confronted with a business which was very
hard and very distasteful to him. He must induce other people to do what
he was not able to do himself. Unless his shell was put to a practical
trial, it could be of no value to the world or to himself.

In one of the many conversations on the subject; Margaret had suggested
something which rapidly grew and developed in Roland's mind.

"It would be an admirable thing to tunnel mountains with," said she. "Of
course I mean a large one, as thick through as a tunnel ought to be."

In less than a day Clewe had perfected an idea which he believed might
be of practical service. For some time there had been talk of a new
railroad in this part of the State, but one of the difficulties in the
way was the necessity of making a tunnel or a deep cut through a small
mountain. To go round this mountain would be objectionable for many
reasons, and to go through it would be enormously expensive. Clewe knew
the country well, and his soul glowed within him as he thought that
here perhaps was an opportunity for him to demonstrate the value of his
invention, not only as an agent in warfare, but as a wonderful assistant
in the peaceful progress of the world.

There was no reason why such shells should not be constructed for the
express purpose of making tunnels. Nothing could be better adapted for
an experiment of this kind than the low mountain in question. If the
shell passed through it at the desired point, there would be nothing
beyond which could be injured, and it would then enter the end of a
small chain of mountains, and might pass onward, as far as its motive
power would carry it, without doing any damage whatever. Moreover, its
course could be followed and it could be recovered.

Both Roland and Margaret were very enthusiastic in favor of this trial
of the automatic shell, and they determined that if the railroad company
would pay them a fair price if they should succeed in tunnelling
the mountain, they would charge nothing should their experiment be a
failure. Of course the tunnel the shell would make, if everything
worked properly, would not be large enough for any practical use; but
explosives might be placed along its length, which, if desired, would
blow out that portion of the mountain which lay immediately above the
tunnel, and this great cut could readily be enlarged to any desired
dimensions.

Clewe would have gone immediately to confer with the secretary of the
railroad comp