             ,,*APT] ,,XVI          #ABC
            ,,! ,,COLUMBIAD

  ,_H ! CA/+ SU3E$$8 ,!Y 7 REDUC$ 6M]E
3JECTURE4 ,"! 0 9DE$ E R1SON 6EXPECT
SU3ESS1 S9CE ! M\LD HAS ABSORB$ ! 5TIRE
MASS (! MOLT5 METAL2 / "S 3SID]A# "T M/
ELAPSE 2F !Y CD >RIVE AT ANY C]TA9TY ^U
! MATT]4
  ,! PATI;E (! MEMB]S (! ,GUN ,CLUB 0
SORELY TRI$ DUR+ ? P]IOD ( "T4 ,B !Y CD
D NO?+4 ,J4 ,T4 ,MA/ON ESCAP$ ROA/+ 0A
MIRACLE4 ,FIFTE5 "DS AF ! CA/+ AN IMM5SE
COLUMN ( SMOKE 0 / RIS+ 9 ! OP5 SKY &!
GR.D BURN$ ! SOLES (! FEET )9 A RADIUS (
TWO HUNDR$ FEET R.D ! SUMMIT ( ,/"OS
,HILL4 ,X 0 IMPOSSI# 6APPROA* NE>]4 ,ALL
!Y CD D 0 6WAIT ) :AT PATI;E !Y MI<T4
  8,"H WE >E AT ! #AJ? ( ,AUGU/10
EXCLAIM$ ,J4 ,T4 ,MA/ON "O MORN+1 8ONLY
F\R MON?S 6! #A/ ( ,DECEMB]6 ,WE % N"E 2
R1DY 9 "T60 ,B>BICANE SD NO?+1 B 8 SIL;E
COV]$ S]I\S IRRIT,N4
  ,H["E1 DAILY OBS]V,NS REV1L$ A C]TA9
*ANGE GO+ ON 9 ! /ATE (! GR.D4 ,AB !#AE? ( ,AUGU/ ! VAPORS EJECT$ _H    #ABD
S5SIBLY DIM9I%$ 9 9T5S;Y & ?ICK;S4 ,"S
"DS AFW ! E>? EXHAL$ ONLY A SLI<T PUFF (
SMOKE1 ! LA/ BR1? (! MON/] 5CLOS$ )9 XS
CIRCLE ( /"O4 ,LL 0LL ! BELT ( H1T
3TRACT$1 UNTIL ON ! #BBND ( ,AUGU/1
,B>BICANE1 8 COLL1GUES1 &! 5G9E] 7 5A#D
6SET FOOT ON ! IRON %EET : LAY LEVEL ^U
! SUMMIT ( ,/"OS ,HILL4
  8,AT LA/60 EXCLAIM$ ! PRESID5T (! ,GUN
,CLUB1 ) AN IMM5SE SI< ( RELIEF4
  ,! "W 0 RESUM$ ! SAME "D4 ,!Y PROCE$$
AT ONCE 6EXTRACT ! 9T]IOR M\LD1 =!
PURPOSE ( CLE>+ \ ! BOR+ (! PIECE4
,PICKAXES & BOR+ IRONS 7 SET 6"W )\T
9T]MIS.N4 ,! CLAYEY & S&Y SOILS _H
ACQUIR$ EXTREME H>D;S "U ! AC;N (! H1T2
B1 0! AID (! MA*9ES1 ! RU2I% ON 2+ DUG \
0 RAPIDLY C>T$ AWAY ON RAILWAY WAGONS2 &
S* 0 ! >DOR (! "W1 S P]SUASIVE ! >GU;TS
( ,B>BICANE'S DOLL>S1 T 0! #CRD (
,SEPTEMB] ALL TRACES (! M\LD _H 5TIRELY
4APPE>$4
  ,IMMLY ! OP],N ( BOR+ 0 -M;ED2 & 0!
AID ( P[];L MA*9ES1 A FEW WEEKS LAT]1 !9N] SURFACE (! IMM5SE TUBE _H BE5   #ABE
R5D]$ P]FECTLY CYL9DRICAL1 &! BORE (!
