attempt to stand up It seemed that my body suddenly changed to lead Mother Earth had her grip on me now - no Cavorite intervening I sat down heedless water that came over my feet

dawn, gray dawn, rather overcast but showing here and there long patch of greenish gray Some way out ship was lying at anchor, pale silhouette of ship with one yellow light The water came rippling in in long shallow waves Away right curved the land, shingle bank with little hovels, and at last lighthouse, sailing mark and point Inland stretched space of level sand, broken here and there by pools of water, and ending mile away perhaps in low shore of scrub north-east some isolated watering-place was visible, row of gaunt lodging-houses, the tallest things that I on earth, dull dabs against the brightening sky What strange men reared these vertical piles an amplitude of space know There , like pieces of Brighton lost waste

I sat there, yawning and rubbing my face At last I struggled to rise It made me feel that lifting weight I stood up

I stared distant houses first time since our starvation crater of earthly food "Bacon," I whispered, "eggs Good toast and good coffee . . And how the devil am I going to all this stuff to Lympne ? " I wondered where an east shore anyhow, and I had seen Europe before I dropped

I heard footsteps scrunching sand, and little round-faced, friendly-looking man in flannels, with bathing towel wrapped about his shoulders, bathing dress over his arm, appeared up the beach instantly that in England staring most intently sphere and me He advanced staring I dare say I looked ferocious savage enough - dirty, unkempt, to an indescribable degree; but it occur He stopped at distance of twenty yards "Hul-lo, my man ! " doubtfully

"Hullo yourself ! " said I

He advanced, reassured "What on earth thing ? " he asked

" tell me where ? " I asked

"That's Littlestone," , pointing houses; " 's Dungeness ! just landed ? What's that thing you've got ? Some sort of machine ? "

"Yes "

" floated ashore ? been wrecked or something ? it ? "

I meditated swiftly an estimate little man's appearance as he drew nearer "By Jove ! " , "you've had time of it ! you - Well - Where were you cast away ? thing sort of floating thing for saving life ? "

I decided that line few vague affirmatives " help," hoarsely " some stuff up the beach - stuff 't leave about " I became aware of three other pleasant-looking young men with towels, blazers, and straw hats, coming down the sands towards me Evidently the early bathing section Littlestone

"Help ! " said the young man: "rather ! " He became vaguely active "What particularly done ? " He turned round and gesticulated The three young men accelerated their pace In minute they there about me, plying me with questions indisposed to answer "I'll tell all that later," "I'm dead beat I'm rag "

"Come hotel," said the foremost little man "We'll look thing there "

I hesitated " 't," " sphere there's two big bars of gold "

They looked incredulously at one another, then at me with new inquiry I went sphere, stooped, crept in, and presently they had the Selenites' crowbars broken chain before them If I so horribly fagged laughed at them like kittens round beetle They didn't know what stuff The fat little man stooped and lifted the end of bars, and then dropped it with grunt Then they all did

"It's lead, or gold ! " said one

"Oh, it's gold ! " said another

"Gold, right enough," said the third

Then they all stared at me, and then they all stared ship lying at anchor

" ! " cried the little man "But where did you get that ? "

too tired up lie "I got it moon "

them stare at one another

"Look here ! " said I, "I'm not going to argue now Help me carry these lumps of gold hotel - I guess, with rests, two of manage one, and I'll trail this chain thing - and I'll tell you more when I've had some food "

"And how thing ? "

"It won't hurt there," "Anyhow - confound it ! - it must stop there now tide comes up, float all right "

And in state of enormous wonderment, these young men most obediently hoisted my treasures on their shoulders, and with limbs that felt like lead I headed sort of procession towards that distant fragment of "sea-front " Half-way there we were reinforced by two awe-stricken little girls with spades, and later lean little boy, with penetrating sniff, appeared , I remember, wheeling bicycle, and he accompanied us at distance of about hundred yards right flank, and then I suppose, up as uninteresting, mounted his bicycle and rode off over the level sands direction sphere

I glanced back after him

"He won't touch it," said the stout young man reassuringly, and only too willing reassured

At first something gray morning was in my mind, but presently the sun disengaged itself level clouds horizon and lit the world, and turned the leaden sea to glittering waters My spirits rose sense vast importance things I had done and had yet came sunlight into my mind I laughed aloud foremost man staggered under my gold When indeed my place , how amazed the world !

inordinate fatigue, the landlord Littlestone hotel amusing, as he hesitated between my gold and my respectable company one and my filthy appearance other But at last myself in terrestrial bathroom once more with warm water to wash myself with, and change of raiment, preposterously small indeed, but anyhow clean, genial little man had lent me He lent me razor too, but screw up my resolution to attack even the outposts bristling beard that covered my face

I sat down to an English breakfast and ate with sort of languid appetite - an appetite many weeks old and very decrepit - and stirred myself to answer the questions four young men And them the truth

"Well," said I, " press me - I got it moon "

"The moon ? "

"Yes, the moon sky "

"But how ? "

"What , confound it ! "

"Then just come moon ? "

"Exactly ! through space - ball " And delicious mouthful of egg private note that when I went back moon take box of eggs

I clearly that believe one word what them, but evidently they considered me the most respectable liar they had ever met They glanced at one another, and then concentrated the fire eyes on me I fancy they expected clue way I helped myself to salt They seemed something significant in my peppering my egg These strangely shaped masses of gold they had staggered under held their minds There the lumps lay in front of me, each worth thousands of pounds, and as impossible for to steal as house or piece of land As I looked at their curious faces over my coffee-cup, I realised something enormous wilderness of explanations into which to wander to render myself comprehensible again

"You don't really mean -" began the youngest young man, tone of one who speaks to an obstinate child

"Just pass me that toast-rack," , and shut him up completely