Page:Clement Fezandié - Through the Earth.djvu/170

150 would, if the same body were placed where it would have no weight, suffice to impart to it an acceleration of thirty-two feet per second. In other words, all motions which I would make on the earth in direct opposition to the attraction of gravitation will, now that I have no weight, be made thirty-two times as fast. Of course all my motions are not of this character, but, on the whole, the average speed of my movements is considerably increased."

So far, so good. But interested though William was in explaining this curious mechanical effect, his present desire was to get to the bottom of the car as soon as possible; and his efforts, in spite of the violence of his movements, carried him but slowly forward.

"I guess I'll have to give it up!" he exclaimed, at length. "This is too slow work."

So saying, he stopped his exertions for a breathing-spell. But, to his surprise, he saw that, although he had stopped swimming, he was still slowly progressing.

"Sure enough!" he exclaimed joyfully. "I was forgetting that, now that the attraction of gravitation no longer has to be taken into account, any motion I make will continue indefinitely, or