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"I mean vat I have said." was the reply.
“But you have said that I have still a chance to win the
race. How is that possible. siiice the ()t‘t‘t:.m"t' is out of
Sight. and the next vessel that sails coul<l not land nit‘ in
San Francisco before the fourth of February? lit-sides,
what do you know about me and my affziirs. anyhow?"
“Vat I know ?' crie(l the Frenchman: "I know every-
thing. Your name is Monsieur Tom Peenkney. ees eet
not ?"
“Yes.”
“You have attempted to beat Mamzelle Bly. ze lady vat
haf try to go around ze world in ze queeckest tiine l(l1OW1'l,
have you not ?"
“I have.”
“And you t’ink zat you haf failed, eh?"
“I know it.”
“You are wrong."
Tom only laughed, looking upon his new acquaintance
as a harmless crank, who did not know what he was
talking about.
“You are wrong.
creasing excitement. “you are wrong,
“Am I?” laughed Tom. “lVell. prove it.
get to San Francisco ahead of schedule time?
fly ?"
“Zat ees eetl” cried the Frenchman.
mean. You shall fly."
Tom stared at his companio
then he burst into a fit of laughter.
"All right,” he said; “I‘ll try it."
He was about to walk away. under
the Frenchman was a person whom i
of time to converse with any further,
seized his arm and cried: ‘
“Vait! Vill you not hear me out, monsieur ?’ .
Tom looked at him in surprise. There were tears in
his eyes, and his voice gave evidence of deep mental emo-
tion.
“What have you to say ?” 0
“Much,” was the reply. an
speaker was struggling to repres
merit under which he was laboring.
you do not know my name."
“I do not."
“Eet ees Paul Duran
sieur Peenkney ?”
Tom shook his head.
The Frenchman sighed mournfully. .
“I suppose not," he said: “but I have invent ze great‘
est machine of ze age, ze greatest machine ze world have
ever known.”
“Indeed?” responded Toni. looking for Pat. who had
disappeared. and wishing that Monsieur Durand Would
cut his discourse shortf
"Out! I see zat you do not
to you zat I have tell ze truth." .
“VVell.” said our hero. “you said that I ought not to
be too sure that my expedition was a failure. 11ltl10“EI1l ‘he
only means of communication between this place and Sim
Francisco is cut off for a week: What (W1 .‘'m‘ mm“ by
that statement?” ,
“I meant," said Monsieur Durand, “exactly w at l”havc
“I and I alone, can help you to win zat race.
" repeated the Frenchman. with iii-
I tell you.'
How can I
Shall I
“Zat ees w’at I
n in silence a few moments,
the impression that
t would be a waste
when the stranger
ur hero asked, gently.
d Toni could see that the
s the nervous excite-
“In ze first place,
d. Have you evair heard it, Mon-
belief me. but I vill prove
said.
BRAVF. .X.‘Il') ROID. I7
“I‘I0w.7"
"l have invented a macliine zat vill cross ze Pacific
Ocean quicker zaii ze fas‘-;est ‘:?lL‘d.lllCl‘ zat h:.ve ever been
built. ll‘.t‘:ll"-lClll‘.’. '
“A flying machine?" cried Tom,
l7ren-:hman’:: former words.
“Zat ees eet, mousieur.“
Toni laughed again.
"Excuse me, inousieur," he said, “but Ive looked into
this sort of thin:: :1 little. and I know that the sclieine is
not practicable.’
These words acted upon the Frenchman as a red flag
does upon a mad bull.
“Not practicable!” he fairly shouted. “Zat ees what
zey all say, but eet ees a lie-you hear me, a lie! Eef
you vill vin zat race, eef you vill make ze queeckest time
zat has ever been made around ze globe, I can tell you
how zat you can do it. But eef you vill not"-shrugging
his shoulders-"so be eet. Vat do you say ?"
Tom was silent a moment. Then. thinking that there
might possibly be some method in the poor fellow’s inad-
ness, he replied:
“Of course, if you can do what you say, I shall be
glad enough to avail myself of the chance you offer. Is
your flying machine constructed yet?"
“Ees eet constructed? Certainemem‘, monsieur."
“And where is it ?"
“Here. in zis place."
“When can I see it?"
“To-day-now. Monsieur Peenkney.”
Our hero surveyed his companion curiously.
“How is it," he inquired. “that I find you, a Frenchman,
and an inventor of a machine which, if your story be true,
should command the attention of the world. in this out-
of-the-way place? Why did you not remain in France
and make your discoveries known there ?"
Monsieur Durand was silent a few moments.
said :
“Come wiz me to my home, monsieur, and you shall
hear ze story of my life.“
remembering the
Then he
CHAPTER XIV.
PAUL i)URAND's STORY.
“Very well," said Tom, “I"ll go with you. Where do
you live ?"
“Half an hour’s walk will bring you to my house, Mon-
sieur Peenkney."
“All right: lead the way. You've no objection to hav-
ing my servant go along. I suppose ?"
“Not ze least. Inonsieur."
Tom beckoned to Pat. who was watching him uneasily
from a distance. and he came running up at the top of his
speed.
“XVliat is it, Misther Tom? Is there ainiy new throuble?
D'ye want me ter t’rash this felly. or ’
“Noiisense !" interrupted Tom. laughingly. “There's
nothing whatever the matter. l'm going home with
Rloiisit-ur llurand. and l thouglit. perhaps, you'd like to go
with me."
“linl:ule l wud, :in' glad enough 0' the chance. fer
there's no l<nowiii' what divil's thrap ye may be lid inter.”
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