big a coward as you are I'd drop you both this minute. Let go my arm
and keep quiet, if you want to reach land alive."
The fellow whimpered a little, but managed to remain silent for several
minutes. Then he gave a sudden twitch and grabbed Rob's arm again.
"S'pose--s'pose the vine should break!" he moaned, a horrified look
upon his face.
"I've had about enough of this," said Rob, savagely. "If you haven't
any sense you don't deserve to live." He turned the indicator on the
dial of the machine and they began to descend rapidly.
The little fellow screamed with fear, but Rob paid no attention to him
until the feet of the two suspended sailors were actually dipping into
the waves, when he brought their progress to an abrupt halt.
"Wh--wh--what are you g--g--going to do?" gurgled the cowardly sailor.
"I'm going to feed you to the sharks--unless you promise to keep your
mouth shut," retorted the boy. "Now, then; decide at once! Which will
it be--sharks or silence?"
"I won't say a word--'pon my honor, I won't!" said the sailor,
shudderingly.
"All right; remember your promise and we'll have no further trouble,"
remarked Rob, who had hard work to keep from laughing at the man's
abject terror.
Once more he ascended and continued the journey, and for several hours
they rode along swiftly and silently. Rob's shoulders were beginning to
ache with the continued tugging of the vine upon them, but the thought
that he was saving the lives of two unfortunate fellow-creatures gave
him strength and courage to persevere.
Night was falling when they first sighted land; a wild and seemingly
uninhabited stretch of the American coast. Rob made no effort to select
a landing place, for he was nearly worn out with the strain and anxiety
of the journey. He dropped his burden upon the brow of a high bluff
overlooking the sea and, casting the vine from his shoulders, fell to
the earth exhausted and half fainting.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
_CHAPTER SEVENTEEN_
THE COAST OF OREGON
When he had somewhat recovered, Rob sat up and looked around him. The
elder sailor was kneeling in earnest prayer, offering grateful thanks
for his escape from suffering and death. The younger one lay upon the
ground sobbing and still violently agitated by recollections of the
frightful experiences he had undergone. Although he did not show his
feelings as plainly as the men, the boy was none the less gratified at
having been instrumental in saving the lives of two fellow-beings.
The darkness was by this time rapidly enveloping them, so Rob asked
his companions to gather some brushwood and light a fire, which they
quickly did. The evening was cool for the time of year, and the heat
from the fire was cheering and grateful; so they all lay near the
glowing embers and fell fast asleep.
The sound of voices aroused Rob next morning, and on opening his eyes
and gazing around he saw several rudely dressed men approaching. The
two shipwrecked sailors were still sound asleep.
Rob stood up and waited for the strangers to draw near. They seemed to
be fishermen, and were much surprised at finding three people asleep
upon the bluff.
"Whar 'n thunder'd ye come from?" asked the foremost fisherman, in a
surprised voice.
"From the sea," replied the boy. "My friends here are shipwrecked
sailors from the 'Cynthia Jane.'"
"But how'd ye make out to climb the bluff?" inquired a second
fisherman; "no one ever did it afore, as we knows on."
"Oh, that is a long story," replied the boy, evasively.
The two sailors had awakened and now saluted the new-comers. Soon they
were exchanging a running fire of questions and answers.
"Where are we?" Rob heard the little sailor ask.
"Coast of Oregon," was the reply. "We're about seven miles from Port
Orford by land an' about ten miles by sea."
"Do you live at Port Orford?" inquired the sailor.
"That's what we do, friend; an' if your party wants to join us we'll do
our best to make you comf'table, bein' as you're shipwrecked an' need
help."
Just then a loud laugh came from another group, where the elder sailor
had been trying to explain Rob's method of flying through the air.
"Laugh all you want to," said the sailor, sullenly; "it's true--ev'ry
word of it!"
"Mebbe you think it, friend," answered a big, good-natured fisherman;
"but it's well known that shipwrecked folks go crazy sometimes, an'
imagine strange things. Your mind seems clear enough in other ways, so
I advise you to try and forget your dreams about flyin'."
Rob now stepped forward and shook hands with the sailors.
"I see you have found friends," he said to them, "so I will leave you
and continue my journey, as I'm in something of a hurry."
