The upper and lower traps were opened in the air chamber, and they rapidly descended to within five or six hundred feet of the earth. They could plainly see that the foliage was being thrashed with great violence by the gale. "How shall we manage to safely anchor in this awful wind, Doctor?" asked Will anxiously. "Do you see that high range of hills just ahead?" "Yes." "Well, they run east and west. We will drop immediately upon the other side of them. There it must be comparatively calm. But sharp is the word! We are there now!" Downward dropped the great ship behind the sheltering crest of the hills, and she, in a moment or two, was skimming quite easily along, just above the treetops. In what appeared to be a great park, the anchor was dropped into the top of a tree. It held securely, and Will and Denison descended in the cage and made a very strong aluminum cable fast about the trunk of the tree. After all was made secure, Dr. Jones and Professor Gray also descended. The little company then began looking around for signs of life. "I see a large stone building down this avenue," cried Will. "The Professor and I will prospect the place, while you two had better remain here until our return," said the Doctor. Accordingly they set off at a lively pace toward the building. As they approached it they looked in vain for signs of human life. They found it to be a massive ancient castle, standing in the midst of an extensive grove or park. They were somewhat awed by the deathlike silence that pervaded the place. They, however, stepped up to a massive oaken door, and Dr. Jones seized the ponderous iron knocker and struck several vigorous blows. They waited two or three minutes, but could hear no sounds within. "We have struck an enchanted castle, and I must see if I cannot awake the Sleeping Beauty within," said Dr. Jones, and he was about to apply the knocker again, when a deep bass voice from a window above addressed them in a language with which they were unfamiliar. "We cannot speak your language. Do you speak English?" asked Dr. Jones. "Are you men, angels, or devils, and what do you want," returned the voice in fairly good English. The Doctor hastened to give the desired information, and told who they were, etc., concisely as possible. "What is that fearful and wonderful silver ball or globe in which you dropped from the skies among us?" After further explanations the bars were removed, and the massive door swung slowly open. There stood before them a large, black-bearded man, holding by the collars two large Russian hounds. The brutes growled and showed their horrid fangs in a way that made the visitors cringe and draw back.