O. Henryana

Seven Odds and Ends, Poetry and Short Stories. Excerpt: "e;The scene was one of supernatural weirdness.

Tall, fantastic mountains reared their seamed peaks over a dreary waste of igneous rock and burned-out lava beds.

Deep lakes of black water stood motionless as glass under frowning, honeycombed crags, from which ever and anon dropped crumbled masses with a sullen plunge.

Vegetation there was none. Bitter cold reigned and ridges of black and shapeless rocks cut the horizon on all sides.

An extinct volcano loomed against a purple sky, black as night and old as the world."e;