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Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
CHAPTER 7
Multiple Choice Questions
2. Binary dummy variables allow the estimated _____ to differ for different groups.
a) slope
b) intercept
c) marginal effect
d) interaction effect
3. Suppose you have data on standardized test scores for a sample of high school juniors and
seniors. You could test for the possibility that senior outperform juniors, holding all other
independent variables constant, by
a) directly entering junior and senior into your regression.
b) including a binary dummy variable that is equal to 1 for seniors and 0 for juniors in
your regression.
c) including quadratic terms for junior and senior in your regression.
d) estimating separate regressions for juniors and seniors.
7-1
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
7. Suppose you are interested in controlling for a student’s eye color in a regression explaining
variation in standardized test scores. If eye color is defined as Blue, Green, Brown, or Other
then how many dummy variables should you include in your analysis?
a) 1.
b) 2.
c) 3.
d) 4.
7-2
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
11. Interaction terms between dummy variables and quantitative variables allow the estimated
_____ to differ for different groups.
a) slope
b) intercept
c) quadratic effect
d) parameter
12. Suppose wish to explain violent crime as a function of city type and unemployment rate and
you are concerned that the marginal effect of the unemployment rate might differ for cities
and suburbs. You could control for this possibility by
a) including the binary dummy variable Suburb in you regression.
b) interacting the binary dummy variable with the unemployment rate in you regression.
c) including the square of the unemployment rate in you regression.
d) including the binary dummy variable City in your regression.
7-3
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
16. Suppose you wish to explain student midterm scores by time taken to complete the exam
and you are concerned that the marginal effect of time taken differs depending on the
amount of time taken in a quadratic manner. You could control for this possibility by
estimating the population regression function
a) 𝑀𝑖𝑑𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 ∙ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 + 𝜀.
b) 𝑀𝑖𝑑𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 ∙ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛2 + 𝜀.
c) 𝑀𝑖𝑑𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 ∙ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 + 𝛽2 ∙ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛2 + 𝜀.
d) 𝑀𝑖𝑑𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 ∙ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 + 𝛽2 ∙ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛2
+ 𝛽3 ∙ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛3 + 𝜀.
7-4
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
21. Suppose you wish to estimate the degree to which a one dollar increase in the tax on solar
power systems affects the percentage of solar power systems sold using state-level data on
solar system sales and solar system taxes. You could estimate this effect by regressing the
a) total number of solar systems sold on solar system tax rates.
b) log of total number of solar systems sold on solar system tax rates.
c) log of the total number of solar systems sold on the log of solar system tax rates.
d) log of the total number of solar systems sold on the solar system tax rate.
25. Suppose you wish to estimate the elasticity between solar power systems sales and the tax
on solar power systems using state-level data on solar system sales and solar system taxes.
You could estimate this effect by regressing the
a) total number of solar systems sold on solar system tax rates.
b) total number of solar systems sold on the log of solar system tax rates.
c) log of the total number of solar systems sold on the log of solar system tax rates.
d) log of the total number of solar systems sold on the solar system tax rate.
7-5
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
2. Suppose you estimate the sample multiple linear regression function 𝑦̂𝑖 = 𝛽̂0 + 𝛽̂1 𝑥1𝑖 +
𝛽̂2 𝑥2𝑖 where 𝑥2𝑖 is a binary dummy variable equal to 1 if the individual possess a given
characteristic and 0 if he or she does not. Demonstrate and explain how to interpret 𝛽̂2.
4. Suppose you estimate the sample multiple linear regression function 𝑦̂𝑖 = 𝛽̂0 + 𝛽̂1 𝑥1𝑖 +
𝛽̂2 𝑥2𝑖 + 𝛽̂3 𝑥1𝑖 ∙ 𝑥2𝑖 . What is the estimated marginal effect of 𝑥1 ? 𝑥2 ? Explain.
