In view of what happened later, there can be no doubt that the luminous gas was a radioactive element derived by the forced acceleration of the decomposition of thorium. It was similar to the inert radioactive gas niton, or "radium emanation," which is formed by the expulsion of an alpha particle from the radium atom. And there can be no doubt that its emanations affected the magnetic elements, iron, nickel, cobalt, and oxygen in such a manner as to reverse the pull of gravity. With the invention of permalloy and other similar substances in the past decade, such a thing is much less incredible than it might have seemed ten years ago.
In a few moments the red ship had passed out of sight. Looking dazedly to the west, I saw a number of bright points of purple fire against the deep blue of the sky—radioactive clouds sending out the gravity-nullifying radiations. The dark shape of the other destroyer, upside down, was floating up among them. It must have been almost a mile up, already.
As I stood there astounded, the officers seemed to be making a furious attempt to restore order. Then men were running about, babbling and cursing in utter confusion. I saw one man don a life belt and jump insanely over the rail—to plunge like a plummet to the water five hundred yards below. A dozen more poor fellows followed him before the mate could stop the rush. And perhaps their fate is as good as that of the others.
Suddenly a wild-eyed seaman sprang at my throat. In spite of my amazement, I was able to stop him with a punch at the jaw. In a moment I realized what he was after. The parachute that I had worn on my last flight in the Camel-back was strapped to me. As the fellow got up to charge again, the deck tilted (probably the ship was upset by the recoil of the gun).
Presently I found the rip-cord and jerked it. The white silk bellowsed out behind me, while my unfortunate shipmates fell, dwindling dark specks, to make white splashes in the sea below. The ill-fated ship must have been half a mile high then. I glimpsed it once or twice, a vanishing black dot—driven out into space!
By the time I had struck the chill water I almost wished that I had fallen with the others. I contrived to cut the harness loose, and to get rid of my coat and shoes; and set myself to the task of keeping afloat as long as possible.
On to the Mine
It must have been an hour later that I heard the hum of the Camel-back's propeller, and saw the little machine skimming low over the waves. Bill leaned out and waved a hand in greeting. In a few minutes he had brought the machine down lightly in the water beside me, and hauled me aboard.
"I went up at three o'clock," he said, "to see if I could locate the Jap. I was coming down when the red machines began to let loose their shining clouds. The plane went up. I stopped the engine, and still it went up. Its weight was gone. I almost froze before it started falling."