ween them," said Oxenden.

"I should like to know how."

"The fact is," said Oxenden, "these letters are represented
differently in the two languages in exact accordance with Grimm's
Law."

"By Jove!" cried Featherstone, "Grimm's Law again!"

"According to that law," continued Oxenden, "the letters of the
alphabet ought to change their order. Now let us leave out the vowels
and linguals, and deal only with the mutes. First, we have in the
Hebrew alphabet the medials B, G, and D. Very well; in the Kosekin we
have standing first the thin letters, or tenues, according to Grimm's
Law, namely, P, K, T. Next we have in the Hebrew the aspirates F, Ch,
Dh. In the Kosekin alphabet we have corresponding to them the medials
B, G, D. Next we have in the Hebrew the tenues, or thin letters P, K,
T. In the Kosekin we have the corresponding aspirates F, Ch, Th. The
vowels, liquids, and sibilants need not be regarded just here, for the
proof from the mutes is sufficient to satisfy any reasonable man."

"Well," said Melick, "I for one am thoroughly satisfied, and don't
need another single word. The fact is, I never knew before the
all-sufficient nature of Grimm's Law. Why, it can unlock any mystery!
When I get home I must buy one--a tame one, if possible--and keep him
with me always. It is more useful to a literary man than to any other.
It is said that with a knowledge of Grimm's Law a man may wander
through the world from Iceland to Ceylon, and converse pleasantly in
all the Indo-European languages. More must have had Grimm's Law stowed
away somewhere about him; and that's the reason why he escaped the
icebergs, the volcanoes, the cannibals, the subterranean channel
monster, and arrived at last safe and sound in the land of the
Kosekin. What I want is Grimm's Law--a nice tidy one, well trained, in
good working order, and kind in harness; and the moment I get one I
intend to go to the land of the Kosekin myself."

CHAPTER XXVII

OXENDEN PREACHES A SERMON

"Magones," said the doctor, "is clearly a volcanic island, and, taken
in connection with the other volcanoes around, shows how active must
be the subterranean fires at the South Pole. It seems probable to me
that the numerous caves of the Kosekin were originally fissures in the
mountains, formed by convulsions of nature; and also that the places
excavated by man must consist of soft volcanic rock, such as
pumice-stone, or rather tufa, easily worked, and remaining perman