6. Suppose you estimate the sample multiple linear regression function 𝑦̂𝑖 = 𝛽̂0 + 𝛽̂1 𝑥1𝑖 +
𝛽̂2 𝑥1𝑖
2
. What is the estimated marginal effect of 𝑥1 ? Explain.
8. Suppose you estimate the sample multiple linear regression function loĝ𝑦𝑖 = 𝛽̂0 + 𝛽̂1 𝑥1𝑖 +
𝛽̂2 𝑥2𝑖 . Explain how to interpret each of the estimated coefficients.
7-6
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Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
̂
10. Suppose you estimate the sample multiple linear regression function log 𝑦𝑖 = 𝛽̂0 + 𝛽̂1 𝑥1𝑖 +
𝛽̂2 log 𝑥2𝑖 . Explain how to interpret 𝛽̂2.
Essay Questions
1. Suppose you are a human resources manager at a large corporation and that you are
interested in determining whether a specific training program increases worker productivity
(as measured by the number of TPS reports completed) enough to justify its implementation.
In an effort to test your theory, you collect data on 672 workers, 284 who participated in the
training program and 388 who did not, with the dependent variable being measured worker
productivity and independent variables being HOURS WORKED, and whether the
individual PARTICIPATED in the training program (PARTICIPATED = 1 if the worker
participated and 0 if they didn’t). Suppose that you estimate the sample regression function
(standard errors in parentheses)
𝑇𝑃𝑆 ̂
𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠𝑖 = 8.32 + 1.47 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑𝑖 + 2.92 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑𝑖
(1.36) (0.68) (1.39)
a) How should you interpret the estimated coefficient for PARTICIPATED? Draw a graph
and explain.
b) Comment on the statistical significance of the coefficients.
c) How would you change the regression model to account for the possibility that the
marginal effect of HOURS WORKED differs for those who participated in the training
program and those who don’t. Write down the model and explain how to interpret the
slope coefficients.
d) How would the coefficient estimates change if you coded PARTICIPATED as 0 and
DON’T PARTICIPATE as a 1?
2. Suppose you are a potential college student that is interested in determining whether it is
worthwhile to declare a certain major. In an effort to find the answer, you collect data on
1,247 college graduates who majored in HUMANITIES, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, or
ENGLISH and you estimate the sample regression function (standard errors in parentheses)
a) How should you interpret the estimated coefficients for SCIENCE, ENGINEERING,
and ENGLISH? Draw a graph and explain.
b) How should you interpret the estimated coefficient for MALE?
c) Are the variables statistical significant at a 5% level?
7-7
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Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
d) Explain, in as much detail as possible, why the following model is not preferred to the
original model.
̂ 𝑖 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐺𝑃𝐴𝑖 + 𝛽2 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑖 + 𝛽3 𝐹𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑖 + 𝛽4 𝑆𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑖
𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑦
+ 𝛽5 𝐸𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑖 + 𝛽6 𝐸𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖
3. Suppose you are a human resources manager at a large corporation and that you are
interested in determining whether a specific training program increases the worker
productivity enough to justify its implementation. In an effort to test your theory, you collect
data on 672 workers, 284 who participated in the training program and 388 who did not,
with the dependent variable being measured worker productivity and independent variables
being AGE, EXPERIENCE, EXPERIENCE SQUARED, EDUCATION, HOURS
WORKED, and whether the individual PARTICIPATED in the training program. Suppose
that you estimate the sample regression function (standard errors in parentheses)
𝑇𝑃𝑆 ̂
𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠𝑖 = 8.32 + 4.17 𝐴𝑔𝑒𝑖 + 6.24 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑖 − 0.28 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑆𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖
(1.36) (1.84) (2.58) (0.11)
a) Draw a graph with TPS Reports on the y-axis and EXPERIENCE in the x-axis
assuming that experience goes from 0 to 22.
b) What is the marginal effect of experience in general? What is the marginal effect of
experience for an employee going from 2 to 3 years? How about the marginal effect
going from 15 to 16 years?
c) Where does experience reach a maximum?
