to a stentorian, deafening roar.

"It is all over!" shrieked the people in the valley, and fell upon
their knees.

In the air a shrill, whistling sound was now heard, as if an engine
had suddenly let off steam, and out of the shaft of the company's mine
there arose rapidly a white column of steam, which, as soon as it
encountered the cold regions of space, shot up into the sky, where it
formed itself into a white cloud, which cloud suddenly broke into a
deluge of rain. At once the underground convulsion ceased, and the
shrill whistling died away in the distance.

Ivan, looking round, said, quickly, "Paul, collect the rain-water; I
must know what it is made of." Upon this he gave the machinist the
signal to stop the machine. There was not even a drop of perspiration
upon his forehead. He took the bottle of rain-water that Paul brought
him and put it in his pocket. "Now, gentlemen," he said, "you can go
to supper. The work is accomplished."

"Is the fire extinguished?" asked Spitzhase.

"Absolutely."

"And the pillar of steam yonder?"

"Will remain in the sky until midnight and then slowly damp away. Go
to supper. I have something of importance to do at home."

Who cared to eat supper?

The pillar of steam still continued to rise from the shaft, and to
form a cloud from which a steady downpour of rain fell continuously,
occasionally interspersed by flashes of lightning; but no one thought
of going indoors. The richer members of society wrapped themselves in
mackintoshes, the workmen in their cloaks, and all continued to watch
the strange appearance, until at last, towards ten o'clock, it began
to grow smaller. The whistling sound was interrupted now and again by
a piercing shriek, and sometimes a flash of lightning illumined the
shadow of the pillar--the white cloud.

The steam giant then sank back; not all at once, but by degrees, into
the pit from which it had arisen. Only occasionally, from time to
time, its head reappeared for a second, but the whistling ceased
altogether; so, too, did the heaving of the earth. The unearthly
tumult was silenced. In the church the sound of the organ was heard,
and voices intoning "Alleluia! Alleluia!" The people walked in
procession, carrying lanterns and banners.

The commissioners made their way to the inn, where they found Ivan
eating his supper. He could eat now; it struck him that he was mortal
and wanted food.

"I have finished the chemical examination," he said t