around for a suitable place
to alight.
Near by was a monstrous church that sent a sharp steeple far into the
air. Rob examined this spire and saw a narrow opening in the masonry
that led to a small room where a chime of bells hung. He crept through
the opening and, finding a ladder that connected the belfry with a
platform below, began to descend.
There were three ladders, and then a winding flight of narrow, rickety
stairs to be passed before Rob finally reached a small room in the body
of the church. This room proved to have two doors, one connecting with
the auditorium and the other letting into a side street. Both were
locked, but Rob pointed the electric tube at the outside door and broke
the lock in an instant. Then he walked into the street as composedly
as if he had lived all his life in London.
There were plenty of sights to see, you may be sure, and Rob walked
around until he was so tired that he was glad to rest upon one of the
benches in a beautiful park. Here, half hidden by the trees, he amused
himself by looking at the Record of Events.
"London's a great town, and no mistake," he said to himself; "but let's
see what the British are doing in South Africa to-day."
He turned the cylinder to "South Africa," and, opening the lid, at once
became interested. An English column, commanded by a brave but
stubborn officer, was surrounded by the Boer forces and fighting
desperately to avoid capture or annihilation.
"This would be interesting to King Edward," thought the boy. "Guess
I'll hunt him up and tell him about it."
A few steps away stood a policeman. Rob approached him and asked:
"Where's the king to-day?"
The officer looked at him with mingled surprise and suspicion.
"'Is Majesty is sojournin' at Marlb'ro 'Ouse, just now," was the reply.
"Per'aps you wants to make 'im a wissit," he continued, with lofty
sarcasm.
"That's it, exactly," said Rob. "I'm an American, and thought while I
was in London I'd drop in on His Royal Highness and say 'hello' to him."
The officer chuckled, as if much amused.
"Hamericans is bloomin' green," he remarked, "so youse can stand for
Hamerican, right enough. No other wissitors is such blarsted fools.
But yon's the palace, an' I s'pose 'is Majesty'll give ye a 'ot
reception."
"Thanks; I'll look him up," said the boy, and left the officer
convulsed with laughter.
He soon knew why. The palace was surrounded by a cordon of the king's
own life guards, who admitted no one save those who presented proper
credentials.
"There's only one thing to do;" thought Rob, "and that's to walk
straight in, as I haven't any friends to give me a regular
introduction."
So he boldly advanced to the gate, where he found himself stopped by
crossed carbines and a cry of "Halt!"
"Excuse me," said Rob; "I'm in a hurry."
He pushed the carbines aside and marched on. The soldiers made thrusts
at him with their weapons, and an officer jabbed at his breast with a
glittering sword, but the Garment of Repulsion protected him from these
dangers as well as from a hail of bullets that followed his advancing
figure.
He reached the entrance of the palace only to face another group of
guardsmen and a second order to halt, and as these soldiers were over
six feet tall and stood shoulder to shoulder Rob saw that he could not
hope to pass them without using his electric tube.
"Stand aside, you fellows!" he ordered.
There was no response. He extended the tube and, as he pressed the
button, described a semi-circle with the instrument. Immediately the
tall guardsmen toppled over like so many tenpins, and Rob stepped
across their bodies and penetrated to the reception room, where a
brilliant assemblage awaited, in hushed and anxious groups, for
opportunity to obtain audience with the king.
"I hope his Majesty isn't busy," said Rob to a solemn-visaged official
who confronted him. "I want to have a little talk with him."
"I—I—ah—beg pardon!" exclaimed the astounded master of ceremonies.
"What name,
to alight.
Near by was a monstrous church that sent a sharp steeple far into the
air. Rob examined this spire and saw a narrow opening in the masonry
that led to a small room where a chime of bells hung. He crept through
the opening and, finding a ladder that connected the belfry with a
platform below, began to descend.
There were three ladders, and then a winding flight of narrow, rickety
stairs to be passed before Rob finally reached a small room in the body
of the church. This room proved to have two doors, one connecting with
the auditorium and the other letting into a side street. Both were
locked, but Rob pointed the electric tube at the outside door and broke
the lock in an instant. Then he walked into the street as composedly
as if he had lived all his life in London.
There were plenty of sights to see, you may be sure, and Rob walked
around until he was so tired that he was glad to rest upon one of the
benches in a beautiful park. Here, half hidden by the trees, he amused
himself by looking at the Record of Events.
"London's a great town, and no mistake," he said to himself; "but let's
see what the British are doing in South Africa to-day."
He turned the cylinder to "South Africa," and, opening the lid, at once
became interested. An English column, commanded by a brave but
stubborn officer, was surrounded by the Boer forces and fighting
desperately to avoid capture or annihilation.
"This would be interesting to King Edward," thought the boy. "Guess
I'll hunt him up and tell him about it."
A few steps away stood a policeman. Rob approached him and asked:
"Where's the king to-day?"
The officer looked at him with mingled surprise and suspicion.
"'Is Majesty is sojournin' at Marlb'ro 'Ouse, just now," was the reply.
"Per'aps you wants to make 'im a wissit," he continued, with lofty
sarcasm.
"That's it, exactly," said Rob. "I'm an American, and thought while I
was in London I'd drop in on His Royal Highness and say 'hello' to him."
The officer chuckled, as if much amused.
"Hamericans is bloomin' green," he remarked, "so youse can stand for
Hamerican, right enough. No other wissitors is such blarsted fools.
But yon's the palace, an' I s'pose 'is Majesty'll give ye a 'ot
reception."
"Thanks; I'll look him up," said the boy, and left the officer
convulsed with laughter.
He soon knew why. The palace was surrounded by a cordon of the king's
own life guards, who admitted no one save those who presented proper
credentials.
"There's only one thing to do;" thought Rob, "and that's to walk
straight in, as I haven't any friends to give me a regular
introduction."
So he boldly advanced to the gate, where he found himself stopped by
crossed carbines and a cry of "Halt!"
"Excuse me," said Rob; "I'm in a hurry."
He pushed the carbines aside and marched on. The soldiers made thrusts
at him with their weapons, and an officer jabbed at his breast with a
glittering sword, but the Garment of Repulsion protected him from these
dangers as well as from a hail of bullets that followed his advancing
figure.
He reached the entrance of the palace only to face another group of
guardsmen and a second order to halt, and as these soldiers were over
six feet tall and stood shoulder to shoulder Rob saw that he could not
hope to pass them without using his electric tube.
"Stand aside, you fellows!" he ordered.
There was no response. He extended the tube and, as he pressed the
button, described a semi-circle with the instrument. Immediately the
tall guardsmen toppled over like so many tenpins, and Rob stepped
across their bodies and penetrated to the reception room, where a
brilliant assemblage awaited, in hushed and anxious groups, for
opportunity to obtain audience with the king.
"I hope his Majesty isn't busy," said Rob to a solemn-visaged official
who confronted him. "I want to have a little talk with him."
"I—I—ah—beg pardon!" exclaimed the astounded master of ceremonies.
"What name,
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