4. Suppose you are a potential college student that is interested in determining whether it is
worthwhile to declare a certain major. In an effort to find the answer, you collect data on
1,247 college who majored in HUMANITIES, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, or ENGLISH
and you estimate the sample regression function (standard errors in parentheses)
log ̂
𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑦𝑖 = 32,473.81 + 0.03 𝐺𝑃𝐴𝑖 + 0.02 log 𝑆𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑦𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑖
(1,002.97) (0.0005) (0.00003)
7-8
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
SOLUTIONS
Multiple Choice Questions
1. C
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. C
11. A
12. B
13. B
14. D
15. A
16. C
17. D
18. B
19. A
20. C
21. B
22. C
23. D
24. B
25. C
26. B
1. Binary dummy variables are included in multiple linear regression analysis to account for
qualitative characteristics. The estimated coefficient for a binary dummy variable allows the
estimated intercept to differ for individuals possessing the characteristic and individuals not
possessing the characteristic.
As an example, suppose that we are interested in testing whether salaries differ for men and
women, holding all other independent variables constant. We would include the binary
dummy variable 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑖 , which is equal to 1 for males and 0 for females, and we would
interpret the estimated coefficient as the difference in average salary for men and women,
holding all other independent variables constant.
7-9
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
2. 𝛽̂2 is the difference in the estimated intercept between observations for which 𝑥2𝑖 = 1 and
observations for which 𝑥2𝑖 = 0. In this case, the estimated intercepts for the two groups
would be
3. Interaction terms are included in multiple linear regression analysis to allow the estimated
slope coefficient for a given independent variable to differ for individuals possessing
different value of another independent variable.
As an example, suppose that we are interested in testing whether large countries have a
different estimated return to capital investment than smaller countries, holding all other
independent variables constant. We would interact the binary dummy variable 𝐿𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑖 ,
which is equal to 1 for large countries and 0 for small countries, and we would interpret the
estimated coefficient as the difference in estimated marginal effect of capital investment for
large and small countries, holding all other independent variables constant.
4. In this case, the estimated marginal effects for the two groups would be
5. Quadratic terms are included in multiple linear regression analysis to allow the estimated
slope coefficient for a given independent variable to differ for different values of the
independent variable.
As an example, suppose that we are interested in testing whether the marginal effect of
experience on salary differs for different years of experience. We would include both the
independent variable 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑖 and 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑖2 in our regression and we interpret the
estimated marginal effect as 𝛽̂𝑗 + 2 ∙ 𝛽̂𝑘 ∙ 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑖 .
𝑑𝑦
= 𝛽̂1 + 2 ∙ 𝛽̂2 ∙ 𝑥1𝑖
𝑑𝑥
7. Log-linear multiple linear regression models are estimated when one wants to determine the
marginal effect that a one-unit change in an independent variables have on the dependent
variable expressed in percentage terms.
As an example, suppose that we are interested in estimating the degree to which one
additional hour of studying affects the percentage of answers that students get correct on
their midterm exams. We would estimate a log-linear model in which the dependent variable
was the log of student test scores and the independent variables were regular values.
7-10
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
8. In this case
𝛽̂1 100% - the estimated percentage increase that a one-unit increase in 𝑥1𝑖
has on 𝑦𝑖 , holding 𝑥2𝑖 constant.
𝛽̂2 100% - the estimated percentage increase that a one-unit increase in 𝑥2𝑖
has on 𝑦𝑖 , holding 𝑥1𝑖 constant.
9. Log-log multiple linear regression models are estimated when one wants to determine the
marginal effect that percentage point changes in given independent variables have on the
dependent variable expressed in percentage terms.
As an example, suppose that we are interested in estimating the price elasticity of surfboards
to consumer income. We would estimate a log-log model in which the dependent variable
was the log of surfboard sales and the independent variables was the price of surfboards.
