登陆注册
15488900000035

第35章 Chapter XIII.(2)

"My God! what have I done?" gasped the American in alarm.

"Settled our fate, I have no doubt," muttered the Alphian from the darkness.

Johnston had recoiled from the whirling wheel, and now cautiously groped back to it, and attempted to turn it. It would not move.

"It has caught some way," he groaned under his breath.

"And we have no light to find the cause of the trouble," added the Alphian, who had knelt down and was feeling about the wheel.

Presently he rose.

"I give it up," he sighed, "I cannot understand it. The machinery is somewhere inside.""It has grown colder," shuddered Johnston.

"We were warmed by the light, of course," remarked Branasko, "and now we feel the dampness more. We are going at a frightful speed."Just then there was a jar, and the sun swung so violently from side to side that the two men were prostrated on the floor. The speed seemed to slacken.

"I wonder if we are going to stop," groaned the American, and he sat up and held to Branasko. "Perhaps they will draw us back to rectify the mistake, and then----""It cannot be done," interrupted the Alphian. "The machinery runs only one way. We shall simply have to finish our journey in darkness.""They may catch us on the other side before the sun starts back through the tunnel," suggested the American.

"Not unlikely," returned Branasko. "There, we are going ahead again. One thing in our favor is that we can more easily escape capture in darkness than if the sun were shining.""Does the sun stop before entering the tunnel?""I do not know," replied Branasko; "perhaps somebody will be there to see what is wrong with the light. We must have our wits about us when we land."Johnston was looking over the edge of the platform. "If the king's display is taking place down there I can see no sign of it.""How stupid of us!" ejaculated Branasko. "Of course, clouds sufficiently dense to hide the sun from Alpha would also prevent us from seeing the display below. I ought to----"He was interrupted by a grand outburst of harmony. The whole earth seemed to vibrate with sublime melody. "Our blunder has not been discovered yet," finished Branasko, after a pause, "else the fete down below would have been over. I am cold; shall we go inside?"Johnston's answer was taken out of his mouth by a loud rattling beneath the floor, near the wheel he had just turned; the sun shook spasmodically for an instant, and its entire surface was faintly illuminated, but the light failed signally.

"It must have been an extra current of electricity sent to relight the lamps," remarked Johnston; and, as he concluded, the sun trembled again, and another flash and failure occurred. "Look,"cried the American, "the clouds are thinning; see the lights below! They have discovered the accident!"They both leaned over the railing and looked below. As far as the eye could reach, within the arc of their vision, they could see fitful lights flashing up, here and there, and going out again.

And then they heard faint sounds of crashing masonry and the condensed roar of human voices, which seemed to come from above rather than from below. The Alphian turned. "I cannot stand the cold," he said.

Johnston followed him. The rapid motion of the swinging sphere made him dizzy, and he caught Branasko's arm to keep from falling.

"How can we tell when we go over the wall?" he asked anxiously.

"We shall have to guess at it," was the answer. "At any rate we must be near the lower door so as to get out quickly if it is necessary to do so to escape detection."In the darkness they slowly made their way down the stairs to the great room.

"There ought to be some way of making a light," said the Alphian, and his voice sounded loud and hollow in the empty chamber. After several failures to find the stairs they descended to the door they had entered. Branasko opened it a little, and a breeze came in. They sat down on the stone, and after a while, in sheer fatigue, they fell asleep. Hours passed. Branasko rose with a start, and shook Johnston.

"Our speed is lessening," he exclaimed. "We must be going down. Be ready to jump out the instant we stop. There, let me open the door wider."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 中纪委推荐:历史的教训

    中纪委推荐:历史的教训

    本书是响应习近平号召牢记历史的教训,中纪委推介的“2015新年第一书”,王岐山最新推荐!《中国新闻出版报》优秀畅销书榜总榜第一名!美国普利策奖获得者的传世经典,浓缩对历史经验教训的独特见解! 本书是美国著名学者、“普利策奖”获得者威尔杜兰特及其夫人阿里尔杜兰特的代表作。《历史的教训》浓缩了11卷《世界文明史》的精华,通过提纲挈领的线条,勾勒出历史与人类生活各方面的关系,详细说明了地理条件、经济状况、种族优劣、人类本性、宗教活动、社会主义、政府、战争、道德、盛衰定律、生物进化等在历史中所扮演的角色,并总结出历史留给人们的巨大精神遗产。 这些精神遗产给改革中的国人以启迪与警鉴,使其更加智慧地面对当下和未来。
  • 王的穿越妃

