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002 - A Lunar Episode · O. Henryana

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  Speaker 1: Section two of O Henryanna My Own Henry. This LibriVox
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  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Recording by Phil Schamp.
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  Speaker 1: A lunar episode, the scene was one of supernatural weirdness.
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  Speaker 1: Tall fantastic mountains reared their seamed peaks over a dreary
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  Speaker 1: waste of igneous rock and burnt out lava beds. Deep
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  Speaker 1: lakes of black water stood motionless as glass under frowning
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  Speaker 1: honeycombed crags from which ever an anon dropped, crumbled masses
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  Speaker 1: with a sullen plunge. Vegetation there was none, bitter cold, rained,
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  Speaker 1: and ridges of black and shapeless rocks cut the horizon
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  Speaker 1: on all sides. An extinct volcano loomed against a purple sky,
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  Speaker 1: black as night and old as the world. The firmament
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  Speaker 1: was studded with a stars that shone with a wan
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  Speaker 1: and spectral light. Orion's belt hung high above Aldebaran faintly
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  Speaker 1: shone millions of miles away, and the earth gleamed like
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  Speaker 1: a new risen moon with a lurid, bloodlike glow. On
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  Speaker 1: a lofty mountain that hung toppling above an ink black sea,
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  Speaker 1: stood a dwelling built of stone from its solitary window.
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  Speaker 1: Came a bright light that gleamed upon the misshapen rocks.
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  Speaker 1: The door opened, and two men emerged, locked in a
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  Speaker 1: deadly struggle. They swayed and twisted upon the edge of
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  Speaker 1: the precipice, now one getting the advantage, Now the other.
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  Speaker 1: Strong men. They were, and stone rolled from their feet
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  Speaker 1: into the valley, as each strove to overcome the other.
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  Speaker 1: At length one prevailed. He seized his opponent, and, raising
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  Speaker 1: him high above his head, hurled him into space. The
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  Speaker 1: vanquished combat and shot through the air like a stone
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  Speaker 1: from a catapult, in the direction of the luminous earth.
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  Speaker 1: That's three of em this week, said the man in
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  Speaker 1: the moon, as he lit a cigarette and turned back
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  Speaker 1: into the house. Those New York interviewers are going to
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  Speaker 1: make me tired if they keep this thing up much longer.
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  Speaker 1: End of Section two.