Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE LOST CITY. " Great guns!" The ejaculator tipped his straw hat off with his left hand, let it roll upon the office floor, made a dab for a damp pocket handkerchief in his right pistol pocket, and stared at the yellow paper again. " Whew! I don't believe it!" he muttered. Then, aware that the keen eyes of the three- and-a-half-foot messenger boy were upon him, as if sizing him up for news, he stared at the telegram again, mumbled " It's a fake ! Great guns!" and rushed from the room. The messenger boy looked after the editor's retreating form with a knowing wink, as if the whole thing had been a special job put up by himself, whistled "Annie Rooney," took up a tattered copy of " Famous Quotations," laid it down again with an expression of mingled respect and scepticism, characteristic of his kind, and then swaggered out of the editorial sanctum. "Well, Swift, what's up now?" The editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet (Democratic) lifted his young, alert face from the evening edition of his own journal to that of his news editor. Interruptions were the expected thing in that stirring office. Swift did not speak, but laid the telegram upon the desk, pulled out a Victoria Ilegina, and chewed it nervously. The chief read the message through once to himself, gave one glance at the face of his subordinate, and then said: " This is a repeat, is it not ? " " Yes sir. First news came three hours ago. I didn't believe it. Thought it a fake. Half think so still. I wouldn't insert it, and wired for an immediate reply. Here it is. It is too late for the five o'clock edition. What shall I do?" " Well, this is extraordinary ! " conceded the chief. This admission meant a great deal in that office, deluged with news from all parts of the world, where it frequently happened t...