeanor than he had yet
exhibited.  For my part, I dreaded to leave the island, overcome with
the thought of what might be awaiting us.  Beyond this, I was seriously
puzzled by my brother’s remark about continents, and their size, but
could not bring myself to insist on an explanation, which he seemed, for
the present, disinclined to give.  We had started together, and we must
pull together for the rest of the journey, come what might.

We now made a thorough and exhaustive examination of the machine, and
were gratified to find that everything was still in perfect order, as we
did not wish to land upon an unknown continent without the means of
returning. The vessel had been so thoroughly built, regardless of cost,
that she seemed as staunch as when she first came out of the hands of
the contractors at London.  We took aboard several casks of fresh water
for drinking, besides our bear meat; put everything to rights, and then
shutting ourselves inside, concluded to take a long sleep before
resuming our journey northward.  Nothing disturbed us; not even a polar
bear discovered our position, and when we arose at the end of twenty
hours’ rest, we partook of another hearty meal, and were ready to move.

Taking our places on deck, Torrence touched the controllers, and in a
minute we were suspended a couple of hundred feet above the beach.  Then
slowly we commenced navigating the tortuous coast, first bearing
eastwardly across the bay, and then following up the shore line as far
as the Norwegian isles, a reef of rocky keys off the northwest coast.
Here we took careful bearings; made allowances for the rather singular
behavior of the compass, and then heading the ship due north, bore away
upon our course.

I felt as if I were about to sail over the face of an unknown planet,
and in a great measure, it was just this that we were destined to
accomplish.  I was fully alive to the terrors of that mysterious,
strangely isolated quarter of our globe, where it seemed as if the
Almighty had set his ban against man’s advance, by encircling it with an
impenetrable barrier, to cross which, every effort, of which history
holds any record, was fruitless.

When the granite cliffs of Spitzbergen were fading from our view,
Torrence turned to me, and said with emphasis:

"Mark my word!  We are going to find a better climate ahead than we have
left behind.  We are going to find land, and a race of men who are
unknown to the world.  We are going to find many other things; but put
that much down as a record if you will;" and so I have entered it.

We were alone, and with a loneliness never felt before. The last
saw-like edge of Spitzbergen had sunk below the water line to the south.
Yes, even that terribly Northern foothold must now be looked upon as a
southern home, when compared with our present resting place. Should we
ever look forward to reaching it, as a tropical paradise—the bourne of
all our hopes and expectations? For Spitzbergen had known men; it was a
part of our own world, and as I watched it fade and sink away it seemed
close to all I had ever known and loved in my dear old earth, where
nothing could ever be so solemnly, so awfully foreign as where we were,
and where we were going.

Suddenly it became cold, and looking down we saw that the ocean had
grown strangely quiet, the sparkle and motion of the waves having left
it.  Descending to a lower level we saw that we were passing over a
field of pack ice, solid and impenetrable; and we slackened speed, and
sunk still lower to examine it.

As we slipped along close above its hummocky surface, at the rate of ten
or twelve miles an hour, we could appreciate some of the difficulties
with which Arctic explorers have had to contend.  What a herculean task
to forge ahead through such an obstacle, whether with ship or sled!  And
yet with what absolute ease we seemed about to solve the puzzle of the
ages.  However, we were still a long way from the pole, and there was no
telling what might happen before reaching it.  At times I would be
seized with a superstitious dread of some awful impending calamity, or
of some horrible condition of the earth’s surface or atmosphere, which
would make it impossible for man to live where we were going.  But
Torrence was firm and resolute, and if such thoughts ever troubled him,
he did not speak of them.  I could scarcely believe that we should
continue to the end as easily as we had begun, and advance without
hindrance into the forbidden mysteries beyond.

It grew colder, although I can truly say, so well were we provided
against the weather, that neither of us had suffered, and we continued
to sit on deck in our top coats without inconvenience.  Torrence made
half a turn in the screw controlling our elevation, and we rose slightly
higher, as there were dangerous looking inequalities in the ice ahead.
We also moderately increased our speed, keeping, however, low enough,
and running with just such headway as would enable us to see to the best
advantage the formations below and around us.

Presently it began to snow, and the ice field became covered with a
tattered sheet, the uneven protuberances sticking through in dirty
patches.  But it was only a summer shower, which we ran out of in a
dozen or twenty miles, leaving the sea of frozen waves and hummocks bare
again.  Then we came to floes, or extended areas of ice that had not
packed, wind-driven into the solid masses behind, but were still
shifting about with the current, undecided as to their future course.
The crunching and roaring of these masses was horrible.  Detached areas,
miles in extent, would rush at each other with Titanic power, and
meeting, rend the air with deafening crashes like the wrecking of a
thousand trains.

Next came the piling up into strange, fantastic shapes. Pyramids,
towers, and grim fortifications would threaten each other for a minute,
and then slowly advancing, meet with a report like thunder, splitting
the air from earth to heaven, and melt into each other, to be again
squeezed and piled into new designs.  It was an awful, yet fascinating
sight.  But the worst had not come.  Onward we swept over this crunching
and grinding world, roaring in agony to free itself from the embrace of
the demon Cold, which was slowly but surely stiffening it into immovable
forms.  And as we advanced, the thundering of the under world grew less,
for there was no more movement.  The forts, the towers, and the pyramids
had become fixed and silent, and a city of weird architecture followed.
A city of frozen monuments, deserted streets, of isolated villas,
cathedrals, parks, and gardens, lakes of dazzling whiteness, turreted
battlements with mounted guns commanding open spaces, and distant rivers
threading the land beyond.  But a deathlike silence reigned. It was a
marvelous change, but a greater still was coming.  Looking far to the
north we observed that these singular ice forms were growing in size and
splendor, so that it seemed advisable to rise a little higher to avoid a
collision.  But they grew.  The forts became lofty houses; the houses
cathedrals, and the cathedrals great ragged mountains of ice, with
pinnacles reaching skyward.

                     *      *      *      *      *

"This," said Torrence, turning toward me with great solemnity, "is the
Palæocrystic Sea—the sea of ancient ice—the sea which man has never
crossed.  We have passed the limits of the known; beyond lies the
mystery of the undiscovered world.  A world which you will soon admit is
greater, and of far more importance than our own!"

Although I could not gather his meaning, there was an import in his
words that appalled me.

                     *      *      *      *      *

And now the scene grew more terrible with each mile of advance.  Ages of
freezing and thawing, accumulations of snow and ice, had produced a
spectacle more awful than words can picture.  A sea of mountains and
valleys; of cañons black in eternal night.  A sea of silence.  A sea of
death.

                     *      *      *      *      *

But I will not dwell upon the horrors that separate the known from the
unknown.  The Palæocrystic is simply an unexplored belt of ice
surrounding the poles.  Indeed it is not known to be unbroken, or to be
of equal severity throughout.  It might be termed a ribbon of ice
mountains, which has been ages in forming, and which probably will not
average more than fifty miles in breadth, and at some points, doubtless
much narrower.  Beyond it we came upon free ice again, and further
reached the open polar sea.

Here was a marked change in the temperature, and as the air currents
were from the north, the frozen area had little effect.  Our thermometer
showed a few degrees above freezing, and a tendency to rise still
higher.

We now felt that we were fairly launched into an unknown world.  A
placid ocean stretched beneath to an unexplored horizon.

"Now!" exclaimed Torrence with enthusiasm; "if there are any discoveries
to be made, we ought soon to make them."

Taking out a pair of field glasses we searched the skyline from the
upper deck.

"No land in sight!" said Torrence; "but if I am not mistaken, yonder is
a flock of wild geese, leading our course, and not more than half a mile
ahead.

"They might be petrels!" I suggested.

"Whatever they are, I propose to give them a chase. A bird or two for
dinner wouldn’t be a bad idea!"

Although I had never hunted wild geese in an air ship, I agreed that it
ought to be good sport.




                                *XIII.*


Steering directly after the geese on an ascending plane, we put on a
tremendous spurt and soon had the whole gang squawking and floundering
before us.  There were hundreds, and when pressed, set the pace at a
rate that made the air whizz by like a hurricane.  It was intensely
exciting.  But the air ship was too swift to afford the slightest chance
of their escape.  In a few minutes we had overtaken them, broken their
columns, and flown directly into the flock.  Our shotguns were ready,
but, strange as it may seem, we did not use them, because more than a
dozen of the birds fell dead upon our deck from sheer fright, and we let
the others escape.  It was a strange experience; a method of hunting
probably never indulged in before; and it was not at all surprising that
the birds should have been frightened to death. The geese proved to be
fat and a great delicacy.

We then dropped to our former level and speed, and resumed the lookout
for land.  Ice floes were still occasionally met, though steadily
diminishing in size and apparent solidity.  A few hours later we passed
the last of them, and then met only an occasional chunk, or hummock,
which seemed to be floating northward.  We determined the direction by
descending close to the surface of the water, and making a careful
examination.  There could be no doubt about it; the currents which
carried these ice masses were trending northward.  It seemed to imply
some mystery, as yet unconsidered, although Torrence thought it possible
that they might be vortex in character, returning again to their
starting point.

At the usual hour we went below to partake of our midday meal, having
first reduced our speed to a rate not exceeding ten miles an hour, not
wishing to run upon anything startling during the stay below.  It was
fortunate we had done so, for upon coming on deck again, we saw a small
blue line to starboard, apparently not more than a dozen or fifteen
miles away.

"Land!"  We both shouted in a breath.

Immediately we changed our course in the direction of this island, as it
appeared; and while drifting toward it, considered whether we should
call it Attlebridge Land or Torrence Island.  Suddenly Torrence,
clapping his hand to his head, exclaimed:

"If it’s what I now believe it to be, we have not the right to name it!"

"And what do you believe it to be?" I asked.

"An island," said he.

"And why have we not the right to name it?"

"Because I believe it has been already discovered. Because I believe it
is inhabited!"

"Inhabited!" I shouted; "and by whom?"

"By a man."

"By a man, or by men?  Which did you say?"

"I said by a man—by one man—I believe that island has a _single
inhabitant_, but we shall see!"

Again I looked at my brother with curiosity, half-wondering if he were
demented.

"I understood you to say that the Palæocrystic Sea was the dividing line
between the known and the unknown world.

"And you understood me correctly," he replied,

"There is but one man in the world who knows anything about this island;
in fact he is the only man living who has a right to name it."

"I should imagine that the inhabitant you speak of would have an equal
right," I observed.

"That is just where you make your mistake," said Torrence with a knowing
look.  "Were he an ordinary man he might have; but under the
circumstances—hardly!"

"And what are the circumstances?  Why should he not name it?" I
insisted.

"Because he is an idiot!" said Torrence.

I started.

"And how do you know that?"

"If I am wrong we shall soon find out.  If I am right we shall equally
soon know it!"

He was searching the point of land with his glass, and seemed
disinclined to continue the subject, so with rather unpleasant emotions,
I concluded to wait for developments. It could not now belong before I
should know if there was any foundation for Torrence’s talk.  Certainly
what he had said savored of lunacy.

We now bore down upon the island rapidly, and saw a rocky ledge
surmounting a narrow beach, where we concluded to land.  The promontory
had a flat top, about thirty feet above the sea and we lowered ourselves
gently down upon it.  Scarcely had we done so than Torrence said:

"We shall probably have to explore in order to find traces of our
inhabitant; and I wonder, therefore, if it would not be wiser to sail
around the island before disembarking.  It would certainly save
trouble."

We concluded therefore to take a leisurely tour of discovery, and
ascertain the size and general contour before landing; and so without
further ado, we rose again, almost as soon as we had touched the ground.

The island was rocky, but not without vegetation, its arable parts being
carpeted with vivid green.  There was also a quantity of small trees,
bearing a peculiar fruit, which neither of us had ever seen before.
Inland, it rose into billowy hillocks, to probably an elevation of a
couple of hundred feet, near the center.  Its shores were indented with
a number of bays or inlets, some of which made considerable inroad upon
it.  To the best of our judgment it was about four miles long, and of
very irregular width, as in places these inlets nearly cut it in two.
Thousands of pigeons flew out wherever we approached their rocky
nestings, but there appeared to be no other animal life.

"And where is your inhabitant?" I asked, when we had gone around the
greater part of the coast.

"We may not be able to find him at all," he answered; "I said we should
probably discover traces of him if we searched.  For my part, I have not
given that up."

But the words were scarcely spoken when he sprang to the governing board
and halted the vessel.  I saw that we were hovering over a green sward
which sloped gently to the water’s edge near the head of one of the
inlets described.  Lowering ourselves gradually we landed on a grassy
knoll, and Torrence immediately threw out the ladder and went over.  I
followed him, and in a minute saw what had attracted his attention from
above, but which had entirely escaped mine.  It was a rough looking
stone, set on end, in the sward, and there being no other stones in the
vicinity, it presented rather a peculiar appearance, inasmuch as it
seemed almost certain that it had been placed there by human hands.  We
examined it with growing interest.  There was something uncanny in
finding such an object in such a place.  It looked like a monument
intended to mark a tomb, or the headstone of a grave in some country
churchyard.  It was about three feet high, nearly covered with a green
mould, and had the appearance of great age.

"This," said Torrence, "is the first indication I have found!"

He was passing his hand over the face of the stone.

"Your single inhabitant must be a giant to plant such a rock as that!" I
observed.

"Not at all," said Torrence; "I have no idea that he even touched it."

"Then you think nature placed it there?"

"Neither; but what is this?"

He was still examining the face of the thing studiously, with both hands
and eyes.  I stooped down to examine it.  There was a roughness or
indentation, which did not seem to be natural.  Scraping the moss away
from the crevices, we discovered to my amazement the following
inscription, which I herewith give from a careful copy in my note book

[Illustration: Inscription]

There could be no possible doubt about this being an intentional design,
but in what tongue, or what it meant was a mystery.  We puzzled over it
for an hour, when Torrence suggested that they might be English letters,
rudely and ignorantly carved.  "For instance," he said, "the first might
very well be an N.  The second is evidently an E; while the third is
unmistakably intended for an I.  Now the fourth is the same as the
first.  The fifth cannot well be other than an L.  The sixth is the same
as the second, and the last is a T."  When we looked at it in this way,
it seemed clear enough.  Indeed what else could it be?  But what the
word meant, remained a mystery.  Suddenly it occurred to us that it
might be more than one word.  "Suppose," said Torrence, "that the last
five letters are intended to form the word ’Inlet’—a pronounced feature
of the coast of this island—and that the first two stand for North East.
There we seem to have it—North East Inlet—the stone probably refers to
something of interest in, or about the North East Inlet of the island!"

Surely we had solved the problem.  But when I reminded Torrence that we
had been searching for traces of his alleged inhabitant, and that he
should not be surprised at this discovery, he said:

"True enough; but exactly where they would be, or what they would look
like, or even if this was the right island, I could not tell; but now I
feel sure that I am right."

"The stone was evidently put here by some one," I remarked.

"Undoubtedly.  There is not the slightest appearance of its having been
deposited by nature; and the letters were cut with rough tools, by
ignorant hands."

"And you believe a human being could have reached this spot without an
air ship?"

"There is not one chance in a million that it could have been done," he
replied; "certainly _never_ by the course we have taken.  But there are
stretches of land reaching far to the north; and in certain seasons,
under the most exceptional circumstances, possibly some lost scout of
the Arctic seas might have drifted here, had he once pushed his way
across the frozen belt.  I say it is possible; but that is all.  Before
we leave we shall know whether it is a fact."

We lingered a few minutes while I made the copy of the inscription, and
then climbed back into the air ship, bound for the North East Inlet.

Skimming slowly around the shore we soon discovered the indentation we
were looking for, and following up its course for a few hundred yards
above the mouth, reached another of those turfy knolls, with which the
island abounded.  Around this the water ran directly into the land,
forming a diminutive lake a little higher up, with grassy slopes upon
every side.  It was a beautiful spot, entirely protected from the surf,
and screened from the winds as well.  Indeed, so sheltered and peaceful
a nook was it, and withal so inviting, that we decided to descend and
look around, having observed nothing extraordinary from above.

"If I do not discover something interesting here," said Torrence, "I
shall be disappointed."

Having landed on the hillock above the lake we separated, walking in
opposite directions.  The ground was covered with a brilliant, mossy
turf, where the black bed rock did not protrude; but where it did so,
only served to enhance the intensity of color by contrast.  I had not
walked far when I heard Torrence call:

"Hello!  Look at this!"

I hurried over to where he was.  There was no doubt about it.  He had
made a discovery.  On a grassy knoll, not far from the water’s edge, was
a small structure like a tomb, built of rough stones to the height of a
man’s breast, and about five feet in diameter.  It looked old, was moss
grown, and covered with a heavy cap stone. We felt convinced that in
this cairn was concealed some important secret, and that it was
undoubtedly the place referred to.  We went immediately to work to
remove the upper stone, which we found quite difficult, but by working
an iron wedge which we secured from the air ship, it slowly yielded to
our endeavors.  The stones were closely knitted together, having been
set in a rough mortar, made out of some tenacious kind of mud, but we
gradually worked them loose, and one by one rolled them on the ground.
In half an hour we had an opening large enough to look into.  It was
dark, but Torrence leaned over the edge and groped about with his hands.
Presently he was tugging at something and exclaimed:

"I believe I’ve got it."

A minute later he pulled out an iron box by a ring in the lid.  It was
covered with rust, and had a keyhole but no key.  We shook it gently.
There was something inside, and we tried to raise the lid; but it was
immovable.  I proposed to pound it open if possible with some of the
stones at our feet, but before doing so, we decided to examine the
crevices of the cairn for a key.  It was well we did, for our search was
rewarded by the discovery of an old brass key, covered with green oxide.
We polished it up with some sand, but before it would open the box we
had to go to the air ship after a little oil to lubricate the chambers.
At last we were successful, and turning back the lid looked in; but I
drew back with horror at the first glance, for directly under my eyes
was the rough, though strongly executed picture of a madman.  It was one
of those crude, intense drawings that gives the immediate impression of
lifelikeness.  Old and stained as the picture was, it was evident that
the artist had seized upon the most salient features of his subject, and
reproduced them with terrible effect.  It was the simplest sketch
imaginable, but the wild and painful glare of the eyes was intensified
by a reddish brown scar. which ran down the middle of the forehead.
Directly under this picture, which, by the by, was done upon a piece of
old cloth, was this extraordinary inscription

[Illustration: Inscription]

Examining the box again we found directly under the picture another
paper which upon examination proved to be an outlandish, water-stained
document.  At the first glance it looked like a foreign language, which
we had no doubt it was, but our attention being attracted by certain
words that looked like English, we examined it more carefully, and to
our amazement discovered that the paper was really in our own language,
though evidently executed by such an ignorant hand as scarcely to be
recognized as such.  We took possession of it, and I here give a careful
copy of it, without attempting to reproduce the handwriting, which is
almost unintelligible.


"Tu thim az finds these roks and kontents plese rede with kare an in
charty’s nam help ef he bee livin the pore kretur we shipreke saylers is
kompeled to leve on this lonsum plase.  Us 3 abil Bodid seamen was reked
in the ice from the Brig John W. Saunders, whaler, of the city of Hull.
There was 13 others of us wen the ship squeeched and busted, levin us
wid nothin but sum vittels and a few valybles, wich we tride to save.
We bilt some sleds outen her timbers, and loded thim with sich vittels
an truk as we wanted tu sav and started over the ice.  God amity nos how
fur or wher we traveled tu, hevin no berins no nothin tu go bi, and God
amity nos the orful sufferins we suffered.  All on us dide but us 3. We
traveled over montans ov ice, and it seemed like we kep a travelin fur
yers, tho in koors we nos it went so long as thet.  Bimby we finds
oursels a flotin on a chunk o ice ni az big az a farm.  Our vittels was
ni gone afore we struk the flotin’ ice, and all was ded but us 3 Ned
Merrick, Jo Niles and Jan von Broekhuysen who is uf dutch parents but
English birth.  We kep a flotin on the ice tel the long nite past and
the day kum agin; but we sede as how Jan was doin quer and one day he
went plum mad and tried to kil us.  We tide him down, and then we sited
this iland, tho in wut part uf the erth we kan’t tel.  We sede we wus
flotin strate fur here and the sea was ruf but not so kold as before.
We dun wut we kud fur our chums as dide but we kudent help oursels,
lesen them, and so lef, thim bak on the ice tu rot.  Wen we got close tu
this iland the sea wus up, and our ice chunk struk a rok and busted
afore we landed.  Jan von Broekhuysen struk his hed agin a rok and we
brung him ashore levin a bludy streke behind.  His fored got split in tu
and he wuz the orfulest site we ever sede—he warnt moren abut 20 yers o
age and that lik he got in the hed or his goin mad wun, plum noked the
reckolecshun outen him.  He node uz not—nor wher he hed bin, nor wher be
wuz, nor his own nam, nor nothin—nor yit kud he speke a single word.  We
hev heered as how a nok in the hed wud sometimes strik the memry outen
man, but niver is we seed one in sich a fix afore.  Jan van Broekhuysen
node nuthin’.  He wuz like tu one jes born—the rok wut split his hed
made the terriblest lookin skar we ever seed, and we washed it out and
dun the best we kud for him but waz not fix to sow it up agin.  He seen
us drink the water outen the spring, and he dun so 2.  he seen us ketch
the birds in the roks and ete um and he dun so 2, he seen us ketch the
fish and he dun wut we dun.  The frute here is bitter but it helps tu
kepe us aliv. Now how long we has lived here we kan’t tel, but we iz
goin awa in a bote we bilt outen skraps o drift wood and stuff we found
preferin tu resk the orful sea and ice agin than tu liv and rot on this
place wher man kums not. Jan von Broekhuysen has grode afeerd o us and
runs awa wenever we gos ni him and we seldum ketches a site o’ him.  We
has lost all kont o time and don’t no how long we has ben here nor wen
we kum nor nothin—but ther has ben 1 dark spel and 2 lite spels, and we
think it must a ben a yer sence we kum.  Siknes and hardship has ni
ruined us mind and body, and we don’t keer wut bekomes o us.  We bilds
this ere rok hut around this box wich we fetched with us havin’ sum o’
our valybles. We makes a pikter of Jan von Broekhuysen and paints that
skar on his hed wid our own blud but we douts ef eny man will ever see
him agin az he is wilder and skeerier nor a gote.  We haz also razed a
rok in anuder place for a sine.  It is with sorro that we leves our ole
komrade—but we kan nether ketch nor tame him.  Ef we node wut part uv
tho erth we wus in we wud no wher to strik fur, but we don’t, and rekon
we will both be drownd afore gettin any whers.  Ef eny person finds Jan
be kind to him.  We leves here amejetly.  Jan is livin’ on birds eggs,
birds, and fish, and sum o them qur apples there ain’t mutch else tu
ete.  Kind frends we saz farewel

"Yours Truly,
       (Signed) { "NED MERRICK,
              { "JOE NILES."


