_IV_
THE EARTH
Thus I was, and only the memory that I had lived through the dark, oncebefore, served to sustain my thoughts. A great time passed--ages. Andthen a single star broke its way through the darkness. It was the firstof one of the outlying clusters of this universe. Presently, it was farbehind, and all about me shone the splendor of the countless stars.Later, years it seemed, I saw the sun, a clot of flame. Around it, Imade out presently several remote specks of light--the planets of theSolar system. And so I saw the earth again, blue and unbelievablyminute. It grew larger, and became defined.
A long space of time came and went, and then at last I entered into theshadow of the world--plunging headlong into the dim and holy earthnight. Overhead were the old constellations, and there was a crescentmoon. Then, as I neared the earth's surface, a dimness swept over me,and I appeared to sink into a black mist.
For a while, I knew nothing. I was unconscious. Gradually, I becameaware of a faint, distant whining. It became plainer. A desperatefeeling of agony possessed me. I struggled madly for breath, and triedto shout. A moment, and I got my breath more easily. I was consciousthat something was licking my hand. Something damp swept across my face.I heard a panting, and then again the whining. It seemed to come to myears, now, with a sense of familiarity, and I opened my eyes. All wasdark; but the feeling of oppression had left me. I was seated, andsomething was whining piteously, and licking me. I felt strangelyconfused, and, instinctively, tried to ward off the thing that licked.My head was curiously vacant, and, for the moment, I seemed incapable ofaction or thought. Then, things came back to me, and I called 'Pepper,'faintly. I was answered by a joyful bark, and renewed andfrantic caresses.
In a little while, I felt stronger, and put out my hand for thematches. I groped about, for a few moments, blindly; then my hands litupon them, and I struck a light, and looked confusedly around. All aboutme, I saw the old, familiar things. And there I sat, full of dazedwonders, until the flame of the match burnt my finger, and I dropped it;while a hasty expression of pain and anger, escaped my lips, surprisingme with the sound of my own voice.
After a moment, I struck another match, and, stumbling across the room,lit the candles. As I did so, I observed that they had not burned away,but had been put out.
As the flames shot up, I turned, and stared about the study; yet therewas nothing unusual to see; and, suddenly, a gust of irritation took me.What had happened? I held my head, with both hands, and tried toremember. Ah! the great, silent Plain, and the ring-shaped sun of redfire. Where were they? Where had I seen them? How long ago? I felt dazedand muddled. Once or twice, I walked up and down the room, unsteadily.My memory seemed dulled, and, already, the thing I had witnessed cameback to me with an effort.
I have a remembrance of cursing, peevishly, in my bewilderment.Suddenly, I turned faint and giddy, and had to grasp at the table forsupport. During a few moments, I held on, weakly; and then managed tototter sideways into a chair. After a little time, I felt somewhatbetter, and succeeded in reaching the cupboard where, usually, I keepbrandy and biscuits. I poured myself out a little of the stimulant, anddrank it off. Then, taking a handful of biscuits, I returned to mychair, and began to devour them, ravenously. I was vaguely surprised atmy hunger. I felt as though I had eaten nothing for an uncountablylong while.
As I ate, my glance roved about the room, taking in its variousdetails, and still searching, though almost unconsciously, for somethingtangible upon which to take hold, among the invisible mysteries thatencompassed me. 'Surely,' I thought, 'there must be something--' And, inthe same instant, my gaze dwelt upon the face of the clock in theopposite corner. Therewith, I stopped eating, and just stared. For,though its ticking indicated most certainly that it was still going, thehands were pointing to a little _before_ the hour of midnight; whereasit was, as well I knew, considerably _after_ that time when I hadwitnessed the first of the strange happenings I have just described.
For perhaps a moment I was astounded and puzzled. Had the hour been thesame as when I had last seen the clock, I should have concluded that thehands had stuck in one place, while the internal mechanism went on asusual; but that would, in no way, account for the hands having traveledbackward. Then, even as I turned the matter over in my wearied brain,the thought flashed upon me that it was now close upon the morning ofthe twenty-second, and that I had been unconscious to the visible worldthrough the greater portion of the last twenty-four hours. The thoughtoccupied my attention for a full minute; then I commenced to eat again.I was still very hungry.
During breakfast, next morning, I inquired casually of my sisterregarding the date, and found my surmise correct. I had, indeed, beenabsent--at least in spirit--for nearly a day and a night.
My sister asked me no questions; for it is not by any means the firsttime that I have kept to my study for a whole day, and sometimes acouple of days at a time, when I have been particularly engrossed in mybooks or work.
And so the days pass on, and I am still filled with a wonder to knowthe meaning of all that I saw on that memorable night. Yet, well I knowthat my curiosity is little likely to be satisfied.