The Land of the Changing Sun ..........................................................................................................................1

William N. Harben ...................................................................................................................................1

Chapter I. ..................................................................................................................................................1

Chapter II.................................................................................................................................................5

Chapter III. .............................................................................................................................................11

Chapter IV. .............................................................................................................................................14

Chapter V. ..............................................................................................................................................18

Chapter VI. .............................................................................................................................................20

Chapter VII............................................................................................................................................24

Chapter VIII. .........................................................................................................................................31

Chapter IX. .............................................................................................................................................39

Chapter X. ..............................................................................................................................................42

Chapter XI. .............................................................................................................................................45

Chapter XII............................................................................................................................................48

Chapter XIII. ..........................................................................................................................................54

Chapter XIV. ..........................................................................................................................................57

Chapter XV............................................................................................................................................61

Chapter XVI. ..........................................................................................................................................66

Chapter XVII.........................................................................................................................................71

The balloon seemed scarcely to move, though it was slowly sinking toward the ocean of white clouds which

The two inmates of the car were insensible; their faces were bloodless, their cheeks sunken. They were both

young and handsome. Harry Johnston, an American, was as dark and sallow as a Spaniard. Charles

Thorndyke, an English gentleman, had yellow hair and mustache, blue eyes and a fine intellectual face. Both

Johnston was the first to come to consciousness as the balloon sank into less rarefied atmosphere. He opened

his eyes dreamily and looked curiously at the white face of his friend in his lap. Then he shook him and tried

to call his name, but his lips made no sound. Drawing himself up a little with a hand on the edge of the

basket, he reached for a waterjug and sprinkled Thorndyke's face. In a moment he was rewarded by seeing

"I don't know;" Johnston answered, "getting nearer to the earth, for we can breathe more easily. I can't

remember much after the professor fell from the car. My God, old man! I shall never forget the horror in the

poor fellow's eyes as he clung to the rope down there and begged us to save him. I tried to get you to look,

but you were dozing off. I attempted to draw him up, but the rope on the edge of the basket was tipping it,

and both you and I came near following him. I tried to keep from seeing his horrible face as the rope began to

"I came to myself and looked over when the basket tipped," replied the Englishman, "I thought I was going

too, but I could not stir a muscle to prevent it. He said something desperately, but the wind blew it away and

covered his face with his beard, so that I could not see the movement of his lips."

"I think notperhaps a goodbye, or a message to his wife and child. Poor fellow!"

"How long have we been out of our heads?" and Johnston looked over the side of the car.

"That is true. I remember coming to myself for an instant, and it seemed that we were being jerked along at

the rate of a gunshot. My God, it was awful! It was as black as condensed midnight. I felt your warm body

against me and was glad I was not alone. Then I went off again, but into a sort of nightmare. I thought I was

"I don't know; I can't tell what is beneath those clouds. It may be earth, sea or ocean; we were evidently

whisked along in a storm while we were out of our heads. If we are above the ocean we are lost."

Thorndyke looked over the edge of the car long and attentively, then he exclaimed suddenly:

"It reflects the sunlight. It is too bright for land. When we got above the clouds at the start it looked darker

"If the professor had not dropped the compass, we could find our bearings," he sighed.

Johnston pointed upward. Thin clouds were floating above them. "We are almost down," he said, and as they

looked over the sides of the car they saw the reflection of the sun on the bosom of the ocean, and, a moment

"I see something that looks like an island," observed Thorndyke, looking in the direction toward which the

balloon seemed to be drifting. "It is dark and is surrounded by light. It is far away, but we may reach it if we

"Throw out the last bag of sand," suggested the American, "we need it as little now as we ever shall."

Thorndyke cut the bag with his knife and watched the sand filter through the bottom of the basket and trail

along in a graceful stream behind the balloon. The great flabby bag overhead steadied itself, rose slightly and

drifted on toward the dark spot on the vast expanse of sunlit water. They could now clearly see that it was a

"About two miles," answered the American laconically, "it is a chance for us, but a slim one."

The balloon gradually sank. For twenty minutes the car glided along not more than two hundred feet above

the waves. The island was now quite near. It was a barren mound of stone, worn into gullies and sharp

precipices by the action of the waves and rain. Hardly a tree or a shrub was in sight.

"It looks like the rocky crown of a great stone mountain hidden in the ocean," said the Englishman; "half a

mile to the shore, a hundred feet to the water; at this rate of speed the wind would smash us against those

rocks like a couple of bird's eggs dropped from the clouds. We must fall into the water and swim ashore.

"We had better be about it, then," said Johnston, rising stiffly and holding to the ropes. "If we should go down

in the water with the balloon we would get tangled in the ropes and get asphyxiated with the gas. We had

The water was not more than forty feet beneath, and the island was getting nearer every instant. The two

aeronauts swung over on opposite sides of the car and, face to face, hung by their hands beneath.

"I dread the plunge," muttered Thorndyke; "I feel as weak as a sick kitten; I am not sure that I can swim that

"I am played out too," grunted the American, red in the face; "but it looks like our only chance. Ugh! she

made a big dip then. We'd better let go. I'll count three, and three is the signal. Now ready. One, two, three!"

Down shot the balloonists and up bounded the great liberated bag of gas; the basket and dangling ropes

swung wildly from side to side. The aeronauts touched the water feet foremost at the same instant, and in half

"Now for it," sputtered Johnston, shaking his bushy head like a swimming dog. "Look, the shore is not very

far." Thorndyke was saving his wind, and said nothing, but accommodated his stroke to that of his

companion, and thus they breasted the gently rolling billows until finally, completely exhausted, they

"Not a very encouraging outlook," said Johnston, rising when his clothing was dry and climbing a slight

elevation. "There is nothing in sight except a waste of stone. Let's go up to that point and look around."

The ascent was exceedingly trying, for the incline was steep and it was at times difficult to get a firm footing.

But they were repaid for the exertion, for they had reached the highest point of the island and could see all

over it. As far as their vision reached there was nothing beyond the little island except the glistening waves

that reached out till they met the sky in all directions. High up in the clouds they saw the balloon, now

"We might as well be dead and done with it," grumbled Thorndyke. "Ships are not apt to approach this

"There are some driftwood and seaweed," he said; "with my sun glass I can soon have a bonfire." He took a

piece of punk from a waterproof box that he carried in his pocket and focussed the sun's rays on it. "Run

down and bring me an armful of dry seaweed and wood," he added, intent on his work.

Thorndyke clambered down to the shore, and in a few minutes returned with an armful of fuel. Johnston was

"Good," approved the Englishman, rubbing his hands together over the flames. "We'll keep it burning and it

may do some good." Then a smile of satisfaction came over his face as he began to take some clams from his

pockets. "Plenty of these fellows down there, and they are as fat and juicy as can be. Hurry up and let's bake

them. I'm as hungry as a bear. There is a fine spring of fresh water below, too, so we won't die of thirst."

They baked the clams and ate them heartily, and then went down to the spring near the shore. The water was

deliciously cool and invigorating. The sun sank into the quiet ocean and night crept on. The stars came out

slowly, and the moon rose full and red from the waves, adding its beams to the flickering light of the fire on

"Suppose we take a walk all round on the beach," proposed the Englishman; "there is no telling what we may

Johnston consented. They had encompassed the entire island, which was oval in shape, and were about to

ascend to the rock to put fresh fuel on the fire before lying down to sleep for the night, when Thorndyke

"Made by feet," he said, bending down and looking closely at the rock and raking up a handful of white sand,

Johnston was a few yards ahead of him and stooped to pick up something glittering in the moonlight. It was a

"Civilized," he said, holding it out to his companion; "and of the very highest order of civilization. Whoever

"You are right, I believe," returned Thorndyke, as Johnston put the strange trophy into his pocketbook, and

"We haven't the faintest idea of where we are," said Johnston, his tone showing that he was becoming more

despondent. "We don't know how long we were unconscious in the balloon, nor where we were taken in the

storm. We may now be in the very centre of the North Polar seathis knob may be the very pivot on which

The Englishman laughed. "No danger; the sun is too natural. >From the poles it would look different."

"I don't mean the old sun that you read so much about, and that they make so much racket over at home, but

another of which we are the original discoverera sun that isn't in old Sol's beat at all, but one that revolves

round the earth from north to south and dips in once a day at the north and the south poles. See?"

"I think we are somewhere in the Atlantic; but your finding that heeltap does puzzle me."

"We are going to have an adventure, beside which all others of our lives will pale into insignificance. I feel it

in my bones. See how evenly this road has been worn and it is leading toward the centre of the island."

In a few minutes the two adventurers came to a point in the road where tall cliffs on either side stood up

perpendicularly. It was dark and cold, and but a faint light from the moon shone down to them.

"I don't like this," said Johnston, who was behind the Englishman; "we may be walking into the ambush of an

"Pshaw!" and Thorndyke plunged on into the gloomy passage. Presently the walls began to widen like a letter

"Y" and in a great open space they saw a placid lake on the bosom of which the moon was shining. On all

sides the towering walls rose for hundreds of feet. Speechless with wonder and with quickly beating hearts

they stumbled forward over the uneven road till they reached the shore of the lake. The water was so clear

"Look at that!" exclaimed Thorndyke, pointing down into the depths, "what can that be?"

Johnston followed Thorndyke's finger with his eyes. At first he thought that it was a comet moving across the

sky and reflected in the water; but, on glancing above, he saw his mistake. It looked, at first, like a great ball

of fire rolling along the bottom of the lake with a stream of flame in its wake.

The two men watched it for several minutes; all the time it seemed to be growing larger and brighter till, after

a while, they saw that the light came from something shaped like a ship, sharp at both ends, and covered with

oval glass. As it slowly rose to the surface they saw that it contained five or six men, sitting in easy chairs and

reclining on luxurious divans. One of them sat at a sort of pilotwheel and was directing the course of the

Then the young men saw the man at the pilotwheel raise his hand, and from the water came the musical

notes of a great bell. The vessel stopped, and one of the men sprang up and raised an instrument that looked

like a telescope to his eyes. With this he seemed to be closely searching the lake shores, for he did not move

for several minutes. Then he lowered the instrument, and when the bell had rung again, the vessel rose slowly

and perpendicularly to the surface and glided to the shore within twenty yards of where the adventurers stood.

"Could they have seen us?" whispered Thorndyke, drawing Johnston nearer the side of the cliff.

"I think so; at all events, they are between us and the outlet; we may as well make the best of it."

The men, all except the pilot, landed, and a dazzling electric searchlight was turned on the spot where

Thorndyke and Johnston stood. For a moment they were so blinded that they could not see, and then they

heard footsteps, and, their eyes becoming accustomed to the light, they found themselves surrounded by

several men, very strangely clad. They all wore long cloaks that covered them from head to foot and every

man was more than six feet in height and finely proportioned. One of them, who seemed to be an officer in

"I am Captain Tradmos, gentlemen, in the king's service. It is my duty to make you my prisoners. I must

"That's cool," said Johnston, to conceal the discomfiture that he felt, "we had no idea that you had a kingdom.

We have tramped all over this island, and you are the first signs of humanity we have met."

He would have recalled his words before he had finished speaking, if he could have done so, for he saw by

"Follow me," answered the officer curtly, and with a motion of his hand to his men he turned toward the

The two adventurers obeyed, and the cloaked men fell in behind them. Neither Johnston nor Thorndyke had

ever seen anything like the peculiar boat that was moored to the rocky shore. It was about forty feet in length,

had a hull shaped like a racing yacht, but which was made of black rubber inflated with air. It was covered

with glass, save for a doorway about six feet high and three feet wide in the side, and looked like a great

oblong bubble floating on the still dark water. As they approached the searchlight was extinguished, and they

were enabled to see the boat to a better advantage by the aid of the electric lights that illuminated the interior.

It was with feelings of awe that the two adventurers followed the captain across the gangplank into the

The electric light was brilliantly white, and in various places pink, red and lightblue screens mellowed it

into an artistic effect that was very soothing to the eye. The ceiling was hung with festoons of prisms as

brilliant as the purest diamonds, and in them, owing to the gently undulatory movement of the vessel, colors

more beautiful than those of a rainbow played entrancingly. Rare pictures in frames of delicate gold were

interspersed among the clusters of prisms, and the floor was covered with carpets that felt as soft beneath the

As he entered the door the officer threw off his gray cloak, and his men did likewise, disclosing to view the

finest uniforms the prisoners had ever seen. Captain Tradmos's legs were clothed in tights of lightblue silk,

and he wore a blue sackcoat of silk plush and a belt of pliant gold, the buckles of which were ornamented

with brilliant gems. His eyes were dark and penetrating, and his black hair lay in glossy masses on his

shoulders. He had the head of an Apollo and a brow indicative of the highest intellect.

Leaving his men in the first room that they entered, he gracefully conducted his prisoners through another

room to a small cabin in the stern of the boat, and told them to make themselves comfortable on the luxurious

"Our journey will be of considerable length," he said, "and as you are no doubt fatigued, you had better take

all the rest you can get. I see that you need food and have ordered a repast which will refresh you." As he

concluded he touched a button in the wall and instantly a table, laden with substantial food, rare delicacies

and wines, rose through a trapdoor in the floor. He smiled at the expressions of surprise on their faces and

"The greater part of our journey will be under water, and our wines are specially prepared to render us

capable of subsisting on a rather limited quantity of air during the voyage, so I advise you to partake of them

"We are very grateful," bowed Thorndyke, from his seat on a couch. "I am sure no prisoners were ever more

graciously or royally entertained. To be your prisoner is a pleasure to be remembered."

"This is an adventure in earnest," whispered Johnston; "my stars! what can they intend to do with us?"

"One of the first things will be to take us down to the bottom of this lake where we saw them awhile ago, and

I don't fancy it at all; what if this blasted glasscase should burst? We may have dropped into a den of

outlaws on a gigantic scale, and it may be necessary to put us out of the way to keep our mouths closed."

"I am hungry, and am going to eat," said the American, drawing a cushioned stool up to the table. "Here goes

for some of the wine; remember, it is a sort of breathrestorer. I am curious enough not to want to collapse

till I have seen this thing through. He said something about a palace and a king. Where can we be going?"

"Down into the centre of the earth, possibly," and the handsome Englishman moved a stool to the table and

took the glass of greencolored wine that Johnston pushed toward him. "Some scientists hold that the earth is

filled with water instead of fire. Who knows where this blamed thing may not take us? Here is to a safe return

Both drank their wine simultaneously, lowered their glasses at the same instant, and gazed into each other's

"Did you ever taste such liquor?" asked Thorndyke, "it seems to run like streams of fire through every vein I

Johnston shook his head mutely, and held the sparkling effervescing fluid between him and the light.

"Ugh! take it down," cried the Englishman, "it throws a green color on your face that makes you look like a

corpse." Johnston clinked the glass against that of his companion and they drained the glasses. "Hush, what

There was a sound like boiling water outside and as if air were being pumped out of some receptacle, and the

vessel began to move up and down in a lithe sort of fashion and to bend tortuously from side to side like a

great sluggish fish. Through the partitions of glass they saw one of the men closing the door, and in a moment

the vessel glided away from the shore. The men all sank into easy positions on the couches, and delightful

music as soft as an Aeolian lyre seemed to be breathed from the walls and floor. Then the music seemed to

"We are in the middle of the lake," said Thorndyke, looking through the glass toward the black cliffy shore;

But he was unable to proceed, and Johnston noticed in alarm that his eyes were slightly protruding from their

sockets. The air seemed suddenly to become more com pact as if compressed, and the water was set into

such violent commotion that it was dashed against the glass sides in billows as white as snow. Then Johnston

found that he could not breathe freely, and he understood the trouble of the Englishman.

Captain Tradmos came suddenly to the door. He was smiling as he motioned toward the wines on the table.

Both of the captives rushed to the table. The instant they had swallowed the wine they felt relieved, but were

still weak. The captain bowed and went away. Thorndyke's hand trembled as he refilled his friend's glass. I

thought I was gone up," he said, "I never had such a choky sensation in my life; you are still purple in the

"Eat of what is before you," said the captain, looking in at the door; "you cannot stand the increasing pressure

They needed no second invitation, for they were halffamished. The fish and meat were delicious, and the

"Look outside!" cried Johnston. The water was now still, but it was gradually rising up the sides of the boat,

and in a moment it had closed over the crystal roof. Both of the captives were conscious of a heavy sensation

in the head and a dull roaring in the ears. Down they went, at first slowly and then more rapidly, till it seemed

to them that they had descended over a thousand feet. Great monsters like whales swam to the vessel, as if

attracted by the lights, and their massive bodies jarred against the glass walls as they turned to swim away.

They sank about five hundred feet lower; and all at once the lights went out, and the boat gradually stopped.

It was at once so dark that the two captives could not see each other, though only the width of the table

separated them. Everything was profoundly still; not a sound came from the men in the other rooms.

Again the vessel began to sink, and more rapidly than ever; indeed, as Thorndyke expressed it, he had the

cool feeling that nervous people experience in going down quickly in an elevator.

"If we go any lower," he added, as the great rubber hull seemed to struggle like some living monster, "the

sides of this thing will collapse like an eggshell and we will be as flat as pancakes."

"You need not fear, we have much lower to go!" It was the captain's voice, but they could not tell from

whence it came. Then they heard again the seductive music, and it was so soothing that they soon fell asleep.

They had no idea how long they had slept, but they were awakened by the ringing of a bell and felt the vessel

was coming to a stop. They were still far beneath the surface; indeed, the boat was resting on the bottom, for

in the light of two or three powerful searchlights they saw a wide succession of submerged hills, vales, and

rugged cliffs. Before them was a great mountainside and in it they saw the mouth of a dark tunnel. They had

scarcely noticed it before the vessel rose a little and glided toward the tunnel and entered it. Through the glass

walls they could see that it was narrow, and that the ragged sides and roof were barely far enough apart to

Suddenly one of the men came in and drew a curtain down behind them, and, with a vexed look on his face

"Just as he drew the curtain down I saw what looked to me like a cliff of solid gold. It had been dug out into a

cavern in which I saw a vessel like this, and men in diving suits digging and loading it."

This took the Englishman's breath away for a moment, then he remarked: "That accounts for the heeltap we

found; who knows, these people may be possessors of the richest gold and silver mines on earth."

The bell rang again. "We are rising," said Johnston. "If this is the only way of reaching the king's domain, we

could never get back to civilization unless they release us of their own accord, that's certain!"

"Heavens, isn't it still!" exclaimed the Englishman. "The machinery of this thing moves as noiselessly as the

"I am more concerned about where we are going. I tell you we are being taken to some wonderful place.

People who can construct such marvels of mechanical skill as this boat will not be behind in other things;

Just then the man who had drawn down the shade came in and raised it. Both the captives pretended to be

uninterested in his movements, but when he had withdrawn they looked through the glass eagerly.

"See," whispered Thorndyke, in the ear of his companion, "the walls are close to us, and are as perpendicular

Johnston said nothing. His attention was riveted to the walls of rock; the vessel was rising rapidly. An hour

passed. The soft music had ceased, and the air seemed less dense and fresher. Then the waters suddenly

They were on the surface, and the vessel was slowly gliding toward the shore which could not be seen owing

to there now being no light except that inside the boat. Captain Tradmos entered, followed by two of his men

"We must blindfold you," he said; "cap tives are not allowed to see the entrance to our kingdom."

"This way," said the captain kindly, and, holding to an arm of each, he piloted them out of the vessel to the

shore. Then he led them through what they imagined to be a long stone corridor or arcade from the ringing

echoes of their feet on the stone pavement. Presently they came to what seemed to be an elevator, for when

they had entered it and sat down, they heard a metallic door slide back into its place, and they descended

They could form no idea as to the distance they went down; but Thorndyke declared afterward that it was

over ten thousand feet. When the elevator stopped Captain Tradmos led them out, and both of the captives

were conscious of breathing the purest, most invigorating air they had ever inhaled. Instantly their strength

returned, and they felt remarkably buoyant as they were led along over another pavement of polished stone.

"I never heard of anything like it," said Thorndyke. "It is so delightful I can almost taste it."

"It was that which made Alpha what it isthe most wonderful country in the universe," said the officer.

The ears of the two captives were greeted by a vague, indefinable hum, like and yet unlike that of a busy city.

It was like many faroff sounds carefully muffled. Now and then they heard human voices, laughter, and

Then they knew that they were entering a building of some sort, for they heard a key turn in a lock and the

humming sound in the distance was cut off. They felt a soft carpet under their feet, and the feet of their

When the bandages were removed they found themselves in a sumptuous chamber, alone with the captain.

