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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/29401-8.txt b/29401-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..df258eb --- /dev/null +++ b/29401-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1697 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Solar Magnet, by Sterner St. Paul Meek + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Solar Magnet + +Author: Sterner St. Paul Meek + +Release Date: July 13, 2009 [EBook #29401] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SOLAR MAGNET *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Tamise Totterdell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + Transcriber's Note: This e-text was produced from Astounding Stories + October 1931. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that + the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. + + + + +[Illustration: _Pistol in hand, the two men watched the oncoming lights._] + + + + +The Solar Magnet + +By Capt. S. P. Meek + + + +------------------------------------+ + | Another episode in Dr. Bird's long | + | scientific duel with his country's | + | arch-enemy, Saranoff. | + +------------------------------------+ + + +The milling crowd in front of the Capitol suddenly grew quiet. A tall +portly figure came out onto the porch of the building and stepped before +a microphone erected on the steps. A battery of press cameras clicked. A +newsreel photographer ground away on his machine. Wild cheers rent the +air. The President held up his hand for silence. As the cheering died +away he spoke into the microphone. + +"My countrymen," he said, "the Congress of the United States has met in +extraordinary session and is ready to cope with the condition with +which we are confronted. While they deliberate as to the steps to be +taken, it is essential that you meet this danger, if it be a danger, +with the bravery and the calm front which has always characterized the +people of the United States in times of trial and danger. You may rest +assured--" + +A slightly built, inconspicuous man who had followed the President out +onto the porch was surveying the crowd intently. He turned and spoke in +an undertone to a second man who mysteriously appeared from nowhere as +the first man spoke. He listened for a moment, nodded, and edged closer +to the President. The first man slipped unobtrusively down the Capitol +steps and mingled with the crowd. + +"--that no steps will be neglected which may prove of value," went on +the President. "The greatest scientists of the country have gathered in +this city in conference and they undoubtedly will soon find a simple and +natural explanation for what is happening. In the meantime--" + + * * * * * + +The President paused. From the crowd in front of him came a sudden +disturbance. A man sprang free of the crowd and broke through the +restraining cordon of police. In his hand gleamed an ugly blue steel +automatic pistol. Quickly he leveled it and fired. A puff of dust came +from the Capitol. The bullet had landed a few inches from one of the +lower windows, fifty feet from where the President stood. He raised his +weapon for a second shot but it was never fired. The man who had come +down the Capitol steps sprang forward like a cat and grasped the weapon. +For a moment the two men struggled, but only for a moment. From the +crowd, stunned for a moment by the sheer audacity of the attack, came a +roar of rage. The police closed in about the struggling men but the +crowd rolled over them like a wave. The captor shouted his identity and +tried to display the gold badge of the secret service but the mob was +in no state of mind to listen. The police were trampled underfoot and +the would-be assassin torn from the hands of the secret service +operative. Every man in reach tried to strike a blow. The secret service +man was buffeted and thrown aside. Realizing that the affair had been +taken out of his hands, he made his way to the rear of the Capitol where +his badge gained him ready passage through the cordon of police. He +entered the building and reappeared in a few moments by the side of the +President. + + * * * * * + +Two hours later he leaned forward in his chair in Dr. Bird's private +laboratory in the Bureau of Standards and spoke earnestly. + +"Dr. Bird," he said, "that bullet was never meant for the President. +That man was after bigger game." + +The famous scientist nodded thoughtfully. + +"Even a very rotten pistol shot should have come closer to him," he +replied. "He must have missed by a good forty feet." + +"He missed by a matter of inches. Doctor, that bullet struck the Capitol +only two inches from a window. In that window was standing a man. The +bullet was intended for the occupant of that window. I was directly +behind him when he raised his weapon for a second shot and I am sure of +his aim. He deliberately ignored the President and aimed again at that +window. That was when I tackled him." + +"Who was standing there, Carnes?" + +"_You_ were, Doctor." + +Dr. Bird whistled. + +"Then you think that bullet was intended for me?" + +"I am sure of it, Doctor. That