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But Friday night all was changed。 After 〃Attention；〃 that dreadful 〃Show〃 did not come； but this cheerful signal：
〃Hurrah。 All well。 Air； food； and friends！ what more can man require？ Hurrah。〃
How like George！ How like Ben Brannan！ How like George's wife！ How like them all！ And they were all well！ Yet poor _I_ could not answer。 Nay； I could only guess what Haliburton had done。 But I have never； I believe； been so grateful since I was born。
After a pause； the united line of leapers resumed their jumps and hops。 Long and short spelled out：
〃Your O。 K。 is twice as large as it need be。〃
Of the meaning of this； lonely _I_ had； of course； no idea。
〃I have a power of seven hundred；〃 continued George。 How did he get that？ He has never told us。 But this I can see； that all our analogies deceive us；of views of the sea from Mt。 Washington； or of the Boston State House from Wachusett。 For in these views we look through forty or eighty miles of dense terrestrial atmosphere。 But Orcutt was looking nearly vertically through an atmosphere which was； most of it； rare indeed； and pure indeed； compared with its lowest stratum。
In the record…book of my observations these despatches are entered as 12 and 13。 Of course it was impossible for me to reply。 All I could do was to telegraph these in the morning to Skowhegan； sending them to the care of the Moores； that they might forward them。 But the next night showed that this had not been necessary。
Friday night George and the others went on for a quarter of an hour。 Then they would rest； saying； 〃two；〃 〃three；〃 or whatever their next signal time would be。 Before morning I had these despatches：
14。 〃Write to all hands that we are doing well。 Langdon's baby is named Io； and Leonard's is named Phoebe。〃
How queer that was！ What a coincidence！ And they had some humor there。
15 was： 〃Our atmosphere stuck to us。 It weighs three tenths of an inchour weight。〃
16。 〃Our rain…fall is regular as the clock。 We have made a cistern of Kilpatrick。〃
This meant the spherical chamber of that name。
17。 〃Write to Darwin that he is all right。 We began with lichens and have come as far as palms and hemlocks。〃
These were the first night's messages。 I had scarcely covered the eye…glasses and adjusted the equatorial for the day； when the bell announced the carriage in which Polly and the children came from the station to relieve me in my solitary service as janitor。 I had the joy of showing her the good news。 This night's work seemed to fill our cup。 For all the day before； when I was awake； I had been haunted by the fear of famine for them。 True； I knew that they had stored away in chambers H； I； and J the pork and flour which we had sent up for the workmen through the summer； and the corn and oats for the horses。 But this could not last forever。
Now； however； that it proved that in a tropical climate they were forming their own soil； developing their own palms； and eventually even their bread…fruit and bananas； planting their own oats and maize； and developing rice； wheat； and all other cereals； harvesting these six； eight； or ten timesfor aught I could seein one of our years；why； then； there was no danger of famine for them。 If； as I thought； they carried up with them heavy drifts of ice and snow in the two chambers which were not covered in when they started； why； they had waters in their firmament quite sufficient for all purposes of thirst and of ablution。 And what I had seen of their exercise showed that they were in strength sufficient for the proper development of their little world。
Polly had the messages by heart before an hour was over； and the little girls； of course； knew them sooner than she。
Haliburton； meanwhile； had brought out the Shubael refractor （Alvan Clark）； and by night of Friday was in readiness to see what he could see。 Shubael of course gave him no such luxury of detail as did my fifteen…inch equatorial。 But still he had no difficulty in making out groves of hemlock； and the circular openings。 And although he could not make out my thirty…seven flies； still when 10。15 came he saw distinctly the black square crossing from hole Mary to the edge； and beginning its Dervish dances。 They were on his edge more precisely than on mine。 For Orcutt knew nothing of Tamworth； and had thought his best chance was to display for No。 9。 So was it that； at the same moment with me； Haliburton also was spelling out Orcutt & Co。's joyous 〃Hurrah！〃
〃Thtephen；〃 lisps Celia； 〃promith that you will look at yon moon ＇old Thombush＇ at the inthtant I do。〃 So was it with me and Haliburton。
He was of course informed long before the Moores' messenger came； that； in Orcutt's judgment； twenty feet of length were sufficient for his signals。 Orcutt's atmosphere； of course； must be exquisitely clear。
So； on Saturday； Rob。 and Haliburton pulled up all their cambric and arranged it on the Flat again； in letters of twenty feet； in this legend：
RAH。 AL WEL。
Haliburton said he could not waste flat or cambric on spelling。
He had had all night since half…past ten to consider what next was most important for them to know； and a very difficult question it was； you will observe。 They had been gone nearly two years； and much had happened。 Which thing was； on the whole； the most interesting and important？ He had said we were all well。 What then？
Did you never find yourself in the same difficulty？ When your husband had come home from sea； and kissed you and the children； and wondered at their size； did you never sit silent and have to think what you should say？ Were you never fairly relieved when little Phil said； blustering； 〃I got three eggs to…day。〃 The truth is； that silence is very satisfactory intercourse； if we only know all is well。 When De Sauty got his original cable going； he had not much to tell after all； only that consols were a quarter per cent higher than they were the day before。 〃Send me news；〃 lisped hepoor lonely myth！from Bull's Bay to Valentia；〃send me news； they are mad for news。〃 But how if there be no news worth sending？ What do I read in my cable despatch to…day？ Only that the Harvard crew pulled at Putney yesterday； which I knew before I opened the paper； and that there had been a riot in Spain； which I also knew。 Here is a letter just brought me by the mail from Moreau； Tazewell County； Iowa。 It is written by Follansbee； in a good cheerful hand。 How glad I am to hear from Follansbee！ Yes； but do I care one straw whether Follansbee planted spring wheat or winter wheat？ Not I。 All I care for is Follansbee's way of telling it。 All these are the remarks by which Haliburton explains the character of the messages he sent in reply to George Orcutt's autographs； which were so thoroughly satisfactory。
Should he say Mr。 Borie had left the Navy Department and Mr。 Robeson come in？ Should he say the Lords had backed down on the Disendowment Bill？ Should he say the telegraph had been landed at Duxbury？ Should he say Ingham had removed to Tamworth？ What did they care for this？ What does anybody ever care for facts？ Should he say that the State Constable was enforcing the liquor law on whiskey； but w