Water on Mars...

[jimdorey]

Been wringing my brain trying to remember who wrote a short story that I read a long time ago (15-20 years ago?) about a traveler to Mars who gets marooned and discovers an uninhabited building. Inside the building is a machine that somehow adapts to create water for him after a period of time. It was one of a bunch of short stories in a book. A.E. Van Vogt comes to mind, but maybe I am wrong?

Anyone recall? Name of the book?

Thanks!!
-jim

[Zero the Hero]

</lurk>
That would be 'The Enchanted Village' by A. E. van Vogt. Good story; I think I encountered it in Tom Shippey's _Oxford Book of SF Short Stories_, or whatever it's called.

_Slan_ is the only other van Vogt I've read, and it didn't do much for me. I'm wondering if I should bother with any more...

[jimdorey]

Wow! That was fast - thanks Zero...