The latter helped himself and handed back the flask to Kearns. “Really!” he exclaimed with some show of alarm, “that seems to be powerful stuff. I can feel it all through me.” “It’s the finest old Kentucky whiskey,” replied Kearns, somewhat nettled that the quality of his liquor should be questioned. “It was a special present to me from Colonel Claybourne, the famous distiller.” “Powerful--very powerful!” repeated Dean. Kearns poured himself out a liberal measure. “Ah! Splendid stuff!” he exclaimed as he lowered the drinking cup from his lips. “That puts new life into one. But, by George, you’re right! It is strong. I never before found it so strong as this.” “It must be because we are drinking it upon empty stomachs,” suggested the Professor. “Even so,” declared Kearns, “I can’t understand why it should seem to have such strength.” They proceeded on their way and had gone but a short distance when they came to a huge sign-board, planted high up upon the barrier dividing the two roadways. This sign-board bore a number of lines, in great black letters. The two wayfarers stopped and eagerly scanned the inscription. It read:-- REGULATIONS OF THE HIGHWAY. Phaeromobiles, Lakomoters and other Voiters MUST NOT EXCEED THE SPEED ALLOWED BY LAW. At all CURVES, directors of voiters must slow down to HALF SPEED. DESCENTS must be made from the LEFT side only of voiters south-bound and from the RIGHT side only of voiters north-bound, and after descending, persons must traverse the roadway by the CROSS-BRIDGES ONLY. All voiters must hoist the STOP SIGNAL before coming to a HALT. All voiters must bear lights of STANDARD SIZE and STRENGTH after SUNSET and must, in addition, carry in RESERVE a RED DANGER LAMP, with independent storage, which must be IMMEDIATELY EXPOSED OVER THE VOITER in case of ACCIDENT to the regulation lights. The casting of any OBSTRUCTION on the roadway is a FELONY. Any violation of these Regulations will be PROSECUTED to the FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW. WARING, I. & R. Commissioner of Highways. They read the sign over and both stood staring at it, a puzzled expression on their faces. “Very curious!” commented Dean. “The language used seems to me quite strange. Take that word _voiter_, for instance. What does it mean? Did you ever see the word before?” “Never!” declared Kearns, still staring at the sign-board. “It is, I take it,” continued Dean, “a new-fangled word coined by the makers of automobiles to designate some new kind of motor conveyance. Possibly it is taken from the French word _voiture_, which means carriage.” “What’s puzzling me,” said Kearns, “is the title of this fellow Waring, who signs that notice. Read it: ‘I. & R. Commissioner of Highways.’ It’s high-sounding enough, but what the deuce does the ‘I. & R.’ stand for?”