'A sudden thought came into my head as I stooped towards the portal.

For once, at least, I grasped the mental operations of the Morlocks.

Suppressing a strong inclination to laugh, I stepped through the

bronze frame and up to the Time Machine. I was surprised to find it

had been carefully oiled and cleaned. I have suspected since that

the Morlocks had even partially taken it to pieces while trying in

their dim way to grasp its purpose.

'Now as I stood and examined it, finding a pleasure in the mere

touch of the contrivance, the thing I had expected happened. The

bronze panels suddenly slid up and struck the frame with a clang.

I was in the dark--trapped. So the Morlocks thought. At that I

chuckled gleefully.

'I could already hear their murmuring laughter as they came towards

me. Very calmly I tried to strike the match. I had only to fix on

the levers and depart then like a ghost. But I had overlooked one

little thing. The matches were of that abominable kind that light

only on the box.

'You may imagine how all my calm vanished. The little brutes were

close upon me. One touched me. I made a sweeping blow in the dark at

them with the levers, and began to scramble into the saddle of the

machine. Then came one hand upon me and then another. Then I had

simply to fight against their persistent fingers for my levers, and

at the same time feel for the studs over which these fitted. One,

111

The Time Machine