the star-第3章

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about　their　nightly　business；　and　save　for　a　howling　dog　here　and

there；　the　beast　world　left　the　star　unheeded。



And　yet；　when　at　last　the　watchers　in　the　European　States　saw

the　star　rise；　an　hour　later　it　is　true；　but　no　larger　than　it　had

been　the　night　before；　there　were　still　plenty　awake　to　laugh　at

the　master　mathematicianto　take　the　danger　as　if　it　had　passed。



But　hereafter　the　laughter　ceased。　　The　star　grewit　grew

with　a　terrible　steadiness　hour　after　hour；　a　little　larger　each

hour；　a　little　nearer　the　midnight　zenith；　and　brighter　and

brighter；　until　it　had　turned　night　into　a　second　day。　　Had　it　come

straight　to　the　earth　instead　of　in　a　curved　path；　had　it　lost　no

velocity　to　Jupiter；　it　must　have　leapt　the　intervening　gulf　in　a

day；　but　as　it　was　it　took　five　days　altogether　to　come　by　our

planet。　　The　next　night　it　had　become　a　third　the　size　of　the　moon

before　it　set　to　English　eyes；　and　the　thaw　was　assured。　　It　rose

over　America　near　the　size　of　the　moon；　but　blinding　white　to　look

at；　and　HOT；　and　a　breath　of　hot　wind　blew　now　with　its

rising　and　gathering　strength；　and　in　Virginia；　and　Brazil；　and

down　the　St。　Lawrence　valley；　it　shone　intermittently　through　a

driving　reek　of　thunder…clouds；　flickering　violet　lightning；

and　hail　unprecedented。　　In　Manitoba　was　a　thaw　and　devastating

floods。　　And　upon　all　the　mountains　of　the　earth　the　snow　and　ice

began　to　melt　that　night；　and　all　the　rivers　coming　out　of　high

country　flowed　thick　and　turbid；　and　soonin　their　upper　reaches

with　swirling　trees　and　the　bodies　of　beasts　and　men。　　They　rose

steadily；　steadily　in　the　ghostly　brilliance；　and　came　trickling

over　their　banks　at　last；　behind　the　flying　population　of　their

valleys。



And　along　the　coast　of　Argentina　and　up　the　South　Atlantic　the

tides　were　higher　than　had　ever　been　in　the　memory　of　man；　and　the

storms　drove　the　waters　in　many　cases　scores　of　miles　inland；

drowning　whole　cities。　　And　so　great　grew　the　heat　during　the　night

that　the　rising　of　the　sun　was　like　the　coming　of　a　shadow。　　The

earthquakes　began　and　grew　until　all　down　America　from　the　Arctic

Circle　to　Cape　Horn；　hillsides　were　sliding；　fissures　were　opening；

and　houses　and　walls　crumbling　to　destruction。　　The　whole　side　of

Cotopaxi　slipped　out　in　one　vast　convulsion；　and　a　tumult　of　lava

poured　out　so　high　and　broad　and　swift　and　liquid　that　in　one　day

it　reached　the　sea。



So　the　star；　with　the　wan　moon　in　its　wake；　marched　across　the

Pacific；　trailed　the　thunderstorms　like　the　hem　of　a　robe；　and　the

growing　tidal　wave　that　toiled　behind　it；　frothing　and　eager；

poured　over　island　and　island　and　swept　them　clear　of　men。　　Until

that　wave　came　at　lastin　a　blinding　light　and　with　the　breath　of

a　furnace；　swift　and　terrible　it　camea　wall　of　water；　fifty　feet

high；　roaring　hungrily；　upon　the　long　coasts　of　Asia；　and　swept

inland　across　the　plains　of　China。　　For　a　space　the　star；　hotter

now　and　larger　and　brighter　than　the　sun　in　its　strength；　showed

with　pitiless　brilliance　the　wide　and　populous　country；　towns　and

villages　with　their　pagodas　and　trees；　roads；　wide　cultivated

fields；　millions　of　sleepless　people　staring　in　helpless　terror　at

the　incandescent　sky；　and　then；　low　and　growing；　came　the　murmur　of

the　flood。　　And　thus　it　was　with　millions　of　men　that　nighta

flight　nowhither；　with　limbs　heavy　with　heat　and　breath　fierce　and

scant；　and　the　flood　like　a　wall　swift　and　white　behind。　　And　then

death。



China　was　lit　glowing　white；　but　over　Japan　and　Java　and　all

the　islands　of　Eastern　Asia　the　great　star　was　a　ball　of　dull　red

fire　because　of　the　steam　and　smoke　and　ashes　the　volcanoes　were

spouting　forth　to　salute　its　coming。　　Above　was　the　lava；　hot　gases

and　ash；　and　below　the　seething　floods；　and　the　whole　earth　swayed

and　rumbled　with　the　earthquake　shocks。　　Soon　the　immemorial　snows

of　Thibet　and　the　Himalaya　were　melting　and　pouring　down　by　ten