The brilliant light from a quaintlyshaped candelabrum, in the centre of the chamber, dazzled them, but in a

Tradmos seemed to be enjoying the looks of astonishment on their faces as they glanced at the different

"It is night," he said smilingly. "You need rest after your voyage. Lie down on the beds and sleep.

With a bow he withdrew, and they heard a massive bolt slide into the socket of a door hidden behind a

curtain. The two men gazed at each other without speaking, for a moment, and then they began to inspect the

In alcoves halfveiled with silken curtains stood statues in gold and bronze. The walls and ceilings were

decorated with pictures unlike any they had ever seen. Before one, the picture of an angel flying through a

"What is it?" asked Thorndyke, finding voice finally. "It is not done with brush or pencil; the features seem

alive and, by Jove, you can actually see it breathe. Don't you see the clouds gliding by, and the wings

"It is lightit is formed by light!" declared the other enthusiastically, and he ran to the wall, about six feet

"Don't you see that tiny speck of light in the side towards the picture? Well, the view is thrown from this box

on the wall, and it is the motion of the powerful light that gives apparent life to the angel. It is wonderful."

In a commodious alcove, in a glow of pink light from above, was a lifesized group of musiciansstatues in

colored metal of a Spanish girl playing a mandora, an Italian with a slender calascione, a Russian playing his

jorbon, and an African playing a banjo. Luxurious couches hung by spiral springs from the ceiling to a

convenient height from the floor, and here and there lay rugs of rare beauty and great ottomans of artistic

"We ought to go to bed," proposed Thorndyke; "we shall have plenty of time to see this Aladdin's land before

There were two large downy beds on quaintly wrought bedsteads of brass, but the two captives decided to

Thorndyke was the first to awaken. The lights in the candelabrum were out, but a gray light came in at the top

and bottom of the window. He rose and drew the heavy curtain of one of the windows aside. He shrank back

"What is it, Thorndyke? What are you looking at?" And the American slowly left the bed and approached his

Thorndyke only held the curtain further back and watched Johnston's face as he looked through the wide

"My gracious!" ejaculated the latter as he drew nearer. It was a wondrous scene. The building in which they

were imprisoned stood on a gentle hill clad in luxuriant, smoothlycut grass and ornamented with beautiful

flowers and plants; and below lay a splendid citya city built on undulating ground with innumerable grand

structures of white marble, with turrets, domes and pinnacles of gold. Wide streets paved in polished stone

and bordered with lushgreen grass interspersed with statues and beds and mounds of strange plants and

flowers stretched away in front of them till they were lost in the dim, misty distance. Parks filled with

pavilions, pleasurelakes, fountains and tortuous drives and walks, dotted the landscape in all directions.

Thorndyke's breath had clouded the glass of the window, and he rubbed it with his handkerchief. As he did so

the sash slowly, and without a particle of sound, slid to one side, disclosing a narrow balcony outside. It had a

graceful balustrade, made of carved redandwhite mottled marble, and on the end of the balcony facing the

city sat a great gold and silver jug, ten feet high, of rare design. The spout was formed by the body of a

dragon with wings extended; the handle was a serpent with the extremity of its tail coiled around the neck of

The air that came in at the window was fresh and dewy, and laden with the most entrancing odors. Thorndyke

led the way out, treading very gently at first. Johnston followed him, too much surprised to make any

comment. From this position, their view to the left round the corner of the building was widened, and new

Over the polished stone pavements strange vehicles ran noiselessly, as if the wheels had cushioned tires, and

"Look at that!" exclaimed the American, and from a street corner they saw a queerlooking machine,

carrying halfadozen passengers,rise like a bird with wings outspread and fly away toward the east. They

"We are indeed in wonderland," said the Englishman; "I can't make head nor tail of it. We were on an isolated

island, the Lord only knows where, and have suddenly been transported to a new world!"

"I can't feel at all as if we were in the world we were born in," returned Johnston. "I feel strange."

"The wine," suggested the Englishman, "you know it did wonders for us in that subwater thing."

"No; the wine has nothing to do with it. My head never was clearer. The very atmosphere is peculiar. The air

"Look at the sunlight," went on Johnston; "it is gray like our dawn, but see how transparent it is. You can

look through it for miles and miles. It is becoming pink in the east, the sun will soon be up, and I am curious

"It must be up now, but we cannot see it for the hills and buildings. My goodness, see that!" and the

Englishman pointed to the east. A flood of delicate pink light was now pouring into the vast body of gray and

was slowly driving the more sombre color toward the west. The line of separation was markedso marked,

indeed, that it seemed a vast, rosecolored billow rolling, widening and sweeping onward like a swell of the

ocean shoreward. On it came rapidly, till the whole landscape was magically changed. The flowers, the trees,

the grass, the waters of the lakes, the white buildings, the costumes of the people in the streets, even the sky,

changed in aspect. The white clouds looked like firelit smoke, and far toward the west rolled the long line of

The sun now came into sight, a great bleeding ball of fire slowly rising above the gilded roofs in the distance.

"By Jove, look at our shadows!" exclaimed Johnston, and both men gazed at the balcony floor in amazement;

their shadows were as clearly defined and black as silhouettes. "How do you account for that?" continued the

American, "I am firmly convinced that this sun is not the orb that shines over my native land."

Thorndyke laughed, but his laugh was forced. "How absurd! and yet" He extended his hand over the

balustrade into the rosy glow, and without concluding his remark held it back into the shadow of the

windowcasement. "By Jove!" he exclaimed; "there is not a particle of warmth in it. It is exactly the same

temperature in the shade as in the light." He moved back against the wall. "No; there is no difference; the

Johnston's hands were extended in the light. "I believe you are right," he declared in awe, "something is

At that moment appeared from the room behind them a handsome youth, attired in a suit of scarlet silk that

fitted his athletic figure perfectly. He rapped softly on the window casement and bowed when they turned.

"Your breakfast is waiting for you," he announced. They followed him into a room adjoining the one they

had occupied, and found a table holding a sumptuous repast. The boy gave them seats and handed them

golden plates to eat upon. The fruits, wine and meats were very appetizing, and they ate with relish.

"I believe we are to be conducted to the palace of your king to morrow," ventured the Englishman to the

The boy shook his head, but made no reply, and busied himself with removing the dishes. As they were rising

from the table, they heard footsteps in the hall outside. The door opened. It was Captain Tradmos, and he was

"You must undergo a medical examination," the captain said smilingly. "It is our invariable custom, but this

Johnston shuddered as he looked at the oddlooking instruments the medical man was taking from the case,

but Thorndyke watched his movements with phlegmatic indifference. He stood erect; threw back his

shoulders; expanded his massive chest and struck it with his clenched fist in pantomimic boastfulness.

Tradmos smiled genially; but there was something curt and official in his tone when he next spoke that took

the Englishman slightly aback. "You must bare your breast over your heart and lungs," he said; and while

Thorndyke was unbuttoning his shirt, he and the medical man went to the door and brought into the room a

The bell was so thin and sensitive to the slightest jar or movement that, although it had been handled with

extreme care, the captives could see that it was vibrating considerably, and the room was filled with a low

metallic sound that not only affected the ear of the hearer but set every nerve to tingling. The medical man

stopped the sound by laying his hand upon the bell. To a tube in the top of the bell he fastened one end of a

rubber pipe; the other end was finished with a silver device shaped like the mouthpiece of a speaking tube.

This he firmly pressed over the Englishman's heart. Thorndyke winced and bit his lip, for the strange thing

"Ouch!" he exclaimed playfully, but Johnston saw that he had turned pale, and that his face was drawn as if

"Hold still!" ordered the medical man; "it will be over in a minute; now, be perfectly quiet and listen to the

The Englishman stood motionless, the sinews of his neck drawn and knotted, his eyes starting from their

sockets. Thorndyke felt the rubber tube quiver suddenly and writhe with the slow energy of a dying snake,

and then from the quivering bell came a low, gurgling sound like a stream of water being forced backward

Tradmos and the medical man stepped to the bell and inspected a small dial on its top.

"The sound of your blood," answered Tradmos, as he removed the instrument from Thorndyke's flesh; "it is

as regular as mine; you are very lucky; you are slightly fatigued, but you will be sound in a day or two."

"Thank you," replied the Englishman, but he sank into a chair, overcome with weakness.

"I am slightly nervous," apologized the latter, as he stood up and awkwardly fumbled the buttons of his coat.

"Nervousness is a mental disease," said the man, with professional brusqueness; "it has nothing to do with the

body except to dominate it at times. If you pass your examination you may live to overcome it."

The American looked furtively at Thorndyke, but the head of the Englishman had sunk on his breast and he

seemed to be asleep. Johnston had never felt so lonely and forsaken in his life. From his childhood he had

entertained a secret fear that he had inherited heart disease, and like Maupassant's "Coward," who committed

suicide rather than meet a man in a duel, he had tried in vain to get away from the horrible, everpresent

At that moment he felt that he would rather die than know the worst from the uncanny instrument that had

"I never felt better in my life," he said falteringly, but it seemed to him that every nerve and muscle in his

frame was withering through fear. His tongue felt clumsy and thick and his knees were quivering as with

"Stand still," ordered the physician sternly, and Johnston was further humiliated by having Tradmos

"Your people are far advanced in the sciences," went on the physician coldly, "but there are only a few out of

their number who know that the mind governs the body and that fear is its prime enemy. Five minutes ago

you were eating heartily and had your share of physical strength, and yet the mere thought that you are now

to know the actual condition of your most vital organ has made you as weak as an infant. If you kept up this

"Now listen," he went on, as the instrument gripped Johnston's flesh and the rubber tube began to twist and

move as if charged with electricity. The American held his breath. A sound as of water being forced through

channels that were choked, mingled with a wheezing sound like wind escaping from a broken bellows came

"Your frame is all right," said the medical man, as he released the trembling American, "but you have long

believed in the weakness of your heart and it has, on that account, become so. You must banish all fear from

your thoughts. You perhaps know that we have a place specially prepared for those who are not physically

Tradmos regarded the American with a look of sympathy as he gave him a chair and then rang a bell on the

table. Thorndyke looked up sleepily, as an attendant entered with a couple of parcels, and glanced

"What's the matter?" he asked; but Johnston made no reply, for the captain had opened the parcels and taken

"Put them on," he said, giving a suit of gray to Johnston and one of light blue to Thorndyke. "We shall leave

In a few minutes the captain returned and found his prisoners ready to go with him. Thorndyke looked

exceedingly handsome in his glossy tights, closefitting sackcoat, tinsel belt and low shoes with buckles of

gold. The natural color had come back into his cheeks, and he was exhilarated over the prospect of further

It was not so, however, with poor Johnston; his spirits had been so dampened by the physician's words that he

could not rally from his despondency. His suit fitted his figure as well as that of the Englishman, but he could

"Cheer up!" whispered Thorndyke, as they followed the captain through a long corridor, "if we are on our

Outside they found the streets lined with spectators eagerly waiting to see them pass. The men all had suits

like those which had been given the captives, and the women wore flowing gowns like those of ancient

"These are the common people," whispered Thorndyke to Johnston, "but did you ever dream of such perfect

features and physiques? Every face is full of merriment and good cheer. I am curious to see the royalty."

"Haven't the slightest idea," sighed Johnston, and he shuddered as he looked down the long white street with

"There is not a breath of air stirring," he said; "and yet the atmosphere is like impalpable delicacies to a

hungry man's stomach.Look at that big tree, not a leaf is moving, and yet every breath I draw is as fresh as if

it came from a mountain top. Did you ever see such flowers as those? Look at that ocean of orchids."

"They think we are a regular monkeyshow," grumbled the American. "Look how the crowd is gaping and

"It's your legs they want to behold, old fellow. Do you know I never knew you had such knotty kneejoints;

did you ever have rheumatism? I wish I had 'em; they wouldn't put me to deaththey would make me the

chief attraction in the royal museum." Thorndyke concluded his jest with a laugh, but the face of his friend

"Since I have seen that vast crowd of welldeveloped people, and remember what that medicine man said, I

have made up my mind that we are going to be separated." Poor Johnston's lip was quivering.

"Rubbish! but there comes the captain; put on a bold front; talk up New York; tell 'em about Chicago and the

Fair, and ask to be allowed to ride in their Ferris Wheelif they ain't got no wheel, ask 'em when the first

"This is no time for jokes," growled Johnston, as Tradmos returned. Tradmos motioned to something that in

the distance looked like a carriage, but which turned out to be a flying machine. It rose gracefully and glided

over the ground and settled at their feet. It was large enough to seat a dozen people, and there was a little

glasswindowed compartment at the end in which they could see "the driver," as he was termed by Tradmos.

"Get in," said the captain, and the door flew open as if of its own accord. Thorndyke went in first and was

followed by the moody American. "Let up on the ague," jested Thorndyke, nudging his friend with his elbow;

"if you keep on quivering like that you may shake the thing loose from its moorings and we'd never know

Johnston scowled, and the officer, who had overheard the remark, smiled as he leaned toward the window

"You both take it rather coolly," he remarked to Thorndyke. "I took a man and a woman over this route

several years ago and both of them were in a dead faint; but, in fact, you have nothing to fear. We never have

"It is as safe as a balloon, I suppose, and we are at home in them," said the Englishman, with just the hint of a

"But your balloons are poor, primitive things at best," returned Tradmos in his soft voice. "They can't be

compared to this mode of travel, though, of course, our machines would not operate in your atmosphere."

But he did not conclude his remark, for they were rising, and both he and Johnston leaned apprehensively

forward and looked out of one of the windows. Down below the long lines of people were silently waving

their hats, scarfs and handkerchiefs as the machine swept along over their heads. As they rose higher the

scene below widened like a great circular fan, and in the delicate roselight, the whole so appealed to

"Glorious! Superb! Transcendent!" and he directed Johnston's attention to the wonderful pinkish haze which

"You ask why our airships would not operate in your atmosphere," said the captain, showing pleasure at

Thorndyke's enthusiasm. "It is simple enough when you have studied the climatic differences between the

two countries. You have much to contend withthe winds, for instance, the heat and cold, etc.; this is the

only known country where the winds are subjugated. I have never been in your world, but from what I have

heard of it I am not anxious to see it. Your atmosphere and climate are so changeable and so diverse in

different localities that I have heard your people spend much of their time in seeking congenial climes. I think

it was a man who came from London that claimed he once had a cold'a bad cold,' I think he called it. It

was a standing joke in the royal family for a long time, and he heard so much about it that he tried to deny

Johnston glanced at the speaker nonplussed, but the captain was looking at Thorndyke.

"Your climate is delightful here now," said the Englishman; "is it so long at a time?"

"Perpetually; it is regulated every moment, and every year we perfect it in some way."

"Yes, of course, why not? If it ever fails to be up to the usual high standard, it is owing to neglect of those in

Thorndyke's eyes sought those of the American incredulously. Seeing which Tradmos looked amused.

"You doubt it," he smiled. "Well, wait till you have been here longer. The fact is, any one born in our climate

could not live in yours. The king experimented on a man who claimed to have only one lung, but who had

two sound ones when he was cut open. Well, the king sent him to China, or America, or some such place, and

he wheezed himself to death in a week by your clocks. The weather was too fickle for him. Our system has

been perfected to such an extent that we live four lives to your one, and our fruits and vegetables are a

"What is the name of your country?" asked Thorndyke, feeling that he was not losing anything by his

"I don't know." Tradmos looked out at the window for a moment as if to ascertain that they were going in the

right direction, then he fixed his dark eyes on Thorndyke and asked hesitatingly:

"Well, I don't know where this one is. We are taught everything, I think, except geography." Nothing more

was said for several minutes, then an exclamation of admiration broke from the Englishman. The color of the

sunlight was changing. From east to west within the entire arc of their observation rolled an endless billow of

lavender light leaving a placid sea of the same color behind it. On it swept, slowly driving back the pink glow

"Something like our sixth hour, I suppose; this is the fourth hour of morning. Then come blue, yellow, green,

and at noon red. The afternoon is divided up in the same way. The first hour is green, then follow yellow,

blue, lavender, rose, gray and purple. Yes, I should think you would find yours somewhat tiresome."

"We can rely on it," said Johnston speaking for the first time and in a wavering voice, "it is always there."

"Doing business at the old stand," laughed Thorndyke, attempting an Americanism.

"Well, that is a comfort, anyway," said the captain seriously. "In my time they have had no solar trouble, but

some of the old people tell horrible tales of a period when our sun for several days did not shine at all."

"Oh, yes; and the early settlers had a great deal of trouble in different ways; but I am not at liberty to give you

information on that head. It is the king's special pleasure to have newcomers form their own impressions,

and he is particularly fond of noting their surprise, and, above all, their approval. People usually come here of

their own accord through the influence of our secret force of agents all over the earth, but you were brought

because you happened to drop on our island and would have found out too much for our good, and that red

light you kept burning night and day might have given us trouble. There is no telling how long you could

"What is that bright spot to the right?" asked Thorndyke, to change the subject.

"The king's palace; that is the dome. We shall soon be there. Now, I must not talk to you any longer.

Somebody may be watching us with glasses. I have taken a liking to you, and some time, when I get the

opportunity, I shall give you some useful advice, but I must treat you very formally, at least till you have had

"Thank you," said the Englishman, and Tradmos stood up in the car to watch their progress through the

circular glass of a little cupola on top. Thorndyke smiled at Johnston, but the American was in no pleasant

The machine was now slowly descending. A vast pile of white marble, with many golden domes and spires,

"To the balcony on the central dome," ordered Tradmos through the window of the driver's compartment; and

the adventurers felt the car sweep round in a curve that threw them against each other, and the next moment

they had landed on a wide iron balcony encircling a great golden cone that towered hundreds of feet above

"Follow me," said the captain stiffly, for there were several guards in white and gold uniforms pacing to and

fro on the battlementlike walls. He led the two adventurers through a door in the base of the dome. At first

they were dazed by a brilliant light from above, and looking up they beheld a marvel of kaleidoscopic colors

formed by a myriad of electriclighted prisms sloping gradually from the floor to the apex of the dome.

Thorndyke could compare it to nothing but a stupendous diamond, the very heart of which the eye penetrated.

"Don't look at it now," advised Tradmos, in an undertone; "it was constructed to be seen from below, and to

Mutely the captives obeyed. At every turn they were greeted with a new wonder. The captain now led them

round a narrow balcony on the inside of the vast dome, and, looking over the railing down below, they saw a

vast tessellated pavement made of polished stones of various and brilliant colors and so artistically arranged

that, from where they stood, lifelike pictures of landscapes seemed to rise to meet the vision wherever the eye

rested. Statues of white marble, gold and bronze were placed here and there, and, in squares of living green,

fountains threw up streams of crystal water. Tradmos paused for them to look down and smiled at their

"Over a thousand feet," replied Tradmos. "Look across opposite and you will see that there are fifty floors

"Don't you see them? Your eyes are dazzled by the light; I ought to have warned you against looking up into

the dome. The people are down there; do the views in the pavement not look a little blurred?"

"Well, if you will look more closely you will see that it is a multitude of people."

"Great heavens!" exclaimed the Englishman, and he became deeply absorbed in the contemplation of the

rarest sight he had ever seen. As he looked closely he noticed a black spot growing larger and nearer, and he

"It is an elevator. There are a great many of them used in the palace, but none have happened to rise as high

as this since we came. The one you see is coming for us." The next moment the strange vehicle was floating

toward them. The captain opened the door and preceded the captives into the interior.

"The royal audience chamber," he said, carelessly, to the driver behind the glass of the adjoining

compartment, and down they floated as lightly as a bubbledown past balcony after balcony, laden with

Near them was a tall fountain the water of which was playing weird music on great bells of glass, some of

which hung in the fountain's stream and others rose and fell, giving forth strange, submerged tones in the

"It is a new invention recently placed here by the king's son who is a musical genius," explained Tradmos.

He led them, as if to avoid the great crowds that they could now hear on all sides, down a long vista of palms,

the branches of which met over their heads, to the wide door of the audience chamber. A party of men

dressed in uniforms of white silk with gold and silver ornaments bowed before the captain and made way for

The captives now found themselves in the most splendid and spacious room they had ever seen, at the far end

"I shall be obliged to leave you when the king comes," said Tradmos to Thorndyke, "but I shall hope to see

you again. Don't forget my name and rank, for I may send you a message some time that may aid you."

"Thank you," replied the Englishman, and then as a throng of beautiful young women came from a room on

"The wives and daughters of the king and the wives of the princes," was the cautious answer, "but don't look

"I don't see how a fellow can help it; they are ravishingly beautiful, don't you think so, Johnston?"

