This story, which takes place in the year 2137, may be the only one by this author to veer into science fiction. North and South America forbid travel eastward to ensure neutrality in the conflict that was suffocating Europe. Due to a technical issue, a Pan American ship is pushed beyond the permitted limit, leaving five crew members stranded on the open seas. They must go toward the east in the hopes of making landfall if they are to survive. Strangely, Burroughs believes that technology will suddenly become obsolete. The circumstances outlined 200 years from now are the same as they were at the beginning of the nineteenth century. This assumption of quiescence seems quite implausible given how rapidly technology has advanced over the past fifty years. It illustrates how ongoing conflict affects both people and property. And this was all done before the phrase "bomb them back to the Stone Age" became popular.
