The Land of the Changing Sun

t was slowly sinking toward the ocean of whit

ndsome. Harry Johnston, an American, was as dark and sallow as a Spaniard. Charles Thorndyke, an English gentleman, had

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 t

asked Thorndyk

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

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

tructions to us about the

-bye, or a message to his w

our heads?" and Johnston loo

idea. Days and nights may

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

we be?" ask

earth, sea or ocean; we were evidently whisked along in a storm wh

of the car long and attentive

e it is t

kes you

e got above the clouds at the start it looked darker below t

down," said Jo

nd it means som

Half-an-hour went by. Tho

opped the compass, we could

and as they looked over the sides of the car they saw the reflection of the sun on the bosom

rection toward which the balloon seemed to be drifting. "It is dark and is surroun

suggested the American, "we need i

stream behind the balloon. The great flabby bag overhead steadied itself, rose slightly and drifted on toward the dark spot on

it?" asked

American laconically, "it is a

t above the waves. The island was now quite near. It was a barren mound of stone, worn into gulli

hore, a hundred feet to the water; at this rate of speed the wind would smash us against those rocks like a couple of bir

e should go down in the water with the balloon we would get tangled in the ropes and get asphyxi

getting nearer every instant. The two aeronauts swung over on oppos

s weak as a sick kitten; I am not sure that I can s

ks like our only chance. Ugh! she made a big dip then. We'd better let go

and dangling ropes swung wildly from side to side. The aeronauts touched the water f

as saving his wind, and said nothing, but accommodated his stroke to that of his companion, and thus they breasted the gentl

ing was dry and climbing a slight elevation. "There is nothing in sigh

ad 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 glisteni

dyke. "Ships are not apt to approach this isolated spot, an

beard thoughtfully, then h

took a piece of punk from a waterproof box that he carried in his pocket and focussed the sun's r

es returned with an armful of fuel. Johnston was blowing

tisfaction 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 juic

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

Englishman; "there is no telling what we may find; we may ru

about to ascend to the rock to put fresh fuel on the fire before lying down to sleep for the n

t the rock and raking up a handful of white sand, "but whet

pick up something glittering in the moonlight. It was

"and of the very highest order of civilization. Whoever

er?" asked the Englishma

how the stone has cut int

t the strange trophy into his pocket-book, and the two adventu

t. "We don't know how long we were unconscious in the balloon, nor where we were taken in the storm. We may now be

r; the sun is too natural. From t

another of which we are the original discoverer-a sun that isn't in old Sol's beat at all, but one that r

heartily and slapped hi

he Atlantic; but your finding

will pale into insignificance. I feel it in my bones. See how evenly th

ere tall cliffs on either side stood up perpendicularly. It was dar

o was behind the Englishman; "we may b

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 for

rndyke, pointing down into th

ross the sky and reflected in the water; but, on glancing above, he saw his mistake. It looked, at fi