The original is very difficult to read, both on account of its peculiar
orthography and from its being smirched and weather-stained.  We went to
the air ship where I recorded this discovery, and then sealed it up in
the cairn, carrying the original paper with us.

"Sailor like," observed Torrence, "there is not a date in the paper from
beginning to end."

I had not thought of this before.

"He may have been here for years," I added.

"He may," Torrence replied, and then producing a paper from a large
packet, asked me what I thought of the signature.

I started, for I recognized it at once.  It was one of those I had seen
through the keyhole in the hotel Mustapha, and the signature was the
same as the one before me—Ned Merrick.  I then recalled the fact that I
had heard my brother address the mysterious stranger—I mean the sailor
we had first met upon the Thames boat, and whom afterward I had seen at
the Mustapha—as Merrick.  Could it be possible that he was the same who
had escaped through the ice belt to this island?  I was amazed, but
before I could make an inquiry Torrence continued:

"I now am certain that this island is inhabited, as I told you, unless,
perchance, the man has died.  I am also sure of the continents; for the
man Merrick having told me the truth in this most amazing case, it is
probable that he has not lied in other matters, especially as he gave me
proof, and as his story coincides with my own views.  Let us look for
Jan von Broekhuysen, then we will proceed upon our voyage."

We made a careful search for this extraordinary individual, but not
finding any traces of him, we returned to the vessel and prepared to go.

As we were clearing the coast a creature of scarcely human aspect, clad
in a robe of feathers and covered to the waist with a mass of tawny gray
hair, appeared to rise out of the sand.  He probably emerged from the
shelter of some neighboring rock, and stood for a moment looking at us
in amazement.  On a motion to alter our course, as if to pursue him, the
creature disappeared as suddenly and strangely as he had come.  He was
simply invisible, and it would have been useless to waste our time in an
effort to capture him.  There was no doubt to our minds that this was
Jan von Broekhuysen.

                     *      *      *      *      *




                                 *XIV.*


Northward again we proceeded on our journey, and from the upper deck
surveyed the solitude of an ocean unknown to human eyes.  All traces of
ice had vanished; the sea was tranquil and the air pleasant.  Naturally
enough our conversation fell upon the mysterious cairn and its contents.

"In my opinion," said Torrence, "this Jan von Broekhuysen is the most
unique creation of our planet.  He is the only human being of his kind
since creation.  I will guarantee that not in a million years has the
earth produced such another!"

I asked him what he meant, and suggested the possibility of others
having been lost under like circumstances, while admitting the
improbability of their having reached such a latitude.

"That is not it at all!" he exclaimed; "Jan von Broekhuysen stands
alone, and for this reason.  Because he is the only living creature of
our race who has been put alone in an uninhabited world, and who has
never seen nor communicated with a fellow-creature!"

"You mean since he was twenty years old, for I believe the paper says
that was his age," said I.

"No," replied Torrence, "I mean nothing of the kind. I mean that never,
for a single instant, has he seen or communicated with a fellow-being
until he saw us!"

"I don’t understand you.  Doesn’t the paper say he twenty years old when
wrecked?"

"Certainly.  But doesn’t the paper say that when he struck he lost his
memory?"

"But what of that? he’s sure to have seen plenty of people in the first
part of his life."

"Gurt, that fellow never had any other part to his life.  His life began
afresh after landing on that island. His past having been wiped out, he
was born again.  His memory being gone, the past had no existence for
him. He knew no more about a previous existence than you or I know about
a life before this.  Practically he was reincarnated, inasmuch as his
brain had lost every picture and every record of the past.  He came as a
new man to a new world, knowing nothing.  The first twenty years of his
life was no more his than if it had belonged to another body.  I claim
that Von Broekhuysen is the most unique creature that ever visited our
planet!"

I was impressed, and thought some time before answering.  Finally I
said:

"It is doubtless a remarkable case, but you must be accurate in your
statements, and when you declare that the fellow has never either seen
or communicated with a fellow-being since losing his memory, you must
not forget his comrades, Niles and Merrick, who were with him for a year
afterward; surely he must remember them."

"Not at all," said Torrence; "when those men left him he was only a year
old, so to speak.  He had entered his new existence but a twelvemonth
before; and although he had the size and strength of a man, he was but
an infant, so far as his mind was concerned, and I defy any one to
recall anything which happened at that time of their lives.  No one can
remember what happened when he was but a year old.  I have thought it
all out, old boy, and Von Broekhuysen ought to belong to a museum!"

There was no gainsaying what my brother said.  I wanted to ask him how
Merrick had made his escape, and what had become of the other fellow,
but a look warned me that an appropriate time had not come for these
questions.  I was impressed with the marvelous way in which Torrence had
been prepared for our discovery by this extraordinary man, Merrick, who
must have seen more of the mysteries of the Arctic regions than any
human being alive.

We were sailing over a sea of vast extent, whose shores were mythical.
Whither would it lead us?  Although it was the time of year when we
might reasonably expect to find moderate weather, even in high latitude,
we were amazed to find the air so temperate and pleasant as it was.  We
sat on deck nearly all the time, when not engaged in eating or sleeping,
and often without our top coats.  We kept constant watch on the horizon,
the water below us, and the sky above; expecting at any moment to
discover the outline of some unknown continent, but as the monotony of
sky and water continued we began to sympathize with Columbus.

Twenty-four hours after leaving the island, which we agreed to call Von
Broekhuysen, we estimated that we could not have come less than four
hundred miles, and yet there had not been the slightest indication of
land, although we had not changed our course half a degree. It was the
same placid, unmarked, and unknown ocean. Whither were we drifting?

It was about here that the meteorological conditions of the atmosphere
began to strike me as peculiar.  The northern horizon had been subjected
to a singular phenomenon for a good many hours, which I ascribed to one
of those effects of light so common in these latitudes. It was simply a
crescent-shaped cloud, growing in height as we advanced.  At first it
subtended the segment of an arc of about sixty degrees across the
horizon, steadily ascending toward the zenith with our progress.  But
gradually this form lost its definiteness, and melted into the sky in a
mellow haze, which softened the light and obscured the sun.  We were
glad enough to have the glare off the water, as it had been quite
trying, but I was at a loss to account for the phenomenon which had
abolished it.  If Torrence understood this he failed to explain it to
me—advising me to wait and see what would happen.  I mention it here as
an important fact bearing upon our future discoveries.  I had never
before seen so peculiar a cloud, retaining a definite form for so long a
time, fixed in density and character save that the arc grew as we
proceeded; and I naturally puzzled myself a good deal meditating on it.
But it was not until later that I ascertained the cause of this
astounding phenomenon.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Forty-eight hours after leaving the island we were still floating over
the same placid sea, and without indication of land upon any point of
the horizon.  We were working our way along at the rate of five and
twenty knots, under perfect conditions, when a thought struck me.

"How far have we come since leaving the island?" I asked.

Torrence looked at the indicator.

"About six hundred miles," he said.

"Exactly; and as Von Broekhuysen’s island is not more than two hundred
and fifty from the pole, we must have passed it, and be running down on
the other side of the earth.  It surely can’t be long before we strike
the frozen belt again; indeed we ought to be there already. But there
hasn’t been a block of ice, or a bit of cold weather to speak of yet.
How do you account for it?"

"Don’t bother about the ice," said Torrence; "you ought to be glad we
haven’t got any."

"But we ought to have it," I insisted, "according to my calculations——"

"Damn your calculations," he answered laughing; "didn’t I tell you I was
going to show you a new world, and new continents!"

"Continents!  I should enjoy even a shovel full of mud at present."

"Have patience; if Merrick could cross this sea in a dugout, with a
cotton sheet, we surely have an equal chance of doing so; although I
confess I think he must have struck a strip of land to the east or west
which we have missed.  But we are on a straight course and bound to come
out all right if we keep on."

"You expect to run down then over Alaska?" I inquired.

"I expect nothing of the kind.  Wait and you will see."

And I had to wait, for he would say nothing more just then, although I
asked him numerous questions.

It was shortly after this that I observed another most singular
phenomenon in the sky, which struck me with such amazement that I was
filled with awe.  About twenty degrees south of the zenith there
appeared in the heavens an enormous disk of pale light, only
distinguishable from the rest of the sky by being brighter and more of a
bluish tinge.  I should say it was a hundred times as large as the sun,
distinctly defined, and though not brilliant by contrast with that
luminary, was probably twice as luminous as the surrounding parts of the
sky.  There was something so utterly amazing in this sight that I could
not take my eyes from it, and even Torrence was impressed, although I
could see that he had a plausible explanation in his own mind.  When I
had stared long and earnestly without observing the slightest change in
the appearance, he said:

"When you have got a little more used to things here I will talk
plainer.  There are mysteries about our planet not even realized; and we
are on the high road to solve one of the most astounding."

The disk of light continued.  It did not seem to grow larger or smaller,
or to change its position in the heavens, and after I had grown weary of
looking at it, directed my attention again to the horizon, and was
startled by the unexpected appearance of two very singular objects.
They were small and very distant, but the glass revealed a couple of
dark spots four degrees to the port of our course, and hard upon the
sky-line.  Later a more careful observation showed a pair of black
columns rising directly out of the sea.  These objects, whatever they
were, now absorbed our entire attention, and we steered directly for
them.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Our compass had behaved so strangely of late that we depended in a
measure upon the triangulation of the rudder, which we knew was
inviolable in a still atmosphere, such as had favored us since leaving
Spitzbergen.  This feature of our steering apparatus was really very
clever, and entirely original with my brother, who had devised it for
the special purpose of obviating the difficulties mariners often
encounter in Arctic waters from the extreme sensitiveness and uncertain
freaks of the magnetic needle.  It consisted in a semi-circular dial,
accurately inscribed with degrees, minutes, and seconds, upon which an
indicator, connected with the rudder bar, acted. Thus any deviation from
a given course was accurately recorded by this index finger, and while
unaffected by air currents, was thoroughly reliable.  Another great
advantage in determining our position, lay in the fact that we were
enabled by the aid of our speed register to know exactly how fast we
were traveling.  Of course in a high wind it would be more difficult to
utilize these contrivances with accuracy, as another computation that of
estimating the velocity and direction of the air current would have to
be entered upon a condition which fortunately had not troubled us.

We continued, head on, for the points mentioned, the nature of which, we
were unable to decipher, even with the excellent glasses at our command.
Although running at a good rate, it was impossible to tell at the end of
half an hour whether these dark projections were any nearer than when we
had first seen them.  The air was clear, and the field of vision
extended.  The light appeared to differ from that of our own day, being
less intense and exceedingly restful and pleasant to the eyes. I can
compare it to nothing I know of, although in an inaccurate way it might
be said to resemble, on an exaggerated scale, that charming blending of
moonlight with the gloaming.  It was here that I first noticed what
seemed to be an electrical condition of the atmosphere that filled me
with the most agreeable sensations.  I felt lighter, stronger, in every
way healthier, and in better spirits.  Torrence also spoke of this, and
I am sure that I am right in ascribing it to our environment.  The sun
itself continued invisible, while the luminous disk referred to remained
unchanged.  We were indeed entering an unknown world.  Where would it
end?

After an hour’s run we could just perceive that the dark columns ahead
were a trifle nearer, though still thoroughly indefinite as to
character.  Torrence looked at the register.  Twenty-five miles an hour.

"They are still at a great distance," he said, "and I propose to hasten
my acquaintance with them."

He moved up the speed controller five miles faster, and then we took
seats and lighted cigars.

"Why should we not push her up to a mile a minute," I suggested, "and
satisfy our curiosity so much the sooner?"

"I don’t know," he answered, "there is no reason except a strange
apprehension that comes over me sometimes lest we have an accident.  We
seem so far from all we know."

"I thought you had every confidence."

"So I have.  The truth is I am excited.  We are on the verge of an
astounding discovery, I am dead sure that Merrick is right, and that I
am right—but hush—do not ask me yet.  I do not want to unnerve you.  A
little later!"

"You unnerve me a great deal more by not telling me than by telling me.
What is it?"

But he was quiet; with his glasses trained carefully on the objects
ahead.

At the end of two hours more we appeared only a trifle nearer the
columns, although we were undoubtedly seventy miles closer than when
first sighted.  Torrence was growing nervous.  He walked the deck,
chewing his cigar.  Presently he stopped, and said:

"I can’t stand it.  I’m going to give her five miles an hour more," and
moved up the controller accordingly.

We were now moving at the rate of five and thirty miles an hour, but
even at this rapid pace, it was three good hours before we could decide
with any certainty the nature of the columns; and then we saw that they
were twin mountains of extraordinary height, rising out of the sea.  In
another hour they were much more distinct, though still very far, and I
was at a loss to account for our having seen them at so great a distance
at first, except upon the ground of the many singular effects of light
and atmosphere which we encountered. Among these was a strange
indefiniteness about the horizon, totally differing from the prevailing
conditions in other parts of the world.  The sky-line blended with the
heavens in a kind of atmospheric veil, self-luminous, and illusive.  The
effect was altogether pleasing, though entirely novel.  Occasionally the
clouds would be rosy as after sunset, which I again attributed to some
electrical condition of the air, possibly the aurora, which, had it been
the Arctic night instead of day, I imagined would have made a wonderful
display.  But this was purely hypothetical on my part, and when I
suggested it to Torrence, he looked at me with surprise and said:

"Night!  There is no night here!"

"Not now," I replied; "but six months hence there will be."

"Never!" said he; "there is never any night here.  It is always as light
as this!"

I saw from his mood that it would be useless to argue, and so continued
my investigation of the twin mountains, which had grown near enough to
be easily inspected with the naked eye.  Torrence calculated that they
must, have been more than two hundred miles away when first seen.

When we had approached near enough to observe them in detail, we
slackened speed.  Rising directly out of the ocean, they presented a
marvelous picture; for their stupendous height and rugged grandeur is
surely not equalled in the world we inhabit.  We moved slowly toward
them, wishing to take in the scene from our deck to the best advantage.
We photographed them at different ranges, and were always surprised to
find that our last picture had been so remote.  We moved more slowly as
we approached, finally reducing the rate to five miles an hour,
believing we were within half an hour’s run of the shore, but were
undoubtedly ten or a dozen miles away at that time.

A stupendous wall of black granite rose before us, to a height which we
estimated to exceed twelve thousand feet.  This was the mountain upon
the left; the one on the right was nearly as high, though not so
absolutely precipitous.  Between these mountains was a channel about a
mile wide.  Coming to a halt before these appalling objects, two hundred
and fifty feet above the sea, we stood on deck, overwhelmed at the awful
sight.  Below stretched a crimson beach, running back to a chaotic sand
hill, strewn with huge masses of broken stone, from the top of which
towered in one unbroken wall the palisade or face of the mountain
itself.

Lowering ourselves gently to this beach we landed in a new world and
language cannot picture the appalling sublimity of the scene, or
describe our emotions.

"Surely these cliffs must mark the end of the earth!" I exclaimed.

"Hush!" said Torrence solemnly; "it is only the beginning!"

He was pale, and I could not help wondering if my face were as white as
his.

Craning my neck backward I looked up.  A cloud had hidden the top, and I
felt dizzy.

                     *      *      *      *      *




                                 *XV.*


Immediately on landing we made another careful examination of the air
ship, and to our intense satisfaction found that she was still in
perfect condition.  We had come a long journey, and thoroughly tested
her powers in varied temperatures and atmospheric conditions, but the
distance was as nothing to what was to come.

As we stood on this brilliant beach and looked back at the southern sky
I observed that the disk of blue light was a little smaller, and a very
little higher in the heavens.  Still there was no sun, but this great
circular shield was a focus for the dissemination of light upon every
side.  I stood marveling at it until Torrence called me.  He was
examining the crimson shells a little higher up the shore.

"Come," he said, "and look at these!"

I walked over to where he was.

The shore was literally covered with pink mollusks, a large percentage
of which contained true pearls of extraordinary size and beauty.
Torrence was pounding them open with a couple of stones.

"Within a hundred yards of this spot," he said, "lies a fortune greater
than the combined wealth of the Rothschilds.  In the pearl fisheries of
the old world not one shell in a thousand contains a pearl of any value.
But here, in these strangely colored mollusks, ninety per cent. enclose
gems of extraordinary merit."

He held one up for my inspection.

"Here," he said, "is one which I have opened at random. It is of the
first water; of perfect skin and orient; the most delicate texture, and
without speck or flaw, and is worth at the lowest estimate one hundred
pounds. Without going a dozen steps we can find ten times that value.
Some of these pearls are pink, and from what I have seen and heard of
them, I do not think they will ever fade——"

"From what you have heard?" I interrupted; "what do you mean?"

"My dear fellow, the shores of this continent are strewn with these
shells for hundreds of miles at a stretch, as its mountains are filled
with gold and diamonds.  Do you not know that Merrick had the value of
millions in them.  It was from him that I heard of them, and from him
that I bought millions of pounds worth."

"Bought!" I exclaimed in astonishment.

"Yes, bought!"

"And with what pray?"

"With a promise," said Torrence "Money was of no use to him, but fame he
valued.  As you know, he and Niles escaped from Von Broekhuysen Island.
Niles was lost, while Merrick alone reached the world we are now in.
How he got there, or what his adventures are, it is not necessary to
relate; but he did it, and I now know that he found land much nearer the
island than we have—but that is unimportant.  How he reached his home
again is even still more wonderful, and a volume might be written about
the man’s terrible sufferings and adventures; but his life was
embittered by the incredulity, the cold skepticism, and indifference
with which he was greeted on every hand, by those who were too bigoted
and ignorant to heed his story, or even investigate the proofs of the
new world, which he brought with him. The geographical societies of a
dozen cities either listened to him as they would to the ravings of a
madman, or turned a deaf ear with scorn.  And this treatment he received
wherever he went, and at the hands of organizations termed scientific,
whose plain duty was to listen to the words and test the affidavits of
the applicant.  But the nature of Merrick’s claims was so astounding
that no one, high or low, would heed him, and yet he only discovered
that which I have always believed in.  I, alone, of all the world, gave
the fellow proper audience.  I saw at once his claim to credence.  I
promised what he demanded in exchange for his wealth—notoriety.  He saw
that with the air ship I should be able to prove all that he had ever
said, and that I could make his name great among coming generations.  He
saw that I could upset the position of the wiseacres who had refused to
hear him, and make them the butt of their fellows.  All this I promised
to do, if able, and in exchange for that promise he gave me the few
millions in pearls, diamonds, and other precious stones he had brought
with him as proofs of his discovery.  Gurthrie, have you not yet guessed
the nature of that discovery?"

"I should hope so," I answered.

"And what is it?"

"That the North Pole has a continent around it which is blessed with a
temperate climate."

"And is that all?"

"That the sky has a luminous disk as big as a cart wheel, that takes the
place of the sun!"

"Nothing more?"

"That the electrical condition of the atmosphere is highly beneficial to
the nerves."

"Go on!" said Torrence impatiently.

"That pearls and precious stones are as common as dirt!"

"Tell me what else he discovered," exclaimed Torrence, "and be quick
about it!"

"Not being Mr. Merrick, I’m sure I don’t know," I answered.

"Don’t know!" roared Torrence, "do you mean to tell me that you don’t
know where you are?"

"Somewhere about the role I suppose.  I might say ninety degrees north."

My brother looked at me with a singular expression of pity, and then
stooping down resumed his work of opening shells with an indifference
that exasperated me.

"Where in Heaven’s name are we then?" I shouted.

"No matter just now," he answered.  "I thought perhaps you would have
guessed.  I don’t want to shock you.  Perhaps the truth will dawn on you
later; if not I will tell you.  Meanwhile, let us gather a few bushels
of these pearls.  They are of no value here, but they will be if we ever
go home again."

And so we set to work under the shadow of those awful cliffs, and in a
couple of hours had secured unestimated value in the most perfect
specimens conceivable. We packed these away in the air ship in a small
sack, and then Torrence proposed that we name the stupendous headland
before us "Mount Horror."

I agreed that it would be an excellent name, well adapted to our
feelings on approaching it, and descriptive of the gloom and phenomenal
aspect of the mountain itself.  The one on the opposite side of the
channel he suggested we call "Mount Gurthrie," to which I also assented,
and entered the names in our chart of discoveries.

It was upon this desolate shore that we cooked our first ration of bear
meat, brought all the way from Spitzbergen.

Climbing into the hill beyond the beach among the sand and rocks, we
found a quantity of dried seaweed, which we carried down to the shore
for a fire.  It burned with a crackling noise and pungent smell, so
pleasant that we decided to carry some of it away with us, filling some
bags, and throwing them on board before leaving. We had quite a picnic
over our bear steak and coffee, although it was impossible to divest
ourselves of a certain gloom, resulting from the lowering heights above.
The air was still, and only the tiniest ripple of a surf came rolling in
upon our rosy beach, and the stillness, the cessation of motion, and our
extraordinary situation, made me for the first time long for home.

A bird of an unknown species came flying toward us from over the water.
Its plumage was brilliant with trailing feathers of red, green, and
yellow; while upon its head was a topknot of the same colors.  Torrence
thought he should like to have it and so fetched his gun. The bird
circled above, full of curiosity.  Perhaps we were the first human
beings it had ever seen.  Descending spirally it came at last within
easy range, but we had not the heart to kill it.  Then, apparently
satisfied with its investigation, commenced an upward course, circling
away again, just as it had come; only this time aiming its spirals
toward the top of the cliff, until lost to view. Torrence then
discharged the gun in the air to hear the reverberation from the rocks.
The sound was impressive, coming back to us like thunder from the
heights. It was probably the first time a gun had ever been discharged
in this desolate quarter of the globe, and I was glad it was not in the
destruction of life.

