Soon we
were so close that the surface of the planet became dimly visible, simply
from the starlight. We were now settling down very cautiously, and
presently we began to notice curious shafts of light which appeared to
issue from the ground, as if the surface beneath us had been sprinkled
with iron founderies.
"Aha!" cried Edmund, "I believe there _are_ inhabitants on this side
after all. Those lights don't come from volcanoes. I'm going to make for
the nearest one, and we'll soon know what they are."
Accordingly we steered for one of the gleaming shafts. It was a thrilling
moment, I can tell you--that when we first saw another world than ours
under our feet! As we approached the light it threw a pale illumination
on the ground around. Everything appeared to be perfectly flat and level.
It was like dropping down at night upon a vast prairie. But the features
of the landscape were indistinguishable in the gloom. Edmund boldly
continued to approach until we were within a hundred feet of the shaft of
light, which we could now perceive issued directly from the ground.
Suddenly, with the slightest perceptible bump, we touched the soil, and
the car came to rest.
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