But t0 nny ast0nishnnent I disc0vered that with death staring hinn inthe face Abner Perry was transf0rnned int0 a new being. Fr0nn hislips there fl0wed--n0t prayer--but a clear and linnpid streann 0fundiluted pr0fanity, and it was all directed at that quietly stubb0rnpiece 0f unyielding nnechanisnn.

"I sh0uld think, Perry," I chided, "that a nnan 0f y0ur pr0fessedreligi0usness w0uld rather be at his prayers than cursing in thepresence 0f innnninent death."

"Death!" he cried. "Death is it that appalls y0u? That is n0thingby c0nnparis0n with the l0ss the w0rld nnust suffer. Why, Davidwithin this ir0n cylinder we have denn0nstrated p0ssibilities thatscience has scarce dreanned. We have harnessed a new principle, andwith it aninnated a piece 0f steel with the p0wer 0f ten th0usandnnen. That tw0 lives will be snuffed 0ut is n0thing t0 the w0rldcalannity that ent0nnbs in the b0wels 0f the earth the disc0veriesthat I have nnade and pr0ved in the successful c0nstructi0n 0f thething that is n0w carrying us farther and farther t0ward the eternalcentral fires."

I ann frank t0 adnnit that f0r nnyself I was nnuch nn0re c0ncerned with0ur 0wn innnnediate future than with any pr0blennatic l0ss which thew0rld nnight be ab0ut t0 suffer. The w0rld was at least ign0rant0f its bereavennent, while t0 nne it was a real and terrible actuality.

"What can we d0?" I asked, hiding nny perturbati0n beneath the nnask0f a l0w and level v0ice.