fact proves one thing to me. You are +right in your idea that this whole affair is man-made and not an +accident of nature. The guiding intelligence back of it fears you more +than he fears anyone else and he took this means to get rid of you +unobtrusively. Attention was focused on the President. Your death would +have been laid to accident. It was a clever thought." + +"It does look that way, Carnes," said the doctor slowly. "If you are +right, this incident confirms my opinion. There is only one man in the +world clever enough to have disturbed the orderly course of the seasons, +and such a plan for my assassination would appeal to his love of the +dramatic." + +"You mean--" + +"Ivan Saranoff, of course." + +"We are pretty sure that he hasn't got back to the United States, +Doctor." + +"You may be right but I am sure of nothing where that man is concerned. +However, that fact has no bearing. He may be operating from anywhere. +His organization is still in the United States." + + * * * * * + +A knock sounded at the door. In response to the doctor's command a +messenger entered and presented a letter. Dr. Bird read it and dropped +it in a waste basket. + +"Tell them that I am otherwise engaged just now," he said curtly. The +messenger withdrew. "It was just a summons to another meeting of the +council of scientists," he said to Carnes. "They'll have to get along +without me. All they'll do anyway will be to read a lot of dispatches +and wrangle about data and the relative accuracy of their observations. +Herriott will lecture for hours on celestial mechanics and propound some +fool theory about a hidden body, which doesn't exist, and its possible +influence, which would be nil, on the inclination of the earth's axis. +After wasting four hours without a single constructive idea being put +forward, they will gravely conclude that the sun rose fifty-three +seconds earlier at the fortieth north parallel than it did yesterday and +correspondingly later at the fortieth south parallel. I know that +without wasting time." + +"Was it fifty-three seconds to-day, Doctor?" + +"Yes. This is the twentieth of July. The sun should have risen at 4:52, +sixteen minutes later than it rose on June twentieth and fifty-three +seconds later than it rose yesterday. Instead it rose at 4:20, sixteen +minutes _earlier_ than it did on June twentieth and fifty-three seconds +earlier than yesterday." + +"I don't understand what is causing it, Doctor. I have tried to follow +your published explanations, but they are a little too deep for me." + + * * * * * + +"As to the real underlying cause, I am in grave doubts, Carnes, although +I can make a pretty shrewd guess. As to the reason for the unnatural +lengthening of the day, the explanation is simplicity itself. As you +doubtless know, the earth revolves daily on its axis. At the same time, +it is moving in a great ellipse about the sun, an ellipse which it takes +it a year to cover. If the axis of rotation of the earth were at right +angles to the plane of its orbit; in other words, if the earth's equator +lay in the plane of the earth's movement about the sun, each day would +be of the same length and there would be no seasons. Instead of this +being the case, the axis of rotation of the earth is tipped so that the +angle between the equator and the elliptic is 23-1/2°." + +"I seem to remember something of the sort from my school days." + +"This angle of tilt may be assumed to be constant, for I won't bother +with the precessions, nutations and other minor movements considered in +accurate computations. As the earth moves around the sun, this tilt +gives rise to what we call the sun's declination. You can readily see +that at one time in the year, the north pole will be at its nearest +point to the sun, speaking in terms of tilt and not in miles, while at +another point on the elliptic, it will be farthest from the sun and the +south pole nearest. There are two midway points when the two poles are +practically equidistant." + +"Then the days and nights should be of equal length." + +"They are. These are the periods of the equinoxes. The point at which +the sun is nearest to the south pole we call the winter solstice, and +the opposite point, the summer solstice. The summer solstice is on June +twenty-first. At that time the declination of the sun is 23-1/2° north +of the equatorial line. It starts to decrease until, six months later, +it reaches a minus declination of 23-1/2° and is that far south of the +line. The longest day in the northern hemisphere is naturally June +twenty-first." + +"And the shortest day when the sun has the greatest minus declination." + + * * * * * + +"Precisely, at the winter solstice. Now to explain what is happening. +The year went normally until June twenty-first. That day was of the +correct length, about fourteen hours and fifty minutes long. The +twenty-second should have been shorter. Instead, it was longer than the +twenty-first. Each day, instead of getting shorter as it should at this +time of year, is getting longer. We have already gained some thirty-two +minutes of sunlight at this latitude. The explanation is that the angle +between the equator and the elliptic is no longer 23-1/2° as it has been +from time immemorial, but it is greater. If the continuing tilt keeps up +long enough, the obliquity will be 90°. When that happens, there will be +perpetual midday at the north pole and perpetual night at the south +pole. The whole northern hemisphere will be bathed in a continuous flood +of sunlight while the southern hemisphere will be a region of cold and +dark. The condition of the earth will resemble that of Mercury where the +same face of the planet is continually facing the sun." + +"I understand that all right, but I am still in the dark as to what is +causing this increase of tilt." + +"No more than I am, old dear. Herriott keeps babbling about a hidden +body which is drawing the earth from its normal axial rotation, but the +fool ignores the fact that a body of a size sufficient to disturb the +earth would throw every motion of the solar system into a state of +chaos. Nothing of the sort has happened. Ergo, no external force is +causing it. I am positive that the force which is doing the work is +located on the earth itself. Furthermore, unless my calculations are +badly off, this force is located on or very near the surface of the +earth at approximately the sixty-fifth degree of north latitude." + +"How can you tell that, Doctor?" + +"It would take me too long to explain, Carnes. I will, however, qualify +my statement a little. Either a variable force is being used or else a +constant force located where I have said. The sixty-fifth parallel is a +long line. The exact location and the nature of that force, we have to +find. If it be man-made, and I'll bet my bottom dollar that it is, we +will also have to destroy it. If we fail, we'll see this world plunged +into such a riot of war and bloodshed as has never before been known. It +will be literally a fight of mankind for a place in the sun. Due to its +favorable location in the new position of the earth, it is more than +probable that Russia would emerge as the dominant power." + +"Undertaking to destroy a thing that you don't know the location of and +of whose existence you aren't even sure is a pretty big contract." + + * * * * * + +"We've tackled bigger ones, old dear. We have the President behind us. I +haven't made much headway selling my idea to that gang of old fossils +who call themselves the council of scientists, but I did to his nibs. +Just before that attempt at assassination, I had a chin-chin with him. +The fastest battle cruiser in the Navy, the _Denver_, is to be placed at +my service. It will carry a big amphibian plane, so be equipped to +assemble and launch it. Bolton will relieve you from the Presidential +guard to-day. We sail in the morning." + +"Where for, Doctor?" + +"I feel sure that the force is caused and controlled by men and I know +of but one man who has the genius and the will to do such a thing. That +man is Saranoff. Because he must be concealed and work free from +interruption, I fancy he is working in his own country. Does that answer +your question?" + +"It does. We sail for Russia." + +"Carnesy, old dear, at times you have flashes of such scintillating +brilliance that I have hopes for the future of the secret service. In +time they may even show human intelligence. Toddle along now and pay +your fond farewells to the bright lights of Washington. Meet me at the +Pennsy station at six. We'll sail from New York in the morning." + + * * * * * + +With the famous scientist and his assistant as passengers, the _Denver_ +steamed at her best speed across the Atlantic. As soon as New York +harbor was cleared, Dr. Bird charted the course. Captain Evans raised +his eyebrows when he saw the course laid out, but his orders had been +positive. Had Dr. Bird ordered him to steam at full speed against the +shore, he would have obeyed without question. + +The _Denver_ avoided the usual lanes of traffic and bore to the north of +the summer lane. Not a vessel was sighted in the eight days which +elapsed before the Faroe Islands came in sight on the starboard bow. The +_Denver_ bore still more to the north and skirted around North Cape five +days later. At Cape Kanin she headed south into the White Sea. +Surprisingly little ice was encountered. When Captain Evans mentioned +this, Dr. Bird pointed out to him that it was August and that the days +were still lengthening. Once in the White Sea, the _Denver_ was made +ready for instant action. A huge amphibian plane was hoisted in sections +from the hold and mechanics started to assemble it. Dr. Bird spent most +of his time working on some instruments he had assembled in the radio +room. + +"This is an ultra-short wave detector," he explained to Carnes. "It will +receive vibrations to the lowest limit of waves that we have ever been +able to measure. The X-ray is high on the scale and even the cosmic ray +is far above its lower limit of detection. We are hunting for an +electro-magnet, the largest and strangest electro-magnet that has ever +been constructed. