The Great War Syndicate

le to make some preliminary experiments with it. Although Clewe was sorry to think of the very undesirable companion which Samuel Block had carried with him into the polar regions, he

e that the time for trouble, if there were to be any, had probably not yet arrived, but Clewe c

t Clewe had succeeded in producing that new form of light which would not only penetrate any material substance, but illuminate and render transparent every

nt at the first experiment, but Clewe

f it. This almost always happens in a new machine, and then there are uninteresting work and depressing waiting. As soon as I see that my invention will act as I want it

operate directly upon the earth. At about eight feet above the ground was the opening through which the Artesian ray

success. When the doors were shut and locked, Clewe moved a lever, and a disk of light three feet in diameter immediately appeared upon the ground. It was a colorless light, but it seemed to give a more vivid hue to everything it shone upon-such as the little stones, a piece of wood half embedded in the earth,

y interspersed with gravel-stones. This appearance changed, and a large rounded stone was seen almost in the centre of the glowing disk. The worn and smooth surface of the

To all appearances he was looking into a cylindrical hole a few feet deep. Everything between the bottom of this hole and himself was invisibl

rything which went to make up the sides of the bright cavity into which he looked. He saw the various strata of clay, sand, gravel, exactly as he would have seen them in a circular hole cut accur

s light was pouring, but he refrained. He got a long stick, and with it touched the centre of the light. What he felt was hard and solid; the end of the stick seemed to melt, and this startled him. He pul

workman had entered and the door had been locked behi

. You see that circular patch of light upon the ground there? I want

ched nearer; then he carefully placed his feet by its edge and leaned over further,

illuminated space, he saw Clewe tottering. In the next

over him, it was not long before Clewe revived. In answer to Bryce's inquiries he sim

was the solid earth made transparent by the Artesian ray. The thing works perfe

ched the place where it had been; it was nothing but common earth. He put h

into it," he ejaculated, "

nd went back to Cle

ot believe it was what you saw that upset you;

out it now," said he. "I don't want any more experim

nd was now fixed. It was upon the casual and accidental effect of the work of his invention, of which he had never dreamed. Bryce had made a great mistake

body was directly over the lighted space. Looking at him, Clewe was startled, amazed, and horrified to find all that portion of his person which projected itself into the limits of the light had entirely disappeared, and that

nto it I was obliged to project a portion of myself into the line of the Artesian ray, that portion of me was transparent, invi

t in his chair, r

on as possible. It is cruel to keep her waiting. But how shall I manage it? How shall I shield her fr

ld entirely surround the space on which the Artesian ray was operated. Only one person at a time should be allowed to enter this screened ap

screened space by herself, and urged Roland to accompany her; but this he stoutly refused to do, assuring her that it was essential for but one

s was such that the power of penetration gained by the ray during its operation at any time was retained, so that when the current was shut off the photic boring ceased, and recommenced when the b

't mean to say that this is not r

to her the action of the light. Over and over she asked him to c

y smooth and gray," she e

" said

, like a piece of po

hite clay,

y place," said she, "if y

ish; I know pretty well what you will see for

white," she replied,

works revealed to me long ago the character of the soil at this spot,

I should see water, I should lose my head." She sat down and put her hand before her eyes

his is the spot upon which the light was shining. I think it will do you good to look

ng Roland, she took him by both hands. "You have succeeded

will not be long before I can send the Artesian ray down into depths with which I am not acquainted-how far I do not know-but we must wait and see what is the utmost we can do. When we have

nto the earth together? When the light gets beyond the depth to which people have dug and bored,

y which it can be done away with, and by which we can stand side by side and look d