ington the night before, I arrived at Raleigh

s awaiting me with some impatience. "John Strock," said he, "are you still the m

not promise success or even ability, but a

ead this more exact question: Are you as fond of riddles as ever?

, Mr.

rock; the

me difficult missions which I had accomplished successfully, and which had won me his confidence. For several months past, however, he had found no occasi

what has happened down in the Bl

orted from there have been singular

o ask, if these phenomena about the Great Eyrie are not a source of continued danger to the

o be fea

we are helpless in the face of some great force of nature, peo

rities, Mr. Ward," responded I, "to

precipices of the Great Eyrie and reach its interior. But has anyone ever attempted it with scientific

Ward; what we face here is m

ophe. There is another suggestion I would make to you. Perhaps this Great Eyrie is not so inaccessible as is suppo

suspect tha

and sounds have all had natural causes. Well, that i

ne questi

ead, S

he source of these phenomena, if there really is a cra

leghanies threatens North Carolina with a disaster similar to that of Martinique, bu

ere is no such w

in its origin. But all these events cannot be without basis. In short, Strock, we have decided to make a strict inquiry into the phenomena of the Great Eyrie, to gather a

, "and be sure that I shall neglect n

fitted for the work. You will have a splendid opportunity to exe

u say,

to expenses, if there seems reason to organize an ascens

as seems bes

y are already over-excited. It will be well to move secretly. Do not mention the s

under

Strock, and acquaint no one with your mission, unless it is absolutely necessary. You have ofte

only "When s

mor

shington; and the day after

ad I of what the futur

; and the next evening found me in Raleigh. There I passed the night, and in

ith broad fields of grain. It lies in the midst of swamps, covered with mosses and reeds. Evergreen forests rise high up the mountain slopes. All that the region lacks is the wells of natural gas, that invaluable natural source of power, light, and warmth, so abundant in most

r more, and of a health to defy all the doctors of the two Americas. He was a great hunter of bears a

nants received frequent visits from him. Indeed, whenever his official duties did not keep him in his so-called

ived me very frankly, without any formality, his pipe in his mouth, a glass of brandy on the table. A

me in a jovial tone. "Good; le

him, and drank in honor

d Elias Smith, "wh

. I assured him that my chief had given me full power, and would render me every assistance, financial a

s pipe, the close attention which he gave me was beyond question. I saw his cheeks flush at times, and his eyes gleam under their bushy brows.

some moments in silence. Then he said, softly, "So at Washington

Mr.

you,

d

I, Mr.

e as one in

e, "that as a land-owner, I am much interested in these stories of

these extraordinary occurrences! Without doubt, my dear Mr. Smith, they h

eghanies are nowhere of volcanic origins. I, myself, in our immediate district, have never found any geological traces of scoria,

think not,

tain

the earth that have been

in that there have been tremblings? At the moment when the flames showed most sharply, I was on my farm of Wildon, l

reports sent

c," interrupted the mayor of Morganton. "I

es which rose clear

and the clouds certainly reflected them for miles around. Moreover noises certainly came

liable testi

vidence of

elieve that you heard that most remarkable of all the

sounds. I therefore seriously question, if this must not have been a deception of my imagination. The Great Eyrie a refuge for unknown monsters of the sky!

, Mr. Smith, if you w

; tomorrow we will

lf for a stay which might be indefinitely prolonged. Then having dined, and written to Mr. Ward

r, however, attempted the Great Eyrie, knowing that its walls of inaccessible cliffs defended it on every side. Moreover, before the recent startling occurrences the Great Eyrie had not particularly att

t perhaps it was no longer as difficult as

hy?" a

away from the mountain side and perhaps it

a fortunate cha

out it, Mr. Strock, n

omorrow