device to secure that at least some record of their excursion in solar
distances should survive themselves.

Tearing a leaf from his note-book, he wrote down the name of the comet,
the list of the fragments of the earth it had carried off, the names
of his companions, and the date of the comet's aphelion; and having
subscribed it with his signature, turned to Nina and told her he must
have the carrier-pigeon which was nestling in her bosom.

The child's eyes filled with tears; she did not say a word, but
imprinting a kiss upon its soft plumage, she surrendered it at once, and
the message was hurriedly fastened to its neck. The bird wheeled round
and round in a few circles that widened in their diameter, and quickly
sunk to an altitude in the comet's atmosphere much inferior to the
balloon.

Some minutes more were thus consumed and the interval of distance was
reduced to less than 8,000 miles.

The velocity became inconceivably great, but the increased rate of
motion was in no way perceptible; there was nothing to disturb the
equilibrium of the car in which they were making their aerial adventure.

"Forty-six minutes!" announced the lieutenant.

The glowing expanse of the earth's disc seemed like a vast funnel,
yawning to receive the comet and its atmosphere, balloon and all, into
its open mouth.

"Forty-seven!" cried Procope.

There was half a minute yet. A thrill ran through every vein. A
vibration quivered through the atmosphere. The montgolfier, elongated
to its utmost stretch, was manifestly being sucked into a vortex. Every
passenger in the quivering car involuntarily clung spasmodically to its
sides, and as the two atmospheres amalgamated, clouds accumulated in
heavy masses, involving all around in dense obscurity, while flashes of
lurid flame threw a weird glimmer on the scene.

In a mystery every one found himself upon the earth again. They could
not explain it, but here they were once more upon terrestrial soil; in
a swoon they had left the earth, and in a similar swoon they had come
back!

Of the balloon not a vestige remained, and contrary to previous
computation, the comet had merely grazed the earth, and was traversing
the regions of space, again far away!

CHAPTER XIX. BACK AGAIN

"In Algeria, captain?"

"Yes, Ben Zoof, in Algeria; and not far from Mostaganem." Such were the
first words which, after their return to consciousness, were exchanged
between Servadac and his orderly.

Th