“If this new metal is so durable as you claim,” I said to Moit, “the machine ought to last for many years.”
“My claim is that it is practically indestructible,” he answered, in a tone of conviction.
“But you have still the tire problem,” I remarked. “A puncture will put you out of business as quickly as it would any other machine.”
“A puncture!” he exclaimed. “Why, these tires cannot puncture, sir.”
“Why not?”
“They are not inflated.”
“What then?”
“It is another of my inventions, Mr. Steele. Inside each casing is a mass of sponge-rubber, of a peculiarly resilient and vigorous character. And within the casing itself is embedded a net of steel wire, which will not allow the vulcanized rubber to be cut to any depth. The result is an excellent tire that cannot be punctured and has great permanency.”
“You do not seem to have overlooked any important point,” I observed, admiringly.
“Ah, that is the one thing that now occupies my mind,” he responded, quickly. “That is why I have been testing the machine today, even in the limited way that is alone possible. I am haunted by the constant fear that I have overlooked some important point, which another might discover.”