drowned　me。　　And　together　then　we　ran　up　the　stairs；　through
  the　court　and　to　the　grey　rock。
  〃The　slab　was　closed　as　it　had　been　the　day　before；　nor　was
  there　trace　of　its　having　opened。　　No　trace？　　Even　as　I　thought
  this　Edith　dropped　to　her　knees　before　it　and　reached　toward
  something　lying　at　its　foot。　　It　was　a　little　piece　of　gay　silk。　　I
  knew　it　for　part　of　the　kerchief　Thora　wore　about　her　hair。
  She　lifted　the　fragment。　　It　had　been　cut　from　the　kerchief　as
  though　by　a　razor…edge；　a　few　threads　ran　from　itdown　to…
  ward　the　base　of　the　slab；　ran　on　to　the　base　of　the　grey　rock
  andunder　it！
  〃The　grey　rock　was　a　door！　　And　it　had　opened　and　Thora
  had　passed　through　it！
  〃I　think　that　for　the　next　few　minutes　we　all　were　a　little
  insane。　　We　beat　upon　that　portal　with　our　hands；　with　stones
  and　sticks。　　At　last　reason　came　back　to　us。
  〃Goodwin；　during　the　next　two　hours　we　tried　every　way
  in　our　power　to　force　entrance　through　the　slab。　　The　rock　re…
  sisted　our　drills。　　We　tried　explosions　at　the　base　with　charges
  covered　by　rock。　　They　made　not　the　slightest　impression　on
  the　surface；　expending　their　force；　of　course；　upon　the
  slighter　resistance　of　their　coverings。
  〃Afternoon　found　us　hopeless。　　Night　was　coming　on　and
  we　would　have　to　decide　our　course　of　action。　　I　wanted　to　go
  to　Ponape　for　help。　　But　Edith　objected　that　this　would　take
  hours　and　after　we　had　reached　there　it　would　be　impossible
  to　persuade　our　men　to　return　with　us　that　night；　if　at　all。
  What　then　was　left？　　Clearly　only　one　of　two　choices：　to　go
  back　to　our　camp；　wait　for　our　men；　and　on　their　return　try
  to　persuade　them　to　go　with　us　to　Nan…Tauach。　　But　this
  would　mean　the　abandonment　of　Thora　for　at　least　two　days。
  We　could　not　do　it；　it　would　have　been　too　cowardly。
  〃The　other　choice　was　to　wait　where　we　were　for　night　to
  come；　to　wait　for　the　rock　to　open　as　it　had　the　night　before；
  and　to　make　a　sortie　through　it　for　Thora　before　it　could
  close　again。
  〃Our　path　lay　clear　before　us。　　We　had　to　spend　that　night
  on　Nan…Tauach！
  〃We　had；　of　course；　discussed　the　sleep　phenomena　very
  fully。　　If　our　theory　that　lights；　sounds；　and　Thora's　disap…
  pearance　were　linked　with　secret　religious　rites　of　the　na…
  tives；　the　logical　inference　was　that　the　slumber　had　been
  produced　by　them；　perhaps　by　vapoursyou　know　as　well　as
  I；　what　extraordinary　knowledge　these　Pacific　peoples　have
  of　such　things。　　Or　the　sleep　might　have　been　simply　a　coin…
  cidence　and　produced　by　emanations　either　gaseous　or　from
  plants；　natural　causes　which　had　happened　to　coincide　in
  their　effects　with　the　other　manifestations。　　We　made　some
  rough　and　ready　but　effective　respirators。
  〃As　dusk　fell　we　looked　over　our　weapons。　　Edith　was　an
  excellent　shot　with　both　rifle　and　pistol。　　We　had　decided　that
  my　wife　was　to　remain　in　the　hiding…place。　　Stanton　would
  take　up　a　station　on　the　far　side　of　the　stairway　and　I　would
