Page:Amazing Stories Volume 10 Number 13.djvu/133

Rh which has no relation whatever to true gravitational forces. The air has lightened considerably but not enough to seriously affect our respiration.

"But we must all rest now, if possible. We dare not leave here to get food and water until some gravity returns, if it ever does come back. You can take your choice for sleeping. Try the floor first, but if you don't like that you can sleep on the ceiling. There is some danger in sleeping above the floor, for when gravity returns it may do so suddenly, which would give you a bad fall."

It was a strange and never to be forgotten period of rest for these four. It could not be called a night, for night seemed now a permanent thing, awful in its black intensity. No stars shone in the cloudless sky, and the dim twilight of a normal night had given away to an apparently absolute nothingness. Even the beam from a powerful flashlight which Alan directed through the window was absorbed within the space of a few feet.

Yet the absolute comfort of that rest was unbelievable. Freed of gravitational forces, even the hard floor was queerly soft, for they had some difficulty in forcing their bodies into contact with it. Alan, forgetting for the moment, that all objects were affected alike, attempted to force himself downward by a swift push on the table. The results were disastrous, for the table sped swiftly to the ceiling, from which it was recovered only with great difficulty.

But the rest time ended at last, and, much refreshed, they arose to find that the earth's gravity had indeed partially returned, though their steps were lightly taken. Sounds were also heard, and by talking loudly and distinctly they found that they could communicate without the aid of writing. A dim twilight replaced the terrible blackness of a few hours before, but an intense cold had settled around them.

"Dad," asked Mary, shivering, "will this cold stay here always?"

"That is hard to say," replied Dr. Howell, gravely, "but I have reasons for thinking that it will stay until the sun comes up to warm the earth. Your guess is as good as mine as to just when that will happen."

"But, Frank," said Mrs. Howell, "I thought you told me you had a ray generator which would set the earth to spinning again."

"Yes, that is true. I have such a machine, but it is small and maybe too weak for the purpose. I had intended to use it as a demonstrator to show how this disruptive force could be overcome, and then have a large one built."

"Dr. Howell! Doctor! Come out and look, quick!" Alan interrupted. He had gone outside with the intention of securing food from the house.

"Look, the island has moved! We're not on an island any more,—it's part of the mainland!"

T was true, the jarring stop of the earth had shifted the Crawling Stone bodily across the lake and into the eastern shore. It was now a part of the mainland. Carefully they made their way across the jagged peak marking the place where the fusion of these two bodies had occurred. But no signs of life were apparent, and they returned again to hold council and plan for an unknown future. For this was to be a battle for survival against strange new elements of Nature. The fit alone might live.

Hours of agony and suffering followed,—hours which lengthened into days, and days which lengthened in-