The herald., 1893-07-23

approached with my secret. l did moi
do that until l was satisfied you were the
safest one could find.'
''As he spoke he opened small bag
which he carried and took out three OF
four walls to place upon the table.
Education based upon scientific re-
search, he remarked, has made star
ting advance within the past few yesss.
But no man has gone further into the
unfathomable depths than myself. You
have basin of water here. Pardon me
if l appropriate it to my own use'
Il bowed in acquiescence, too much
surprised to speak.
"He quickly unsealed one of the walls
and poured its contents into the basin Of
water. Then from another he sifted a
blush colored powder upon the surface
of the liquid, which no sooner had touch
ed the other than it began to hiss, foam
and sparkle until there came a report
like pistol shot, and column of lurid
flame leaped up to the ceiling. l started
back with cry of terror.
"'Don't be alarmed he assured me,
with smile; "the water will soon burn
out
'The fire soon began to grow pale and
to diminish in height, when it finally
died out altogether, and saw that the
basin was empty.
"'How much do you think that secret
is worth? asked my visitor, still show
ing his white teeth between his parted
lips.
What do you mean? cried.
"'Sit down. and be composed, and I
will quickly explain Then as sank
into the nearest seat, at loss what to
do or say, he continued:
"'Seeing is believing, so have shown
to you what can do to impress upon
you more deeply the power that pos
sess. You have seen that basin of water
burn like so much oil, and now you
will believe me when tell you that /
have unlocked one of natures great So
crets and that the key lies in that small
vialr
His demoniacal smile as he spoke
made me shudder
" 4 do not understand you, faltered.
If you mean that you can burn wa
teri
+" Haven't done itr he cried. why,
man alivel don't you realize the impor-
tance of that secret? In those walls are
held the component agents able to sepa-
rate the constituent parts of water and,
freeing the same, set them at war with
each other, which must result in COM
bustion and total humiliation.
Think of that and realize that hold
in my hand the destiny of the world.
Let me throw ever so little of those Won
derful properties into the Atlantic and
dare you contemplate the result? In one
instant O nucleus of fire would be formed |
to grow swiftly in size, separating the
gases of water and feeding upon them
until the shores of Europe and America
would be wrapped in a sheet of flame.
" No deluge that ever drowned the
world could extinguish the confagration,
out would rather transport the fiery le-
yions to the very pillars Of the heavens,
and it would spread from shore to shore
and from ocean to ocean, until it had in
folded the globe in its seething embrace.
Every creature of the sea, the air and |
the land would perish-ay, the earth it
self would melt into fervent heat
During this startling speech he had
worked himself into a fearful frenzy to
fix his intent gaze upon me as he con-
cluded with light that burned into my
inmost being. l felt was in the pres
ence of a madman.
" oh, WE'LL | said, with what calm
7
pate SO dreadful catastrophe as you so
vividly describe. But it is evident you
have made remarkable discovery. am
anxious to know just how you accom-
plished it.
Which is my secret he said, with
another smile, and l saw that my dis
passionate speech had had a soothing ef-
feet upon him. The man was evidently
sane except on that one subject.
You are the most sensible man I
have met he soon resumed, and l am
going to impart enough of my secret to
you SO you will act with good faith in
me in direction where am
powerless.
q" 1T needs not my words to tell you
that water is composed of two gases,
hydrogen and oxygen, in parts as . to
/. United in that proportion these
elements are i1npervious to fire. Every
knows that. But mix them in
any other proportion, and heat, flame,
are the immediate conse-
quence.
CHOW, / have discovered the key
which unlocks the affinity holding to-
gether the constituent parts of water
A few grains of this powder are sufficient
to dismember it's warli1e elements, when |
the funeral pyre of the human race is
1indled as far as this planet is concerned |
'lmpos9bler / could not help ex-
claiming. God in his infinite wisdom
never created world so beautiful as
this and then placed in the hands of its
subjects the means of its destruction
"'Poor foolr he said, compassionately. |
You forget that the moon is but a fire
world; that planets with
)ut number are the charred remains Of
what were once scenes of life and beauty;
hat the sun is q molten mass of heat;
hat he has said in his own word, in the
md "the heavens shall be folded together
ike a scroll, the elements to melt with
ervent heat."'
"-You see this vial. 1t contains po-
assium. It needs not me to tell man
If your information the result when
|, &c s. 10 oo&+oof x.r;tb oxxro,a,,