Part 7 (1/2)
”It is unbreakable gla.s.s!” said Evans.
It appeared as though the pane was made of gla.s.s toughened on the Siemens system--as after several blows it remained intact.
The light had now increased, and Phil Evans could see for some distance within the radius allowed by the frame.
”What do you see?” asked Uncle Prudent.
”Nothing.”
”What? Not any trees?”
”No.”
”Not even the top branches?”
”No.”
”Then we are not in the clearing?”
”Neither in the clearing nor in the park.”
”Don't you see any roofs of houses or monuments?” said Prudent, whose disappointment and anger were increasing rapidly.
”No.”
”What! Not a flagstaff, nor a church tower, nor a chimney?”
”Nothing but s.p.a.ce.”
As he uttered the words the door opened. A man appeared on the threshold. It was Robur.
”Honorable balloonists” he said, in a serious voice, ”you are now free to go and come as you like.”
”Free!” exclaimed Uncle Prudent.
”Yes--within the limits of the ”Albatross!”
Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans rushed out of their prison. And what did they see?
Four thousand feet below them the face of a country they sought in vain to recognize.
Chapter VII
ON BOARD THE ALBATROSS
”When will man cease to crawl in the depths to live in the azure and quiet of the sky?”
To this question of Camille Flammarion's the answer is easy. It will be when the progress of mechanics has enabled us to solve the problem of aviation. And in a few years--as we can foresee--a more practical utilization of electricity will do much towards that solution.