The Land of the Changing Sun [23]
they both rolled back on the level stone.
"Good," cried the Alphian, trying to catch his breath, which Johnston had knocked out of him by the fall. "You did better than I; you are lighter."
"Where shall we go now?" asked Johnston, regaining his feet and feeling of his legs and arms to see if he had broken any bones.
"Down this winding path to the place where I saw that light. I want to understand it. But you must first eat this fish. It is delicious. They are swarming in the pools below."
"And water?" said Johnston.
"An abundance of it, and as cold as ice."
As Branasko preceded him down the tortuous path, Johnston ate the raw fish eagerly. Presently they came to a deep pool of water, and both men threw themselves down on their stomachs and drank freely. After this they proceeded slowly for several hundred yards, and finally reached the entrance to the cave in which Branasko had seen the light. At that distance it looked like the light of some great conflagration reflected from the face of a cliff.
They entered the cave and made good progress toward the light, for it showed them the dangerous fissures, sharp boulders and stalactites. They had walked along in silence for several minutes when the Alphian stopped abruptly and turned to his companion. What is the matter?" asked Johnston.
"It cannot come from the internal fires," replied Branasko,"for the atmosphere grows cooler as we get nearer the light and away from the chasm."
Johnston was too much puzzled to formulate a reply, and he simply waited for the Alphian to continue.
"Let's go on," said Branasko; and in his tone and hesitating manner Johnston detected the first appearance of superstitious fear that he had seen in the brawny Alphian.
Chapter VIII.
As Thorndyke watched the flying machine that was bearing his friend away a genuine feeling of pity went over him. Poor Johnston! He had been haunted all day with the belief that he was to meet with some misfortune from which Thorndyke was to be spared, and Thorndyke had ridiculed his fears. When the air-ship had become a mere speck in the sky, the Englishman turned back into the palace and strolled about in the vast crowd.
A handsome young man in uniform approached and touched his hat:
"Are you the comrade of the fellow they are just sending away?" he asked.
"Yes. Where are they taking him?"
"To the 'Barrens,' of course; where do you suppose they would take such a man? He couldn't pass his examination. You are not a great physical success yourself, but they say you pleased the king with your tongue."
"To the Barrens," repeated Thorndyke, too much concerned over the fate of his comrade to notice the speaker's tone of contempt; "what are they, where are they?"
The Alphian officer changed countenance, as he looked him over with widening eyes.
"Your accent is strange; are you from the other world?"
"I suppose so,--this is a new one to me at any rate."
"The world of endless oceans?"
"Yes."
"And the unchanging sun--forever white and ----?"
"Yes; but where the devil is the Barrens?"
"Behind the sun, beyond the great endless wall."
"Do they intend to put him to death?"
"No, that would be--what do you call it? murder; they will simply leave him there to die of his own accord. And the king is right. I never saw such a weakling. He would taint our whole race with his presence."
Without a word Thorndyke abruptly turned from the officer and hastened toward the apartment of the king. He would demand the return of poor Johnston or kill the king if his demand was not granted. In his haste and perturbation, however, he lost his way and wandered into a part of the palace he had not seen. At every step he was more and more impressed with the magnificent proportions of the structure and the grandeur of everything about it.
Passing hurriedly through a large hall he saw an assemblage of beautiful women and handsome men dancing to the music of a great orchestra. Further on--in a great court--a regiment of soldiers were drilling, their rapid evolutions making
"Good," cried the Alphian, trying to catch his breath, which Johnston had knocked out of him by the fall. "You did better than I; you are lighter."
"Where shall we go now?" asked Johnston, regaining his feet and feeling of his legs and arms to see if he had broken any bones.
"Down this winding path to the place where I saw that light. I want to understand it. But you must first eat this fish. It is delicious. They are swarming in the pools below."
"And water?" said Johnston.
"An abundance of it, and as cold as ice."
As Branasko preceded him down the tortuous path, Johnston ate the raw fish eagerly. Presently they came to a deep pool of water, and both men threw themselves down on their stomachs and drank freely. After this they proceeded slowly for several hundred yards, and finally reached the entrance to the cave in which Branasko had seen the light. At that distance it looked like the light of some great conflagration reflected from the face of a cliff.
They entered the cave and made good progress toward the light, for it showed them the dangerous fissures, sharp boulders and stalactites. They had walked along in silence for several minutes when the Alphian stopped abruptly and turned to his companion. What is the matter?" asked Johnston.
"It cannot come from the internal fires," replied Branasko,"for the atmosphere grows cooler as we get nearer the light and away from the chasm."
Johnston was too much puzzled to formulate a reply, and he simply waited for the Alphian to continue.
"Let's go on," said Branasko; and in his tone and hesitating manner Johnston detected the first appearance of superstitious fear that he had seen in the brawny Alphian.
Chapter VIII.
As Thorndyke watched the flying machine that was bearing his friend away a genuine feeling of pity went over him. Poor Johnston! He had been haunted all day with the belief that he was to meet with some misfortune from which Thorndyke was to be spared, and Thorndyke had ridiculed his fears. When the air-ship had become a mere speck in the sky, the Englishman turned back into the palace and strolled about in the vast crowd.
A handsome young man in uniform approached and touched his hat:
"Are you the comrade of the fellow they are just sending away?" he asked.
"Yes. Where are they taking him?"
"To the 'Barrens,' of course; where do you suppose they would take such a man? He couldn't pass his examination. You are not a great physical success yourself, but they say you pleased the king with your tongue."
"To the Barrens," repeated Thorndyke, too much concerned over the fate of his comrade to notice the speaker's tone of contempt; "what are they, where are they?"
The Alphian officer changed countenance, as he looked him over with widening eyes.
"Your accent is strange; are you from the other world?"
"I suppose so,--this is a new one to me at any rate."
"The world of endless oceans?"
"Yes."
"And the unchanging sun--forever white and ----?"
"Yes; but where the devil is the Barrens?"
"Behind the sun, beyond the great endless wall."
"Do they intend to put him to death?"
"No, that would be--what do you call it? murder; they will simply leave him there to die of his own accord. And the king is right. I never saw such a weakling. He would taint our whole race with his presence."
Without a word Thorndyke abruptly turned from the officer and hastened toward the apartment of the king. He would demand the return of poor Johnston or kill the king if his demand was not granted. In his haste and perturbation, however, he lost his way and wandered into a part of the palace he had not seen. At every step he was more and more impressed with the magnificent proportions of the structure and the grandeur of everything about it.
Passing hurriedly through a large hall he saw an assemblage of beautiful women and handsome men dancing to the music of a great orchestra. Further on--in a great court--a regiment of soldiers were drilling, their rapid evolutions making