"

"In the air, too," continued the Professor. "That is not a very good
definition of the matter. Let us try and make it clear. Sound is
produced by vibration; the lowest number of vibrations the ear can
distinguish, is sixteen per second, which is known as the low bass notes
of an organ. The highest are, approximately, 12,000 per second. These
vibrations require power to produce them."

"Do you mean to say that all vibrations require power?"

"Yes; nature speaks to us only in the form of motion, or vibrations of
some sort. Light, heat, electricity, are merely different forms of
motion. Taste and smell, as well as sound, are merely modes of motion.
The beating heart; the winking of the eyelids; the rhythmic breathing of
the body; the swinging of the pendulum; the movement of the sap in trees
and the unfolding of the leaves; the light mists which go up and the
rains which bring the particles back again; the winds and the waves; and
the giant swings of the planets through space, all show how nature
performs her work through unceasing movement; and all these require
power."

"I remember," remarked Ralph, "about reading of a Hindoo fakir in India,
who claimed that he could bring to him an object ten thousand miles
away, in ten minutes of time. As that was motion it must have taken
considerable power to do it."

"That is easily determined," answered the Professor. "Ten thousand
miles would be 16.6 miles, per second, at that velocity. If the article
should be only one inch square it would take 18,000,000 horsepower to
transport it that distance in the time given. This calculation is
sufficient to show the absurdity of the Hindoo's statement."

Considering that the new community was one which had been recruited from
a people which had no ambition in life, except merely to live, the work
going on in every quarter was more remarkable every day. Tom came to the
Professor and remarked: "It would do you good to go down on street B and
see how the Saboros have fixed up their places."

This was a sufficient hint for him, and busy as he was, he sauntered in
that direction.

What he saw was, really, a surprise. Taking the hint from the sodding
operation which the women had noticed around the boys' quarters, he
found that they had actually borrowed the wheelbarrows and made some
nice lawns.

The Professor called in at the places, and congratulated them on the
beautiful appearances, and the nice manner in which the work was do