  place　myself　opposite　him　on　the　side　near　Edith。　　The　place
  I　picked　out　was　less　than　two　hundred　feet　from　her；　and　I
  could　reassure　myself　now　and　then　as　to　her　safety　as　it
  looked　down　upon　the　hollow　wherein　she　crouched。　　From
  our　respective　stations　Stanton　and　I　could　command　the
  gateway　entrance。　　His　position　gave　him　also　a　glimpse　of
  the　outer　courtyard。
  〃A　faint　glow　in　the　sky　heralded　the　moon。　　Stanton　and　I
  took　our　places。　　The　moon　dawn　increased　rapidly；　the　disk
  swam　up；　and　in　a　moment　it　was　shining　in　full　radiance
  upon　ruins　and　sea。
  〃As　it　rose　there　came　a　curious　little　sighing　sound　from
  the　inner　terrace。　　Stanton　straightened　up　and　stared　in…
  tently　through　the　gateway；　rifle　ready。
  〃'Stanton；　what　do　you　see？'　I　called　cautiously。　　He　waved
  a　silencing　hand。　　I　turned　my　head　to　look　at　Edith。　　A　shock
  ran　through　me。　　She　lay　upon　her　side。　　Her　face；　grotesque
  with　its　nose　and　mouth　covered　by　the　respirator；　was
  turned　full　toward　the　moon。　　She　was　again　in　deepest　sleep！
  〃As　I　turned　again　to　call　to　Stanton；　my　eyes　swept　the
  head　of　the　steps　and　stopped；　fascinated。　　For　the　moon…
  light　had　thickened。　　It　seemed　to　becurdledthere；　and
  through　it　ran　little　gleams　and　veins　of　shimmering　white
  fire。　　A　languor　passed　through　me。　　It　was　not　the　ineffable
  drowsiness　of　the　preceding　night。　　It　was　a　sapping　of　all　will
  to　move。　　I　tried　to　cry　out　to　Stanton。　　I　had　not　even　the　will
  to　move　my　lips。　　GoodwinI　could　not　even　move　my　eyes！
  〃Stanton　was　in　the　range　of　my　fixed　vision。　　I　watched
  him　leap　up　the　steps　and　move　toward　the　gateway。　　The
  curdled　radiance　seemed　to　await　him。　　He　stepped　into　it
  and　was　lost　to　my　sight。
  〃For　a　dozen　heart　beats　there　was　silence。　　Then　a　rain　of
  tinklings　that　set　the　pulses　racing　with　joy　and　at　once
  checked　them　with　tiny　fingers　of　iceand　ringing　through
  them　Stanton's　voice　from　the　courtyarda　great　crya
  screamfilled　with　ecstasy　insupportable　and　horror　un…
  imaginable！　　And　once　more　there　was　silence。　　I　strove　to
  burst　the　bonds　that　held　me。　　I　could　not。　　Even　my　eyelids
  were　fixed。　　Within　them　my　eyes；　dry　and　aching；　burned。
  〃Then　GoodwinI　first　saw　theinexplicable！　　The　crys…
  talline　music　swelled。　　Where　I　sat　I　could　take　in　the　gate…
  way　and　its　basalt　portals；　rough　and　broken；　rising　to　the
  top　of　the　wall　forty　feet　above；　shattered；　ruined　portals
  unclimbable。　　From　this　gateway　an　intenser　light　began　to
  flow。　　It　grew；　it　gushed；　and　out　of　it　walked　Stanton。
  〃Stanton！　　ButGod！　　What　a　vision！〃
  A　deep　tremor　shook　him。　　I　waitedwaited。
  CHAPTER　V
  Into　the　Moon　Pool
  〃GOODWIN；〃　Throckmartin　went　on　at　last；　〃I　can　describe
  him　only　as　a　thing　of　living　light。　　He　radiated　light；　was
  filled　with　light；　overflowed　with　it。　　A　shining　cloud　whirled
  through　and　around　him　in　radiant　swirls；　shimmering　ten…
  tacles；　luminescent；　coruscating　spirals。
