n and whirled
away."

"So far as I can see there is only one hope for us," said I. "If we
should happen to fall into a deep sea or lake, the car would rise to the
surface again."

"Yes, that is true," responded Gazen; "the car is hollow and light. It
would float. The water would also cool the machines and we might
escape."

The bare possibility cheered us with a ray of hope.

"If we only had time, my father might recover, and I believe he would
save us yet," said Miss Carmichael.

"I wonder how much time we have," muttered Gazen.

"We can't tell," said I. "It depends on the height we had reached and
the speed we were going at when the engines stopped. We shall rise like
a ball thrown into the air and then fall back to the ground."

"I wonder if we are still rising," ejaculated Gazen. "Let us take a look
at the planet."

"Don't be long," pleaded Miss Carmichael, as we turned to go.
"Meanwhile, I shall try and bring my father round."

On getting to the observatory, we consulted the atmospheric pressure
gauge and found it out of use, a sign that we had attained an altitude
beyond the atmosphere of Mercury, and were now in empty space.

We turned to the planet, whose enormous disc, muffled in cloud, was
shining lividly in the weird sky. At one part of the limb a range of
lofty mountain peaks rose above the clouds and chequered them with
shadow.

Fixing our eyes upon this landmark we watched it with bated breath. Was
it coming nearer, or was it receding from us? That was the momentous
question.

My feelings might be compared to those of a prisoner at the bar watching
the face of the juryman who is about to deliver the verdict.

After a time--I know not how long--but it seemed an age--the professor
exclaimed,

"I believe we are still rising."

It was my own impression, for the peak I was regarding had grown as I
thought smaller, but I did not feel sure, and preferred to trust the
more experienced eyes of the astronomer.

"I shall try the telescope," he went on; "we are a long way from the
planet."

"How far do you think?"

"Many thousand miles at least."

"So much the better. We shall get more time."

"Humph! prolonging the agony, that's all. I begin to wish it was all
over."

Gazen directed his instrument on the planet, and we resumed our
observations.

"We are no longer rising," said Gazen after a time. "I suppose we are
near the turning-point."

As a prisoner scans the countenance of the j