The Master of the World

office, but had been unable to see him. Family affairs had suddenly called him away, to be absent some weeks. Mr. Ward, however, undoubtedly

turn to no other plans for the future. Could I give up the hope of learning the secret of the Gre

ced through its depth. Our engineers met problems more difficult every day. But in this case it was necessary to consider the expense, which might easily grow out of p

interest some millionaire. Oh, if I could but have promised one of them some gold or silver mines within the mountain! But such an hypothesis was n

. Despite my lack of success he received me warmly. "Here is our poor

ce of the moon," answered I. "We found ourselves face to face with pure

least. Nevertheless, the fact remains that you have disco

ng, Mr

no sign

on

no suspicious n

on

ertain if there is re

s there, we have good reason to believe

Strock. It is not enough that a volcano should sleep, it must be absolutely extinguished unl

rden, are reliable men. And they speak from their own knowledge in this matter. Flames have certainly risen above th

nce is unassailable. So the deduction to be drawn is

solution is only a solution of expense. Pickax

y seems justified, since the mountain is now quiet. We will wai

ply that I have been unable to solve th

intelligent and less imprudent, and if they did not compromise themselves so stupidly. Nothing, it seems to me, would be easier than to plan a crime, a theft or an assassination, and to execute it without arousing any suspicions,

very reason I had been much surprised that none of the authorities had been able to throw any light upon the recent perf

agents had been spread throughout the country, but no one of them had encountered the delinquent. He did not move continuously from place to place, even at his amazing speed, but seemed to appear only for a moment

it indeed been engulfed within the waters of Lake Michigan? Must we conclude that the machine and its driver had both perished, that there was no longe

red his view. Assuredly if this infernal chauffeur did not return, his apparition would hav

was at an end, when, after pacing the room for a few moments, he said abruptly, "Yes

ing papers had just begun to apprise their readers. While I read it, Mr. Ward was summoned from t

which no one could exactly describe. A moving body would appear amid the waters, some two or three miles off shore,

uish against the background of the ocean. It had been most frequently observed along the coast between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia. From Providence, from Boston, from Portsmouth, and from Portland motor boats a

ell known that all these animals come to the surface with a certain regularity to breathe, and spout up columns of mingled air and water. Now, this strange animal, if it was an animal, had never "blown" as the whalers say; nor, had it ever made

ishing-smacks and pleasure boats dared not venture forth. Wherever it appeared the boats fled to the near

when they attempted to approach, it fled rapidly away. One day, even, a fast United States gun boat went out from Boston, if not to pursue the monster, at least to send after

as yet no reason to complain of this sea-serpent. It flees before big ships. It d

exist, Strock, and i

pen. Either it will presently quit these coasts, or finally it will be captured

a marine animal?

it be?" I prote

reading," s

d part of the report, my chief had un

rsued, it would at last be driven from our shores. But a change of opinion had come about. P

, sought to attract public attention and to astound the maritime world. Such surety in the movements of his boat, grace in its

ssage in five days. And the engineers had not yet spoken their last word. Neither were the navies of the world behind. The cruiser

nes which drove it, they must be of a power far beyond the fastest known. By what force they worked, was equally a problem

in paused in my reading and consid

ling over, Strock?

ed boat must be as tremendous and as unknown as that of

your idea, i

Mr.

ally important now to win the secret of this no less mysterious navigator. And it must be won before he in his turn plunged into the abyss of the ocean

d that the inventor of the marine apparition would equally preserve his? Even if the first machine still existed, it was no longer he

presence of the extraordinary boat hadn't been announced from anywhere along the shore. Neither had it been seen on any o

of the wonderful automobile had the no less wonderful boat come into view. Moreover, their engines both possessed a most dangerous power of locomotion. If both should go rushing at the same time over the face of the

how could we accomplish this task? We discussed the matter for some tim

re is a sort of fantastic resemblance between the g

thing of the s

possible that t