"What is that?" he inquired abstractedly—his thoughts were still filled with those beings of his imagination. "There is a light that extends into the dark part. It is spreading—"
e found himself thrust roughly aside as Professor Sykes applied a more understanding eye to the instrument.
The professor whirled abruptly to his assistant. "Phone Professor Giles," he said sharply; "he is working on the reflector. Tell him to get a photograph of Venus at once; the cloud envelope is broken." He returned hurriedly to his observations. One hand sketched on a waiting pad.
"Markings!" he said exultantly. "If it would only hold!... There, it is closing ... gone...."
His hand was quiet now upon the paper, but where he had marked was a crude sketch of what might have been an island. It was "L" shaped; sharply bent.
"Whew!" breathed Professor Sykes and looked up for a moment. "Now that was interesting."
"You saw through?" asked McGuire eagerly. "Glimpsed the surface?—an island?"
The scientist's face relaxed. "Don't jump to conclusions," he told the aviator: "we are not ready to make a geography of Venus quite yet. But we shall know that mark if we ever see it again. I hardly think they had time to get a picture.