sight things drifting up towards him, Plattner stopped, staring They walking, they were indeed limbless, had the appearance of human heads, beneath which tadpole-like body swung too astonished at their strangeness, too full, indeed, of strangeness, seriously alarmed They drove towards him, in front chill wind that was blowing uphill, much as soap-bubbles drive before draught And as he looked nearest approaching, indeed human head, albeit with singularly large eyes, and wearing such an expression of distress and anguish as he had never seen before upon mortal countenance surprised turn to regard him, but seemed watching and following some unseen moving thing For moment puzzled, and then it occurred to him creature was watching with its enormous eyes something that was happening he had just left Nearer it came, and nearer, and too astonished to cry out It made very faint fretting sound as it came close to him Then it struck his face with gentle pat--its touch was very cold--and drove past him, and upward towards the crest hill

An extraordinary conviction flashed across Plattner's mind head had strong likeness to Lidgett Then he turned his attention other heads that were now swarming thickly up the hill-side None made the slightest sign of recognition , indeed, came close head and almost followed the example first, but he dodged convulsively way Upon most the same expression of unavailing regret he had seen first, and heard the same faint sounds of wretchedness wept, and one rolling swiftly uphill wore an expression of diabolical rage But others were cold, and several had look of gratified interest in their eyes One, , was almost in an ecstasy of happiness Plattner remember that he recognised any more likenesses in those

For several hours, perhaps, Plattner watched these strange things dispersing themselves over the hills, and not till long after they had ceased to issue clustering black buildings gorge, did he resume his downward climb The darkness about him increased that he had difficulty in stepping true Overhead the sky was now bright, pale green neither hunger nor thirst Later, when , chilly stream running down the centre gorge, rare moss boulders, when he tried it at last in desperation, was good to eat

He groped about tombs that ran down the gorge, seeking vaguely for some clue inexplicable things After entrance big mausoleum-like building the heads had issued group of green lights burning upon kind of basaltic altar, and bell-rope from belfry overhead hanging down centre place Round the wall ran lettering of fire in character unknown to him While still wondering purport things, he heard the receding tramp of heavy feet echoing far down the street He ran out darkness again, but he nothing He had mind to pull the bell-rope, and finally decided the footsteps But, although he ran far, he never overtook them; shouting was of no avail The gorge seemed to extend an interminable distance as dark as earthly starlight throughout its length, while the ghastly green day lay along the upper edge precipices There were heads, now, below They were all, it seemed, busily occupied along the upper slopes Looking up, them drifting hither and thither, some hovering stationary, some flying swiftly air It reminded him, , of "big snowflakes"; only these were black and pale green

In pursuing the firm, undeviating footsteps that he never overtook, in groping into new regions endless devil's dyke, in clambering up and down the pitiless heights, in wandering summits, and in watching the drifting faces, Plattner states that he spent the better part of seven or eight days keep count, Though eyes watching him, he had word with no living soul He slept rocks hillside gorge things earthly were invisible, because, earthly standpoint, far underground altitudes, so soon earthly day began, the world became visible to him himself sometimes stumbling over the dark green rocks, or arresting himself on precipitous brink, while all about him the green branches Sussexville lanes were swaying; or, again, walking Sussexville streets, or watching unseen the private business of some household And then he discovered, that to almost every human being world there pertained drifting heads; that everyone is watched intermittently helpless disembodiments

they--these Watchers Living ? Plattner never learned But two, that presently found and followed him, were like his childhood's memory father and mother other faces turned their eyes upon him: eyes like those of dead people who had swayed him, or injured him, or helped him youth and manhood Whenever they looked at him, Plattner was overcome with strange sense of responsibility mother he ventured ; but she made no answer She looked sadly, steadfastly, and tenderly--a little reproachfully, too, it seemed--into his eyes

He simply tells this story: endeavour to explain left to surmise who these Watchers Living , or, indeed the Dead, why they should so closely and passionately watch world left for ever It --indeed to my mind it seems just--that, when our life has closed, when evil or good is no longer choice , still have to witness the working train of consequences laid If human souls continue after death, then surely human interests continue after death But merely my own guess meaning things seen Plattner offers no interpretation, for none was given him well the reader should understand this clearly Day after day, head reeling, he wandered strange lit world outside the world, weary and, towards the end, weak and hungry By day--by our earthly day, --the ghostly vision old familiar scenery of Sussexville, all about him, irked and worried him He where his feet, and ever and again with chilly touch Watching Souls would come against his face And after dark the multitude Watchers about him, and their intent distress, confused his mind beyond describing great longing to return earthly life that was so near and yet so remote consumed him The unearthliness of things about him produced positively painful mental distress worried beyond describing by his own particular followers shout at them to desist from staring at him, scold at them, hurry away They were always mute and intent Run as he might over the uneven ground, they followed his destinies

ninth day, towards evening, Plattner heard the invisible footsteps approaching, far away down the gorge then wandering over the broad crest same hill he had fallen entry strange Other-World He turned to hurry down gorge, feeling his way hastily, and was arrested sight thing that was happening in room in back street near the school Both people room by sight The windows were open, the blinds up, setting sun shone clearly , so came out quite brightly at first, vivid oblong of room, lying like magic-lantern picture black landscape livid green dawn sunlight, candle had just been lit room

bed lay lank man, his ghastly white face terrible tumbled pillow His clenched hands were raised above his head little table beside the bed carried few medicine bottles, some toast and water, and an empty glass Every the lank man's lips fell apart, to indicate word articulate But the woman notice that anything, because she was busy turning out papers from an old-fashioned bureau opposite corner room At first the picture was very vivid indeed, but green dawn behind it grew brighter and brighter, so it became fainter and more and more transparent