The Panchronicon

by Harold Steele MacKaye

  CHAPTER VI

  SHIPWRECKED ON THE SANDS OF TIME

  Rebecca was the first of the three to waken. Over her small window shehad hung a black shawl to keep out the light, and upon this screen werethrown recurrent flashes of sunlight.

  "Still a-swingin'," she murmured. "Wonder how fur back we be now!"

  She was herself surprised at the eagerness she felt to observe at lastthe results of their extraordinary attempt.

  She rose quickly and was very soon ready to leave her room. She waslonging to see Phoebe--Phoebe as she had been when a girl.

  Opening her door, she was astonished to find the lamps of the main roomaglow and to see Copernicus in his shirt-sleeves, asleep with his headon the table.

  As she stepped out of her own room, her senses were offended by the odorof alcohol. With horror she realized that rum, the spirit of all thesources of evil, had found its way into their abode.

  She entertained so violent a repugnance for liquors and for men undertheir influence that she could not bring herself to approach Copernicus.

  "He's gone an' got drunk again," she muttered, glaring with helplessanger at the bottles and then at him.

  "Mister Droop! Copernicus Droop!" she cried in a high, sharp voice.

  There was no reply.

  She looked about her for something to prod him with. There was anarm-chair on casters beside her door. She drew this to her and pushed itwith all her might toward the unconscious man.

  The chair struck violently against Droop's seat, and even caused hisbody to sway slightly, but he still slept and gave no sign.

  "That settles it!" she exclaimed, with mingled disgust and alarm in herface.

  "What's the matter?"

  It was Phoebe who called.

  "It's me," said Rebecca. "Can I come in?"

  "Yes."

  Rebecca walked into Phoebe's room, which she found darkened like herown. Her sister was in bed.

  "What ever happened to you?" Phoebe asked. "Sounded as though ye'dfallen down or somethin'."

  Rebecca stood stiffly with her back to the closed door, her hands foldedbefore her.

  "Copernicus Droop is tight! Dead drunk!" she exclaimed, with a shakingvoice.

  "Drunk!" cried Phoebe. "Lands sakes!--an'--" She looked about her withalarm. "Then what's happened to the machine?" she asked.

  "Whirlin', whirlin', same as ever! Cuttin' meridians or sausage meatfer all I care. I jest wish to goodness an' all creation I'd never bensech a plumb born nateral fool as to--oh, wouldn't I like to jest_shake_ that man!" she broke out, letting her anger gain the upper hand.

  Then Phoebe recalled their situation and their expectations of thenight before.

  "Why, then I ought to be gettin' little pretty fast," she said, feelingher arms. "I don't see's I've shrunk a mite, hev I?"

  "No more'n I hev!" Rebecca exclaimed, hotly. "Nor you won't, nuther. Yemight jest's well make up yer mind to it thet the whole business isfoolish folderols. We're a nice couple o' geese, we are, to come outhere to play 'Here we go round the mulberry bush' with the NorthPole--an' all along of a shif'less, notorious slave o' rum!"

  She plumped herself into a chair and glared at the darkened window asthough fascinated by those ever-returning flashes of sunlight.

  "Well--well--well!" murmured Phoebe.

  She was much disappointed, and yet somehow she could not avoid a certainpleasure in the thought that at least there was no fear of a return tochildhood.

  "But what're we goin' to do?" she asked at length. "If Mr. Droop's sotight he can't manage the machine, what'll we do. Here we are tied up tothe North Pole----"

  "Oh, drat the old Panchronicon!" cried Rebecca.

  Then rising in her wrath, she continued with energy: "The's one thingI'm goin' to do right this blessed minute. I'm goin' to draw a hullbucket o' cold water an' throw it over that mis'able critter in there!Think o' him sleepin' on the table--the table as we eat our victualson!"

  "No--no. Don't try to wake him up first!" cried Phoebe. "Let's havebreakfast--we can have it in the kitchen--an' then you can douse himafterward. Just think of the wipin' an' cleanin' we'll have to do afterit. We'll be starved if we wait breakfast for all that ruction!"

