staring out. I made a quick toilet, and hastened to Edmund's side.

"Good morning," he said heartily, taking my hand. "Look out here, and
tell me what you think of the prospect."

As I put my face close to the thick but very transparent glass covering
the window, my heart jumped into my mouth!

"In Heaven's name, where are we?" I cried out.

Jack, hearing my agitated exclamation, jumped out of his bunk and ran to
the window also. He gasped as he gazed out, and truly it was enough to
take away one's breath!

We appeared to be at an infinite elevation, and the sky, as black as ink,
was ablaze with stars, although the bright sunlight was streaming into
the opposite window behind us. I could see nothing of the earth.
Evidently we were too high for that.

"It must lie away down under our feet," I murmured half aloud, "so that
even the horizon has sunk out of sight. Heavens, what a height!"

I had that queer uncontrollable qualm that comes to every one who finds
himself suddenly on the edge of a soundless deep.

Presently I became aware that straight before us, but afar off, was a
most singular appearance in the sky. At first glance I thought that it
was a cloud, round and mottled, But it was strangely changeless in form,
and it had an unvaporous look.