Down the street of Joplin, Missouri, on June 5, in the Year of Our World 1935, came a file of spear-armed, shield-bearing soldiers in the short, skirt like togas of ancient Rome. They wore helmets upon their heads. They peered about as if they were as blankly amazed as the citizens of Joplin who regarded them.

This novella was published in 1934 and seems to be out of print, which is surprising, as it is very enjoyable and was apparently one of the first stories,if not the first, to involve parallel worlds. I especially like the ending, with most but not all of the world back as it should be.

One day in June 1935 the world wakes up to find various pieces of land have been replaced by pieces of alternate earths and their inhabitants. The only person who has anticipated this is a mathematics professor at an obscure American university who leads a few of his male students across the nearest border to investigate the sequoia forest that has appeared near the university. The geography student is able to confirm that the land is still the same, with hills, valleys and streams in the same places as before, but they find that it is a dangerous place and it is all too easy to become lost as they cross the borders from one world to another. ( )