“Ah! is that all!” answered the Professor, with some disappointment. “By no means,” replied Robert. “A certain important personage is on his way here. To-morrow you will receive a visit.” “From whom?” inquired Dean curiously. The other dropped his voice to a whisper: “From the High President himself!” CHAPTER III THE MASKED VISITOR It was close upon noon on the following day when Captain Robert presented himself before the prisoners. He was eager and excited. “Are you ready to receive the visit I spoke of last night?” he asked. “Ah!” exclaimed Mortimer, with a slight show of interest, “is His Mightiness, your famous High President, here?” “Yes,” replied Robert; “he arrived just before daylight and has been busy during the morning around the camp.” “Arrived before daylight!” repeated Mortimer. “Your High President is an early traveler.” “Those who come to this camp,” answered Robert gravely, “invariably arrive before daylight. I don’t think I’ll betray any very special information if I tell you in confidence that he was picked up at a distant point from here and arrived by air-ship.” “That’s just what I surmised when you first spoke,” said Dean quickly. “Then your surmise was quite correct,” replied Robert. “He arrived and he will leave by air-ship. Are you ready to receive him?” Mortimer and the Professor both assented and Robert started for the cabin steps. But he stopped and again turned to them. “I know nothing definitely,” he said, “but I strongly suspect the interview you are about to hold will be a most important one. I have your welfare at heart. I beg you to receive the High President in the right spirit and to give due heed to his words.” “I thank you,” said the Professor appreciatively. “And I thank you,” exclaimed Mortimer, “but I’ve already had one unpleasant experience here. Your High President shall be received by us with due consideration and we will listen carefully to whatever he may have to say to us, provided the manner and language adopted are such as may be properly tolerated by a gentleman of the high scientific attainments of my friend, Professor Dean, and myself, as an officer of His Majesty, the King.” “Ah,” exclaimed Robert enthusiastically, “you need have no fear on that score. Don’t for a moment compare the High President with anyone you have seen here. The High President is a man of the highest culture and of the highest calibre. He is the most God-like man who has lived since the days of Washington--a leader gifted with genius for organization, a patriot who seeks nothing except for his countrymen; brave, enterprising, resourceful, merciless when the occasion demands it, yet with a heart full of love for humanity--such is our High President. He will go down to posterity as the greatest patriot and leader of men of the centuries.” Robert’s eyes blazed with enthusiasm as he spoke and his manner was full of earnestness.