When the smoke had cleared away and the echoes ceased, we were attracted
by a whirring sound above, and looking up saw thousands of pigeons which
our shot had frightened from their nests.  We watched them while they
skurried about in dismay, until, finding that no harm had been done,
they settled back among the rocks again.

                     *      *      *      *      *

We had made a hearty meal and were beginning to think of going when
Torrence suggested that we ascend the face of Mount Horror in the air
ship instead of taking our way up the channel, or following the
precipitous and rugged shore line for another exit.  I reminded him that
it would probably be cold at such an elevation, but agreed that it would
afford a magnificent view of the country.  Besides, we wanted to inspect
the crater, feeling sure the mountain was an extinct volcano, and so
determined to ascend to the highest elevation first, and then continue
our journey northward over the country beyond, or through the channel
which offered a clear passage in the direction of our course.  This
chasm through which the river ran was sublime and terrible.  A rent in
that stupendous rock formation which seemed to dwarf and threaten the
very foundations of the earth on which it rested.  We could but regard
it with feelings of awe. An overpowering desire to escape its depressing
influence possessed us.

Safely aboard the air ship we began ascending the wall as if passengers
in a huge elevator, which in fact we were.  Again the birds flew out,
terrified at our approach, some falling dead from sheer fright, a few of
which we secured on deck.  Hugging this terrible escarpment we were
enabled to examine its formation with accuracy.  Large blocks of
syenitic granite hung loose, ready to drop at any minute and we saw how
for ages the cliff had been slowly disintegrating, and receding from the
sea by action of storm and catyclism. Lightning had also played its
part, and its handwriting was visible on every side.  Ledges large
enough to hold a house were loaded with nests and eggs of every color
and size.  We consulted about the feasibility of capturing some of
these, by halting and climbing out after them, but concluded to let them
go, as the danger was too great.  It involved not only the risk in
scrambling from the vessel to the ledge, but the additional chance of
being smashed by a falling rock from above.  Of course in our ascent we
were careful to keep far enough away to obviate that possibility.

When we had risen clear above Mount Horror we looked down into the
fearful chasm that separated us from Mount Gurthrie.  It was a sight
never to be forgotten.  To the south lay the unspotted ocean; but to the
north the land sloped away rapidly, and beyond the highest elevations
which, in themselves, were mountains of no mean height, but so far below
as to seem trivial; beyond these, I say as far as the eye could reach,
extended a beautiful country, with rivers, valleys, lakes and hills,
with forest, plain, and mountain.  The panorama was entrancing, and the
effect on us profound.

Hovering over the crater, which we found just as we expected, we looked
down into a black abyss, so vast and awful, that we had no inclination
to investigate it, although it was large enough for us to have descended
bodily with the air ship.  There was no smoke, nor were any sulphurous
fumes emitted.  Evidently the volcano had been extinct for ages; and we
passed rapidly on upon our north bound course, glad enough to have dry
land under us once again, and to descend to a lower and warmer level.
We were soon down among the foothills, and traversing a well timbered
country, rising from time to time to clear the elevations encountered.
The panorama that now stretched away before us was one of ravishing
beauty, and we took our places on deck with lighted cigars to enjoy it.
I suggested that we name the new land "Torrenzia," but Torrence only
declared that while people might call it what they pleased, the credit
of the new world must go to the man who had first seen it.

"You seem to think there is only one scrap of a continent here," he
said, "and Torrenzia may do well enough for one; but remember it is a
new world we have entered; and if I am not greatly mistaken we shall
find it studded with civilizations equal to any we know. Certainly you
are dense, Gurthrie, and stupid to a degree, not to have guessed by this
time where we are!"

I did not answer; in fact I was provoked that he should be so secretive
with the information he possessed.  I confessed to my bewilderment at
what we saw but was still in the dark as to the truth.

We now ran rapidly forward over a picturesque country, and through an
atmosphere not only temperate but exhilarating.  About a hundred miles
inland the timber and water courses were less prolific, and fifty miles
farther we merged upon a great, treeless plain, covered with short
tussocky grass, sand, and rocks.  At intervals were to be seen the bones
of animals bleaching where they had fallen, the entire skeletons being
generally intact.  More than once we descended to the ground to examine
them, but could not decide whether they were buffalo or some other
creature.  What surprised us most was the fact that there appeared to be
no living ones.  But we did not waste our time upon this arid plain,
fearing to run short of water, and being particularly anxious to
discover if our new world was inhabited.  As we sat on deck smoking our
cigars, rushing into the gentle breeze ahead, we felt like monarchs, or
rather god-like creatures, who owned and ruled a world from above.

We had little time for sleep, our excitement being intense, and the
short intervals we spared for an occasional nap, were taken alternately,
the one remaining on deck promising the other to wake him as soon as
anything of special interest occurred.  I had just come above after one
of these short siestas and joining my brother observed him looking with
unusual interest through the glass at something below.

"What is it now?" I called, leaning over the rail.

At a glance I saw that the nature of the country had changed.  No more
skeletons; no more sand and rocks, or arid desert, but a great sheet of
water lay to our right, while below and beyond were trees and fields,
which looked as if they were cultivated; and here and there, at
intervals of a mile or two, were undoubtedly the walls of human
habitations.  I do not say they were houses, for houses have roofs,
whereas these edifices were roofless.

"I am sure I have discovered houses," said Torrence; "and I am trying to
see if there are any people!"

I took the glass from his hand.

"There is no doubt about it," I exclaimed; "and what is more, they do
not appear to be ruins, but houses in perfect repair, judging from their
similarity and the condition of the grounds around them.  But what kind
of climate must these people enjoy to require no roofs? Certainly it can
never rain!"

"Nor snow!" he added with a smile.

"What made you think of snow?"

"I thought, perhaps, you were thinking of it," he replied.

"Why?"

"Because you said it was high time we were in the ice belt again!"

I started.

"And how far have we come?" I asked.

"From where?"

He looked carefully at his register and made a calculation.  He then
said:

"We are now one thousand three hundred and eighty miles from Von
Broekhuysen’s Island, and about one thousand one hundred and thirty
miles north of the North Pole—if you can imagine such a thing—I mean
that we have advanced upon a straight line for this distance; and as you
see, we have met neither ice, snow, nor cold weather yet!"

I looked above.  The great disk of light was still bright in the
heavens; I thought a little nearer the zenith than before.  Unless there
had been some gross miscalculation in our speed we had got to face a
physical problem of the most stupendous nature.  A problem so appalling
that I began to dread the explanation as much as I had recently sought
it.

"Yes," I answered in a weak voice, "there is certainly neither ice nor
snow here!"

"Nor cold!" added Torrence.

"Nor cold!" I admitted.

"Nor undue heat!" he continued.

"Certainly not.  The temperature has been perfect."

"And the air has a vitality unknown to us in the old world," he pursued.

"I grant every word you say.  This may be a dream, but it is a
paradise!"

"It is not a dream!" cried Torrence; "it is another world; a world
within our own.  Yonder disk of light in the sky is the opening at the
pole through which we have sailed.  The earth is a hollow globe, with an
opening at each pole, through which the sunlight always enters.  For six
months it comes through the northern opening, and for six months through
the southern.  But the change is gradual.  With the advent of the
southern day, the disk is in the south, fading imperceptibly as the
northern light supplants it, and _vice versa_.  The great aurora
borealis which illumines the Arctic regions of our world is simply the
sunlight pouring through from the southern hemisphere, or the light
which enters the earth at the South Pole, discharging itself at the
north. For ages our world was believed to be flat; but time and study
proved the fallacy.  In the days of Hipparchus and Ptolemy, and for
centuries after it was believed that the sun revolved around the earth;
what a stupendous change in man’s knowledge when the opposite was found
to be the case.  From the days of Columbus to our own—with a few notable
exceptions—the world was supposed to be filled with amass of molten
material; but within recent years facts observed in the boiling of water
have compelled men to abandon that theory and substitute that of a world
solid to the core.  One by one the theories which have stood on the bed
rock of science and been held as irrefutable by the wisdom of the age,
have crumbled to pieces, and been supplanted by others; and now the
faith in a solid earth is to be shattered, for you and I know that it is
hollow—light and inhabited.  But let us see what small beginnings led to
the change in men’s views in the past, and observe how similar they are
to those operating now——"

"What!" I interrupted, "do you mean to say that we have sailed through
an opening at the pole, and are now in the interior of the earth?"

"That is exactly it," answered Torrence.

"I can’t comprehend such a thing.  What is the diameter of this opening;
and where is the North Pole?"

"The North Pole has no existence except as an imaginary point in space,
at least five hundred miles from the surface of the earth.  The openings
at the so-called poles are more than a thousand miles in diameter,
admitting the light of the sun and holding it with a denser and more
highly electrified atmosphere than our own, making perpetual daylight,
for, as I have told you, when the sun crosses the line, its light is
derived through the opening at the opposite pole.  The frozen belt
surrounding each of these openings mark the regions of the verge, and
the distance across this ring is about fifteen hundred miles.

"But the polar regions are declared to be slightly flattened."

"That is because men have penetrated far enough into the verge to mark
the change in the earth’s convexity, but not far enough to perceive that
they had actually begun to enter the sphere itself.  But I am coming to
that presently.  I wish to show you why certain men, in advance of their
time, have believed that the earth was a hollow globe, luminous and
desirable for man’s abode, as we now know it to be; and how, as in some
of the greatest discoveries of the past these views have been based on
the study of facts as we find them, and not upon theories, which distort
facts to maintain themselves.  About the year 1470, a Portuguese sailor
by the name of Vicente found a piece of curiously carved wood more than
a thousand miles to the west of Algarve, a province of southern
Portugal.  This relic was discovered after a westerly gale of long
duration.  It set the fellow thinking.  It also set Christopher Columbus
thinking. Another mariner, by the name of Correa had observed certain
flotsam and jetsam under similar circumstances, and was impressed by the
fact.  Then there was the belief in the mysterious islands of St.
Brandam; and nearly 8 thousand miles west of the Canaries was supposed
to be the lost island of the Seven Cities, upon which theme you remember
Irving’s charming story, ’The Adalantado of the Seven Cities.’  These
and a few other facts led Columbus to stake his life and fortune in
sailing into the unknown West for the new world.  I now want to show you
some of the reasons for believing in a hollow, habitable globe, and to
ask if they are not equally as strong as those which guided Columbus."

I was astounded, dazed, and stood trembling by the taffrail, while
Torrence proceeded.




                                 *XVI.*


                     *      *      *      *      *

"Do not be appalled by our discovery," he continued; "it is as simple
and natural as that which proved the earth a sphere, when the wisdom of
the ages had declared it flat.  The old arguments against its rotundity
were quite as potent as any ever brought to refute the theory of a
hollow globe, first advanced by Captain Symmes. How could the earth be
round?  Would not all the water run off on the underside?  The thing was
absurd.  ’How could the world be hollow and habitable?  Would not the
inside be dark? and would not the water drop from the upper to the lower
half?’  Why does not the moon drop?  The land and water above us are so
distant, and so screened by the atmosphere as to be invisible even if we
were thousands of miles above our present position. The center of
gravity lies somewhere within the crust, which is probably nowhere more
than a hundred miles thick.

"The inner world is better in every way than the outer.  The climate is
more uniform and temperate. The electrical conditions of the atmosphere
more conducive to longevity and health, and the struggle for existence
far less than with us.  Here are some of the arguments in favor of a
hollow globe, which the so-called wise men have ignored.  The uniform
migration of herrings to the south.  Whence come they, if not from the
interior of the earth, for they are never known to return? The
assumption is that in search of their food supplies they constantly
advance against an opposing current, which takes them through the earth,
from pole to pole.

"Arctic explorers have observed in the long night of the polar regions
that the north star rises to the zenith at a certain latitude, and then
declines over the stern of their vessels as they advance further
northward, which is directly in contradiction to what it should do, had
they not already reached the verge and begun to pass inward toward the
interior.  This in itself should be a convincing fact.  The Aurora
Borealis has never been explained satisfactorily, but you and I know its
meaning.  Strange plants and birds unknown to our world have from time
to time been found upon our most northern shores.  As I have already
told you, the reindeer of Spitzbergen are marked by the hand of man, but
what man no one knows, as the island is uninhabited, and as they could
not have come from the south, they must have crossed the ice from some
undiscovered country to the north.

"Almost all of the civilized nations have from time to time expended
large sums of money in determining the figure of the earth.  Arcs of the
meridian have been measured again and again; and observations of the
pendulum, as well as weight experiments, have been made to determine the
force of terrestrial gravity in different localities.  The result of
these experiments has been to prove that the bulk of the earth, as
determined by gravity, differs greatly from the result reached by
measurement.  This discrepancy has never been satisfactorily accounted
for, nor can it ever be, with the present view of the earth’s interior,
but with Symmes’ theory of a hollow globe, as we know it, could be
easily explained. But I am coming to still more extraordinary data.

"In the early part of this century two human corpses were found incased
in on iceberg, which had presumably floated down from the eastern coast
of Greenland.  The bodies were perfectly preserved, and clothed in
garments entirely different, both in design and material, from those
worn by the Esquimaux, or any known race of people. Beyond this, neither
the form, shape of skull, or color of skin resembled that of any
nationality with which we are familiar.  Their discovery created quite a
sensation at the time, but as no clew was ever established to their
identity, the circumstance was gradually forgotten.  Might not these men
have been daring explorers, dwellers of the inner earth, and wandering
beyond the possibility of return, been lost in the ice and so preserved,
perhaps, for centuries?

"About twenty years ago, one Niack Dolê, a Norwegian whaler, discovered
in a block of field ice, after a northerly gale of many days’ duration,
an extraordinary animal, differing from any which he or any of his
companions had ever seen before.  The little creature was carried home
at the end of the voyage, and although thousands of men of experience,
and travelers from many parts of the world, saw and examined it, it was
impossible to class it with any known species.

"In the year 1855 four wild men were found by some sailors on the ice to
the north of Cape Tchelyieskin, in the Tamyr Peninsula, Siberia.  They
could give no account of themselves, as no one could understand their
language.  They were cared for, and visited by many people and afterward
sent to St. Petersburg where strangers from all parts of the world saw
them; but not a single individual was ever able to communicate with them
except through the language of signs.  They all died within two years of
their discovery, and the only established fact concerning them seemed to
be that they came from somewhere across the frozen sea to the north,
where they had always lived.  In appearance these men were unlike any we
know.  They understood each other perfectly, had a racial resemblance,
were fairly intelligent, and would doubtless have mastered the language
spoken around them had they lived long enough.

"You may say that this is all very well to show that there is an unknown
continent somewhere about the pole, but that it has no bearing on the
hollow globe.  But the arguments in favor of that I have already shown
you from an astronomical, geographical, meteorological and scientific
point of view, and yet there is one more I wish to present, which in my
opinion is profound and unanswerable.

"In the transit of Venus observations are taken at various points upon
the earth’s surface.  The path which Venus describes across the disk of
the sun varies with the position of the observer, so also does the angle
of her axis vary with that position.  The projection of Venus against
the sun occurs when she is at her inferior conjunction, and approaching
either node.  The node is one of the points where the orbit of a planet
intercepts the ecliptic, or the orbit of its primary.  In this condition
the body of Venus will appear as a dark spot crossing the disk of the
sun.  Now, in the last transit of Venus, two gentlemen of great
ability—Herr Von Pultzner, and an American by the name of Breslyne
observed it from a point quite remote from all others.  I will give you
the exact locality of their observation later, and the reason of their
choosing it.  I am not going to bother you with scientific terms, but
will merely say that when the dark body of Venus was interposed between
the earth and the sun, an extraordinary phenomenon presented itself to
these men—a phenomenon entirely different from that seen by any other
observer.  In the center of the planet was a brilliant point of light,
around which the opaque substance of the star was visible.  Von Pultzner
and Breslyne examined this light carefully, and identified it with
sunlight.  To be concise, they perceived that they were looking directly
through Venus at the sun.  There was no disputing the fact—the light was
analyzed and proved identical with sunlight, the same as that beyond the
dark circumference of the planet.  These men—both of whom I know to be
intelligent and truthful—looked at each other in amazement.

"’We have made a most astounding discovery,’ said one.

"’It is nothing less than that Venus has a hole through her center, from
pole to pole,’ answered the other.

"’Yes, and a thousand times more,’ continued the first, ’for if Venus is
a hollow sphere, all the planets are hollow.’

"This I know to be a fact, and yet, because unsupported by better
evidence—I mean the evidence of professional astronomers—the testimony
of these men was turned aside."

"And why should all the planets be hollow because Venus is hollow?" I
inquired.

"Because it is inconceivable that they were not brought into existence
and formed by the same law.  An hypothesis which accounts for the
formation of Mars or Venus upon one theory, and that of the earth upon
another, would never be countenanced by science.  The solar system was
the result of law, of unalterable and immutable law, working for
manifestation.  It could not produce a solid globe in the one instance
and a hollow sphere in the other.  No—all the planets are hollow—the
earth is a mere bubble floating in space.  And now I want to ask if the
evidence I had accumulated was not equal to that which fired Columbus?"

"Why did you not tell me all this before we started?" I inquired.

"Because, being an average man, you would have discarded it, as other
very wise and average men have done before.  You would have taken me for
a fool, and left me in the lurch.  But we are here at last, and my dream
is true.  We now know that the earth is hollow, bright, and habitable."

I was dumfounded at the awful significance of our discovery.  If I had
suddenly found myself a visitor upon the planet Mars, through some newly
devised means of transportation, my bewilderment could have been no
greater.  Not only was the evidence overwhelming that the earth was
hollow and open at the poles, but the fact had been established by the
testimony of our own senses.

We were in that world, and there could be no further speculation
regarding its existence.

                     *      *      *      *      *

"Beyond all that I have told you," continued Torrence, "Arctic explorers
have observed the crescent-shaped cloud which we saw above the northern
horizon, and which is simply the opposite side of the verge across the
polar opening.  Few navigators venturing beyond the eighty-second
parallel have failed to observe this phenomenon."

                     *      *      *      *      *

"Now I have told you some of the most potent causes which influenced
Symmes and others in the adoption of this belief; but there are other
reasons, quite as forceful, not necessary to enumerate at present, as we
should be on the lookout for wonders ahead."

Passing beyond the shores of the lake we entered a rolling country,
watered by a broad river with numerous minor tributaries.  The course of
this stream proved the same as our own for quite a distance.

                     *      *      *      *      *

The small roofless houses were again observed, and we thought they were
possibly the huts of herders, as occasional glimpses of animals were to
be had in the distance.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Tracing the course of this river for more than a hundred miles we
encountered a sight that thrilled us to the core of our beings.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Sailing on the quiet water below was a ship of unknown build.  In the
most romantic imagining of fairy tale this vessel could never have been
surpassed.  Slightly resembling the Pinta and Santa Maria, she suggested
them, but the likeness was not sustained on closer examination.  She was
of greater beam and depth, and of loftier bow and stern.  Her prow rose
to unusual height, receding gracefully, and again projecting outward in
a superb figurehead in the form of a swan, whose beak was gilded, and
whose head and neck were set with jewels in laminated gold.

                     *      *      *      *      *

The masts were short, two in number, and placed upon each side of the
deck, instead of down the center as with us.  Stretched horizontally
across from mast to mast was a sail of many colors.  It possessed a
sheen transcending that of the finest silk and was striped
perpendicularly. The masts were gilded and set with jewels.  Wherever we
looked the ornamentation was extreme and extended to every detail.
Colored sparks flashed from remote and unexpected corners, where
gem-like stones were set, and the vessel glowed and burned and blazed
with creeping fires as of scintillating phosphorescence of green,
yellow, red and gold.

But this was not all.  There were living creatures upon the deck clothed
in the soft undulations of watered silk. No Eastern potentate, or
denizen of Aladdin’s palace, was ever half so gorgeously attired, as the
passengers aboard this extraordinary craft.  The flash of powdered mica
on cloaks of transparent fineness produced the impression of liquid
glass.  The headgear was high, and terminated in a point like a
cornucopia, and ornamented with odd designs, fore and aft, in precious
stones.  Some in green, like emeralds, others blue, like sapphires;
while what appeared to be rubies, diamonds, and gold flashed among them
in dazzling profusion.  On no theatrical stage had I ever seen such a
sight, and we hovered low to take in the singular scene.

Naturally, we caused great excitement among those on board, who pointed
up at us, shouting in a tongue unlike any we had ever heard.  One old
man who had a long, gray beard plaited in three strands, each strand
held together by half a dozen jeweled rings, seemed particularly anxious
to communicate with us, and made signals for us to descend.  But
Torrence thought it safest to remain above, and so we simply looked down
upon them from an elevation of about sixty feet, adjusting our speed to
that of their vessel.  We realized more than ever that we had entered
another world, for a more strangely fantastic scene was impossible to
imagine.  The wildest consternation reigned on board while we remained
in sight, and Torrence waved a white cloth, and made signals to show
that we were friendly.  We embraced one another, and extended our arms
toward them as an indication of brotherly love, and we had to convince
them with some difficulty that the air ship was not alive.  It was
evident that they did not understand flying machines in the new world.

We hovered above this strange vessel for more than an hour, exchanging
signals, and endeavoring to communicate; but, finding it quite as
impossible to impart information, as to acquire it, we waved them a
farewell, took a snapshot with the kodak, and lifting ourselves high
above, swept onward upon our journey.

The mysterious craft was soon out of sight, and we hurried forward,
following the sinuosities of the river, about a hundred and fifty feet
above its surface.  As we sat looking out upon its beautiful shores, and
the exquisite country beyond, meditating upon the marvels that had
befallen us, I almost doubted my bodily existence.  The revelation had
been too profound and stupendous to be credited in so short a time.

"Is this thing real, or is it a vision of death?" I inquired, turning on
my brother suddenly.

"I am not surprised at your asking," he replied; "I have been afraid to
tell you the truth of our discovery before, although I have known it and
believed in it for years.  Merrick’s story only confirmed me in my own
views."

"And have you never felt a doubt as to the result of the enterprise?"