  Rebecca reflected a moment. Then:

  "I guess ye're right, Phoebe," she said. "My, won't that carpet look asight! I'll go right an' fix up somethin' to eat, though goodness knows,I'm not hungry."

  She left Phoebe to dress and made a wide circuit to avoid evenapproaching the table on her way to the kitchen. Not long afterward shewas followed by her sister, who took a similar roundabout path, forPhoebe was quite as much in horror of drink and drinkers as Rebecca.

  She glanced at the date indicator as she passed it.

  "My sakes!" she said, as she entered the kitchen, "it's March 25, 1887.Why, then's the time that I had the measles so bad. Don't you rememberwhen I was thirteen years old an' Dr. ----"

  Rebecca broke in with a snort.

  "Eighty-seven grandmothers!" she exclaimed. "Don't you get to frettin''bout gettin' the measles or anything else, Phoebe--only sof'nin' ofthe brain--I guess we've both got that right bad!"

  "I don't know 'bout that," Phoebe replied, as she began to set thesmall table for two. "I believe we're gettin' back, after all, Rebecca.The's one thing sure. Everybody knows that ye lose a day every time yougo round the world once from east to west, an' I'm sure we've gone roundoften enough to lose years. I believe that indicator's all right."

  "We've not ben goin' round the world, though," Rebecca replied. "That'sthe p'int. This old iron clothes-pole out here ain't the hull world, Ican tell ye!"

  "Well, but all the meridians----"

  "Oh, bother yer meridians! I ain't seen one o' the things yet--nor youhevn't, either, Phoebe Wise!"

  Phoebe was not convinced. It seemed not at all unreasonable, afterall, that they should lose time without undergoing any physical change.She concluded to argue the matter no further, however.

  Their meal was eaten in silence. As they rose to clear the table,Phoebe said:

  "Th' ain't any use of goin' back to 1876 now, is there, Rebecca. ThoughI do s'pose it won't make any difference to Mr. Droop. He can bring outhis inventions an'----"

  "Not with my money, or Joe Chandler's, either," Rebecca declared,firmly. "Not as Joe'd ask me to marry him now. He'd as soon think o'marryin' his grandmother."

  "Then what's the use o' goin' back any further. We might's well stop themachine right now, so's not to have so many more turns to wind upagain."

  "Fiddlesticks!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Don't you fret about that! Don't Itell ye it's folderol! Tell ye what ye can do, though. Open themshutters out there an' let in some sunlight. I've more'n half a mind toopen a window, too. Thet smell o' rum in there makes me sick."

  "We'd freeze to death in a minute if we tried it," said Phoebe, as sheentered the main room.

  She went to each of the four windows and opened all the shutters,avoiding in the meantime even a glance at the middle of the room. Shedid not forget the date indicator, however.

  "Merry Christmas!" she cried, with a little laugh. "It's Christmas-day,1886, Rebecca."

  The engine-room door was open. Perhaps it was a sign of her returningyouth, but the fact is her fingers itched to get at those bright,tempting brass and steel handles. Droop had explained their uses and shefelt sure she could manage the machinery. What a delightful thing itwould be to feel the Panchronicon obeying her hand!

  "Really, Rebecca," she exclaimed, "if we're not going back to '76 afterall, I think it's a dreadful waste of time for us to be throwin' awaysix months every hour this way."

  "'Twon't be long," Rebecca replied, as she turned the hot water into herdishpan. "You come in here an' help wash these dishes, an' ef I don'tsoon wake up that mis'able--" She did not trust herself further, buttightly compressed her lips and confined her rising choler.

  "Why, Rebecca Wise," said Phoebe, "you know it will be hours beforethat man's got sense enough to run this machine. I'm
goin' to stop itmyself, right now."

  Rebecca had just taken a hot plate from her pan, but she paused eresetting it down, alarmed at Phoebe's temerity.

  "Don't you dast to dream o' sech a thing, Phoebe!" she cried, withfrightened earnestness.

