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Then he waved his hands frantically in the air, and fairly danced with

excitement. So the boy laughed and dropped down to the roof where,

standing beside the Frenchman, whose eyes were actually protruding

from their sockets, he asked, coolly:

Well, what do you want?"

The other was for a moment speechless. He was a tall, lean man, having

a bald head but a thick, iron-gray beard, and his black eyes sparkled

brightly from behind a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles. After attentively

regarding the boy for a time he said, in broken English:

But, M'sieur, how can you fly wizout ze--ze machine? I have experiment

myself wiz some air-ship; but you--zere is nossing to make go!"

Rob guessed that here was his opportunity to do the Demon a favor by

explaining his electrical devices to this new acquaintance, who was

evidently a man of science.

Here is the secret, Professor," he said, and holding out his wrist

displayed the traveling machine and explained, as well as he could, the

forces that operated it.

The Frenchman, as you may suppose, was greatly astonished, and to

show how perfectly the machine worked Rob turned the indicator and

rose a short distance above the tower, circling around it before he

rejoined the professor on the roof. Then he showed his food tablets,

explaining how each was stored with sufficient nourishment for an entire

day.

The scientist positively gasped for breath, so powerful was the excitement

he experienced at witnessing these marvels.

Eet is wonderful--grand--magnifique!" he exclaimed.

But here is something of still greater interest," continued Rob, and

taking the Automatic Record of Events from his pocket he allowed the

professor to view the remarkable scenes that were being enacted

throughout the civilized world.

The Frenchman was now trembling violently, and he implored Rob to tell

him where he might obtain similar electrical machines.

The Master Key