“I have a mind to turn off the current for a moment anyway,” he said doggedly; “if the sun is hidden they would not discover it.” Branasko came to him, a weird look of interest in his eyes. “That is true,” he said; “besides, what matters it? We may not live to see another day.” Johnston acted on a sudden impulse. He intended only to frighten Branasko by moving the wheel slightly, and he had turned it barely an eighth of an inch, when, as if controlled by some powerful spring, it whirled round at a great rate, making a loud rattling noise. To their dismay the light went out. “My God! what have I done?” gasped the American in alarm. “Settled our fate, I have no doubt,” muttered the Alphian from the darkness. Johnston had recoiled from the whirling wheel, and now cautiously groped back to it, and attempted to turn it. It would not move. “It has caught some way,” he groaned under his breath. “And we have no light to find the cause of the trouble,” added the Alphian, who had knelt down and was feeling about the wheel. Presently he rose. “I give it up,” he sighed, “I cannot understand it. The machinery is somewhere inside.” “It has grown colder,” shuddered Johnston. “We were warmed by the light, of course,” remarked Branasko, “and now we feel the dampness more. We are going at a frightful speed.” Just then there was a jar, and the sun swung so violently from side to side that the two men were prostrated on the floor. The speed seemed to slacken. “I wonder if we are going to stop,” groaned the American, and he sat up and held to Branasko. “Perhaps they will draw us back to rectify the mistake, and then----” “It cannot be done,” interrupted the Alphian. “The machinery runs only one way. We shall simply have to finish our journey in darkness.” “They may catch us on the other side before the sun starts back through the tunnel,” suggested the American. “Not unlikely,” returned Branasko. “There, we are going ahead again. One thing in our favor is that we can more easily escape capture in darkness than if the sun were shining.” “Does the sun stop before entering the tunnel?” “I do not know,” replied Branasko; “perhaps somebody will be there to see what is wrong with the light. We must have our wits about us when we land.” Johnston was looking over the edge of the platform. “If the king's display is taking place down there I can see no sign of it.” “How stupid of us!” ejaculated Branasko. “Of course, clouds sufficiently dense to hide the sun from Alpha would also prevent us from seeing the display below. I ought to----” He was interrupted by a grand outburst of harmony. The whole earth seemed to vibrate with sublime melody. “Our blunder has not been discovered yet,” finished Branasko, after a pause, “else the fete down below would have been over. I am cold; shall we go inside?”