The Washington times., 1903-04-26

The dwarf folded his arms, and re-
mained motiOnless.
Cot" he said. 4 do not prevent you.
But these men shall stay here"
Must I kill you, OF will you obey
me?" cried Norbert. beside himself at
the obstinacy OF the dwarf, and rush
ing to the door to get a rife
Kaddour respectfully moved aside to
let him pass.
Norbert ran to the drawing room, but
could find nothing in the dark. He glanc-
ed at the window, and to his horror saw
by the light Of the electric lamp that
the parachute now formed an angle of
thirty-fve degrees. causing the espla-
made to appear like a precipitous slope.
A few moments more. and the enormous
apparatus would be at right angles to It.
II was the precise moment he had fix
ed for adjusting the suspending cord.
Not only would it be dangerous. but Il
was absolutely impossible to delay an
other minute.
Virgil, Doctor!" he cried. rushing
back to the eireulator gallery, there is
not a moment to lose. Take a man each
on your back and comet
These men shall not pass" repeat
ed Kaddour. barricadfng the door with
his great arms.
Exasperated beyond endurance, vir-
gil threw himself on the dwarf, and
tried to pull him down. But Kad-
dour simply took him by the wrists,
and held him as if in a wise, Virgil
could not move
The struggle could not be maintained
any longer. Norbert saw the hand OF the
chronometer drawing nearer and nearer
10 the supreme second.
Come" he said. we must give 1t
up. We cannot sacrifice our lives, and
especially that of Mademotseue Ker-
sain. to these fellows. Quick! To the
carl"
Satisfied now that he held the pris-
oners in his grasp. as time fought for
him. Kaddour stepped aside to let Nor
bert pass,
Quick. To the parachute" cried the
astronomer, leading the way.
As he reached the outer door, he per
ceived that Kaddour was not following
him, and turned back to call him
The gallery door was locked.
"Kaddour, Kaddour," he cried, trying
TO force it open. Make haste! Come,
We have not a moment to Iosel'. .
No reply.
It was but too true; there was not
a moment to lose The hand of the
chrouometer was piulessly nearing the
final second
s.Kaddour.'' cried Norbert for the last
time. Come, I viii forgive you but
come. We are going"'
Still no reply.
Norbert was obliged to return to the
espIanade,
He was but just in the nick of time.
The angle now made by the parachute
as it turned around its suspending axis,
was such that he had to climb the steel
frame and slip down the cords into the
car.
Once again he looked at his ehronome-
ter. The moment rad arrived. A hun
dred and twenty seconds more, and if
the travellers delayed longer to launch
themselves into space. a terrible colli-
sion would ensue between the Two
worlds, crushing the parachute midway.
Norbert held up his arm toward the
place where the cord was to be cut. At
that instant Kaddour appeared at the
threshold OF the observatory. He held
the electric lamp above his head and
looked at them
Come. come!" they all said, simuI-
taneousIy holding out their arms to him
But he sadly shook his head. and
waved an adieu with his handkerchief
1T IS too late now" thought Norbert
He touched the spring. Instantly, with
out the least shock, the parachute was
set free. and fell rapidly and softly
through space
Al once. the observatory. the espIa-
made. and the whole plateau of Teh-
bali disappeared from view in the dark
ness. almost before the travellers knew
what was happening The moon. sud-
denly freed from her terrestrial attrac-
tfon. sprang back to her own orbit amid
strange rumbIings around; and ever and
anon lurid light flashed with light
swiftness across the sky.
The parachute, yielding 10 the su-
perior attraction of the earth. the larger
and heavier of the two globes. fell so
rapidly toward it that the aneroid bar
ometer went up at the rate of two de-
grees a second.
And yet the car seemed to be mo-
tionIess, for not the slightest breath
stirred. Notwithstanding the speed at
which they were travelling
The only indication was the marked