Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 3).djvu/641

 most useful in enriching the earth from which, you must bear in mind, these creatures would obtain their sustenance. You deafen one with your unthinking laughter, William! Well, they seemed to find out a way of making weapons of metal. Soon after this I seemed to see them covering their bodies with metal to resist the weapons—"

"But, look here,' said William, "would it not have saved trouble, had you originally dreamed them as naturally coated with metal from birth?"

"No!" said James curtly, "the earth has to be enriched somehow. Do hold your tongue, and let me go on! I perceived their bodies coated with metal. Then, a little later, they began to perceive that the weapons needed improvement in order to keep up the proper supply of blood to the soil; and so they agreed to invent fire-arms which would pierce the metal casing. Then, again, in a little while I dreamed that these beings discarded the metal casing altogether—"

"Soil getting poor again?"

"No, not in the least; but it had become ineffectual as a protection against the firearms."

"What very curious creatures these of yours seem to be!" said William. "One would really think that, instead of agreeing to kill themselves off like this, they would agree once for all to abolish the weapons, and live!"

"I am, I confess, somewhat puzzled about that," said James thoughtfully. "And the fact is, after long observation of their habits, I am not convinced that they desire to live. In fact, evidences point almost conclusively to the contrary. I am inclined to think that the earth they live upon is the one object of their devotion, for which, and to which, they delight to sacrifice themselves and everything else; for I dreamed that they were always ready to sacrifice conscience and—"

"What is that?" asked William. "You