Part 14 (1/2)
”Captain Tradmos likes you and has consented to aid us. We shall need an air-s.h.i.+p and he has one at his disposal which is used only for governmental purposes.”
”What do you want with the air-s.h.i.+p?”
”To go beyond and over the great wall.”
”But can we get away from here without being seen?”
”Under ordinary circ.u.mstances, neither by day nor night, but tomorrow the king has planned to let his people witness a 'War of the Elements.'”
”A War of the Elements?”
”Yes, the grandest fete of Alpha. There will be a frightful storm in the sky; no light for hours; the thunder will be musical and the lightning will seem to set the world on fire. That will be our chance. When it is darkest we shall try to get away unseen. We may fail. Such a daring thing has never been attempted by any one. If we are detected we shall suffer death as the penalty, the king could never pardon such a bold violation of law.”
Chapter XI.
Johnston clung tenaciously to the rock. He tried to look down to see if the barge had pa.s.sed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so. Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
His fingers were benumbed and beginning to slip. Then he fell. The air whizzed in his ears. He tried to keep his feet downward, but it was no use. He was whirled heels over head many times, and his senses were leaving him when he was restored by a plunge into the cold water.
Down he sank. It seemed to him that he never would lose his momentum and that he would strangle before he could rise to the surface. Finally, however, he came up more dead than alive. He had narrowly missed the flat-boat, for he saw it receding from him only a few yards away. On the sh.o.r.e stood Branasko motioning to him; and, slowly, for his strength was almost gone, Johnston swam toward him.
The latter waded out into the shallow water and drew him ash.o.r.e.
”You had a narrow escape,” he said, with a dry laugh. ”I saw the boat come from under the cliff just as you hung down from the ledge. At first I hoped that you would get back on the rock, but when I saw you try and do it and fail I thought that you were lost.”
The American could not speak for exhaustion; but, as he looked at the departing craft with concern, Branasko laughed again: ”Oh, you thought it had a crew; so did I at first, but it has no one aboard. It is drawn by a cable, and seems to be laden with coal.”
”Did they notice our fall up there?” panted Johnston, nodding toward the lights in the distance.
”No, they are farther away than I thought.”
”Well, what ought we to do?” ”Hide here among the rocks till our clothing dries and then look about us. We have nearly twenty-four hours to wait for the sun to return through the tunnel.”
”Where is the tunnel?”
”Over on the other side of that black hill. There, you can see the mouth of the tunnel through which the sun comes.”
”We need sleep,” said the Alphian, when their clothing was dry, ”and it may be a long time before we get a chance to get it. Let us lie down in the shadow of that rock and rest.”
Johnston consented, and, lying down together, they soon dropped asleep.
They slept soundly.
Johnston was the first to awake. He felt so refreshed that he knew he must have been unconscious several hours. He touched Branasko and the latter sat up and rubbed his eyes and looked about him bewildered.
”I had a horrible dream,” he said shuddering. ”I thought that we were in the sun and over the capital city when it fell down. I thought the fall was awful, and that all Alpha was aflame. Then the fires went out.
Everything was black, and the whole world rang with cries of terrified people. Ugh! I don't want to dream so again; I'd rather not sleep at all. But hus.h.!.+ what is that?”
Far away, as if in the centre of the earth, they heard a low monotonous rumbling. They listened breathlessly. Every moment the sound increased.