"Scarcely; the arguments were too strong in favor of the hollow globe
for me to have any serious misgiving. But long before I spoke to you I
was absolutely convinced.  By the distance we had traveled.  By the
genial climate.  By the strange light.  By the crescent cloud. By the
absence of recurring cold, and by the accumulated knowledge already
mentioned.  My dear boy, I fully appreciate what a shock this must be to
you—even greater than it is to me, and for the reason that I have
studied the question and believed in it half my life.  For fifteen years
I have been convinced that if I could ever find a way across the
Palæocrystic Sea I should be able to sail without difficulty into the
interior of the earth. There is really nothing more stupendous in this
acquisition to our knowledge than was that of the spherical globe to the
ancients.  When a race of people has been bred for thousands of years to
believe that the world they inhabit is flat, it must seem wildly absurd
to be suddenly confronted with a theory which advances the possibility
of their being able to walk upon the under side of it.  Think of such a
statement being made to sensible men!"

"And how do you account for the fact that these people have never found
their way into the outer world?" I asked.

"For the same reason that we have never found our way into theirs,"
replied Torrence.  "The difficulties of crossing the ice belt are very
nearly insurmountable; and yet that they are not quite so we have seen
in the case of Jan von Broekhuysen and his two companions. Neither is it
by any means certain that dwellers of this inner region have never
reached us.  Remember the wild men discovered off Cape Tchelyieskin.
Where did they come from?  Beyond this there are isolated cases of
communities that point to unknown regions in the far north, as well as
the far south, as their hailing place.  These have traditions of having
once inhabited a land of more genial climate, and affording better
conditions for the human race than ours, and moreover, a land where day
was eternal!  True, it may not be once in thousands of years that the
ice barrier has been threaded, but what is more to the point, it is
probable that those who have crossed it did not know it.  The change is
so gradual, the mind so fixed in its normal conception of the earth’s
character, that only a few eccentric, or peculiarly educated persons,
among the very few who may have accomplished the feat, ever suspected
it.  There was a time in the world’s history when one might have
circumnavigated the earth without a suspicion that he had done so."

We now took our meals invariably on deck, not wishing to miss any of the
strange and beautiful scenery constantly passing.  On one occasion,
while preparing some food in the galley, I was struck by what appeared
to be a secret panel in the wall.  Asking Torrence about it, he said:

"Push it up one inch, and then down two.  Then if you press it gently
inward it will slide open of itself."

I did so, and found that the aperture contained ten small canvas bags,
in each of which, as Torrence told me, were a thousand English
sovereigns.

"And what on earth have you brought this amount of coin here for?" I
inquired in amazement.

Torrence simply said:

"Because I thought we might need it before we got home again.  Gold
talks, you know, and we may be able to communicate with these people
through its medium. Gold is current throughout our world, and I wanted
to see if it were good here.  If it is valuable we may not expect to
find any very abnormal deposits; if not, look out for a bonanza,
provided the air ship holds together, so that we can carry it out with
us.  I have my theory about it."

"And what is that?" I asked.

"Why simply that our little stock of sovereigns won’t buy bread enough
for a square meal!" he answered.




                                *XVII.*


This circumstance reminded me of Torrence’s financiering and the
discovery of pearls upon the beach.  It seemed trivial to concern
ourselves about gold when precious stones were to be had with so slight
an effort, and I asked why he should care to carry any of the yellow
metal away with him.

"Merely to convince the outer world of its existence, and to confirm a
theory I have always held," he replied. "To my mind there can be no
reasonable doubt that we shall find deposits here exceeding anything our
people have ever dreamed of!"

"And why?"

"Because gold is heavy," he answered.

"Nonsense.  Do you mean to say that the center of gravity is not quite
as far below our feet here, as on the outer crust?"

"Probably not.  When our globe was in process of forming, two great
forces moulded it—the centrifugal and centripetal.  These produce
various vibratory conditions in different masses, resulting in gravity
or affinity upon one hand, and repulsion upon the other.  Bodies having
the greatest specific gravity grouped themselves about the inner
surface, forming an arch, being thrown off in a gaseous state from the
center.  But from the very reason of their gravity were unable to
descend any great distance into the crust; and therefore the heaviest
substances should be found upon the inner or under side of the earth’s
canopy."

"I fail to see it," I answered.  "Why should not a heavy weight sink
deeper than a light one?"

"It doubtless would on our side of the world," he replied, "but here the
conditions are different, and for this reason.  The great mass of earth
above our heads is drawing us upward, as the mass below is drawing us
downward.  Not, to be sure, to the same degree, or we should not be able
to walk on the ground.  I believe that all things here are lighter than
with us.  You and I probably weigh several pounds less than we would in
the United States or England.  Gold, too, is doubtless lighter, for it
is lifted up, as well as pulled down; whereas upon the outer surface of
the earth it is drawn only one way.  I may be mistaken, but I expect to
find it in large quantities."

"Why, then, did you bring so much with you?" I inquired.

"Simply because I didn’t know what might happen. If we find it, well and
good; if not, the interest on fifty thousand dollars won’t be any too
much for a couple of men to live on, in the event of our being stranded
here and unable to return."

All this time we were passing over a country where water, timber, and
pasturage abounded, and where the grass was variegated with large
patches of brilliant flowers of unknown varieties.  But if the flora
differed from that of our own land the fauna was no less remarkable.  We
saw herds of diminutive deer, feeding in the open country.  Birds
abounded, and some with a strange plumage, in which the pink of roses
predominated. The topknots on certain of these looked as if a rose had
blossomed there; add to this a body and tail of red and green trailing
feathers, it appeared as if a flower spray was floating through the air.
We caused the greatest consternation among these creatures wherever we
went, and the four-legged beasts would at first run on catching sight of
us, and then, overcome with curiosity, huddle together and look up, with
cries of amazement and terror.

But we were approaching a remarkable sight.  In the distance was a fleet
of boats, similar to the one we had passed, and beyond them, looming in
the denser background we saw a magnificent city of white and gold. We
brought our glasses to bear upon this strange vision of the new earth.
As we approached, the fleet presented a vision of splendor impossible to
describe.  Whereas before a single vessel had so impressed us, we were
now confronted with a vista of hundreds, which stretched away down the
wide avenue of this unknown river as far as the eye could reach.
Flashing sails in a thousand strange designs of form and color.  Decks
loaded with men, women, and children, in such fantastic and magnificent
apparel that we were startled and bewildered at the sight.  On nearing
this extraordinary scene, we hovered above, and caused the wildest
excitement.  Trumpets were blown at us.  Bells were lifted on poles and
jangled. Chimes were sounded that came floating down the water from ship
to ship as if each vessel had its own special note, and then were
answered back again, receding in the distance, until they faded on the
air.  In all the sounds there was a singular harmony, a softness of tone
strangely gratifying.  We moved slowly down the line—above the
mastheads, above the music—for I cannot call it noise—to exclamations of
joy and wonder.  Here was a revelation awful to contemplate.  Had we
been living just above these people, in such close proximity for the
unnumbered ages of man’s creation, and never even guessed of their
existence?  But why was it any more remarkable than that they had not
discovered, or even thought of us?  A double world indeed; a shell, a
bubble, a hollow ball; and yet neither had given a thought to the
other’s existence.

We hovered above this scene for hours, trying to communicate with the
people, and examining their surroundings; and then, having learned but
little, hastened on to the distant city.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Another singular feature of our new world was the fact that there were
no shadows.  I do not mean that there were no shady places, but a
shadow, in our sense, with clear cut edges did not exist.  And indeed it
was impossible that it should, the sun itself being nowhere visible from
the inner side of the globe, the light entering from the poles, and
being disseminated throughout the interior, as after sunset with us.
The facilities for this distribution are vastly superior to anything we
know, both from the electrified air, and a certain humidity, which
seizes the rays of the great luminary, and equalizes and softens them
most agreeably.

As we neared the great white city it grew upon us in splendor.  Minarets
and towers, arcades and domes, hanging gardens, tiers of arches rising
one above another, majestic colonnades leading to palaces of regal
magnificence, delighted and bewildered us.  Although white was the
predominating color, every conceivable hue and tint was used in
ornamentation.  Green domes with golden devices.  Lapis lazuli columns.
Malachite archways communicating with gardens where flowers of a
thousand tints mingled in the spray of colored waters, whose trembling
waves of iridescent mist would alternately hide and reveal them; where
birds sang, and throngs of gayly attired people loitered.  These were
mere glimpses through the arches; but the parks, the great public spaces
of the city where thousands of citizens met for pleasure and recreation,
these were a vision of glory which word painting cannot approximate; for
dreams of paradise were they, beyond the power of man to conceive.  Here
the very atmosphere was alive with song birds, whose plumage sparkled
like jewels.  We were entranced.  The sights, the perfumes, and the
sounds made the brain reel in its effort to absorb them.  When the sense
of vision would weary with the shifting pageant beneath, the nerves
would be soothed with strange perfumes, whose origin was unseen, but
whose effect was marvelous, creating an inexplicable sense of rest and
quiet.  When this power of enjoyment had reached an apparent climax, it
would be relieved by such music as only the voices of the dream-world
can equal.  Was the place heaven?  I do not know; but can only affirm
that it was too utterly marvelous, too glorious for language.

As we moved slowly above the glittering streets, listening to the
musical voices of those below, and watching the excited gestures of the
populace, electrified at the sight of us, we marked the varied monuments
of beauty, and saw that all were heavily decorated with gold and
flashing with precious stones.  Not only was this the case, but there
existed a grace of outline and proportion nowhere to be found in our
world of to-day.  Beyond this was a majesty in height and size,
eclipsing the creative genius of the most famous architects of history.
The ancient Egyptian colonnades must slightly have resembled some of
those we saw, judging from the drawings we have of them, but even these
were crude, heavy, and cheerless by contrast.  The city was indeed a
vision of glory and magnificence, whose streets, if not paved with gold,
were ornamented with it, and gems beside.  I can never give the reader
even the faintest conception of what we saw, nor can I recall to my own
mind the fullness of the vision.  Over all was thrown that rosy haze we
had sometimes seen before, and which added distance and dreaminess to
the picture.

We hovered over a park near the center of the city, and brought the air
ship to a stand, while holding a consultation as to whether we should
descend, and risk our lives among the inhabitants, who seemed so anxious
to have us among them.  Golden trumpets emitted notes of singular
sweetness, and seemed to invite us to come down. Words, signals, and
banners all spoke of the same hospitable thought, and we deliberated
long and earnestly.

"I am willing to risk it!" said Torrence.

I acceded to the proposition, and slowly we began to lower ourselves
into the midst of these unknown denizens of the inner world.

On perceiving our intention pandemonium reigned below.  Trumpets sounded
a harsher note than before. Bells jangled, and shrieks of applause rent
the air. Crowds flocked into the space beneath, making it unsafe for a
landing, as we were particularly desirous that no one should be hurt.
We motioned the people away, but they surged to and fro, directly under
the air ship, regardless of their lives, and with apparently no more
intelligence than animals.  This, of course, was the rabble, which the
better portion of the populace tried to control, but without effect.
Indeed it is not to be wondered that so marvelous a sight should have
made them lose their heads.

Coming to a halt again about fifty feet above the ground we leaned over
the rail, shouting to the crowd to disperse, not daring to touch the
earth for fear of injuring some unseen person beneath, and with the
further apprehension, lest in their frenzy of excitement they should
climb upon our decks and overpower us.  We were manifestly looked upon
as visitors from another world.  Some pointed above, others to the north
and south as if to inquire whether we had come over the regions of
eternal ice.  We could neither make ourselves heard nor understood in
the jargon of voices, and hesitated whether to descend further or not.
While poised above their heads, Torrence threw a handful of gold
sovereigns into the crowd.  They were picked up with avidity, and passed
from hand to hand as souvenirs.

"Just as I thought," said Torrence; "the coins are not valued on account
of the metal, but merely as mementoes."

It was evident that St. George and the dragon, and the head of the
ruling monarch of England were regarded with peculiar interest.

"Yes," I replied, "it is clear that gold is of no such value with them
as with us."

They continued to solicit our descent by unmistakable signs, and we
concluded to drop a little lower.  Immediately a shower of gold coins,
much larger than ours, was hurled up at us, and fell rattling over the
deck, whence many fell to the ground again, although we secured quite a
number.  The pieces were stamped with strange devices, few being similar
in design.  There were dragons, sea serpents, leviathans, and other
beasts of mythological fame.  The people seemed to say:

"Have you any animals like these in your world?" at which we held up our
own pieces and nodded.  It was difficult to exchange the simplest idea
with them.

Gathering up a few of these coins we offered to throw them back, and did
indeed return a few, dropping them into the crowd; but when it was
discovered that they were only their own no interest was shown in them,
many falling to the ground unnoticed.

Presently a plaited rope, like the finest silk, was thrown across our
stern, catching on one of the knobs of the rail.  A man who looked like
an athlete was quickly climbing up it, and half a dozen others followed
his lead. The rope broke and they all fell to the ground in a heap.
Seeing the danger which might ensue if we went any lower, we decided to
leave this strange city behind without landing, and then amid the shouts
and lamentations of the populace took our upward and onward course once
more.

I was not without regret that we waved farewell to this first great
imprint of the most wonderful civilization ever inspected by a man of
our earth, and one perhaps never to be seen by him again.  The city was
a witness to a higher order of society than we had expected to find; at
least I must speak for myself, for Torrence had committed himself to
nothing.  Not alone were the indications of wealth beyond compare with
anything known in our own world, but withal, it was clear that the
artistic and not the barbaric instinct had been appealed to.  As we
passed on through the environs, monuments of great size and beauty were
constantly met.  Gardens full of sculpture, strange flowers, and
unfamiliar trees were seen. Temples, whose lofty summits were surmounted
with amazing figures of nondescript beasts, eccentric dragons, and
wonderful creatures with spreading wings, and all wrought in dazzling
combinations of gold and varicolored marbles hove in sight.  As yet we
had seen no horses or domestic animals, unless the deer could be counted
as such, and I remarked upon their absence to Torrence.

"The horse is a later development," he said, "and I am also inclined to
think the dog is.

"And what do you mean by that?" I asked; "you speak as if these people
had a prior existence to our own!"

"They had," he answered, with an air of conviction that amused me,
considering his short acquaintance with them.

"One might almost imagine," I continued, "that you were familiar with
their history."

"Not in the least; only I believe men first existed inside, and
afterward outside of our planet."

He was sweeping the adjacent country with his glass, while my eyes were
still fixed in a regretful gaze at the last magnificent portal of the
city, now rapidly fading from our sight.  I can conceive of nothing
grander of its kind than this arch.  Full of bas-reliefs, deep-cut
intaglios, and surmounted with a gigantic god-like figure in gold, with
a flowing robe ablaze with precious stones, it was a sight to hold one
spellbound.  The head was bent slightly back, the arms stretched
heavenward, as if calling down a blessing upon our heads, or perhaps the
wrath of the Powers above for having left so abruptly. When it had faded
into the hazy atmosphere I turned to Torrence with a touch of
superstition and asked what he meant.  He did not answer immediately,
but called my attention to the fertility of the soil.  The great beauty
of the country, the marvelous climate, and health-giving qualities of
the air.

Indeed, these things had been impressed upon me from the beginning, and
as we advanced into the interior their perfections seemed to increase.
The hillsides were covered with verdure, and throughout the great parks
fruit abounded in such variety and beauty that we were tempted to
descend and gather it more largely than we could have used.  Twice we
dipped earthward and threw on board several bushels of pink, green, and
yellow things, which, in addition to their extraordinary taste, had the
quality of being cold as ice.  There was no appearance that any of these
were cultivated, nor was there any indication that the ground had ever
been disturbed with a plow.  All was spontaneous, beautiful, and
perfect.  The fields—great open plains—grew at intervals a grain which
was always ripening and falling, judging by its look.  It formed itself
into a head which could be gathered and eaten at once without further
labor or preparation.  This we tested, after observing that both men and
animals partook of it.  Everything was produced so abundantly and
brought to such a high state of perfection by nature, that no room was
left for man’s improvement of it.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Distant outlines were softened by the mellowness of the air, and the
clear-cut effects of the outer world were wanting.  In no place did our
range of vision exceed twenty miles.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Billowy hills were grouped beneath us, where the vine and fruit tree
flourished, and where streams of crystal water flowed.

Herds of wild goats of a pinkish hue were passed, but they ran away so
rapidly between the hillocks that it was difficult to get a good view of
them.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Human habitations were far between.  There were no roads; neither were
there fences.  All was pastoral, primitive, and restful.  From the fact
that the houses were but partially under roof, we concluded that rain
did not fall, moisture being supplied directly through the atmosphere in
the form of impalpable humidity, without condensation from above.  In
this way the disintegration by the washing of the soil, so common in our
rain storms was entirely obviated.  The conditions of life seemed
wonderfully happy, and it looked as if man had only to breathe the
life-giving air and eat the incomparable fruit and grain provided so
abundantly to continue an existence of the utmost blessedness.

Turning to my brother I asked why he believed that the interior of our
planet was peopled before the exterior. He looked at me queerly for a
minute and then asked if I had ever heard an old fable about the Garden
of Eden, from whence men, for certain reasons had been expelled. I told
him that I was familiar with the story, but could not allow him to
capture the whole inside of the earth for an Eden.

"And yet," he answered, "there is much to support such a theory.  Mind I
am not stipulating for garbled accounts of creation handed down from an
ignorant age; but there are often some grains of truth in a mass of
absurdities.  Let us say that in here was the Garden of Eden.  Now those
who were compelled to leave it, or who did leave it, from whatever
cause, naturally looked back to it as the hailing place of their race,
and taught that fact to their children.  The conditions of life upon the
outer world are difficult, compared with those we find here.  The story
of their lost home would grow in beauty as it descended from generation
to generation; and I verily believe that at one period in the earth’s
history there was a family driven forth which preserved its records, and
that this fact has given rise to the Persian and Scriptural accounts of
Adam and his family and the garden they left behind them."

"And how do you suppose they crossed the ice?" I inquired.

"I don’t know," he answered; "how did Jan von Broekhuysen cross it?  And
do you know we have also discovered the gate of the garden, where the
angel stood with a flaming sword?"

I started.

"What on earth are you talking about?" I exclaimed.

"Mount Horror and Mount Gurthrie!  If ever there was a great natural
gateway between two worlds it is there.  I am sure one is an extinct
volcano, and while it may not have been active in thousands or millions
of years, it was once; and its awful eruptions of fire were doubtless
the flaming sword of the angel!"

It was impossible to help being impressed with Torrence’s ideas, because
they were generally fresh, and often right.

"There is another point I wish to make," he added, as we hovered close
above a field of purple berries, "it is this.  Several of our most
ancient civilizations have been sun worshipers.  Look at the superb
temple of the Syrians at Baalbec!  Look at the Phoenicians, the ancient
Greeks, the Peruvians!  Now, why was the sun worshiped?  Because it had
not been always known. Because it was a new figure in the heavens, of
marvelous powers, among which was that of locomotion, hitherto only
applied to living organisms.  Because it carried directly with it the
power of light and heat, and because darkness followed when it went
away; darkness being a condition previously unknown.  Had the sun always
been present in the heavens of the ancients, it would have been too
commonplace, too familiar an object to have been deified.  But it was
new, strange, and apparently endowed with life and intelligence, and
that is why it was worshiped.  Gurthrie, there can be no doubt about it,
we are in the Garden of Eden!"

"Possibly!" I answered; "but you must remember that we are in a new
world, nearly as large as our own, and we must expect to find every
variety of climate, and many different conditions, as with us."

"True," said Torrence; "I by no means believe that the Garden of Eden
was an entire world.  There are doubtless many strange things awaiting
us."

We descended into the bosom of the purple field, and made a hearty meal
of the berries.

                     *      *      *      *      *




                                *XVIII.*


                     *      *      *      *      *

An hour after leaving the city a range of ragged mountains loomed up
ahead.  We stood on deck watching its beautiful coloring and outline
until the foothills were reached, when we reduced our speed.  Nearing a
purple cliff, streaked with crimson, we halted, and then rose slowly to
a grassy ledge, where we landed.  The mountains were not lofty, but
presented a rugged aspect by reason of a series of rocky precipices,
like steps, upon the top of each of which was a narrow belt of green,
where the fertility of the ground was evidenced by a prolific growth of
grass and fruits in wonderful profusion and variety.  The grapes we
found here deserve another name, by reason of their superiority; and the
fruits which greeted us on every side beguiled us into lingering for
hours to enjoy the piquancy and delicacy of their flavor.  Indeed we
felt the poverty of the human system in our inability to do more than
taste the countless varieties which loaded these hills upon every hand.
There were fruits to quench the thirst of every degree of lusciousness
and acidity, and there were others which partook of the nature of solid
food.  Others again had a singular effect upon the spirits, lifting us
into a state of exaltation, as though due to the presence of alcohol.
But I am talking of things that must be experienced to be realized.
Language fails to describe them.

Resting on this beautiful escarpment we looked out over a dreamy
landscape, and then settled ourselves down for a nap.  It was our
intention when rested to look for gold in the peculiar tinted rocks
below.  Being tired we were soon fast asleep, and were surprised on
waking to find that several hours had elapsed.  We were greatly
refreshed, and started out at once to prospect for the yellow metal with
a couple of hammers.

Finding a natural pathway we began scrambling down the rocks, clinging
to the bushes and long grasses that grew in the crannies, and chipping
occasionally at the craggy protuberances around us.  Torrence was ahead,
while I was close behind him.  I don’t think it could have been ten
minutes when I heard him call out:

"Color!"

Before I had time to let myself down to his level he held up a great
chunk of reddish stone filled with yellow nuggets, as large as my fist.
I had never beheld such a sight, and on reaching his standing, was
electrified at the vision that greeted my eyes.  This was not quartz
mining; it was simply bending one’s back and picking up wealth faster
than a bank teller could deal it out over a counter.  We chipped away as
hard as possible for a few minutes, and then stopped to consider what we
should do with the metal.  It was evident that in an hour’s time the
accumulation would exceed our capacity for removal.  It was clear enough
how the inhabitants could afford to use gold in such wild profusion.
Indeed the metal could not be so valuable here as the peat on an Irish
bog or coal at a Pennsylvania pit.  We were discouraged at our inability
to turn the world wrong side out, or that we had not a railway at our
command.  But what must we do?  Our early education made it impossible
to leave the place without taking with us all we could carry, and so we
resumed our efforts, determined to do our best.  We pounded and hammered
for an hour. Nuggets were in sight that were of greater value than all
our stock of sovereigns.  The mines of Solomon were trifling by
contrast, and we stopped occasionally to survey the field and stare at
each other in amazement.  It was evident that whatever we succeeded in
removing must be carried in the ore, as we had no machinery to separate
it; and had this been of an ordinary kind, it would have been a serious
consideration, but the gold was nearly as plentiful as the rock itself.
All we could hope to do was simply to loosen the quartz with our hammers
and knock out the kernels, which left us a really very insignificant
residuum of rock to transport.  It was not necessary to dip into the
ledge or to go below the most superficial outcroppings, as more pure
gold was to be had upon the surface than we could ever hope to remove.

