it left it certain that the two bodies would inevitably impinge.

"No doubt," said Ben Zoof, "this time we shall stick together."
Another thought occurred. Was it not only too likely that,

in the fusion of the two atmospheres, the balloon itself,
in which they were being conveyed, would be rent into ribbons,

and every one of its passengers hurled into destruction,
so that not a Gallian should survive to tell the tale of

their strange peregrinations?
Moments were precious; but Hector Servadac resolved that he would adopt

a device to secure that at least some record of their excursion in solar
distances should survive themselves.

Tearing a leaf from his note-book, he wrote down the name of the comet,
the list of the fragments of the earth it had carried off,

the names of his companions, and the date of the comet's aphelion;
and having subscribed it with his signature, turned to Nina and told

her he must have the carrier-pigeon which was nestling in her bosom.
The child's eyes filled with tears; she did not say a word,

but imprinting a kiss upon its soft plumage, she surrendered it
at once, and the message was hurriedly fastened to its neck.

The bird wheeled round and round in a few circles that widened
in their diameter, and quickly sunk to an altitude in the comet's

atmosphere much inferior to the balloon.
Some minutes more were thus consumed and the interval of distance

was reduced to less than 8,000 miles.
The velocity became inconceivably great, but the increased rate of motion

was in no way perceptible; there was nothing to disturb the equilibrium
of the car in which they were making their aerial adventure.

"Forty-six minutes!" announced the lieutenant.
he glowing expanse of the earth's disc seemed like a vast funnel,

yawning to receive the comet and its atmosphere, balloon and all,
into its open mouth.

"Forty-seven!" cried Procope.
There was half a minute yet. A thrill ran through every vein.

A vibration quivered through the atmosphere. The montgolfier,
elongated to its utmost stretch, was manifestly being sucked into a vortex.

Every passenger in the quivering car involuntarily clung spasmodically
to its sides, and as the two atmospheres amalgamated, clouds accumulated

in heavy masses, involving all around in dense obscurity, while flashes
of lurid flame threw a weird glimmer on the scene.

In a mystery every one found himself upon the earth again.
They could not explain it, but here they were once more

upon terrestrial soil; in a swoon they had left the earth,
and in a similar swoon they had come back!

Of the balloon not a vestige remained, and contrary to previous computation,
the comet had merely grazed the earth, and was traversing the regions

of space, again far away!
CHAPTER XIX

BACK AGAIN
"In Algeria, captain?"

"Yes, Ben Zoof, in Algeria; and not far from Mostaganem." Such were
the first words which, after their return to consciousness,

were exchanged between Servadac and his orderly.
They had resided so long in the province that they could not for a

moment be mistaken as to their whereabouts, and although they were
incapable of clearing up the mysteries that shrouded the miracle,

yet they were convinced at the first glance that they had been returned
to the earth at the very identical spot where they had quitted it.

In fact, they were scarcely more than a mile from Mostaganem,
and in the course of an hour, when they had all recovered from

the bewilderment occasioned by the shock, they started off in a body
and made their way to the town. It was a matter of extreme surprise

to find no symptom of the least excitementanywhere as they went along.
The population was perfectly calm; every one was pursuing his

ordinary avocation; the cattle were browsing quietly upon the pastures
that were moist with the dew of an ordinary January morning.

It was about eight o'clock; the sun was rising in the east;
nothing could be noticed to indicate that any abnormal incident

had either transpired or been expected by the inhabitants.
As to a collision with a comet, there was not the faintest trace

of any such phenomenon crossing men's minds, and awakening,
as it surely would, a panic little short of the certified approach

of the millennium.
"Nobody expects us," said Servadac; "that is very certain."

"No, indeed," answered Ben Zoof, with a sigh; he was manifestly disappointed
that his return to Mostaganem was not welcomed with a triumphal reception.

They reached the Mascara gate. The first persons that Servadac recognized
were the two friends that he had invited to be his seconds in the duel

two years ago, the colonel of the 2nd Fusiliers and the captain of
the 8th Artillery. In return to his somewhat hesitating salutation,

the colonel greeted him heartily, "Ah! Servadac, old fellow! is it you?"
"I, myself," said the captain.

"Where on earth have you been to all this time? In the name of peace,
what have you been doing with yourself?"

"You would never believe me, colonel," answered Servadac, "if I
were to tell you; so on that point I had better hold my tongue."

"Hang your mysteries!" said the colonel; "tell me, where have you been?"
"No, my friend, excuse me," replied Servadac; "but shake hands

with me in earnest, that I may be sure I am not dreaming."
Hector Servadac had made up his mind, and no amount of persuasion

could induce him to divulge his incredible experiences.
Anxious to turn the subject, Servadac took the earliest opportunity of asking,

"And what about Madame de L----?"
"Madame de L-----!" exclaimed the colonel, taking the words out of his mouth;

"the lady is married long ago; you did not suppose that she was going to wait
for you. 'Out of sight, out of mind,' you know."

"True," replied Servadac; and turning to the count he said,
"Do you hear that? We shall not have to fight our duel after all."

"Most happy to be excused," rejoined the count. The rivals took
each other by the hand, and were united henceforth in the bonds

of a sincere and confiding friendship.
"An immense relief," said Servadac to himself, "that I have no occasion

to finish that confounded rondo!"
It was agreed between the captain and the count that it would

be desirable in every way to maintain the most rigid silence upon
the subject of the inexplicablephenomena which had come within

their experience. It was to them both a subject of the greatest
perplexity to find that the shores of the Mediterranean had

undergone no change, but they coincided in the opinion that it
was prudent to keep their bewilderment entirely to themselves.

Nothing induced them to break their reserve.
The very next day the small community was broken up.

The _Dobryna's_ crew, with the count and the lieutenant, started for Russia,
and the Spaniards, provided, by the count's liberality, with a competency