The spot in question was quite typical of the
colonies.]
Van Emmon was the first to get results. Corrus had driven his herd back
from the brook at which they had got their evening drink, and after
seeing them all quietly settled for the night, he lay down on the dried
grass slope of a small hill, and stared up at the sky. Van Emmon had
plenty of time to study the stars as seen from Sanus, and certainly the
case demanded plenty of time.
For he saw a broad band of sky, as broad as the widest part of the Milky
Way, which was neither black nor sparkling with stars, but glowing as
brightly as the full moon! From the eastern horizon to the zenith it
stretched, a great "Silvery Way," as Van Emmon labeled it; and as the
darkness deepened and the night lengthened, the illumination crept on
until the band of light stretched all the way across. Van Emmon racked
his brains to account for the thing.
Then Corrus became drowsy. Van Emmon concentrated with all his might. At
first he overdid the thing; Corrus was not quite drowsy enough, and the
attempt only made him wakeful. Shortly, however, he became exceedingly
sleepy, and the geologist's chance came.
At the end of a few minutes the herdsman sat up, blinking.
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