y of perpetual motion, and showed no quarter to any one who
was bold enough to doubt.

Among those who could not believe the evidence of his own senses, was
an eminent natural philosopher, who visited the machine almost every
day, and as often conversed with Redding about the new principle in
mechanics which he had discovered and applied. The theory was
specious, and yet opposed to it was the unalterable, ever-potent force
of gravitation, which he saw must overcome all so called self-existant
motion. The more he thought about it, and the oftener he looked at and
examined Redding's machine, and talked with the inventor, the more
confused did his mind become. At length, after obtaining the most
accurate information in regard to the construction of the machine, he
set to work and made one precisely like it; but it wouldn't go.
Satisfied, now, that there was imposture, he resolved to ferret it
out. There was some force beyond the machine he was convinced.
Communicating his suspicions to a couple of friends, he was readily
joined by them in a proposed effort to find out the true secret of the
motion imparted to the machine. He had noticed that Redding had
another room adjoining the one in which the model was exhibited, and
that upon the door was written "No admittance." Into this he
determined to penetrate--and he put this determination into practice,
accompanied by two friends, on the first favorable opportunity.
Fortunately, it happened that the door leading to this room was
without the door of the one leading into the exhibition-room. While
Redding was engaged in showing the machine to a pretty large company,
including Wiseacre, who spent a good deal of time there, the explorers
withdrew, and finding the key in the door, entered quietly the
adjoining room, which they took care to fasten on the inside. The only
suspicious object here was a large closet. This was locked; but as the
intention had been to make a pretty thorough search, a short, strong,
steel crow-bar was soon produced from beneath a cloak, and the door in
due time made to yield. Wonderful discovery! There sat a man with a
little table by his side, upon which was a dim lamp, a plate of bread
and cheese, and a mug of beer. He was engaged in turning a wheel!

The machine stopped instantly and would not go on, much to the
perplexity and alarm of the inventor. Wiseacre was deeply disturbed.
In the midst of the murmur of surprise and disapprobation that
followed,