𝛽̂1 100% - the estimated percentage increase that a one-unit increase in 𝑥1𝑖
has on 𝑦𝑖 , holding 𝑥2𝑖 constant.
𝛽̂2 % - the estimated percentage increase that a one percent increase in 𝑥2𝑖
has on 𝑦𝑖 , holding 𝑥1𝑖 constant.
Essay Questions
1.
a) The coefficient on participated is, on average, those who participated in the work
training program completed on average 2.92 more TPS reports than those who didn’t
participate in the program.
7-11
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
b) The critical value is 1.96 and the rejection rule for all two tests is to Reject 𝐻0 if the |t-
stat| >1.96.
1.47
Hours Worked: 𝑡 − 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡 = 0.68 = 2.16. Reject 𝐻0 and conclude that hours worked is
statistically significant at a 5% significance level.
2.92
Participation: 𝑡 − 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡 = 1.39 = 2.1. Reject 𝐻0 and conclude that participation is
statistically significant at a 5% significance level.
c) The model should include an additional variable that is an interaction effect between
hours worked and participation.
𝑇𝑃𝑆 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠𝑖 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑𝑖 + 𝛽2 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑𝑖
+ 𝛽3 ( 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑𝑖 )(𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑𝑖 ) + 𝜀
𝛽0: 𝛽0 is the average value of TPS Reports for those who don’t work any hours and did
not participate in the work program.
𝛽2: Relative to those who did not participate in the work program, those who
participated produce an average of 𝛽1 more TPS Reports.
𝛽1: For those who did not participate in the work program, on average, if hours go up
by one then TPS Reports go up by 𝛽1 reports.
𝛽1 + 𝛽3 : For those who did participate in the work program, on average, if hours go up
by one then TPS Reports go up by 𝛽1 + 𝛽3 reports.
d) If the dummy variable is changed such that a 1 is recorded for those who did not
participate and a 0 for those who did participate the estimated regression function would
be
𝑇𝑃𝑆 ̂
𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠𝑖 = 11.24 + 1.47 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑𝑖 − 2.92𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑𝑖
2.
a) Science: Science majors make an average of $22,882.43 additional salary relative to
Humanities majors.
7-12
Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-
Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
c) All variables are statistically significant at the 5% level except for male and English.
This means that science majors make statistically more than humanities majors and that
engineering majors make statistically more than humanities majors and that GPA is
statistically significant in explaining salary.
d) The proposed model falls into the dummy variable trap and therefore all of the
coefficients will not be estimated.
3.
a)
25
20
15
10
5
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Experience
7-13
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Hill Education.
Chapter 07 - Qualitative Variables and Non-Linearities in Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
For a person going from 2 to 3 years the marginal effect is 6.24 − 0.56(2) = $5.12.
On average, holding age, education, and hours worked constant, if a person goes from 2
to 3 years of experience their salary increases by $5.12.
For a person going from 15 to 16 years the marginal effect is 6.24 − 0.56(15) =
$2.16. On average, holding age, education, and hours worked constant, if a person goes
from 15 to 16 years of experience their salary decreases by $2.16.
4.
a) On average, holding study hours and major constant, if GPA increases by a point then
salary increases by 3%. The t-statistic is 60 and therefore GPA is statistically
significant at a 5% level. GPA going up by a full point is quite a bit but even so 3% is
economically significant, especially over a lifetime of earnings.
b) On average, holding GPA and major constant, if study hours increases by 1% then
salary increases by 0.02%. The t-statistic is 666.67 and therefore GPA is statistically
significant at a 5% level. This is not likely economically significant because this
estimate is so small.
7-14
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Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The man on the
meteor
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States
and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where
you are located before using this eBook.
Language: English
Alone on this strange little world in the orbit of Saturn, the man
who knew himself as Nemo, and the golden haired girl who
called herself Nona, lived the lives of simple primitives. But
weird was this planetoid where rocks burned and the water
was fit to breathe, yet no less fantastic than the meteor itself
was the bizarre Marinoid people who dwelt deep in its waters!
