The Master Key / An Electrical Fairy Tale Founded Upon the Mysteries of Electricity

L. Frank Baum

WHO KNOWS?

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:

The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

THE MASTER KEY

Rob was surrounded by a group of natives

Title page

PRESS OF
BRAUNWORTH & CO.
BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS
BROOKLYN, N. Y.

To my son

Robert Stanton Baum

Contents Headpiece

CONTENTS

Chapter		Page
I.	Rob's Workshop	1
II.	The Demon of Electricity	9
III.	The Three Gifts	18
IV.	Testing the Instruments	29
V.	The Cannibal Island	43
VI.	The Buccaneers	60
VII.	The Demon Becomes Angry	78
VIII.	Rob Acquires New Powers	86
IX.	The Second Journey	97
X.	How Rob Served a Mighty King	104
XI.	The Man of Science	126
XII.	How Rob Saved a Republic	136
XIII.	Rob Loses His Treasures	146
XIV.	Turk and Tatar	160
XV.	A Battle With Monsters	182
XVI.	Shipwrecked Mariners	192
XVII.	The Coast of Oregon	206
XVIII.	A Narrow Escape	214
XIX.	Rob Makes a Resolution	225
XX.	The Unhappy Fate of the Demon	230

Contents Tailpiece

Illustrations Headpiece

ILLUSTRATIONS

	Page
Rob was surrounded by a group of natives of hideous appearance—Frontispiece
From his workshop ran a network of wires throughout the house—Headpiece	1
A quick flash of light almost blinded Rob	6
A curious being looked upon him from a magnificent radiance—Tailpiece	8
Scientific men think the people of Mars have been trying to signal us—Headpiece	9
I am here to do your bidding, said the Demon—Tailpiece	17
Men have not yet discovered what the birds know—Headpiece	18
These three gifts may amuse you for the next week—Tailpiece	28
Rob's action surprised them all—Headpiece	29
"He'll break his neck!" cried the astounded father	36
The red-whiskered policeman keeled over—Tailpiece	42
Rob's captors caught up the end of the rope and led him away—Headpiece	43
"If it's just the same to you, old chap, I won't be eaten to-day"—Tailpiece	59
Rob soared through the air with five Buccaneers dangling from his leg—Headpiece	60
It was a strange sight to see the pirates drop to the deck and lie motionless	66
When night fell his slumber was broken and uneasy—Tailpiece	77
When Rob had been kissed by his mother, he gave an account of his adventures—Headpiece	78
Rob sat staring eagerly at the Demon—Tailpiece	85
The Being drew from an inner pocket something resembling a box—Headpiece	86
These spectacles will indicate the character of every one you meet—Tailpiece	96
Rob is in truth a typical American boy—Headpiece	97
Rob placed the indicator to a point north of east and began his journey—Tailpiece	103
A crowd assembled, all shouting and pointing toward him in wonder—Headpiece	104
A man rushed toward it, but the next moment he threw up his hands and fell unconscious	108
Rob reached the entrance of the palace, only to face another group of guardsmen	114
Rob only smiled in an amused way as he marched past them—Tailpiece	125
A tremendous din and clatter nearly deafened him—Headpiece	126
The eyes of the Frenchman were actually protruding from their sockets	128
From an elevation of fifty feet or more Rob overlooked a pretty garden—Headpiece	136
Placing the record so that the President could see clearly, Rob watched the changing expressions upon the great man's face	140
Rob experienced a decided sense of relief as he mixed with the gay populace—Tailpiece	145
Beneath him stretched a vast sandy plain, and speeding across this he came to a land abounding in vegetation—Headpiece	146
"Those fellows seem to be looking for trouble"	150
Uttering cries of terror and dismay, the three Turks took to their heels	158
Rob was miserable and unhappy, and remained brooding over his cruel fate—Tailpiece	159
The Tatars arrived swiftly and noiselessly—Headpiece	160
The Turk rose slowly into the air, with Rob clinging to him with desperate tenacity	176
Without more ado Rob mounted into the air, leaving the Turk staring after him—Tailpiece	181
Coming toward him was an immense bird—Headpiece	186
With one last scream the creature tumbled downward to join its fellow—Tailpiece	191
During the next few hours Rob suffered from a severe attack of homesickness—Headpiece	192
The disappointment of the sailors was something awful to witness	196
As they slowly mounted into the sky the sailor gave a squeal of terror—Tailpiece	205
Rob mounted skyward, to the unbounded amazement of the fishermen, who stared after him—Headpiece	206
Rob hovered over the great tower of the Lick Observatory until he attracted the excited gaze of its inhabitants—Tailpiece	213
Finding himself upon the lake front, Rob hunted up a vacant bench and sat down to rest—Headpiece	214
As he started downward he saw the old gentleman looking at him with a half-frightened, half-curious expression—Tailpiece	224
At precisely ten o'clock Rob reached the front door of his own house—Headpiece	225
Rob boldly ascended the stairs, entered the workshop and closed and locked the door—Tailpiece	229
The Demon sank into a chair nerveless and limp, but still staring fearfully at the boy—Headpiece	230
A flash of white light half-stunned and blinded Rob. When he recovered himself the Demon had disappeared—Tailpiece	245

Illustrations Tailpiece

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