  But Phoebe was confident, and crossed the threshold with a littlelaugh.

  "Why, Rebecca, what you scared of?" she said. "It's just as easy asthat--see!"

  She pulled the starting lever.

  The next instant found her flying out into the middle of the main roomfollowing Droop, the table, and all the movable furniture. In thekitchen there was a wild scream and a crash of crockery as Rebecca wasthrown against the rear partition.

  Phoebe had pulled the lever the wrong way and the Panchronicon wasswiftly reaching full speed.

  "Heavens and airth!" cried Rebecca.

  "Whatever in gracious--" began the dismayed Phoebe.

  She broke off in renewed terror as she found herself pushed by anirresistible force to the side of the room.

  "Here--here!" she heard from the kitchen. "What's this a-pullin'? Lando' promise, Phoebe, come quick! I've got a stroke!"

  "I can't come!" wailed Phoebe. "I'm jammed tight up against the wall.It's as though I was nailed to it."

  "Oh, why--why did ye touch that machinery!" cried Rebecca, and then saidno more.

  The speed indicator pointed to one hundred and seventy-five miles anhour. They were making one revolution around the pole each second--andthey were helpless.

  As she found herself pushed outward by the immensely increasedcentrifugal force, Phoebe found it possible to seat herself upon oneof the settles, and she now sat with her back pressed firmly against thesouth wall of the room, only able by a strong effort to raise her head.

  She turned to the right and found that Droop had found a couch on thefloor under the table and chairs at the rear of the room, also againstthe south wall.

  In the kitchen Rebecca had crouched down as she found herself forcedoutward, and she now sat dazed on the kitchen floor surrounded by thefragments of their breakfast all glued to the wall as tightly asherself.

  "Oh, dear--oh, dear!" she cried, closing her eyes. "Copernicus Droopsaid that side weight would be terrible if we travelled too fast. Why,I'm so heavy sideways I feel like as if I weighed 497-1/2 pounds likethat fat woman in the circus down to Keene."

  "So do I," Phoebe said, "only I'm so dizzy, too, I can hardly think."

  "Shet your eyes, like me," said Rebecca.

  "I would only I can't keep 'em off the North Pole there," said Phoebe,as she gazed fascinated through the north window opposite.

  "Why, what's the matter with the child!" Rebecca exclaimed, in alarm."Air ye struck silly, Phoebe?"

  "No, but I guess you'd want to watch it too if you could see that ringwe're tied to spinnin' round right close to the top of the pole.There--there!" she continued, shrilly. "It'll fly right off in anotherminute! There! Oh, dear!"

  Their attachment did indeed appear precarious. The increased speedacting through the inclined aeroplane had caused the vessel to risesharply, and the rope had raised the ring by which it was attached tothe pole until it came in contact with the steel ball at the top, whenit could rise no farther. Here the iron ring was grinding against andunder the retaining ball which alone prevented its slipping off the topof the pole.

  "I don't see's we'd be any wuss off ef we did come loose," said Rebecca,with eyes still closed. "At least we wouldn't be gummed here ez tight'sif the walls was fly-paper."

  "No, but we'd fly off at a tangent into infinite space, Rebecca Wise,"Phoebe said, sharply.

  "Where's that?" asked her sister. "I'll engage 'tain't any wuss placethan the North Pole."

  "Why, it's off into the ether. There isn't any air there or anythin'.An' they say it's fifty times colder than the North Pole."

  "Who's ben there?"

  "Why, nobody--" Phoebe began.

  "Then let's drop it," snapped Rebecca. "Dr. Kane said the' was an opensea at the North Pole--an' I'm sick o' bein' told about places nobody'sever ben to before."

  Phoebe was somewhat offended at this and there was a long silence,during which she became more reassured touching the danger of breakingaway from the Pole. Soon she, too, was able to shut her eyes.

  The silence was broken by a meek voice from under the table.

  "Would you mind settin' off my chist?" said Droop.

