and milk during
a stretch of six or seven hours. At the end of his self-appointed time,
he went out of the hut to see, as he often expressed it, "what the sky
was doing." It was not doing much, being a mere hot glare in which the
sun was beginning to roll westwards slowly like a sinking fire-ball. He
brought out one of the wicker chairs from the hut and set it in the
only patch of shade by the door, stretching himself full length upon
it, and closing his eyes, composed himself to sleep. His face in repose
was a remarkably handsome one,--a little hard in outline, but strong,
nobly featured and expressive of power,--an ambitious sculptor would
have rejoiced in him as a model for Achilles. He was as unlike the
modern hideous type of man as he could well be,--and most particularly
unlike any specimen of American that could be found on the whole huge
continent. In truth he was purely and essentially English of
England,--one of the fine old breed of men nurtured among the winds and
waves of the north, for whom no labour was too hard, no service too
exacting, no death too difficult, provided "the word was the bond." His
natural gifts of intellect were very great, and profound study had
ripened and rounded them to fruition,--certain discoveries in chemistry
which he had tested were brought to the attention of his own country's
scientists, who in their usual way of accepting new light on old
subjects smiled placidly, shook their heads, pooh-poohed, and finally
set aside the matter "for future discussion." But Roger Seaton was not
of a nature to sink under a rebuff. If the Wise Men of Gotham in
England refused to take first advantage of the knowledge he had to
offer them, then the Wise Men of Gotham in Germany or the United States
should have their chance. He tried the United States and was received
with open arms and open minds. So he resolved to stay there, for a few
years at any rate, and managed to secure a position with the tireless
magician Edison, in whose workshops he toiled patiently as an
underling, obtaining deeper grasp of his own instinctive knowledge, and
further insight into an immense nature secret which he had determined
to master alone. He had not mastered it yet--but felt fairly confident
that he was near the goal. As he slept peacefully, with the still shade
of a heavily foliaged vine which ramped over the roof of the hut,
sheltering his face from the sun, his whole form in its relaxed, easy
attitude expressed