n.

"Not unlikely," returned Branasko. "There, we are going ahead again. One
thing in our favor is that we can more easily escape capture in darkness
than if the sun were shining."

"Does the sun stop before entering the tunnel?"

"I do not know," replied Branasko; "perhaps somebody will be there to
see what is wrong with the light. We must have our wits about us when we
land."

Johnston was looking over the edge of the platform. "If the king's
display is taking place down there I can see no sign of it."

"How stupid of us!" ejaculated Branasko. "Of course, clouds sufficiently
dense to hide the sun from Alpha would also prevent us from seeing the
display below. I ought to----"

He was interrupted by a grand outburst of harmony. The whole earth
seemed to vibrate with sublime melody. "Our blunder has not been
discovered yet," finished Branasko, after a pause, "else the fete down
below would have been over. I am cold; shall we go inside?"

Johnston's answer was taken out of his mouth by a loud rattling
beneath the floor, near the wheel he had just turned; the sun shook
spasmodically for an instant, and its entire surface was faintly
illuminated, but the light failed signally.

"It must have been an extra current of electricity sent to relight the
lamps," remarked Johnston; and, as he concluded, the sun trembled again,
and another flash and failure occurred. "Look," cried the American,
"the clouds are thinning; see the lights below! They have discovered the
accident!"

They both leaned over the railing and looked below. As far as the eye
could reach, within the arc of their vision, they could see fitful
lights flashing up, here and there, and going out again. And then they
heard faint sounds of crashing masonry and the condensed roar of human
voices, which seemed to come from above rather than from below. The
Alphian turned. "I cannot stand the cold," he said.

Johnston followed him. The rapid motion of the swinging sphere made him
dizzy, and he caught Branasko's arm to keep from falling.

"How can we tell when we go over the wall?" he asked anxiously.

"We shall have to guess at it," was the answer. "At any rate we must be
near the lower door so as to get out quickly if it is necessary to do so
to escape detection."

In the darkness they slowly made their way down the stairs to the great
room.

"There ought to be some way of making a light," said the Alphian, and
his voice sounded loud and hollow in the e