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 the 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.
18. 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.”
“There are not medicines, exactly,” answered the boy, with a smile. “They are Concentrated Food Tablets, sorted 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,” objecte
d 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.
19. 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.
20. 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 of suffering humanity.”
Complete Works of L. Frank Baum Page 252
