The Log of the Flying Fish | Page 4

salver from the table
and agitated the water, to show that the metal actually floated.
"Why, it floats as lightly as a cork!" exclaimed the colonel in the
utmost astonishment.
"Korg!" exclaimed the professor disdainfully, "korg is heavy gombared
with this. This is the lighdesd solid known. Loog ad this."
The professor lifted the plate of metal out of the water, and, wiping it
dry very carefully with his silk pocket-handkerchief, held it suspended,
flat side downwards, between his finger and thumb. Then, when he had
poised it as nearly horizontal as he could guess at, he let it go. It
wavered about in the air as a thin sheet of paper would have done, and
finally sailed aslant and very gently to the ground, amid the astonished
exclamations of the beholders, by whom it was immediately examined
with the utmost curiosity.
"You have seen for yourselves and gan therefore judge how
marvellously lighd this medal is," continued the professor when the
plate had been handed back to him; "bud ids sdrength you musd dake
my word for, as I have no means ad hand do illusdrade id. Ids sdrength
is as wonderful as ids lighdness, being--zo var as I have had

obbordunidy do desd id-- exactly one hundred dimes thad of the besd
sdeel."
"If that be the case, professor, then I should say you have solved the
problem of aerial navigation," remarked the colonel. "But you spoke of
having also discovered a new power. What is it?"
The professor once more instituted a search in his pockets, and at
length produced a small paper packet, which, on being opened, was
found to contain about a table-spoonful of green metallic-looking
crystals.
"There id is," he said, handing the packet to the colonel for inspection.
"Um!" ejaculated the colonel, turning the crystals over slowly with his
finger. "Quite new to me; I don't recognise them at all. And what is the
nature of the power derivable from these crystals?"
"Dreated in one way they give off elegdricidy; dreated in another way
they yield an exbansive gas, which may be subsdiduded for either
gunbowder or sdeam," answered the professor.
"Are they explosive, then?" asked the colonel.
"Nod in their bresend form. You mighd doss all those crysdals indo the
fire with imbunidy; but bowder them and mix indo a baste with a
zerdain acid, and whad you now hold in your hand would develop
exblosive bower enough to demolish this building," was the quiet reply.
The professor's little audience looked at him incredulously; a look to
which he responded by saying:
"Id is quide drue, I assure you," in such convincing tones as left no
room for further doubt. They knew the professor well; knew him to be
quite incapable of the slightest attempt at deception or exaggeration.
"Then, if I have understood you aright, you will construct your aerial
ship of your new metal, and apply your new power to give motion to

her machinery?" said the colonel.
"Yes. Thad is do say, I would if I bossessed the means do build such a
ship as I have described. Bud I am a scientist, and therefore boor.
Never mind; I have no doubt thad, when I make my discoveries known,
I shall find some wealthy man who, for the sake of science, will find
der money," said the professor hopefully.
"How much would it cost to build an aerial ship such as you have been
speaking of?" asked the baronet.
"Oh! I cannod say. Nod zo very much. Berhabs a hundred thousandt
bounds," was the reply.
"Phew! That's rather `steep,' as the Yankees say. But--`a fool and his
money are soon parted'--if you are convinced that your scheme is really
practicable, professor, I will find the needful," remarked the baronet.
"Bragdigable! My dear sir, id is as bragdigable as id is to build a shib
which will navigade the ocean. I have thoughd the madder oudt, and
there is nod a single weak boindt anywhere in my scheme. Led me have
der money and I will brovide you with the means of zoaring above the
grest of Mount Everest, or of exbloring the deepest ocean valleys,"
exclaimed the professor enthusiastically.
"Good!" remarked the baronet quietly. "That is a bargain. Meet me here
at noon to-morrow, and we will go together to my bankers, where I will
transfer one hundred thousand pounds to your account. And--what say
you, gentlemen?--when this wonderful ship is completed will you join
the professor and me in an experimental trip round the world?"
"I shall be delighted," exclaimed the colonel.
"Nothing would please me better," remarked the lieutenant.
And so it was agreed.
"Well," remarked the baronet reflectively, and as though he already

began to feel doubtful as to the wisdom of his agreement with the
professor, "if it