Preface: In this volume, as in those preceding it and in those to come, there will be found only the history of Public Authorities. Others will write that of diplomacy, of war, of the finances, of the Church; my subject is a limited one. To my great regret, however, this new part fills an entire volume; and the last part, on the revolutionary government, will be as long.

Excerpt: Chapter 1. UNDER CANVAS AGAIN. ?I reckon the fellows will turn out to see us tomorrow night, Teddy.? ?I hope so, Phil. We'll show them that we are real circus performers, won?t we?? Phil Forrest nodded happily. ?They know that already, I think. But we shall both feel proud to perform in our home town again. They haven't seen us in the ring since the day we first joined the show two years ago, and then it was only a little performance.?

Excerpt: Chapter One. An Explosion ?Are you all ready, Tom?? ?All ready, Mr. Sharp,? replied a young man, who was stationed near some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a nervous manner, leaned over a large tank. ?I'm going to turn on the gas now,? went on the man. ?Look out for yourself. I'm not sure what may happen.? ?Neither am I, but I'm ready for it. If it does explode it can?t do much damage.? ?Oh, I hope it doesn't explode. We've had so ...

Excerpt: ?THERE?S a dead man just outside your door.? The voice was calm and controlled. Its tone might have indicated the owner was accustomed to encountering dead men just outside of doors. Certainly the man who spoke was not greatly perturbed. Doc Savage was facing the man as he entered. Except for a quick stirring of his flaky gold eyes, the bronze adventurer himself did not betray great surprise. Yet, until the visitor had announced it, neither Doc Savage nor his fo...

Excerpt: 040.001 Ha. Mim. 040.002 The revelation of the Scripture is from Allah, the Mighty, the Knower, 040.003 The Forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful. There is no God save Him. Unto Him is the journeying. 040.004 None argue concerning the revelations of Allah save those who disbelieve, so let not their turn of fortune in the land deceive thee (O Muhammad). 040.005 The folk of Noah and the factions after them denied (thei...

Excerpt: ANDREW PODREY VANDERSLEEVE had guests in his Westchester mansion. Guests in strange garb. Grotesque guests in exclusive Westchester hills. Their conduct was as incongruous as their queer clothing. Andrew Podrey Vandersleeve was not perturbed by all this. For the master of several millions was very dead. He sat at his ornate mahogany desk with his arms sprawled. Blood black as ink had flowed from his aristocratic veins.

Excerpt: 041.001 Ha. Mim. 041.002 A revelation from the Beneficent, the Merciful, 041.003 A Scripture whereof the verses are expounded, a Lecture in Arabic for people who have knowledge, 041.004 Good tidings and a warning. But most of them turn away so that they hear not. 041.005 And they say: Our hearts are protected from that unto which thou (O Muhammad) callest us, and in our ears there is a deafness, and between us and thee there is a veil. Act, then. Lo! we also sha...

Excerpt: THE American public gets many of its ideas about what is going on, from the newspapers. Newspapers sometimes make mistakes, so the public, on occasion, fails entirely to get the true significance of things that are happening. It was thus in the Jethro Mandebran case. Maybe it was just as well that the public did not catch on to the true significance of the Jethro Mandebran affair. A good many heads might have turned gray.

Excerpt: 042.001 Ha. Mim. 042.002 A'in. Sin. Qaf. 042.003 Thus Allah the Mighty, the Knower inspireth thee (Muhammad) as (He inspired) those before thee. 042.004 Unto Him belongeth all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and He is the Sublime, the Tremendous. 042.005 Almost might the heavens above be rent asunder while the angels hymn the praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on the earth. Lo! Allah, He is the Forgiver, the Merciful. 042.006...

Excerpt: 043.001 Ha. Mim. 043.002 By the Scripture which maketh plain, 043.003 Lo! We have appointed it a Lecture, in Arabic that haply ye may understand. 043.004 And Lo! in the Source of Decrees, which We possess, it is indeed sublime, decisive. 043.005 Shall We utterly ignore you because ye are a wanton folk?

