ced in the preliminaries

temporarily forgotten and the future still put far away--half a

less some strange, untoward accident befell, th

was entirely impractical, since it would mean that most of their time woul

the cool green beauty of Madison Forest. In an hour or so, they cleared out the bat

remarked the engineer, standing back an

a while. It's not too high for ease, and it's high enough for safety--to keep

ion. "In a day or two I'll make some kind of an outer door, or barricade. But

answered wistfully, from the w

ve got to go 'way to the top of the tower and bring

oil and no end of things. You save your strength for

ling a little sadly. "But rea

y!" And he started for the door. Then a t

ne of those revolvers. With the best of this leather here," nodding at the G

her thongs to lash it with. Presently it was done, and a strap to tie it round his waist

omatic and a handful of cartridges. Quickly he filled the magazine. The shells were gr

p and welcome report burst from the weapon. And a few leaves, clipped

his new holster. "You see, the powder and fulminate, sealed up in the

ut there, see? And don't be afraid of wasting ammunition. There mu

had climbed a hundred feet up the tower stair, he heard a slow, uneven pop--pop--popping, and

y, badly--before we know it!" thought

segai-point, that he made still another excuse that afternoon and so go

rk at home to do, making some real clothing and some sandals for them b

furs from the shop in the arcade, and

neighborhood from Sixth Avenue as far east as Third an

away troublesome bush or brambles, or to slit imped

of Broadway and Nineteenth--he ran into nothing more formidable than a lynx which

ith pain, out of view. Stern noted with s

these x years!" he commented, stooping to exa

watchful, he contin

ity, as such, had e

ns," he sized up the situation, "traversed by lanes o

nes practically gone. Steel alone standing, and that in rotten

twentieth century could have foreseen this they wouldn't have

noting that the Osterhaut Building, on Seventeenth

dding with grim satisf

lty down the choked stairway, through bushes and over masses of ruin that

water settled in the ancient road-bed. The rails were wholly go

long tangle of rubbish that had been a train--stall

rms of ages had beaten down, and lush grasses flour

ce every vestige of man had been swept away. Stern shuddered, more

of it. "They boasted--like the financiers, the churchmen, the merchants, eve

laying in still more supplies from the wrecked shops. Now for the first time, his wonde

of his own voice uncanny in that woodland street of death. "All gone, everything! M

ly away and went to work. Wherever he stumble

Beatrice or to himself if either should meet with any mishap. The consequences o

t hem of his bearskin, things of all kinds and uses. He found a clay pipe--

are wines. Coffee and salt he came upon. In the ruins of the little French brass-ware shop,

in it. The fluid hermetically seale

, he betook himself, heavy laden, once more back past the spring, and so through the p

iling up the stair with his burden: "What will she say, I wonder, w

y he heard a cry from above. Then a spat

, listenin

led, his voice falling flat and

her

Stern. "What's

and, spurred by a great terror

lter, their home, he

eply

short, his fac

Heaven!" s

rl was