here and there, "in the field," as heralds say, were lesser orbs which
from their size and position could represent smaller worlds circling
about it. Between these orbs were dotted lines and arrow-heads of the
oldest form pointing in all directions, while all the intervening spaces
were filled up with woven characters half-way in appearance between
Runes and Cryptic-Sanskrit. Round the borders these characters ran into
a wild maze, a perfect jungle of an alphabet through which none but a
wizard could have forced a way in search of meaning.

Altogether, I thought as I kicked it out straight upon my floor, it was
a strange and not unhandsome article of furniture--it would do nicely
for the mess-room on the Carolina, and if any representatives of yonder
poor old fellow turned up tomorrow, why, I would give them a couple of
dollars for it. Little did I guess how dear it would be at any price!

Meanwhile that steak was late, and now that the temporary excitement of
the evening was wearing off I fell dull again. What a dark, sodden world
it was that frowned in on me as I moved over to the window and opened
it for the benefit of the cool air, and how the wind howled about the
roof tops. How lonely I was! What a fool I had been to ask for long
leave and come ashore like this, to curry favour with a set of stubborn
dunderheads who cared nothing for me--or Polly, and could not or would
not understand how important it was to the best interests of the Service
that I should get that promotion which alone would send me back to her
an eligible wooer! What a fool I was not to have volunteered for some
desperate service instead of wasting time like this! Then at least life
would have been interesting; now it was dull as ditch-water, with wretched
vistas of stagnant waiting between now and that joyful day when I could
claim that dear, rosy-checked girl for my own. What a fool I had been!