y did his weight entirely disappear,
as though he were floating in some heavy medium, like salt water, but
the rock he held onto drew him, as by a mild current of electricity, and
he was able to withdraw his hands only with difficulty.

After the first moment's shock, he quietly accepted the new order of
things, and set about shifting the carcass. Since there was no weight
in the boat this was effected without any great labour. Corpang then
descended. The astonishing physical change had no power to disturb his
settled composure, which was founded on moral ideas. Haunte came last;
grasping the staff which held the upper male stone, he proceeded to
erect it, after removing the cap. Maskull then obtained his first near
view of the mysterious light, which, by counteracting the forces of
Nature, acted indirectly not only as elevator but as motive force. In
the last ruddy gleams of the great sun, its rays were obscured, and it
looked little more impressive than an extremely brilliant, scintillating
blue-white jewel, but its power could be gauged by the visible, coloured
mist that it threw out for many yards around.

The steering was effected by means of a shutter attached by a cord to
the top of the staff, which could be so manipulated that any segment of
the male stone's rays, or all the rays, or none at all, could be shut
off at will. No sooner was the staff raised than the aerial vessel
quietly detached itself from the rock to which it had been drawn, and
passed slowly forward in the direction of the mountains. Branchspell
sank below the horizon. The gathering mist blotted out everything
outside a radius of a few miles. The air grew cool and fresh.

Soon the rock masses ceased on the great, rising plain. Haunte withdrew
the shutter entirely, and the boat gathered full speed.

"You say that navigation among the mountains is difficult at night,"
exclaimed Maskull. "I would have thought it impossible."

Haunte grunted. "You will have to take risks, and think yourself
fortunate if you come off with nothing worse than a cracked skull. But
one thing I can tell you--if you go on disturbing me with your chitchat
we shan't get as far as the mountains."

Thereafter Maskull was silent.

The twilight deepened; the murk grew denser. There was little to look
at, but much to feel. The motion of the boat, which was due to
the never-ending struggle between the male stones and the force of
gravitation, resembled in an exaggerated fas