The Land of the Changing Sun

ated an instant, as the officer was holding the door open, and lo

uild who wore a dark blue uniform and who came hastily forward and pushed the American into the machine. Through the open door Johnston saw Thor

d into the free white light above the smokeless city. The poor captive leaned on the window-sill and looked ou

white and gray, and then the color below changed to a va

a receptacle under a seat, and, pouring a little re

, "it will put you

want to b

try your nerves.

ake it, you will have to

f air had become too strong and cool to be pleasant. The color of the sunlight changed to green, and then at noon, from the zenith, a glorious r

a strong desire to speak or to hear one of the officers say something, but they were dozing in their respective corners. The moon had risen and hung far out in space overhead, but they seemed to be leaving it behind. Later he felt sure of this, for its light gradually became dimmer and dimm

es and yawned. One of them opened the window and Johnston heard a far-off

pped. Johnston's hea

f the search-light were directed downward and slowly shifted from point to point. Looki

rst officer, through a sp

nding!" wa

ment later the machine se

d Johnston out. Johnston expected them to follow h

t the officer through the window

rce commotion in the atmosphere which sucked him toward the machine, and then the dazzling searc

his hands, then he sprang up desperately, and started to grope through the darkness, he knew not whither. He stumbled at almost every step, and ran against boulders which bruised his hands and face, and went on till his strength was gone. Then he paused and

repeated. It was like the moaning of a human voice far away in the dark. Could it be some one in distress, some poor unf

at the sound of his own husky voice. There was a dead silence, t

American cautiously groped toward th

the voice, and it w

orward precipitate

uman form loome

id: "I thought at first that you were some one sent to

at way," rep

d they b

a mome

s this. I had enemies. The medical men were bribed to vote agains

ohnston felt of it. The

re a g

. She hated him and spat at him when he spoke against me. He proved by others that my lungs were weak, and showed them the blood of a slain dog in my fields that they said had come from my lungs. Ah, they were curs! My lungs weak! Strike my chest with all your m

e king thinks it is not murder because they die of starvation. I have stumbled over the bones of

others here?" gas

as silent in

u come from?" he a

ew York

thought I knew of all the place

t is not in your country-your world, o

ere. I had heard of it before they banished me; but two days since I came across a dying man, away over there. H

His trouble was the lungs and he had fallen off to a skeleton. He talked to me

surrounde

s heart beating, he continued; "That must be the Heaven the man spoke about. And beyond t

ies. But is there no chance

itterly. "None. What

rdly

llowed to live in Alpha. It is right, of course; but it is hard to bear. But I must lie down. I am wearied with constant rambling. I am nervous too.

and seemed asleep. The American sat down beside him, and, for a long time, neither spoke.

ain," he grunted,

ply. "I am hungry and t

. When I was a boy I learned to catch fish in pools with my hands and it has pr

eak? I thought it was

but it is lighter than now, for we get the sun's reflectio

though wearied, was wakeful. Several hours passed. The Alphian was sleepin

ray, and slowly hints of pink appeared in the skies. It was dawn. Johnston tou

wned, rising and s

un is not

catch the eyeless fish in the black caverns over there." And he led the American into the blackness behind them. Every now and then, as they

or, from the seemingly fathomless depths, came a great roaring sound like that of a migh

this?"

it were not for their hot breathing the Land

n does not g

N

is c

have never though

t question farther, for Branasko was care

it to reach the caves. I will guide y

we stand

s invigorating. I perspire in streams,

side me. Fear nothing. It is solid; besides, what does it matter? You can die but once, and

a crash it fell upon a lower ledge and bounded off and went whizzing down into the depths. Both men lis

ty deep," s

along this ledge till we get to the point where the c

ath grew more perilous and narrower, and the cliff on their left rose higher and higher, till the reflected light of the sun had entirely disappeared. At certain points the hot wind dashed

y they reached a point where a narrow boulder jutted out over the chasm toward the opposite side, and Branasko cautiously crawled out u

clatter of the Alphian's shoes on the rock, and his grunt of satisfaction. Then Branasko

k ominous canopy of nothingness. Slowly he advanced on hands and knees, every moment feeling the sharp rock growing narrower, ti

to alight," cried the Alphi

ied the American. "The rock is narrow and my head is al

Stand up quickly, and jump at onc

d on the rock and he sprang toward the opposit

. It is further on." Along this ledge they went for some distan

and prepared to jump. He filled his lungs two or three times. But he seemed to hesitate. "Pshaw, watching you back there has made m

ad slipped as he jumped. The Alphian had struck the opposite ledge, but not with his feet, as he intended. He c

nt later Johnston heard him strike the ledge beneath, and heard him cry out in pain. Then all was still except the echoes of Branasko's cry, which bounded and rebounded from side to side of the chasm, and grew fainter and fainter, till it was

t are yo

moment there was silence) I can see a light ahead in the cave. I think it must be the reflection of t

o make himself heard above a sudden increase

m the Alphian. "This ledg

s footsteps along the rock beneath. "All right so far," he called up, and his voice showed that he had gone to a c

and the hot air was causing his head to swim. He was thinking of trying to retrace his footsteps to a place of m

you t

es

ve, and a pool of fish besides. I have saved some for you. I

merican. "I cannot jump so

ion. It is this point on which I am now standing that

hought of the fathomless depths beneath, and the rush of hot air up the side of the cliff took his breath away, but he braced himself and said ca

eath, which Johnston had knocked out of him by th

egaining his feet and feeling of his legs

t. I want to understand it. But you must first eat this fi

r?" said

of it, and a

hemselves down on their stomachs and drank freely. After this they proceeded slowly for several hundred yards, and finally reached the entrance to th

issures, sharp boulders and stalactites. They had walked along in silence for several minutes whe

d Branasko, "for the atmosphere grows cooler as

formulate a reply, and he simply

ting manner Johnston detected the first appearance of su