Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

e 510 “ T’d like to see that,” said Bill, and ge- ing to the motionless figure, raised the viser. He peered upward into the hollow. “Why,” he exclaimed, “ there’s nothing there.” “No,” replied Nick, “ nothing at all. That headpiece is merely for ornament. It might come in handy as a battering ram, but as a brain box it is not in it.” “ Where’s what you call his brain then?” Nick smiled. “ For the present,” he said, glancing apologetically at May, “I’m not telling.” “All right,” replied the girl, ‘ we won’t get mad about it. You’ve shown us enough to make us mighty proud of you. All the same, I can’t make out why you went to the trouble of making so complicated a thing as this. You could have demonstrated the radio power you’ve got control of on any machine, couldn’t you?” “Sure, but it wouldn’t have been so showy—so spectacular. Nowadays you've got to demonstrate a new discovery in some odd and striking way in order to make peo- ple sit up and take notice.” Bill grinned. “I get your point. Sit up and take notice. That’s a good one. Man alive, if you set that image walking down some street, youll do more than make them sit up. They'll get up and git as fast as their legs “ll carry them. The look of the thing is enough. It ’d scare a Chinese idol. Don’t worry, you'll get all the fame you want when—you want it. Maybe more than you bargain for.” May looked up at Nick with round, ad- miring eyes. “ I’m sorry I was such a little beast at first,” she murmured. “ He’s ugly, but he’s wonderful—awful in a way—terri- bly strong. A Samson—a colossus. Colos- sus of the radio. That ’d be a good name.” “Fits him exactly,” agreed Nick, “What?” ““ How is it he moves so quietly. A big thing like that; so heavy and all made of iron or steel. It doesn’t seem natural.” ““He’s just a carefully made engine. That’s the answer. That, and the rubber soles on his feet and pads on his hands. You can’t make him squeak or rattle. Like to see how easy it is to make him move? Tl show which keys to touch.” ARGOSY-ALESTORY WEEKLY. May could not at first be persuaded to go near the keyboard, but at last Nick pre- vailed and after the first touch of her finger tip on the key controlling the arm of the colossus, she grew eager to know more, and when Nick indicated the combination of control keys necessary to make the steel man stoop and pick up a pencil off the floor enthusiasm grew on the girl. Her eyés shone; she clapped her hands. “Tt just love him,” she exclaimed. “Oh, Nick, you’re a wizard! You'll be the most famous man in the world. We'll all be mil- lionaires. We—oh, I don’t know what Pm saying. How far can I make him go? Will the power reach as far as—as far as the outer door?” “That far, and probably twenty or thirty miles on top of that. So long as you have the keyboard with you, you’re the boss, Tt ‘ll pick up the current from the con- densers in here and transmit it to the steel man. Try him. See if you can steer him through the doorway here without making him carry away the side of the partition.” “‘ Of course I can,” said May. “I believe he'll obey my slightest wish and if the truth be told, I have an idea I can control your colossus better than you can. I'll see if I can send him right through the garage and to the door and back.” ‘« All very nice and interesting,” said Bill, “but Pve got to remind the pair of you that it’s late and—there are other reasons why it would be only reasonably wise for us to lock up and all go home.” “Nobody would dare come prowling around while you are here,” exclaimed May with pride. ‘ Besides—we have the colos- sus to guard us.” “Ym not at all sure that J might not be an added reason for the attentions of some crook or another,” said Bill, “the fellow who came here with that white mask over his head may likely as not have followed me the night before. If that’s the case, we ought to be on our guard. I want us to talk this thing over. Nick’s been trying to keep this invention of his under cover and it ap- pears to me now that it’s on the cards that the wrong party or parties are getting wise and anxious to know mere than ‘Il be good _ for Nick. I vote we close up for the night.” EOMiiGcdoo <S) (©)