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THE MASTER KEY

[Illustration: Rob was surrounded by a group of natives]




  THE
  MASTER KEY

  _An Electrical Fairy Tale_

  FOUNDED UPON THE MYSTERIES OF ELECTRICITY
  AND THE OPTIMISM OF ITS DEVOTEES. IT WAS
  WRITTEN FOR BOYS, BUT OTHERS MAY READ IT


  BY
  L. FRANK BAUM

  ILLUSTRATIONS BY
  F. Y. CORY



  _The_ BOWEN-MERRILL COMPANY
  PUBLISHERS. INDIANAPOLIS




  COPYRIGHT 1901
  THE BOWEN-MERRILL COMPANY




  PRESS OF
  BRAUNWORTH & CO.
  BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS
  BROOKLYN, N. Y.




  To my son
  ROBERT STANTON BAUM




  [Illustration]




  CONTENTS


  _Chapter_                                _Page_

      I Rob's Workshop                          1

     II The Demon of Electricity                9

    III The Three Gifts                        18

     IV Testing the Instruments                29

      V The Cannibal Island                    43

     VI The Buccaneers                         60

    VII The Demon Becomes Angry                78

   VIII Rob Acquires New Powers                86

     IX The Second Journey                     97

      X How Rob Served a Mighty King          104

     XI The Man of Science                    126

    XII How Rob Saved a Republic              136

   XIII Rob Loses His Treasures               146

    XIV Turk and Tatar                        160

     XV A Battle With Monsters                182

    XVI Shipwrecked Mariners                  192

   XVII The Coast of Oregon                   206

  XVIII A Narrow Escape                       214

    XIX Rob Makes a Resolution                225

     XX The Unhappy Fate of the Demon         230

  [Illustration]




  [Illustration]




  ILLUSTRATIONS


                                                                _Page_

  Rob was surrounded by a group of natives of
  hideous appearance--_Frontispiece_

  From his workshop ran a network of wires throughout
  the house--_Headpiece_                                             1

  A quick flash of light almost blinded Rob                          6

  A curious being looked upon him from a magnificent
  radiance--_Tailpiece_                                              8

  Scientific men think the people of Mars have been
  trying to signal us--_Headpiece_                                   9

  I am here to do your bidding, said the Demon--_Tailpiece_         17

  Men have not yet discovered what the birds know--_Headpiece_      18

  These three gifts may amuse you for the next week--_Tailpiece_    28

  Rob's action surprised them all--_Headpiece_                      29

  "He'll break his neck!" cried the astounded
  father                                                            36

  The red-whiskered policeman keeled over--_Tailpiece_              42

  Rob's captors caught up the end of the rope and
  led him away--_Headpiece_                                         43

  "If it's just the same to you, old chap, I won't be
  eaten to-day"--_Tailpiece_                                        59

  Rob soared through the air with five Buccaneers
  dangling from his leg--_Headpiece_                                60

  It was a strange sight to see the pirates drop to
  the deck and lie motionless                                       66

  When night fell his slumber was broken and uneasy--_Tailpiece_    77

  When Rob had been kissed by his mother, he gave
  an account of his adventures--_Headpiece_                         78

  Rob sat staring eagerly at the Demon--_Tailpiece_                 85

  The Being drew from an inner pocket something
  resembling a box--_Headpiece_                                     86

  These spectacles will indicate the character of
  every one you meet--_Tailpiece_                                   96

  Rob is in truth a typical American boy--_Headpiece_               97

  Rob placed the indicator to a point north of east
  and began his journey--_Tailpiece_                               103

  A crowd assembled, all shouting and pointing
  toward him in wonder--_Headpiece_                                104

  A man rushed toward it, but the next moment he
  threw up his hands and fell unconscious                          108

  Rob reached the entrance of the palace, only to
  face another group of guardsmen                                  114

  Rob only smiled in an amused way as he marched
  past them--_Tailpiece_                                           125

  A tremendous din and clatter nearly deafened
  him--_Headpiece_                                                 126

  The eyes of the Frenchman were actually protruding
  from their sockets                                               128

  From an elevation of fifty feet or more Rob overlooked
  a pretty garden--_Headpiece_                                     136

  Placing the record so that the President could see
  clearly, Rob watched