He waited and heard a rustling as of someone moving in bed. "Did ye feel the footboard?" he asked. "Yes--kicked it good--now let me sleep." She was ill-natured with much drowsiness. Poor Droop staggered away from the door as though he had been struck. All had failed, then. They were circling uselessly. Those inventions would never be his. The golden dreams he had been nursing--oh, impossible! It was unbearable! He put both hands to his head and walked across the room. He paused half-consciously before a small closet partly hidden in the wall. With an instinctive movement, he touched a spring and the door slid back. He drew from the cupboard thus revealed two bottles and a glass and returned to seat himself at the table. A half an hour later the Panchronicon, circling in the outer brightness and silence, contained three unconscious travellers, and one of them sat with his arms flung across the table supporting his head, and beside him an empty bottle. CHAPTER VI SHIPWRECKED ON THE SANDS OF TIME Rebecca was the first of the three to waken. Over her small window she had hung a black shawl to keep out the light, and upon this screen were thrown 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 last the results of their extraordinary attempt. She rose quickly and was very soon ready to leave her room. She was longing to see Phoebe--Phoebe as she had been when a girl. Opening her door, she was astonished to find the lamps of the main room aglow and to see Copernicus in his shirt-sleeves, asleep with his head on the table. As she stepped out of her own room, her senses were offended by the odor of alcohol. With horror she realized that rum, the spirit of all the sources of evil, had found its way into their abode. She entertained so violent a repugnance for liquors and for men under their influence that she could not bring herself to approach Copernicus. "He's gone an' got drunk again," she muttered, glaring with helpless anger 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 an arm-chair on casters beside her door. She drew this to her and pushed it with all her might toward the unconscious man. The chair struck violently against Droop's seat, and even caused his body to sway slightly, but he still slept and gave no sign. "That settles it!" she exclaimed, with mingled disgust and alarm in her face. "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 her own. Her sister was in bed. "What ever happened to you?" Phoebe asked. "Sounded as though ye'd fallen down or somethin'." Rebecca stood stiffly with her back to the closed door, her hands folded before her.