PIECE _H ACQUIR$ A ?OR\< POLI%4
  ,AT L5G?1 ON ! #BB;D ( ,SEPTEMB]1 LESS
?AN A TWELVEMON? AF ,B>BICANE'S ORIG9AL
PROPOSI;N1 ! ENORM\S W1PON1 A3URATELY
BOR$1 & EXACTLY V]TIC,Y PO9T$1 0 R1DY =
"W4 ,"! 0 ONLY ! MOON N[ 6WAIT =2 & !Y 7
PRETTY SURE T %E WD N FAIL 9 ! R5DEZV\S4
  ,! EC/ASY ( ,J4 ,T4 ,MA/ON KNEW NO
B.DS1 & HE N>R[LY ESCAP$ A F"R;L FALL
:ILE />+ D[N ! TUBE4 ,B =! /R;G H& (
,COLONEL ,BLOMSB]RY1 ! WOR?Y SECRET>Y1 L
A MOD]N ,]O/RATUS1 WD H F.D 8 D1? 9 !
DEP?S (! ,COLUMBIAD4
  ,! CANNON 0 !N F9I%$2 "! 0 NO POSSI#
D\BT Z 6XS P]FECT -PLE;N4 ,S1 ON ! #F? (
,OCTOB]1 ,CAPTA9 ,NI*OLL OP5$ AN A3.T 2T
HMF & ,PRESID5T ,B>BICANE1 9 : HE DEBIT$
HMF 6! LATT] 9 ! SUM ( TWO ?\S& DOLL>S4
,"O MAY 2LIEVE T ! CAPTA9'S WRA? 0
9CR1S$ 6XS HI<E/ PO9T1 & M/ H MADE HM
S]I\SLY ILL4 ,H["E1 HE _H / ?REE BETS (
?REE1 F\R1 & FIVE ?\S& DOLL>S1
RESPECTIVELY2 & IF HE GA9$ TWO \ ( ^!1 8POSI;N WD N 2 V BAD4 ,B ! M"OY "Q   #ABF
DID N 5T] 96HIS CALCUL,NS2 X 0 ! SU3ESS
( 8 RIVAL 9 CA/+ A CANNON AG/ : IRON
PLATES SIXTY FEET ?ICK WD H BE5
9E6ECTUAL1 T D1LT HM A T]RI# BL[4
  ,AF ! #BCRD ( ,SEPTEMB] ! 5CLOSURE (
,/"OS HILL 0 ?R[N OP5 6! PUBLIC2 & X W 2
EASILY IMAG9$ :AT 0 ! 3C\RSE ( VISITORS
6? SPOT6 ,"! 0 AN 9CESSANT FL[ ( P 6& F
,TAMPA ,T[N &! PLACE1 : RESEM#D A
PROCES.N1 OR R1 9 FACT1 A PILGRIMAGE4
  ,X 0 ALR CLE> 6BE SE5 T1 ON ! "D (!
EXP]I;T XF1 ! A7REGATE ( SPECTATORS WD 2
C.T$ 0MILLIONS2 = !Y 7 ALR >RIV+ F ALL
"PS (! E>? ^U ? N>R[ /RIP ( PROMONTORY4
,EUROPE 0 EMIGRAT+ 6,AM]ICA4
  ,UP 6T "T1 H["E1 X M/ 2 3FESS$1 !
CURIOS;Y (! NUM]\S -]S 0 B SCANTILY
GRATIFI$4 ,MO/ _H C.T$ ^U WIT;S+ !
SPECTACLE (! CA/+1 & !Y 7 TR1T$ 6NO?+ B
SMOKE4 ,? 0 SORRY FOOD = HUNGRY EYES2 B
,B>BICANE WD ADMIT NO "O 6T OP],N4 ,!N
5SU$ GRUMBL+1 4CONT5T1 MURMURS2 !Y BLAM$
! PRESID5T1 TAX$ HM ) DICTATORIAL 3DUCT4
,8 PROCE$+S 7 DCLD 8UN-,AM]ICAN40 ,"! 0V NE>LY A RIOT R.D ,/"OS ,HILL2 B   #ABG
,B>BICANE REMA9$ 9FLEXI#4 ,:51 H["E1 !
,COLUMBIAD 0 5TIRELY F9I%$1 ? /ATE (
CLOS$ DOORS CD NO L;G] 2 MA9TA9$2 2SS X
WD H BE5 BAD TA/E1 & EV5 IMPRUD;E1
6A6RONT ! PUBLIC FEEL+4 ,B>BICANE1 "!=E1
OP5$ ! 5CLOSURE 6ALL -]S2 B1 TRUE 6HIS
PRACTICAL 4POSI;N1 HE DET]M9$ 6CO9 M"OY
\ (! PUBLIC CURIOS;Y4
  ,X 0 "S?+1 9DE$1 6BE 5A#D 63TEMPLATE ?
