I perceived myself in a pitch-dark vale of infinite radius,
methought, and shortly, I saw by a few bluish lights, like the flickering
flame of a candle, countless, ah! countless shades of men, some afoot and
some on horseback, rushing back and fro like the wind, in awful silence
and solemnity; the land was barren, bleak and blasted, without either
grass or hay, trees or animals, save deadly beasts and poisonous vermin
of every kind--serpents, snakes, lice, frogs, worms, locusts, gids and
all such that exist on man's corruption. Through a myriad shades and
reptiles, graves, churchyards and tombs, we made our way to view the land
unmolested, until I happened to see some turning round and looking at me;
in an instant, notwithstanding the prevailing silence, a whisper passed
from one to another that there was a man from earth there. "A man from
earth!" cried one, "a man from earth," exclaimed another, while they
crowded round me, like caterpillars, from every quarter. "Which way came
you, sirrah?" asked a morkin of a death-imp. "Indeed, sir," said I, "I
know not any more than you do." "What is your name?" he asked.
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