A tale to remember.
CHAPTER I
I do not know where I was born. I am ignorant of the country—I do
not even know on which world it was.
I shall tell you my history exactly as I remember it.
The first recollection that I have was when I was a young man at
the full height of my physical strength. Let us say, I was twenty, with
dark hair and eyes, a slender body, but muscular and powerful. The
day I have in mind is clear to my memory now—but everything that
happened to me before it is a blank. I found myself lying on the
ground. It was dark and there was a sky full of stars and strange
flashing lights.
I sat up, stiff and sore, and bruised all over. I was encased in
some sort of a rubber suit, with a pack on my back; my head was
enclosed in a helmet of transparent, rigid material.
I felt as though I were smothering; and I tore off the helmet and
flung it from me. I drank in a deep breath of the night air. It was pure
and sweet, but heady. It made my senses reel like some potent wine.
I say that I sat up. That is not strictly true. I pushed my elbow
against the ground, and my whole body went into the air. I floated
back to a sitting posture. I was light as a feather!
The night was calm without a breath of air stirring—— Lucky for
me for I would have blown away had there been any wind! I sat there
puzzling over my very existence. I knew nothing, not even my own
name. I have since named myself Nemo.
This place where I found myself that starry night showed a barren
landscape with only a few queerly-shaped, stunted trees. The horizon
was very close to me—almost at hand, in fact—for the ground was
curved with an enormous convexity.
It was, indeed, as though I were clinging to the top of a ball,
whirling through Space. The stars were swinging across the sky with
visible movement.
I had been conscious no more than a minute when a moon swung
into view. Then another. And then, without warning, a million tiny
worlds flashing silver with reflected sunlight, burst up from below the
horizon and swarmed the heavens. Behind them I saw a tremendous,
glowing silver sphere, with dark bands upon it—a sphere so large that
as it rose it almost filled the sky.
I was on a tiny meteor—one of the myriad that swarm in circular
orbits about the planet Saturn and form its rings.
Saturn, in position outward from the Sun, is the sixth major planet
of the Solar System. Its mean distance from the Sun is 887,098,000
miles. It is a globe almost as large as Jupiter—74,163 miles in
diameter, to be exact. It has, however, a trifle less than half Jupiter’s
density and only one-ninth the density of the Earth.
With Saturn’s rings you are perhaps familiar in a general way.
They are concentric, and encircle the planet like a flat hat-brim—a
brim more than 37,000 miles broad. These rings are composed of
billions upon billions of tiny meteors revolving about Saturn all in
almost the same plane and each maintaining its separate orbit—each
a tiny satellite, each glowing silver from its reflected sunlight.
And it was upon one of these tiny meteors that I found myself. Do
not imagine that I knew all these facts at the moment. Far from it. I
had no knowledge of any kind. My body was developed to manhood
but I was ignorant of everything with only instinct and a dawning
reason to guide me.
I had tossed away my transparent helmet. It left my hand and
went through the air like a stone from a catapult. The last I saw of it it
was sailing out over a line of trees. My brain was still confused but I
knew that my body was over-warm. I took off the rubber garment and
pack, finding myself in a white knitted affair like a bathing suit—
sleeveless shirt and trunks.
I stood up unsteadily, and found that I had just enough weight to
maintain my footing. My head was reeling, I suppose, largely because
of the quality of the air.
Air, you say! Air on a meteor like that! Do you call yourself an
astronomer? If so, you show your ignorance by such questioning. Air,
or at least something that served my purposes of breathing, was
there and that I am here alive to tell it must be your proof.
I could see perhaps a quarter of a mile. The land curved away,
dropping down in every direction so that the sky at the horizon
showed seemingly below the level of my feet. I was visibly on the top
of the world.