IMM5SE ,COLUMBIAD2 B 6DESC5D 96XS DEP?S1
? SEEM$ 6! ,AM]ICANS ! NE PLUS ULTRA (
E>?LY FELIC;Y4 ,3SEQU5TLY1 "! 0 N "O
CURI\S SPECTATOR :O 0 N WILL+ 6GIVE HMF
! TR1T ( VISIT+ ! 9T]IOR ( ? GRT
METALLIC ABYSS4 ,BASKETS SUSP5D$ F /1M-
CRANES P]MITT$ !M 6SATISFY _! CURIOS;Y4
,"! 0 A P]FECT MANIA4 ,WOM51 *N1 OLD M51
ALL MADE X A PO9T ( DUTY 6P5ETRATE !
MY/]IES (! COLOSSAL GUN4 ,! F>E =!
DESC5T 0 FIX$ AT FIVE DOLL>S P] H1D2 &
DESPITE ? HI< *>GE1 DUR+ ! TWO MON?S :
PREC$$ ! EXP]I;T1 ! 9FLUX ( VISITORS
5A#D ! ,GUN ,CLUB 6POCKET NE>LY FIVE
HUNDR$ ?\S& DOLL>S6  ,X IS NE$.S 6SAY T ! F/           #ABH
VISITORS (! ,COLUMBIAD 7 ! MEMB]S (!
,GUN ,CLUB4 ,? PRIVILEGE 0 JU/LY RES]V$
= T ILLU/RI\S BODY4 ,! C]EMONY TOOK
PLACE ON ! #BE? ( ,SEPTEMB]4 ,A BASKET (
HONOR TOOK D[N ! PRESID5T1 ,J4 ,T4
,MA/ON1 ,MAJOR ,ELPH9/"O1 ,G5]AL
,MORGAN1 ,COLONEL ,BLOMSB]RY1 & O!R
MEMB]S (! CLUB1 6! NUMB] ( T5 9 ALL4 ,H[
HOT X 0 AT ! BOTTOM ( T L;G TUBE (
METAL6 ,!Y 7 HALF SU6OCAT$4 ,B :AT
DELI<T6 ,:AT EC/ASY6 ,A TA# _H BE5 LAID
) SIX COV]S ON ! MASSIVE /"O : =M$ !
BOTTOM (! ,COLUMBIAD1 & LI<T$ 0A JET (
ELECTRIC LI<T RESEMBL+ T ( "D XF4
,NUM]\S EXQUISITE DI%ES1 : SEEM$ 6DESC5D
F H1V51 7 PLAC$ SU3ESSIVELY 2F ! GUE/S1
&! RI*E/ W9ES ( ,FR.E FL[$ 9 PROFU.N
DUR+ ? SPL5DID REPA/1 S]V$ N9E HUNDR$
FEET 2N ! SURFACE (! E>?6
  ,! FE/IVAL 0 ANIMAT$1 N 6SAY "S:AT
NOISY4 ,TOA/S FLEW BACKW>D & =W>D4 ,!Y
DRANK 6! E>? & 6H] SATELLITE1 6! ,GUN
,CLUB1 ! ,UNION1 ! ,MOON1 ,DIANA1
,PHOEBE1 ,SEL5E1 ! 8P1CE;L C\RI] (!NI<T60 ,ALL ! HURRAHS1 C>RI$        #ABI
UPW>D ^U ! SONOR\S WAVES (! IMM5SE
AC\/IC TUBE1 >RIV$ )! S.D ( ?"U AT XS
M\?2 &! MULTITUDE RANG$ R.D ,/"OS ,HILL
HE>TILY UNIT$ _! %\TS ) ^? (! T5 REVEL]S
HI45 F VIEW AT ! BOTTOM (! GIGANTIC
,COLUMBIAD4
  ,J4 ,T4 ,MA/ON 0 NO L;G] MA/] ( HMF4
,:E!R HE %\T$ OR GE/ICULAT$1 ATE OR
DRANK MO/1 WD 2 A DI6ICULT MATT]
6DET]M9E4 ,AT ALL EV5TS1 HE WD N H GIV5
8 PLACE UP = AN EMPIRE1 8N EV5 IF !
CANNON--LOAD$1 PRIM$1 & FIR$ AT T V MO;T
--W]E 6BL[ HM 9 PIECES 96! PLANET>Y _W40