"Don't be a fool," snapped the American, "don't you know enough to hold your tongue."

Tradmos smiled as if amused, and when he had shown them to seats near the great golden throne, he said:

"Stay where you are till the king sends for you, and then go and kneel before the throne. Do not rise till he

The captives thanked him and the captain turned away. The eyes of all the royal party now rested on the

strangers, and it was hard for them to appear unconscious of it. A great crowd was slowly filling the room

and an orchestra in a balcony on the left of the dais began to make delightful music on instruments the

strangers had never before seen. After an entrancing prelude a sound of singing was heard, and far up in a

grand dome, lighted like the one the captives had just admired over the central court of the palace, they saw a

bevy of maidens, robed in white, moving about in midair, apparently unsupported by anything.

"I don't know," returned Johnston, speaking more freely now that the captain had gone. "I am not surprised at

"Their voices are exquisite, and that orchestraa Boston symphony concert couldn't be compared to it."

The transition was sublime. They seemed transported to some other scene. The great multitude, the

elegantlydressed attendants about the throne, the courtiers, the beautiful women, all seemed to change in

appearance; on the view through the wide doors leading to the conservatory, and the great swarming court

"It is ahead of our clocks, anyway," jested Thorndyke. "Any child that can count on its fingers could tell that

The music grew louder; there was a harmonious blare of mighty trumpets, the clang of gongs and cymbals,

and then the music softened till it could scarcely be heard. There was commotion about the throne.

The king was coming. Every person on the dais stood motionless, expectant. A page drew aside the rich

curtain from a door on the right, and an old man, wearing a robe of scarlet ornamented with jewels and a

crown set with sparkling gems, entered and seated himself on the throne. The music sank lower; so soft did it

become that the tinkling bells of the great fountain outside could be heard throughout the room.

The king bowed to the throng on the dais and spoke a few words to a courtier who advanced as he sat down.

The courtier must have spoken of them, for the king at once looked down at Johnston and Thorndyke and

nodded his head. The courtier spoke to a page, and the youth left the dais and came toward the captives.

"We are in for it," cautioned Thorndyke, "now don't be afraid of your shadow; we'll come out all right."

"The king has sent for you," said the page, the next instant. "Go to the throne."

They were the cynosure of the entire room as they went up the carpeted steps of the dais and knelt before the

"Rise!" commanded the king, in a deep, wellmodulated voice, and when they had arisen he inspected them

"You look as if you take life easily; you have a jovial countenance," he said cordially.

"There is no use in taking it any other way," he said; "it doesn't amount to much at best."

"You are wrong," returned the king, playing with the jewels on his robe, "that is because you have been

reared as you havein your unsystematic world. Here we make life a serious study. It is our object to assist

nature in all things. The efforts of your people amount to nothing because they are not carried far enough.

Your scientists are dreaming idiots. They are continually groping after the ideal and doing nothing with the

positive. It was for us to carry out everything to perfection. Show me where we can make a single

"If my life depended on that, my head would be off this instant," was the quickwitted reply of the

This so pleased the king that he laughed till he shook. "Well said," he smiled; "so you like our country?"

"Absolutely charmed; my friend (Thorndyke was determined to bring his companion into favor, if possible)

A flush of pleasure crossed the face of the king. "You have not seen half of our wonders yet. I confess that I

am pleased with you, sir. The majority of people who are brought here are so frightened that they grow

morbid and desirous to return to their own countries as soon as they learn that such a thing is out of the

Thorndyke's stout heart suffered a sudden pang at the words, but he did not change countenance in the

"Of course," went on the ruler, gratified by the indifference of the Englishman, "of course, it could not be

done. No one, outside of a few of the royal family and our trusted agents, has ever left us."

"I can't see how any one could be so unappreciative as to want to go," answered Thorndyke, with a coolness

that surprised even Johnston. "I have travelled in all countries under the sunthe sun I was born underand

got so bored with them that my friend and myself took to ballooning for diversion; but here, there is a

"I was told you were aeronauts," returned the ruler, deigning to cast a glance at the silent Johnston, who stood

At that juncture a most beautiful girl glided through the curtains at the back of the throne and came

impulsively toward the king. Her brown hair fell in rich masses on her bare shoulders; her eyes were large,

deep and brown, and her skin was exquisitely fine in texture and color; her dress was artistic and well suited

to her lithe figure. She held an instrument resembling a lute in her hands, and stopped suddenly when she

"It is my daughter, the Princess Bernardino," explained the king, as he heard her light step and turned toward

As she took her position on a great rug in front of the throne, she kept her eyes on the handsome Englishman

as if fascinated by his appearance. Thorndyke's heart beat quickly; the blood mantled his face and he stood

entranced as she touched the resonant strings with her white fingers and began to play and sing. An innocent,

artless smile parted her lips from her matchless teeth, and her face glowed with inspiration. Far above in the

nooks and crannies of the vast dome, with its divergent corridors and arcades, the faint echoes of her voice

seemed to reply to her during the pauses in her song. Then she ceased singing and to the faraway and yet

distinct accompaniment of some stringed instrument in the orchestra, she began to dance. Holding her

instrument in a graceful fashion against her shoulder as one holds a violin, and with her flowing white gown

caught in the other hand, she bowed and smiled and instantly seemed transformed. From the statuesque and

dreamy singer she became a marvel of graceful motion. To and fro she swept from end to end of the great

rug, her tiny feet and slim ankles tripping so lightly that she seemed to move without support through the air.

Thorndyke stood as if spellbound, for, at every turn, as if seeking his approval, she glanced at him

inquiringly. When she finished she stood for a moment in the centre of the rug panting, her beautiful bosom,

beneath its filmy covering of lace, gently rising and falling. Then, asking her father's consent with a mute

glance, she ran forward impulsively, and, kneeling at Thorndyke's feet, she took his hand and pressed it to her

lips. And rising, suffused with blushes, she tripped from the dais and disappeared behind the curtain.

The king frowned as he looked after her. "It is a mark of preference," he said coldly. "It is one of our customs

for a dancer or singer to favor some one of her spectators in that way. My daughter evidently mistook you for

"She is wonderfully beautiful," replied the tactful Englishman, pretending not to be flattered by the notice of

"Do you think our people fine looking as a rule?" asked the king, to change the subject.

Again the king was pleased. "That is one of the objects of our system. Generation after generation we

improve mentally and physically. We are the only people who have ever attempted to thoroughly study the

science of living. Your medical men may be numbered by the million; your remedies for your ills change

daily; what you say is good for the health today is to morrow believed to be poison; today you try to

make blood to give strength, and half a century ago you believed in taking it from the weakest of your

patients. With all this fuss over health, you will think nothing of allowing the son of a man who died with a

loathsome hereditary disease to marry a woman whose family has never had a taint of blood. Here no such

thing is thought of. To begin with, no person who is not thoroughly sound can remain with us. Every

heartbeat is heard by our medical men and every vein is transparent. You see evidences of the benefit of our

system in the men and women around you. All our conveniences, the excellence of our products, our great

"I have been wondering about the size of your country," ventured Thorndyke cautiously.

The king smiled. "That will be one of the things for you to discover later," he returned. "But this, the City of

Moron, is the capital; our provinces, farming lands, smaller cities, towns and hamlets lie around us. Come

He waved his hand and dismissed a number of courtiers who were waiting to be called, and rose from the

throne and led the two captives into a large apartment adjoining the throneroom. Here they found six men in

blue uniforms looking into a large circular mirror on a table. They all bowed and moved aside as the king

"These men are the municipal police," explained the king, resting his hand on the gold frame of the glass;

"they are watching the city." And when the strangers drew nearer they were surprised to see reflected, in the

deeply concave glass, the entire city in miniature; its streets, parks, public buildings, and moving populace.

And what seemed to be the most remarkable feature of the invention was, that the instant the eye rested on

any particular portion of the whole that part was at once magnified so that every detail of it was clearly

"This is an improvement on your police system," continued the king. "No sooner does anything go wrong

than a red signal is given on the spot of the trouble and the attention of these officers is immediately called to

it. A flying machine is sent out and the offender is brought to the police station; but trouble of any nature

rarely occurs, and the duties of our police are merely nominal; my people live in thorough harmony. Now,

As the king spoke he led them into a circular room, the roof of which was of white glass, and the walls were

"This is our general observatory from which every part of Alpha can be seen," said the king with a touch of

They did as he requested, and at first saw nothing; but, as he went to a stone table in the centre of the room

and touched an electric button, a grand view of green fields, forests, streams, lakes and farmhouses flashed

upon the mirror. The king laughed at their surprise and touched another button. As he did so the scene shifted

gradually; the landscapes ran by like a panorama. A pretty village came into sight, and passed; then a larger

town and still a larger; then fields, hills and valleys and forests of giant trees.

"It is that way all over my kingdom," said the king; "in an hour I can inspect it all."

"Through a telescopic invention, aided by electricity and the clearness of our atmosphere," replied the king.

"It would take too long to go into the details. The views, however, are reflected to this point from various

observatories throughout the land. Such a system would be impossible in any other country on account of the

"I noticed," returned the Englishman, "that green fields lie beside ripening ones and those in which the grain

"We have no change of seasons," answered the king. "Change of seasons may be according to nature, but it is

in the province of man's intellect to improve on nature. But I must leave you now; I shall summon you again

"Well, what do you think of it?" asked Johnston, as the king disappeared behind a curtain in the direction of

"I give it up; I only know that the old fellow's daughter, the Princess Bernardino is the most beautiful, the

most bewitching creature that ever breathed. Did you notice her eyes and form? Great heavens! was there

ever such a vision of human loveliness? Her grace, her voice, her glances drove me wild with delight."

"You are dead gone," grumbled the American despondently; "we'll never get away from here in the world. I

"I gave up all hope in that direction some time ago," said Thorndyke; "and why should we care? We were

awfully bored with life before we came; for my part I'd as soon end mine up here as anywhere else. Besides,

"I don't take stock in all he says," growled the American; "he talks like a Chicago real estate agent who wants

Thorndyke burst into a jovial laugh. "You are coming round all right; that is the first joke you have got off

"There goes that blamed sunlight again," exclaimed Johnston, grasping his companion's arm, "don't you see it

"Yes, and this time it is white, like old Sol's natural smile; but isn't it clear? It seems to me that I could see to

"Why, the king, of course, it is his worksome sort of invention; but we must keep civil tongues in our

They were walking back toward the great rotunda, and, as they entered the conservatory, the crowds of men

and women stared at them curiously. They had paused to inspect the statue of a massive stone dragon when a

Poor Johnston had turned white. He held out his hand to Thorndyke, "Shake," he said in a whisper, not

intended for the ears of the officer, "I don't believe that we shall meet again. I felt that we were to be parted

Thorndyke's face had altered; an angry flush came in his face and his eyes flashed, but with an effort he

"Tut, tut, don't be silly. I shall wait for you round here; if there is any foul play I shall make some one suffer

for it. You can depend on me to the end; we are hand in hand in this adventure, old man."

Johnston followed his guide to a flying machine outside. He hesitated an instant, as the officer was holding

the door open, and looked back toward the conservatory; but he could not see Thorndyke.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked desperately. But the officer did not seem to hear the question. He was

motioning to a tall man of athletic build who wore a dark blue uniform and who came hastily forward and

pushed the American into the machine. Through the open door Johnston saw Thorndyke's anxious face as the

Englishman emerged from the conservatory and strode toward them. The two officers entered and closed the

Then the machine rose and Johnston's spirits sank as they shot upward and floated easily over the humming

crowd into the free white light above the smokeless city. The poor captive leaned on the windowsill and

looked out. There was no breeze, and no current of air except that caused by their rapid passage through the

Up, up, they went, till the city seemed a blur of mingled white and gray, and then the color below changed to

The first officer took a glass and a decanter from a receptacle under a seat, and, pouring a little red fluid into

The officer smiled as he put the glass and decanter away. Faster and faster flew the machine. They had to put

the window down, for the current of air had become too strong and cool to be pleasant. The color of the

sunlight changed to green, and then at noon, from the zenith, a glorious red light shimmered down and veiled

the earth with such a beautiful translucent haze that the poor American for a moment almost forgot his

The afternoon came on. The sunlight became successively green, white, blue, lavender, rose and gray. The

sun was no longer in sight and the gray in the west was darkening into purple, the last hour of the day. Night

was at hand. Johnston's limbs were growing stiff from inaction, and he had a strong desire to speak or to hear

one of the officers say something, but they were dozing in their respective corners. The moon had risen and

hung far out in space overhead, but they seemed to be leaving it behind. Later he felt sure of this, for its light

gradually became dimmer and dimmer till at last they were in total darknessdarkness pierced only by the

powerful searchlight which threw its dazzling, trumpetshaped rays far ahead. But, search as he would in

the direction they were going, the unfortunate American could see nothing but the everreceding wall of

Suddenly they began to descend. The officers awoke and stretched themselves and yawned. One of them

opened the window and Johnston heard a faroff, roaring sound like that of a multitude of skaters on a vast

The machine suddenly slackened in its speed and then hung poised in midair. The rays of the searchlight

were directed downward and slowly shifted from point to point. Looking down, the American caught

The same officer opened the door, and gently pushed Johnston out. Johnston expected them to follow him,

"Stand out of the way," cried out the officer through the window; "you may get struck as we rise."

Involuntarily Johnston obeyed. There was a sound of escaping air from beneath the machine, a fierce

commotion in the atmosphere which sucked him toward the machine, and then the dazzling searchlight

blinded him, as the airship bounded upward and sailed back over the course it had come.

Johnston stood paralyzed with fear. "My God, this is awful!" he exclaimed in terror, and his knees gave way

beneath him and he sank to the rock. "They have left me here to starve in this hellish darkness!" He remained

there for a moment, his face covered with his hands, then he sprang up desperately, and started to grope

through the darkness, he knew not whither. He stumbled at almost every step, and ran against boulders which

bruised his hands and face, and went on till his strength was gone. Then he paused and looked back toward

the direction from which he had come. It seemed to him that he could see the straight line of mighty black

wall above which there was a faint appearance of light. A lump rose in the throat of the poor fellow, and tears

But what was that? Surely it was a sound. It could not have been the wind, for the air was perfectly still. The

sound was repeated. It was like the moaning of a human voice far away in the dark. Could it be some one in

distress, some poor unfortunate, banished being, like himself? Again he heard the sound, and this time, it was

"Hello!" shouted the American, and a cold shudder went over him at the sound of his own husky voice. There

was a dead silence, then, like an echo of his own cry, faintly came the word, "Hello!"

Filled with superstitious fear, the American cautiously groped toward the sound. "Hello, there, who are you?"

For a moment neither spoke, then the strange figure said: "I thought at first that you were some one sent to

"My God, it is awful! A week ago I did not dream of such a fate as this. I had enemies. The medical men

were bribed to vote against me. Am I not strong? Am I not muscular? Feel my arms and thighs."

"Ah! you are right; but they reported that there was a taint in my blood. I was to marry Lallio, the most

beautiful creature in our villageMadryl, you know, the nearest hamlet to the home of the Sun. I was rich,

and the best farmer there. But Lyngale wanted her. She hated him and spat at him when he spoke against me.

He proved by others that my lungs were weak, and showed them the blood of a slain dog in my fields that

they said had come from my lungs. Ah, they were curs! My lungs weak! Strike my chest with all your might.

Does it not sound like the king's thunder? Strike, I say!" and as the enfeebled American struck his bare breast

he cried:Harder, harder! Pooh, you are a child, see this, and this," and he emphasized his words with

"But it has been so for a century," he panted; "hundreds have been unjustly buried alive here. The king thinks

it is not murder because they die of starvation. I have stumbled over the bones of giants here in the dark

"I don't know of it, and yet I thought I knew of all the places inside the great endless wall."

Johnston was mystified in his turn. "It is not in your country your world, or whatever you call it. It is far

"Ah, under the white sun! In the 'Ocean Country,' and the world of fierce winds and disease. And you are

from there. I had heard of it before they banished me; but two days since I came across a dying man, away

over there. He was huddled against the wall, and had fallen and killed himself in his efforts to climb back to

"I saw him die. He told me that he had come from your land when he was a child. His trouble was the lungs

and he had fallen off to a skeleton. He talked to me of your wide ocean land. Is it, indeed so great? And has it

"I cannot understand," and, after a pause, in which Johnston could hear the great fellow's heart beating, he

continued; "That must be the Heaven the man spoke about. And beyond the water is it always dark like this,

"No; beyond are other countries. But is there no chance for us to escape from here?"

"Hold out your arm. There," as he grasped Johnston's arm in a clasp of iron, "I see; you are undeveloped,

unfitnone but the healthy and strong are allowed to live in Alpha. It is right, of course; but it is hard to

bear. But I must lie down. I am wearied with constant rambling. I am nervous too. I fell asleep awhile ago

and dreamt I heard all my friends in a great clamoring body calling my name, 'Branasko!' and then I awoke

As he spoke he sank with a sigh to the ground and rested his head on his elbows and knees and seemed

asleep. The American sat down beside him, and, for a long time, neither spoke. Branasko broke the silence;

"So am I, but we must wait till it is lighter, then we can go in search of food. When I was a boy I learned to

catch fish in pools with my hands and it has prolonged my life here. When the light comes again, I shall show

"It does not get very light, because we are behind the sun; but it is lighter than now, for we get the sun's

Branasko lowered his head to his knees and slept again, but the American, though wearied, was wakeful.

Several hours passed. The Alphian was sleeping soundly, his breathing was very heavy and he had rolled

Far away in the east the darkness gradually faded into purple, and then into gray, and slowly hints of pink

appeared in the skies. It was dawn. Johnston touched his companion. The man awoke and looked at him from

"No; it shows itself only in the middle of the day, and then but for a few minutes. We must go now and

search for food. I will show you how to catch the eyeless fish in the black caverns over there." And he led the

American into the blackness behind them. Every now and then, as they stumbled along, Johnston would look

longingly back toward the faint pink light that shone above the high black wall. But Branasko hastened on.

Presently they came to the edge of a black chasm and the American was filled with awe, for, from the

seemingly fathomless depths, came a great roaring sound like that of a mighty wind and the air that came

"They are everywhere," answered Branasko, "if it were not for their hot breathing the Land of the Changing

The American was mystified, but he did not question farther, for Branasko was carefully lowering himself

"Follow me," he said; "we must cross it to reach the caves. I will guide you. I have been over this way

"Oh, yes; when we get used to it, it is invigorating. I perspire in streams, but I feel better afterward. Come

Branasko's head only was above the ground. "I am standing on a ledge," he said. "Get down beside me. Fear

nothing. It is solid; besides, what does it matter? You can die but once, and it would really be better to fall

Johnston shuddered convulsively as he let himself down beside Branasko. His foot dislodged a stone. With a

crash it fell upon a lower ledge and bounded off and went whizzing down into the depths. Both men listened.

They heard the stone bounding from ledge to ledge till the sound was lost in the internal roaring.

"Yes, but follow me; we cannot stop here; we must go along this ledge till we get to the point where the

"The American held to his companion with one hand and the rock with the other, and they slowly made their

way along the narrow ledge, pausing every now and then to rest. At every step the path grew more perilous

and narrower, and the cliff on their left rose higher and higher, till the reflected light of the sun had entirely

disappeared. At certain points the hot wind dashed upon them as furiously as the whirling mist in "The Cave

of Winds" at Niagara Falls. Once Johnston's foot slipped and he fell, but was drawn back to safety by the

"Be careful; hold to the cliff's face," warned Branasko indifferently, and he moved onward as if nothing

unusual had occurred. Presently they reached a point where a narrow boulder jutted out over the chasm

toward the opposite side, and Branasko cautiously crawled out upon it. When he had got to its end, Johnston

could not see him in the gloom, but his voice came to him out of the roaring of the chasm.

"I can see the other side, and am going to jump." An instant later, the American heard the clatter of the

Alphian's shoes on the rock, and his grunt of satisfaction. Then Branasko called out: "Come on; crawl out till

In great trepidation the American slowly crawled out on the narrow rock. Below him yawned the hot

darkness, above hung that black ominous canopy of nothingness. Slowly he advanced on hands and knees,

every moment feeling the sharp rock growing narrower, till finally he reached the end. He looked ahead. He

"See, this is where you have to alight," cried the Alphian. "Jump, I will catch you!"

"I am afraid I shall topple over when I stand up," replied the American. "The rock is narrow and my head is

"Tut, tut!" exclaimed Branasko. "Stand up quickly, and jump at once. Don't stop to think about it."

