The Washington times., 1912-04-15
CHAPTER XIII.
The Great Experiment.

TIF idea that there might possibly
be others Of their kind Ia far
II distant parts OF the earth work
ed strongly on the mind of the
girl. Next day she broached the sub
5ect again TO her companion.
be a few score of others, maybe a few
hundred, scattered here and there
They might awaken one by one only
to die. II less favorably situated than
may. have slept, like US, only to wake
up to Starvation
There's no telling Of ceurse." .nn, he
may Se vsry so%e ak
escaped the great death. on high alti-
tudes-on the Eiftel Tower, for instance
or on certain mountains or lofty plat
mroment M. i igst to guess at probabili'
~. But 4 there S Al are people elsewhere; @ :
ins wt hope snt t.re any wsx sc
get in touch with them? WEv should
We expect them to seek US out? Why
don't we hunt? Suppose only one. OF
vived; IL we could get them all to.
gether again In single colony-don't
You mean the different languages
and arts and all the rest might still be
preserved? The colony might grow and
flourish, and mankind again take pos
session Of the earth and conquer 1t, in
a few decades? Yes. OF course. But
else. there's no cause for despair. OF
that, however. we won't speak now"
But why don't we try to find out
about it?' she persisted. IF there were
only the ,remotest chance" l''' p.
by joye. will try it," exclaimed the
engineer. fired with new thought. a
fresh ambition. How? don't know
just yet. but I'll see. There'll be a way,
Wiz tnR
oastH o,sn! enough II | can 0H's 'n'nh 1t
That afternoon he made his way down
Broadway. past the copper shop, to the
remains Of the telegraph office opposite
the Flatiron.
Into it he penetrated with some diff
ficulty. A mournful sight 1t was, this
'one-time busy ganghon of the nation s
nerve-system- Benches and counters
were quite gone, Instruments corroded
past recognition. everything in hideous
disorder.
/ But in a rear room Stern found a
large quantity of copper wire; The
wound were gone: the insulation had
vanished, but the coils of wire still
"F4ne! said tae explorer. gathering
get this over to the Metropolitan. !
think the FIRST step toward success will
By nightfall he had accumulated
!
ments. Next day he and the girl ex-
plored the remains of the old wireless
station on the roof of the building.
overlooking Madison avenue.
They reached the roof by climbing
out of the window on the east side OF
the tower and descending a flfteen-foot
ladder that Stern had built for the pur-
pose out of rough branches
You see. it's fairly intact as yet"
remarked the engineer. gesturing at the
broad expanse. "Only falling stones
have made holes here and there. See
how they yawn down into the rooms
below! Well come on. follow me. I'll
tap with the AK. and II the roof holds
me you'll be safe"
) Thus, after a little while, they found
Q secure path TO the little station.
This diminutive building, fortunately
constructed of concrete, still stood al
most unharmed. Into II they penetrat-
ed through the crumbling door. The
winds OF heaven had centuries ago
swept away all trace OF the ashes Of
the operator.
But there still stood the apparatus,
rusted and sagging and disordererd, vet
to Stern's practiced eye showing signs
of promise. An hours careful over
hauling convinced the engineer that
something might yet be accomplished.
And thus they set to work. in earnest.
First with the girls help, he strung