million　deepening　converging　channels　upon　the　plains　of　Burmah　and

Hindostan。　　The　tangled　summits　of　the　Indian　jungles　were　aflame

in　a　thousand　places；　and　below　the　hurrying　waters　around　the

stems　were　dark　objects　that　still　struggled　feebly　and　reflected

the　blood…red　tongues　of　fire。　　And　in　a　rudderless　confusion　a

multitude　of　men　and　women　fled　down　the　broad　river…ways　to　that

one　last　hope　of　menthe　open　sea。



Larger　grew　the　star；　and　larger；　hotter；　and　brighter　with　a

terrible　swiftness　now。　　The　tropical　ocean　had　lost　its

phosphorescence；　and　the　whirling　steam　rose　in　ghostly　wreaths

from　the　black　waves　that　plunged　incessantly；　speckled　with

storm…tossed　ships。



And　then　came　a　wonder。　　It　seemed　to　those　who　in　Europe

watched　for　the　rising　of　the　star　that　the　world　must　have　ceased

its　rotation。　　In　a　thousand　open　spaces　of　down　and　upland　the

people　who　had　fled　thither　from　the　floods　and　the　falling　houses

and　sliding　slopes　of　hill　watched　for　that　rising　in　vain。　　Hour

followed　hour　through　a　terrible　suspense；　and　the　star　rose　not。　

Once　again　men　set　their　eyes　upon　the　old　constellations　they　had

counted　lost　to　them　forever。　　In　England　it　was　hot　and　clear

overhead；　though　the　ground　quivered　perpetually；　but　in　the

tropics；　Sirius　and　Capella　and　Aldebaran　showed　through　a　veil　of

steam。　　And　when　at　last　the　great　star　rose　near　ten　hours　late；

the　sun　rose　close　upon　it；　and　in　the　centre　of　its　white　heart

was　a　disc　of　black。



Over　Asia　it　was　the　star　had　begun　to　fall　behind　the

movement　of　the　sky；　and　then　suddenly；　as　it　hung　over　India；　its

light　had　been　veiled。　　All　the　plain　of　India　from　the　mouth　of

the　Indus　to　the　mouths　of　the　Ganges　was　a　shallow　waste　of

shining　water　that　night；　out　of　which　rose　temples　and　palaces；

mounds　and　hills；　black　with　people。　　Every　minaret　was　a

clustering　mass　of　people；　who　fell　one　by　one　into　the　turbid

waters；　as　heat　and　terror　overcame　them。　　The　whole　land　seemed

a…wailing　and　suddenly　there　swept　a　shadow　across　that　furnace　of

despair；　and　a　breath　of　cold　wind；　and　a　gathering　of　clouds；　out

of　the　cooling　air。　　Men　looking　up；　near　blinded；　at　the　star；　saw

that　a　black　disc　was　creeping　across　the　light。　　It　was　the　moon；

coming　between　the　star　and　the　earth。　　And　even　as　men　cried　to

God　at　this　respite；　out　of　the　East　with　a　strange　inexplicable

swiftness　sprang　the　sun。　　And　then　star；　sun　and　moon　rushed

together　across　the　heavens。



So　it　was　that　presently；　to　the　European　watchers；　star　and

sun　rose　close　upon　each　other；　drove　headlong　for　a　space　and　then

slower；　and　at　last　came　to　rest；　star　and　sun　merged　into　one

glare　of　flame　at　the　zenith　of　the　sky。　　The　moon　no　longer

eclipsed　the　star　but　was　lost　to　sight　in　the　brilliance　of　the

sky。　　And　though　those　who　were　still　alive　regarded　it　for　the

most　part　with　that　dull　stupidity　that　hunger；　fatigue；　heat　and

despair　engender；　there　were　still　men　who　could　perceive　the

meaning　of　these　signs。　　Star　and　earth　had　been　at　their　nearest；

had　swung　about　one　another；　and　the　star　had　passed。　　Already　it

was　receding；　swifter　and　swifter；　in　the　last　stage　of　its

headlong　journey　downward　into　the　sun。



And　then　the　clouds　gathered；　blotting　out　the　vision　of　the

sky；　the　thunder　and　lightning　wove　a　garment　round　the　world；　all

over　the　earth　was　such　a　downpour　of　rain　as　men　had　never　before

seen；　and　where　the　volcanoes　flared　red　against　the　cloud　canopy

there　descended　torrents　of　mud。　　Everywhere　the　waters　were

pouring　off　the　land；　leaving　mud…silted　ruins；　and　the　earth

littered　like　a　storm…worn　beach　with　all　that　had　floated；　and　the

dead　bodies　of　the　men　and　brutes；　its　children。　　For　days　the

water　streamed　off　the　land；　sweeping　away　soil　and　trees　and

houses　in　the　way；　and　piling　huge　dykes　and　scooping　out　Titanic

gullies

over　the　country　side。　　Those　were　the　days　of　darkness　that

followed　the

star　and　the