Johnston obeyed. He felt his feet firmly braced on the rock and he sprang toward the opposite ledge with all

"Good," he grunted. "There is another place, we must jump again. It is further on." Along this ledge they

went for some distance, Branasko leading the way and holding the arm of the American.

"Now here we are, the chasm is a little wider, but the ledge on the other side is broader." As he spoke he

released Johnston's arm and prepared to jump. He filled his lungs two or three times. But he seemed to

hesitate. "Pshaw, watching you back there has made me nervous. I never cared before. If I should happen to

Without another word Branasko hurled himself forward. Johnston held his breath in horror, for Branasko's

foot had slipped as he jumped. The Alphian had struck the opposite ledge, but not with his feet, as he

intended. He clutched it with his hands and hung there for a moment, struggling to get a foothold in the

"It's no use, I am falling; I can hold no longer!" And Johnston, too terrified to reply,heard the poor

fellow's hands slipping from the rock, causing a quantity of loose stones to go rattling down below. With a

low cry Branasko fell. An instant later Johnston heard him strike the ledge beneath, and heard him cry out in

pain. Then all was still except the echoes of Branasko's cry, which bounded and rebounded from side to side

of the chasm, and grew fainter and fainter, till it was submerged in the roaring below. Then there was a rattle

of stones, and Branasko's voice sounded: "A narrow escape!" he said faintly. "I am on another ledge"then

after a slight pause, "it is much wider, I don't know how wide. Are you listening?"

"Not at all. Simply knocked the breath out of me for a moment. There is a cave behind me, and (for a moment

there was silence) I can see a light ahead in the cave. I think it must be the reflection of the internal fire.

Come down to me and we will explore the cavern, and see where the light comes from."

"I can't get down there!" shouted Johnston, to make himself heard above a sudden increase in the roaring in

Johnston stood perfectly motionless, afraid to move from the ledge either to right or to left, and heard

Branasko's footsteps along the rock beneath. "All right so far," he called up, and his voice showed that he had

gone to a considerable distance to the left, "the ledge seems to be still leading gradually upward. I think I can

Fifteen minutes passed. The lone American could no longer hear Branasko's footsteps. Johnston was

becoming uneasy and the hot air was causing his head to swim. He was thinking of trying to retrace his

footsteps to a place of more security when he heard footsteps, and then the cheery voice of Branasko nearly

"It is well; I have discovered a good pathway down to the cave, and a pool of fish besides. I have saved some

Branasko laughed. "I did not leap in the right direction. It is this point on which I am now standing that I

Johnston could not bear to be considered cowardly, so he stepped to the verge of the chasm and prepared to

jump. His head felt more dizzy as he thought of the fathomless depths beneath, and the rush of hot air up the

side of the cliff took his breath away, but he braced himself and said calmly: "All right, I am coming." The

next instant he sprang forward. Branasko caught him into his arms and they both rolled back on the level

"Good," cried the Alphian, trying to catch his breath, which Johnston had knocked out of him by the fall.

"Where shall we go now?" asked Johnston, regaining his feet and feeling of his legs and arms to see if he had

"Down this winding path to the place where I saw that light. I want to understand it. But you must first eat

As Branasko preceded him down the tortuous path, Johnston ate the raw fish eagerly. Presently they came to

a deep pool of water, and both men threw themselves down on their stomachs and drank freely. After this

they proceeded slowly for several hundred yards, and finally reached the entrance to the cave in which

Branasko had seen the light. At that distance it looked like the light of some great conflagration reflected

They entered the cave and made good progress toward the light, for it showed them the dangerous fissures,

sharp boulders and stalactites. They had walked along in silence for several minutes when the Alphian

stopped abruptly and turned to his companion. What is the matter?" asked Johnston.

"It cannot come from the internal fires," replied Branasko,"for the atmosphere grows cooler as we get nearer

Johnston was too much puzzled to formulate a reply, and he simply waited for the Alphian to continue.

"Let's go on," said Branasko; and in his tone and hesitating manner Johnston detected the first appearance of

As Thorndyke watched the flying machine that was bearing his friend away a genuine feeling of pity went

over him. Poor Johnston! He had been haunted all day with the belief that he was to meet with some

misfortune from which Thorndyke was to be spared, and Thorndyke had ridiculed his fears. When the

airship had become a mere speck in the sky, the Englishman turned back into the palace and strolled about

"To the 'Barrens,' of course; where do you suppose they would take such a man? He couldn't pass his

examination. You are not a great physical success yourself, but they say you pleased the king with your

"To the Barrens," repeated Thorndyke, too much concerned over the fate of his comrade to notice the

The Alphian officer changed countenance, as he looked him over with widening eyes.

"No, that would bewhat do you call it? murder; they will simply leave him there to die of his own accord.

And the king is right. I never saw such a weakling. He would taint our whole race with his presence."

Without a word Thorndyke abruptly turned from the officer and hastened toward the apartment of the king.

He would demand the return of poor Johnston or kill the king if his demand was not granted. In his haste and

perturbation, however, he lost his way and wandered into a part of the palace he had not seen. At every step

he was more and more impressed with the magnificent proportions of the structure and the grandeur of

Passing hurriedly through a large hall he saw an assemblage of beautiful women and handsome men dancing

to the music of a great orchestra. Further onin a great courta regiment of soldiers were drilling, their

rapid evolutions making no more sound than if they were moving in midair. In another room he saw a great

body of men, women and children in varicolored suits bathing in a pool of rosecolored, perfumed water.

He was passing on when a woman, closely veiled and simply dressed, touched his arm.

The heart of the Englishman bounded and his blood rushed to his face, for the speaker was the Princess

Bernardino. She did not pause, but glided on into the shade of a great palm tree, and, behind a row of

She lowered her veil as he approached and looked at him from her deep brown eyes in great concern. He

"I came to warn you, Prince," she said, and her soft musical voice set every nerve in Thorndyke's body to

tingling with delight. "My father has banished the faithful slave that you love, but you must not show the

anger that you feel, else he will kill you. You must be exceedingly cautious if you would save him. My father

would punish me severely if he knew that I had sought you in this way. I was obliged to come in disguise;

"And you came for my sake?" blurted out the Englishman, much embarrassed; "I am not worthy of such a

"Oh, Prince, don't speak to me so! You are far above me. I am weak. I know nothing. I never cared for other

men than the king and my brothers till I saw you today, but now I would willingly be your slave."

"I am yours forever, and an humble one," bowed the courteous Englishman. "The moment I saw you at the

throne of your father my heart went out to you. You wound it up in your music and trampled it under your

dancing feet. I have been over the whole world, and you are the loveliest creature in it. It is because I saw

you, because you are here, that I do not want to leave your country. They may do as they will with me if they

The princess was deeply moved. The blood rushed to her face and beautified it. Her eyes fell beneath his

admiring glance. Thorndyke could not restrain himself. He caught her slender hand and pressed it

"Do not try to rescue him now," she said softly. "I shall come to you again when we are not watchedyou

can know me by this dress. There is no need for great haste, he could live in the Barrens several days; I shall

try to think of some way to save him, though such a thing has never been donenever."

Footsteps were heard on the other side of the row of ferns. A man was passing and others soon followed him.

"I must leave you now," she whispered. "If the king honors you again by talking of his kingdom, continue to

"No; that would be impossible; those who are pronounced physically unfit are obliged to die. It has been a

law for a long time; you must not count on that. I have, however, another plan, but I cannot tell you of it now,

for they may miss me and wonder where I am, and then, too, my father may be looking for you. He will

Bowing, she turned away and passed on toward the apartments of the king, which the Englishman now

recognized in the distance. Thorndyke went into the bathingroom to watch those remaining in the great pool

of rosecolored water. The sight was beautiful. The waves which lapped against the shelving shores of white

The Englishman was at once troubled over the fate of Johnston and elated over having won Bernardino's

regard. Thoughtfully he strolled away from the bathers into a great picturegallery. Here hung on the walls

and stood on pedestals some of the rarest works of art he had ever seen. He passed through this room and was

entering a shady retreat where plants, flowers and umbrageous trees grew thickly, when he heard a step

"We can be unobserved here," she said, taking off her thick veil and arranging her luxuriant hair. "I hasten

back. The king thinks, so my maid tells me, that I am asleep in my chamber. He is busy with an audience of

She sat down on a sofa upholstered in leather, and he took a seat beside her. "I am glad that we can talk

alone," he said, "for I have much to ask you. First, tell me where we are,where this strange country is on

"It is a long story," she replied, "and it would greatly incense the king if he should find out that I had told

you, for one of his chief pleasures is to note the surprise and admiration of new comers over what they see

here. But if you will promise to gratify his vanity in this particular I will try to explain it all."

"I promise, and you can depend on my not getting you into trouble," replied Thorndyke. "I never was so

puzzled in my life, with that sullen sky overhead, the wonderful changing sunlight, and the remarkable

atmosphere. I am both bewildered and entranced. Every moment I see something new and startling. Where

"Far beneath the ocean and the surface of the earth. I only know what the king has let fall in my hearing in his

conferences with his men of science and inventors; but I shall try to make you understand how it all came

"It was a long time ago, two hundred years back, I suppose, that one of my ancestors discovered a little

isolated island in the Atlantic Ocean. He was forced in a storm to land there with his ship and crew to make

some repairs in his vessel. In wandering about over the island he discovered a narrow entrance to a cave, and,

with two or three of his men, he began to explore it. When they had gone for a mile or two down into the

interior of the cavern, which seemed to lead straight down toward the centre of the earth, they began to find

small pieces of gold. The further they went the more they found, till at last the very cavern walls seemed

"They were at first wildly excited over their sudden good fortune and were about to load their ship with it and

return to Europe at once, but the better judgment of my ancestor prevailed. He explained that, if the world

were informed of the discovery of such an inexhaustible mine of gold, that the value of the precious metal

would decline till it would be worth little more than some grosser metal, and that if they would only keep

their secret to themselves they could in time control the finances of the world. So, acting on this suggestion,

they only dug out a few thousand pounds and took part of it to Europe and part of it to America and turned it

"Then, to curtail my story, they elected my ancestor as ruler, and, with ships loaded with every available

convenience that inexhaustible wealth could procure and a colony of carefully chosen men, they returned to

"After the men and their families had settled in the great roomy mouth of the cavern my ancestor supplied

himself with several strong men and food and lights, and sought to explore the entire cavern.

"To their astonishment they found that it was practically endless. When they had gone down about sixty or

seventy miles below the sea level they found themselves on a vast, undulating plain, the soil of which was

dark and rich, with the black roof of the cavern arching overhead like the bottom of a great inverted bowl.

And when they had travelled about ten days and reached the other side my ancestor calculated that the cave

must be over one hundred miles in diameter and almost circular in shape. But what elated and surprised them

most was the remarkable salubrity of the atmosphere. In all parts of the cave it was exactly the same

temperature, and they found that they scarcely felt any fatigue from their journey, and that they had little

desire to eat the provisions with which they were supplied. Indeed, the very air seemed permeated with a

"Finally, when, after a month had passed, and they returned to their anxious friends, these people

overwhelmed them with exclamations of surprise over their appearance. And in the light of day the explorers

looked at one another in astonishment, for, in the dim light of the lanterns they had carried, they had not

noticed the great change that had come over them. They had all become the finest specimens of physical

health that could be imagined. Their bodies had filled out; they were remarkably strong; their skins shone

with healthful color and their eyes sparkled with intellectual energy, and their minds, even to the humblest

"My ancestor was a remarkable man, and he had hitherto shown much inventive ability; but in that month in

the cave he had developed into an intellectual giant. After mature deliberation, he proposed a prodigious

scheme to his followers. He explained that, while they might, by using the utmost discretion, hold the

financial world in their power by means of their inexhaustible wealth, that the laws and restrictions of

different countries prevented men of vast wealth from really enjoying more privileges than men of moderate

means. He grew eloquent in speaking of the underground atmosphere, and proposed that they light the great

cavern from end to end and make it an ideal place where they could live as it suited them.

"I see that you guess the end. My ancestor was a great student of the sciences and had already thought of

putting electricity to practical use. You are surprised? Yes, it has been applied to our purposes for two

"Great heavens!" exclaimed the Englishman. "I see it all; the sun is an electric one!"

"More accurately, I assure you, but there probably never was a greater mathematical problem than they

solved in deciding on the size the sun should be and amount of light necessary to fill up all the recesses of the

great vacancy. It was all very crude at the start; for years a great electric light was simply suspended in the

centre of the cavern's roof and the light did not vary in color. A son of the first king suggested the plan of

giving the sun diurnal movement and the changing light. The moon and stars were a later development. They

found, too, that the light could not be made to reach certain recesses in the cavern where the roof approached

the earth, so they finally built a great wall to keep the inhabitants within proscribed boundaries, and to

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Thorndyke. "But the temperature of the atmosphere, how does that happen to be so

"I believe they do not themselves thoroughly comprehend that. The heat comes from the internal fires, and

the fresh air from without in some mysterious way. At first, in a few places, the heat was too severe, but the

scientific men among the first settlers obviated this difficulty by closing up the hottest of the fissures and

"From all parts of the earth. We had agents outside who selected such men and women that were willing to

"But why do they desire to live here instead of out in the world, when they have all the wealth that they need

"They dread death, and it is undoubtedly true that life is prolonged here; our medical men declare that the

Thorndyke sat in deep thought for a moment; then he looked so steadily and so admiringly into Bernardino's

eyes that she grew red with confusion. "But you, yourself, are you thoroughly content here?"

"I know nothing else," she continued. "I have heard little about your world except that your people are

discontented, weak and insane, and that your changeable weather and your careless laws regarding marriage

and heredity produce perpetual and innumerable diseases; that your people are not well developed and

beautiful; that you war with one another, and that one tears down what another builds. I have, too, always

been happy, and since you came I am happier still. I don't know what it means. I have never been so much

"It is love on the part of both of us," replied the Englishman impulsively, taking her hand. "I never was

content before. I went roving over the earth trying to end my life at sea or in balloon voyages, but now I only

want to be with you. I have never dreamed that I could be so happy or that I would meet any one so beautiful

Bernardino's delight showed itself in blushes on her face, and Thorndyke, unable to restrain himself, put his

She sprang up quickly and he saw that she was trembling and that all the color had fled from her face.

At first she did not answer, but only looked at him half frightened, and then covered her face with her

"You have broken one of the most sacred laws of our country," she faltered, in great embarrassment; "my

father would punish me very severely if he knew of it, and he would banish you; for, to treat me in that

"I beg your pardon most humbly," said the contrite Englishman. "It was all on account of my ignorance of

Her face brightened a little and the color came back slowly. She sat down again, but not so near Thorndyke,

"Yes, he is a good, faithful fellow, and it is hard to die so far away from friends."

"We must try to save him, but I cannot now think of a safe plan. The police are very vigilant."

A flush of shame came into Thorndyke's face over the remembrance that he had made no effort to aid poor

Johnston, and was sitting listening with delight to the conversation of Bernardino. He rose suddenly.

"I must be doing something to aid him," he said. "I cannot sit here inactive while he is in danger."

"Be patient," she advised, looking at him admiringly; "it is near night; see, it is the gray light of dusk; the sun

is out of sight. Tonight, if possible, I shall come to you. Perhaps I shall approach you without disguise if you

are in the throneroom and my father does not object to my entertaining you, but for the present we must

He bowed low as she turned away, and joined the throng that was passing along outside. An officer

"Upon having pleased the king so thoroughly. No stranger, in my memory, has ever been treated so

courteously. Every other new comer is put under surveillance, but you are left unwatched."

"He is easily pleased," said the Englishman, "for I have done nothing to gratify him."

"I thought he would like you; and I felt that your friend would have to suffer, but I could not help him."

"Shbe cautious. Those words, implying an inclination to treason, if spoken to any other officer would place

you under immediate arrest. I like you, therefore I want to warn you against such folly. You are wholly in the

"Not to allow the king to suspect your admiration for the Princess Bernardino. It would displease the king.

She is much taken with you; I saw it in her eyes when she danced for your entertainment."

Thorndyke made no reply, but gazed searchingly into the eyes of the officer. Tradmos laughed.

"No, I am not, I trust you wholly; I know that you are honorable; I never make a mistake along that line."

"I shall aid you all I can with my advice, for I know you will not betray me; but at present I am powerless to

give you material aid. Every subject of this realm is bound to the autocratic will of the king. It is impossible

"The only outlet to the upper world is carefully guarded by men who would not be bribed."

"None that I can see, but I must walk on; there comes one of the king's attendants."

"I will go with you," was his reply, and he followed the man through the crowded corridors into the

throneroom of the king. Thorndyke forced a smile as he saw the king smiling at him as he approached the

"What do you think of my palace?" asked the king, after Thorndyke had knelt before him.

"It is superb," answered the Englishman, recalling the advice of Bernardino. "I am dazed by its splendor, its

The king rose and stood beside him. His manner was both pleasing and sympathetic. "I am persuaded," said

he, "that you will make a good subject, and have the interest of Alpha always at heart, but I have often been

mistaken in the character of men and think it best to give you a timely warning. An attendant will conduct

you to a chamber beneath the palace where it will be your privilege to converse with a man who once planned

There had come suddenly a stern harshness into the king's tone that roused the fears of Thorndyke. He was

about to reply, but the king held up his hand. "Wait till you have visited the dungeon of Nordeskyne, then I

am sure that you will be convinced that strict obedience in thought as well as deed is best for an inhabitant of

Thorndyke's heart was heavy, and he was filled with strange forebodings, but he simply smiled and bowed, as

the attendant led him away. The attendant opened a door at the back of the throne room and they were

confronted by darkness. They went along a narrow corridor for some distance, the dark ness thickening at

every step. There was no sound except the sound of the guide's shoes on the smooth stone pavement.

"I shall certainly stick to you," replied the Englishman drily. They turned a sharp corner suddenly, and were

going in another direction when Thorndyke felt a soft warm hand steal into his from behind, and knew

intuitively that it was Bernardino. The guide was a few feet in advance of them and she drew Thorndyke's

"What was that?" asked the guide, turning suddenly and catching the Englishman's arm, "I thought I heard

"I was saying my prayers, that is all," and the Englishman pressed the hand of the princess, who, pressed

"Prayers, humphyou'll need them later,come on!" and he caught the Englishman's arm and hastily drew

him onward. Thorndyke's spirits sank lower. The air of the narrow underground corridor was cold and

"It cannot be from the internal fires," said he, "for this light is white, and the glow of the fires is red."

"Let's turn back," suggested Johnston, "it can do us no good to go down there; it is only taking us further

"I should like to understand it," returned the Alphian thoughtfully; "and, besides, there can be no more danger

there than back among the hot crevices. We have got to perish anyway, and we might as well spice the

remainder of our lives with whatever adventure we can. Who knows what we may not discover? There are

They stumbled on over the rocky surface in silence. At times, the roof of the cavern sank so low that they had

to stoop to pass under it, and again it rose sharply like the roof of a cathedral, and the rays of the faraway,

but everincreasing light, shone upon glistening stalactites that hung from the darkness above them like

"It is not so near as I supposed," said the Alphian wearily. "And the light seemed to me to be shining on a

cliff over which water is pouring in places. Yes, you can see that it is water by the ripples in the light."

In about an hour they came to a wide chasm on the other side of which towered a vast cliff of white crystal. It

"Not a waterfall after all," said Branasko; "see, there is the source of the reflection," and he pointed to the left

through a series of dark chambers of the cavern to a dazzling light. "Come, let's go nearer it." He moved a

few steps forward and then happening to look over his shoulder he stopped abruptly, and uttered an

"Our shadows on the crystal cliff," said Branasko in an awed tone; "only the light from the changing sun

Johnston shuddered superstitiously at the tone of Branasko's quivering voice, and their giant shadows which

stood out on the smooth crystal like silhouettes. So clearcut were they, that, in his own shadow, the

American could see his breast heaving and in Branasko's the quivering of the Alphian's huge body and limbs.

"If we have happened upon the home of the sun, only the spirit of the dead kings could tell what will become

"Puh! you are blindly superstitious," said Johnston; "what if we do come upon the sun? Let's go down there

Branasko fell into the rear and the American stoutly pushed ahead toward the light which was every moment

increasing. As they advanced the cave got larger until it opened out into a larger plain over which hung

fathomless darkness, and out of the plain a great dazzling globe of light was slowly rising.

