The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-07-28
ACOLUMBUS OF SPACE
BY GARRETT P. SERVISS
Copyright. The Frank A. sIunsey. Co.

saved us from destruction. At the
base OF the great cliff of solid ice
saSalpsL which the wind had hurled
US cdI an immense deposit Of snow
rad collected, and into this we fell
We were al tumbled in a bea0 me
car and the sleds being inextrfca bly-
enlahgied with the wire ropes
Fortunately, however. the stOlt win
COWS We're not broken, and after we
nae struggled TO cur feet, as the car. lay
on its side. Edmund managed to omen
me door Ee made Us put on our furs,
but even with them we found the cold
almost iutolcrabie.
Bu- the natives paid no attention to
- Not one OF them was seriously hurt,
50 HfInly ha1 they been bound under
Edmund direction before we started
from the hummOck We unIOosened
them and then began to examine the
situation
Above US lowered the icv precipice.
disappearing in whirling clouds high
overhead, and the wind drove square
against % with the roar Of Niagara The
air was filled with snow and ice-dust,
80 a 1-l-Ies We could not see objects ten
leet away Our poor furry companions
nuodled together as soon as we got
them upon their feet. and were Of no
use to themselves or 10 US.
Wen, we've got 70 get out Of this
mighty quick, said Edmund. Come,
hustle now, and vel repair the ship"
We got 70 work, Juba alone aiding US.
and soon had the sleds out OF the tan
gle and again properly attached 70 the
car Then we entered the latter and
Edmund fumbIed q while with his ma
chine-V
In the course OF 10 or IS minutes he
sald that II was damaged. nut would
stu work, and THAI we'd start as soon
as We could replace the natives on the
sleds- We got them together with a
good deal OF trouble. for they were
frightened ont of their wits, and would
have run away, had they known where
H.r
understand that their safety depended
eLtlreiy upon us When they were once
more safely attached We entered The
car and prepared TO ascend
You notice" said Edmund. that this
wind IS variable, and there's our
We hadn't noticed It. but he had. and
that was sufficient
When the blasts weaken he con-
tinued- the air springs back from the
face OF the precipice and then whiTls
round 10 the left I've no doubt that
there's passage there. through which
the wind fnds It's way back behind this
ICY mountain. and II We can get there
We shall probably find some sort OF
shelter
Then. 7 hope ft'U be compare lively
an easy thing 20 make our way into
caimcr region Of the atmosphere. I'm
going 60 take advantage OF the first
IuI-
II worked out just as he had predicted
AS the wind surEed back. after a par
tlcLlaElE vicious rush against the mighty
blue cliff. we cut loose and sailed Up
into IT, and away we went we rushed
past the Eiitteri1s wall. 50 swiftly that
20 made our heads swim In two or three
minutes we rounded a corner, and then
found ourselves III kid Of atmOs-
pheric eddy. w-ere the car simply spun
round and sCul-@s with the two united
sicds hanging below IT,
Vow for it,' said Edmund, and
r--r---r-- ~ -~zr ~srt4ry- We r-7rrz+
have shot mp q couple % thousand feet
when fsr wind caught us gain, coming
apparently over the TOP Or the icy bar
Tier that we bad tankeo- L swept Us
of with terrific speed Suddenly the air
cleared all about
The spectacle that opened around and
below was-well, ] wish I could describe
ST. But a hundred languages rolled into
one couldn't do IT,
we were in the midst Of the crystal
mountains They lowered around US on
every side and stretched away in ranges
NJ shining piunacles- And such shapes-
such cOlors- such flashing and blazing
Of gigantic rainb0zEs and prisms,
There were mountains that looked 20
my amazed eyesiCht as lofty and mas
sive as Mont BlaTV, composed all Of
crystalline ice rcfracting ana rejecting
the Euubeams with frideSCe1t spIendOTt
For now we could begin 10 see the orb
u the sun itself. poised on the edge OF
the jagged, EeT8-Elltteriug horizon The
ieweIed summit split its beams into q
million bright Eal0s-
There was one mighty peak. stiu
ahead OF US, but toward which We were
rushed siCe7vlSe with terrific speed. that
GiI haunt my dreams forever Il tower
ed high above our level. and was simply
lne awful coruscating Alp OF light. dart
Ing out on every side binding rays Of Z
thousand splendid hues. as II a whole
TCrlCtul OF emeTalaS- Tubies. saDpi-ires I
and diamonds had been heaped together I
IN one stuDendOus pile and set on fire
by the SUM-
We were speeches.. even Edmund
But presently he spoke. very calmly. Z
but what he said Instantly changed {
1Ur amaZemeut TO terror
Boys he said there's something
serious the matter with the apparatus I
can't make the car rise higher. /
can no longer cause II TO react against
an obstacle We are at the mercy of I
he wind II it carries US against that I
slittering devil. no power under heaven /
II my hair had not whitened before, /
L certainly would have whitened now
When We were swept against the first /
cy precipice the danger had come upon 4
eoncealinE cloud Bur now We had 10 /
bear the fearful strain Of expectation. ]
10 see ourselves hurried 10 destruction I
with our eyes wide open 20 the terrible /
truth
I thought that even Fdnlund's iron
face paied a little. On we rushed, still I
borne sidewise, so that the spectacle /
vas straight before US III ali its awful I
ness, as, with fascinated eyes we star
"a through the window We were al
Edmund shouted, with q glad voice:
The Continuation OF This story VIII /
BE Found In TOmorrOv-s
Issue or The Times.
CIT