Why had we come moon ?

The thing presented itself as perplexing problem What spirit in man that urges him for ever to depart from happiness and security, to toil, himself in danger, to risk even reasonable certainty of death ? It dawned upon me up there moon as thing I ought always known, that man made simply about being safe and comfortable and well fed and amused Almost any man, put the thing to him, not in words, but shape of opportunities, will show that he knob Against his interest, against his happiness, constantly being driven unreasonable things Some force not himself impels him, and go But why ? Why ? Sitting there midst useless moon gold, amidst the things of another world, count of all my life Assuming to die castaway moon, I failed altogether what purpose I had served I got no light point, but at any rate clearer than it had ever been in my life not serving my own purpose, that all my life I had in truth never served the purposes private life Whose purposes, what purposes, was I serving ? . I ceased to speculate on why we had come moon, and took wider sweep Why had I come earth ? Why had I private life at all ? . I lost myself at last in bottomless speculations . .

My thoughts became vague and cloudy, no longer leading in definite directions I felt heavy or weary - imagine one moon - but I suppose greatly fatigued At any rate I slept

Slumbering there rested me greatly, , sun was setting violence heat abating, through all the time I slumbered When at last roused from my slumbers by remote clamour, active and capable again I rubbed my eyes and stretched my arms I rose to my feet - little stiff - and at once prepared to resume my search I shouldered my golden clubs, one on each shoulder, and went on ravine gold-veined rocks

The sun was certainly lower, much lower than it ; the air was cooler I perceived slept It seemed that faint touch of misty blueness hung western cliff I leapt to little boss of rock and surveyed the crater I no signs of mooncalves or Selenites, nor could Cavor, but I my handkerchief far off, spread out on its thicket of thorns I looked bout me, and then leapt forward next convenient view-point

I beat my round in semicircle, and back again in still remoter crescent very fatiguing and hopeless The air was really cooler, and it seemed shadow under the westward cliff was growing broad Ever and again I stopped and reconnoitred, but no sign of Cavor, no sign of Selenites; and it seemed the mooncalves must driven interior again - I I became more and more desirous of being Cavor The winged outline sun had sunk now, until scarcely the distance diameter rim sky oppressed idea Selenites would presently close their lids and valves, and shut us out under the inexorable onrush lunar night It seemed high time that he abandoned his search, we took counsel together how urgent it decide soon upon our course We had failed the sphere, we no longer had time to seek it, and once these valves were closed outside, we were lost men The great night of space would descend upon us - that blackness void the only absolute death All my being shrank approach get moon again, though we were slain in doing it haunted by vision freezing to death, hammering last strength valve great pit

no thought any more sphere only of finding Cavor again half inclined back moon without him, rather than seek him until too late already half-way back towards our handkerchief, when suddenly -

the sphere !

find it as it found me lying much farther westward than I had gone, sloping rays sinking sun reflected from its glass had suddenly proclaimed its presence in dazzling beam For an instant some new device Selenites against us, and then I understood

I threw up my arms, shouted ghostly shout, and set off in vast leaps towards it I missed one leaps and dropped into deep ravine and twisted my ankle, and I stumbled at almost every leap in state of hysterical agitation, trembling violently, and quite breathless long before I got Three times I had to stop with my hands resting on my side and spite thin dryness air, the perspiration was wet upon my face

of nothing but the sphere until I reached it, I forgot even my trouble of Cavor's whereabouts My last leap flung me with my hands hard against its glass; then I lay against it panting, and trying vainly to shout, "Cavor ! sphere ! " When I had recovered little I peered thick glass, things inside seemed tumbled I stooped to peer closer Then I attempted in I had to hoist it over little my head manhole The screw stopper was inside, and I now that nothing touched, nothing had suffered It lay there had left it when we had dropped out amidst the snow For time wholly occupied in making and remaking this inventory trembling violently good that familiar dark interior again ! tell you how good Presently I crept inside and sat down things I looked glass moon world and shivered I placed my gold clubs table, and sought out and took little food; not because it, but because there Then it occurred time out and signal for Cavor But go out and signal for Cavor forthwith Something held me sphere

After all, everything was coming right There still time more magic stone that gives one mastery over men Away there, close handy, was gold picking up; sphere would travel half full of gold it were empty go back now, masters of ourselves world, and then -

I roused myself at last, and with an effort got myself sphere I shivered as I emerged, evening air was growing very cold I stood hollow staring about me I scrutinised the bushes round me very carefully before I leapt rocky shelf hard by, and took once more what my first leap moon But now it with no effort whatever