"It is the sun itself," exclaimed Branasko, and he sank to the earth and covered his face with his hands. "I

The American was deeply thrilled by the grand sight. He sat down by Branasko and together they watched

the vast ball of light emerge from the black earth and gradually disappear in a great hole in the roof of the

cavern. It left a broad stream of light behind it, and, now that the sun it self was out of view, the silent

As if by mutual consent, they rose and made their way over the rocks to the verge of the hole, which seemed

several thousand feet square. At first, owing to the brightness of the sun overhead, they could see nothing;

but, as the great orb gradually disappeared, they began to see lights and the figures of men moving about

below. Later they observed the polished parts of stupendous machinerymachinery that moved almost

Johnston caught sight of a great network of moving cables reaching from the machinery up through the hole

above and exclaimed enthusiastically:"A mechanical sun! electric daylight! What genius! A world in a

great cave! Hundreds of square miles and thousands of well organized people living under the light of an

Johnston smiled. "The great sun that lights the outer world is as much greater than that ball of light as Alpha

is greater than a grain of sand. But this surely is the greatest achievement of man. But while I now understand

"It runs beneath Alpha and connects the rising and setting points of the sun. There is a point beneath the

king's palace where, by a staircase, the king and his officers may go down and inspect the sun as it is on its

"And once a year a royal party goes in the sun over its entire course. It is said that it is sumptuously furnished

inside, and not too warm, the lights being only innumerable small ones on the outside."

"Perhaps we might be able to get into it unobserved and be thus carried over to the other side, or reach the

Branasko started convulsively, and then, as he looked into the earnest eyes of the American, he said

"We have got to die, anyway; it may be well for us to think of it; but on the other side, in the Barrens, there is

no more chance for escape than here. But the adventure would at least give us something to think about; let's

"All right; but how can we get down there where the sun starts to rise?" asked the American, peering

"There must be some way," answered Branasko. "Ah, see! further to the left there are some ledges; let's see

The rays of the departing sun were almost gone, and the electric lights down among the machinery seemed

afar off like stars reflected in deep water. With great difficulty the two men lowered themselves from one

"It is no use," said Branasko, peering over the lowest ledge. "There are no more ledges and this one juts out

"That is true," agreed the American, "but look, is not that a lake beneath? I think it must be, for the lights are

"You are right," answered Branasko; "and I now see a chance for us to get down safely."

"The workers are too far from the lake to see us; we can drop into the water and swim ashore."

Suiting the action to the word, they secured a stone weighing about seventyfive pounds and brought it to the

ledge. Carefully poising it in midair, they let it go. Down it went, cutting the air with a sharp whizzing

sound. They listened breathlessly, but heard no sound as the rock struck the water, and the men among the

machinery seemed undisturbed. Only the widening circles of rings on the lake's surface indicated where the

"Good," ejaculated the Alphian; "are you equal to such a plunge? The water must be deep, and we won't be

hurt at all if only we can keep our feet downward and hold our breath long enough. Our clothing will soon

The Alphian slowly crawled out on the sharpest projection of the ledge. "Are you willing to try it?" he asked,

Johnston shuddered as the strong fellow swung himself over the ledge and hung downward.

"Adieu," said Branasko, and he let go. Down he fell, as straight as an arrow, into the shadows below. For an

instant Johnston heard the fluttering of the fellow's clothing as he fell through the darkness, and then there

was no sound except the low whirr of the cables and the monotonous hum of the great wheels beneath. Then

the smooth surface of the lake was broken in a white foaming spot, and, later, he saw something small and

dark slowly swimming shoreward. It was Branasko, and the men to the right had not heard or seen him.

Johnston saw him reach the shore, then he crawled out to the point of the projecting rock and tremblingly

lowered himself till he hung downward as Branasko had done. He had just drawn a deep breath preparatory to

letting go his hold, when, chancing to look down, he saw a long narrow barge slowly emerging from the cliff

directly under him. For an instant he was so much startled that he almost lost his grip on the rock. He tried to

climb back on the ledge, but his strength was gone. He felt that he could not hold out till the boat had passed.

Death was before him, and a horrible one. The boat seemed to crawl. Everything was a blur before his eyes.

To Thorndyke the dark corridor seemed endless. The king's last words had now a sinister meaning, and

Bernardino's whispered warning filled him with dread. "Keep your presence of mind," she urged; was it then,

Presently they came to a door. Thorn dyke heard his guide feeling for the bolt and keyhole. The rattling of

the keys sounded like a ghostly threat in the empty corridors. The air was as damp as a fog, and the stones

were cold and slimy. After a moment the guard succeeded in unlocking the door and roughly pushed the

Englishman forward. The door closed with a little puff, and Thorndyke felt about him for the guide; but he

was alone. For a moment there was no sound. With the closing of the door it seemed to him that he was cut

off from every living creature. In the awful silence he could hear his own heart beating like a drum.

"Stand where you are!" came in a hissing whisper from the darkness near by, and then the invisible whisperer

moved away, making a weird sound as he slid his hand along a wall, till it died away in the distance.

A cold thrill ran over him. He was a brave man and feared no living man or beast, but the superstitious fears

of his childhood now came upon him with redoubled force. For several minutes he did not stir; presently he

put out his hand to the door and his blood ran cold. There was no knob, latch, or keyhole, and he could feel

the soft padding into which the door closed to keep out sound. Then he remembered the warning of the

princess, and strove with all his might to fight down his apprehensions. "For your life keep your presence of

mind," he repeated over and over, but try as he would his terror overpowered him. He laughed out loud, but

A cold perspiration broke out on him. It seemed as if hours passed before he again heard the sliding noise on

the wall. Some one was coming to him. The sound grew louder and nearer, till a firm hand was laid on his

"Come," a voice whispered, and the Englishman was led forward. Presently another door openeda door

that closed after them without any sound. Here the silence was more intensified, the darkness thicker as if

Hands were placed on the shoulders of Thorndyke and he was gently forced into a chair. As soon as he was

seated two metal clamps grasped like a vise his arms between the elbows and the shoulders, and two more

There was a faint puff of air from the door and the prisoner felt that he was alone. Terror held him in

bondage. He tried to think of Bernardino, but in vain. Did they intend to drive him to madness? He began to

suspect that the king had discovered his natural superstition and had decided to put it to a test. What he had

undergone so far he felt was but the introduction to greater terrors in store for him.

There was a sigh far away in the darknessthen a groan that seemed to flit about in space, as if seeking to

escape the dark, and then died away in a low moan of despair. Before him the blackness seemed to hang like

a dark curtain about ten yards in front of him, and in it shone a tiny speck of light no larger than the head of a

pin, and which was so bright that he could not look at it steadily. It increased to the size of a pea, and then he

discovered that, at times, it would seem miles away in space and then again to draw quite near to hand.

Glancing down, he noticed that it cast a bright round spot about an inch in diameter on the floor, and that the

spot was slowly revolving in a circle so small that its motion was hardly observable. Surely the mind of a

superstitious man was never so punished! When Thorndyke looked steadily at the spot, the black floor

seemed to recede, and the spot to sink far down into the empty darkness below like a solitary star; So realistic

was this that the Englishman could not keep from fancying that this chair was poised in some way over

fathomless space. Presently he noticed that the spot had ceased its circular movement and was

slowlyalmost as slowly as the movement of the hand of a clockadvancing in a straight line toward him.

No such terror had ever before possessed the stout heart of the Englishman. As the uncanny spot, ever

growing brighter, advanced toward him, he thought his heart had stopped beating; his brain was in a whirl.

After a long while the spot reached his feet and began to climb up his legs. With a shudder and a smothered

"It is searching for my heart," thought Thorndyke. "My God, when it reaches it, I shall die!" As the strange

spot, gleaming like a burning diamond in whose heart leaped a thousand different colored flames, and which

seemed possessed of some strange hellish purpose, crossed his thighs and began to climb up his body, the

brain of the prisoner seemed on fire. He tried to close his eyes, but, horror of horrors! his eyelids were

paralyzed. It was almost over his heart, and Thorndyke was fainting through sheer mental exhaustion when it

stopped, began to descend slowly, and, then, with a rapid, wavering motion, it fell to the floor, flashed about

An hour dragged slowly by. What would happen next? The Englishman felt that his frightful ordeal was not

over. To his surprise the darkness began to lighten till he could see dimly the outlines of the chamber. It was

bare save for the chair he occupied against a wall, and a couch on the opposite side of the room. The couch

held something which looked like a human body covered with a white cloth. He could see where the sheet

Something told him that it was a corpse and a new terror possessed him. For several minutes he gazed at the

couch in dreadful suspense, then his heart stopped pulsing as the figure on the couch began to move. Slowly

the sheet fell from the head and the figure sat up stiffly. There was a faint hum of hidden machinery at the

couch, and a flashing blue and green line running from the couch to the wall betrayed the presence of an

Slowly the figure rose, and with creaking, rattling joints stood erect. Pale lights shone in the orbits of the eyes

and the sound of harsh automatic breathing came from the mouth and nostrils. Slowly and haltingly the figure

advanced toward Thorndyke. The poor fellow tried to wrench himself free from the chair, but he could not

stir an inch. On came the figure, its long arms swinging mechanically, and its feet slurring over the stone

When within ten feet of the Englishman it stopped, nodded its head three or four times, and slowly opened its

mouth. There was a sharp, whirring noise, such as comes from a phonograph, and a voice spoke:

"My voice shall sound on earth for a million years after my spirit has left my body; and I shall wander about

The voice ceased, but the whirring sound in the creature's breast went on. The figure shambled nearer to

"I disobeyed the laws of great Alpha and her imperial king and am to die. Beware of the temptation to search

into the royal motives or attempt to escape. The fate of all the inhabitants of Alpha, the wonderful Land of the

Changing Sun, is in the hands of its ruler. Beware! My deathtorture is to be lingering and horrible. I sink

into deepest dejection. I was eager to return to my native land and tried to escape. Behold my punishment!

Even my bones and flesh will not be allowed to rest or decay. Beware, the king is just and good, but he will

Slowly the figure retreated toward the couch and lay down on it. The whirring sound ceased, the light along

the wire went out, and the darkness thickened till the couch and the outlines of the chamber were obscured.

Then Thorndyke's chair was lift ed, as if by unseen hands, and he was borne backward. In a moment he felt

the cool, damp air of the corridor, and some one raised him to his feet and led him back to the throneroom.

In the bright light which burst on him as the door opened, the beautiful women and handsome men moving

about the throne were to him like a glimpse of Paradise. The attendant left him at the door and he walked in,

so dazed and weak that he hardly knew what to do. No one seemed to notice him and the king was engaged in

In a bevy of women Thorndyke noticed Bernardino. She gave him a quick, sympathetic glance of recognition

and then looked down discreetly. Presently she left the others and moved on till she had disappeared behind a

great carved winecistern which stood on the backs of four crouching golden leopards in a retired part of the

room. Something in her sudden movement made the Englishman think she wanted to speak to him, and he

"I am glad," she whispered, touching his arm impulsively, and then quickly removing her hand as if afraid of

"Glad that you stood thatthat torture so well; several men have died in that chair and some went mad."

"Captain Tradmos likes you and has consented to aid us. We shall need an airship and he has one at his

"Under ordinary circumstances, neither by day nor night, but tomorrow the king has planned to let his people

"Yes, the grandest fete of Alpha. There will be a frightful storm in the sky; no light for hours; the thunder will

be musical and the lightning will seem to set the world on fire. That will be our chance. When it is darkest we

shall try to get away unseen. We may fail. Such a daring thing has never been attempted by any one. If we are

detected we shall suffer death as the penalty, the king could never pardon such a bold violation of law."

Johnston clung tenaciously to the rock. He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but

the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so. Once more he made an

effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.

He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony. His fingers were benumbed and

beginning to slip. Then he fell. The air whizzed in his ears. He tried to keep his feet downward, but it was no

use. He was whirled heels over head many times, and his senses were leaving him when he was restored by a

Down he sank. It seemed to him that he never would lose his momentum and that he would strangle before he

could rise to the surface. Finally, however, he came up more dead than alive. He had narrowly missed the

flatboat, for he saw it receding from him only a few yards away. On the shore stood Branasko motioning to

"You had a narrow escape," he said, with a dry laugh. "I saw the boat come from under the cliff just as you

hung down from the ledge. At first I hoped that you would get back on the rock, but when I saw you try and

The American could not speak for exhaustion; but, as he looked at the departing craft with concern, Branasko

laughed again: "Oh, you thought it had a crew; so did I at first, but it has no one aboard. It is drawn by a

"Did they notice our fall up there?" panted Johnston, nodding toward the lights in the distance.

"Well, what ought we to do?" "Hide here among the rocks till our clothing dries and then look about us. We

"Over on the other side of that black hill. There, you can see the mouth of the tunnel through which the sun

"We need sleep," said the Alphian, when their clothing was dry, "and it may be a long time before we get a

Johnston consented, and, lying down together, they soon dropped asleep. They slept soundly.

Johnston was the first to awake. He felt so refreshed that he knew he must have been unconscious several

hours. He touched Branasko and the latter sat up and rubbed his eyes and looked about him bewildered.

"I had a horrible dream," he said shuddering. "I thought that we were in the sun and over the capital city when

it fell down. I thought the fall was awful, and that all Alpha was aflame. Then the fires went out. Everything

was black, and the whole world rang with cries of terrified people. Ugh! I don't want to dream so again; I'd

Far away, as if in the centre of the earth, they heard a low monotonous rumbling. They listened breathlessly.

Every moment the sound increased. They could feel the ground trembling as if shaken by an earthquake.

"It is the coming sun," said Branasko. "We must get nearer the tunnel and see what can be done. It would be

Stealing along in the shadow of the cliffs to keep from being seen by the workmen on the plateau above, they

climbed over a rocky incline and saw in the side of a towering cliff, a great black hole. It was the mouth of

the tunnel. Into it ran eight wide tracks of railway and six mammoth cables each twenty or thirty feet in

"I presume not; I think it comes through in darkness. The light is saved for its passage over Alpha."

"Would it not be as safe for us to attempt to walk through the tunnel to the palace of the king?"

"Never; it would be over fifty miles in utter darkness. There may be a thousand trestles and bridges over

frightful chasms: for the most part, I have heard the tunnel is a natural channel or a succession of caverns

united by tunnels. The other is the safer way, though it certainly is risky enough."

Louder and nearer grew the rumbling noise, and a faint light began to shine from the tunnel and flash on the

Johnston was thrilled to the centre of his being as he saw the light playing over the polished tracks and cables

Suddenly there was a deep, mellowtoned stroke of a bell in the sun, and, as the two men shrank

involuntarily into the deeper shade of the cliff, the great globe, a stupendous ball of crystal, five hundred feet

in height, slowly emerged from the mouth of the tunnel and came to a stop under the opening in the rock

"Wait," cautioned Branasko, and he drew the American to a great boulder nearer the sun, from behind which

they could, without being seen, watch the action of the crowd of workmen that was hurriedly approaching.

They placed ladders of steel against the sides of the sun and swarmed over it like bees.

"They are cleaning the glass and adjusting the lights," said the Alphian; "wait till they go round to the other

"It is the door," said Branasko, "and we must try to enter it while they are on the other side. Let us slip nearer;

there is another rock ahead that we can hide behind." Suiting the action to the word, Branasko led the way,

stooping near to the ground until both were safely ensconced behind the boulder in question. They were now

One who seemed to be superintending the work opened the door and went into the sun and lighted a bright

light. From where they were crouched Johnston and Branasko caught a view of a little hall, a flight of stairs,

"They are removing their ladders from this side," said Branasko in a whisper. "Be ready; we must act quickly

and without a particle of sound. Run straight for that door and climb up the steps immediately."

"Quick! Follow me," and bending low to the earth the Alphian darted across the intervening space and into

the doorway. Johnston was quite as successful. As he entered the door he saw Branasko crawling up the

carpeted stairs ahead of him, and, on his all fours, he followed. The first landing was large, and there in the

wall they found a closet. It would have been dark but for a dim light that streamed down from above.

Branasko opened the closet door. "We must hide here for the present," he whispered.

They had barely got seated on the floor and closed the door when a bright light broke round them and they

heard somebody ascending the stairs. The person passed by and went on further up. The two adventurers

dared not exchange a word. They could hear the footsteps above and the sound of the electricians outside as

"If he should stay, what could we do?" asked Johnston, after a long pause, and when the footsteps sounded

Nothing more was said just then, for the footsteps were growing nearer. The man was descending. He crossed

the landing they were on and went down the last flight of stairs and out of the door.

Branasko rubbed his rough hands together. "We are going alone," he said with satisfaction.

There was a sound of sliding ladders on the walls outside. The workmen had finished their task. A moment

later a great bell overhead rang mellowly; the colossal sphere trembled and rocked and then rose and swung

"We are rising," said the Alphian, in a tone of superstitious awe. Johnston said nothing. There was a cool,

sinking sensation in his stomach and his head was swimming. Branasko, however, was in possession of all

"We shall soon be through the shaft we first discovered and throw our light over Alpha." As he spoke the

space about them broke into blinding brightness and for a few moments they could only open their eyes for

an instant at a time. After a while Branasko opened the closet door and they went up the stairs.

The first apartment they entered was most luxuriously furnished. Sofas, couches and recliningchairs were

scattered here and there over the elegant carpet, and statues of gold and marble stood in alcoves and niches

and strange stereopticon lanterns, hanging from the ceiling threw everchanging and lifelike pictures on the

walls. The light streamed in from without through small circular windows. After they had walked about the

room for some minutes, the Alphian pointed to a half open door and a staircase at one side of the room.

"I think it leads to some sort of observatory on top," he said. "I have heard that when the royal family makes

this voyage they are fond of looking out from it. Suppose we see." Johnston acquiesced, and Branasko

opened the door. From the increased brightness that came in they were assured that the stairs led outward.

Ascending many flights of stairs and traversing a narrow winding gallery which seemed to be gradually

sloping upward, they finally reached the outside, and found themselves on a platform about forty feet square

surrounded by iron balustrades. Above hung impenetrable blackness, below curved a majestic sphere of white

The sunlight was fading into gray when the princess turned to leave Thorndyke. Night was drawing near.

Her beautiful, lithe form was clearly outlined against the red glow of the massive swinging lamp as she

moved gracefully away, and Thorndyke's heart bounded with admiration and hope as he thought of her

growing regard for him. He resumed his seat among the flowers, listening, as if in a delightful dream, to the

seductive music from bands in different parts of the palace and the neverceasing sound in the air which

seemed to him to be the concentrated echo of all the sounds in the strange country rebounding from the vast

It grew darker. The gray outside had changed to purple. In the palace the brilliant electric lights in prismatic

globes refused to allow the day to die. He was thinking of returning to the throneroom when a page in silken

Thorndyke arose and followed him to an elevator near by. They ascended to the highest balcony of the great

rotunda. Here they alighted and turned to the right, the page leading the way, a key in his hand. Presently the

page stopped at a door and unlocked it and preceded the Englishman into the room. As they entered an

It was a sumptuous apartment, and adjoining it were several connecting rooms all elegantly furnished. The

"It leads to the roof," he said. "The princess told me to call your attention to it, that you might go out and

When the page had retired, Thorndyke, feeling lonely, ascended the stairs to the roof. It was perfectly flat

save for the great dome which stood in the centre and the numerous pinnacles and cupolas on every hand, and

was very spacious. The Englishman's loneliness increased, for no matter in what direction he looked, there

was not a living soul in sight. Far in front of him he saw a stone parapet. He went to this and looked down on

the city. The electric lights were varicolored, and arranged so that when seen from a distance or from a great

The regular streets and rows of buildings stretched away till the light in the farthest distance seemed an ocean

of blending colors. Overhead the vault was black, and only here and there shone a star; but as he looked

upward they began to flash into being, and so rapidly that the sky seemed a vast battlefield of electricity.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" he ejaculated enthusiastically, when the black dome was filled with twinkling stars.

He leaned for a long time against the parapet, listening to the music from the streets below, and watching the

flyingmachines with their varicolored lights rise from the little parks at the intersection of the streets and

dart away over the roofs like big fireflies. Then he began to feel sleepy, and, going back to his chambers, he

When he awoke the next morning, the rosy glow of the sun was shining in at his windows. On rising he was

"Treating me like a lord, any way," he said drily. "I can't say I dislike the thing as a whole." When he had

satisfied his sharp hunger he went out into a corridor and seeing an elevator he entered it and went down to

the throneroom. The king was just leaving his throne, but seeing Thorndyke he turned to him with a smile.

"I cannot talk to you now. I intended to, but I have promised my people a 'War of the Elements' today and

"Well, be about the palace, for it is a good point from which to view the display."

