Page:Clement Fezandié - Through the Earth.djvu/163

Rh only somebody else in the car, he could throw a chair or something at me, and so knock me close enough to the wall to enable me to catch hold of one of the straps; but there being nobody with me, there seems no possible means of my reaching the floor."

It was indeed an awkward predicament, and the more William puzzled over the problem, the more difficult did it appear, until finally an idea struck him.

"If I only had a heavy weight here with me," said he, "I could reach the side of the car fast enough; for by throwing the weight with all my force toward one side of the car, the reaction would be sufficient to push me in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, the heaviest thing I have in my pockets is my jack-knife, and that is much too light for the purpose. I could, of course, cut off one of my arms and use that for a weight. By throwing it in any direction my body would certainly be pushed back in the opposite direction until I reached the walls of the car; and once I could get hold of the straps, I should be all right. This method would be sure to succeed, but it's one I should wish to be excused from trying."

William's theory, singular though it may