The senior Reade examined the mechanism of the new Steam Man with deepest interest.
“Upon my word, Frank,” he cried, “you have beaten me out and out. I can hardly believe my eyes.”
Frank Reade, Jr., laughed good humoredly.
Then he went about showing a party of friends the mechanism of the new Steam Man.
The man himself was a structure of iron plates joined in sections with rivets, hinges or bars as the needs required.
In face and form the machine was a good imitation of a man done in steel.
In no wise did he look ponderous or unwieldy, though his stature was fully nine feet.
The man stood erect holding the shafts of a wagon at his hips.
The wagon itself was light but roomy with four wheels and a top covering of fine steel net work. This was impervious to a bullet while anyone inside could see quite well all about them.
There were loop-holes in this netting to put the rifle barrels through in case of a fight.