e for that purpose.

The stranger easily landed, then watched the flying-machine with
painfully eager gaze, hands clasped almost as though in prayer. A more
remarkable sight than this half-naked shape, burned brown by the sun,
poorly protected by light skins, with sinew fastenings, could scarcely
be imagined; and there was something close akin to tears in more eyes
than one when he came running in chase, arms outstretched, and voice
wildly appealing:

"Oh, come back! Take me,--don't leave me,--for love of God and humanity,
don't leave me to this living death!"

Professor Featherwit called back a hasty assurance, and brought the
air-ship to a landing with greater haste than was exactly prudent, all
things considered; but who could keep cool blood and unmoved heart, with
yonder piteous object before their eyes?

When he saw that the flying-machine had fairly landed, and beheld its
inmates stepping forth upon the sands with friendly salutations, the
rescued stranger staggered, hands clasping his temples for a moment of
drunken reeling, then he fell forward like one smitten by the hand of
sudden death.

Professor Featherwit called out a few curt directions, which were
promptly obeyed by his nephews, and after a few minutes' well-directed
work consciousness was restored, and the stranger feebly strove to give
them thanks.

In vain these were set aside. He seemed like one half-insane from joy,
and none who saw and heard could think that all this emotion arose from
the simple rescue from the whirlpool. Nor did it.

Wildly, far from coherently, the poor fellow spoke, yet something of
the awful truth was to be gleaned even from those broken, disjointed
sentences.

For ten years an exile in these horrible wilds. For ten years not a
single glimpse of white face or figure. For ten ages no intelligible
voice, save his own; and that, through long disuse, had threatened to
desert him!

"Ten years!" echoed Waldo, in amazement. "Why didn't you rack out o'
this, then? I know I would; even if the woods were full of--'sour-us'
and the like o' that! Yes, SIR!"

A low, husky laugh came through those heavily bearded lips, and the
stranger flung out his hands in a sweeping gesture, sunken eyes glowing
with an almost savage light as he spoke with more coherence:

"Why is it, young gentleman? Why did I not leave, do you ask? Look!
All about you it stretches: a cell,--a death-cell, from which escape is
impossible! Here I have fough