Page:Clement Fezandié - Through the Earth.djvu/175

Rh falling with exactly the same speed as the car itself, they no longer possessed any weight, and it was consequently just as easy to move a body upward as downward, or to one side of the car. The result of William's jump was accordingly to carry him up toward the ceiling with great rapidity; but, owing to his bent position at the start, instead of going straight up, he found himself turning a series of somersaults as he rose in the air.

In vain he tried to stop himself. The impetus he had acquired was too great, and up he went, spinning like a top. Fortunately, the trip was not long, and he soon reached the ceiling. But, to his surprise, instead of stopping there, he struck against the cushions, and then bounced back toward the floor again, still spinning quite rapidly.

Poor William was highly alarmed at this completely unexpected turn of affairs.

"Good heavens!" he exclaimed; "it looks as if I was going to keep on bouncing up and down, and spinning round and round, until I am stopped by the resistance of the air and the elasticity of the cushions! This will never do, because I already begin to feel terribly dizzy."