    王的穿越妃

    年纪轻轻就患恶疾离世的阑珊,在再次睁开眼睛的时候,就成了这女尊国的储君。却被圣旨下嫁给了北冥国摄政王。那个传说中冷血残忍杀人如麻的男人,姬妾无数但没有正妃。她原以为生活会过得像地狱,却被那个男人宠上了天。一切是真象还是假象,在她渐渐沉溺的理智里,一切都变得不一样了。
  • 灵动苍天

    灵动苍天

    灵动三界天地颤动至九霄云震撼苍茫大陆任我闯天地之间谁敢挡
  • 平行梦空间

    平行梦空间

    从另一个空间来到这个不一样的空间,学会了一切,但是‘梦’真的只是梦吗?为什么有些梦会成为现实?为什么我们会有似曾相识的感觉?
  • 绝命征途

    绝命征途

    不经世事,入世尘留,为了传承之恋逐浪天下。
  • 三世迷离一世殇

    三世迷离一世殇

    几许情深深几许,几世迷离几世殇?他毁她数次,她只冷笑一声,轻抵住他的剑身。罂粟花般魔媚的眼光,扫了扫面前不能自拔的他,声音如寒冰般刺骨,“嗯哼?你要保这天下?你要护这苍生?我却偏要这天下生灵涂炭、草木成灰。
  • 倾世魔妃:娘子,你别跑

    倾世魔妃:娘子,你别跑

    千年前,她明知那是他为她设的局,她还是去了。可是她不知道,这一去就让她那数百亲信仆从都死于非命魂飞魄散。千年后,她忘却前尘,居于幕后让着六界变成她的棋局。“只要你付得起代价,我就能实现你的愿望。”“哈哈哈……世人都把爱情挂在嘴边,可到来复活爱人的时候却都不愿意拿自己的命去换心爱之人的复活。”她在世人眼中冷血无情,在他面前乖张任性。“紫衍,你未必也太小气了,堂堂龙君送人美酒竟然就送这么一点?”直到遇到那个所谓的魔君,什么本尊等了你千年寻了你千年却不想你竟成了别人的未婚妻?曾经的记忆渐渐复苏,她不要重蹈覆辙,不要在忍受这无法忘却的痛苦。“呵……那些虚无缥缈的东西,你不是不信么?”
  • 全服引黑:误爱暴力萝莉

    全服引黑:误爱暴力萝莉

    职业玩家的她,什么游戏一看便知,如此资深的她竟然被解约?好啊!第一天被骂开本,被群殴,你眼瞎还是脑残??好,这么对她想过后果?呵!升为满级,大杀四方。你们逼我的!之后满级遇见了目前天下第一的大神?许萧萧直接把技能全甩过去扑街……之后被私聊隐蔽,有人要打架开红,直到合服后一一单区引黑的她秒变全服引黑!各大公会联盟杀她,各大高手偷袭谋杀……每次都有大神在?太坑爹了吧!最后在一起,许萧萧问道一一“你后悔吗。”“不,能遇见你是最大的幸福。”
  • 高冷Boss深深爱

    高冷Boss深深爱

    筱佑说:米雪,你是个懦夫。当年做错的明明是那两个混蛋,为什么最后逃的却是你?米雪不可置否。四年后的今天,她再度回到E市,一切却已物是人非。曾经带给她巨大伤害的两个人,一个,已经成为了风靡亚洲的巨星,与昔日她的好友打得火热。另一个,则终于摆脱“私生子"的身份,成为许氏炙手可热的未来继承人,不日就要举行订婚。被过去伤害得体无完肤的,自始至终,只有她一个人而已……
  • 明伦汇编人事典十二岁部

    明伦汇编人事典十二岁部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。