Both sailors began to thank him profusely for their rescue, but he cut
them short.
"That's all right. Of course I couldn't leave you on that island to
starve to death, and I'm glad I was able to bring you away with me."
"But you threatened to drop me into the sea," remarked the little
sailor, in a grieved voice.
"So I did," said Rob, laughing; "but I wouldn't have done it for the
world--not even to have saved my own life. Good-by!"
He turned the indicator and mounted skyward, to the unbounded amazement
of the fishermen, who stared after him with round eyes and wide open
mouths.
"This sight will prove to them that the sailors are not crazy," he
thought, as he turned to the south and sped away from the bluff.
"I suppose those simple fishermen will never forget this wonderful
occurrence, and they'll probably make reg'lar heroes of the two men who
have crossed the Pacific through the air."
He followed the coast line, keeping but a short distance above the
earth, and after an hour's swift flight reached the city of San
Francisco.
His shoulders were sore and stiff from the heavy strain upon them of
the previous day, and he wished more than once that he had some of his
mother's household liniment to rub them with. Yet so great was his
delight at reaching once more his native land that all discomforts were
speedily forgotten.
Much as he would have enjoyed a day in the great metropolis of the
Pacific slope, Rob dared not delay longer than to take a general view
of the place, to note its handsome edifices and to wonder at the throng
of Chinese inhabiting one section of the town.
These things were much more plainly and quickly viewed by Rob from
above than by threading a way through the streets on foot; for he
looked down upon the city as a bird does, and covered miles with a
single glance.
Having satisfied his curiosity without attempting to alight, he turned
to the southeast and followed the peninsula as far as Palo Alto,
where he viewed the magnificent buildings of the university. Changing
his course to the east, he soon reached Mount Hamilton, and, being
attracted by the great tower of the Lick Observatory, he hovered over
it until he found he had attracted the excited gaze of its inhabitants,
who doubtless observed him very plainly through the big telescope.
But so unreal and seemingly impossible was the sight witnessed by the
learned astronomers that they have never ventured to make the incident
public, although long after the boy had darted away into the east they
argued together concerning the marvelous and incomprehensible vision.
Afterward they secretly engrossed the circumstance upon their records,
but resolved never to mention it in public, lest their wisdom and
veracity should be assailed by the skeptical.
Meantime Rob rose to a higher altitude, and sped swiftly across
the great continent. By noon he sighted Chicago, and after a brief
inspection of the place from the air determined to devote at least
an hour to forming the acquaintance of this most wonderful and
cosmopolitan city.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
_CHAPTER EIGHTEEN_
A NARROW ESCAPE
The Auditorium Tower, where "the weather man" sits to flash his
reports throughout the country, offered an inviting place for the boy
to alight. He dropped quietly upon the roof of the great building and
walked down the staircase until he reached the elevators, by means
of which he descended to the ground floor without exciting special
attention.
The eager rush and hurry of the people crowding the sidewalks impressed
Rob with the idea that they were all behind time and were trying
hard to catch up. He found it impossible to walk along comfortably
without being elbowed and pushed from side to side; so a half hour's
sight-seeing under such difficulties tired him greatly. It was a
beautiful afternoon, and finding himself upon the Lake Front, Rob
hunted up a vacant bench and sat down to rest.
Presently an elderly gentleman with a reserved and dignified appearance
and dressed in black took a seat next to the boy and drew a magazine
from his pocket. Rob saw that he opened it to an article on "The
Progress of Modern Science," in which he seemed greatly interested.
After a time the boy remembered that he was hungry, not having eaten a
tablet in more than twenty-four hours. So he took out the silver box
and ate one of the small, round disks it contained.
"What are those?" inquired the old gentleman in a soft voice. "You are
too young to be taking patent medicines."
"These are not medicines, exactly," answered the boy, with a smile.
"They are Concentrated Food Tablets, stored with nourishment by means
of electricity. One of them furnishes a person with food for an entire
day."
The old gentleman stared at Rob a moment and then laid down his
magazine and took the box in his hands, examining the tablets curiously.
"Are these patented?" he asked.
"No," said Rob; "they are unknown to any one but myself."