With these words he turned away and the Englishman, as if drawn there by the memory of his last

conversation with Bernardino, sought the retreat where he had bidden her goodnight. He sat down on the

seat they had occupied, and gave himself over to delightful reveries about her beauty and loveliness of nature.

Looking up suddenly he saw a pair of white hands part the palm leaves in front of him and the subject of his

She wore a regal gown and beautiful silken headdress set with fine gems, and gave him a warm glance of

"I half hoped to find you here," she said, blushing modestly under his ardent gaze; "that is, I knew you would

"I did not hope to find you here," he said, coming to her aid gallantly, "but it was a delight to sit here where I

She blushed even deeper, and a pleased look flashed into her eyes. "It was important that I should see you this

morning," she continued, with a womanly desire to disguise her own feeling. "I wanted to tell you where to

"On the roof of the palace, near the stairs leading down to your chambers. At first it will be very dark, and it

is then that we must get out of sight of the palace. No other flyingmachines will be in the air, and Captain

Tradmos thinks, if we are very careful, we can get away safely before the display of lightning."

She hesitated a moment, a look of perplexity on her face, then she said: "We can bring him back and keep

him hidden in your chambers till some better arrangement can be made. We shall think of some expedient

Thorndyke attempted to draw her to a seat beside him, but she held back. "No," she said resolutely, "it would

never do for us to be seen together. If my father should suspect anything now, all hope would be lost."

"You are right, I beg your pardon," he said humbly. "I shall meet you promptly. Of course I want to save poor

Johnston, but the delight of being with you again, even for a moment, so intoxicates me that I forget even my

After she left him he wandered out in the streets along the busy thoroughfares, and into the beautiful parks,

the flowers and foliage changing color as each new hour dawned. The fragrance of the flowers delighted his

sense of smell, and the luscious fruits hung from vine and tree in great abundance.

He was impatient for the time to arrive at which he was to meet the princess. After awhile he noticed the

people closing the shops and booths, and in holiday dress going to the parks and public squares. He hastened

to the palace. The great rotunda and the throneroom were energetically astir. Everybody wore rich apparel

and was talking of the coming fete. The king was on his throne surrounded by his men of science. In a cluster

of ladies in court dress, the Englishman recognized Bernardino. Catching his eye, she looked startled for an

instant, and, then, with a furtive glance at the king, she swept her eyes back to Thorndyke and raised them

significantly toward his chambers. He understood, and his quick movement was his reply. He turned

immediately to an elevator that was going up, and entered it. Again he was alone on the palace roof. The

color of the sunlight looked so natural that he studied it closely to see if he could not detect something

artificial in its appearance, but in vain. He found that it did not pain his eyes to look at the sun steadily. He

took from his pocket a small sunglass, and focussed the rays on his hand, but the heat was not intensified

Just then he heard a loud blast of a trumpet in a tall tower to the left of the palace. It seemed a momentous

signal. The jostling crowds in the streets below suddenly stood motionless. Every eye was raised to the sky.

Not a sound broke the stillness. Following the glances of the crowd a few minutes later, Thorndyke noticed a

dark cloud rising in the west, and spreading along the horizon. A feeling of awe came over him as it gradually

increased in volume, and, in vast black billows, began to roll up toward the sun.

Suddenly out of the stillness came a faraway rumble like a fusillade of cannon, now dying down low, again

reaching such a height that it pained the ears. Belated flying machines darted across the sky here and there,

like stormfrightened birds, but they soon settled to earth. Every eye was on the cloud which was now gashed

with dazzling, vivid, electric flashes. Thorndyke looked over the vast roof. He was alone. He walked to the

The clouds had increased till almost a third of the heavens were obscured by the madly whirling blackness.

There was a rumble in the cloud, or beyond it, like thunder, and yet it was not, unless thunder can be attuned,

for the sound was like the music of a great orchestra magnified a thousandfold. The grand harmony died

down. There was a blinding flash of electricity in the clouds, and the Englishman involuntarily covered his

eyes with his hands. When he looked again the blackness was covering the sun. For a moment its disk

showed bloodred through the fringe of the cloud and then disappeared. Total darkness fell on everything.

Then the wind overhead, by some unseen force, was lashed into fury, and all the sky was filled with

whirlpools of deeper blackness. Suddenly there was a flash of soft golden light; this was followed by streams

of pink, of blue and of purple till the whole heavens were hung with banners, flags, and rainbows of flame.

Again darkness fell, and it seemed all the deeper after the gorgeous scene which had preceded it. Thorndyke

strained his sight to detect something moving below, but nothing could be seen, and no sound came up from

Behind him he heard a soft footstep on the stone tiling. It drew nearer. A hand was being carefully slid along

It was the princess. "Ah, I have at last found you," she whispered, "I saw you in the lightning, but lost you

He put his arm round her and drew her into his embrace. He tried to speak, but uttered only an inarticulate

"I could not possibly come earlier," she apologized, nestling against him so closely that he could feel the

quick and excited beating of her heart. "My father kept me with him till only a moment ago. Captain Tradmos

"That is the trouble," she replied. "We had counted on getting away in the darkness, before the display of

lightning, but there is more danger now. If our flyingmachine were noticed the search lights would be

"Oh, that would be easy," she replied. "As soon as the fete is over, commerce will be resumed and the air will

be filled with airships that have been delayed in their regular business, and, in the disguises which I have for

us both, we could come back without rousing suspicion. We could alight in Winter Park and return home

"You have not seen it? You must do so; it is one of the wonders of Alpha. It is a vast park enclosed with high

walls and covered with a roof of glass. Inside the snow falls, and we have sleighing and coasting and lakes of

ice for skating. It was an invention of the king. The snowstorms there are beautiful."

Thorndyke's reply was drowned in a harmonious explosion like that of tuned cannon; this was followed by

"Listen!" whispered Bernardino, "father calls it 'musical thunder,' and he declares that it is produced in no

"It is not; he is right." And the heart of the Englishman was stirred by deep emotion. He had never dreamed

that anything could so completely chain his fancy and elevate his imagination as what he heard. The musical

clangor died down. The strange harmony grew more entrancing as it softened. Then the whole eastern sky

"My father calls this the 'Ideal Dawn of Day,'" whispered Bernardino. "See the faint golden halo near the

"Few of our people know. It is a secret held only by the king and half a dozen scientists. The whole thing,

however, is operated by two men in a room in the dome of the palace. The musician is a young German who

was becoming the wonder of the musical world when father induced him to come to us. I have met him. He

says he has been thoroughly happy here. He lives on music. He showed me the instrument he used to play, a

little thing he called a violin, and its tones could not reach beyond the limits of a small room. He laughs at it

now and says the instrument that father gave him to play on has strings drawn from the centre of the earth to

The roselight had spread over the horizon and climbed almost to the zenith, and with the dying booming and

"Captain Tradmos ought to be here now," continued the princess, glancing uneasily toward the stairway. "We

"Surely, something has gone wrong," whispered Bernardino. "I have never seen the darkness last so long as

Thorndyke acknowledged that he did. He was about to add something else, but was prevented by a loud blast

"What is the matter?" he asked. "The trumpet!" she gasped, "something awful has happened!"

A moment of profound silence, then the murmuring of the crowd rose sullenly like the moaning of a rising

storm; a searchlight flashed up in the gloom and swept its uncertain stream from point to point, but it died

out. Another and another shone for an instant in different parts of the city, but they all failed.

"Something awful has happened," repeated Bernardino, as if to herself; "the lights will not burn!"

"Had we not better go down?" asked Thorndyke anxiously, excited by her unusual perturbation.

For answer she mutely drew him to the eastern parapet. Far away in the east there still lingered a faint hint of

"See!" she exclaimed, pointing upward, "the clouds are thinning over the sun, and yet there is no light. What

"Here!" the voice said, and a figure loomed up before them. It was the captain. He was panting violently, as if

"The clouds are thinning over the sun, yet there is no light. The king is excited; he fears a panic!"

"An hundred years ago; then thousands lost their lives. As soon as the people suspect the cause of the delay

"Nothing, wait!" replied Tradmos. "This is as safe a place as you could find. Perhaps the trouble may be

The disk of the veiled sun was aglow with a faintly trembling light; but it went out. The silence was

profound. The populace seemed unable to grasp the situation, but when the light had flickered over the black

face of the sun once more and again expired, a sullen murmur rose and grew as it passed from lip to lip.

It became a threatening roar, broken by an occasional cry of pain and a dismal groan of terror. There was a

Light after light flashed up in different parts of the city, but they were so small and so far apart that they

"They will kill my father," she said despondently, "they always hold him responsible for any accident."

"They cannot reach him," consoled Tradmos. "He is safe for the present at least."

"I think not; it has simply gone out; the electric connection has, in some way, been cut off."

The tumult seemed to have extended to the very limits of the city, and was constantly increasing. The

Tradmos leaned far over the parapet. "They are coming toward us!" he said; "they intend to destroy the

Johnston and Branasko looked down at the great ball of light below them in silent wonder. Johnston was the

first to speak. He pointed to the four massive cables which supported the sun at each corner of the platform

"To the big trucks which run on the tracks near the roof of the cavern; the endless cables are up there, too, but

"We can see nothing of Alpha from here," remarked Johnston disappointedly, "we can see nothing beyond

"I should like to look down from this height at night," said the Alphian. "It would be a great view."

"What is this?" Johnston went to one side of the platform and laid his hand on the spokes of a polished metal

"Don't touch it," he warned. "It looks as if it were to turn the electric connection off and on. If the sun should

go out, the consequences would be awful. The people of Alpha would go mad with fear."

The American withdrew his hand, and he and Branasko walked back to the centre of the platform. Johnston

And it was, for it was gradually fading into a purple that was delightfully soothing to the eye after the painful

"I understand," said the Alphian, "we are running very slow and are only now about to approach the great

"By some shifting of glasses through which the rays shine, I presume," returned the Alphian; "but the

Not a word was spoken for an hour. They had lain down on the platform near the iron railing which

encompassed it, and Branasko was dozing intermittently. Again the light began to change gradually. This

time it was gray. Johnston put out his hand to touch Branasko, but the Alphian was awake. He sat up and

nodded smiling. "Wait till the next hour," he said; "it will be rose color; that is the most beautiful."

Slowly the hours dragged by till the yellow light showed that it was the sixth hour. Branasko had been

exploring the vast interior below and came back to Johnston who was asleep on the floor of the platform.

"I have just thought of something," said Branasko. "This is the day appointed by the king to entertain his

"The king," explained the Alphian, "darkens the sun with clouds so that all Alpha is blacker than night, and

then he produces great storms in the sky, and lightning and musical thunder. We may, perhaps, hear the

music, but we cannot witness the storm and electric display on account of the light about us. It usually begins

After a few minutes there was a rumble from below like the roar of a volcano and an answering echo from the

black dome overhead. This died away and was succeeded by a crash of musical thunder that thrilled

"Grand, glorious!" he ejaculated, "but if only you could see the lightning and the dawn in the east you would

remember it all your life. The sunlight is cut off from Alpha by the clouds, and there is no light except the

"I have a mind to turn off the current for a moment anyway," he said doggedly; "if the sun is hidden they

Branasko came to him, a weird look of interest in his eyes. "That is true," he said; "besides, what matters it?

Johnston acted on a sudden impulse. He intended only to frighten Branasko by moving the wheel slightly,

and he had turned it barely an eighth of an inch, when, as if controlled by some powerful spring, it whirled

round at a great rate, making a loud rattling noise. To their dismay the light went out.

Johnston had recoiled from the whirling wheel, and now cautiously groped back to it, and attempted to turn

"And we have no light to find the cause of the trouble," added the Alphian, who had knelt down and was

"I give it up," he sighed, "I cannot understand it. The machinery is somewhere inside."

"We were warmed by the light, of course," remarked Branasko, "and now we feel the dampness more. We are

Just then there was a jar, and the sun swung so violently from side to side that the two men were prostrated on

"I wonder if we are going to stop," groaned the American, and he sat up and held to Branasko. "Perhaps they

"It cannot be done," interrupted the Alphian. "The machinery runs only one way. We shall simply have to

"They may catch us on the other side before the sun starts back through the tunnel," suggested the American.

"Not unlikely," returned Branasko. "There, we are going ahead again. One thing in our favor is that we can

"I do not know," replied Branasko; "perhaps somebody will be there to see what is wrong with the light. We

Johnston was looking over the edge of the platform. "If the king's display is taking place down there I can see

"How stupid of us!" ejaculated Branasko. "Of course, clouds sufficiently dense to hide the sun from Alpha

He was interrupted by a grand outburst of harmony. The whole earth seemed to vibrate with sublime melody.

"Our blunder has not been discovered yet," finished Branasko, after a pause, "else the fete down below would

Johnston's answer was taken out of his mouth by a loud rattling beneath the floor, near the wheel he had just

turned; the sun shook spasmodically for an instant, and its entire surface was faintly illuminated, but the light

"It must have been an extra current of electricity sent to relight the lamps," remarked Johnston; and, as he

concluded, the sun trembled again, and another flash and failure occurred. "Look," cried the American, "the

They both leaned over the railing and looked below. As far as the eye could reach, within the arc of their

vision, they could see fitful lights flashing up, here and there, and going out again. And then they heard faint

sounds of crashing masonry and the condensed roar of human voices, which seemed to come from above

Johnston followed him. The rapid motion of the swinging sphere made him dizzy, and he caught Branasko's

"We shall have to guess at it," was the answer. "At any rate we must be near the lower door so as to get out

"There ought to be some way of making a light," said the Alphian, and his voice sounded loud and hollow in

the empty chamber. After several failures to find the stairs they descended to the door they had entered.

Branasko opened it a little, and a breeze came in. They sat down on the stone, and after a while, in sheer

fatigue, they fell asleep. Hours passed. Branasko rose with a start, and shook Johnston.

"Our speed is lessening," he exclaimed. "We must be going down. Be ready to jump out the instant we stop.

When Tradmos spoke the words of warning, Thorndyke put his arm round the princess and drew her after

"Wait," she said, drawing back. "Let us not get excited. We are really as safe here as there; for in their

madness they will kill one another and trample them under foot." She led him to a parapet overlooking the

great court below. "Hear them," she said, in pity, "listen to their blows and cries. That was a woman's voice,

"Tell me what is best to do," said the Englishman. "I want to protect you, but I am helpless; I don't know

"Wait," she said simply, and the Englishman thought she drew closer to him, as if touched by his words.

There was a crash of timbersa massive door had fallena scrambling of feet on the stone pavement, and

they could see the dark human mass surging into the court through the corridors leading from the streets.

"Tearing the pillars down," she replied aghast; "this part of the palace will fall. Oh, what can be done!"

There was a grinding of stone upon stone, a mad yell from an hundred throats, the crash of glass, and, with a

thunderous sound, a colossal pillar fell to the earth. The roof beneath the feet of the princess and Thorndyke

Raising Bernardino in his arms, as if she were an infant, Thorndyke sprang toward the stairway leading to his

chambers, but the roof had sunken till it was steep and slippery. One instant he was toppling over backward,

the next, by a mighty effort, he had recovered his equilibrium, and finally managed to reach a safer place. As

he hurried on another pillar went down. The roof sagged lower, and an avalanche of mortar and tiling slid

Bernardino had fainted. Thorndyke tried to restore her to consciousness, but dared not put her from him for

an instant. On he ran, and presently reached a flight of stairs which he thought led to his chambers. He

descended them, and was hastening along a narrow corridor on the floor beneath when Bernardino opened

her eyes. She asked to be released from his arms. He put her down, but supported her along the corridor.

"We have lost our way," he said, as he discovered that the corridor, instead of leading to his chambers, turned

"Let's go on anyway," she suggested; "it may lead us out. I have never been here before. I" A great crash

drowned her words. The floor quivered and swayed, but it did not fall. On they ran through the darkness, till

Thorndyke felt a heavy curtain before. He paused abruptly, not knowing what to do. Bernardino felt of its

"Draw it aside, it seems to hang across the corridor," she said. He obeyed her, and only a few yards further on

they saw another curtain with bars of light above and below it. They drew this aside, and found themselves on

In the mosaic floor were pictures cut in colored stones, and the ceiling was a silken canopy as filmy and as

delicately blue as the sky on a summer's night. The floor was strewn with richly embroidered pillows,

couches, rugs and ottomans; and here and there were palm trees and beds of flowers and grottoes. A solitary

light, representing the moon, showed through the silken canopy in whose folds little lights sparkled like

"I have no idea where we are," she murmured. "I am sure I have never been here before; but there is another

"Some one in distress," he answered, and he drew her across the room and through a door into another room

more beautiful than the one they had just left. Here, huddled together at a window overlooking the court,

were six or eight beautiful young women. They were staring out into the darkness, and moaning and

"It is my father's ladies," ejaculated the princess aghast. "He would be angry if he knew we had come here.

Just then one of the women turned a lovely and despairing face toward them, and came forward and knelt at

"Be calm," said the princess, touching the white brow of the woman. "The danger may soon pass; this portion

of the palace is too strongly built for them to injure it." Then she turned to Thorndyke: "We must hasten on

and find our way down; it would never do for us to be seen here." Then she turned to the kneeling woman

and said gently: "I hope you will say nothing to the king of this; we lost our way in trying to get down from

"I will not," gladly promised the woman, and seeing that Bernardino knew not which way to turn, she guided

them to a door opening into a dimlylighted corridor. "It will take you out to the balconies and down to the

audiencechamber," she said. The princess thanked her, and she and the Englishman descended several

flights of stairs. Reaching one of the balconies they met the denser darkness of the outside and the deafening

clang and clamor of the multitude. There was no light of any kind, and Thorndyke and his charge had to press

close against the balustrade of the balcony to keep from being crushed by the mad torrent of humanity.

"It is my father trying to attract their attention," explained the princess. "Something very serious has

happened for once. In speaking of the time the sun went out before, he told me that he had made an invention

which, in such a crisis, would instantly restore confidence to the people. I cannot understand why he does not

Thorndyke tried to console her, for he saw that she was weeping, but just then there was a strange lull in the

"The dawn! the ideal dawn!" cried Bernardino, pointing to the eastern sky. Thorndyke looked in wonder. A

purple light had spread along the horizon, and as it gradually softened into gray and slowly turned to pink, the

noise of the populace died down. No sound could now be heard save the low groans of wounded men and

women. What a sight met the view as the roselight shimmered over the city! The dead and dying lay under

the feet of the crowd. Almost every creature bore some mark of violence. Eyes were blood shot, clothing

torn, limbs were bleeding, and mingled fury and sudden hope struggled in each ashen face. The young trees

and shrubbery had been trampled under foot, and walls, arcades and triumphal arches had been thrown down.

The fragments of statues lay here and there, and the bodies of human beings filled the basins of broken

"It is not the sun," explained Bernardino; "but the invention my father spoke of. He is doing it to calm them."

Thorndyke made no answer. He stood as if transfixed, gazing at the horizon. The roselight had spread over a

third of the sky when gradually there appeared in its centre a bright circle of yellow light. The yellow light

faded, leaving a perfect picture of the throne of the king; and as the now silent masses looked at the picture, a

curtain behind the throne parted and the king himself appeared. He advanced and sat on the throne, and

"Wonderful!"ejaculated Bernardino, and her face was full of hope. "See what he will do!"

"Where is the picture?" asked Thorndyke; "can it be seen by all ofof the people?"

Thorndyke said nothing further, for the king had stood up, and with hands outstretched was bowing. Above

the circle of light, as if cut out of the solid blackness, in flaming letters stood the word,

And there was silence. Even the lips of the wounded men closed as the king began to speak. The sound of his

"All danger is over. Tidings from the west state that the sun is setting. No harm has come to it. It will rise in

the morning, and the moon and stars will be out in a few hours. Let the dead be removed, the wounded cared

That was all. The king bowed sedately and retired from the throne, and the circle and pink glow faded from

the black sky. The stillness was unbroken for a moment, then glad murmurings were heard in all directions.

"They are lighting the palace," cried the princess. "See, down there is the arcade leading to the rotunda."

She grasped his arm and impulsively looked into his face. "But your friend, we have forgotten him, and done

"I shall send for Captain Tradmos and try to devise some other plan," she said, as they descended the stairs.

"We should not be seen together," she added, as they approached the throneroom; "besides, you ought to go

"Over the wall, to be burned in the internal fires," she concluded, as she was leaving him.

