Page:Clement Fezandié - Through the Earth.djvu/196

176 natural illusion, and it was only dispelled when he noticed, in passing one of the instruments that denoted the position of the car in the tube, that the cylinder which represented the car was now placed obliquely in the glass tube, and was slowly turning. Then the truth of the matter flashed upon him.

"Well, here's something new," he remarked gleefully. "Not only can I spin myself around as I please, but I can also spin the car around, and make it revolve in any direction I wish."

As he said these words he reached the wall of the car, and the mere act of grasping the straps brought both him and the car to a stop.

"This does beat everything!" he exclaimed, highly pleased at the novel experience. "If I was like a fish in a basket before, I'm now more like a squirrel in a rotary cage, and could keep the car spinning around all day by climbing around the inside! At present, however, I'm not much in the humor for anything of the sort, especially as the car will present a slightly greater resistance to the air in the tube unless the point is kept perpendicularly downward. Besides, I'm still thirsty, and I want to get that drink."

So saying, William, little dreaming what was in