"We can easily get out a million of money with our hammers," said
Torrence, "and it would be folly to trouble ourselves with any but the
richest and easiest handled."

We now saw the necessity of returning to the air ship for sacks to
remove the treasure, and it became at once apparent that it would be
impossible to haul it up the precipice.  This led to a consultation.
The ledge immediately below was rough and shelving, and unfit for a
landing, but the vessel must be anchored there in order to receive her
cargo.  The place where we were standing was barely wide enough for a
footing.

"I have it," said Torrence; "we must bring her to a standstill
underneath without landing."

It was the only thing we could do, and although the face of the cliff
was an awkward halting ground, we must manage it.  And so we returned
for ropes and gunny-bags, and a boathook, which we thought would be
useful.

In less than half an hour all was ready, and while I lowered the
precious cargo down to Torrence, who stood ready to receive it, and pull
it out from the face of the cliff with his hook to a position where it
could be lowered into the vessel, the air ship stood balanced in mid-air
about forty feet beneath where I was working.  Bag after bag was swung
aboard and stowed away, until Torrence called out that it would be
unwise to load with any more.  I then let myself down and scrambled
aboard, when we rose gently again to our former level, where we landed
for another rest.

"Is she as buoyant as ever?" I asked him, meaning the ship.

"Quite!" he answered; "and we must surely have several millions in gold
quartz aboard of her."

When we had rested for an hour we got up to go, but Torrence said he had
an impression of having seen a nugget of such extraordinary size that he
should not like to leave without making an effort to get it, being
anxious to carry it home for exhibition.  And so we decided to crawl
down the cliff once more.  We found the nugget, but it was difficult to
loosen from the mass, so that we tugged and worked away for quite a
while, and were about to give it up, when on straightening my back for a
rest I looked out over the plain and saw a sight that startled me.

Far down among the foothills a great living mass was moving toward us.
I called to my brother, and we both stood watching it in wonder.  We had
left our glasses above, but it was not many minutes before we decided
that it was a crowd of natives coming our way; possibly they had
followed the line of our flight from the city, hoping to overtake us in
the mountains, believing that we would halt there.  We could form no
idea of their number, though evidently it was large.

"It’s the rabble of that city!" exclaimed Torrence. "They’ve been
overcome with curiosity, and no doubt think to capture us among these
hills.  It would be interesting to see what they want, but the vessel
will be the safest place for us.  There’s no telling what superstition
and curiosity may lead to.  Even without hostile intention, such a crowd
might easily overpower and destroy us in a good-humored effort to
investigate!"

And so we began at once to climb the cliff again, discarding our nugget
in the cause of self preservation. But the ascent was difficult.  We
missed the trail and wandered off in the wrong direction.  Twice we
stopped to examine the ground, but the natural pathway by which we had
descended was undiscoverable, and there appeared no other route.  We
beat the bushes, lifting the dense growth right and left, but what had
been so plain before, was quite hidden now.  There was no time to be
lost, for already a murmur arose on the air—a babel of voices from the
valley—and it was evident the crowd was scrambling up the first rugged
declivities beneath.

"We must get back to the air ship," said Torrence, "even if we have to
go up the face of the precipice!"

"It is impossible!" I exclaimed; "we shall risk our lives, and may be
dashed to pieces before reaching the top!"

It had all been simple enough before by the other route, and with the
aid of the bushes to lower ourselves by, but now the only growth we
could find grew on ledges that projected outward, and the roots had so
shallow a hold that we dared not risk our weight upon them.  Those we
tried gave way immediately.  The natural pathway was lost, and we could
not stop to rediscover it.

"It’s that or nothing!" cried Torrence, pulling off his boots and
stuffing them into his belt.  He then with a literal toe-and-finger
scramble commenced a climb of what must have been nearly fifty feet up a
perpendicular wall.  My head swam, but there was no time to think, and
so, following his example, I found myself immediately beneath him, in
the same act.

The sound of trampling feet, falling stones, and the roar of voices now
approached with sickening rapidity. What if they should reach the air
ship first, by some safer and better route known to them only?  What if
they should destroy it, and leave us lost and alone in this strange
world, with our only means of returning gone? The thought of such a
possibility was more terrible than that of death; for even if these
people were friendly, we could never become one of them.  A Chinaman or
a Thibetan, or even some undiscovered race in Central Africa would be
allied to us by every tie of life beneath a kindred sky, the same sun
and moon, the same stars and clouds throughout the ages; but here was
another world, compared with which nothing in our own could ever be
looked upon as foreign.

But Torrence climbed slowly and steadily, and I kept my grip beneath
him, not daring to look below, or speak a word.  I was overpowered with
the agonizing fear that each step might be his last, or, that reaching a
spot where, unable to proceed for want of a foothold, he would be
compelled to retreat.  And all this time the crowd was gaining on us at
a sickening rate.  I could now hear the individual voices of those
clambering up behind.  How near they were I could not think.  We dared
not touch the shrubs that grew in the crannies about us, for the soil
was mellow and they broke away in our hands.  There was nothing to do
but cling to the rock with tooth and nail, and trust to luck.  Suddenly
the jangle of bells rang out on the air; why had we not heard them
before? Surely it was an ominous sound—possibly the token of victory.
But Torrence stuck to the wall and I was close behind him.  The vanguard
of the crowd had already commenced climbing the cliff below us, and I
could almost feel their breath upon my neck.

"Be quick!" I called to Torrence, speaking for the first time.  But he
turned upon me a face pale with horror and said:

"I can go no further!"

It was what I was dreading.  The cliff above was smooth and slaty,
offering not the slightest projection for a foothold.  And there we hung
in mid-air, listening to the rabble pouring on behind.  Death seemed
inevitable, for we had nearly reached the top, and could not have
survived a fall to the jagged rocks below, to say nothing of dropping
into the teeth of the enemy.

How long we hung thus it is impossible to say, but it seemed like an
eternity, and I remember looking at Torrence’s boots tucked in each side
of his belt and observing that the one upon the right was not as well
secured as the other, and wondering if he would lose it.  Then an
angel’s hand seemed suddenly let down from heaven, as I saw for the
first time the limb of a tree, which hung over the cliff in line with my
brother’s head.  He had not seen it, so intently were his eyes fixed
upon the rock, but I now called out loudly for him to grasp it.  Even
this was no easy task, the bough being several feet above his head, and
it required all the nerve he possessed to jump into the air from his
precarious foothold and seize it.

I trembled, and every nerve in my body quivered as he leaped upward.  I
sickened, and felt the earth give way beneath me, but at the same
instant I saw that he had caught the limb with one hand and was swinging
clear of the rock.  Would he be able to draw himself up? Yes, there he
was struggling along the bough with both legs and arms, and in another
instant the top was reached.  It was now an easy matter to bend the limb
down for me.  But the men were close upon us.

"Run for your life!" cried Torrence; and although exhausted, we ran as
we had never run before, with shouts of "Kyah!  Kyah!" resounding in our
ears.  I stumbled; I fell; but picked myself up again, and rushed ahead
with "Kyah!  Te Kyah!" creeping closer and closer behind me.  I did not
dare to look, but felt as if an army were rushing upon us with every
creature in it shouting "Kyah!  Te Kyah!"  The panting of the men grew
louder; still I felt that we might cope with the vanguard, if we gained
the air ship first, although conscious that the race would be a severe
one.  Moreover, in those few seconds of intervening time I calculated
every chance, and weighed to a nicety how much of our advantage would be
lost in boarding the vessel, hauling in the ladder, and getting under
weigh.  The ship had always responded promptly to the touch of the
button, but now I was full of the gravest misgivings, knowing that the
slightest hitch would undo us.  A horrible sinking seized me when I saw
a large body of men approaching from the opposite direction, and
observed that the leaders were nearly as close to the vessel as we were.
They had climbed the cliff from the other side, and were now rushing
through the timber frantically.  I redoubled my efforts.  The air ship
looked as if it were a mile away, judging from the difficulty of
crossing the intervening space, but I knew it was not thirty yards.
Another instant I had a vision of Torrence bounding over the side and
disappearing within, and how it was done I scarcely know, but I was
tumbling down beside him, and then came the swing of the great hull
beneath me and I knew that we were safe.

As soon as we had the strength we pulled in the ladder and closed the
taffrail, and then looked down upon the enemy.  They had gathered in
great force, and we estimated there were more than a hundred.

It was impossible to guess what they wanted, but there was that which
bespoke a deeper emotion than mere curiosity.  Had we violated any
statute of their municipality in sailing unsolicited above their palace
walls? We were sure we had committed no other offence.  It was a strange
picture they made, assembled upon that mountain ledge, in such brilliant
clothing and magnificent jewels, and the pow-wowing and jabbering that
ensued was delirious.  They constantly pointed up at us, evidently
anxious to communicate, though ignorant of how to do so.  We were
suspended about fifty feet above their heads, but concluded to come a
little nearer the ground, at which they gave unmistakable signs of
pleasure, and motioned us to descend all the way.  This, of course, we
would not do, but made every effort to understand what was desired.
Gradually it began to dawn upon us that they were anxious for our return
to the city; the signals were pleading and imperative for our immediate
departure, and could not be misinterpreted, though it was impossible to
guess why we were wanted there.

"It can do no harm to return," said Torrence.  "It cannot be more than
twenty-five or thirty miles.  We can run back in an hour or less and
find out what is the matter."

I agreed with him, and when we signalled our intention, they were wild
with delight.  One thing more they begged; it was that we allow one of
their number to go with us.  So far as we could judge this request was
simply that we might have one capable of explaining their demands.
After a consultation we decided that the man, if carefully watched,
could not possibly harm us or the ship, and we consented, if a way could
be found to take him on board without landing.  With this end in view we
came within about twenty feet of the ground and dropped a line
overboard, signalling that if he wished to come he must climb the rope.
This seemed satisfactory, and the most gorgeous specimen in the crowd
approached for the honor.  Above the waist he wore but little clothing,
but about his neck was a triple necklace of dazzling stones of such
unmistakable genuineness and splendor that, had it been in our world,
its value would have been inestimable.

His hair was long and black, and jeweled rings were knotted into it at
intervals.  Upon his wrists were bracelets of a metal I had never seen,
and around his girth was a belt of aluminum.  We imagined the fellow’s
name was "Tuzu" from the sound by which the others addressed him,
although this may have meant something else, but knowing no better, we
spoke of him in that way.  Tuzu climbed the rope with the agility of an
athlete, and swung himself aboard in splendid style.  Torrence motioned
where he was to stand at the bow, and he did as he was bid.  We then
headed the air ship for the city.

As we floated out over the cliff a great shout of applause rent the air,
and the crowd began scrambling down after us.  Tuzu stood motionless,
holding fast to the rail.  He was too much impressed to heed the
demonstrations of his less fortunate comrades, who were obliged to find
their way back afoot, a journey of at least six hours.

We decided to impress the man with our power, and so the machine was
made to rise and fall alternately in stupendous curves of flight, and
with the wildest velocity. The motion was unnerving, and yet Tuzu never
flinched, but stood quietly facing the city, holding fast to the forward
rail.  His position was a trying one, and as his black hair flew upward
in some of the downward swoops he made a striking figurehead.

When the great golden monument over the city gate hove in sight, we
slacked our speed, and going forward, offered the man our hands.
Evidently he did not understand the meaning of the salutation, but after
a moment’s hesitation, examined them with curiosity.

"Tuzu, I am proud to know you!" we said; "whatever your lingo and
religion, human nature is the same outside the world as in it.  Shake!"

The man did not smile; he only looked with increasing wonder, and we
regarded him with growing admiration.

As we drifted into clearer range of the city’s portal we were more
impressed than ever with the splendor of the figure surmounting it.
With arms outstretched to heaven, it seemed appealing for the descent of
some blessing upon its people.  The statue alone must have been more
than a hundred feet high, while the arch supporting it was doubtless
four or five times as much.  It was a creation far exceeding any similar
design of our own world, and one which can never be forgotten.  We
stopped before this monster with feelings akin to awe.

"What is it, Tuzu?  What do your people want?" we signalled, while
suspended at an elevation less than half-way up this noble arch.

He pointed to the monument, and assumed an attitude of reverence.  Then
throwing back his head and lifting his arms, imitated the figure.  He
then looked at us, and with unmistakable signs entreated our doing
likewise. Was it some ritualistic ceremony with which all foreigners
were expected to conform?  Although puzzling, we did as we were asked,
each in turn, and a look of pleasure came over the fellow’s face.  We
repeated the performance, always careful to imitate the attitude of the
model, feeling sure it was the right thing. Meanwhile another crowd had
come pouring through the gate, a happy, interested crowd, which shouted
with delight each time we repeated the ceremony.  Suddenly Torrence,
turning to me, said:

"I have it!  I know what it means!"

He then went on to explain.

"Simple enough; these people take us for gods come from the sky, and in
part they are right.  Chock full of superstition, they want our blessing
before we return to the unknown.  This colossal figure is a statue of
one of their deities, perhaps their only deity.  Being gods, they give
us credit for knowing what it is, and want us to bless the town and the
people.  Tuzu and his gang were sent to urge our return, and now that we
have come they are satisfied.  I am quite sure that this is the
explanation."

It seemed as if he were right, for although the inhabitants repeated
their request that we descend, they were now willing to let us go in
peace, having bestowed our peace upon them.  We declined their
invitation, but signalled our hope of returning at a later day.  We
could no longer doubt the kindness of their feelings, but having an
unexplored world ahead, were anxious to hurry on, and so waved them a
second farewell.

                     *      *      *      *      *




                                 *XIX.*


Before turning our backs for the last time upon this splendid monument
of an unknown civilization, an incident occurred which is worthy of
record.

As Tuzu was about to descend the gangplank—a stout, manila rope provided
for that purpose—Torrence asked leave to examine the magnificent
necklace he wore.  The fellow appeared pleased, and when my brother, who
is an excellent judge of precious stones, expressed his conviction that
they were gems of rare merit, he insisted upon our accepting them,
together with other decorations. This, of course, we would not do, but
the man threw the jewels at our feet, and could not be persuaded to
touch them again.  The metallic ornaments upon his wrists and the girdle
he would not part with.  It was evident that the stones were not valued
as with us, and that the blessing we had bestowed upon the city was
considered sufficient remuneration for them.  Tuzu then looked over the
rail and said something to the citizens below, and in a minute a shower
of jeweled ornaments began pouring in upon us, in the wildest profusion.
The deck became covered with precious stones of such magnificence that
their aggregate value could hardly be estimated.  I would not like to
say what amount of wealth was thus heaped upon us, as the most
conservative estimate would sound wild and extravagant, but it was
something fabulous.  The air was thick with bracelets, neckbands,
anklets, belts, earrings.  They fell upon the vessel in heaps, in piles;
they caught upon every projection, until the trembling of the air ship
in rising shook some of them loose, and we began to ascend beyond their
reach.  This shower of wealth had probably not lasted more than ten
minutes, but during that time we accumulated inestimable treasure, and
stones of every color and size.  It was a dazzling sight, but when I
reflected that these were not a tithe of the wealth of the city, my
brain fairly swam at the thought.

"After all," said Torrence, "it is simply the inversion of values; for
what could be more beautiful than some of our Rhinestones, or even than
some of our colored glass? No emerald is really as beautiful as a true
Rhine crystal, but it is more rare, hence its value.  The conditions
here favor the formations that are most discouraged with us; why this
should be is very evident, on the theory of inverted molecular action.
The grinding and cooling of the earth’s crust resulted in certain
products upon the outer surface, and in others upon the inner.  I have
always believed we should find exactly this state of things here, and
should really have been surprised if the results of creation had been
similar in kind and quantity upon both surfaces.  No doubt with little
effort we could find diamond mines that would entirely destroy their
value with us."

"Shall we get Tuzu to show us where they are?" I replied, feeling as if
the gardens of Hesperides must be within our reach.

"I think not," he answered reflectively.  "We have already more treasure
than we can conveniently carry. I would rather spend the time in a
superficial inspection of our new dominion than in digging wealth out of
a hole which cannot be transported.  If we should ever return it will be
time enough to look up the mines, but where their product is so easily
obtained as from these people, it seems hardly worth while to work for.
However, if you wish it, we will go on a mining tour, and stake our
claims, though I am sure no one will ever dispute them."

I agreed with him that we would better pursue our journey, as vast
distances were to be traversed ere we could form the most indifferent
conception of what awaited us in the continents, oceans, civilizations
and cities.  As yet we had only seen one little corner.  We must make
our way as rapidly as possible, and be content, for the present, with a
bird’s-eye view.  And so, having retreated to a short distance from the
gate, we lowered Tuzu to the ground.

When fairly upon our way again we sacked up about fifteen bushels of
jewels, which in addition to the gold, made us very short of room.
Indeed, our saloon was so crowded that we went stumbling about over bags
of treasure, like the miser of Benadin.

Torrence now put on high speed and we swept over the country at the rate
of forty miles an hour.  We soon passed the noisy crowd returning to the
city, with jangling bells and flowing mane, and they sent up a shout as
we flew over their heads that spoke of good humor and general
satisfaction.  We had lost some valuable time, but were in a fair way to
make it up, and looked forward to the great unknown with a keener
interest than ever.

"How far do you propose to penetrate into the new world?" I inquired, as
we sat on deck smoking our cigars through the rushing air.

"All the way," he answered.

"You must remember it will take us as long to return as it does to go,"
I replied.

"Return!" he exclaimed with surprise; "surely you don’t expect to
return."

"Rather!  Do you intend to live here always?"

"Not at all," said Torrence; "I expect to go out through the opening at
the South Pole!"

This was a new idea to me; but suddenly a thought struck me with horror.

"Do you not know it will be the depth of winter, and dark as Erebus when
we get there?" I exclaimed.

"I admit that it will be both dark and cold," he replied, "although not
quite the depth of winter, if we maintain anything approaching our
present rate of speed. You must remember we shall have left the shortest
day—June 21st—behind us."

"At best it will be but a matter of a few weeks, and I still claim that
it will be the depth of winter."

"Practically," said Torrence, "it will."

He spoke with as much indifference as if he were merely going to walk
down the street.

"We shall be frozen corpses if you attempt such a thing, and I must beg
you to give up an idea so thoroughly impracticable."

"It is not impracticable, Gurt," he answered seriously; "do you not know
that we are prepared for all kinds of weather?  We can shut up the cabin
and heat it to any temperature desired.  Do not be alarmed; everything
shall go well.  While here we ought to see as much as possible.  We
shall sail through the darkness in a warm and brightly lighted cabin,
and if I mistake not, there are sights in the antarctic regions which
will amply repay our visit.  Remember that no human being has ever
penetrated their awful solitudes, and that none is ever likely to do so
unless equipped as we are!"

There was something horrible in the thought of plunging into those
regions of ice and darkness, but I could see the force of his argument.
However, the great bulk of the interior was yet to be traversed, and
there would be plenty of time to think of those terrors before we
reached them.

The purple hills proved to be a country of minerals, grass, and timber,
was broken and picturesque, and abounding in lakes, parks, and
diminutive rivers.  The habitations wore few and scattered, the houses
but half under roof.  Occasionally we sighted a village, brilliant in
coloring, and strangely rich in architecture, and the inhabitants would
invariably stare up at us and shout. There were greens and crimsons and
flashes of gold among the rocks, and lumps of iridescence that looked
like clusters of gems of marvelous size and beauty; but we had not time
to examine them.  We were sure, however, from all we saw that gold was
among their least valued metals, and that those natural products most
highly prized with us were here regarded as drugs.

We hastened through this mountain country, not because we did not
appreciate its beauty, but from a desire to get a rapid bird’s-eye view
of the new earth, and reach again our old home.

A rolling country was now beneath, which we speeded over at the rate of
a mile a minute, not wishing to waste time upon extended areas that
could be comprehended at a glance.  Here we saw herds of cattle carrying
four horns and tailless.  Probably there were no flies to annoy them,
and tails would have been useless.  There were also more of those
diminutive sheep of a pinkish hue, and wool like silk that trailed upon
the ground.  One and all they scampered away upon catching sight of us,
but we quickly passed beyond their range of vision.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Here were great parks of magnificent timber and brilliant flowers, and
limpid sheets of water.  Occasional palaces of reddish stone under
partial roofs of a dark yellow metal were also encountered.  Dropping
earthward to examine these we were saluted by the occupants, who coming
out of the buildings would wave banners, and blow upon a powerful,
sweet-toned trumpet, whose music would linger in the air for quite
awhile after the performer had removed it from his lips.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Howbeit, our speed was so great, that these heavenly strains of music
were lost by reason of their distance, while other sounds would greet
our ears ahead.

                     *      *      *      *      *

Our anxiety to learn something of these people and their history was
ungratified, from the impossibility of communication.

                     *      *      *      *      *

It was easy to see that our air ship was an object of intense curiosity
both to man and beast.  We were as great a wonder to them as they to us,
which, to be sure, was true of our vessel upon the outer world, and it
showed that aerial navigation was as little understood here as above.
We received various unmistakable invitations to halt, but these we
declined on the ground of haste.  We determined, however, to accept one
before our final exit.

                     *      *      *      *      *

A striking feature in the lives of those we saw was the fact that there
was no evidence of work.  So far we had seen no plowing, or tilling of
the soil, neither was there any sowing of seed or reaping of grain, nor
building of houses; and yet we had the evidence of our eyes that superb
structures and cities had been erected.  On speaking of this fact to
Torrence, he said:

"The climate and soil seem to render agriculture unnecessary; and
possibly the buildings belong to a previous age.  I doubt if material
rots and disintegrates, as it does with us."

