'Faith!' exclaimed Jack, in an aside to Gerald, 'I begin to think you 're right after all. There must be something unusual in the air to account for this new move!'
The new-comer was a tall, fine-looking old man, with an ascetic face and a kindly voice and manner. His hair and beard were white, but his deep-set eyes glowed with the liveliness and fire of a vigorous young man.
With the self-absorbed, thoughtful air that so often marks the devoted scientist or profound student, Armeath, without waiting for any reply to the question he had asked, stepped past the two youngsters and walked almost to the edge of the bluff. There he gazed first at the sandy shore fifty feet or more below, then out over the glistening sea to the distant horizon, and finally at the deep-blue, star-spangled sky overhead.
Behind the three, at a distance of a few hundred yards, was the building—or rather group of buildings—which formed their home. These were built bungalow-fashion, save as to one part—the observatory—which rose above the rest, with detached dwelling-places for their attendants close by.
Inland, the ground fell away, and there was on one side a winding road down to the shore. On the other side, the ground rose again towards higher ridges in the centre of the island.
The old man remained for some minutes gazing fixedly upwards; the two young fellows, very much surprised, and—if the truth be told—a little awed by his demeanour, remained also motionless, gazing alternately at him and at each other.
Suddenly the sage uttered a sort of cry—an exclamation so strange, so thrilling, that his companions were startled, and stared anxiously about, seeking for an explanation.
Then they saw him raise an arm and point to the sky, and, following the direction thus indicated, they both started and stood and gazed fixedly as though spell-bound.
'Look!' exclaimed Jack. 'It is a meteor!'
And that was all that was said—all, indeed, there was time for. There was no time for questions, for comments, for anything, in fact, save a great gasp of astonishment, and scarcely even for that.