BUT meantime David and Phyllis were running down the stone steps that led from the brow of the cliffs to the seashore below, David carrying the Wonder-Box tightly clasped beneath his arm, and pressing the key to his breast with the other hand. The Iron Man was still coming rushing after them, but David felt sure that they would now escape, for after they had reached the beach below, it was only a little distance to the iron door whence he had come from the other side of the Moon-Angel. He knew that what the Black Horse had said was true--they had but to enter there, and they would be safe.
They reached the beach, and then hurried along the stony shore toward the door, out of which David had come the day before. As they ran, David looked back over his shoulder, and saw that the Iron Man was heavily and cumbersomely climbing down the stone steps from above, his head and shoulders just showing gigantically above the edge of the rocky clefts.
On hurried the two, and there, at last, was the door. David gave a shout of delight, and rushed toward it.
* * * * *
It was locked.
* * * * *
David stood as still as a stone. His very heart seemed to cease to beat within him.
Locked! Could it be? He turned again and strove to push it open.
It stood as solid as the rock into which it was built.
"Open the door!" cried Phyllis. "Oh, open the door, David, he is coming."
"I cannot open it," said David, hoarsely. "It is locked."
"Oh, try again," cried Phyllis. "Try again, David."
But David shook his head. "It is locked, Phyllis," said he, dully. "We cannot go in now."
He knew that they were not to enter, and now the Iron Man was coming stumbling among the rocks straight toward them, looming bigger and bigger as he approached.
David set the Wonder-Box down upon the step in front of the door, and then went forward to meet the Iron Giant. He had no weapon with him, nothing with which to fight his battle. He looked about him as he went toward the Giant, and seeing a sharp and jagged stone, he picked it up, weighing it in his hand. He looked back and saw that Phyllis was sitting crouched together in a heap against the door, watching him, and trembling and shuddering. Then he looked around again; the Giant was close to him.
Then the Iron Man stopped short, and stood for a little space looking at David. Suddenly he burst into a great vibrating roar of laughter, a roar that sounded like the stroke of the clapper of a huge bell. "Now you are mine," he said. "And the girl and you shall come back to my Iron Castle to serve me as long as you live." Then he reached out his great iron hand as though to grasp David by the hair.
Then David, swinging his body, hurled, with all his might and main, the great jagged stone he held straight at the head of the Iron Man.
Straight it flew, striking the Iron Man right in the center of the forehead. There was a clanging crash as the stone struck its mark, a tinkle as of broken glass, and, as'David looked, he saw for one instant in the center of the Giant's forehead a broken and shattered hole in the hollow iron. For that instant he saw that the Iron Man was all alight within as with red and flaming fire; the next there came a gush of white, hot molten iron that burst out from the hole, and flowed down across the iron face and the iron bosom--down to the wet rocks, where it fell hissing and sputtering. The huge form stood for a moment swaying and toppling, the iron lips gave forth a terrible, hollow, and ringing cry, and then, turning half around, the giant fell crashing upon the stones, his head in the water, his feet upon the rocky shore. Clouds of hissing steam rose up from the fuming waters where he lay wallowing. Once he strove to rise, lifting his terrible front from the dripping brine. Then he fell again with a splash, rolled over upon his face, and was still, while only a slow, thin vapor rose from his iron length, cooled by the water in which he lay.
David stood towering above his fallen enemy, his bosom heaving and falling as the ocean heaves and falls after the storm has passed by and gone. All had happened so quickly that he could not believe it. Was it true? Yes, it was true! His heart swelled with joy and with triumph as though it would burst. It was true; he had indeed slain the iron monster, that monster that had so long made the earth tremble when he walked upon its quaking bosom. So he stood there, looking down upon the huge fallen form from which the last thin lingering vapor wreaths curled slowly up into the air to melt and to dissolve above.
He heard Phyllis calling him, "David, David!" and then as he turned, lifted up with exaltation, she cried out, "David, the door is open!"
It was true! Now the door was open, and stood ajar, and they might enter when they chose.
David lifted Phyllis up from where she sat, and taking up the Wonder-Box again, thrust the door open and entered.
* * * * *
It was the second story of the moon-house.
* * * * *
Phyllis had never seen it before, and she stood gazing about her in the milky brightness, sunk in wonder. "'Where are we?" said she.