I asked how he had reached such an extraordinary conclusion.

"The atmosphere," he answered; "it never rains, I am sure, and I am
equally convinced that there are comparatively no changes in the
climate.  The atmospheric conditions, which with us cause rust,
disintegration, and decay, are here neutralized, or altered, by an
absorption of electricity, pertaining only to the interior."

"But does the population not increase, requiring more houses to keep
them?" I inquired.

"Probably not as it does with us; but even in our own world there are
large regions where the death rate keeps pace with the births; and the
tendency is undoubtedly in that direction.  When population ceases to
increase, which I believe is the case here, building will stop. Where
the term of man’s natural life has been greatly prolonged, there is less
concentration of effort.  The inner surface of the earth was undoubtedly
peopled millions of years before the outer, and we are barely beginning
to approximate conditions that have existed here for untold ages.  After
all, it is the swing of the pendulum, and the next move will be a vast
exodus for the interior.  The marvelous fertility of the soil, the
singular qualities of the atmosphere, make it possible for these people
to live without labor.  I should, however, like to see their household
arrangements to gain a better knowledge of their lives.  One thing I am
convinced of: it is that man’s highest physical development, the acme of
his material civilization, is only reached under adverse terrestrial
conditions.  Where nature coddles him he doesn’t work, because he
doesn’t have to, and while he thus fails in some of the results that a
harsher world would encourage, he gains in the poetical and spiritual
side of his nature because of the time afforded for reflection."

"And yet have we not witnessed the grandest monuments to a material
civilization ever dreamed of, in the strange city behind us?" I asked.

"True," said Torrence; "but I am firmly convinced that that city is
millions of years old, and that we have not yet seen a house which has
not existed in its present form and position for untold ages of time.
With us a city flashes up in a moment of energy.  Here the energy is
applied directly to the result—pleasure—as life is assured, while the
city is the growth of ages.  Houses are not built here, neither do they
rot!"

We were flying over a pastoral country without roads or fences, but
where temples peeped from flowering trees, and houses, red and golden,
stood by sheets of limpid water.  Many of these were small, and looked
as if they had been shored above the earth by magic.

                     *      *      *      *      *

We crossed lakes, seas, continents, and mountain ranges.  We caught the
occasional note of a distant trumpet, indicating that the inhabitant of
some isolated had seen us.  At intervals the glimpse of a village would
enliven the solitude, and herds of the same diminutive sheep would
scamper across the plain.

                     *      *      *      *      *

But we could not expect that beauty and fertility would reign supreme
throughout an entire world, and there was a time when, looking down from
our lofty perch, we became aware that the trees had disappeared from our
range of vision, and that the grass was tussocky and stunted.  The
change, to be sure, had been gradual, but with it had come the departure
of the human residence, and of all animals, neither was there any water.
It was clear enough that we were hovering upon the borders of a barren
land, perhaps, even a desert.  We looked to our water supply, and
concluded there was enough to carry us over any ordinarily arid region,
especially at the rapid rate at which we were traveling, and so settled
ourselves down on deck to our cigars and fieldglasses.

                     *      *      *      *      *

We had been chatting along quite pleasantly, constantly scanning the
horizon, when we became aware that the air was perceptibly warmer, and
at the same time saw that even our scrubby patches of grass had been
entirely supplanted by the sand, which lay thick and red beneath, with a
peculiar luster.  At long intervals there were rocks of the same color,
indistinguishable, except from their elevation, and in their crevices
grew a coarse, thorny plant, nearly as red as the rock itself.  Dropping
earthward, we found these plants greasy and bad smelling.

At the same time we discovered that the ground was unpleasantly warm,
and that the sand crawled, covering our footsteps as soon as made.  We
wanted to take some samples of this cactus-like leaf, but feared it
might be poisonous and so let it alone.  Gradually even this loathsome
weed disappeared, and only the sand remained.  It was clear that we had
entered upon a desert, where nothing grew, and where nothing lived.
True, there was no sun, but notwithstanding this, the air was hot and
sultry.  We were unable to account for this change in the temperature,
and the heavy incinerated atmosphere, but the rapidity of our flight
created a draught, which kept us fairly comfortable.

The smoke from our cigars trailed rapidly astern, and then sank to the
ground in a condensed form as if weight laden.  We watched it with
interest, puzzling over the cause, which Torrence thought might be some
peculiar quality in the air, coupled to the strong draught of the
vessel.  Dropping to a lower level, and going astern, we were amazed to
see a pale-blue, thread-like line marking our course in a path over the
ground.  It seemed incredible, but it was nothing more or less than a
smoke path, formed and fed by our cigars.  Not a breath of air disturbed
its rectilinearity.  It was a phenomenon neither of us could understand.
We stood watching this for a long time, observing how the smoke, as we
blew it from our mouths, would sweep earthward with the draught of the
vessel, and then immediately be drawn out into the thin, blue,
concentrated line described.

Even the last vestige of rock had now vanished, and we were speeding
over a plain of red sand, above which the heat-laden air quivered.  The
temperature was steadily rising, and our Fahrenheit thermometer recorded
eighty-six degrees.  Torrence and I took off our coats, and renewed our
search of the horizon in the hope of discovering hills, or any
indication that we were approaching the end of the desert, but there was
nothing but the red sand as far as the eye could reach with the aid of
our strongest glasses.  We were moving at a high rate of speed, and felt
sure that a few hours would bring a change, but in this we were
disappointed.

We had penetrated more than a hundred miles into the solitudes of this
desert when an extraordinary sight presented itself.  A bird of such
magnitude and terrible aspect swept across the sky that Torrence and I
trembled with horror.  There is nothing in size that I can compare it
with, save the roc of the "Arabian Nights," and even that mythical bird,
although possibly larger, had neither the plumage nor frightful
countenance of this. The bird was flying diagonally across our path,
although much above it, and to the best of my belief must have measured
fifty feet from tip to tip of wing.  Its feathers were of a dirty red,
and its beak was hooked and powerful. Its eyes were fiery red, set in a
circle of white, and as it looked down upon us there was a sinister
expression, almost human in its intelligence.  It was flying at terrific
speed, and apparently without effort, and as it passed away we observed
an unpleasant odor, which hung upon the air for some minutes after.  It
uttered no cry, but had evidently seen us, and left an impression
bordering upon the supernatural, which was not easily effaced.  It was
the only living thing we had seen since entering the desert.  The bird
seemed to spring into the air from nowhere, and crossed our bow with
such velocity—at an altitude of probably a couple of hundred feet—and
vanished with such marvelous speed into the distance that had we not
both seen it, I should have been inclined to ascribe it to some optical
illusion.  But there was no doubt that here was a creature unknown, or
undreamed of in our own world.  Could it be possible that the stories of
the roc were founded upon any obscure tradition of this strange animal?
Torrence believed that it was.  He declared, moreover, that not a fairy
tale existed but was built upon the conscious, or unconscious, knowledge
of some past existing fact.

Five hours after entering the desert our thermometer registered one
hundred and four degrees, and the heat was becoming intolerable.  The
deck was the coolest place, as we got all the draught of motion, and
there was no sun to shine upon us.  We looked anxiously ahead for
relief, but there was nothing save the red sand and the quivering
atmosphere in view.  Even the sky had a pinkish tinge, shared by the
great illuminating disk in the heavens behind us.  We had indeed entered
upon a barren land, which even the dwellers of its own world renounced.

                     *      *      *      *      *




                                 *XX.*


Nearly a day had passed since we first entered this great sterile,
superheated plain, and notwithstanding our speed, the end was nowhere in
sight, even at the expiration of eleven hours.  The temperature had
become so oppressive that we had no appetite, and sat fanning ourselves
with wet cloths and moistening our heads and faces and wrists, in a vain
effort to keep cool.  At this time the thermometer registered one
hundred and ten degrees, and was steadily rising.  We had tried various
elevations, but could not perceive that it was more tolerable at a
height of five hundred than one hundred feet from the ground.  In fact
it was the same everywhere, and upon every side of us—above, below,
before, behind.  We had discussed the advisability of returning, but
pushed ahead with the conviction that a change for the better must soon
come.  We dreaded to retrace our steps with the possibility of being
lost, and were loath to miss the strange sights that might be in store
for us in the regions of the antarctic opening.  There could be no
question that the heat was subterranean, and indeed when we had last
landed the sand was so hot that we could scarcely bear our feet in it.

I was searching the horizon ahead, while Torrence was examining the sky
for electrical phenomena, when a sight met my eyes that filled me with
unspeakable horror.  We were rushing upon a sea of liquid fire, which
extended in the distance as far as eye could reach, and from east to
west without apparent limit.  It was an awful picture. There was no
escaping it, unless by retreat.  I shouted to Torrence, who turned
immediately from the sky, to the fearful horizon ahead.

"There is nothing to be done," I cried, "but return!"

The atmosphere was quivering like a glowing oven, and from the fiery sea
to the sky above the waves of vapor rose and fell like the spirits of
the flames themselves.  As we drifted on, the heat grew more intense,
and the vital principle of the atmosphere was gone.  The sea was rushing
upon us with awful speed, and with each minute of advance the air became
more stifling.  Torrence’s hand was upon the lever, but not to slacken
speed.  Was he mad?  Had the fellow become insane?  I asked him the
question, for although rising to a tremendous height, he had pushed the
air ship up to her highest speed, and it would be but a few minutes
before we should be launched directly over that awful hell of fire.

"Have you lost your mind?" I shouted; "what are you about?"

"Gurt, brace yourself for a strain; we can stand it!"

"Stand what?"

"Go below!  Get some buckets of water and sponges. I am going to cross
that sea!"

"Stop!" I cried, grasping his arm, "are you going to kill us?"

He shook me off.

"Get the water," he said, "and be quick about it."

Still I was immovable, while the air ship seemed to leap through the air
at the rate of a mile a minute.  I could scarcely breathe.  The fiery
world ahead was not a mile away.  Our lungs would be consumed in that
horrible incandescent vapor.  No living creature could stand it.  I
continued to hesitate.

"Damn you!" roared Torrence; "if you don’t get the water you can stand
where you are and be burned.  I would cross that sea if it were a
thousand times hotter than hell.  But I tell you I do not believe it is
wide, and we shall be safely over in an hour, if you will trust me.
Don’t stop to talk, for I am determined, and will drag both our
skeletons through to the bitter end, sooner than turn back now!"

I ran below as fast as possible after the water, for I saw that argument
was useless, and my fears for Torrence’s sanity were also aroused.

On reaching deck the sea was beneath, and the incandescent atmosphere
around us.  I saw Torrence through a yellow haze, holding fast to the
lever, and cramming his handkerchief into his mouth.  I staggered toward
him with the bucket, and pressed a wet sponge upon his head; doing the
same immediately for myself.  The water saturated us, and enabled us to
get our breath, which came in gasps.  I plied the sponges constantly and
regularly, at the same time watching the horizon for a change, with the
deepest anxiety; but the sea was dazzling and the volatile gases which
ascended both blinding and stifling.  As far as the eye could reach,
before, behind, and upon either side, great lurid flames leaped up from
the ground, and beyond the limit of their powers this deadly vapor
surrounded and penetrated every tissue of our being.  At each breath,
these poisonous gases burned and scorched their way into our lungs,
shriveling our lips and throats like the fumes of sulphur.  Again and
again I rushed below for water, and again staggered on deck scarcely
able to support my load.  But it was not until the sixth or seventh
trip, when the hair on our heads was positively singeing, and the skin
or my brother’s face looked like parchment, that I made the fearful
discovery that the water was nearly out!  I was drawing upon the last
cask.  What was to be done?  It would be useless to talk to Torrence; he
would drive the air ship into hell before he would turn back, as he had
already said.  Should I endeavor to overpower him, seize the lever
myself, and retreat, if indeed it were yet possible to do so? or should
I die in furthering his insane determination?  I crawled on deck with
the last bucket of water, still undecided.

"The water is out!" I yelled through the roaring of the flames.  "Do you
still persist?"

Torrence did not answer, but pointed below, and in an agony of horror I
saw what he meant.  Our end was at hand; for the vessel was sinking into
the fiery mass beneath.

"It’s the heat!" he said hoarsely.  "It’s too late to talk about
returning.  The fire has damaged the vibrator. We can’t keep her afloat
an hour to save our souls; and the end may be nearer ahead than behind
us!"

He then stood quietly watching our gradual descent into the pestilential
fumes with an indifference that amazed me.  I should not say that he was
indifferent, but that he had every appearance of it.  We sank upon the
deck, side by side, mopping ourselves with the last spongeful of water
and wondering how soon the end would come.  Suddenly Torrence jumped up
and staggered to the rail.

"It is cooler!" he shouted; "I feel it.  We are still high above the
fire.  If we can keep afloat for ten minutes longer we are saved!"

"How do you propose to do it?" I gasped.

"Throw out the gold!  Throw out the gold!" he roared,

We were unable to stand erect, but stumbled, and crawled, and staggered
into the saloon.  Alas! we were too weak to lift the metal in the
original packages, but took out huge chunks from the sacks, throwing
them overboard through the windows.

"Be quick, for God’s sake," called Torrence, as a great yellow flame
leaped into the air higher than the others.  We were heaving out the
yellow metal as fast as possible, and bag after bag had been disposed
of, when we both became sensible of a marked change in the atmosphere.

"It is cooler!" I said, taking time to rest for a second.

Torrence implored me not to stop, so I resumed the work, and together we
had thrown out half the gold, when we sank down thoroughly exhausted.
For several minutes neither of us had strength to move, not really
caring much whether we were burned alive or not.  But at last there came
a change, and we crawled to port and looked overboard.  We had passed
the fiery sea, and were hovering over a sandy desert, similar to the one
already crossed.

"We are saved!" exclaimed Torrence, pressing his hand against his
parched cheek; "this desert evidently surrounds the crater."

"Strange name for an ocean of fire!" I remarked.

"Perhaps you would rather say the fountain head of the crater," he
replied; "for I believe that this sea of burning bitumen is the
foundation for one or more of the volcanoes in our own world.  Does it
not seem strange that the story of a fiery hell, situated beneath the
earth, should have such a striking exemplification in fact?"

I admitted that it was extraordinary, and then crawled to the upper
deck, and looked about.  The sea of fire was still visible in the
distance, and despite the fact that half our gold was gone, we were
falling rapidly earthward. The self-registering thermometer showed that
we had passed through a temperature of one hundred and thirty-five
degrees, which seemed incredible; a heat which no human creature could
have stood, were it not for the entire absence of moisture, and,
paradoxical as it may appear, for the constant application of the wet
sponge.  Of course this water was cool by comparison with the air,
otherwise it would have scalded us.  As it was, its constant evaporation
preserved our lives.  Even now the thermometer recorded one hundred and
fifteen degrees, but this was cool and comfortable.

Much as we regretted the loss of the gold we were impelled to throw over
still more, being anxious to reach water, and a better climate before
undertaking repairs upon the vessel; and so we probably threw over the
trifle of a hundred thousand dollars in additional ore in the effort to
restore our buoyancy.  Fortunately we were not obliged to part with our
jewels, wherein lay our principal wealth.

The vessel was now pushed to her full capacity, which was not more than
twenty miles an hour, and constantly decreasing, together with an
alarming tendency to drop earthward.  We had just come through such
horrors that nothing could seriously disconcert us, and I felt,
moreover, every confidence in my brother’s ability to repair and
readjust the vibrator as soon as we had reached a suitable place for the
work.

About half a bucket of water was left, obliging us to use it with the
greatest economy, and as the heat was still intense, our thirst
continued to be quite painful. We kept our places on deck, scanning the
horizon for indications of water or vegetation, but the burning red sand
usurped the earth in every direction.  We felt, however, that there was
reason to hope for relief, on account of the increased humidity and the
gradual falling of the temperature.  However slight this may have been,
it indicated that we were going in the right direction, if we could only
hold out long enough.

Steadily our speed fell off, and slowly, but steadily, we sank
earthward.  At last, when an indescribable apathy was stealing over us,
we discovered a sight which filled our hearts with hope.  It was a range
of sharp, precipitous mountains, silhouetted against the southern sky.

It seems proper in this connection to explain the use of a word which
might appear paradoxical in our peculiar situation.  The word I refer to
is "horizon."  To an outsider the expression might seem only applicable
to conditions of the external globe, but when it is borne in mind that
our range of vision rarely exceeded twenty miles, it will be seen that
the concavity of the earth was not any more apparent than the convexity
would be with us, in a similar panorama.  Beyond this, the state of the
atmosphere afforded as true a horizon as any upon our exterior plane.
To be sure it was not always so clear cut as our own upon certain
occasions, the land blending with the sky, as on a cloudy day with us,
but there is nothing in that respect which is not thoroughly agreeable
and natural.  No one could have guessed, from the simple appearance of
earth or sky line that he was not a dweller of the outer world.  The
sights which amazed us were those already described, and perhaps of
these the most astounding was the great disk of light in the heavens.

The mountain range, which had been gradually looming up before us, now
gave us fresh courage, for surely where there are mountains there must
be water.  Help was ahead, but we must reach it before the air ship
collapsed.  The poor thing which had been so buoyant, so fleet and
powerful hitherto, was now a miserable cripple, requiring constant care
to keep it afloat.  Every bulky or weighty object that we could possibly
spare was thrown over, but there came a time when we saw that she must
sink to the ground within a mile.  Our speed had also been greatly
decreased, so that during the last hour we could have walked very nearly
as far as we had sailed.  At last we settled gently upon the red,
burning sand like a feather undecided whether to fall or rise. We
scrambled over the side, and for the first time since leaving London
felt the poverty of man’s power of locomotion.

"And is this to be the end of all our efforts?" I inquired despondingly,
throwing myself on the hot sand beside Torrence.

"Undoubtedly, if we lie here more than five minutes!" he answered,
wiping his face with the damp sponge.

"And what do you propose doing?" I inquired.

"We must get to those hills, dead or alive," he replied; "and we must be
about it directly."

"Do you intend walking?"

"Yes, if we can’t patch up the machine."

"We are a helpless couple, as it is," I remarked, rising, for the sand
was burning me.

"It’s a long way from home," observed Torrence with a sickly smile.

I grinned.

"Yes, and how magnificently we were talking about sailing through the
South Pole; treating the earth as if it were a mere ball to be jumped
about in at our pleasure. I feel as if I had suddenly fallen from the
powers of a god to those of a paralyzed caterpillar!"

But Torrence was up.

"I am dying of thirst," he said; "we must get to the hills or perish in
the sand.  Do you know we shall be raving maniacs if we remain in this
temperature without water?  Let us get to work and see what we can do.
I have brought all kinds of tools and materials, perhaps we can get her
afloat again."

And so we crawled back into the big machine and down into the lowest
compartment, where the great vibrators and delicate mechanism were
located.  We worked hard for hours, under the most trying conditions,
where heat and thirst were maddening, and feeling that every moment’s
delay brought us nearer the end of what we could stand.  At last we
effected what Torrence believed would be a temporary adjustment of the
parts, for it was all we could do under the circumstances.

"With water and a cooler atmosphere I could make a perfect job," he
declared; "but I am exhausted, and this must answer for the present."

We climbed up on deck again and touched the button and shoved over the
lever.  The glory of the next minute eclipsed every sensation of
exultant joy, for the air ship rose like a Phoenix from the ashes and
sailed.  We dared not rise too high until better work should be done,
but at fifty feet above the ground we again pressed ahead at twenty
miles an hour.  How long this would last we trembled to think, but more
than forty minutes had elapsed before we observed any lessening of the
speed; and then our hearts sank in proportion as we slowed down and
dipped earthward.

The temperature had materially fallen, but there was still no water in
sight, and our thirst was becoming unbearable, and at last the horrid
thud, as we again touched the earth sickened us.

"Can we not patch her up again?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact, we can," said Torrence, "but the bearings won’t
hold as long as before, for the simple reason that I have not the
physical strength to adjust them properly."

"Let us try it at all events, and for God’s sake be quick about it."  I
felt that my thirst was overcoming me.

At the end of an hour we rose again, but this time not so high, nor
could we go so fast, and at the expiration of twenty minutes we were
again upon the ground.

And so all day long we repeated these terrible heart-breaking
experiments, each time rising a little less, and falling a little
sooner.  I use the word day as a mere measure of time, as, of course,
there was no darkness; and all daylong the blue mountains hung like a
painting against the sky, and seemed to get no nearer.  Our resources
were nearly exhausted.  We could not speak above a whisper.  My throat
ached, and the skin about my neck and cheeks felt like paper.  But our
salvation lay in the air ship; by no other possible means could we hope
to escape the awful fate which threatened us.

                     *      *      *      *      *




                                 *XXI.*


Desperate men will sometimes develop superhuman power, and I think when
Torrence next went to work upon the nerve-trying mechanism of the
vibrator, he must have made an abnormal effort.  However this may have
been, the ship arose with renewed energy, and darted through the air
with a speed that astonished us both.  This sudden accession of power
lasted for quite two hours, and when she sunk again to earth the rugged
hills were wonderfully near.  Again he tried his hand upon the splendid
structure, but at last it was evident that neither nature nor art would
respond.  He was too weak to adjust the vibrator, and without the
vibrator the vessel would not rise.  We strained every nerve, and made
every shift imaginable, but she would not budge. Torrence was lying upon
the deck, unable to move after the terrific struggle below, for the
adjustment of the parts required not only physical force, but the
exercise of nearly every sense as well.  The hearing, the sight, the
touch, must all be in perfect condition, and the strain of bringing
these up to par, when so far below their normal state, was terrible, and
now quite beyond his ability to achieve.

"How far are the hills?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Hills," I answered, "my dear boy, they are towering cliffs of sheer
rock."

"And do you see no vegetation among them?"

"None.  Indeed, so far as I can tell there is not a shovelful of soil in
the range!"

"But there must be water," he insisted, although I could see no sign of
any from where I stood, nor could I admit to myself that the prospect
was against it.

"There may be," was all I could answer.

"Gurt, old man, it is our only chance.  You must go afoot."

"Alone?"

"Yes, alone, for I am not able to move.  Do you think you can reach it?"

"I will try; but do not get out of heart.  If there is any water to be
had I will find it.  Yes, and I will bring it to you, dear boy.  Don’t
give up.  I promise."

