eady in its radiance.

The most uncanny effect was produced by the absence of atmosphere around
us. Inside the car, where there was air, the sunlight, streaming through
one or more of the windows, was diffused and produced ordinary daylight.

But when we ventured outside we could only see things by halves. The
side of the car that the sun's rays touched was visible, the other side
was invisible, the light from the stars not making it bright enough to
affect the eye in contrast with the sun-illumined half.

As I held up my arm before my eyes, half of it seemed to be shaved off
lengthwise; a companion on the deck of the ship looked like half a man.
So the other electrical ships near us appeared as half ships, only the
illumined sides being visible.

We had now gotten so far away that the earth had taken on the appearance
of a heavenly body like the moon. Its colors had become all blended into
a golden-reddish hue, which overspread nearly its entire surface, except
at the poles, where there were broad patches of white. It was marvelous
to look at this huge orb behind us, while far beyond it shone the
blazing sun like an enormous star in the blackest of nights. In the
opposite direction appeared the silver orb of the moon, and scattered
all around were millions of brilliant stars, amid which, like fireflies,
flashed and sparkled the signal lights of the squadron.

A danger that might easily have been anticipated, that perhaps had been
anticipated, but against which it had been difficult, if not impossible,
to provide, presently manifested itself.

Looking out of a window toward the right, I suddenly noticed the lights
of a distant ship darting about in a curious curve. Instantly afterward,
another member of the squadron, nearer by, behaved in the same
inexplicable manner. Then two or three of the floating cars seemed to be
violently drawn from their courses and hurried rapidly in the direction
of the flagship. Immediately I perceived a small object, luridly
flaming, which seemed to move with immense speed in our direction.

The truth instantly flashed upon my mind, and I shouted to the other
occupants of the car:

"A meteor!"

And such indeed it was. We had met this mysterious wanderer in space at
a moment when we were moving in a direction at right angles to the path
it was pursuing around the sun. Small as it was, and its diameter
probably did not exceed a single foot, it was yet an independent little
world, and