  〃His　face　shone　with　a　rapture　too　great　to　be　borne　by
  living　man；　and　was　shadowed　with　insuperable　misery。　　It
  was　as　though　it　had　been　remoulded　by　the　hand　of　God　and
  the　hand　of　Satan；　working　together　and　in　harmony。　　You
  have　seen　that　seal　upon　my　own。　　But　you　have　never　seen
  it　in　the　degree　that　Stanton　bore　it。　　The　eyes　were　wide
  open　and　fixed；　as　though　upon　some　inward　vision　of　hell
  and　heaven！
  〃The　light　that　filled　and　surrounded　him　had　a　nucleus；　a
  coresomething　shiftingly　human　shapedthat　dissolved
  and　changed；　gathered　itself；　whirled　through　and　beyond
  him　and　back　again。　　And　as　its　shining　nucleus　passed
  through　him　Stanton's　whole　body　pulsed　radiance。　　As　the
  luminescence　moved；　there　moved　above　it；　still　and　serene
  always；　seven　tiny　globes　of　seven　colors；　like　seven　little
  moons。
  〃Then　swiftly　Stanton　was　liftedlevitatedup　the　un…
  scalable　wall　and　to　its　top。　　The　glow　faded　from　the　moon…
  light；　the　tinkling　music　grew　fainter。　　I　tried　again　to　move。
  The　tears　were　running　down　now　from　my　rigid　lids　and
  they　brought　relief　to　my　tortured　eyes。
  〃I　have　said　my　gaze　was　fixed。　　It　was。　　But　from　the　side；
  peripherally；　it　took　in　a　part　of　the　far　wall　of　the　outer　en…
  closure。　　Ages　seemed　to　pass　and　a　radiance　stole　along　it。
  Soon　drifted　into　sight　the　figure　that　was　Stanton。　　Far　away
  he　wason　the　gigantic　wall。　　But　still　I　could　see　the　shin…
  ing　spirals　whirling　jubilantly　around　and　through　him；　felt
  rather　than　saw　his　tranced　face　beneath　the　seven　moons。
  A　swirl　of　crystal　notes；　and　he　had　passed。　　And　all　the　time；
  as　though　from　some　opened　well　of　light；　the　courtyard
  gleamed　and　sent　out　silver　fires　that　dimmed　the　moon…
  rays；　yet　seemed　strangely　to　be　a　part　of　them。
  〃At　last　the　moon　neared　the　horizon。　　There　came　a　louder
  burst　of　sound；　the　second；　and　last；　cry　of　Stanton；　like　an
  echo　of　his　first！　　Again　the　soft　sighing　from　the　inner　ter…
  race。　　Thenutter　silence！
  〃The　light　faded；　the　moon　was　setting　and　with　a　rush
  life　and　power　to　move　returned　to　me。　　I　made　a　leap　for　the
  steps；　rushed　up　them；　through　the　gateway　and　straight　to
  the　grey　rock。　　It　was　closedas　I　knew　it　would　be。　　But　did
  I　dream　it　or　did　I　bear；　echoing　through　it　as　though　from
  vast　distances　a　triumphant　shouting？
  〃I　ran　back　to　Edith。　　At　my　touch　she　wakened；　looked
  at　me　wanderingly；　raised　herself　on　a　hand。
  〃'Dave！'　she　said；　'I　sleptafter　all。'　She　saw　the　despair
  on　my　face　and　leaped　to　her　feet。　　'Dave！'　she　cried。　　'What
  is　it？　　Where's　Charles？'
  〃I　lighted　a　fire　before　I　spoke。　　Then　I　told　her。　　And　for
  the　balance　of　that　night　we　sat　before　the　flames；　arms
  around　each　otherlike　two　frightened　children。〃
  Abruptly　Throckmartin　held　his　hands　out　to　me　appeal…
  ingly。
  Walter；　old　friend！〃　he　cried。　　〃Don't　look　at　me　as　though
  I　were　mad。　　It's　truth；　absolute　truth。　　Wa