Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/48

36 note rest, a ceaseless activity went on in the numerous laboratories where the scientists were occupied in wresting her secrets from Nature. James Tarrant remained in the park for about an hour after he had met Alec and Flora, and then he returned to his laboratory, where his numerous assistants were still busily following out his instructions. It was a large room crammed with instruments of every description, while books, pages of calculations, and sheets of drawings lay about everywhere. He examined some of the instruments, and then dismissed his assistants for the night, but did not yet think of retiring to rest himself, although he looked intensely wearied. He sat down at a table and began eagerly looking over a voluminous mass of calculations.

'Ah, I think I shall have it soon!' he exclaimed half aloud as a gleam of triumph shot across his pale face. 'An excellent idea has struck me to-night, and if I get on to the right track it may lead me to