Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1905-12-09

the atmosphere of the earth, q fact that all
scientists accept. Some of these bodies are
as small as pinheads, while Others nay be
larger. That this last was correct was eVi-
dent: yet now 1t had never been discovered
by the earth's astronomers was a puzzle
to me.
"That is a simple matter Of explana-
tion,' said our leader; this asteroid has
never been discovered, for the same rea-
son that many small but important things
have been for years overlooked by scien-
lists In search of greater fields to con-
quer. It Is within less than one hundred
miles of earth, while the very nearest
object that has ever attracted the tele-
scopes of our astronomers is the moon,
distant a quarter of a million miles. Can
you not understand that no astronomer
would ever train his instrument so as to
focus an object less than a hundred miles
distant.
"That sounds reasonable, yet I asked
him how 1t was that it had never been
seen with the naked eye.
"'Simpler STILL he answered, because
this little planet is less than ten miles In
diameter. So small an object, with a
color nearly Identical with that of the
earth's atmosphere, would never be no.
ticed, and having nc light of its own,
could not be seen at any time. It Is a
mere speck In the sky, and no man can
tell how long 1t has hoated around our
earth. There may be many more OF
them. but for the present we win conine
ourselves to this one. and soon shall land
and see what there il to see.'
IAN aneroid barometer was then fer
through the trap in the floor, in order TO
ascertain the pressure of the atmosphere
Before we dared to open the ear and step
onto the little world We had discovered.
The planet was growing larger every mo-
ment, and we were now within less than
a mile OF its surface. The instrument
showed that the pressure was eight
pounds to the square inch, which about
equaled that on high mountains on the
earth. so we were safe to land. The
thermometer attached to the car ot this
time showed an entire lack of breeze, and
we gently dropped to the surface of the
'Nebula,' as I had volunteered to call the
discovery. AS we looked upon the land
scape, 1t seemed as II we had suddenly
dropped into Southern California, and I
could not possibly Justify this condition
or verdure with the small size Of the tiny
world, for such a little thing could not be
expected to obstruct enough Of the heat
Puzzled, ] myself dropped a Thermometer
through the trapdoor and noted frs reg
lister. 1t was eighty degrees-a fact that
further surprised me-and I said so.
1 dare say we shall find that there
are other sources Of heat besides the sun
SAID one or my companions; ana no
sooner had we opened the car door ana
begun to climb down the anchor rome,
which had been cast ont. than we dis.
covered the correctness Of his prophecy.
There. were boiling springs everywhere,
and the verdure was magnificent,
flying the anchor rope about a bowl.
der, we began a survey of our world.
But first Of all, I took a good look AZ the
earth we had left a few hours before.
IT was a more magnificent sight than
words can ever tell 1t filed almost the
entire dome of the sky, and the continent
OF North America looked exactly as II
does on q raised globe such as we have
IN school-rooms. I could locate San
Francisco as we'll as IL I had had a man
and pointer; and from that Western M
tropoiis could trace the outline OF the
United States to the city Of Chicago. and
so on to the gateway of Europe--New
York. It was wonderful. The afr was
not so rare as TO be hard on lungs used
to mountain conditions: but some OF the
party complained. and one suffered nose
bleed. There was a ripping brook near
at hand, its banks lined with plant life.
and 1 went toward It TO get a drink. 7
felt wonderfully elated in mind ana body.
and ran lightly toward 1t. falling on my
chest, and qgu%enching my thirst with the
most refreshing water I had eve drank,
The stream was not more than ten feet
wide, and. as far as we could see from
where we stood. there was no narrower
place. We wanted TO cross II. and I
fancied ! could make the leap, old man
ward. and then ran toward the bank and
sprang into the air.
'I scared through that air like n bird,
and landed at least twenty yards beyond
the farther bank. My companions, as I
ailghted with the ease of a feather, first
looked bewildered. and then broke into
peals Of almost unceasing laughter. Fol
they understood the reason before I did.
Do vOu2
"No. Well, the explanation Is as sim
Pile as all the Others have been, and fol