n Kroller on the engine?"

"Yes," I told him.

"What! didn't you know him?"

"Know?" I repeated, somewhat puzzled; "what do you mean? He told me his
name was Kroller, and that he was an engineer. We had no one to run the
engine, and--"

"You took him!" interrupted the man. "Good heavens, sir, he is as crazy as
a man can be! He turned his brain over a new plan for applying steam
power. I saw him at the station, but did not fully recognize him, as I was
in a hurry. Just now one of your passengers told me that your engineers
were all gone this morning, and that you found one that was a stranger to
you. Then I knew the man whom I had seen was Martin Kroller. He had
escaped from the hospital at Stettin. You must get him off somehow."

14. The whole fearful truth was now open to me. The speed of the train was
increasing every moment, and I knew that a few more miles per hour would
launch us all into destruction. I called to the guard and then made my way
forward as quickly as possible. I reached the back platform of the tender,
and there stood Kroller upon the engine board, his hat and coat off, his
long black hair floating wildly in the wind, his shirt unbuttoned at the
front, his sleeves rolled up, with a pistol in his teeth, and thus glaring
upon the fireman, who lay motionless upon the fuel. The furnace was
stuffed till the very latch of the door was red-hot, and the whole engine
was quivering and swaying as though it would shiver to pieces.

15. "Kroller! Kroller'!" I cried, at the top of my voice. The crazy
engineer started, and caught the pistol in his hand. Oh, how those great
black eyes glared, and how ghastly and frightful the face looked!

"Ha! ha! ha!" he yelled demoniacally, glaring upon me like a roused lion.

"They said that I could not make it! But see! see! See my new power! See
my new engine! I made it, and they are jealous of me! I made it, and when
it was done, they stole it from me. But I have found it! For years I have
been wandering in search of my great engine, and they said it was not
made. But I have found it! I knew it this morning when I saw it at
Dantzic, and I was determined to have it. And I've got it! Ho! ho! ho!
we're on the way to the moon, I say! We'll be in the moon in four and
twenty hours. Down, down, villain! If you move, I'll shoot you."

This was spoken to the poor fireman, who at that moment attempted to rise,
and the frightened man sank back again.

16. "Here's Little Oscue