"What will you give me first?" asked the boy, eagerly.

"That requires some thought," returned the Demon, and paused for
several moments, while Rob feasted his eyes upon the gorgeous rays of
color that flashed and vibrated in every direction and surrounded the
figure of his visitor with an intense glow that resembled a halo.

Then the Demon raised his head and said:

"The thing most necessary to man is food to nourish his body. He
passes a considerable part of his life in the struggle to procure
food, to prepare it properly, and in the act of eating. This is not
right. Your body can not be very valuable to you if all your time is
required to feed it. I shall, therefore, present you, as my first
gift, this box of tablets. Within each tablet are stored certain
elements of electricity which are capable of nourishing a human body
for a full day. All you need do is to toss one into your mouth each
day and swallow it. It will nourish you, satisfy your hunger and
build up your health and strength. The ordinary food of mankind is
more or less injurious; this is entirely beneficial. Moreover, you
may carry enough tablets in your pocket to last for months."

Here he presented Rob the silver box of tablets, and the boy, somewhat
nervously, thanked him for the gift.

"The next requirement of man," continued the Demon, "is defense from
his enemies. I notice with sorrow that men frequently have wars and
kill one another. Also, even in civilized communities, man is in
constant danger from highwaymen, cranks and policemen. To defend