"God bless you.  If I could go I would, but I can’t!" was all he said.

I then staggered down the ladder and wandered off, hardly knowing how or
where, in search of water, for one drink of which I would have
sacrificed the entire wealth of our cargo.

Keeping the dark cliffs in view, I bent my steps toward them with a
strange misgiving.

The sand lay hot and deep in ridges, undulations, and depressions, like
the swell of the ocean; characteristics which had not been so pronounced
until I found myself crossing them afoot, and walking over waves into
which I sank shoe deep at every step.  Full of pain, and exhausted I
plunged ahead, dazed and bewildered, conscious only that I was making
the last effort for our salvation.  On and on I trudged toward those
terrible precipitous rocks ahead, at a rate which could not have carried
me more than a couple of miles in a single hour; and at last I sank down
exhausted to rest.

I looked about me.  Where was the air ship?  The vessel was nowhere in
sight, and I wondered if I had come farther than I thought.  It was
impossible that the distance between us had made it invisible.  The
machine had simply disappeared from the face of the earth, suddenly and
inexplicably.

In every direction the desert stretched, and above was the sky.  It was
impossible that Torrence could have repaired the damage without me, and
sailed.  I was bewildered, horrified.  I felt that I was lost forever
and irredeemably, for even my footsteps had been obliterated by the
creeping of the sand, doubtless the effect of subterranean heat.  I was
crushed; and as I sat there, burning and aching in every inch of my
body, and in mental agony as well, I cried.

Then I remembered the undulations of the plain, and was convinced that
the air ship was lying in one of the hollows between them, just out of
sight.  Although this thought was comforting in one sense, it was not so
in another, inasmuch as it did not relieve the situation. The vessel was
as hopelessly lost as if she had sailed away without me.  At least so I
felt about it.  I shouted as loud as possible, but at best could not
have been heard a hundred yards, for my throat was parched and painful,
and its power gone.  Death seemed close at hand, and closer, perhaps,
from a certain apathy which was stealing over me.

Stretching out at full length upon the sand, the cliffs beyond had an
ominous look.  There was no appearance of life, neither was there tree
or bush to indicate the presence of water.  Sheer cliffs, of unscalable
form, towered above me.  Like the ruin of some vast Titanic home the
rocks were piled in huge masses, uncouth blocks and pinnacles, from the
sandy depths beneath to the vapory heights above.  The wind whispered
through dark alleys and deserted passages, and at open casements; at
least these sounds appeared to reach me in that awful solitude, and I
was overpowered with the sense of a breathing, intelligent world around
me.

As I lay there staring stupidly up at the rugged forms of tower and
pinnacle surmounting this strange wall, I was struck with the appearance
of dark spots in the face of the cliff near the summit, which had a
peculiar regularity, as if they might be windows, cut or blasted out by
human hands.  This interested and set me to examining the place more
carefully, when I became astounded at what I could no longer doubt was
an artificial design extending along the top of the precipice.  Could it
be possible that this great natural wall was crowned with a castellated
structure built by men, and so closely resembling the cliff itself as to
be indistinguishable from it?

I raised my head and examined the place with growing curiosity.  Yes,
there could be no question about it, the whole top of the wall was built
up artificially.  Perhaps it was some great fortress, or decaying
monastery; for the singular blending of art and nature made it seem as
if the two had grown together through vast periods of time.

As I lay there, dreading the effort of rising, and indeed almost too
weak to proceed, there came a strange sound through the air, which grew
louder, and more inexplicable each minute.  I listened, wondering if it
could be in my own ears, as signal of approaching death, and almost
wished it might be.  Was it a rushing wind creeping down from the
heights above, or the portent of subterranean upheaval?  It grew, and
while vaguely surmising the cause, I became suddenly aware of a fearful
object, hovering above.  I started to my feet, staggered and fell, for
directly over me was one of those gigantic birds.  It swooped earthward,
and I crouched in horror, as I saw that it was making directly for me.

The end was at hand.  I should be pecked to pieces before I was dead,
and my flesh be consumed like carrion by this damnable, awe-inspiring
monster.  Even had I the strength to resist, a dozen men could not have
coped with such a creature.  I lay quietly waiting to feel that awful
beak pecking at my heart, my eyes, my brains, and suffered the agony of
a thousand deaths.  Down it came; it was close above, and the stench
upon the air was overpowering.  I could not move, for the paralysis of a
consuming fear devoured me.  I looked straight up into those baleful
eyes, and my attention was attracted by a strange thing, for around the
bird’s neck was suspended a gilded barrel of peculiar form.  Now was I
alive, or was I dead? for at that moment a sight presented itself which
might well have made me doubt. When close above the ground, and within
fifty feet, the bird stopped and by some dextrous movement of beak and
claw, disengaged the barrel, which dropped quietly upon the ground,
leaving the animal free to fly away as quietly and mysteriously as it
had come.  It disappeared among the rocks near the summit of the cliff.

Crawling toward the cask I examined it, and discovered to my unspeakable
joy that it was divided into two compartments, in one of which was about
five gallons of cold water, while in the other was a quantity of fruit.
Had this strange creature been sent from heaven? but I could not stop to
think until after I had drunk and eaten, and then falling down upon my
knees thanked God for his deliverance, for even here in this awful
desert I was watched and cared for.

I was a new man, but the thought of my brother dying in the air ship
came upon me with renewed force.  Could I ever hope to find him?  The
heights above offered the only chance of doing so, for there I could
overlook the inequalities of the sand hills, discover his position, and
with carefully established bearings reach the spot.  It was a frightful
undertaking, but my only hope.

Hanging the cask with its remains of food and water across my back by
the cords attached, I again pushed forward, and after an hour’s patient
trudging was relieved to find the sand less tenacious, and far more
shallow; in fact, the walking had become comparatively easy, but the
climb had not commenced.  When it did I discovered what appeared to be a
natural rocky way leading above.  Up this dangerous path I directed my
steps, and although the work was steep and laborious, it was a relief to
have solid ground once more beneath my feet.

At the end of two hours I had ascended to a great elevation, but to my
amazement the air ship was not yet visible.  The atmosphere over the
plain was quivering with heat, and its dense gaseous condition may have
obscured the vessel, but I was greatly distressed that it had not come
in view.  Another hour’s climb and still the noble craft was hidden from
my sight.

It was growing cooler, but neither watercourse nor vegetation had been
encountered, yet the black, towering rocks closed in upon me on every
side.  Whither was the path leading, and what would be the end?  It
would be useless to return, to be lost in the drift.  There was but one
object to steer by, and but one hope to which I could cling, and that
was the great barren rock that supported me.  If once my back was turned
upon this single landmark, there was absolutely nothing to look to.  And
so with aching heart, and the gravest misgivings, I struggled on,
stopping constantly to search the plain below.

So far the path had been narrow and tortuous, a mere rut, twisting in
and out among the irregularities of the wall, but suddenly I found
myself standing upon a horizontal ledge, like a natural piazza
overlooking the plain. On my right, at the back of this landing, the
cliff continued to rise in a sheer ascent of perhaps a hundred feet, and
here I again observed those dark openings, which I had seen from below.
It was a remarkable formation, and I walked along it with an uncanny
dread lest here was the abode of some unknown being which might resent
my intrusion.

The farther end of this extraordinary promenade was blocked by a mass of
rock, but upon examination I found a narrow alley which led to the rear,
and communicated with a vast internal passage, dimly illuminated with an
amber light coming from above, and falling about the walls in strange
scintillations of green, purple, blue, crimson and gold.  I stood for a
moment staring in surprise, and then, overcome with curiosity, walked
into the interior.  The corridor in which I found myself was at a right
angle to the esplanade, and ran directly into the mountain.  It was of
vast height, although the peculiar configuration prevented my gaining
any accurate knowledge of its altitude, as the light filtered through
semi-transparent masses above, whose distance from the floor was
irregular and difficult to estimate.

The gloom of twilight reigned about me, but the coloring was of a
splendor indescribable.  Above, below, around were these spark-like
points of illumination, shifting and changing like the twinkling of
stars, or the flash of precious stones, and of every conceivable color
and tone.  I wandered on in stupid amazement, wondering whither it would
lead.  The passage seemed interminable, and of ever increasing splendor.
The illumination from above would change from amber to erubescence, and
then it would fall upon my path in sudden rifts of green or gold, and
then return to its original amber tint again.

At last I came to what was undoubtedly an indication of life, and of
human life, too, for here at the end of the corridor was a door.  Not a
common door, but a great cumbersome stone portal, which was made to
swing in a socket at the end.  I stopped before this emblem of humanity
in awe.  What was beyond it?  I listened, but no sound came from within.
A massive chain of gold was hung from the point where with us a lock or
latch is affixed, and I could not doubt that it was intended as a handle
to pull upon.  My curiosity was wrought to the highest pitch, and I
longed to grasp that chain and swing open the aperture.  Twice my hand
was upon it, and twice I drew it away in terror; but at last, trembling
with excitement, and overcome with an unholy desire to solve the mystery
within, I seized it and pulled with all my might.  The door swung open,
and I stood face to face with an extraordinary sight.

An apartment of magnificent proportions was before me.  In size I should
say that it approximated a cube of a hundred feet.  It was lighted from
above through a ceiling of transparent mosaics, arranged in superb
designs, apparently emblematic of historical events.  The walls had been
carved out of the solid rock in pictorial cameos.  These pictures
surrounded the room.  They were perfect in delineation, and of
unparalleled workmanship. The floor was laid in rich mosaics, also
arranged in pictorial form, and the light from above was just strong
enough to add a mystery to the scene.  Never had I dreamed of anything
so wonderful.  In all this vast apartment, above, below, and upon every
hand, there was such lavish decoration that the eye was bewildered; it
was impossible to take it in.

As I stood there, marveling, gazing, I seemed to be the only living
creature in this great silent hall, and by degrees, as I gained courage,
I wandered on toward the center of the floor, trying to take in and
understand the marvelous scene, but as I have said, it was impossible to
comprehend it at a glance, or even to perceive the details of more than
a small part of what actually existed.

I had reached a point about halfway across the floor, my head strained
at every angle in reviewing the marvels around me, when suddenly I was
startled by a sight that made my heart give one great leap.  Upon a
slightly raised dais, surrounding the room, I had observed not less than
a hundred richly decorated chairs.  These were carved, gilded, bejeweled
and caparisoned in a manner that made it difficult to tell exactly what
they were, but I had decided that they were seats, and intended to
examine them a little later.  Imagine, therefore, my horror to discover
that upon each chair sat a human being, so strange, so mysterious, and
of so awful an aspect, with gilded and painted faces, that I had not
recognized them before.  Indeed these creatures were so richly robed,
and in that respect so closely resembled their surroundings that it was
only when one of them moved that I discovered my mistake.  I had been
watched then from the moment of entering the room.  There was nothing to
do but apologize for my intrusion; explain my errand, and retreat as
gracefully as possible.

I prostrated myself before this grave assembly; told how I was in search
of aid for my brother, who was perishing from thirst on the plain.  I
asked if they would appoint a delegation to assist me in carrying water
and finding him.  I said that he was exhausted with the heat, and that I
feared he would perish if not relieved immediately.  Of course all this
I might as well have said in Choctaw; but what else could I do?  Yes,
there was one other thing which I did.  I pointed to the barrel of water
on my back, made a motion as if drinking, and then pointed out at the
plain, signifying that another was there who needed their aid.  But
these strange, gaunt men neither smiled nor answered me.  They sat
silently looking on with their dark, wonderful eyes, and did not even so
much as glance at one another.  Had I been one of their own number I
would, apparently, have created as much surprise.  Filled with chagrin
and horror at the extraordinary situation in which I found myself, I
began slowly to retreat, keeping my eyes fixed upon these unearthly
beings, and their environment.  Indeed their recognition had been so
sudden and unexpected that I half looked for other developments in what
had appeared fixtures of the apartment.  In doing this I observed that
the spaces between the pictorial cameos on the walls were filled from
floor to ceiling with what appeared to be stacks of metallic tablets.
It seemed possible that the place was a vast library, or depository of
historic records, some of the scenes of which were depicted upon the
walls.  Could it be that these men composed a guard for their
preservation?

Slowly I retreated toward the door by which I had entered, stepping
backward, and never relaxing my eyes from a close and careful scrutiny
of the scene.  Glancing at the farther end of the room, I was suddenly
electrified by one of the mural decorations I had not before observed.
It was a representation of a man and woman being driven through a great
natural gateway; but that was not all, for the portal through which they
were passing was an accurate delineation of Mount Horror and Mount
Gurthrie.

For a moment I stopped, and then overcome with the significance of the
picture and the horrible mystery of my surroundings, turned, and fled
toward the door. Seizing the chain which hung within I flung it open and
rushed out; but, alas, I had mistaken the entrance. There were other
doors, and I had taken the wrong one.

I was in a dark, narrow passage, with the door behind me closed, and as
I soon discovered with no chain to reopen it, nor would it yield to my
pressure.  With my hand against the wall I groped forward, feeling
carefully with my feet at the same time.  The passage was not straight,
and as it turned from side to side I realized that I was wandering
through a crevice in the earth.

On and on I crept, until at last, overcome with terror at the thought of
my position, and the probable fate which awaited me, I sank down upon
the floor, almost wishing that I had perished in the plain below.  As I
sat there brooding over our misfortunes, a strange odor was wafted
through the passage, which I recognized at once as belonging to those
gigantic birds of the desert.




                                *XXII.*


The peculiar odor alluded to grew more intense, until it became almost
insupportable.  I got up and stumbled on, hoping to escape it, and find
an outlet to the open air, wondering at the same time if the alley led
to a nest, or general rendezvous of these extraordinary creatures. The
passage I was following was not only crooked, but in places it inclined
upward, leading me to look for an opening above.  The darkness was
intense, and perhaps I felt it the more from the fact that there had
been no night since the last great headland of Europe had faded from our
view.

I could form no idea of the distance I had groveled along this black,
noisome rift, when a flickering light greeted my eyes ahead which filled
me with joy, although it was evidently not the light of day; still it
relieved the awful sensation of having been trapped alive in a tomb of
solid rock.  The light approached slowly; evidently it was a long way
off when first observed, and the reflection on the walls was all I was
able to see for quite a time, but at last I heard approaching footsteps.
There was a sharp angle ahead, and upon turning it, I found myself face
to face with a human being bearing a torch.  We stood for a second
staring at each other.  The man, if man it were, was tall, gaunt, with
copper-colored skin, painted and gilded in geometrical designs, and with
white hair that fell about his face and neck.  He wore a crimson paletot
which hung from his shoulders without belt or girdle.  He was nearly a
head the taller, and as I stood watching him in the flickering light of
the flambeau, I was chilled, subdued, humbled, realizing that I was in
the presence of a being whose powers I could not fathom.  Without a word
he turned, and with majestic wave of firebrand, motioned me to follow.
I did as I was bid, knowing nothing else, and together we threaded the
subterranean passage in its upward trend.

We struggled on up the incline, which ended in a vaulted chamber, where
were standing vessels of water, and a quantity of peculiar-looking food
upon a marble slab.  In a corner was a pile of mats, doubtless intended
for a bed.  The walls were rough as if blasted from the living rock.
About forty feet above my head was an opening through which the blessed
daylight entered. My attendant left without a word, closing the heavy
stone portal behind him.

Finding myself alone, I began to investigate the surroundings with a
view of escape.  It would have been useless to return as I had come, for
even had my chamber door been open, the other end of the passage was
closed against me; but the man had fastened the great stone portal after
him; it was immovable in its stone socket.  I was sealed up alive in a
vault whose only opening was far above my head.  How to reach that
outlet was now what most concerned me.

Here I again observed the peculiar odor of those gigantic birds; if it
became much stronger I thought it would stifle me.  Examining the walls
of my prison I found them in many places rough enough to afford a
lodgment, huge blocks, projecting into the apartment; but the height was
great, and I dared not attempt climbing to the opening above unless sure
of finding a passable way to the top.  The outlet was not directly in
the apex of the roof, but upon one side, near the spring of the arch.
The light was dim, and it was some time before I had fully mastered the
bearings, but after a careful search I discovered in a remote corner a
regular ledge of projecting rock, which appeared to go all the way to
the ceiling.  Indeed it looked as if it might have been used as a
stairway to communicate with the roof.  I lost no time in trying this,
feeling uncertain as to what fate awaited me.  And so, with the little
barrel still upon my back, commenced the ascent immediately.  As I had
thought, it led without difficulty to the aperture, and I begun to
congratulate myself with the thought that there was no intention of
making me a prisoner after all, when so easy a way had been provided for
my escape.

But this idea was quickly dispelled on finding myself upon the top of
this lofty formation, which fell away upon every side in great chasms,
and awful rifts, impossible to cross or descend with any means at my
disposal.  It was clear enough why there had been no effort to prevent
my emerging here.

Far out over the desert the atmosphere still quivered in the dreadful
heat, but even at this tremendous elevation I could see nothing of the
air ship.  Was it too small an object to be recognized so far away, or
was it hid by the undulations of the sand; or, could it be possible, no,
I could not believe it was possible, but still the thought would come to
me, that Torrence had repaired the damage, and sailed away alone to
continue the exploration by himself?  I am sure such a conception would
never have entered my mind were it not for the awful strain I had been
subjected to.

Wandering across my prison roof I looked down into one of the great
abysses beneath, a kind of natural courtyard, and beheld there a scene
that interested me, and explained the presence of the odor, so often
observed. Half a dozen of these gigantic birds were stalking about in
this inclosure, and while I looked a man came among them bearing a
barrel, the counterpart of the one I possessed.  Going to the nearest,
he fastened the vessel about its neck, and immediately after it flew up
directly past where I stood, and out over the desert.  Suddenly it
flashed upon me that I might have fallen upon some strange monastery,
where the _Fathers_ dispatched birds instead of dogs to rescue those
lost upon the plain below. It was merely a thought; I had no way of
proving it, and give it for what it is worth.  But even the thought was
a comfort to my harried soul.

Fortunately I had water and food with me, and had no desire to return to
the chamber, although momentarily dreading to be summoned before some
august power to account for myself.  I spent hours in searching the
walls below, endeavoring to discover some rift or ledge by which I might
descend; but there was not the shadow of a chance upon any side.
Exhausted I lay down and slept, but my sleep was troubled, and I soon
found myself tramping the bard ground again.  I could see nothing but
starvation ahead, and imagined the indwellers of the glittering cave
beneath quietly awaiting my end; although for what purpose I could not
guess.

I have not the slightest idea how long I remained upon this barren
mountain top, but after hours of mental torture I suddenly caught sight
of the air ship flying toward me high above the desert plain.  My heart
gave one great leap of joy, and then I relapsed into a dreadful fear
lest Torrence should not see me.  In an instant I had pulled off my
shirt and was waving it frantically.  I watched for an answer, but no,
he was not on the lookout; still I would not relax my efforts until
every hope had passed.  I shouted, I roared, I waved my shirt and coat
frantically.  I ran as fast as possible about the rock to attract his
attention.  I took off one of my boots and beat upon the water barrel;
but still he did not signal in reply.  I was beside myself with horror
at the thought of being left alone in this mysterious world.  Surely
though, even if he passed he would return to look for me. On and on came
the air ship, as magnificently as ever. He had managed then without me
to repair the damage, for never had she sailed more splendidly, more
superbly than now.  Nearer and nearer she came.  What if the terrible
noise I was making should arouse my captors below, and they should seize
and carry me down to their own mysterious regions again?  The thought
sickened me, yet I dared not cease my bellowing and shouting for a
single instant.  So near the mountain, and yet no signal.  Oh, horror!
was he going to leave me?  He had reached a point directly above my
head; and now he could not see me if he were on deck.  It was my last
hope.

"Torrence!  Torrence!" I cried, as if my heart would break.

Oh God!  The agony of that minute as I saw the vessel quickly drift away
upon her course, leaving me lost and alone or in the companionship of
men whose methods of life were inscrutable.  Once more I yelled.  It was
my last and greatest effort—and—what did I see——? Yes, it had borne
fruit.  The great machine paused in its flight, and Torrence looked over
the rail.  I waved, my shirt frantically.  He saw me—he heard me.  The
motion was reversed; and then, like some majestic bird, she settled
earthward.

It would be useless to attempt a description of my feelings at that
moment.  I cannot even realize them myself.  I only know that when the
huge monster touched the mountain top I sprang upon her side like a
madman, and clutched wildly at the footboard before the ladder was
dropped.  In a minute I was aboard; the rail snapped to behind me, and
we were sailing tranquilly away from the horrible scenes that had so
beset us.  But before a hundred yards had been placed between us and
those awful cliffs, a body of men had ranged themselves in line to
witness our departure.  I do not pretend to account for what I saw in
those rock-bound halls; if this were fiction I would doubtless do so;
but as it is, I can only offer the suggestions already made, be they
worth what they may.

We now flew rapidly away over rough and interminable ranges of
mountains.  Pure chaotic masses of stone, without a trace of vegetation
in sight.  Indeed there was no soil to support tree, bush, or herbage.
We crossed frightful chasms, hundreds of feet deep, we scaled terrific
heights, and looked down from the top of precipices into darkened
valleys.  Crags were heaped upon crags. Dreadful gorges yawned beneath
us.  Nothing in our own world can compare with this region, and when it
is remembered that not a drop of water, or shovelful of soil is to be
found, the terror of the place may be faintly pictured.

At intervals we caught sight of those gigantic birds, which resembled
the fabled roc, and which were apparently hatched in these desolations,
for they were at home here where no other creature could support life,
and what they found to live upon it was impossible to guess. They came
swooping up from out the black chasms beneath, and after circling about
us in curiosity, would descend again into the awful gulches from which
they sprang.

We were days in crossing these rugged ranges, which we called "the
mountains of death," and we feel sure that the distance across them was
more than a thousand miles. The heat throughout was intense, although
nowhere did it compare with what we had already experienced.

Torrence told me that one of those gigantic birds had come to his aid
with water, just as it had to me, and the remains of his cask and mine
furnished all our drink until we reached the Crystal River, a stream we
found and named from its clearness; but this was not until we had put
"the mountains of death" entirely behind us.  The strange castellated
structure upon which I had fallen was the only human habitation we
discovered throughout our passage across these rugged ranges, and it
remains a mystery to both of us where the inhabitants procured their
food supplies, or even the water they drank and furnished to others.
How that extraordinary edifice was ever constructed, or how its inmates
communicated with the world beyond is likely to remain an unsolved
mystery to the end of time.

