ead, they could see
nothing; but, as the great orb gradually disappeared, they began to see
lights and the figures of men moving about below. Later they observed
the polished parts of stupendous machinery--machinery that moved almost
noiselessly.

Johnston caught sight of a great net-work of moving cables reaching
from the machinery up through the hole above and exclaimed
enthusiastically:--"A mechanical sun! electric daylight! What genius!
A world in a great cave! Hundreds of square miles and thousands of well
organized people living under the light of an artificial sun!"

The Alphian looked at him astonished. "Is it not so in your country?" he
asked.

Johnston smiled. "The great sun that lights the outer world is as much
greater than that ball of light as Alpha is greater than a grain of
sand. But this surely is the greatest achievement of man. But while I
now understand how your sun goes over the whole of Alpha, I cannot see
how it returns."

"Then you have not heard of the great tunnel of the Sun," replied the
Alphian.

"No,what is it?"

"It runs beneath Alpha and connects the rising and setting points of the
sun. There is a point beneath the king's palace where, by a staircase,
the king and his officers may go down and inspect the sun as it is on
its way back to the east during the day."

"Wonderful!"

"And once a year a royal party goes in the sun over its entire course.
It is said that it is sumptuously furnished inside, and not too warm,
the lights being only innumerable small ones on the outside."

The two men were silent for a moment then Johnston said:

"Perhaps we might be able to get into it unobserved and be thus carried
over to the other side, or reach the palace through the tunnel."

Branasko started convulsively, and then, as he looked into the earnest
eyes of the American, he said despondently:

"We have got to die, anyway; it may be well for us to think of it; but
on the other side, in the Barrens, there is no more chance for escape
than here. But the adventure would at least give us something to think
about; let's try it."

"All right; but how can we get down there where the sun starts to rise?"
asked the American, peering cautiously over the edge of the hole.

"There must be some way," answered Branasko. "Ah, see! further to the
left there are some ledges; let's see what can be done that way."

"I am with you."

The rays of the departing sun were almost gone, and the electric li