He found everything in order in his rooms and he lay down and tried to sleep, but he was too much excited

over the happenings of the day. Hours must have passed when his attention was drawn to a bright light

shining on the wall of his room. He went to a window and looked out on the court. The light came from the

Below lay the ruins of fallen columns, capitals, cornices and statues. Figures in black cloaks and cowls were

removing the dead from the debris. With a fluttering sound something swooped down past his window to the

ground. It looked like a great bird, carrying the car of a flyingmachine. Thorndyke watched its circular

descent to the earth, and shuddered with horror as the black figures filled the car with bodies and the

gruesome machine spread its wings and rose slowly till it was clear of the domes and pinnacles of the palace,

Other machines came, and, one after another, received their ghastly burdens and departed. In a short time all

the dead was removed, and hundreds of workmen came from the palace and began repairing the fallen

Thorndyke went back to his couch and tried to sleep, but in vain. Slowly the hours of night passed, and as the

purple of dawn rose in the east he dressed himself and went up on the roof. The moon had gone down and the

stars were fading from the sky. The dark earth below showed no signs of life; but as the purple light softened

into gray he saw that the streets of the city were filled with silent expectant people, all watching the eastern

sky. And, as the gray light flushed into rose, and the rose began to scintillate with gold, they began to stir, and

"It would be unlucky for us if it should not come so near to the earth as it did on the other side," whispered

"I can hardly feel any motion to the thing at all," replied the American. "Look! for some reason it is not so

"That's so," returned the Alphian. "Come; we must be quick and watch our opportunity to land. I can't

imagine where the light comes from unless it be from the people waiting for the arrival of the sun." Every

instant the speed was lessening. Overhead the cables were beginning to creak and groan, and, now and then,

the great globe swung perilously near some tall stony peak, or passed under a mighty stalactite. Slower and

slower it got till, when within a few feet of the ground, it stopped its onward motion and only swung back

"Quick," whispered Branasko, "we must get down while it is swinging, no time to losenot an instant!" And

as the sun moved backward, with his hand on the doorsill, he leaped to the earth. Johnston followed him.

They were not a moment too soon, for about fifty yards away they saw a body of sixty or seventy men with

"Just in time," exulted Branasko, and he quickly drew Johnston into a little cave in the face of a cliff.

Some of them walked around the sun, and two, evidently in authority, entered the door. The others were

placing ladders against the side of the sphere, when suddenly there was a loud clattering in the interior, a

whirling of wheels under the platform above, and the surface of the sun burst into light.

The two refugees were momentarily blinded. Branasko had the presence of mind to quickly draw his

companion down close to the earth behind the rock. "They could see us in the light," he whispered.

There was a joyous clamoring of voices among the men, and they withdrew several yards to look at the sun.

Then one of them went into the sun and the lights died out. In a moment the sun began to move. Slowly and

majestically it swept over the rocky earth, followed by the crowd, till it reached a great hole and sank into it.

"Gone into the tunnel," said the Alphian, as the crowd disappeared behind the cliff.

"What are we to do now?" asked Johnston. "We certainly can't go through with the sun."

The rumbling noise from the big hole gradually died away, and the two men left their hidingplace.

"What is that?" asked Johnston. He pointed to the west, where a red light shone against the towering cliffs.

"It must be the internal fires," answered Branasko, with a noticeable shudder. "Let's go nearer; I have heard

that there is a point near here where one can look down into the Lake of Flame."

"The Lake of Flame!" echoed the American, "What is that?" "It is where all of the dead of Alpha is cast by

Johnston said nothing, for it was difficult to keep up with the Alphian, who was bounding over rocks and

At every step the atmosphere got warmer, and they detected a slight gaseous odor in the air. Finally, after an

arduous tramp of an hour, they climbed up a steep hill and looked sharply down into a vast bubbling lake of

molten matter more than a thousand yards below. Branasko noticed a stone weighing several tons evenly

balanced on the verge of the great gulf, and pushed it with both his hands. It rocked, broke loose from its

slender hold on the cliff and bounded out into the red space. Down it went, lessen ing as it sank till it

Just then the American, happening to glance up, saw something like a huge black bird with outspread wings

circling about in the red light over the pit. Branasko saw it, too, and his face paled and a tremolo was in his

"It is one of the 'vultures of death;' don't stir; we won't be seen if we remain where we are!" The strange

machine sank lower over the lake of fire, till, as if buoyed up on the hot air, with faintly quivering wings, it

paused. A man opened a door of the black car and carelessly threw out the bodies of a woman and a child.

The bodies whirled over and over and disappeared in the pit, and the man closed the door. The machine then

rose and gracefully winged its flight to the east. In a moment others came with their grim burdens, and still

"Something has happened," whispered Branasko, "some great calamity, for surely so many people do not die

For an hour they watched the coming and going of the vultures, till, finally the last one hovered over the lake

of fire. Suddenly the machine swerved so near to Branasko and Johnston that they shrank close to the earth to

keep from being seen. Something was evidently wrong with the machine, for there was a wild look of

desperation on the driver's face as he tugged excitedly at the pilotwheel. But all his efforts only caused the

airship to dart irregularly from side to side, and, now and then, to strike the rocks of the pit's mouth, to shoot

"He is losing control of it," whispered Branasko,"he does not know what to do. See, he is trying to lighten the

That was true, and, as the machine made a sudden plunge toward the cliff a few yards to the left of the

refugees, the dead body, which the driver had managed to move to the door with his feet, fell out and lodged

upon the edge of the cliff instead of falling into the fiery depths. The machine bounded up a few yards and

paused, now apparently under the control of its driver. The man looked down hesitatingly at the corpse for a

moment and then lowered the machine to the sloping rock near where the body lay. He alighted and

cautiously crept down the steep incline to the body. He raised it in his arms and was about to cast it from him

when his foot slipped, and with a cry of horror he fell with his burden over the cliff's edge into the red abyss.

Johnston uttered an exclamation of horror, but Branasko was unmoved. After a moment he rose, and carefully

scanning the space overhead, he crawled on hands and knees toward the machine. Johnston heard him

chuckling to himself and uttering spasmodic laughs, and he watched him closely as he reached the machine.

For several minutes he seemed to be inspecting it critically, both inside and out; then he stood away from it, a

bold, black silhouette on a background of flame, and motioned the American to come to him.

Johnston promptly, but not without many misgivings, obeyed his signal. "What are you up to?" asked he, as

"Easily; that fellow must have been drunk; the machine is in good order, I think."

"When do you propose to start?" and the American eyed the funeral car dubiously.

"The night is before us; we could not get a better time." As he spoke he entered the car and laid his hand on

the wheel. Johnston, obeying his nod, followed, shuddering as he remarked the traces of blood on the floor.

"All right!" Branasko turned the wheel slowly, and the wings outside began to flap, and the car mounted into

Branasko bit his lip, and Johnston heard him stifle an exclamation of impatience. As for the American, he

was at once thrilled and fascinated by the awful sight below; he could now see beneath the overhanging

mouth of the pit, and look far down into a boundless lake of molten matter that seemed as restless as an ocean

Then the air became so hot he could hardly breathe. He looked at the Alphian in alarm. The latter was

whirling the wheel first one way and then another with a startled look of fear in his eyes, and then Johnston

noticed that the walls of the pit were rising about them, and the black canopy overhead rapidly receding.

Almost wild with terror, the American sprang toward the wheel, but Branasko pushed him away roughly.

The American sank into his seat. The heat became more and more intense. Both men were purple in the face,

and the perspiration was rolling from their bodies in streams. Down sank the machine.

"I can't manage it," said Branasko hoarsely, "we'd as well give up." Just then Johnston noticed the mouth of a

Branasko looked over his shoulder, and, as he saw the cave, he uttered a glad cry. He quickly turned the

wheel and drew out a lever at his right. The machine obeyed instantly; it swerved round suddenly and dived

into the cave. The cool air soon revived them, and Branasko had little trouble in bringing the car to a resting

place on the rocky floor of the cave. Before them hung impenetrable darkness, behind a curtain of red light.

"We are in a pretty pickle now," said Johnston despondently, as they alighted from the car.

Johnston's eyes had become somewhat accustomed to the gloom, and he began to peer into the darkness.

"I see a light," he exclaimed; "it cannot be a reflection from the fire in the pit, for it is whiter."

The Alphian gazed at it steadily for a moment, then he said decidedly: "We must go and see what it is."

Without another word he started toward the white, starlike spot, sliding his hand over the rocky wall, and

Gradually the light grew brighter, till, as they suddenly rounded a cliff, a grand sight burst upon their view.

They found themselves in a vast domeshaped cavern, thousands of yards in diameter and height. And almost

in the centre of the floor, from a red and purple mound of cooling lava, leapt a white stream of molten matter

from the floor to the dome. And in the black dome, where the lava turned to molten spray, hung countless

stalactites of every color known to the artistic eye. And from the foot of the fountain ran a tortuous rivulet

that lighted the walls and roof of a narrow chamber that extended for miles down toward the bowels of the

"The king does not know of this," he declared, "else he would make it accessible to his people, and call it one

of the wonders of Alpha. By accidentally sinking into the pit we have discovered it. But," he concluded, "we

They turned from the beautiful fountain, and, holding to each other's hands, and aided by the light behind

them, they stumbled laboriously through the semidarkness. Branasko's ears were very acute. He paused to

The combined roar of the pit and the fountain of lava had sunk to a low murmur, but ahead of them they now

"Come on," said the Alphian, and he drew his companion after him with an eagerness the American was slow

to understand. The light in the cavern gradually grew brighter. By a circuitous route they were again

Finally they reached a point where the wind was blowing stiffly, and further on a volume of cold spray

suddenly dashed upon them and wet them to the skin. And when their eyes had become accustomed to the

rolling mist, they saw a great lake, and pouring into it from high above was a mighty waterfall.

"Mercy!" ejaculated the Alphian, in great alarm. "If this is salt water we are lost. All Alpha will come to an

"What do you mean?" And Johnston wondered if Branasko's trials and struggle could have turned his brain.

"If it be salt water, then it has broken in from the ocean above Alpha," he explained. "The king has often said

Branasko stooped and wet his hand in a little pool at his feet. "I am almost afraid to taste it," said he, holding

his hand near his mouth. "It would settle all our fates." He waited a moment and then touched his fingers to

"Salt!" That was all he said for several moments. He folded his arms and looked mutely toward the boiling

lake. Presently he raised his eyes to the great hole in the roof, and groaned: "The break is gradually widening.

"It will fill all Alpha with water and drown every soul in it," added the terrified American.

"That, however, is not the most immediate danger," said Branasko wisely. "They would first suffocate, and

Branasko shrugged his shoulders. "As soon as this bowl is filled with water, which would not take many

hours, it would run over into the lake of fire and produce an explosion that would rend Alpha from end to

"Who knows, it might turn the whole Atlantic into the centre of the earth, and destroy the entire earth." But

Branasko was unable to grasp the full magnitude of the remark, for to him the world was simply a vast cavern

lighted by human ingenuity. He fastened a narrow splinter of stone upright in the shallow water at his eet,

and, lying down on his stomach with his eyes close to it, he studied it for several minutes. When he got up, a

"It is rising fast," he said. "We must attempt to get to the capitol and warn the king. It is possible that he may

be able to stop the opening. The only thing left to us is to try our machine again."

Johnston found it hard to keep pace with him as he bounded out of the mist and on toward the faint glow

ahead. Reaching the flying machine Branasko entered it and turned on a small electric light.

"Ah," he grunted with satisfaction, "I have found a light. I can now see what is the matter with it."

Johnston stood outside and heard him hammering on the metal parts in the car, and became so absorbed in

thinking of the peril of their position that he was startled when Branasko cried out to him:"All right. I think

we can make it do; a pin has lost out, but perhaps I can hold the piece in place with my foot. If only we can

Johnston followed him into the car. Branasko seated himself firmly and gave the wheel a little turn. Slowly

the machine rose. "See!" cried Branasko, "it is under control. "We must not be too hasty. Now for the pit!"

The heart of the American was in his mouth as the long black wings waved up and down and the airship,

like some live thing, shuddered and swept gracefully out of the mouth of the cave into the glare and heat of

"Hold your breath!" yelled Branasko, and he bent lower into the car to escape the shower of hot ashes that

was falling about them. Far out over the lake in a straight line they glided, and there came to a sudden halt.

Johnston's eyes were glued on his companion's face. Branasko sat doubled up, every muscle drawn, his eyes

bulging from their sockets. Would he be strong enough? To Johnston everything seemed in a whirl. The walls

Thorndyke went down into his chambers to make his toilet and was ready to leave when there was a soft rap

on his door. He opened it, and to his surprise saw Bernardino modestly draw herself back into the shadow of

"I want to advise you to avoid my father today. He is greatly disappointed with the accident of yesterday,

and he is never courteous to strangers when he is displeased. He was particularly anxious to have you

"Thank you; I shall keep out of his way," promised the Englishman. "Where had I better stayhere in my

"No, he might send for you. If you would care to see Winter Park, I can go with you as your guide."

"But," (as a servant passed in the room with a tray) "that is your breakfast. Meet me at the fountain at the

north entrance of the palace in half an hour." And, drawing her veil over her face, she vanished in the

After he had breakfasted and sent the man away, he hastened below to the place designated by the princess.

She was waiting for him under the palm trees, and was so disguised that he would not have known her but for

"It would not do for any one to suspect me," she explained; "my father would never forgive me for doing

this." She pointed to a flyingmachine near by. "We must take the air; I have made all the arrangements.

He followed her across the grass to the machine and into the car. They could see the driver behind the glass

of the narrow compartment in which he sat, and when he turned the polished metal wheel the machine rose

Thorndyke looked out of the window. The blue haze of the fifth hour of the morning was breaking over

everything, and as the domes, pinnacles, and varicolored roofs fell away in the beautiful light, the breast of

the Englishman heaved with delightful emotions. Bernardino was watching his face with a gratified smile.

"Very much," he replied; "but I want to show you the great world I came from;and some day perhaps I

The blood ran into her cheeks suddenly, and then as quickly receded, leaving a wistful expression in her eyes.

She sighed. "It has been my dream for a long time. I have always imagined that it is more wonderful than

Her blushes came again. "I did not know that you cared that much for me," she said. Then, as if to change the

subject, she pointed through the window. "See, we are approaching the Park, and shall descend in a moment."

"We are coming down into a big lake!" he cried out. "Oh, no, it is only the glass roof of the park," she

The machine sank lower and finally rested on a plot of grass in a little square ornamented with beds of

flowers and white statues. Thorndyke saw a seemingly endless wall, so high that he could not calculate its

height. Bernardino preceded him in at a great arching door in the wall, and they found themselves in a stone

A maid servant came forward at once and brought heavy fur clothing for them and invited them into separate

toilet rooms. When he came out Bernardino was waiting for him. He could hardly breathe, so thick were the

"It is warm here, but it will be colder in a moment," said the princess. And she led him to a door across the

room. When the door was opened, Thorndyke uttered an exclamation of astonishment. Before their eyes lay a

wide expanse of snowcovered roads, woodlands and frozen lakes and streams. The air was as crisp and

Bernardino led him to a pavilion where a number of pleasure seekers were gathered and selected a sleigh

and two mettlesome horses. She took the reins from the man, and sprang lightly into the graceful cutter.

Thorndyke followed her and wrapped the thick robes about her feet. Away they sped like the wind down the

smooth road, through a leafless forest. Overhead the glass roof could not be seen, but a lowering gray cloud

"Winter Park is a great resort," the princess explained; "we get tired of the unchanging climate, and it is

pleasant to visit such a place as this. There is a winter park in every town of any size in Alpha."

They drove along the shore of a beautiful lake, on the frozen surface of which hundreds of skaters were

darting here and there, and passed hillsides on which crowds of young people were coasting in sleds. When

they had driven about ten miles in a circuitous route she turned the horses round.

"We had better return," she said; "you have not seen all of the Park, but we can visit it some other time."

Outside they found their flyingmachine awaiting them, and were soon on the way back to the city. They

parted at the fountain in the park, she hastening to the palace, and he turning to stroll through the little wood

He was passing a thick bunch of trees when he was startled by hearing his name called. He turned round, but

"Thorndyke!" There it was again, and then he saw a hand beckoning to him from a hedge of ferns at his right.

"Nobody else," groaned Johnston, cautiously advancing and laying a trembling hand on the arm of

Johnston pointed first to the east, and then swept his hand over the sky to the west.

For reply Johnston parted the fern leaves and pointed to the lank figure of the tall Alphian, who lay curled up

on the grass as if asleep. "He brought me in that flying machine there; but he has spent all his strength in

trying to manage the thing, which was out of order, and now he is helpless. Twice we came within an inch of

sinking down into the internal fires. The last time we escaped only by the breadth of a hair; if he had not had

the endurance of a man of iron he would have succumbed to the heat and we would have been lost. We sank

so far down that I became insensible and never knew a thing till the fresh air revived me. See, my beard and

hair are singed, and look how he is blistered. Poor fellow! He is a hero." Johnston stepped back and shook the

Alphian, but the poor fellow's head only rolled to one side, showing his bloodshot eyes. He was in sensible.

"Banished like myself; we met over there in the dark and roamed about together."

"I don't know; I was following his lead. We will both be put to death if we are discovered."

Johnston started visibly. "Oh, I forgot," he exclaimed. "He declares that all this vast cavern is in danger. Over

in the west we discovered a hole in the roof through which the ocean is streaming in a torrent. He calculated

that before many hours the water would overflow into the internal fires and produce a volcanic eruption that

"Merciful Heaven! and you are hiding here at such a moment? The king must be informed at once."

Johnston had grown suddenly paler. "It may not be as bad as Branasko feared, and the king would have no

"Leave that to me," said Thorndyke; "I have made a good friend of the Princess Bernardino. She will tell me

In breathless haste, Thorndyke went into the audience chamber. Fortunately the king was not on his throne,

She saw him approaching, and withdrew behind a cluster of tall white jars of porcelain containing rare plants.

"I must see your mistress," he said; "tell her to come to me at once; we are in great peril!"

The girl swept her eyes over the balconies and the throne and said: "She is in her apartments, sir; I shall bring

"Tell her to meet me at the fountain where we last met," and he hastened back to the spot mentioned.

"Johnston is back," he replied. "He is in the wood there with a fellow who escaped with him in a disabled

flyingmachine. He says the sea has broken through over in the west and is streaming into Alpha in a

"It may have been caused by the explosives during the storm," went on Thorndyke. "Branasko, the Alphian

"There must be some mistake," she repeated incredulously, as she looked to westward. The green glow of the

second hour of the afternoon lay over everything. She stood mute and motionless for a long time,

looking steadily at the horizon; then she started suddenly, changed her position, and shaded her eyes from the

"It really does seem to me that there is a cloud rising, and it is unlike any cloud I ever saw."

"I see it too!" cried the Englishman; "it must be that the water has already reached the internal fires."

Into the palace, through the vast rotunda, past the throne, and into the very apartment of the king himself she

led him hastily. A royal attendant met them and held up his hands warningly. "The king is asleep," he said in

She did not pause an instant, but darting past the man and running to the king's couch, she drew the curtain

aside and touched the sleeper. He waked in anger, but her first word disarmed him.

"What!" he growled, half awake. "The sea is breaking through in the west, and running into the internal

"Impossible!" the word came from far down in his throat, and he was ghastly pale. He ran to the table and

touched a button and, to the astonishment of Thorndyke, the walls on the western side of the room silently

parted, showing a little balcony overlooking the street below. The king went hastily out and looked toward

the west. The others followed him. The princess stifled a cry of alarm when she glanced at the sky.

The king looked at them as helplessly as a frightened child. "The air!" he groaned. "It is hot!" and then he

held out his hand to the princess, and showed her a flake of soot on it, and he dumbly pointed to others that

"How did you discover it?" he asked, and Thorndyke saw that he was trying to appear calm.

"No; he accidentally discovered the danger, and came in a flying machine to warn you."

He waved his hand impatiently. "Go; if Alpha is saved he shall be at libertyif it is not, what does it

Thorndyke hastened away after Johnston, who, when he was told of the king's words, readily accompanied

his friend to the presence of the ruler. They found him with his daughter still on the balcony.

As quickly as possible, Johnston related his adventures, and particularly the story of the shooting fountain

and the fall of salt water. The king did not wait for him to conclude. He ran back into his chamber, touched

"A signal to the protectors," explained the princess to Thorndyke; "by this time they are ringing all over

Alpha. Oh, what will become of us?" as she spoke she leaned over the balustrade and looked down into the

street. Vast crowds had gathered and were motionless, except at points where the purpleclad "protectors"

"He is going to the observatory," she said to Thorndyke and Johnston. "Let us go also." And they followed

the king into the room with the glass roof and walls covered with mirrors which he had shown the strangers

several days before. A whiteheaded old man stood at the stand, his fingers trembling over the half circle of

electric buttons. In a mirror before him he was studying the reflection of a town of perhaps a hundred houses.

