"'The fact that it is not diaphanous convinces me that it is a dense

vapor formed by the calorification of ascending moisture dephlogisticated

by refraction. A few endiometrical experiments would confirm this, but

it is not necessary. The thing is obvious."

So he shut up his glass and went into his shell to make a note of the

discovery of the world's end, and the nature of it.

Profound mind!" said Professor Angle-Worm to Professor Field-Mouse;

profound mind! nothing can long remain a mystery to that august brain."

Night drew on apace, the sentinel crickets were posted, the Glow-Worm and

Fire-Fly lamps were lighted, and the camp sank to silence and sleep.

After breakfast in the morning, the expedition moved on. About noon a

great avenue was reached, which had in it two endless parallel bars of

some kind of hard black substance, raised the height of the tallest Bull

Frog above the general level. The scientists climbed up on these and

examined and tested them in various ways. They walked along them for a

great distance, but found no end and no break in them. They could arrive

at no decision. There was nothing in the records of science that

mentioned anything of this kind. But at last the bald and venerable

geographer, Professor Mud Turtle, a person who, born poor, and of a

drudging low family, had, by his own native force raised himself to the

headship of the geographers of his generation, said:

151

Sketches New and Old