'But probably, the machine had only been taken away. Still, I must

be calm and patient, find its hiding-place, and recover it by force

or cunning. And with that I scrambled to my feet and looked about

me, wondering where I could bathe. I felt weary, stiff, and

travel-soiled. The freshness of the morning made me desire an equal

freshness. I had exhausted my emotion. Indeed, as I went about

my business, I found myself wondering at my intense excitement

overnight. I made a careful examination of the ground about the

little lawn. I wasted some time in futile questionings, conveyed, as

well as I was able, to such of the little people as came by. They

all failed to understand my gestures; some were simply stolid, some

thought it was a jest and laughed at me. I had the hardest task in

the world to keep my hands off their pretty laughing faces. It was

a foolish impulse, but the devil begotten of fear and blind anger

was ill curbed and still eager to take advantage of my perplexity.

The turf gave better counsel. I found a groove ripped in it, about

midway between the pedestal of the sphinx and the marks of my feet

where, on arrival, I had struggled with the overturned machine.

There were other signs of removal about, with queer narrow

footprints like those I could imagine made by a sloth. This directed

my closer attention to the pedestal. It was, as I think I have said,

of bronze. It was not a mere block, but highly decorated with deep

framed panels on either side. I went and rapped at these. The

pedestal was hollow. Examining the panels with care I found them

discontinuous with the frames. There were no handles or keyholes,

The Time Machine