verse in missing the
point. It is not to keep out the ether that we have gone to such
trouble. It is to keep in the oxygen. I trust that if we can ensure an
atmosphere hyper-oxygenated to a certain point, we may be able to retain
our senses. I had two tubes of the gas and you have brought me three
more. It is not much, but it is something."

"How long will they last?"

"I have not an idea. We will not turn them on until our symptoms become
unbearable. Then we shall dole the gas out as it is urgently needed. It
may give us some hours, possibly even some days, on which we may look out
upon a blasted world. Our own fate is delayed to that extent, and we
will have the very singular experience, we five, of being, in all
probability, the absolute rear guard of the human race upon its march
into the unknown. Perhaps you will be kind enough now to give me a hand
with the cylinders. It seems to me that the atmosphere already grows
somewhat more oppressive."

Chapter III

SUBMERGED

The chamber which was destined to be the scene of our unforgettable
experience was a charmingly feminine sitting-room, some fourteen or
sixteen feet square. At the end of it, divided by a curtain of red
velvet, was a small apartment which formed the Professor's dressing-room.
This in turn opened into a large bedroom. The curtain was still hanging,
but the boudoir and dressing-room could be taken as one chamber for the
purposes of our experiment. One door and the window frame had been
plastered round with varnished paper so as to be practically sealed.
Above the other door, which opened on to the landing, there hung a
fanlight which could be drawn by a cord when some ventilation became
absolutely necessary. A large shrub in a tub stood in each corner.

"How to get rid of our excessive carbon dioxide without unduly wasting
our oxygen is a delicate and vital question," said Challenger, looking
round him after the five iron tubes had been laid side by side against
the wall. "With longer time for preparation I could have brought the
whole concentrated force of my intelligence to bear more fully upon the
problem, but as it is we must do what we can. The shrubs will be of some
small service. Two of the oxygen tubes are ready to be turned on at an
instant's notice, so that we cannot be taken unawares. At the same time,
it would be well not to go far from the room, as the crisis may be a
sudden and urgent one."

There was a br