strong to hold me, I went upon them, and was soon to the top of the
ship. Yet, truly, I might so well have been upon the earth; for the ship
was covered above by the earth and dust of a monstrous age of years; so
that I was like to need much time to dig downward unto the ship; and
because of this, I considered a little while, and afterward made no more
to search her; but did go downward again, that I should come once more
to my journey. Yet, as you shall think, it was with a queer thrilling of
the heart, and with strange thoughts upon the end of those that did
come, maybe, to a bitter and lonesome dying in that ship of the air, in
that far-off time when she did fly.

And surely, it did seem to me as I went downward of the great Rock, how
that the flying-ship had been there for an hundred thousand years; and
that mayhaps the sea did live all about the Rock in that Age; and truly
this was no improper thing to think, for it was like that the sea had
been monstrous high and great in those days; so that the Rock was but a
little island in the midst of the sea; and now was the sea gone small
from a great sea to lesser seas, and this through an eternity of years.
And always, as it doth seem to me, had the ship lain upon the Rock, and
lookt quiet and silent over the change and wonder and the lonesomeness
of all that Country of Fire and water, for ever.

But how the air-ship did come upon the rock, how shall I know; save,
maybe, it doth seem as that she might have flown low over the sea in
that olden age, and come hard upon the Rock, because, maybe, there was
one to the helm that did steer unwittingly. And again, it shall well be
otherwise, and I do but set down mine odd thoughts; and such as they be,
they have no especial use, save that they do show to you the different
workings of my mind at that time, as I did go downward. And so to set
you the more in possession of all that I did have knowledge of.

And presently, I was come again to the earth, and did go forward with a
great speed, so that I should waste no more of that day. Yet, oft did I
think upon that ship hid there upon the mighty Rock, under the wondrous
quiet ashes of eternity.

And I went eighteen hours walking, and in all that time I did see no
more of the Humped Men; yet three times was I put in a sudden danger,
for there went past me thrice, between the fourteenth and the
seventeenth hours, great flying monsters, that were winged very ugly,
and did go, as I th