horrible face as the rope began to slip through his fingers. I
knew the instant he let go by our shooting upward."
"I came to myself and looked over when the basket tipped,"
replied the Englishman, "I thought I was going too, but I could
not stir a muscle to prevent it. He said something desperately,
but the wind blew it away and covered his face with his beard,
so that I could not see the movement of his lips."
"It may have been some instructions to us about the management
of the balloon."
"I think not--perhaps a good-bye, or a message to his wife and
child. Poor fellow!"
"How long have we been out of our heads?" and Johnston looked
over the side of the car.
"I have not the slightest idea. Days and nights may have passed
since he fell."
"That is true. I remember coming to myself for an instant, and it
seemed that we were being jerked along at the rate of a gunshot.
My 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 off again, but into a sort of nightmare. I thought I
was in Hell, and that you were with me, and that Professor
Helmholtz was Satan."
"Where can we be?" asked Thorndyke.
"I don't know; I can't tell what is beneath those clouds. It may
be earth, sea or ocean; we were evidently whisked along in a
storm while we were out of our heads. If we are above the ocean
we are lost."
Thorndyke looked over the edge of the car long and attentively,
then he exclaimed suddenly:
"I believe it is the ocean."
"What makes you think so?"
"It reflects the sunlight. It is too bright for land. When we got
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