The Master Key | Page 7

with you, just now. Nor can I spare the money at present
for so expensive a trip."
"Oh, it won't cost anything," replied Rob, with a smile.
Mr. Joslyn looked upon him gravely and sighed. Mrs. Joslyn bent over
her son with tears in her eyes and said:
"This electrical nonsense has affected your mind, dear. You must
promise me to keep away from that horrid workshop for a time."
"I won't enter it for a week," he answered. "But you needn't worry

about me. I haven't been experimenting with electricity all this time for
nothing, I can tell you. As for my health, I'm as well and strong as any
boy need be, and there's nothing wrong with my head, either. Common
folks always think great men are crazy, but Edison and Tesla and I
don't pay any attention to that. We've got our discoveries to look after.
Now, as I said, I'm going for a little trip in the interests of science. I
may be back to-night, or I may be gone several days. Anyhow, I'll be
back in a week, and you mustn't worry about me a single minute."
"How are you going?" inquired his father, in the gentle, soothing tone
persons use in addressing maniacs.
"Through the air," said Rob.
His father groaned.
"Where's your balloon?" inquired sister Mabel, sarcastically.
"I don't need a balloon," returned the boy. "That's a clumsy way of
traveling, at best. I shall go by electric propulsion."
"Good gracious!" cried Mr. Joslyn, and the mother murmured: "My
poor boy! my poor boy!"
"As you are my nearest relatives," continued Rob, not noticing these
exclamations, "I will allow you to come into the back yard and see me
start. You will then understand something of my electrical powers."
They followed him at once, although with unbelieving faces, and on the
way Rob clasped the little machine to his left wrist, so that his coat
sleeve nearly hid it.
When they reached the lawn at the back of the house Rob kissed them
all good-by, much to his sisters' amusement, and turned the indicator of
the little instrument to the word "up."
Immediately he began to rise into the air.
"Don't worry about me!" he called down to them. "Good-by!"

Mrs. Joslyn, with a scream of terror, hid her face in her hands.
"He'll break his neck!" cried the astounded father, tipping back his head
to look after his departing son.
"Come back! Come back!" shouted the girls to the soaring adventurer.
"I will--some day!" was the far-away answer.
Having risen high enough to pass over the tallest tree or steeple, Rob
put the indicator to the east of the compass-dial and at once began
moving rapidly in that direction.
The sensation was delightful. He rode as gently as a feather floats,
without any exertion at all on his own part; yet he moved so swiftly that
he easily distanced a railway train that was speeding in the same
direction.
"This is great!" reflected the youth. "Here I am, traveling in fine style,
without a penny to pay any one! And I've enough food to last me a
month in my coat pocket. This electricity is the proper stuff, after all!
And the Demon's a trump, and no mistake. Whee-ee! How small
everything looks down below there. The people are bugs, and the
houses are soap-boxes, and the trees are like clumps of grass. I seem to
be passing over a town. Guess I'll drop down a bit, and take in the
sights."
He pointed the indicator to the word "down," and at once began
dropping through the air. He experienced the sensation one feels while
descending in an elevator. When he reached a point just above the town
he put the indicator to the zero mark and remained stationary, while he
examined the place. But there was nothing to interest him, particularly;
so after a brief survey he once more ascended and continued his
journey toward the east.
At about two o'clock in the afternoon he reached the city of Boston, and
alighting unobserved in a quiet street he walked around for several
hours enjoying the sights and wondering what people would think of

him if they but knew his remarkable powers. But as he looked just like
any other boy no one noticed him in any way.
It was nearly evening, and Rob had wandered down by the wharves to
look at the shipping, when his attention was called to an ugly looking
bull dog, which ran toward him and began barking ferociously.
"Get out!" said the boy, carelessly, and made a kick at the brute.
The dog uttered a fierce growl and sprang upon him with bared teeth
and flashing red eyes. Instantly Rob drew the electric tube from his
pocket, pointed it