hine rose and Johnston's spirits sank as they shot upward
and floated easily over the humming crowd into the free white light
above the smokeless city. The poor captive leaned on the window-sill
and looked out. There was no breeze, and no current of air except that
caused by their rapid passage through the atmosphere.

Up, up, they went, till the city seemed a blur of mingled white and
gray, and then the color below changed to a vague blue as they flew over
the fields of the open country.

The first officer took a glass and a decanter from a receptacle under a
seat, and, pouring a little red fluid into the glass, offered it to the
American.

"Drink it," he said, "it will put you to sleep for a time."

"I don't want to be drugged."

"The journey will try your nerves. It is harmless."

"I don't want it; if I take it, you will have to pour it down my
throat."

The officer smiled as he put the glass and decanter away. Faster and
faster flew the machine. They had to put the window down, for the
current of 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 red light shimmered down and veiled the earth with such a
beautiful translucent haze that the poor American for a moment almost
forgot his trouble.

The afternoon came on. The sunlight became successively green, white,
blue, lavender, rose and gray. The sun was no longer in sight and the
gray in the west was darkening into purple, the last hour of the day.
Night was at hand. Johnston's limbs were growing stiff from inaction,
and he had 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 dimmer till at last they were in total
darkness--darkness pierced only by the powerful search-light which threw
its dazzling, trumpet-shaped rays far ahead. But, search as he would
in the direction they were going, the unfortunate American could see
nothing but the ever-receding wall of blackness.

Suddenly they began to descend. The officers awoke and stretched
themselves and yawned. One of them opened the window and Johnston heard
a far-off, roaring sound like that of a multitude of skaters on a vast
sheet of ice.

Down, down, they dropped. Johnston's heart