The Wreck of the South Pole and Other Strange Tales — page 53: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

46 The Wreck of the South Pole. He looked at me as a master might at a very dull pupil with whom he wished to be indulgent. “Again, Mr. Wilding, again? Have you forgotten your experience on the ice fields and the messages sent to and from them? This is a land of no telegraph, for the simple reason that we need none. When we wish to communi- cate with friends or business connections in distant cities we merely fix our minds upon the message to be sent and it is at once transmitted and impressed upon the mind of the one for whom it is meant.” “But you spoke of a letter.” “Yes, and to explain to you our primitive postal sys- tem [I will send one now. I wish to communicate with one of my agents in Ackra. If you will excuse me for a moment I will write it.” And seating himself at a desk he wrote for a few minutes and then, turning to me, said: ‘Here is a note I have just written to my agent asking him to come to Theon to-morrow on a matter of busi- ness. We will receive an answer in a few minutes, as I know he is always at his office at this time of day and will receive my note at once.” So saying, he arose and, holding the letter lightly in one hand above his head, stood in silence. I watched him closely out of curiosity, for I thought he was acting strangely. He stood there for a moment and then—the letter disappeared. “There, it is gone,” he said, sitting down. “In five min- utes we should have an answer.”’ Gomicbooks