"I will give you a half million dollars for the recipe to make them,"
said the gentleman.
"I fear I must refuse your offer," returned Rob, with a laugh.
"I'll make it a million," said the gentleman, coolly.
Rob shook his head.
"Money can't buy the recipe," he said; "for I don't know it myself."
"Couldn't the tablets be chemically analyzed, and the secret
discovered?" inquired the other.
"I don't know; but I'm not going to give any one the chance to try,"
declared the boy, firmly.
The old gentleman picked up his magazine without another word, and
resumed his reading.
For amusement Rob took the Record of Events from his pocket and began
looking at the scenes reflected from its polished plate.
Presently he became aware that the old gentleman was peering over his
shoulder with intense interest. General Funston was just then engaged
in capturing the rebel chief, Aguinaldo, and for a few moments both man
and boy observed the occurrence with rapt attention. As the scene was
replaced by one showing a secret tunnel of the Russian Nihilists, with
the conspirators carrying dynamite to a recess underneath the palace
of the Czar, the gentleman uttered a long sigh and asked:
"Will you sell that box?"
"No," answered Rob, shortly, and put it back into his pocket.
"I'll give you a million dollars to control the sale in Chicago alone,"
continued the gentleman, with an eager inflection in his smooth voice.
"You seem quite anxious to get rid of money," remarked Rob, carelessly.
"How much are you worth?"
"Personally?"
"Yes."
"Nothing at all, young man. I am not offering you my own money. But
with such inventions as you have exhibited I could easily secure
millions of capital. Suppose we form a trust, and place them upon the
market. We'll capitalize it for a hundred millions, and you can have a
quarter of the stock--twenty-five millions. That would keep you from
worrying about grocery bills."
"But I wouldn't need groceries if I had the tablets," said Rob,
laughing.
"True enough! But you could take life easily and read your newspaper
in comfort, without being in any hurry to get down town to business.
Twenty-five millions would bring you a cozy little income, if properly
invested."
"I don't see why one should read newspapers when the Record of Events
shows all that is going on in the world," objected Rob.
"True, true! But what do you say to the proposition?"
"I must decline, with thanks. These inventions are not for sale."
The gentleman sighed and resumed his magazine, in which he became much
absorbed.
Rob put on the Character Marking Spectacles and looked at him. The
letters "E", "W" and "C" were plainly visible upon the composed,
respectable looking brow of his companion.
"Evil, wise and cruel," reflected Rob, as he restored the spectacles to
his pocket. "How easily such a man could impose upon people. To look at
him one would think that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth!"
He decided to part company with this chance acquaintance and, rising
from his seat, strolled leisurely up the walk. A moment later, on
looking back, he discovered that the old gentleman had disappeared.
He walked down State Street to the river and back again, amused by the
activity displayed in this busy section of the city. But the time he
had allowed himself in Chicago had now expired, so he began looking
around for some high building from the roof of which he could depart
unnoticed.
This was not at all difficult, and selecting one of many stores he
ascended by an elevator to the top floor and from there mounted an
iron stairway leading to the flat roof. As he climbed this stairway he
found himself followed by a pleasant looking young man, who also seemed
desirous of viewing the city from the roof.
Annoyed at the inopportune intrusion, Rob's first thought was to go
back to the street and try another building; but, upon reflecting that
the young man was not likely to remain long and he would soon be alone,
he decided to wait. So he walked to the edge of the roof and appeared
to be interested in the scenery spread out below him.
"Fine view from here, ain't it?" said the young man, coming up to him
and placing his hand carelessly upon the boy's shoulder.
"It is, indeed," replied Rob, leaning over the edge to look into the
street.
As he spoke he felt himself gently but firmly pushed from behind and,
losing his balance, he plunged headforemost from the roof and whirled
through the intervening space toward the sidewalk far below.
Terrified though he was by the sudden disaster, the boy had still wit
enough remaining to reach out his right hand and move the indicator
of the machine upon his left wrist to the zero mark. Immediately he
paused in his fearful flight and presently came to a stop at a distance
of less than fifteen feet from the flagstones which had threatened to
crush out his life.
