Professor William Waterman Sherman has a secret....
Professor Sherman dictated the following message:
Dear Sir: I appreciate the fact that the President’s invitation amounts to what I should consider a Command Performance. However there is a code of ethics among explorers which I find myself unable to break. Had I a less fascinating story to tell, nobody, except my fellow explorers, would care where or when I gave account of it.The very fact that my adventure is so unparalleled multiplies the need that I keep true to my oath of membership and first share the details of my passage with my brothers of the Western American Explorers’ Club in San Francisco.
William Waterman Sherman
The President appreciated the Professor’s loyalty to his club. He had his Secretary send the following unprecedented wire to Professor Sherman:
Dear Sir:
The President understands exactly how you feel. He will eagerly await reports of your trip across the continent as the world breathlessly stands by waiting to hear your story.
The Secretary to the President of the United States
“William Pène du Bois combines his rich imagination, scientific tastes, and brilliant artistry to tell a story that has no age limit.”
—The Horn Book
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