The Land of the Changing Sun

ped like a ship, sharp at both ends, and covered with oval glass. As it slowly rose to the surface they saw that it contained five or six men, sitting in easy chairs and

ised an instrument that looked like a telescope to his eyes. With this he seemed to be closely searching the lake shores, for he did not move for several minutes. Then he lowered t

pered Thorndyke, drawing Johnst

are between us and the outlet; we

ld not see, and then they heard footsteps, and, their eyes becoming accustomed to the light, they found themselves surrounded by several men, very strangely clad. They all wore long

service. It is my duty to make you my prisoner

elt, "we had no idea that you had a kingdom. We have tramped all ov

ed speaking, if he could have done so, for he saw by

and with a motion of his hand to his men

ut which was made of black rubber inflated with air. It was covered with glass, save for a doorway about six feet high and three feet wide in the side, and looked like a great oblong bubble floating on the still dark water. As they approached the searchligh

th festoons of prisms as brilliant as the purest diamonds, and in them, owing to the gently undulatory movement of the vessel, colors more beautiful than those of a rainbow played entrancingl

legs were clothed in tights of light-blue silk, and he wore a blue sack-coat of silk plush and a belt of pliant gold, the buckles of which were ornamented with brilliant gem

ers through another room to a small cabin in the stern of the boat, and told them to ma

ave ordered a repast which will refresh you." As he concluded he touched a button in the wall and instantly a table, laden with substantial food, rare delicacies and

to render us capable of subsisting on a rather limited quantity of air during the voyage,

h. "I am sure no prisoners were ever more graciously or royally

off, anyway," put in the

iled good-

ow," he said, and wi

whispered Johnston; "my stars! wh

and I don't fancy it at all; what if this blasted glass-case should burst? We may have dropped into a den

s for some of the wine; remember, it is a sort of breath-restorer. I am curious enough not to want to colla

ass of green-colored wine that Johnston pushed toward him. "Some scientists hold that the earth is filled with water

lowered their glasses at the same inst

d Thorndyke, "it seems to run like str

nd held the sparkling effervescin

that makes you look like a corpse." Johnston clinked the glass against that of hi

side to side like a great sluggish fish. Through the partitions of glass they saw one of the men closing the door, and in a moment the vessel glided away from the shore. The men all sank into easy

looking through the glass toward the black cliffy sh

ddenly to become more compact as if compressed, and the water was set into such violent commotion that it was dashed against the glass s

he door. He was smiling as he moti

more of the wine," he

still weak. The captain bowed and went away. Thorndyke's hand trembled as he refilled his friend's glass. "I th

ain, looking in at the door; "you cannot s

ere half-famished. The fish and meat were de

in the head and a dull roaring in the ears. Down they went, at first slowly and then more rapidly, till it seemed to them that they had descended over a thousand feet. Great monsters like whales swam to the vessel, as i

of the table separated them. Everything was profoundly still; not a sound came from the men i

nston, "it look

said Thorndyke, "that

deed, as Thorndyke expressed it, he had the cool feeling that

o struggle like some living monster, "the sides of this thing wil

ce, but they could not tell from whence it came. Then they heard again

the light of two or three powerful search-lights they saw a wide succession of submerged hills, vales, and rugged cliffs. Before them was a great mountain-side and in it they saw the mouth of a dark tunnel. They had scarcely

rew a curtain down behind them, and,

put his lips close to Thor

ou see

e w

iff of solid gold. It had been dug out into a cavern in which I saw

ed: "That accounts for the heel-tap we found; who knows, these peop

only way of reaching the king's domain, we could never get back to ci

he machinery of this thing moves as noiselessly as the

wonderful place. People who can construct such marvels of mechanical skill as this

it. Both the captives pretended to be uninterested in his movement

nion, "the walls are close to us, and are as perpen

rapidly. An hour passed. The soft music had ceased, and the air seemed less dense and fresher

could not be seen owing to there now being no light except that inside the boat.

; "captives are not allowed to s

word they

they imagined to be a long stone corridor or arcade from the ringing echoes of their feet on the stone pavement. Presently they came to what seem

ator stopped Captain Tradmos led them out, and both of the captives were conscious of breathing the purest, most invigorating air they had ev

d. "You like t

it," said Thorndyke. "It is so d

most wonderful country in the universe," said

at of a busy city. It was like many far-off sounds carefully muffled. Now and then they heard

turn in a lock and the humming sound in the distance was cut off. They felt a soft

the captain. The brilliant light from a quaintly-shaped candelabrum, in the centre of

f astonishment on their faces as they gla

r your voyage. Lie down on the beds and sleep. To-mor

cket of a door hidden behind a curtain. The two men gazed at each other

and ceilings were decorated with pictures unlike any they had ever seen. Before one, t

brush or pencil; the features seem alive and, by Jove, you can actually s

astically, and he ran to the wall, about six feet from the pict

e said quickly

anced curiously an

ell, the view is thrown from this box on the wall, and it is the motion of

mandora, an Italian with a slender calascione, a Russian playing his jorbon, and an African playing a banjo. Luxurious couches hung by spiral springs

; "we shall have plenty of time to see this

ntly wrought bedsteads of brass, but th

t a gray light came in at the top and bottom of the window. He rose and drew