LITMIR.BIZ

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knock and it shall be opened unto you.' I knocked—didn't stop for it to be opened—am in a hurry. Ahem! You"—pointing a long, slim finger at Scotch—"you must be the one I seek."

      The little professor looked startled.

      "What have I ever done to you?" he asked, hesitatingly.

      "Not anything, my dear sir, but I believe you are Professor Scotch, are you not?"

      "That is right; but I do not know you, sir."

      "I am Professor Septemas Scudmore, of Pudville Classical Institute, in the State of Ohio."

      "Never heard of you, sir."

      "And I never heard of you till a few moments ago, when one of the polite and obliging citizens told me you were here, and asked me why I did not call on you, as you seemed to be a bigger fool than I am, and we might make good company for each other."

      "What's that?" roared Scotch. "Who dared to say anything like that? The insulting wretch!"

      Professor Scudmore waved a long, lank hand at the little man.

      "Do not get agitated," he chirped. "It is not well for a man of your years. You should preserve a calm and even demeanor. Excuse me if I do not always follow my own teaching. We tutors never do."

      Scotch stared at the strange man as if doubting his sanity.

      "You seem to enjoy being called a fool!" he growled.

      "Not at all—not at all. But I have been called that so much that I do not mind it. Genius is ever regarded as folly till it astounds the world. I am a man of genius. You may think that is boasting, but I assure you it is not. I am naturally modest—very modest. But I have found that, in order to be thought anything of by others, I must think well of myself. I am so exceeding frank and honest that I never hide my thoughts, therefore, I tell you candidly what I think of myself."

      "Well, well!"

      "It is possible you do not believe in this sort of thing—few do. Duplicity I despise. You are not a man of genius yourself, but you have led others to think you pretty smart, and you have succeeded in getting through the world thus far pretty easy. You are naturally slothful; in fact, I may say you are lazy, and you——"

      "Hold on there!" thundered the little man. "You may be as frank as you please about yourself, but you had better be careful what you say about me!"

      "Touchy, eh?" sniffed Septemas Scudmore. "Not strange at all. Studious inclination, close application to work, baffling researches, midnight oil—these things irritate the nerves and make a man crusty. But then, I don't think you ever hurt yourself by close application to work. You must be naturally irritable."

      Professor Scotch pranced up and down the room like an angry bantam.

      "Sir," he cried, "you are altogether too free with your mouth."

      "The Scudmores are naturally generous, so I can't help it. Keep calm, sir. In some things we have an affinity. I can see it in your eye. I did not anticipate meeting an affinity out here in this wild and heathenish country."

      "Affinity!" cried Scotch, scornfully. "A man with your tongue would be an affinity for a cackling old woman!"

      "That is your hastily formed opinion. Permit me to warn you against forming opinions too quickly. It is a bad habit to get into, and——"

      "Sir!" shouted the little man, "there is the door!"

      Scudmore bowed profoundly.

      "I noticed it when I came in," he chirped. "Very ordinary door, but I don't suppose we can expect anything better out in this wild section of the country."

      Scotch was ready to tear his hair.

      "Will you take a hint, or do you need a kick?" he bellowed, in his hoarsest tone.

      "A man with hair and whiskers colored like yours should always beware of undue excitement. Don't think of kicking anybody, for you may lose your dignity. Speaking about aërial navigation, beyond the shadow of a doubt, I, Septemas Scudmore, A. M., B. A., LL. D., and B. C, have solved the problem. I say beyond the shadow of a doubt, and I mean exactly what I say. It is not a matter of fans and wheels——"

      "I think it is a matter of wheels," broke in Scotch, "and they are in your head."

      Scudmore waved one thin hand loftily, his nose high in the air.

      "Peace, professor, peace," he said. "It ill becomes you to interrupt a fellow scientist. Hear me out."

      "I had much rather see you out—of the door."

      "I see you are skeptical—you doubt the practical and practicable value of my invention. But you shall be convinced—you shall be my fellow passenger on my first voyage through space."

      "Not if I know myself!" shouted the little man. "You may be a fool, but——"

      "There are others, sir—there are others. I beg you to grant me this favor. Think what an honor it will be to have it go abroad that you accompanied Professor Septemas Scudmore on his first voyage in his new airship."

      "Oh, you make me very languid!" cried the little man, using a bit of slang which he had heard from the lips of one of his youthful companions.

      "I am shocked—shocked beyond measure," declared the lank professor, sinking his chin upon his bosom and looking reproachfully over his spectacles at Scotch.

      The three boys were enjoying this immensely. It was sport to Frank, who saw in Septemas Scudmore a character worth studying. Barney laughed heartily.

      "Begorra!" cried the Irish lad, "it's shocked we all are. Th' profissor has gone crazy, sure."

      "If I have, it is not surprising, after what I have passed through. It has been enough to drive any man insane."

      "I fancy you are a person whose brain would not stand a severe strain," put in Scudmore.

      "Oh, you do! Well, I have stood just all of this I can from you! There is the door—get out!"

      "And you decline the honor I have attempted to confer upon you?"

      "I decline to talk further with a crank. Get out!"

      Septemas Scudmore shook his head dolefully.

      "I will do as you have so politely requested; but you will regret this to your dying day. I shall hold no hardness against you. In fact, I am sorry for you, as you——"

      The little man could stand no more, and he actually drove Scudmore from the room. When he came back, he found the boys laughing heartily, and this caused him to drive them out also.

      "It is doubtful if he will consent to allow me to accompany you, Clyde," said Frank, when they were outside. "He is an obstinate man when he sets his mind on anything."

      "Well," declared Walter, "I am sorry. We met by accident, and I took to you in a moment. When you had heard my story and expressed a desire to accompany me on my search for Uric Dugan, I was delighted."

      "And I had no idea the professor would object. This is the first time he has done anything of the sort; but it is true that we have run into many perilous adventures, and he wishes to prevent such things in future."

      "Whoy not run away an' go, Frankie?" asked Barney, whose thirst for adventure was whetted to a keen edge. "It's mesilf thot would loike to go hunting fer this colony av Danites."

      Frank shook his head.

      "I hardly feel like doing that," he said. "There is a bare chance that the professor will relent. We will wait and see."

      "There can be little waiting," said Clyde. "I start in the morning. Everything is ready, and Graves and Kerney are eager to be off."

      "Well, we'll see what the next few hours will bring forth."

      Little did they dream of the surprising things the next few hours would bring forth.

      CHAPTER

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