"Our poor Strock, who has failed!" "No more, Mr.Ward, than if you had charged me to investigate the surface of the moon," answered I."We found ourselves face to face with purely natural obstacles insurmountable with the forces then at our command." "I do not doubt that, Strock, I do not doubt that in the least.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that you have discovered nothing of what is going on within the Great Eyrie." "Nothing, Mr.Ward." "You saw no sign of fire ?" "None." "And you heard no suspicious noises whatever ?" "None." "Then it is still uncertain if there is really a volcano there ?" "Still uncertain, Mr.Ward.But if it is there, we have good reason to believe that it has sunk into a profound sleep." "Still," returned Mr.Ward, "there is nothing to show that it will not wake up again any day, Strock.

It is not enough that a volcano should sleep, it must be absolutely extinguished unless indeed all these threatening rumors have been born solely in the Carolinian imagination." "That is not possible, sir," I said.

"Both Mr.Smith, the mayor of Morganton and his friend the mayor of Pleasant Garden, are reliable men.

And they speak from their own knowledge in this matter.

Flames have certainly risen above the Great Eyrie.