The air ship had behaved beautifully after leaving the "castle of the
dead hills," as we called it, and Torrence told me that he had succeeded
in making a perfect adjustment after getting the water, and that he
believed the vibrator would not trouble us again.  It was fortunate it
had not, while crossing "the mountains of death," as there wore long
stretches where it would have been difficult to have found enough level
land for a resting place, and any misbehavior on the vessel’s part might
have precipitated us into subterranean depths from which we could never
have risen.

Having decided to push through the opening at the South Pole, and
desirous of reaching our own world as early as possible, we put the
vessel to a high rate of speed, after having filled our water casks at
the Crystal River, and bathed in its cool, delicious current.  The land
beneath us had again become green and beautiful, and the atmosphere of a
temperature which left nothing to be desired.  Our haste was not because
we would reach the south polar regions at any pleasanter season, but
from terror lest the air ship should collapse.  It was a kind of
homesickness, growing apace; a terror of pending disaster and ultimate
inability to reach the land of our birth.

For days after this we traveled at a rapid rate, over a varying country.
We crossed great forests, flowering plains of unparalleled beauty, and
trees whose fruits we stopped occasionally to test.  And here we saw
animals, nearly as large as our elephants, but with heads like the wild
boar.  We passed over thickly settled districts, where the inhabitants
rode upon animals of great speed and delicacy of build, although but
slightly resembling our horses.  We hovered over magnificent cities
densely populated, and with temples and monuments of passing splendor;
but we did not stop at any of these, from our utter inability to
communicate with the inhabitants. There were rivers teeming with ships,
and loaded with passengers, but upon every hand was the evidence of rest
and recreation.  No work; no commerce; no effort to live.  But wherever
we were seen the ubiquitous trumpet announced our approach and departure
in an anthem of wonderful beauty.

At last my dread that we were approaching a great internal ocean was
realized, for we came to a halt on the summit of a lofty cliff, with a
splendid vision of the sea beyond.  There was something in the
appearance of the water that made us both believe it was more than a
mere inland lake.  The surf which rolled in upon the shore, the distant
white caps, and the raw, saline smell in the air, suggested a watery
waste of vast extent.  It was a rugged coast, and we decided to overhaul
our machinery before venturing into the unknown beyond.

On this headland we cooked our dinner, just as we had done upon the
North Cape, indeed there was something so similar in the appearance of
the two places that we were reminded of our adventure there, and took
care that there should be no repetition of it.

A careful examination of the vibrator showed that Torrence had repaired
it perfectly, and there seemed no possibility of further trouble, but to
make assurance doubly sure, we applied extra bolts to secure the damaged
parts, and were then, as Torrence declared, in a better position than
when we left London.

The great light disk in the heavens had been slowly ascending toward the
zenith, with our advance upon the equator, and as it now stood about
ninety degrees from the vertical meridian, or halfway between the
horizon and overhead, we imagined we must be somewhere nearly under the
tropics of our own world.  There had been no falling off in the light,
it being disseminated throughout the interior with equal purity and
force; and as Torrence explained, when the northern summer waned, with
the passage of the sun across the line, the south polar opening would
gradually supplant the deficiencies of the north.  I wish we could have
remained in our new world long enough to have witnessed this change, but
we could not make up our minds to so long a stay.

"It does seem astounding," I said to Torrence, as we sat sipping our
coffee, "that the people of this world should never have discovered
their close proximity to our own outer sphere, which is indeed
equivalent to another planet!"

"No more astounding," he answered, "than that we, who so continually
boast of our superior powers, should through all these ages have failed
to even suspect their existence.  We search the heavens for indications
of life upon our sister planets, and neglect this world beneath our
feet.  That to me is more astounding than the other!"

The outlook ahead was melancholy; possibly due to the uncertainty of
when we should again see land.  We continued our meal in silence, and
then with a final look at the machinery, re-embarked to cross this
unexplored sea.

The cliffs rapidly faded away in the distance, while the sky above, and
the water beneath, alone remained to us. We felt like the tenants of
some meteor traversing the regions of interplanetary space.

We now flew onward with tremendous velocity, for there were no pitfalls,
no mountains to avoid, and nothing of interest to see.  Moreover,
Torrence had come to the conclusion that a rapid rate of transit was
less inclined to disorder the machinery than the reverse.

Hour after hour we swept ahead through this realm of mystery, constantly
scanning the horizon for speck, or sail, or life upon the sluggish
waves, and wondering if human eyes had ever looked upon the picture
flowing beneath us.

"I feel quite sure," said Torrence, "that this sea will not extend to
the Antarctic Ocean.  For various scientific reasons I am convinced that
land predominates upon the interior, and we are much too far from the
southern opening to make it at all probable that no more land will be
met.  This body of water may be a thousand miles across, or even more,
and there may be channels communicating with the South Pacific, although
this is mere conjecture; but land we shall have!"

As the geography of the interior was quite as familiar as that of the
opposite side of the moon, it seemed absurd to form any opinion
concerning it, but Torrence had decided views upon every subject.

About four hundred miles out upon this mysterious ocean we were
astonished by the sight of a ship.  She was rigged and bedecked in the
same extraordinary style that the river boats had been; and it was
certainly in evidence of an equable climate, that these gaudily attired
vessels dared venture so far to seaward.  She was moving diagonally
across our path, with her stern toward us.  In the distance her singular
sails flashed in the light, and as we approached we saw a similar crowd
of gayly attired passengers upon her deck.  We took them quite by
surprise, and as we hovered across their mastheads, a tremendous shout,
followed by the blare of trumpets, greeted us.  Although wondering
whence they came, and to what distant shores they were bound, we knew it
would be useless to tarry, in the hope of gaining any information, and
after extending our blessing hurried on.

Strange thoughts crowded into our minds at the sight of this vessel, and
questions that could never be answered forced themselves upon us.  Was
there any commerce in this mysterious world; and if so, how, and where
was it conducted?  Through all the territory we had traversed there had
been no indication of trade.  The people simply lived without effort or
want.  But what had these vessels to do with their lives?  Surely
pleasure excursions would hardly venture so far in such frail, ornate
contrivances, resembling the gilded craft of fairyland. Might not many
of our nursery rhymes have originated in old traditions, having their
fountain head in this forgotten land of our inner world?  It was a
curious thought, and there were constant sights suggesting it.

Within twenty-four hours of our embarking upon this unfamiliar ocean a
hazy purple line appeared across the horizon, which indicated land.  We
had come about twelve hundred miles over the water, but for aught we
knew might simply have crossed an arm of the sea itself, whose size, of
course, we were unable to estimate.  We first reached land over a
promontory, upon either side of which the water trended in deep bays.
Far down upon the western coast we thought we caught the outline of a
gilded city, whose minarets and towers stood faintly against the misty
sky.  But the world we had discovered was so vast we could not hope to
do more than gain the merest superficial suggestions of what it
contained.

Again the dry land was beneath us, picturesque and greener than ever.
Similar fruits and trees greeted us here as upon the other continent.
Indeed the climatic conditions appeared so equable throughout the
interior, with the exception of the desert and the country contiguous to
it, that there seemed no reason why the same food supplies should not be
raised throughout.

But we were rapidly approaching the southern gateway of this newly
discovered Eden, and I looked forward with horror to the darkness and
cold which were soon to envelope us.  Beyond that, I had the most
pleasurable anticipations of returning to our paradise after acquainting
the outer world with the results of the voyage.




                                *XXIII.*


It took more than a week of rapid traveling to cross this last
continent, during which time we ate and slept alternately, one of us
constantly remaining on watch above.  Many cities were passed of a
splendor exceeding anything known upon our side of the globe, and during
the transit we witnessed what we could not doubt were different
nationalities, if not different civilizations. These changes were,
however, not easy to estimate, from the fact that all we saw was so
strangely, so utterly foreign that differentiations which would be
marked and strongly apparent to a denizen of the inner sphere, were only
slightly in evidence to us.  It was as if a native of darkest Africa
should journey abroad through Europe; it is not likely that he would
perceive much dissimilarity between German, French, English or Russian
citizens.

We halted only at long intervals, and generally in thinly settled
districts, to overhaul our machinery, or stretch our legs upon the
ground.  The amount of territory covered during that week was vast, the
air ship being kept at her highest speed.  We crossed rivers, great
lakes, or inland seas.  We saw sights well worth recording, and marvels
which we longed to investigate, and would indeed have done so were it
not for our utter inability to communicate with the people; and perhaps
some day, even if we should not return, it will be worth to write a
fuller description of all the wonders we encountered in that strange
inner world; that world which, since the dawn of creation, has been so
close at hand, and yet whose existence we have never suspected.

Far to the south we crossed a body of water so closely studded with
mountain islets, that many were connected by bridges, and nowhere could
there have been a thousand yards between them, and this for a distance
of five hundred miles.  And yet here were evidences of a past
civilization, in the deserted old castles, and rock carvings which
abounded among them.  We hovered close above some of the largest of
these relics, without eliciting a response from a human being.
Manifestly they had been deserted for untold ages.  The golden trumpet
had vanished from these desolate halls, neither was there any sign of
life within.

A change was coming over the air.  There was a chill and the light was
fading from the sky.

"We must prepare for cold weather ahead!" said Torrence.

And then we went down into the cabin and made everything as taut and
snug as possible.  The hatching to the upper deck was closed, and every
crevice carefully chinked.  Our portholes were fastened and screwed
down.  Our ventilators arranged, so that the outer air could only reach
us through coils of heated pipe; and if the air ship did not fail us, it
seemed impossible that we should suffer in our rapid flight across the
frozen sea of the Antarctic regions.

Gradually our disk of heavenly light receded toward the north; and it
was clear that we were rapidly approaching the south polar opening.  At
last it sank entirely out of sight, leaving us in a chill, rapidly
closing twilight.

By the time our preparations were completed, it became necessary to
start the heaters, put on warmer clothing, and confine ourselves to the
cabin.  We had bade a final adieu to the summer land, and the rigor of
the south polar regions was ahead.  Darkness was coming down upon us, as
well as the cold, and occasional masses of floating ice were seen from
time to time.

At last the stars became visible, the first we had seen in more than a
month, and then there shot up into the sky a great pink light—the
_aurora australis_—to remind us of the bright and happy land behind.  At
that minute I felt a yearning to return; for there was the world of
dreams, of poetry, rest, beauty and contentment.

"Torrence," I said, shuddering at the thought of what lay ahead, "how
long will it take us to cross this horrible sea of ice and darkness?"

"If we press her, we can do a thousand miles a day. You can figure for
yourself.  But this region of cold and starlight need not disturb you,
for we can dash through it like a meteor.  Indeed, were it not for the
danger of unlooked for eminences, we might sleep until reaching the land
of the sun.  But that, of course, cannot be, as a constant lookout
through the forward port will be necessary."

The vessel had been furnished with a powerful headlight, which cast a
dazzling illumination among the mirror-like surfaces beneath; and as we
sat staring into the trembling path, constantly stretching away before
us, we felt indeed, as Torrence had suggested, like the parasites of an
earth-bound meteor, traversing these regions of ice and darkness in a
single night.

Our cabin lamp was lit, and we were stationed at the forward lookout
Torrence glanced at the speed indicator.

"Seventy miles an hour!"

I was startled.  A mishap at such an awful rate of transit would smash
us into a thousand atoms, and the news of our discovery be lost to the
earth.  But my brother was calm and unconcerned; he had no misgiving
while one or the other of us remained on watch.

"It beats the Erebus and the Terror," I answered nervously, peering into
the marvelous vista ahead, and the rapidly extending pathway dancing and
flickering in the wonderful headlight.

Fresh panoramas were constantly unrolled in the glimmering distance.
There were scenes that were strange and alarming.  Pinnacles and ridges
of ice—autochthonous—awful—would compel us to rise to sudden and
terrible heights, to clear them.  It was like a steeple chase on a
gigantic scale.  We were leaping fences, and clearing ditches; only the
fences were ice masses hundreds of feet in height, and the ditches
horrible chasms whose depths could not be guessed.  On and on we flew,
through these regions of mystery, which the most daring explorer had
never even approached, and without a flying machine it seemed likely he
would never penetrate.  We did not suffer from the cold, wrapped up in
our cozy cabin, although our spirit thermometer, which was placed
directly outside one of the windows, where we could see it, marked a
temperature as low as -eighty degrees. It was an atmosphere of death,
and fortunately we were hermetically sealed against it.

"I propose," said Torrence, "that our next voyage into the interior of
our planet be made through the south polar opening at midsummer, about
January, to enable us to see what kind of country we are passing
through!"

"That is easy enough to see now," I answered; "ice mountains, ice
oceans, ice continents, icebergs, ice valleys of death; surely no living
creature could exist in such icy solitudes, in such unutterable cold!"

"But you must remember this ice belt is probably not nearly so wide
during the summer months.  There is doubtless a change."

"Remember the Palæocrystic Sea!" I suggested.

"True," he answered, "but remember it was narrow, and that we have never
seen it in the winter."

"Of all our experiences," I observed reflectively, "the present
situation strikes me as the most remarkable, skurrying through these
frozen regions like a comet, and spying out the land by the light of a
candle.  It is surely not the method most in vogue among pioneers!"

"It has certainly not been done frequently before," he answered; "but
now that we know the way, a trip to the interior by either of the poles
may become a desirable pleasure excursion; in fact it may grow into a
fashionable fad, who can tell, and the future may develop——!"

He stopped suddenly, and we both became transfixed with horror at the
sight that confronted us.

Directly below, but standing on the very pinnacle of one of the ice
hummocks, was a human being, revealed by our headlight.  The man was
facing us, and waving his arms furiously.  Could anything be more
blood-curdling than such a sight in such a place?  No ship or sled, nor
indication of life was visible, save this solitary, deserted creature.
The region was impenetrable to human beings; we knew it; it seemed
incredible, and yet there it was, a living man, and alone, in this
untraversed, and untraversable wilderness of ice.

Such solitude, such isolation, such an impossible fact, was like a
sudden vision of the supernatural.

We had been moving at tremendous speed, but before we had quite passed
this weird object Torrence had slowed down the air ship and a minute
later had brought it to a halt.

We quickly wrapped ourselves in the heaviest eiderdown and fur garments
we possessed, not daring to open a window for communication until
thoroughly protected, as, of course, we intended taking the poor
creature aboard, and to save his life, were it possible to do so. When
every precaution had been taken, we backed the vessel, and lowered
ourselves to a level with the ice. When the headlight had been brought
to shine against the ice mass, a great white bear lowered himself down
the side and leisurely walked away.  He had been alarmed, and his
curiosity aroused at the sight of our light, hence the mistake!  We had
a roaring laugh over the absurdity of our error, and then proceeded upon
our journey at the former rate of speed.

We passed three ranges of lofty mountains, which looked as if they must
forever bar the entrance to these regions of cold and darkness; for they
were flanked with terrible glaciers and precipices, thousands of feet
high, and sheathed in great ridges of glittering ice.

We rose to fearful altitudes in crossing the summits of these sublime
and awful crags, and wondered if there was no gap or opening at sea
level between them.  Doubtless there must have been, but our shortest
course lay directly over their highest elevations, not being inclined to
take the time to explore their topography.  By the light of day the view
from these heights must have been grand beyond description, but at the
time of year in which we crossed there was little to be seen.  It is
worthy of record that at an altitude of eleven thousand two hundred and
eighty feet we encountered a temperature of ninety-one degrees below
zero Fahrenheit.  I cannot conceive that there is a colder spot on
earth.

Dawn at last gladdened our eyes, and then the glorious sun became
visible, though not until we had passed far beyond these unknown regions
of Antarctic ice, but then our own world was about us, and we watched
the growing day with intense interest.  As we sped northward over the
great Pacific, the air grew warmer, and life again became possible on
deck.

Opening the hatchway we went above, and aired ourselves in the pure
breeze of heaven, which blew gently across our bow, and was warm and
grateful.

Then on we flew for days at a more moderate rate, following a direct
line north over the South Pacific.  We intended to make port in San
Francisco, and then cross the continent in easy stages to New York.  But
man proposes and God disposes.

One afternoon, while smoking our cigars on deck, and enjoying the balmy
air of the tropics, Torrence was surprised in looking over the rail to
discover that we were much nearer the water than he had supposed.  Going
down immediately to the lower controlling board, he examined the
apparatus and readjusted his screws and buttons, and tested the lever,
but the vessel did not respond as she ought to have done.  We were
gradually sinking toward the surface of the water, and nothing we could
do would check the descent.

"I can’t understand it," said Torrence in dismay, "unless the vibrators
have become deranged again, through exposure to the intense cold, and
the ensuing heat. Contraction and expansion must be the cause.  It is
impossible to remedy it while in the air.  We must seek some island
immediately.  Even then I am afraid, before we shall be able to proceed,
that it will be necessary to duplicate some of her parts, which may
require the aid of a machine shop.  But for the present we must look out
for our lives!"

We took an examination of the sun, and investigated our charts.  We were
south of the tropic of Capricorn, and far removed from those island
groups that lay to the north and west of us.  Indeed we were in a very
ticklish place, for to the best of our knowledge there was no land
anywhere in our vicinity.  After so long and marvelous a voyage, after
having encountered such perils of air, water, fire, ice, and land, it
did seem doubly hard to perish in our own world, before even the news of
our discovery could be given to that world.

There were two things which it seemed important to do without delay; the
first was to throw overboard the rest of our gold quartz, and every
weighty object; the second was to seal up this record as quickly as
possible in some water-tight vessel, in the hope that it might be picked
up, and the result of our remarkable journey become known.  I rushed
down into the galley to find a suitable cask for the purpose, but before
I had secured what I wanted, I heard Torrence calling me above.  He had
discovered a blue line on the horizon which he believed was land.  A
careful examination convinced me that he was right, and our efforts were
immediately directed to reaching it, and to saving our treasure as well.
Having a direct goal in sight we now put on all speed, and flew over the
water at the rate of seventy miles an hour, a thing we should have
hardly dared to do except under the circumstances, but our lives, our
news, and our cargo were at stake.

Lower and lower we sank toward the waves, but nearer and nearer came the
island.  Would we reach it in time? It was a wild, frantic race between
distance and elevation.  The air ship was screwed down to her utmost
capacity in speed, but she was also falling at a rate which made the
outcome doubtful.  Having come so far with our treasure we naturally
felt averse to parting with it.  Enough gold quartz to have had any
material effect upon the buoyancy of the vessel would probably have been
worth more than a million dollars, and with salvation so near ahead, we
were inclined to make every effort to save it all.  Our jewels were
inestimable, and no serious burden, and would, of course, either be
saved entirely, or go to the bottom with us.

On we flew, now skimming so close against the waves that we could hear
the spray as it dashed against the bottom, but we were rushing upon the
island with terrific speed.  We could see now that it was well clothed
with foliage, and that a clean, flat beach lay before us, where we could
land without difficulty, if we could only reach it. On and on we swept,
but each dash of the waves was more ominous.  At last a great white
swell raised us bodily; would we sink with it?  No, we were still a few
feet above the sea, but the water had retarded our progress, and the
vessel trembled violently in recovering herself.  On again; but now
every wave was slamming against our bottom, and throwing us up and down
with a violence that seemed as if it must destroy us, if continued for
more than a minute.  Slam, bang, crash, as we bounded from wave to wave,
and steadily settling between them, and yet how far away the island
looked.  We were clinging to the rail for dear life, not daring to go
below for fear of being drowned, and holding on above lest we be knocked
overboard.  Suddenly Torrence left me, and rushed down the ladder at the
risk of his life.

"Let’s pour a barrel of oil over the water!" he shouted.

I was with him in a minute, and together we emptied the remains of our
oil cask over the water.  The effect was instantaneous.  The waves
subsided at once, and we found ourselves floating a few feet above the
surface.  It now seemed possible to reach the shore.  Another minute
decided the question, as we checked speed suddenly, and then dropped
gently upon the beach.  We had conquered, but where had we landed at
last?

Examining our charts, with which we were amply provided, we discovered
that the island to which we had escaped was not mentioned among them.
It does not belong to any of the archipelagoes in this part of the
world, and is situated hundreds of miles from its nearest neighbor, in a
region clear out of the track of vessels, being in long. 113.40
west—lat. 26.30 south.  It is uninhabited, and surrounded by a reef of
rocks, and exceedingly dangerous to approach by vessels.

We made a thorough examination of the machinery, and our fears were
confirmed.  While the air ship is intact in every part save one, that
one is just beyond our power to repair.  In a mechanical laboratory this
article could be replaced in a couple of hours, but here, alas, we have
not the necessary conditions.

"It is a trifle," said Torrence, "and I should have brought a duplicate,
but it is a trifle which has quite undone us!"

His words were ominous; more so than I appreciated at first, but as time
continues to pass without bringing relief, their real significance is
forced upon me.

We have been here now for more than a year, having landed upon the 8th
of August, 1894, while it is now the 20th of September, 1895.
Fortunately our island is well supplied with fruits and fish, or we
should be in even sadder plight than we are.  It seems incredible that
we should have traversed so great a portion of the earth’s surface, and
skimmed her interior from pole to pole, to find ourselves at last
stranded upon this lonely shore, where the sight of a sail has never
relieved the monotony of our solitude.  It does indeed look as though
Providence guarded the knowledge of our wonderful secret from the world
at large, else why should we not have been permitted to carry it a
little further.

I have written this record of our adventures, and shall now seal it up
carefully in a cask and consign it to the waters when the wind blows off
shore, in the hope that it will be carried out to the track of vessels,
and picked up by some passing craft, and so be the means of bringing us
aid, and of conveying the news of our wonderful discovery to the world.

All day the wind has been blowing hard off shore, and the time has come
to start the cask upon its doubtful voyage.  Everything is ready; and in
less than an hour earth’s greatest secret will be cast upon the waters.
May it bring us relief.

TORRENCE ATTLEBRIDGE,
GURTHRIE ATTLEBRIDGE,



                                THE END.




           *      *      *      *      *      *      *      *




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