[Illustration: What would Russell Sage say?] Why, they would say that the man wuz a fool, and that the only way to travel wuz on iron rails or steamships. They would say that there wuzn't any such land as he depictered. That it existed only in his crazy brain. Wall, it wuz jest about as wild a idee that Ferdinand had to listen to; I d'no that he wuz any more to blame than they would be for not hearin' to it. But Isabelle, she wuz built different. There wuz some divine atmosphere of Truth and Reality about this idee that reached her heart and mind. Her soul and mind bein' made in jest the right way to be touched by it. She, too, wuz built on jest the right plan so she could apprehend what she could not yet comprehend. So she gin him her cordial sympathy, and also, as I said, her ear-rings, etc. But after the years and years that he toiled and labored for the means to carry out his idees--after these long years of effort and hardship, and disappointments and delays--after his first vain efforts--after he did at last git launched out on the Ocean a-sailin' out on the broad, empty waste in search of sunthin' that he see only in his mind's eye-- How the storms beat on him--how the winds and waves buffeted him, and tried to drive him back--but--"No, no, he wuz bound for the New Land! he wuz bound for the West!" How the sailors riz up and plead with him and begged him to turn back--but "No," sez he, "I go to the New Land!" Then they would tell him that there wuzn't any such Land, and stick to it right up and down, and jeer at him. Did it turn him round--"No! I sail onward," sez he, "I go to the West!" Then the principalities and powers of the onseen World seemed to take it in hand and tried to drive him back. There wuz signs and omens seen that wuz reckoned disastrous, and threatened destruction. Mebby the souls of them who had passed over from the New Land, mebby them disembodied faithful shades wuz a-tryin' to save their free sunny huntin' grounds from the hands of the invader, and their race from the fate that threatened 'em--mebby they hurled onseen tommyhawks, and shrieked down at 'em, tryin' to turn 'em back-- Mebby they did, and then agin mebby they didn't. But anyway, there wuz lurid lightin' flashes that looked like flights of fiery arrows aimed at the heads of the Spanish seamen, and shriekin's of the tempest amidst the sails overhead that sounded like cries of anger, and distress, and warnin'. Did Columbus heed them fearful warnin's and turn back? No; dauntless and brave, a-facin' dangers onseen, as well as seen, he sez-- "I sail onward!" And so he did, and he sailed, and he sailed--and mebby his own brave heart grew sick and faint with lookin' on the trackless waste of waters round him, and no shore in sight for days, and for days, and for days. But if it did, he give no signs of it--"I sail onward!" he sez.