As he stared downward, trying to recover his self-possession, he saw
the old gentleman he had met on the Lake Front standing just below and
looking at him with a half frightened, half curious expression in his
eyes.
At once Rob saw through the whole plot to kill him and thus secure
possession of his electrical devices. The young man upon the roof
who had attempted to push him to his death was a confederate of the
innocent appearing old gentleman, it seemed, and the latter had calmly
awaited his fall to the pavement to seize the coveted treasures from
his dead body. It was an awful idea, and Rob was more frightened than
he had ever been before in his life--or ever has been since.
But now the shouts of a vast concourse of amazed spectators reached the
boy's ears. He remembered that he was suspended in mid-air over the
crowded street of a great city, while thousands of wondering eyes were
fixed upon him.
So he quickly set the indicator to the word "up," and mounted sky-ward
until the watchers below could scarcely see him. Then he fled away into
the east, even yet shuddering with the horror of his recent escape from
death and filled with disgust at the knowledge that there were people
who held human life so lightly that they were willing to destroy it to
further their own selfish ends.
"And the Demon wants such people as these to possess his electrical
devices, which are as powerful to accomplish evil when in wrong hands
as they are good!" thought the boy, resentfully. "This would be a fine
world if Electric Tubes and Records of Events and Traveling Machines
could be acquired by selfish and unprincipled persons!"
So unnerved was Rob by his recent experiences that he determined to
make no more stops. However, he alighted at nightfall in the country,
and slept upon the sweet hay in a farmer's barn.
But, early the next morning, before any one else was astir, he resumed
his journey, and at precisely ten o'clock of this day, which was
Saturday, he completed his flying trip around the world by alighting
unobserved upon the well-trimmed lawn of his own home.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
_CHAPTER NINETEEN_
ROB MAKES A RESOLUTION
When Rob opened the front door he came face to face with Nell, who gave
an exclamation of joy and threw herself into his arms.
"Oh, Rob!" she cried, "I'm so glad you've come. We have all been
dreadfully worried about you, and mother--"
"Well, what about mother?" inquired the boy, anxiously, as she paused.
"She's been very ill, Rob; and the doctor said to-day that unless
we heard from you soon he would not be able to save her life. The
uncertainty about you is killing her."
Rob stood stock still, all the eager joy of his return frozen into
horror at the thought that he had caused his dear mother so much
suffering.
"Where is she, Nell?" he asked, brokenly.
"In her room. Come; I'll take you to her."
Rob followed with beating heart, and soon was clasped close to his
mother's breast.
"Oh, my boy--my dear boy!" she murmured, and then for very joy and love
she was unable to say more, but held him tight and stroked his hair
gently and kissed him again and again.
Rob said little, except to promise that he would never again leave home
without her full consent and knowledge. But in his mind he contrasted
the love and comfort that now surrounded him with the lonely and
unnatural life he had been leading and, boy though he was in years, a
mighty resolution that would have been creditable to an experienced man
took firm root in his heart.
He was obliged to recount all his adventures to his mother and,
although he made light of the dangers he had passed through, the story
drew many sighs and shudders from her.
When luncheon time arrived he met his father, and Mr. Joslyn took
occasion to reprove his son in strong language for running away from
home and leaving them filled with anxiety as to his fate. However, when
he saw how happy and improved in health his dear wife was at her boy's
return, and when he had listened to Rob's manly confession of error and
expressions of repentance, he speedily forgave the culprit and treated
him as genially as ever.
Of course the whole story had to be repeated, his sisters listening
this time with open eyes and ears and admiring their adventurous
brother immensely. Even Mr. Joslyn could not help becoming profoundly
interested, but he took care not to show any pride he might feel in his
son's achievements.
When his father returned to his office Rob went to his own bed-chamber
and sat for a long time by the window in deep thought. When at last he
aroused himself, he found it was nearly four o'clock.
"The Demon will be here presently," he said, with a thrill of aversion,
"and I must be in the workshop to receive him."
Silently he stole to the foot of the attic stairs and then paused to
listen. The house seemed very quiet, but he could hear his mother's
voice softly humming a cradle-song that she had sung to him when he was
a baby.