  There was no answer and he opened his eyes. His bewilderment andsurprise were intense when he discovered his situation.

  Shutting his eyes again, he remarked:

  "What you flashin' that bright light in my eyes so often for?"

  Phoebe gave vent to a gentle sniff of contempt.

  "My--my--my!" Droop continued, in meek amazement. "I s'pose I must hevtaken two whole bottles. I never, never felt so heavy's this before!What's the old Pan lyin' on it's side fer?"

  "'Tain't on its side," snapped Phoebe. "The old thing's run away,Copernicus Droop, an' it's all your fault." There was a quiver in hervoice.

  "Run away!" said Droop, opening his eyes again. "Where to?"

  "Nowheres--jest whirlin'. Only it's goin' a mile a second, I dobelieve--an' it'll fly off the pole soon--an'--an' we'll all be killed!"she cried, bursting into tears.

  She dragged her hands with great difficulty to her face against whichshe found them pressed with considerable energy. Crying under thesecircumstances was so very unusual and uncomfortable that she soon gaveit up.

  "Oh, I see! It's the side weight holds me here. Where are you?"

  There was no reply, so he turned his head and eyes this way and thatuntil at length he spied Phoebe on the settle, farther forward.

  "Am I under the table?" he said. "Where's Cousin Rebecca? Was shepressed out through the wall?"

  "I'm out here in the kitchen, Copernicus Droop," she cried. "I wish togoodness you'd ben pressed in through the walls of the lock-up 'foreever ye brought me'n Phoebe into this mess. Ef you're a man or halfone, you'll go and stop this pesky old Panchronicle an' give us a chanceto move."

  "How can I go?" he cried, peevishly. "What the lands sakes did you goan' make the machine run away for? Couldn't ye leave the machineryalone?"

  "I didn't touch your old machine!" cried Rebecca. "Phoebe thought we'dbe twisted back of our first birthday ef the thing wasn't stopped, an'she pulled the handle the wrong way, that's all!"

  Droop rolled his eyes about eagerly for a glimpse of the date indicator.

  "What's the date, Cousin Phoebe?" he asked.

  "April 4, 1884--no, April 3d--2d--oh, dear, it's goin' back so fast Ican't tell ye the truth about it!"

  "Early in 1884," Droop repeated, in awe-struck accents. "An' we'rea-whirlin' off one day every second--just about one year in six minutes.Great Criminy crickets! When was you born, Cousin Phoebe?"

  "Second of April, 1874."

  "Ten years. One year in six minutes--gives ye jest one hour to live.Then you'll go out--bang!--like a candle. I'll go next, and CousinRebecca last."

  "Well!" exclaimed Rebecca, angrily, "ef I can hev the pleasure o' bein'rid o' you, Copernicus Droop, it'll be cheap at the price--but the's nosech luck. Ef you think ye can fool us any more with yer twaddle 'boutcuttin' meridians, ye're mistaken--that's all I can say."

  Droop was making desperate efforts to climb along the floor and reachthe engine-room, but, although by dint of gigantic struggles he managedto make his way a few feet, he was then obliged to pause for breath,whereupon he slid gently and ignominiously back to his nook under thetable.

  Here he found himself in contact with a corked bottle. He looked at itand felt comforted. At least he had access to forgetfulness whenever hepleased to seek it.

  The two women found it wisest to lie quiet and speak but little. Thecombined rotary movement and sense of weight were nervously disturbing,and for a long time no one of the three spoke. Only once in the middleof the forenoon did Phoebe address Droop.

  "Whatever will be the end o' this?" she said. />
  "Why, we'll keep on whirlin' till the power gives out," he replied. "Yehevn't much time to live now, hev ye?"

  With a throb of fear felt for the first time, Phoebe looked at theindicator.

  "It's May, 1874," she said.

  "Jest a month--thirty seconds," he said, sadly.

  "Copernicus Droop, do you mean it?" screamed Rebecca from the kitchen.

  "Unless the power gives out before then," he replied. "I don't supposeye want to make yer will, do ye?"

