“I appoint you to commence, continue and control manufactures and all the commerce of the star,” said Regan. Still I did not see. I had been very ill. I had not, as yet, become accustomed to the chances of the planet. “Roy,” said Isabella, “some man built this circle! Don’t you know that neither beasts nor birds could build a hearth and light a fire?” That was it! In the childish toy before me was the promise of a world! There was commerce, manufactures, wealth, hope, life—the old life! What did I care that Regan was monarch! The wealth would be the real power! That would be mine again, all mine! I should rule the sea, I, Roy Lee! I had been weak, but I was strong now; my lethargy was gone. There was work to be done at once. As the course of the star was toward the sun, the heat was becoming intense, and we removed from our station in the black ravine to the edge of the forest, where it was more pleasant, and near the sea, where it was cooler. We traveled, in moving, over the roughest way, crossing mountains and going around deep arms of the sea. The air was much more dense than that which we had been accustomed to breathe. It seemed as if we were inhaling warm water. As we ascended into the heights we found it more comfortable, except when we struck one of the chilly clouds. The small ball with its little gravitation caused us to be so light that we were not fatigued, and as the days were only six hours long we had but a short time to labor. Having found a site which was remarkably pleasant, we built ourselves four stone houses, and proceeded to adorn the grounds. We called the broad, rapid river which flowed past to the sea the Styx, because its waters were so dark and because the forest on the further side was so mysterious. The tall trees about us were of corn stalk consistency. They grew from a deep morass. The broad leaves formed so close a surface that they penned the heated air beneath them, and at noon-time we could see the atmosphere turn to a greenish hue, and vibrate as if over a heated stove. Sometimes the roots became too heavy and, falling somewhere, pulled the tops to the ground. Sometimes the tops became too heavy and the tree toppled on one side, lodged, and, after awhile, fell with some of its fellows into a pile of green reeds and vines. These heaps of trunks and webs of vines made it possible for us to cross the river; from isle to isle there were vine bridges formed, and thus we were enabled to investigate the forest, where we were glad to find an abundance of fruit and berries. Into this bewildering maze, a dreamland of bottomless swamps and foundationless jungle, Regan and I went often. Always in the morning, as at noon its heat became unendurable. We found many birds, which we killed with no difficulty, several different fruits, and a few harmless serpents. There was a lack of animal life in the seething woodlands of the Star.