When Rob had been hugged and kissed by his mother and sisters, and even
Mr. Joslyn had embraced him warmly, he gave them a brief account of his
adventures. The story was received with many doubtful looks and much
grave shaking of heads, as was quite natural under the circumstances.
"I hope, my dear son," said the father, "that you have now passed
through enough dangers to last you a lifetime, so that hereafter you
will be contented to remain at home."
"Oh, Robert!" cried his mother, with tears in her loving eyes, "you
don't know how we've all worried about you for the past week!"
"A week?" asked Rob, with surprise.
"Yes; it's a week to-morrow morning since you flew into the air and
disappeared."
"Then," said the boy, thoughtfully, "I've reached home just in time."
"In time for what?" she asked.
But he did not answer that question. He was thinking of the Demon, and
that on the afternoon of this very day he might expect the wise and
splendid genius to visit him a second time.
At luncheon, although he did not feel hungry, he joined the family at
the table and pleased his mother by eating as heartily as of old. He
was surprised to find how good the food tasted, and to realize what a
pleasure it is to gratify one's sense of taste. The tablets were all
right for a journey, he thought, but if he always ate them he would be
sure to miss a great deal of enjoyment, since there was no taste to
them at all.
At four o'clock he went to his workshop and unlocked the door.
Everything was exactly as he had left it, and he looked at his simple
electrical devices with some amusement. They seemed tame beside the
wonders now in his possession; yet he recollected that his numerous
wires had enabled him to strike the Master Key, and therefore should
not be despised.
Before long he noticed a quickening in the air, as if it were suddenly
surcharged with electric fluid, and the next instant, in a dazzling
flash of light, appeared the Demon.
"I am here!" he announced.
"So am I," answered Rob. "But at one time I really thought I should
never see you again. I've been--"
"Spare me your history," said the Demon, coldly. "I am aware of your
adventures."
"Oh, you are!" said Rob, amazed. "Then you know--"
"I know all about your foolish experiences," interrupted the Demon,
"for I have been with you constantly, although I remained invisible."
"Then you know what a jolly time I've had," returned the boy. "But why
do you call them foolish experiences?"
"Because they were, abominably foolish!" retorted the Demon, bitterly.
"I entrusted to you gifts of rare scientific interest--electrical
devices of such utility that their general adoption by mankind would
create a new era in earth life. I hoped your use of these devices
would convey such hints to electrical engineers that they would quickly
comprehend their mechanism and be able to reproduce them in sufficient
quantities to supply the world. And how do you treat these marvelous
gifts? Why, you carry them to a cannibal island, where even your crude
civilization has not yet penetrated!"
"I wanted to astonish the natives," said Rob, grinning.
The Demon uttered an exclamation of anger, and stamped his foot so
fiercely that thousands of electric sparks filled the air, to disappear
quickly with a hissing, crinkling sound.
"You might have astonished those ignorant natives as easily by showing
them an ordinary electric light," he cried, mockingly. "The power of
your gifts would have startled the most advanced electricians of the
world. Why did you waste them upon barbarians?"
"Really," faltered Rob, who was frightened and awed by the Demon's
vehement anger, "I never intended to visit a cannibal island. I meant
to go to Cuba."
"Cuba! Is that a center of advanced scientific thought? Why did you
not take your marvels to New York or Chicago; or, if you wished to
cross the ocean, to Paris or Vienna?"
"I never thought of those places," acknowledged Rob, meekly.
"Then you were foolish, as I said," declared the Demon, in a calmer
tone. "Can you not realize that it is better to be considered great by
the intelligent thinkers of the earth, than to be taken for a god by
stupid cannibals?"
"Oh, yes, of course," said Rob. "I wish now that I had gone to Europe.
But you're not the only one who has a kick coming," he continued.
"Your flimsy traveling machine was nearly the death of me."
"Ah, it is true," acknowledged the Demon, frankly. "The case was made
of too light material. When the rim was bent it pressed against the
works and impeded the proper action of the currents. Had you gone to a
civilized country such an accident could not have happened; but to
avoid possible trouble in the future I have prepared a new instrument,
having a stronger case, which I will exchange for the one you now have."
"That's very kind of you," said Rob, eagerly handing his battered
machine to the Demon and receiving the new one in return. "Are you
sure this will work?"
"It is impossible for you to injure it," answered the other.
"And how about the next three gifts?" inquired the boy, anxiously.
"Before I grant them," replied the Demon, "you must give me a promise
to keep away from uncivilized places and to exhibit your acquirements
only among people of intelligence."
"All right," agreed the boy; "I'm not anxious to visit that island
again, or any other uncivilized country."
"Then I will add to your possessions three gifts, each more precious
and important than the three you have already received."
At this announcement Rob began to quiver with excitement, and sat
staring eagerly at the Demon, while the latter increased in stature and
sparkled and glowed more brilliantly than ever.