"Come on ! " I cried

"My hands ! " he answered

Then, realising that I dared not run back to him, because my ill-calculated steps might carry me over the edge, shuffling towards me, hands held out before him

I gripped his chains at once to unfasten them

"Where are they ? " he panted

"Run away They'll come back They're throwing things ! shall we go ? "

" light tunnel Eh ? "

"Yes," said I, hands were free

I dropped on my knees and fell to work ankle bonds Whack came something - not what - and splashed the livid streamlet into drops about us Far away right piping and whistling began

I whipped the chain off his feet, and put it hand "Hit ! " , and without waiting for an answer, set off in big bounds along the path we had come I had nasty sort of feeling things could jump darkness on to my back I heard the impact leaps come following after me

We ran in vast strides But that running, understand, was an altogether different thing from any running on earth On earth one leaps and almost instantly hits the ground again, but moon, because weaker pull, one shot air for several seconds before one came to earth violent hurry this gave an effect of long pauses, pauses one counted seven or eight "Step," and one soared off ! All sorts of questions ran through my mind: "Where are the Selenites ? ? Shall we ever get tunnel ? Is Cavor far behind ? Are they likely to cut him off ? " Then whack, stride, and off again for another step

Selenite running in front of me, his legs going exactly as man's would go on earth, saw him glance over his shoulder, and heard him shriek as he ran aside out way darkness , I , our guide, but not sure Then in another vast stride the walls of rock had come into view on either hand, and in two more strides tunnel, and tempering my pace to its low roof I went on to bend, then stopped and turned back, and plug, plug, plug, Cavor came into view, splashing stream of blue light at every stride, and grew larger and blundered into me We stood clutching For moment, , we had shaken off our captors and were alone

We were both out of breath We spoke In panting, broken sentences

"You've spoilt it all ! " panted Cavor "Nonsense," I cried "It or death ! "

" we ? "

"Hide "

"How can we ? "

"It's dark enough "

"But where ? "

"Up side caverns "

"And then ? "

"Think "

"Right - come on "

We strode on, and presently came to radiating dark cavern Cavor was in front He hesitated, and chose black mouth that seemed to promise good hiding He went towards it and turned

"Its dark,"

"Your legs and feet will light us You're wet luminous stuff "

"But - "

tumult of sounds, and sound like clanging gong, advancing up the main tunnel, became audible horribly suggestive of tumultuous pursuit bolt unlit side cavern forthwith ran along it our way was lit irradiation of Cavor's legs "It's lucky," I panted, "they took off our boots, or fill this place with clatter " On we rushed, taking as small steps as to avoid striking the roof cavern After time we seemed gaining uproar It became muffled, it dwindled, it died away

I stopped and looked back, and I heard the pad, pad of Cavor's feet receding Then he stopped also "Bedford," he whispered; " there's sort of light in front of us "

I looked, and at first nothing Then I perceived his head and shoulders dimly outlined against fainter darkness , also, mitigation darkness was not blue, as all the other light moon , but pallid gray, very vague, faint white, the daylight colour Cavor noted this difference as soon, or sooner, than , and , too, filled him with much the same wild hope

"Bedford," he whispered, voice trembled "That light - possible -"

dare the thing he hoped Then came pause Suddenly sound feet that striding towards that pallor I followed him with beating heart

Chapter 16

Points of View

THE light grew stronger advanced In little time nearly as strong phosphorescence on Cavor's legs Our tunnel was expanding into cavern, and this new light was farther end of it I perceived something that set my hopes leaping and bounding

"Cavor," , "it comes from above ! certain it comes from above ! "

no answer, but hurried on

Indisputably gray light, silvery light

In another moment we were beneath it It filtered down through chink walls cavern, and as I stared up, drip, came drop of water upon my face I started and stood aside - drip, fell another drop quite audibly rocky floor

"Cavor," , "if one of us lifts the other, reach that crack ! "

"I'll lift you," , and incontinently hoisted me baby

I thrust an arm crack, and just at my finger tips found little ledge hold I the white light was brighter now I pulled myself up by two fingers with scarcely an effort, though on earth I weigh twelve stone, reached to still higher corner of rock, and so got my feet narrow ledge I stood up and searched up the rocks with my fingers; the cleft broadened out upwardly "It's climbable," to Cavor " jump my hand if I hold it down ? "

I wedged myself sides cleft, rested knee and foot ledge, and extended hand I Cavor, but hear the rustle movements as he crouched to spring Then whack and hanging to my arm - and no heavier than kitten ! I lugged him up until he had hand on my ledge, and could release me

"Confound it ! " , " mountaineer moon;" and so set myself in earnest climbing I clambered steadily, and then I looked up again The cleft opened out steadily, light was brighter Only -

not daylight after all

In another moment I what , and sight beaten my head against the rocks with disappointment For I beheld simply an irregularly sloping open space, and all over its slanting floor stood forest of little club-shaped fungi, each shining gloriously pinkish silvery light For moment I stared at their soft radiance, then sprang forward and upward among them I plucked up half dozen and flung them against the rocks, and then sat down, laughing bitterly, as Cavor's ruddy face came into view

"It's phosphorescence again ! " "No need to hurry Sit down and make yourself at home " And as he spluttered over our disappointment, I began to lob more growths cleft

" daylight,"

"Daylight ! " cried I "Daybreak, sunset, clouds, and windy skies ! Shall we ever see such things again ? "

As I spoke, little picture world seemed to rise before me, bright and little and clear, like the background of some old Italian picture "The sky that changes, sea that changes, hills green trees towns and cities shining sun Think of wet roof at sunset, Cavor ! Think windows of westward house ! " no answer

"Here burrowing beastly world that isn't world, with its inky ocean hidden in some abominable blackness below, and outside that torrid day death stillness of night And all these things chasing us now, beastly men of leather - insect men, that come out of nightmare ! After all, they're right ! What business have we here smashing them and disturbing their world ! For all the whole planet is up and after us already In minute hear them whimpering, and their gongs going we ? Where are we ? Here as comfortable as snakes from Jamrach's loose in Surbiton villa ! "

" your fault," said Cavor

"My fault ! " I shouted "Good Lord ! "

"I had an idea ! "

"Curse your ideas ! "