The streets were filled with excited citizens, and a squad of protectors stood ready for action near a row of

"Ornethelo," said the king, and at the sound of his voice the old man turned and bowed humbly.

He went to the stand and touched a button. Instantly the scene changed; fields, forests, streams and hills ran

by in a murky blur, and then a larger town flashed on the mirror. Here the same stir and alertness

characterized the scene. The gaze of every inhabitant was fixed on the threatening horizon. Rapidly the

scenes shifted at the king's will, till a hundred cities, towns and villages had been reviewed.

"Enough! They are all readyall faithful," groaned the king, "and, Ornethelo, they may all have to perish

Ornethelo's face was half submerged in the beard on his breast, but he looked up suddenly and spoke:

"You are right, Ornethelo." There was a ring of hope in the voice of the king. "Quick! show me my capitol,

Ornethelo touched another button, and, as if seen from a great height, the fair and wondrous city dawned

before the eyes of the spectators. In every street policemen and protectors and flying machines stood in

orderly readiness. The housetops were colored with the variegated costumes of men, women and children.

Over all lay the wondrous sunlight, through the green splendor of which the flakes of soot were falling like

The king touched the old man's arm. "I must see beyond the walls; are the connections made?"

The old man tremblingly unlocked a cabinet on the table, and another row of electric buttons was displayed.

Ornethelo touched one. Immediately there was a sharp clicking sound under the stand, and the view was

swept from the mirror. Nothing could be seen but a dark suggestion of towering cliffs and yawning caverns.

"Not the east, Ornethelo," cried the king impatiently. "Go on! the west! the west!"

The black landscape flashed by like a glimpse of night from a flying train, and then a blur of redly

illuminated smoke in rolling billows seemed to swell out from the surface of the mirror into the room.

"There, slow!" cried the king, and then a frightful scene burst upon their sight. They beheld a great belching

pit of fire and flames. The sky from the earth to the zenith was a vast expanse of illuminated smoke, and the

black landscape round about was cut by rivulets of molten lava rolling on and on like restless streams of

The king leaned against the stand as if faint with despair. "Call Prince Arthur!" he ordered, and almost at that

Without a word the young man hastened away, and it seemed scarcely a moment before the sunlight

The king pushed Ornethelo impatiently aside; his eyes held a dull gleam of despair, and he seemed to have

grown ten years older. He touched a button, and the awful scene at the pit gave place to a bright view of the

capitol, which was plainly seen from its crowded centre to its scattering suburbs. The squads of "protectors"

stood like armies ready for battle, their rigid faces still toward the awful west.

"They are readythe signal!" yelled the king, waving his hand, "the signal!" Ornethelo caught his breath

suddenly and tottered as he went across the room, and touched a button on the wall. The king's eyes were

glued on the mirrored view of the capitol, his trembling hands held out, as if commanding silence. Then a

deafening trumpet blast broke on the ear. The masses of citizens pressed near the edges of the roofs and close

against the walls along the streets, as the protectors rushed into the flying machines. Another trumpetblast,

and away they flew, a long black line, every instant growing smaller as it receded in the murky distance. The

princess, white and silent, led Thorndyke and Johnston back to the balcony. The line of machines was now a

mere thread in the sky, but the ominous cloud in the west had increased, and fine sand and ashes were added

"What was that?" gasped the princess. It was a low rumble like distant thunder, and the balcony shook

"An earthquake," said Thorndyke. "I am really afraid there is not a ghost of a chance for us; the water running

into the fire is sure to cause an eruption of some sort, and even a slight one would be likely to enlarge the

Johnston nodded knowingly as he looked into his friend's face, but, considering the presence of the princess,

"My brother, Prince Marentel, is the greatest man in our kingdom," she re marked. "He has taken enough

The latter slowly shook his head. "I fear he will fail. The fall must be as voluminous as Niagara by this time."

"My father must have lost hope, or he would not have stopped the sun," sighed the princess, and she cast a

sad glance towards the west. The rolling clouds had become more dense, and the rumbling and booming in

the distance was growing more frequent. A thin gray cloud passed before the sun, and a dim shadow fell over

"That is a natural cloud," said Thorndyke; "it comes from the steam that rises from the pit."

"It is exactly like our rain clouds," returned the princess; "but it comes from the steam, as you say. But let us

go into the Electric Auditorium and hear the news. As soon as anything is done we will hear of it there." The

others had no time to question her, for she was hastening into the corridor outside. She piloted them down a

flight of stairs into a large circular room beneath the surface of the ground. It was filled with seats like a

modern theatre, and in the place where the stage would have been, stood a mighty mirror over an hundred

feet square. She led them to a private box in front of the mirror. The room was filled from the first row of

chairs to the rear with a silent, anxious crowd. In the massive frame of the mirror were numerous bellshaped

And at that instant the surface of the great glass began to glow like the sky at dawn, and all the lights in the

room went out. Then from the trumpets in the frame came the loud ringing of musical bells.

The pink light on the mirror faded, and a lifelike reflection appearedthe reflection of a young man

standing on a rock in bold relief against a dark background of rugged, slabbering cliffs and the forbidding

The young man held in his hand a cupshaped instrument from which extended a wire to the ground. He

raised it to his lips, and instantly a calm, deliberate voice came from the mirror, soft and low and yet loud,

"The ocean," began he, "is pouring into the 'Volcano of the Dead' in a gradually increasing torrent. Prince

Marentel hopes temporarily to delay the crisis by partially turning the torrent away from the pit into the

lowlands of the country. For that purpose a portion of the endless wall is being torn down, and Marentel's

forces are placing their explosives. After this is done an attempt will be made to stop the original break. There

is, however, little hope. The prince has warned the king to be prepared for the worst."

At this point, the speaker turned as if startled toward the red glare at his right. He quickly picked up another

instrument attached to a wire and put it to his ear. A look of horror changed his face as he turned to the

audience and began to speak:"The opening in the wall is not progressing rapidly. Workmen are drowning

and the tunnel of the sun is filling with water. It will be impossible for the sun to go through to the east."

Just then there was a faraway crash, and instantly the mirror was void. There was now no sound except the

low groans of women in the audience and the subdued curses of maddened men. The silence was profound.

Then the mirror began to glow, and the image of another man took Waldmeer's place.

"It is the Mayor of Telmantio," whispered the princess, "a place near the western limits of Alpha."

He held a like instrument to the one used by Waldmeer, and through it spoke:"Venus, one of the great

stars, has been shaken from the firmament. It fell in the suburbs of Telmantio, and many lives were lost."

That was all, and the figure vanished. Presently Waldmeer reappeared. He seemed to be standing nearer the

pit, for the entire background was aflame; volumes of black smoke now and then hid him from view, and a

thick shower of ashes and small stones were falling round him. He spoke, but his voice was drowned in a

deafening explosion, and the whole landscape about him seemed afire. In the semidarkness hundreds of

protectors could be seen struggling in the rushing water, moving stones and building a dam. Waldmeer again

faced his faroff audience and spoke:"Prince Marentel has turned the course of the stream. All now

depends on the success or failure of his final test with explosives, which will take place in about half an

"We ought to go outside again," suggested Bernardino, as Waldmeer's image disappeared; "my father might

Seeing no one in the king's apartment, they passed through it to the balcony. Half the sky was now covered

with mingled fog and smoke, and the sun could be seen only now and then. A drizzling rain was fallinga

rain that brought down clots of ashes and soot. But this made no difference to the throngs in the now muddy

and slippery streets. They stood shivering in damp and soiled clothing, their blearing eyes fixed hopelessly on

the lowering signs in the west. Johnston noticed a bent figure crouched against a wall beneath them. It was

As they entered together, Branasko uncovered his dishevelled head and bowed most humbly.

The princess called to a frightened maid who was wringing her hands in a corridor.

"Give this man food and drink at once," she ordered, and Branasko, with a grateful bow and glance,

"Fear nothing," he said. "If the danger passes we are safe; the king has promised to pardon me, and he will do

"There is no hope for any of us," replied Branasko grimly; "but I do not want to die with this gnawing in my

"If the worst comes, is there any chance for us to escape from here to the outer world?" the Englishman was

"For a few hundred, yes,by the subwater ships, but for all, no; and, then, my father would not consent to

rescue a part and not the whole of his subjects. He would not try to save himself or any of his family."

The clouds still covered the sun; but on the eastern sky its rays were shining gloriously. Ever and anon there

Johnston left the two lovers together and went to the door of the Electric Auditorium, and over the heads of

the breathless crowd he watched the great mirror. After a few moments Waldmeer appeared and spoke:

"Prince Marentel is operating with great difficulty. A large quantity of his explosives has been injured by

water, but he hopes there is enough left intact to serve his purpose. The final explosion will soon take place.

Waldmeer's reflection was becoming indistinct, and sick at heart the American elbowed his way through the

muttering crowd into the corridor. Here he met Branasko, and together they walked back to Thorndyke and

the princess, who were mutely watching the signs in the east. Just then the sun slowly emerged from the

"Look!" cried Bernardino in horror. "The cloud is not moving; the sun has not stopped! It is going down and

The king had just returned, and he overheard her words. He came hastily to the edge of the balcony, and

gazed at the sun. The others held their breath and waited. His face became more rigid; he swayed a little as he

"You are right, my daughter," he groaned; "it is going down; the cowardly dogs in the east have deserted their

posts. It is going down! It will sink into a tunnel filled with water, and the light of Alpha will be extinguished

forever. We are undone! Say your prayers, my child, your prayers, I tell you, for an Infinite God is angry at

"Don't despair, father," and Bernardino put her arms gently round the old man's neck. "You understand the

The eyes of the old man flashed. He seemed electrified as he drew himself from her embrace and looked

"I might reach the east in time," he cried; "yes, you are right, I was acting cowardly. The fastest airship in

Alpha is ready, and Nanleon can drive it to its utmost speed. If the worst comes, I shall see you no more,

goodbye!" He kissed her brow tenderly, and her eyes filled as he hastened away. Down below they saw him

spring lightly into the goldmounted car, and the next instant the graceful vessel rose above the palace roof

A faint cheer broke from the lips of the crowd which seemed suddenly to take new hope from the king's

departure. Some of them waved their hats and scarfs, and many watched the airship till it had disappeared in

"He may not get there in time!" cried the princess; "it seems to be going down faster than it ever did before,

The little party on the balcony were silent for a long time. Presently Bernardino turned her tearful eyes to the

The Englishman slowly shook his head. "I don't want to depress you more than you are; but I think at such a

time we ought to realize the worst. It is true, the clouds are not so heavy, and the earth quakes are less

frequent, but, unfortunately, it is owing to the fact that the volume of water has been turned away from the pit

into the tunnel. Be prepared for the worst. If your father cannot reach the machinery in the east soon enough,

our light will go out; and, worse than that, if Prince Marentel should fail in his next venture with explosives,

"I have never desired to live so much as now," she answered, inclining with an air of tenderness toward, him.

He made no reply. There was a lump in his throat and he could not trust his voice to speech. Branasko and

Johnston left them together to go into the Electric Auditorium. They returned in great haste.

"The prince is ready for the explosion," panted Johnston. Thorndyke, old man, this is simply awful! It is not

like standing up to be shot at, or being jerked through the clouds in a balloon. It seems to me that out there is

the endless space of infinity, and that all the material world is coming to an end. My God! look at that hellish

fire, the awful smoke and that black sky! Oh, the blasphemy of a such a paltry imitation of the handiwork of

"Don't be a fool," said Thorndyke, and he threw a warning glance at Bernardino, who, with staring, distended

"No, he is right," she said in a low tone. "I have never seen your world, but I know my people must be

woefully wrong. In your land they say men teach things about Infinity and an eternal life for the soul; and that

one may prepare for that life by living pure, and in striving to attain a high spiritual state. Oh, why have you

not told me about that? It is the one important thing. I have long wanted to know if my soul will be safe at

death, but I can learn nothing of my people. They have always tried to rival God, and, in their mad pursuit of

perfection in science, they have been reduced tothis. That black cloud is the frown of God, hose mad

She uttered a low groan and hung her head as if in prayer. Johnston and Thorndyke were awed to silence.

Never had the Englishman loved her as at that moment. She was no longer simply a beautiful human creature,

but a divinity, speaking truths from Heaven itself. He felt too unworthy to stand in her presence, and yet his

She raised her pallid face heavenward and extended her fair, fragile hands toward the lowering sky and began

to pray. "My Creator," she said reverently, childishly, "I have never come to Thee, but they say that people

far away from this dark land, under Thy own sun, moon and stars do ask aid of Thee, and I, too, want Thy

help. Forgive me and my people. They have been sinful, and vain, and thoughtless, but let them not perish in

utter gloom. Forgive them, O thou Maker of all that existsthou Creator of pain that we may love joy,

Creator of evil that we may know good, turn not from us! We are but thoughtless childrenand Thy

childrengive us time to realize the awful error of our hollow pretensions! Give them all now, at once, if

they are to die, that spirit which is awakened in me by the awful majesty of Thy anger! Hear me, O God!"

And with a sob she sank on her knees, clasped her hands and raised them upward. Thorndyke tried to lift her

up, but she shook her head and continued her prayer in silence. A marked change had come over Branasko.

He looked at Johnston and Thorndyke in a strange, helpless way, and then, in a corner of the balcony the

begrimed and tattered man fell on his knees. He knew not the meaning of prayer, but there was something in

the reverent attitude of the princess that drew his untutored being toward his Maker. He covered his face with

Johnston hastened back into the Auditorium. Returning in a moment, he found the Englishman tenderly

"Everything is ready for the explosion. The prince seems only waiting because he dreads failure. The people

Just then Branasko raised a haggard face and looked appealingly at the princess. She caught his eye.

"Fear nothing, good man," she said; "the God of the Christians will not harm us; we are safe in His hands. I

felt it here in my heart when I prayed to Him. Oh, why has my father and the other kings of Alpha not taught

us that grand simple truth! But before I die I want to leave this dark pit of sin, and look out once into endless,

A joyous flush came into the face of the Alphian. His fear had vanished. She had promised him safety. He

bowed worshipfully, but he spoke not, for Bernardino was eagerly pointing to the sun.

"Look!" she cried gleefully, with the merry tremolo of a happy, surprised child. "The sun is not moving.

It was true; the sun was standing still. A deep silence was on the city. The crowds in the street neither moved

nor spoke. Without a murmur or complaint they stood facing the frowning west. Suddenly the silence was

interrupted by a low volcanic rumble. The earth heaved, and rolled, and far away in the suburbs of the city the

spire of a public building fell with a loud crash. A groan swept from mouth to mouth and then died away.

"The cloud is increasing rapidly," said Thorndyke. "I can really see little hope. I shall return in a moment."

While he was gone Bernardino knelt and prayed. Again overcome with fear Branasko crouched down in his

corner. Another shudder and rumble from the earth, another long moan from the people. Thorndyke came

"The dam built by Prince Marentel has been swept away. The ocean is pouring into the internal fires. There is

Branasko groaned, but Bernardino's face was aglow with celestial faith. She shook her head.

"They will not be destroyed in this way," she said;" they have had no chance to know God."

"It all depends on the explosion which may take place at any moment," and Thorndyke took her into his arms

and whispered into her ear, "I do not care for myself; but I cannot bear to think of your suffering pain."

She answered only by pressing his hand. The clouds were now rolling upward in greater volume than ever. It

was growing darker. The little group on the balcony could now scarcely see the people below them. The fall

Boom! Boom! Boom! the streets of the city rose nd fell with the undulating motion of a swelling sea. Blacker

and blacker grew the sky; closer and closer the atmosphere; damper and damper became the fog; thicker and

"Perhaps we would be safer in the streets," suggested Thorndyke, drawing Bernardino closer into his arms,

But the princess shook her head. "Father would not know where to find me, I shall await him here." Branasko

had edged nearer to her. His eyes were glued on her face and he hung on her words as if his fate were in her

"The explosion will soon take place now unless something has happened contrary to the expectations of the

Boom! Boom! krkrkrkrboom! The noise seemed to shake the earth to its centre. Now the faraway pit

was belching forth fire and molten lava rather than steam and smoke. The flames had spread out against the

sloping roof of the cavern, and seemed to extend for a mile along the horizon. "They can do nothing in that

heat," exclaimed Johnston; "they could not get near enough to the pit. Thorndyke, old fellow, I can't see a

"Hush!" It was the voice of the princess. "I feel that we shall not be lost, I say." And as she spoke Branasko

crept toward her and raised the hem of her gown to his white lips. Something dark came between them and

"It is father," cried Bernardino, and she called out to him: "Father! father! Here we are, waiting for you!" In a

"All right in the east," he said gloomily. "Baryonay is there. They deserted him, but they returned when the

flames went down. This is awful, daughter; it means death! It means annihilation!"

She put her arms round his neck and drew his face close to hers. "No, no," she said earnestly; "I see with a

new lighta new spiritual light. There is mercy in the divine heart of Him that made the walls of our little

world and constructed countless other worlds. I have prayed for mercy, and into my heart has come a sweet

peace I never knew before. We shall not be lost. He will give us time to give up our sinful life here and seek

The old man quivered as with ague; he searched her face eagerly, drew her spasmodically into his arms, and

The roar in the west was increasing. Hot ashes, gravel and small stones were falling on the roofs and the

people. Now and then a cry of pain was heard, but they would not seek the shelter of the buildings. If they

had to die they wanted to fall facing the enemy. Suddenly the king rose. He looked to the west and groaned.

Something told them that the explosion was coming. Expectation, horrible suspense was in the air. There was

a mighty flare of light. The entire heavens were lighted from horizon to horizon, and then the light went out.

"My God, have mercy on us!" cried the king. But his prayer was drowned in a deafening sound. Bernardino

had leaned into the arms of her lover. "Don't despair," he said tenderly, "the prince may have been

The crowds below seemed to understand that their fate depended on the news that would reach them in a few

Boom! Boom! krkrkrkrboom! There seemed to be no lessening of the volcanic disturbance, and the

"It is impossible to tell yet," groaned the king. "Oh, God, save us; give us a chance to escape this awful

Johnston bethought himself that he might learn something in the Electric Auditorium and he went into it. It

was empty and dark; not a soul was there save himself. He was turning to leave when his eye was drawn to

the great mirror by a faint pink glow appearing upon it. He stood still, a superstitious fear coming over him as

he thought of being alone with a possible messenger from the faraway scene of disaster. The light went out

tremblingly; then it flashed up again, and the American thought he saw the face of Waldmeer. The light grew

steadier, stronger. It was Waldmeer, but he was submerged in smoke. Hark! he was speaking.

"Marentel is successful! Entrance closed temporarily, and will be strengthened!"

Johnston rushed out to the balcony. "I have been to the Auditorium," he announced. "I have seen Waldmeer.

He says the experiment was successful. It is closed temporarily, and can be strengthened."

The king grasped the hand of the American. "Thank God!" he ejaculated, "if I can only save my people I shall

desire nothing more." The princess moved toward him affectionately, but he put her aside and retired into the

"He will at once communicate with the people," remarked Bernardino hopefully, and she turned her face

again toward the west. The red glare was dying down, and the dense clouds in the sky were thinning. In an

hour the face of the sun broke through the smoke, and the flyingmachines of the protectors began to return.

That night the king caused the pink light of the "Ideal Dawn" to flood the eastern sky, and, as before, he

"All danger to life is over; but the ultimate fate of Alpha is sealed. Prince Marentel has effectually closed the

entrance of the ocean, but the internal fires are gradually burning through the rocky bed of the ocean. In a

couple of years Alpha will be demolished. All our wealth shall be equally distributed among you, and my

ships shall transport you to whatever destination you desire. Let there be no haste. Order shall be preserved

That was all. The king bowed and the picture faded from view. A deep silence was over everything. The only

light came from the stars and from the moon. Then there was a sound like the wind passing over a vast forest

"I should have thought they would greet the king's announcement with a cheer of joy," said Thorndyke to the

"They don't know whether to weep or laugh," she replied. "They love Alpha, and the other world will be

strange to most of them. As for myself, now that I am to leave, I feel a few misgivings."

"I shall see that you are perfectly happy," he said tenderly. "You are to be my wife. I shall always love you

And a moment later, with joyous tears and face aglow, she assured him she had none.