of camphor, and went on gathering my bonfire. Presently I noticed

how dry was some of the foliage above me, for since my arrival

on the Time Machine, a matter of a week, no rain had fallen. So,

instead of casting about among the trees for fallen twigs, I began

leaping up and dragging down branches. Very soon I had a choking

smoky fire of green wood and dry sticks, and could economize my

camphor. Then I turned to where Weena lay beside my iron mace. I

tried what I could to revive her, but she lay like one dead. I could

not even satisfy myself whether or not she breathed.

'Now, the smoke of the fire beat over towards me, and it must have

made me heavy of a sudden. Moreover, the vapour of camphor was in

the air. My fire would not need replenishing for an hour or so. I

felt very weary after my exertion, and sat down. The wood, too, was

full of a slumbrous murmur that I did not understand. I seemed just

to nod and open my eyes. But all was dark, and the Morlocks had

their hands upon me. Flinging off their clinging fingers I hastily

felt in my pocket for the match-box, and--it had gone! Then they

gripped and closed with me again. In a moment I knew what had

happened. I had slept, and my fire had gone out, and the bitterness

of death came over my soul. The forest seemed full of the smell of

burning wood. I was caught by the neck, by the hair, by the arms,

and pulled down. It was indescribably horrible in the darkness to

feel all these soft creatures heaped upon me. I felt as if I was in

a monstrous spider's web. I was overpowered, and went down. I felt

little teeth nipping at my neck. I rolled over, and as I did so my

102

The Time Machine