A breathless pause; another look at the watch, then:
"By this time, my friends, the projectile has reached—"
And even as the words quit his mouth, the cannon belched forth.
XVII
THE DEVOLUTION
Mona removed from her ears two tiny devices like collar-buttons. She noted Fort and the others doing the same. Without this protection their eardrums would have been burst. And while the girl was doing this she heard the athlete hailing the dictator:
"Good for you, Powart! It's a fine job, and I'm ever so much obliged to you."
The dictator stared in amazement. Mona looked from the one to the other, perplexed. Fort was laughing shakily.
"You may as well make your apologies now, Powart; you're out of it!
I've won, and you've lost! I've done a bigger thing than you have!"
Mona gave an exclamation of impatience. "What do you mean?" she cried shrilly. "Are you out of your head?"