  "Stuff!" said Phoebe, bravely, but her gaze was fixed anxiously on theindicator, now fast approaching the 2d of April.

  "Oh, dear! 'F I could only see ye, Phoebe!" cried Rebecca. "I knowhe's a mis'able deceivin' man, but if--if--oh, Phoebe, can't yeholler!"

  "It's April 8th--good-bye!" Phoebe said, faintly.

  "Phoebe--Phoebe!"

  "Hurray--hurray! It's March 31st, and here I am!"

  Phoebe tried to clap her hands, but the effort was in vain.

  "I allus said it was folderol," said Rebecca, sternly. "Oh, but I'd liketo throw somethin' at that Copernicus Droop!"

  "Come to think of it," said Droop, "that future man must hev come backlong, long before his birthday."

  "Why didn't ye say that sooner?" cried Rebecca.

  There was no further conversation until long afterward, when Rebeccasuddenly remarked:

  "Aren't ye hungry, Phoebe?"

  "Why, it's gettin' along to dinner-time, ain't it?" she replied. "Idon't see, though, how I'm to get any victuals, do you?"

  "Why, the's bread an' other scraps slammed up against the wall here allround me," said Rebecca. "Couldn't we fix some way to get some of 'em toye?"

  Phoebe looked anxiously about and finally caught sight of her sister'sknitting work near at hand. It proved to be just within reach, and byslow degrees and much effort she brought it into her lap within easyreach of both her heavy hands.

  "Oh, dear!" she said, "I feel's if both my arms had turned to lead.Here, Rebecca, I'm goin' to see if I can roll your ball o' yarn alongthe floor through the kitchen door. The centrifugal force will bring itto you. Then you can cut the yarn an' tie somethin' on the end for me toeat an' I'll haul it back through the door."

  "That's jest the thing, Phoebe. Go on--I'm ready."

  The theory seemed excellent, as Rebecca had fortunately been workingwith a very tough flaxen yarn; but so great was the apparent weight ofPhoebe's arms that it was only after a long series of trials ending infailures that she finally succeeded.

  "I've got it!" cried Rebecca, triumphantly. "Now, then, I've got a sliceof ham and two slices of bread----"

  "Don't send ham," said Phoebe. "I'd be sure to eat it if I had it, an''twould make me fearful dry. I'm sure I don't see how I'm to get anywater in here."

  "Thet's so," said Rebecca. "Well, here's an apple and two slices ofbread."

  "Are you keepin' enough for yourself, Rebecca?"

  "Enough an' to spare," she replied. "Now, then--all ready! Pull 'emalong!"

  Phoebe obeyed and soon had secured possession of the frugal meal whichRebecca had been able to convey to her.

  She offered a portion of her ration to Droop, but he declined it, sayinghe had no appetite. He had lapsed into a kind of waking reverie andscarce knew what was going on about him.

  The two women also were somewhat stupefied by the continual rotation andtheir enforced immobility. They spoke but seldom and must have dozedfrequently, for Phoebe was much surprised to find, on looking at theclock, that it was half-past five.

  She glanced at the date indicator.

  "Why, Rebecca!" she cried. "Here 'tis November, 1804!"

  "My land!" cried Rebecca, forgetting her scepticism. "What do you s'posethey're doin' in New Hampshire now, Phoebe?"

  "It's 'bout election time, Rebecca. They're probably votin' for Adams orMadison or somebody like that."

  "My stars!" said Rebecca. "What ever shall we do ef this old machinegoes on back of the Revolution! I should hate to go back an' worrythrough all them terrible times."

  "We'll be lucky if we stop there," said Phoebe. "I only hope togracious we won't go back to Columbus or King Alfred."

  "Oh, I hope not!" said Rebecca, with a shudder. "Folks ud think we wascrazy to be talkin' 'bout America then."

  Phoebe tried to toss her head.

  "If 'twas in Alfred's time," she said, "they couldn't understand _what_we was talkin' about."

  "Phoebe Wise! What do you mean?"

