Page:Clement Fezandié - Through the Earth.djvu/221

Rh "Why, whatever can this mean?" exclaimed William, in fresh surprise. "Nothing here ever seems to happen the way I expect. Just as I had made up my mind to he the champion heavyweight of the world, bodies begin to grow light again, and with no apparent cause. It is impossible that we can have already passed the center of the earth."

A glance at the telemeter confirmed this impression, for it showed that the car was still quite a distance from the center. What, then, could cause this diminution in the weight of bodies! Only one thing, namely, a decrease in the velocity of the car. But the speed of the car, instead of diminishing, ought to have been increasing every second.

"H'm!" exclaimed William, "here's a fresh puzzle. Objects in the car now seem to be getting lighter and lighter, although I have n't yet passed the center of the earth. It would be a pity if four ounces to the pound were to be the greatest weight I shall have. I was beginning to think that my weight would keep on increasing until I weighed four or five hundred pounds and could n't drag myself about any longer."

There was only one small flaw in our hero's