"Well, then," said he, "look at the sun. The sun has swung round to the west, but hasn't fallen any." I looked at the sun, which, sure enough, stood as high as at mid-day. I was paralyzed with a nameless dread. I stood rooted to the deck in anticipation of some dreadful horror. "Good heavens!" I gasped, "what--what do you mean?" "I mean," said he, "the sun is not going to fall again on this course. It's we who are going to fall." "The sun will fall to its usual position at midnight," I stammered; "wait--wait till midnight." "The sun won't fall at midnight," said the professor. "I am afraid to tell you why," he added. "In God's name," I shouted, "tell me the meaning of this!" I will never forget the feeling that crazed me as the professor said: "I fear, commander, we are falling into the interior of the earth!" "You are mad, sir!" I shouted. "It cannot be--we are sailing to the North Pole." "Wait till midnight, commander," said he, shaking my hand. I took his hand and echoed his words--"Wait till midnight." After a pause I inquired if he had mentioned his extraordinary fears to any one else. "Not a soul," he replied. "Then," said I, "say nothing to anybody until midnight." "Ay, ay, sir," said he, and disappeared. The sailors evidently expected that something was going to happen on account of the sun standing still in the heavens. They were gathered in groups on deck discussing the situation with bated breath. I noticed them looking at me with wild eyes, like sheep cornered for execution. The officers avoided calling my attention to the unusual sight, possibly divining I was already fully excited by it. Never was midnight looked for so eagerly by any mortal on earth as I awaited the dreadful hour that would either confirm or dispel my fears. Midnight came and the sun had not fallen in the sky! There he stood as high as at noonday, at least five degrees higher than his position twenty-four hours before. Professor Starbottle, approaching me, said: "Commander, my prognostication was correct; you see the sun's elevation is unchanged since mid-day. Now one of two things has happened--either the axis of the earth has approached five degrees nearer the plane of its orbit since mid-day or we are sailing down into a subterranean gulf! That the former is impossible, mid-day to-day will disprove. If my theory of a subterranean sea is correct, the sun will fall below the horizon at mid-day, and our only light will be the earth-light of the opposite mouth of the gulf into which we are rapidly sinking." "Professor," said I, "tell the officers and the scientific staff to meet me at once in the cabin. This is a tremendous crisis!" Ere I could leave the deck the captain, officers, doctor, naturalist, Professor Rackiron, and many of the crew surrounded me, all in a state of the greatest consternation. CHAPTER VI. DAY BECOMES NIGHT AND NIGHT DAY.