Overhead those billions of tiny worlds were swarming. Sometimes
fragments of star-dust would enter my atmosphere—flaming red
shooting stars, burning themselves out in an instant. And behind
everything hung that gigantic silver ball that was Saturn.
The whole firmament was swinging sidewise. In a few moments
half of Saturn was below my horizon. The Sun rose behind me—a
smaller Sun than appears to you here on Earth, but still the same
yellow-red color.
It was daylight, with the Sun mounting toward the zenith so quickly
in less than an hour it would be there, and my day would be half over.
I saw myself now to be standing on a slight rise of black, sandy
ground. There were metallic rocks lying about, a low, scanty
vegetation in patches on the ground—vegetation of a bluish color;
and flimsy, stunted trees. These had broad, angular blue-white trunks
with spreading tops ten feet up, and foliage that was bluish-white.
Behind me was a jagged, metallic peak perhaps a hundred feet in
height.
There was no water in sight, no sign of life of any kind. Quite
suddenly I discovered that I was both hungry and thirsty.
What was I to do? This world was so small I could have started
walking in any direction and come back to my starting point in a very
short time. Walking! It was impossible to walk! I weighed almost
nothing. I stood teetering on tip-toe, straining every muscle to
maintain my balance, feeling like a balloon poised ready to sail away.
I took a step forward. Under the impulse of my gentle leg-thrust,
my body rose into the air in a broad arc. I suppose I went up a
hundred feet, sailing forward toward the line of trees at the horizon. I
lost my balance; my arms and legs were flying. I floated gently down
and landed on my face near the base of a tree!
You smile! I assure you it was not humorous to me. I stood up
again, trembling with surprise and alarm. A new vista of land beyond
the former horizon had opened. I saw other little jagged peaks a few
hundred feet away and behind them, over that dizzying curve
downward of the world, was the azure of cloudless Space.
I was frightened, and now I know it was with good reason. Had I
leaped recklessly into the air I might have left my tiny world entirely—
escaped from its slight gravitation sufficiently to become its satellite,
or perhaps even completely to depart its vicinity and become a
satellite of Saturn!
This tiny world upon which I found myself was inhospitable to the
extreme; and yet if I had been conscious of the choice, I would not
have wanted to abandon it for empty Space. Out there, worse than
suffering hunger and thirst, I would not be able to breathe.
Whatever my life before this day may have been, walking
evidently was part of it. I know that because my instinct was to walk. I
decided to weigh myself down with rocks and thus be able to
maintain a footing. Futile conception! I seized a huge rock of black
metallic quartz in each hand—only to find that the rocks themselves
were mere feathers in my grasp! Angered, I flung them into the air.
They sailed away, out over the horizon. Undoubtedly they left my
world never to return.
The Sun was now past the zenith. It was mid-afternoon. Shortly it
would be night again.
I was clinging to the tree-trunk for support, when quite near me I
saw what seemed to be the mouth of a cave. I was staring at it when
a figure appeared from below. I did not move, and this thing evidently
did not see me.
It was a girl, fashioned in human form like myself. She stood there
cloaked in the long waving masses of her hair. I must have made
some slight sound for after a moment she looked my way. I caught a
glimpse of a beautiful oval face framed in the golden tresses, lips full
and red, eyes blue, wide now with fear.
Without warning, she left the ground. She went swiftly past me,
lying in the air gracefully on one side, her arms moving rhythmically.
She was swimming in the air with all the grace and skill of a mermaid!
I stood spellbound. In a moment she had passed over the curve of
the world and disappeared.
CHAPTER II
Can I say that the sight of this girl inspired in me any emotion
stronger than my passions of hunger and thirst? Not so. I was in the
full bloom of my manhood, yet the sight of this beautiful woman
thrilled me because now I knew instinctively I might find food and
water.
I scrambled forward, holding myself to the ground with difficulty,
and entered the mouth of her cave like some marauding animal
seeking the sustenance I craved.