David looked at her, smiling. "Do you not know?" said he. "This is the moon-house, and we are in the second story. See, there are the windows out of which I used to look and see the wonderful things I sometimes told you about. But, come, Phyllis, let us go down-stairs. I know that the Man-in-the-moon must be waiting for us. Afterward, maybe, we can come back here."
The Man-in-the-moon arose as they came in, and taking off his cap, and holding his long tobacco pipe behind his back, bowed first to David' and then to Phyllis. "I am glad to see your Honor's face again," he said to David. "And I am glad to see your Ladyship's pretty face as well, and may you both have a long life and a happy life."
Phyllis blushed and David laughed.
"And what is that you have in your hand?" said the Man-in-the-moon. David held it up. "This," he said, "is the Wonder-Box."
"I was sure you would find it and bring it back again," said the Man-in-the-moon. "I told his Royal Highness, the Master Cobbler, that you would," and the old man smiled until his face was covered all over with a shining cobweb of silvery wrinkles.
"But tell me," said David, "how soon can we get back to the brown earth again for there is where we wish to go."
"Back to the earth again?" said the Man-in-the-moon, "How soon?" He looked up at the clock. "Why, you are just in the nick of time. The moon-path will be at its best now in--let me see--in, three minutes."
"Then there is no time to lose," said David, "and we must be going."
"I will go down with you," said the Man-in-the-moon.
He led the way down stairs, Phyllis and David following him. Down they went, and down they went, until at last they came to the front door of the moon-house. The Man-in-the-moon opened the door, and there lay the moon-path stretching away across the water, shining as bright as silver, and throwing the light up into their faces.
"Good-by," said David, and he gave the Man-in-the-moon his hand.
"Good-by," said the Man-in-the-moon, taking off his hat again as he took David's hand, "I hope you will come to see us again."
"Oh, yes," said David, laughing, "I dare say I'll often be here."
"That 's right," said the Man-in-the-moon. "Come again."
David leaped down to the moon-path below. "Come, Phyllis," said he. "Here, you hold the Wonder-Box, and I will help you down." And as he spoke he gave the box to her, and then taking her hand, he lifted her down to the path where he himself stood.
"Good-by," said the Man-in-the-moon, and then he closed the door again--Click--clack!
"Come," said David, and then they turned their faces homeward.
They turned their faces homeward, and--
In an instant Phyllis was gone, and David stood alone, and what was more, she had taken the Wonder-Box with her.
Yes, he was alone. And why was that? Think a moment, and you will see for yourself. This is why she was gone:--
Everybody, you see, has a different moon-path from everybody else. David's moon-path led to his home; Phyllis's moon-path led to her home. So, when they began to return back to the brown earth again, one went one way and the other went the other way.
That was why in an instant Phyllis was gone.
David stood looking about him ruefully for a moment, and then he began to laugh.
For he knew that Phyllis was not gone for long. Things do not turn out so in the land of moonshine.
He put up his hand and felt the golden key that hung about his neck. "Oh, well," he said, "it will all turn out right, by and by."
Then he himself started off homeward. At first he walked, then he hurried, then he ran. First it was like walking on a level pasture of silvery light, then it was like hurrying over shifting gravel beneath his feet. Then it was he began to run. The rocky shore came nearer and nearer. Yes; there was Hans Krout sitting on the rocks, looking out toward him. David ran and ran. The golden gravel of brightness began to change to broken bars of light that floated each upon the crest of a wave. Now David was running, leaping from wave to wave. He stepped upon the last wave; the moonlight wriggled and twisted beneath his feet like something alive. Then he jumped stumblingly, regained his footing, and stood upon the rocks of the dear brown earth again.
"How goes it, David?" said Hans Krout.
It goes well," said David. 'How are they at home?"
"They are well," said Hans Krout.
"How is the baby?" said David.
"The baby is thirteen years old," said Hans Krout.
"To be sure she is," said David, "I had forgotten that. Have they missed me from home?" he asked.
"Nobody knows that you have been away," said Hans Krout.
"How long have I been in the moon?" said David.
"You have been there eleven years," said Hans Krout.
"To be sure," said David. He put up his hand to his face. He felt a soft beard on his chin and a moustache on his lip. He looked down at himself. Yes; he had indeed grown into a man. And yet nobody knew that he had been away and had done the greatest work of a hero--that he had slain the Iron Man. Well, that is the way it is in this world often and often.