206 The King of the Thundering Herd 



land in the world, stretched away upon 

 every side. The landscape was dotted with 

 farm buildings. Cattle and horses threw 

 up their heads and gazed after the flying 

 monster. Groups of small boys gathered 

 upon the platforms in towns to watch the 

 Flyer go through. But they stopped not 

 for town or small city. Only the largest 

 cities were of enough importance to be 

 noticed. The precious moments which the 

 car-wheels were clicking off at the end of 

 each rail were altogether too precious to be 

 wasted at unimportant places. 



These same small boys could have told 

 you that the rails began to click while the 

 train was still half a mile away, and that 

 the track was warm for a minute or two 

 after it passed, for it was an engine of 

 energy, the most powerful force that man 

 had yet mastered, furious at being chained, 

 mad with pent-up desire, trying to burst 

 the strong boilers, trying to blow out the 