The cave-mouth gave into a tunnel leading at an angle downward.
The walls were smooth. I forced myself down, half sliding, half gently
falling. For an instant the thought came to me that I would encounter
other living creatures—things to keep me from the food and drink I
wanted. Had I met them—humans or beasts—I know I should have
fought desperately.
It was dark in the tunnel; but soon I saw that the rocks were
glowing with a phosphorescence. This grew brighter as I advanced.
I went down perhaps two hundred feet; then the tunnel opened. I
was in a subterranean chamber of indeterminate size, possibly five
hundred feet square, with a black rocky ceiling some fifty feet above
me. The whole place was dimly lighted by the red-silver glow which
came from the rocks. The air was denser, with a pungent, aromatic
odor. It seemed to strengthen me and clear my head.
The sides of the cave were rough and broken with overhanging
rocks like shelves. Here and there were other small tunnel-mouths.
Most important of all, a small subterranean stream crossed the cave,
opening up into a little lagoon near the center. It was a thin-looking,
milk-white fluid. I flung myself down to it with a splash.
It tasted, not like milk, but like pure, cold water, though very thin
and light. I drank my fill. The joy of it!
There was a pile of blue fabric—woven grass—on the bank
beside the stream. The girl’s couch, it proved to be. The robes were
very soft, gossamer in weight. I started to dry myself upon one of
them. But the water—I shall call it that—evaporated like alcohol, and I
was dry in a moment.
There was food here. A patch of black soil had queer, fungus-like
growths in it. I had no doubt it was the girl’s food. There were the
remains of a fire, though I did not know what it was at the time. On a
stone was some of the fungus which had been cooked. Of this I ate.
Upon the couch I lay at ease. The blue robes lay around me like
swan’s down. My slight weight made me seem floating in them. It was
my first conscious moment of physical peace.
The days that followed were happy ones for us both. We lived in
our cave and seldom left it. The securing of food, preparing it, eating
it, and sleeping until we were hungry again—this was our life.
Animals, yet both of us with the latent intelligence of civilized
human beings! Our spoken language came very fast. We seemed to
be pent up with words, which once spoken were remembered almost
without conscious effort. So it is with your Earth-children who are the
despair of their parents because sometimes they do not talk until they
are almost two years old. They have it stored up—and when they do
give voice, their fluency is amazing.
Our language? I cannot tell you what it was; I do not know. It
seemed almost as though we were inventing it as we went along.
Nona, in her spiritual and mental existence, was the counterpart of
myself. Who she was, where she had come from—those questions
she could not answer. Her mental life had started on the meteor with
herself almost a matured woman. One’s mental life, you will realize, is
dependent exclusively upon memory. And Nona’s memory previous
to the time of our meeting was short and dim. Perhaps human
memory only exists with spoken language—or social intercourse of a
similar kind. I do not know. Even your hermit speaks, or has spoken
to his fellow man.
Time passed. How much time I cannot say. A month—five months
perhaps. Time is as inconstant as the wind itself, as you would very
soon perceive were you to live in semi-darkness, eating when you
could get the food, sleeping when you were tired—and with no
mechanical timepiece or its equivalent to measure arbitrarily your
passing existence.
The securing of a steady and varied supply of food gave us
trouble. The day came when we could not capture a lizard. The
fungus-like stuff Nona was growing I had begun heartily to dislike. I
had searched every corner of the cave and its passageways for a
lizard and had come back unsuccessful.
Nona had started a fire and was sitting beside it drying her hair.
Water was evaporating from her shoulders; she had been in the
stream. A few molluscs, or something of the kind, lay at her feet.
“See!” she cried triumphantly. “They are to eat. My man Nemo can
get them—they are in the water.”
I broke them open and ate one. It was good. I kissed her
approvingly and her arms clung about my neck. Nona always was
happiest in my approbation; she seemed to think of nothing save how
to win it.
When her caresses were passed, I stood up.