" only the fresh morning," said Cavor

He sighed and looked about him " no world for men," "And yet in way - it appeals "

He became silent for time, then commenced his meditative humming

I started at gentle touch, and found thin sheet of livid lichen lapping over my shoe I kicked at it and it fell to powder, and each speck began to grow

I heard Cavor exclaim sharply, and perceived that fixed bayonets scrub had pricked him He hesitated, his eyes sought rocks about us sudden blaze of pink had crept up ragged pillar of crag most extraordinary pink, livid magenta

"Look ! " said I, turning, and behold Cavor had vanished

For an instant I stood transfixed Then hasty step to look over the verge rock But in my surprise at his disappearance I forgot once more that we were moon The thrust foot that in striding carried me yard on earth; moon it carried me six - good five yards over the edge moment the thing had something effect nightmares when one falls and falls For while one falls sixteen feet first second of fall on earth, moon one falls two, and with only sixth of one's weight I fell, or rather I jumped down, about ten yards I suppose It seemed quite , five or six seconds, think I floated air and fell like feather, knee-deep in snow-drift bottom of gully of blue-gray, white-veined rock

I looked about me "Cavor ! " I cried; but no Cavor was visible

"Cavor ! " I cried louder, rocks echoed me

I turned fiercely rocks and clambered summit "Cavor ! " I cried My voice sounded like the voice of lost lamb

The sphere, too, was not in sight, and for moment horrible feeling of desolation pinched my heart

Then him laughing and gesticulating to attract my attention on bare patch of rock twenty or thirty yards away hear his voice, but "jump" said his gestures I hesitated, the distance seemed enormous Yet I reflected that surely I to clear greater distance than Cavor

step back, gathered myself together, and leapt with all my might I seemed to shoot right up air never come down

horrible and delightful, and as wild as nightmare, flying off fashion I realised my leap altogether too violent I flew clean over Cavor's head and beheld spiky confusion in gully spreading to meet my fall yelp of alarm I put out my hands and straightened my legs

I hit huge fungoid bulk that burst all about me, scattering mass of orange spores in every direction, and covering me with orange powder I rolled over spluttering, and came to rest convulsed with breathless laughter

I became aware of Cavor's little round face peering over bristling hedge He shouted some faded inquiry "Eh ? " I tried to shout, but for want of breath his way towards me, coming gingerly bushes

"We've got careful," "This moon has no discipline She'll smash ourselves "

He helped me to my feet "You exerted yourself ," , dabbing yellow stuff hand to remove it from my garments

I stood passive and panting, allowing him to beat off the jelly from my knees and elbows and lecture me upon my misfortunes " We don't quite allow gravitation Our muscles are scarcely educated yet practise little, have got your breath "

I pulled little thorns out hand, and sat for time on boulder of rock My muscles were quivering, and I had that feeling of personal disillusionment that comes first fall learner of cycling on earth

It suddenly occurred to Cavor cold air gully, brightness sun, might fever So we clambered back sunlight that beyond few abrasions I had received no serious injuries from my tumble, and at Cavor's suggestion we were presently looking round for some safe and easy landing-place next leap We chose rocky slab some ten yards off, separated by little thicket of olive-green spikes

"Imagine it there ! " said Cavor, who was assuming the airs of trainer, and he pointed to spot about four feet from my toes This leap I managed without difficulty, and confess certain satisfaction in Cavor's falling short by foot or so and tasting the spikes scrub "One be careful ," , pulling out his thorns, and he ceased my Mentor and became my fellow-learner art of lunar locomotion

We chose still easier jump and did it without difficulty, and then leapt back again, and to and fro , accustoming our muscles new standard never have believed had I not experienced it, how rapid that adaptation In very little time indeed, certainly after fewer than thirty leaps, judge the effort necessary for distance with almost terrestrial assurance

And all the lunar plants were growing around us, higher and denser and more entangled, every moment thicker and taller, spiked plants, green cactus masses, fungi, fleshy and lichenous things, strangest radiate and sinuous shapes But we were so intent upon our leaping, that for time we gave no heed unfaltering expansion

An extraordinary elation had taken possession of us Partly, , our sense of release confinement sphere Mainly, however, the thin sweetness air, which certain contained much larger proportion of oxygen than our terrestrial atmosphere strange quality of all about us, as adventurous and experimental as cockney would do placed first time among mountains and it occurred to either of us, though we were unknown, very greatly afraid

We were bitten by spirit of enterprise We selected lichenous kopje perhaps fifteen yards away, and landed neatly on its summit one other "Good ! " we cried to ; "good ! " and Cavor made three steps and went off to tempting slope of snow good twenty yards and more beyond I stood for moment struck grotesque effect soaring figure - his dirty cricket cap, and spiky hair, his little round body, his arms knicker-bockered legs tucked up tightly - against the weird spaciousness lunar scene gust of laughter seized me, and then I stepped off Plump ! I dropped beside him

few gargantuan strides, leapt three or four times more, and sat down at last in lichenous hollow Our lungs were painful We sat holding our sides and recovering our breath, looking appreciation to one another Cavor panted something about "amazing sensations " And then came thought into my head moment it seem particularly appalling thought, simply natural question arising situation

" ," , "where exactly sphere ? "

Cavor looked at me "Eh ? "

The full meaning of what we were saying struck me sharply

"Cavor ! " I cried, laying hand arm, "where sphere ? "

Chapter 10

Lost Men Moon

HIS face caught something dismay He stood up and stared about him scrub that fenced us in and rose about us, straining upward in passion of growth He put dubious hand lips He spoke with sudden lack of assurance " ," slowly, "we left it . somewhere . about there "

He pointed hesitating finger that wavered in an arc

"I'm not sure " His look of consternation deepened "Anyhow," , eyes on me, "it can't be far "

We had both stood up unmeaning ejaculations, our eyes sought twining, thickening jungle round about us