The Giant Sorcerer
or
_The Extraordinary Adventures of
Raphael and Cassandra_
[Illustration: THE NAVY OF THE ATLANTIC PASSED SLOWLY BEFORE THE
PRESIDENT (_page 40_)]
_The_ GIANT
SORCERER
OR
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES
OF RAPHAEL AND CASSANDRA:
_by_
WILLIAM WHITMAN 3^{RD}
PICTURES
by FRANK BOYD
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
BOSTON NEW YORK
[Illustration]
COPYRIGHT, 1927, BY WILLIAM WHITMAN, 3RD
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The Riverside Press
CAMBRIDGE · MASSACHUSETTS
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
TO
WILLIAM WHITMAN
WILLIAM WHITMAN, JR.
AND
WILLIAM WHITMAN, 4^{TH}
CONTENTS
I. THE GIANT SORCERER 1
II. GÆA, THE EARTH MOTHER 7
III. THE CASTLE OF THE SORCERER 14
IV. DOWN TO THE SEA 20
V. HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT 28
VI. OFF TO WAR 36
VII. EAGLES! EAGLES! 44
VIII. ON TO MECHANA 52
IX. THE COUNCIL OF THE ANIMALS 62
X. THE CAPTURE OF RAPHAEL 74
XI. THE GARDEN OF THE SORCERER 85
XII. MECHANA 95
XIII. TO SAVE THE WORLD 107
XIV. THE BATTLE OF THE CITY 115
XV. VICTORY AND DEFEAT 123
ILLUSTRATIONS
THE NAVY OF THE ATLANTIC PASSED SLOWLY BEFORE
THE PRESIDENT _Frontispiece_
‘I AM MECHANUS, THE GIANT SORCERER’ 4
‘IS THIS THE SORCERER’S CASTLE?’ RAPHAEL SHOUTED 14
‘MISS COD, INDEED!’ MOUTHED THE CODFISH 22
‘I SHOULDN’T GO IN THERE IF I WERE YOU,’ WARNED THE
SEA HORSE 46
‘DOES THAT ROAD LEAD TO MECHANA?’ 56
RAPHAEL SEATED HIMSELF ON A DRY LOG 58
‘A MOUSE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND OUT MORE THAN ANY
OF THE REST OF US’ 68
THE MECHANICO DISAPPEARED AND SUMMONED A LARGE
GANG OF OTHER MECHANICOS 88
CASSANDRA SKIPPED GAYLY ALONG BESIDE RAPHAEL
WHO TRIED TO KEEP STEP WITH MECHANUS 96
THE THING CAME SUDDENLY TO LIFE MARCHING OFF IN
COMPANY WITH FIFTY OTHERS 102
THE WAR WAS OVER 120
[Illustration]
The Giant Sorcerer
∵
CHAPTER I
THE GIANT SORCERER
Raphael and Cassandra lived with their Aunt Mary in a white house which
was tucked away from the road in a group of five elm trees. Behind the
house was a white barn with a green door, and beside the barn to the
west lay the orchard enclosed by a gray stone wall.
Often Raphael would lean out of the nursery window and wonder what lay
beyond the wooded hill that sheltered the little farm from the north
wind. There must be, he thought, great cities and seas and mountains.
And animals like the tigers and giraffes which chased each other round
his bedroom wall paper. Some day he would take Cassie and run away and
visit these places. They would see the whole world for themselves.
One night when Raphael went to bed, he did not fall asleep. Instead he
lay and watched the moonlight on the window sill. Across the room he
could see the white outline of Cassandra’s bed, and Cassie a motionless
white mound asleep in it. To-morrow, he thought, sleepily, I must build
a house for the robins. Habakkuk needs a bath and a new collar. Why do
dogs hate baths? Why do I hate to have my face washed? Everything Aunt
Mary called good was hateful.
A railroad engine hooted for the crossing a mile beyond the barn.
Raphael heard the roar and rattle of the cars as they pounded over
the tracks which curved through the valley like sleeping snakes.
Trains were fast and powerful. He loved to watch them race to and from
Uniontown.
Then a strange thing happened. Cassandra stirred in bed, pushing aside
the blankets. Raphael watched her rise and walk to the open window. He
was about to whisper to her, when she climbed over the sill onto the
little porch which jutted out over the back door. Raphael immediately
jumped from his bed and crossed to the window.
While he looked out, his sister climbed down the trellis that edged the
porch and walked like a little white ghost past the barn and into the
orchard that lay along the slope of the hill. Raphael followed quietly.
Aunt Mary would be very angry if she knew they were out of bed.
Everything was moist and silver in the moonlight. The grass bent under
Raphael’s feet as he hurried through the orchard and over the stone
wall that rimmed the woods. By the time he had crossed the rough wall
and felt the little sticks of the wood path under his bare feet,
Cassandra had disappeared. Raphael hitched up his purple pajamas and
ran.
He had taken only a few steps when to his amazement he heard the sound
of voices. He stopped short, listened a moment, and then crept forward.
He saw his sister standing before a tall figure which blocked the wood
path. Raphael could not see the stranger’s face, but he heard him say:
‘If you will come with me, Cassandra, I will take you to a city full of
strange toys. You shall have dolls to play with, dolls that walk and
talk; and houses for them to live in with running water and elevators
and electric lights. You shall have a little automobile, and a great
store full of toys all to yourself.’
‘Yes,’ whispered Cassandra.
‘Will you come with me?’ went on the stranger. ‘You needn’t be afraid.
I won’t harm you.’
‘Yes,’ repeated Cassandra. Her voice was husky with sleep.
‘Come, then,’ commanded the stranger and held out his arms. ‘I order
it. You cannot disobey.’
[Illustration: ‘I AM MECHANUS, THE GIANT SORCERER’]
Raphael, who had crept close in order to hear more clearly what the
stranger said, sprang forward.
‘Cassie! Cassie!’ he cried. ‘Wait! Wait!’
The stranger took Cassandra in his round arms. ‘Boy,’ he ordered, ‘go
home to bed.’
‘Who are you?’ demanded Raphael.
‘I am Mechanus, the Giant Sorcerer,’ answered the stranger proudly.
Raphael looked at him fearfully. In the moonlight he appeared black and
very terrible holding Cassandra so easily. He was taller than any man
the boy had ever seen, and his eyes shone like pale electric lights. He
was dressed in some light material that merged into the dark shadows.
‘Are you a man?’ whispered Raphael, awed.
‘No,’ said the Sorcerer conversationally. ‘I am a mechanical wonder
invented by man to be greater than all men.’
‘What do you want with Cassandra?’ asked Raphael, taking heart.
‘My boy,’ exclaimed Mechanus, ‘that happens to be my affair. She will
go home with me because I want her to.’
She would go home with him, Cassandra, his sister, and he would never
see her any more. A mechanical wonder greater than all men blocked the
path.
‘You shan’t take Cassie away! I don’t care if you are a sorcerer!’
screamed Raphael desperately and dashed at the stranger.
Cold fingers like steel hooks lifted him to one side, and a metallic
voice rang in his ears, ‘Be quiet, young fool!’
Raphael felt himself falling slowly into space.