He had been nervous and unsettled and a little fearful until then,
but perhaps the sound of his mother's voice gave him courage, for
he boldly ascended the stairs and entered the workshop, closing and
locking the door behind him.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
_CHAPTER TWENTY_
THE UNHAPPY FATE OF THE DEMON
Again the atmosphere quickened and pulsed with accumulating vibrations.
Again the boy found himself aroused to eager expectancy. There was
a whirl in the air; a crackling like distant musketry; a flash of
dazzling light--and the Demon stood before him for the third time.
"I give you greetings!" said he, in a voice not unkindly.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Demon," answered the boy, bowing gravely.
"I see you have returned safely from your trip," continued the
Apparition, cheerfully, "although at one time I thought you would
be unable to escape. Indeed, unless I had knocked that tube from the
rascally Turk's hand as he clambered to the top of the wall, I believe
you would have been at the Yarkand oasis yet--either dead or alive, as
chance might determine."
"Were you there?" asked Rob.
"To be sure. And I recovered the tube for you, without which you would
have been helpless. But that is the only time I saw fit to interfere in
any way."
"I'm afraid I did not get a chance to give many hints to inventors or
scientists," said Rob.
"True, and I have deeply regretted it," replied the Demon. "But your
unusual powers caused more astonishment and consternation than you,
perhaps, imagined; for many saw you whom you were too busy to notice.
As a result several able electricians are now thinking new thoughts
along new lines, and some of them may soon give these or similar
inventions to the world."
"You are satisfied, then?" asked Rob.
"As to that," returned the Demon, composedly, "I am not. But I have
hopes that with the addition of the three marvelous devices I shall
present you with to-day you will succeed in arousing so much popular
interest in electrical inventions as to render me wholly satisfied with
the result of this experiment."
Rob regarded the brilliant apparition with a solemn face, but made no
answer.
"No living person," continued the Demon, "has ever before been favored
with such comforting devices for the preservation and extension of
human life as yourself. You seem quite unappreciative, it is true;
but since our connection I have come to realize that you are but an
ordinary boy, with many boyish limitations; so I do not condemn your
foolish actions too harshly."
"That is kind of you," said Rob.
"To prove my friendliness," pursued the Demon, "I have brought, as the
first of to-day's offerings, this Electro-Magnetic Restorer. You see
it is shaped like a thin metal band, and is to be worn upon the brow,
clasping at the back of the head. Its virtues surpass those of either
the fabulous 'Fountain of Youth,' or the 'Elixir of Life,' so vainly
sought for in past ages. For its wearer will instantly become free from
any bodily disease or pain and will enjoy perfect health and vigor. In
truth, so great are its powers that even the dead may be restored to
life, provided the blood has not yet chilled. In presenting you with
this appliance, I feel I am bestowing upon you the greatest blessing
and most longed-for boon ever bequeathed to suffering humanity."
Here he held the slender, dull-colored metallic band toward the boy.
"Keep it," said Rob.
The Demon started, and gave him an odd look.
"What did you say?" he asked.
"I told you to keep it," answered Rob. "I don't want it."
The Demon staggered back as if he had been struck.
"Don't want it!" he gasped.
"No; I've had enough of your infernal inventions!" cried the boy, with
sudden anger.
He unclasped the traveling machine from his wrist and laid it on the
table beside the Demon.
"There's the thing that's responsible for most of my troubles," said
he, bitterly. "What right has one person to fly through the air while
all his fellow-creatures crawl over the earth's surface? And why should
I be cut off from all the rest of the world because you have given me
this confounded traveling machine? I didn't ask for it, and I won't
keep it a moment longer. Give it to some one you hate more than you do
me!"
The Demon stared aghast and turned his glittering eyes wonderingly from
Rob to the traveling machine and back again, as if to be sure he had
heard and seen aright.
"And here are your food tablets," continued the boy, placing the box
upon the table. "I've only enjoyed one square meal since you gave
them to me. They're all right to preserve life, of course, and answer
the purpose for which they were made; but I don't believe nature ever
intended us to exist upon such things, or we wouldn't have the sense of
taste, which enables us to enjoy natural food. As long as I'm a human
being I'm going to eat like a human being, so I've consumed my last
Electrical Concentrated Food Tablet--and don't you forget it!"