  "I mean just that. There wasn't any English language then.Besides--who's to say the old thing won't whirl us back to the days ofthe Greeks an' Romans? We could see Socrates and Pericles and Croesusand----"

  "Oh, I'd love to see Croesus!" Rebecca broke in. "He's the richest manthat ever lived!"

  "Yes--and perhaps we'll go back of then and see Abraham and Noah."

  "Ef we could see Noah, 'twould be worth while," said Rebecca. "JoeForrest said he didn't believe about the flood. He said Noah couldn'thev packed all them animals in tight enough to hev got 'em all in theArk. I'd like mighty well if I could ask Noah himself 'bout it."

  "He couldn't understand ye," said Phoebe. "All he spoke was Hebrew, yeknow."

  "Oh!" exclaimed Rebecca. Then, after a pause: "S'pose we went back tothe tower of Babel. Couldn't we find the folks that was struck with theEnglish language an' get one of 'em to go back an' speak to Noah?"

  "What good would that do? If he was struck with English he wouldn't knowHebrew any more. That's what made-- But there!" she exclaimed, "whatninnies we are!"

  There was a long pause. After many minutes, Rebecca asked one morequestion.

  "Do you s'pose the flood would come up as fur's this, Phoebe?"

  "I don't know, Rebecca. The Bible says the whole earth, you know."

  And so passed the slow hours. When they were not dozing they were eithernibbling frugally the scant fare in reach or conversing by shortsnatches at long intervals.

  For thirty hours had they thus whirled ceaselessly around that circle,when Phoebe, glancing through the window at the ring to which theirrope was attached, noticed that its constant rubbing against the ball atthe top of the pole had worn it nearly through.

  "My goodness, Rebecca!" she cried. "I believe we're goin' off at atangent in a minute."

  "What? How?"

  "The ring on the pole is nigh worn out. I believe it'll break in aminute."

  "If it breaks we'll move straight an' get rid o' this side weight, won'twe?"

  "Yes--but goodness only knows where we'll fly to."

  "Why--ain't Mr. Droop there? If the side weight goes, he can get intothe engine-room an' let us down easy."

  "That's so!" cried Phoebe. "Oh, won't it be grand to stand still aminute after all this traipsin' around and around! Mr. Droop," shecontinued, "do you hear? You'd better be gettin' ready to take hold an'stop the Panchronicon, 'cause we're goin' to break loose in half notime."

  There was no reply. Nor could any calling or pleading elicit an answer.Droop had yielded to his thirst and was again sleeping the sleep of theunregenerate.

  "Oh, Rebecca, what-- Oh--oo--oo!"

  There was a loud scream from both the sisters as the iron ring, wornthrough by long rubbing, finally snapped asunder.

  The tremendous pressure was suddenly lifted, and the two women werefree.

  With a single impulse, they flew toward the kitchen door and fell intoeach other's arms.

  The Panchronicon had gone off at a tangent at last!

  "Oh, Rebecca--Rebecca!" cried Phoebe, in tears. "I was afraid I'dnever see you again!"

  Rebecca cried a little too, and patted her sister's shoulder in silencea moment.

  "There, deary!" she said, after awhile. "Now let's set down an' hev agood cup o' tea. Then we can go to bed comfortable."

  "But, Rebecca," said Phoebe, stepping back and wiping her eyes, "whatshall we do about the Panchronicon? We're jest makin' fer InfiniteSpace, or somewheres, as fast as we can go."

  "Can't help it, Phoebe. Ye s
ha'n't touch a thing in that engine-roomthis day--not while I'm here. Ye might blow us up the nex' time. No--Iguess we'll jest hev to trust in the Lord. He brought us into thispickle, an' it's fer Him to see us out of it."

  With this comforting reflection the two sisters brewed a pot of tea,and after partaking of the refreshing decoction, went to theirrespective beds.

  "I declare, I'm dog tired!" said Rebecca.

  "So'm I," said Phoebe.

  Those were their last words for many hours.