第68节
【】,ifabullethittheballoon” ”nonsequeall,exceptthataslightescapeofgaswould takeplace. ”there,othecloudsrouble anyreaboutus.” ”ithoughtthatohavehe baroteratthehotelhadfallenagooddeal;andtheclouds, beforearted,lookedlikeitbut,noeuphere,we donotseeove.” inaiheypassedthroughthelayerofclouds, andthesunshhtlyupoheylookeddownonaseaof ist,houtabreak. ”there,”ralphntinued,”ed.theseclouds beloove,nordowe.” ”youoecliersaid.”e direespeed,astheclouds.itisjustasif you.ifyouuldsee nobanks,orotherstationaryobjeightbelieveyourself tobestandingstill;edforthe rateoftilesanhour.aybetraveling,noyor fiftylesanhour;andasiagreehyou,astothelookofthe cloudsbeforestarting,ibelievethatany rate,thatravelingfastbutiion,orat rate,ihavenoans,ever,ofknowing. ”evenifoved,relativelytothecloudsbelowus, thatedifferent frohatbelow.” ”buthoofindoutaboutit”percyasked. ”ustkeepasharplookoutforriftsintheclouds.ifould getapeepoftheearth,onlyfora totellusthedireeextent,thespeedathwe aregoing.” theboys,invain,huheside.theseaofcloudsbeh thehanged,andsassesofvaporovereach other;asifaofsogiganticreptilesh the ”therestbeagreatdealofoatfortheserapid ,”percysaid,afteralongsilence.”supposeyou seenothingoftheearthateodesd” ”infivehoursfrohetiofstarting,attilesan hoursupposingthatthehhof theloire,soeleven ok,then,ioutgas;andgodoheclouds,to seesregheuntry,orsee anyriverayguideus,leastseeourdire andrateofvent;andeitherthrooreneers,and keeponforaonce.” ittenok,ry. ”thesea”hesaid;”thesea” ”iossible,”ecliersaid,hangiheside;”i seenothing.” ”nori,nopse,justnow, andiostsoitsbeihoughhoould getthere,idontknow.” ”ifitis,”theaeronautsaid,”theustbeblowinghalfa gale,uphere;andsthavegedentirely,eithertothe orsouth.itistooserioustohesitate;ustfindoutifyour eyeshavenotdeceivedyou.” sosaying,hepulledthevalve. ”keepasharplookout,andlookatthepass.” ”there,there”theboyscried,asthecloudsopenedagain,foran instant.”itisthesea,and.” ”thenoecliersaid. thegasthevalveabove,andtheballoonsank rapidlyintothestratufinute,all; ahell.theyonsiderable distancefroheast,andhgreat rapidity.iediatelyuheballoon sizeand,beyondthat,nolandeverwasvisible. ”ustdesdonthatisland,or.itisouronly ce.” thevalveillopen;anditsinfluencewaseasilyseen,for theballoonsankrapidlydhtheopeningoftheclouds. ”ed,siltaneously. ittooevident.theballoon,hefirstgeneralviewof thesituationhadbeenobtained,ilehigh;andwas travelingseailesanhour.theisland, atthepointatiles ileoverit,beforethey obtaine**irvieiherefore,theywouldbe beyondthelandagain;andtheyhadtofallale,inthatti. ”oecliersaid.”tearitup.we striskeverything.” theboysseizedthesilk,tore,andhackedatit;asdidthe aeronaut.intinutes,avastquantityofgashadescapedfrobr> therents,andthesilkhetopofthe. illustratiohesea ”thate, now.” theboyslookedoverthed,austodastheyhadbeento fager,alled. ”itisallupe,”ralphsaid;”weshallhe sshed,altogether.” ”no,”theaeronautexclaid,”thesilkisagasaparachute, hroallthe bundles.” theydidso,lyandhdifficulty;forthecarwas oscillatingsogreatlythattheyoholdon,byits side,nottobethro.thedesthanithad been,buting. ”isthereace”ralphsaid. ”offoecliersaid.”thecar isdeoficasaball.dropthe grapnel,noinute,hinholding distance.” astheballoonheground,theoseless violent,andthepaished. ”thegrapnelisontheground,”percysaid,lookingover. ”holdtight,holdtight,”ecliersaid,waingly.”we shallhfastontothosetrees.” thereendousjerks,and thenabuagainsttheground;allintothe bottofthecar,froutonto theground.fortuhegroundhesoilhad latelybeenploe nutesbeforeeitheroftheboysreverednsciousness.when theydidso,theyfoundthattenwereleaning overtheshe direoeclier,toholdtheballoonhwas thrashingthegroundhgreatviolence. ”thankgod,youareallalive,”ohegentlensaid. apeasantnoerunningup,eanwho hadspokendashedalittleintheirfaces. ”idonotthinkanyofyourlisar ...