Adrift in the Unknown

two weeks' probation in Baigol. The professor and I had talked of them frequently, wonderi

benefit of the Baigols, but had not seemed to make much o

harped on that key until Ocou promised to communicate directly

gdoms looking for the other exiles, first visiting Baigadd

s pleasure in our affairs; and while we were abiding the king's dec

home circle," which was the humorous fashion in

eet in height. To its base was attached a golden cord s

contrivance was being set up and made ready. We put a question

ou's attendants came to me and passed the silver disk over my h

tip of the baton on the pedestal. Instantly a slide f

surprised at the actions of Ocou and his companions when they looked at the s

ed my w

matter, anyh

vered that you are

swered, "no matter what I w

obber," retorted Ocou, "u

delightedly over the pedestal and giving little heed to

xograph. We find it very useful in cataloguing

sig

been working overtime of late. This is the first opportunity we have had

sk gliding over his bald head, and

ist, a man to counsel with!' You'll do, sir; but your friend!"

endants make off with the indexograph, "that I

m. "Rather let us hope that you will experience a moral rejuvenation, so that when

gs!" I exclaimed. "The Baigols would find, I think, t

sor laughe

id he. "I think they have simply been waiting to make trial of our

, carrying a roll of parchment in a

In accordance with the information secured through the indexograph, a task has been se

, Mr. Ocou?" inqu

sacred Bolla to his maje

t is the

lth, physical and moral. Crime is a contagious disease, and since the Bolla has been

is the

n ours, it would be an act of destruction for us to make war for the stone. So our king has graciously decreed that Mr. Munn sh

ld have ple

operty does not rightfully belong can hardly be accounted a crime; and when property thus pur

ded enemies of Baigol and demonstrate my abilities. The professor, thinking of Gilhoo

from touching the Bolla. Had he touched the wonderful stone, so great was its power that he would have exper

cipally from the kaka industry, of which he had a monopoly. Ka was a fibrou

had to go to Baigadd for their kirtles. Every time the king of Baigadd suffered a pecuniary backs

the price of cloth rose. Very few people could now afford the luxury of a full suit; and since the upper half of the body could

ideographs being traced on its surface with white ink. We were told how gentlemen once wea

leaves to the making of various garments, thereby clothing t

phic sonnets? Or a student's robe begemmed with the brilliant wit of an essa

such clothing advertised the wearer's poverty; and in Njam

e lay languishing. Writers had not the requisite material on which to inscribe t

gard him very favorably. He seemed a greedy and unscrupulous person, more than

. Ocou also delivered to us a royal banner, direct from the hands of King Golbai, which was to procure us

nied him. The Baigols feared, I suppose, to trus

leave our prison ring and journey in search of our friends wh

of kaka whenever the whim struck him; and he had hoped to find a people where poverty was unknown, and y

niverse. If a man finds himself in a position to gouge his neighbor

sly discourag

d the havoc you imagined it might. Ocou tells us that, since the Bolla has

e sorry than I know how to express in finding, among this gifted people, some of the worst elements of our

e in your disappoi

a peace-loving, justice-serving people, with plenty to eat and wear, needing no laws to govern them, and all happy and contented. The moral effect upon you and the rest of o

r from finding such conditions, Mr. Munn, you are immediately catalogued as a thi

overing stolen property and returning it t

nce so much hangs upon our joint attempt. But w

I pursued. "Their action is flattering, rather than otherwise. If we s

are making ourselves living e

ifies the mea

strive to

same as you and I, and that he was found to s

dwell upon p

he had a glimmering of sense still left him in order that

ofessor Quinn. He walked back and forth, his hands c

ative planet. The detection of crime would be an easy matter, and on the testimony of the indexograph alone justic

fficials of Terra are equipped with indexographs! It would prove a knockout blow for my pro

ed to the limbo of lost arts! Before a lawless act could be committed,

y I figure it

d be sent to institutions for proper moral training. The inclination of the young toward certain trades could be learned, and they could

still maintain that the overturning of our

will change materially. Until that time, Mr. Munn, it would be well for y

t upon the performance of our mission. We were armed only with our word-boxes, the king's standar

ith irrigated fields growing the white blossoms which the Baigols gathered and cooke

gol and Baigadd during each period of twenty-four hours and three minutes. Light and heat were sent through the under-wo

ature, and could not ourselves experience the equable air, yet our eyes and ear

many as five hundred spatli in a single day. Four days, at th

of our conversations which made a deep impression on me. The first had to do

life in Baigol. Those fields must be quickened to life by the solar rays or they would be as barren as the outer shell of the planet. Finite

you refer to, pro

k of Mercury. The phenomenon has been explained as a huge mountain, whose top reflects t

anothe

veries relative to that powerful little weapo

of the zetbai furnishes the destructive force, while the black tip combats and nullifies it. The inhabitants of this orb, Mr. Munn, have a we

ation; otherwise the Baigols and their fellow-creatures might prove the

that invisible power that stayed u

rve their ends. Unlike powder and ball, which destroy themselves in creating destruction, zet is indestructible; it can be regathered into the zetbai

discussed, but which did not appeal to me as logical or

said I, "he was certainly talking mo

sor answered. "There are stranger things in Heaven, Earth, and Mercury than are

in my life,"

"If crime is a disease, you will

ou's assertions-which ought to prove that I am mentally sound, I take it.

untry, the well-defined road we had been following cutting and circling through the low hills. When we wer

claimed the professor, coming to a halt. "Did yo

red. "That was a lusty Englis

one of our frie

at of one of these Baigol word-boxes. Possibly the new motive power

y, "I do not think that shout came fr

nd the bend. But he was not the well-groomed, richly appareled Mr

t so great was his fear that he did not show

ve me-save me fr

ht him trembling to our vicinity,