the Pacific--the same fostered by the Washington Government with a
subsidy--and "if" all and singular the railway from Puget to Duluth, the
Canadian Canal, and the line of steamships from Duluth to St.
Petersburg--also with a subsidy--_were_ once extant and in operation,
then the Czar would step graciously in and see what might be done in
forging those final Russian railway links required to unite the ends of
this interesting chain.

"And you are to know," went on Storri, "that my government, the St.
Petersburg Government, is paternal. It will give whatever, in the way of
land rights and loans, is demanded by the exigencies of the project.

"And there," cried Storri in conclusion, as he shoved maps, papers, and
concessions, Russian, Canadian, and Chinese, across to Mr. Harley, "is
an idea the magnificence of which the ages cannot parallel! It is
simple, it is great! We shall have three-score small companies--that is,
small compared with the grand one I am to name. We shall have land and
banking and lumber and mining and railway and steamship and canal
companies. We shall have companies owning elevators and factories and
stores and mills. Each will employ a capital of from two to two hundred
millions of dollars. Over all, and to own the stock of those smaller
ones, we must throw a giant company. Do you know what it will require?
Do you realize what its capital must be? It will call for the cost price
of an empire, my friend; it will demand full thirty billions! Think of
the president of such a company! He will have rank by himself; he will
tower above kings. What shall we call it? Name it for that mighty
Portuguese who was first to send his ship around the globe; name it
Credit Magellan!"

Mr. Harley wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was a day in October,