Sunk in profound reverie he sat there silent under the great, smooth
palm-tree--a venerable figure in his yellow dressing-gown and carpet
slippers. Seated side by side, we waited, a trifle awed. I could hear
the soft breathing of the pretty stenographer beside me.

"First of all," said Professor Farrago, looking up, "I must be able to
trust those who are here to aid me."

"I--I will be faithful," said the girl, in a low voice.

"I do not doubt you, my child," he said; "nor you, Gilland. And so I
am going to tell you this much now--more, I hope, later."

And he sat up straight, lifting an impressive forefinger.

"Mr. Rowan, lately an officer of our Coast Survey, wrote me a letter
from the Holland House in New York--a letter so strange that, on
reading it, I immediately repaired to his hotel, where for hours we
talked together.

"The result of that conference is this expedition.

"I have now been here two months, and I am satisfied of certain facts.
First, there do exist in this unexplored wilderness certain forms of
life which are solid and palpable, but transparent and practically
invisible. Second, these living creatures belong to the animal
kingdom, are warm-blooded vertebrates, possess powers of locomotion,
but whether that of flight I am not certain. Third, they appear to
possess such senses as we enjoy--smell, touch, sight, hearing, and no
doubt the sense of taste. Fourth, their skin is smooth to the touch,
and the temperature of the epidermis appears to approximate that of a
normal human being. Fifth and last, whether bipeds or quadrupeds I do
not know, though all evidence appears to confirm my theory that they
walk erect. One pair of their limbs appear to terminate in a sort of
foot--like a delicately shaped human foot, except that there appear to
be no toes. The other pair of limbs terminate in something that, from
the single instance I experienced, seemed to resemble soft but firm
antennae or, perhaps, digitated palpi--"

"Feelers!" I blurted out.

"I don't know, but I think so. Once, when I was standing in the
forest, perfectly aware that creatures I could not see had stealthily
surrounded me, the tension was brought to a crisis when over my face,
from cheek to chin, stole a soft something, brushing the skin as
delicately as a child's fingers might brush it."

"Good Lord!" I breathed.

A care-worn smile crept into his eyes. "A test for nerves, you think,
Mr. Gilland? I agree with you. Nobody fea