stretched ourselves on the abyss of air and swept
downward to Egyplosis.

"'Our flight was exultant and swift. We soared over mighty ranges of
mountains and swept into wide valleys with the ecstasy of birds. What
a splendid fact to communicate to the outer world--that man, denied
for untold ages the power of flight, may now inhabit a world of
incomparable beauty, where it is easier to fly than to walk and a
thousand times more enjoyable! The powers of the body and the raptures
of the soul are not in themselves limited. It is simply a question of
environment. No sooner do we inhabit a new environment than both body
and soul expand themselves and fill the greater amplitude as easily as
that more restricted one. Give the world, weary with ennui, a fresh
joy, and see how eager its enjoyment thereof, how voraciously it
feasts on the newly-found delight.

"We descended to the level of the mountain peaks, and, sure enough,
Flathootly, taking his stand on a lofty crag, would flap his wings and
sail to the next mountain like an albatross. When alighting on one of
the peaks he frightened an immense bird from its nest on a cliff. It
was the seemorgh, a bird of prey, as large as six eagles, with wings
measuring twenty feet from tip to tip. It ferociously flew at
Flathootly as he tried to escape it, and caught him with its claws,
fastening its strong beak in the back of his neck.

"It was a perilous position for my companion.

"I flew to his rescue. He was badly frightened, and kept shouting,
'Kill the baste!' The bird being on Flathootly's back, rendered him
powerless to cope with it. Suddenly the bird let go its grip of his
neck and took hold of his head in its claws, with the idea of carrying
him off to its eyrie. Coming behind the monster unseen, I managed by a
well-directed blow to transfix him with my magnic spear. The seemorgh,
with wide-distended wings and head falling limp on its breast, slowly
revolving, descended to the earth, the first enemy to fall on land at
the hands of the invader.

"Flathootly now avoided the mountains. He had a narrow escape, but,
excepting an ugly wound in his neck, was otherwise unscathed.

"We continued our flight to Egyplosis, dimly visible in the vault
before us. We continued to traverse the inner curve of the planet,
Atvatabar surrounding us on all sides except that part of the sphere
above us which was concealed by the brilliancy of Swang.

"Owing to the uniform heat and density of