The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 1 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

A MONTH IN THE MOON. 105 himself to depend upon, and the assistance, such as it was, of the doctor, the baronet, Virgil and Smith, diplomacy appeared the wiser course to adopt. He made up his mind, therefore, to send Mabrouki at once to the Mahdi’s camp to offer to treat on honorable terms—to pay, if necessary, double the amount of tribute that he had paid the Mogaddem, so as to be left in peace to go on with his work. He had learned by experience that gold was almighty even in the desert, and he thought it best to try every measure before pro- ceeding to extremes. Mabrouki started off, with orders to reach Gissatucan before the envoys, if possible, and with full powers to negotiate with the Mahdi. Meantime the garrison of the observatory was reduced to five men; and there were three prisoners to be guarded in the furnace at the foot of the mountain. But the departure of the guard was not to be the only disaster caused by the visit of the Mahdist envoy. It was followed by the loss of the greater number of the laborers and the glass makers, who left the workshops in crowds, whether to join the Mahdi or from fear of his vengeance should they remain at Tehbali, no one knew. It was a cruel disappointment to Norbert, just when the sheet of giass under Tehbali already overflowed so that ten or twelve more yards would have completed the isolation of the peak. He was almost disheartened. So near the completion of his efforts, with every reason to believe that a week more of regular work would suffice to accomplish the end he had in view, and, on a sudden, to find himself deserted by the best men in his army of workers ! He thought night and day how he could possibly, by mere force of will, overcome. this new difficulty ; but it was all in vain; look at the question from whatever aspect he chose, no substitute efiared: itself for the missing hands, and he was at his wits’ end. Day by day he grew thinner and paler, and he could not sleep at night from the anxiety and worry of mind. So much trouble and hard work ! Was it to be all in vain, and the money thrown away ? “Surely not !’’ said Norbert. The words were hardly out of his mouth when Virgil rushed in. ‘Grand news, sir! ‘The sheet of glass has overflowed on the west side.’’ The fact was of the greatest importance, and Norbert hastened to the foot of the mountain to verify the report. It was true. ‘The sheet of glass had at length filled up the depths in the center of the pyritic base, and had joined the other end of the circle, thus making it complete. The liquid stream overflowed the rocky mass, and lay before them, sur- rounded by the sand heaps, in a glutinous, soft sheet, that soon would be hard and vitrified. It was done. There was no doubt about the matter. The Peak of Tehbali—the enormous rock of bisulphide of iron—was isolated from its sandy subsoil by a sheet of glass. It was isolated even from the ter- restrial globe. There, at length, was the colossal magnet dreamed of by Norbert Mauny. It lay before them an inert mass seemingly, but yet full of power, that CORniclooolks 3