“‘What are you doing there?’ he asked.


“I felt angry at having been tricked by so elaborate a story as that

which he had told me. ‘I was admiring your fuller’s-earth,’

said I; ‘I think that I should be better able to advise you as to your

machine if I knew what the exact purpose was for which it was used.’


“The instant that I uttered the words I regretted the rashness of my

speech. His face set hard, and a baleful light sprang up in his grey eyes.


“‘Very well,’ said he, ‘you shall know all about

the machine.’ He took a step backward, slammed the little door, and

turned the key in the lock. I rushed towards it and pulled at the handle, but

it was quite secure, and did not give in the least to my kicks and shoves.

‘Hullo!’ I yelled. ‘Hullo! Colonel! Let me out!’


“And then suddenly in the silence I heard a sound which sent my heart

into my mouth. It was the clank of the levers and the swish of the leaking

cylinder. He had set the engine at work. The lamp still stood upon the floor

where I had placed it when examining the trough. By its light I saw that the

black ceiling was coming down upon me, slowly, jerkily, but, as none knew

better than myself, with a force which must within a minute grind me to a

shapeless pulp. I threw myself, screaming, against the door, and dragged with

my nails at the lock. I implored the colonel to let me out, but the remorseless

clanking of the levers drowned my cries. The ceiling was only a foot or two

above my head, and with my hand upraised I could feel its hard, rough surface.

Then it flashed through my mind that the pain of my death would depend very

much upon the position in which I met it. If I lay on my face the weight would

come upon my spine, and I shuddered to think of that dreadful snap. Easier the

other way, perhaps; and yet, had I the nerve to lie and look up at that deadly

black shadow wavering down upon me? Already I was unable to stand erect, when