Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-26

us instead of below. We didn't notice II
at the time, but recall It now"
"You mean to say that we turned back
| In the ice stratum, Davd7 That Is not
possible. The prospector cannot turn
/ unless Its nose Is DETECTED. II the nose
were DETECTED from the outside-by some
| external force or reslstance-the steering
wheel within would have moved in re-
sponse. The steering wheel was not
| budged. David, since we started You
/ know that"
did know it; but here we were with
our drill racing in pure air. and copious
volumes of II pouring into the cabin.
I'VE couldn't have turned In the ice
stratum. Perry, know as well as YOU" I
replied: but the fact remains that we did,
for here we are this minute at the sur
face OF the earth again, and L am going
out to see just where"
glanced at the chronometer.
Half after twelve. We have been out
72 hours. so 1t must be midnight. Never
theless I'm going to have a look at the
blessed sky that / had given UP all hope
of ever seeing again." and so saying I
lifted the bars from the inner door and
swung 1t open. There was quite guam
tity of loose material in the Jacket and
this l had to remove with n shovel to get
at the opposite door in the outer shell.
In a short time I had removed enough
of the earth and rock to the floor of the
cabin to expose the door beyond. Perry
was directly behind me as | threw 1t open.
The upper half was above the surface of
the ground.
with an expression OF surprise ! turned
and looked at Perry. It was broad day
light without!
Something seems to have, gone wrong
either with our calculations or the chrc~
nometer." 1 said.
Perry shook his head; there was
strange expression in his eyes.
Lets have n look beyond that door,
David" he cried.
Together we stepped out to stand in
silent contemplation of landscape at
once weird and beautiful.
Before us a low and level shore
stretched down to a silent sea. So far as
the eye could reach the surface of the
water was dotted with countless tiny isles
some of towering, barren granite rock.
others rcsplendent i'm gorgeous trappings
of tropical vegetation, myriad starred
with the magnificent splendor of vivid
blooms.
Behind us rose dark and forbidding
wood of giant arborescent ferns intermin-
gled with the commoner types of prime
val tropical forest. Huge creepers de-
pended in great loops from tree to tree.
dense underbrush overgrew n tangled
mass of fallen trunks and branches.
Upon the outer verge we could see the
same splendid coloring of countless blos-
SONS that Elorined the islands, but within
the dense shadows all seemed dark ana
gloomy rs the grave.
And tpon all the monday sun poured its
torrid rays out of cloudless sky.
where on earth can we be?" / asked,
turning to Perry.
For some moments the old man did not
reply. He stood with bowed head buried
In deep thought. But at last he spoke
David" he said, "I am not so sure
that we are on earth"
"What do you mean. Perry?" cried
"Do you think that we are dead, and that
this is heaven?"
He smiled, and turning pointed to the
nose of the prOspector protruding from
the ground at our backs.
but for that. David, I might believe
that we were indeed come to the country
beyond the StyX. The prospector renders
that theory untenable. 1t certainly could
never have gone to heaven. However.
am willing to COncede that we may actu-
ally be in another world from that which
we have always known IL we are not on
earth. there is every reason to believe
that we may be in it,"
1--WE may have quartered through the
earth's crust and come out upon some
tropical island of the West indies" l sug-
gested
Again Perry shook his head.
Let us wait and see. David" he re-
Piled land In the meantime suppose we
do a bit of exploring up and down the
coast. We may find native who can
enlighten US"
AS we walked along the beach Perry
gazed long and earnestly across the
water. Evidently he was wrestling with
a mighty problem,
David" he said abruptly. do you per-
ceive anything unusual about the
horizon?"
AS l looked I began to appreciate the
reason for the strangeness OF the land
scape that had haunted me from the first
with an Elusive suggestion of the bizarre
and unnatural-there was no horizon!
SO far as the eye could reach out to
sea the sea continued and upon its bosom
hoated tiny islands those in the distance
reduced to mere specks; but ever beyond
them was the sea, until the impression
became quite real that one was looking up
at the most distant point that the eye
couI6 fathom-the distance was lost in the
distance.
That was all. There was no clear
cut horizontal line marking the top Of
the globe below the line OF vision.
"A great light Is commencing to break
on me-" continued Perry, taking out his
watch. 81 believe that I have partially
solved the riddle. 1t Is now o'clock.
When we emerged from the prospector
the sun was directly above us. Where is
II now?"
I glanced up to ind the great orb still
motionless in the centre OF the heavens.
And such sun l had scarce noticed 1t
before, Fully thrice the size of the sun
l had known throughout my life. and ap-
SO near that the sight OF 1t car
ried the conviction that one might almost
reach up and touch 1t.
My God. Perry, where are wsT'
exclaimed. 'This thing is commencing
TO get on my nerves"
IN MONDAYS