The Log of the Flying Fish | Page 6

They are
surely not all as despicable as you have painted them?"
"No," answered the professor with enthusiasm, "no they are nod. Id was
only a few weeks ago thad I read of the workmen of a cerdain firm
bresending their employers with a full week's work free, in order to
helb the firm out of their beguniary diffiguldies. Now, they, I admid,
were fine, noble, sensible fellows; they had indelligence enough to
regognize the diffiguldies of the siduation, and do grabble with them in
a sensible way. I warrand you they always worked honesdly and
efficiendly whether their embloyer's eye was on them or nod. And they
will find their reward in due time; their embloyers will never rest until
they have recouped the men for their generous sacrifice. But where will
you find another body of men like them? They are only the one noble,
grand exception which goes do brove my rule."
"Well, professor, though what you have said is, in the main, only too
true, I cannot agree with you altogether; I believe there are a few good,
intelligent, reliable men to be found here and there, in addition to those
splendid fellows of whom you have just told us," said the baronet.
"But," he continued, "I will not attempt to constrain you in any way. If
you cannot find exactly what you want here, import men from abroad,
by all means. I have a great deal of sympathy for want and suffering
when they are the result of misfortune; but when they are brought on by
a man's own laziness or perversity he must go elsewhere for sympathy
and help; I have none to spare for people of that sort."
CHAPTER TWO.
THE REALISATION OF A SCIENTIST'S DREAM.
Punctual to the moment, Professor von Schalckenberg opened the door
of the smoke-room at the "Migrants'," and entered the apartment as the
deep-toned notes of Big Ben were heard sounding the hour of noon on

the day following that upon which occurred the conversation recorded
in the preceding chapter. Sir Reginald Elphinstone was already there;
and after a few words of greeting the two men left the club together,
and, entering the baronet's cab, which was in waiting, drove away to
the banker's, where the business of the money transfer was soon
concluded.
The pair then separated; and for the next fortnight the professor was
busy all day, and during a great part of the night, with his drawings and
calculations. At the end of that time, having completed his work on
paper to his satisfaction, he took advantage of a fine day to make a little
excursion. Proceeding to London Bridge, he embarked in a river
steamer, about ten o'clock in the morning, and indulged himself in a run
down the river. He kept his eyes sharply about him as the boat sped
down the stream; and just before reaching Blackwall he saw what he
thought would suit him. It was a ship-building yard, "for sale, or to let,
with immediate possession", as an immense notice-board informed him.
Landing at the pier, he made his way back to the yard, and, having with
some difficulty found the man in charge of the keys, proceeded to
inspect the premises. They turned out to be as nearly what he wanted as
he could reasonably hope to find, being very spacious, with a full
supply of "plant," in perfect working order, and with enough spare
room to allow of the laying down of the special "plant" necessary for
the manufacture of his new metal. Having satisfied himself upon this
point, he next obtained the address of the parties who had the letting of
the yard and works, and proceeded back to town by rail. The parties of
whom he was now in search proved to be a firm of solicitors having
offices in Lincoln's Inn; and by them, when he had stated the object of
his call, he was received with--figuratively--open arms. The premises
had been lying idle and profitless for some time; and they were only
too glad to let them to him upon a two years' lease upon terms highly
advantageous to him and his client the baronet.
This important business settled, the next thing was to lay down the
special plant already referred to; and so energetic was the professor in
his management of this and the other necessary preliminaries that six
months sufficed to place the yard in a fit state for the commencement of

actual operations.
And now the professor's troubles began in real earnest. Impressed with
the idea that he was perhaps wrong after all, and the baronet right, in
his judgment of the British workman, Herr von Schalckenberg
determined to run the risk of giving the Englishmen another trial. He
had no difficulty whatever