iness," he said without looking up, "when he asked that you
should join us so that we can all work together." And, while signifying
my assent, I caught myself wondering what quality it was in the calm
speech of this undemonstrative man that was so full of power, so charged
with the strange, virile personality behind it and that seemed to
inspire us with his own confidence as by a process of radiation.

"Mr. Hubbard," he went on gravely, turning to the soldier, "knows
something of my methods, and in more than one--er--interesting situation
has proved of assistance. What we want now"--and here he suddenly got up
and took his place on the mat beside the Colonel, and looked hard at
him--"is men who have self-control, who are sure of themselves, whose
minds at the critical moment will emit positive forces, instead of the
wavering and uncertain currents due to negative feelings--due, for
instance, to fear."

He looked at us each in turn. Colonel Wragge moved his feet farther
apart, and squared his shoulders; and I felt guilty but said nothing,
conscious that my latent store of courage was being deliberately hauled
to the front. He was winding me up like a clock.

"So that, in what is yet to come," continued our leader, "each of us
will contribute his share of power, and ensure success for my plan."

"I'm not afraid of anything I can _see_," said the Colonel bluntly.

"I'm ready," I heard myself say, as it were automatically, "for
anything," and then added, feeling the declaration was lamely
insufficient, "and everything."

Dr. Silence left the mat and began walking to and fro about the room,
both hands plunged deep into the pockets of his shooting-jacket.
Tremendous vitality streamed from him. I never took my eyes off the
small, moving figure; small yes,--and yet somehow making me think of a
giant plotting the destruction of worlds. And his manner was gentle, as
always, soothing almost, and his words uttered quietly without emphasis
or emotion. Most of what he said was addressed, though not too
obviously, to the Colonel.

"The violence of this sudden attack," he said softly, pacing to and fro
beneath the bookcase at the end of the room, "is due, of course, partly
to the fact that tonight the moon is at the full"--here he glanced at me
for a moment--"and partly to the fact that we have all been so
deliberately concentrating upon the matter. Our thinking, our
investigation, has stirred it into unusual activity. I mean th