Excerpt: 044.001 Ha. Mim. 044.002 By the Scripture that maketh plain 044.003 Lo! We revealed it on a blessed night Lo! We are ever warning?044.004 Whereon every wise command is made clear 044.005 As a command from Our presence Lo! We are ever sending?044.006 A mercy from thy Lord. Lo! He, even He is the Hearer, the Knower, 044.007 Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if ye would be sure. 044.008 There is no God save Him. He quickeneth and givet...

Excerpt: 045.001 Ha. Mim. 045.002 The revelation of the Scripture is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise. 045.003 Lo! in the heavens and the earth are portents for believers. 045.004 And in your creation, and all the beasts that He scattereth in the earth, are portents for a folk whose faith is sure. 045.005 And the difference of night and day and the provision that Allah sendeth down from the sky and thereby quickeneth the earth after her death, and the ordering of the win...

Excerpt: 046.001 Ha. Mim. 046.002 The revelation of the Scripture is from Allah the Mighty, the Wise. 046.003 We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them save with truth, and for a term appointed. But those who disbelieve turn away from that whereof they are warned. 046.004 Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Have ye thought on all that ye invoke beside Allah ? Show me what they have created of the earth. Or have they any portion in the heavens ? Bring...

Excerpt: 047.001 Those who disbelieve and turn (men) from the way of Allah, He rendereth their actions vain. 047.002 And those who believe and do good works and believe in that which is revealed unto Muhammad and it is the truth from their Lord He riddeth them of their ill?deeds and improveth their state. 047.003 That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood and because those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus Allah coineth their similitudes for m...

Excerpt: 048.001 Lo! We have given thee (O Muhammad) a signal victory, 048.002 That Allah may forgive thee of thy sin that which is past and that which is to come, and may perfect His favour unto thee, and may guide thee on a right path, 048.003 And that Allah may help thee with strong help?048.004 He it is Who sent down peace of reassurance into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith unto their faith. Allah?s are the hosts of the heavens and the earth, an...

Excerpt: 049.001 O ye who believe! Be not forward in the presence of Allah and His messenger, and keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower. 049.002 O ye who believe! Lift not up your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor shout when speaking to him as ye shout one to another, lest your works be rendered vain while ye perceive not. 049.003 Lo! they who subdue their voices in the presence of the messenger of Allah, those are they whose hearts Allah hath pro...

Preface: ?In Egypt,? says Clement of Alexandria,[1] ?the sanctuaries of the temples are shaded by curtains of golden tissue. But on going further into the interior in quest of the statue, a priest of grave aspect, advancing to meet you and chanting a hymn in the Egyptian tongue, slightly raises a veil to show you the god. And what do you behold? A crocodile, or some indigenous serpent, or other dangerous animal, the Egyptian god being a beast sprawling on a purple carpet.?

Excerpt: Chapter 1. MAKING A LIVELY START. ?Have you had any trouble with Diaz, Teddy?? ?Who?s he?? ?The new Spanish clown.?

Excerpt: Chapter One. News of a Treasure Wreck. There was a rushing, whizzing, throbbing noise in the air. A great body, like that of some immense bird, sailed along, casting a grotesque shadow on the ground below. An elderly man, who Was seated on the porch of a large house, started to his feet in alarm. ?Gracious goodness! What was that, Mrs. Baggert?? he called to a motherly?looking woman who stood in the doorway. ?What happened?? ?Nothing much, Mr. Swift,? was the ca...

Excerpt: 050.001 Qaf. By the Glorious Qur'an, 050.002 Nay, but they marvel that a warner of their own hath come unto them; and the disbelievers say: This is a strange thing: 050.003 When we are dead and have become dust (shall we be brought back again) ? That would be a far return! 050.004 We know that which the earth taketh of them, and with Us is a recording Book. 050.005 Nay, but they have denied the truth when it came unto them, therefor they are now in troubled case...