Billy had been paying very close attention to what Mr. Prescott had been saying. There was something that he wanted especially to find out. He felt very sure, now, that he was hearing about an iron mountain that he had heard about once before.
He felt very sure, but he wouldn’t ask any more questions, because that was the secret that he had with Thomas Murphy.
The others started for the car. But Billy stood a moment longer to look at the giant hands that, having finished their work, were hanging idly in the air. The hold of the ship, emptied of its burden, was already beginning to close.
“Beginning to believe in giants, aren’t you?” said Mr. Prescott, as Billy stepped into the car.
“The next giant will be a hungry fellow, and he is very, very tall; so he eats a great deal.”
“An iron-eater, is he?” queried Dr. Crandon.
“We ourselves will have something to eat before we visit him,” said Mr. Prescott, ordering Joseph to drive back to the hotel.
“Mr. Prescott,” said Dr. Crandon, as they sat at table, “is iron ever found in a pure state, like gold, for instance?”
“It is practically never found in a pure state,” answered Mr. Prescott, “except the meteoric iron, ‘the stone of heaven.’”
Billy looked at him questioningly.