bsent from his
lodging, as well as the chamberlain. Either they were all gone somewhere
secretly together, or they had all suffered a common mysterious fate.
Unable to do anything more, I returned home full of apprehension.

I slept fitfully a few hours, and then I had a most realistic dream,
which began among my old surroundings on Earth: the wheat pit, the
closing of a turbulent session, the drive through the parks till I came
suddenly in sight of the great spherical cactus design of the World in
Washington Park. As I approached this, it seemed to leave its pedestal
and move freely through space toward me. I seized one of its meridians,
and, clinging tightly, was carried off over the park, over the lake,
over seas of ice, through an ocean of sparkling light, faster and
farther every moment, until presently my little globe refused to hold me
longer, and repelled me through a long, giddy, awful fall which filled
me with terror. But I landed in the dark chamber of a Gnomon, waist-deep
in loose wheat. It seemed gradually to grow deeper about me, rose to my
shoulders, to my chin; and as I looked up I saw Slater pouring in wheat
in a steady stream. He meant to smother and choke me with it. Ah, if I
only had a thousand, aye, ten thousand mouths to eat it, he could never
do it. I could keep even with him. But it gradually rose past my mouth,
past my nose; it covered my head and was smothering me. What an awful
thing was too much food, after all! And then I wakened to find my head
covered with pillows until I was half-choked for breath.

It was all so vivid I could not rid my mind of it. It seemed really to
have happened but a moment ago. My mind was palpitating afresh with
those Earthly scenes which had for years been fading out of it. What
could it all mean? Then I thought of the doctor. Perhaps they were
smothering him in one of the Gnomons. It seemed hardly probable, but the
idea took a strange hold on me. The chambers were all full and sealed,
but one; it had been opened, and wheat was daily being used out of it;
none was at hand to be poured in. It was foolish to do so, but I could
not rest until I had gone to the Gnomons to see. Of course I would find
nothing there, but I should not be content till I had tried. At least,
the night air and the gently falling feathers of darkness would restore
my calmness again.

I had the precaution to take my revolver again, and after a very short
walk I stood face to face with the gr