and that he was busy devising a means of applying it to the photographs I

had left with him. He spoke fragmentarily of "refraction," "polarization,"

and "unknown angles of space and time," and indicated that he was building

a kind of box or camera obscura for the study of the curious snapshots

with the gem's aid.

It was on the sixteenth day that I received the startling message from the

hospital in Croydon. Theunis was there, and wanted to see me at once. He

had suffered some odd sort of seizure; being found prone and unconscious

by friends who found their way into his house after hearing certain cries

of mortal agony and fear. Though still weak and helpless, he had now

regained his senses and seemed frantic to tell me something and have me

perform certain important duties. This much the hospital informed me over

the wire; and within half an hour I was at my friend's bedside, marveling

at the inroads which worry and tension had made on his features in so

brief a time. His first act was to move away the nurses in order to speak

in utter confidence.

"Single - I saw it!" His voice was strained and husky. "You must destroy

them all - those pictures. I sent it back by seeing it, but the pictures

had better go. That tree will never be seen on the hill again - at least,

I hope not - till thousands of eons bring back the Year of the Black Goat.

You are safe now - mankind is safe." He paused, breathing heavily, and

continued.

"Take the Gem out of the apparatus and put it in the safe - you know the