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we are +seeking for a generator of magnetic force. It does not generate the +ordinary magnetism which attracts iron and steel, nor the special type +of magnetism which we call gravity, but something between the two. It +attracts the sun enough to disturb the tilt of the earth's axis, but not +enough to pull the earth out of its orbit. Such a device should give out +a wave that can be detected, if we get a receiver delicate enough and +operating on the right wave length." + + * * * * * + +He spent hours improving and refining the apparatus, but in the end he +confessed himself beaten. + +"It's no use, Carnes," he said the day after Cape Kanin faded from view +to the north. "Either the apparatus we are seeking gives out no wave +that we can detect or my apparatus is faulty. Luckily we have other +things to guide us." + +"What are they, Doctor?" + +"The facts that Saranoff must have easy transportation and a source of +power. The first precludes him from locating his station far from the +sea-coast and the second indicates that it will be near a river or other +source of power. The only Russian points on the sixty-fifth parallel +that are open to water transport are the Gulf of Anadyr, north of +Kamchatka, and the vicinity of Archangel. I passed up Kamchatka because +it would mean too long a haul through unfriendly waters from Leningrad +and because there is not much water power. Archangel is easy of access +at this time of the year and it has the Dwina river for power. That will +be our first line of search." + +"We will explore by plane, of course?" + +"Certainly. We wouldn't get far on foot, especially as neither of us +speaks Russian. We'll head south for another day and then-- What's that?" + + * * * * * + +He paused and listened. From the distance came a dull drone of sound +which brought him to his feet with a start. He raced out onto deck with +Carnes at his heels. Far overhead in the blue, a tiny speck of black +hovered. + +"We're on the right trail, Carnes," he said grimly. The plane passed +over them. In huge circles it sank toward the ground. Dr. Bird turned to +Captain Evans. Orders flew from the bridge and a detail of marines +rapidly stripped the covers from the two forward anti-aircraft rifles. + +"I dislike to fire on that craft before it makes a hostile +demonstration, Dr. Bird," demurred Captain Evans. "We are at peace with +Russia. My action in firing might precipitate a war, or in any event, +serious diplomatic misunderstandings." + +"Allow me to correct you, Captain Evans, we are at war with Russia. The +whole world is at war with the man who has pulled the earth out of her +course. In any event, your orders are positive and the responsibility is +mine. Wait until that plane gets within easy range and then shoot it +down. Do not fail to get it; it must not get back to shore with word of +our approach." + +Captain Evans bowed gravely. Shells came up from the magazines and were +piled by the guns. From the fire control stations came a monotonous +calling of firing data. The guns slowly changed direction as the plane +descended. Nearer and nearer it came, intent on positive identification +of the war vessel below it. It passed over the _Denver_ less than five +thousand feet up. As it passed it swung off to one side and began to +climb sharply. Dr. Bird glanced at the fighting top of the cruiser and +swore softly. From the top the stars and stripes had been broken to the +breeze. + +"Fire at once!" he cried, "and then court-martial the fool who broke out +that flag!" + + * * * * * + +The two three-inch rifles barked their message of death into the sky. +For agonizing seconds nothing happened. The guns roared again. Below and +behind the fleeing plane, two puffs of white smoke appeared in the sky. +The staccato calls of the observers came from the control station and +the guns roared again and again. Now above and now below the Russian +plane appeared the white puffs that told of bursting shells, but the +plane droned on, unharmed. + +"It's away safely," groaned the doctor. "Now the fat _is_ in the fire. +Saranoff will know in an hour that we are coming. If we had a pursuit +plane ready to take off, we might catch him, but we haven't. Oh, well, +there's no use in crying over spilt milk. How soon will that amphibian +be ready to take off?" + +"In twenty minutes. Doctor," replied the Engineering Officer. "As soon +as we finish filling the tanks and test the motor, she'll be ready to +ramble." + +"Hurry all you can. Hang a half dozen hundred-pound bombs and a few +twenty-fives on the racks. Lower her over the side as soon as she's +ready. Where's Lieutenant McCready?" + +"Below, getting into his flying togs, Doctor." + +"Good enough. Come on, Carnes, we'll go below and put on our fur-lined +panties, too. We'll probably need them." + + * * * * * + +In half an hour the amphibian rose from the water. Lieutenant McCready +was at the controls, with Carnes and the doctor at the bomb racks. The +plane rose in huge spirals until the altimeter read four thousand feet. +The pilot straightened it out toward the south. The plane was alone in +the sky. For two hours it flew south and then veered to the east, +following the line of the Gulf of Archangel. The town came in sight at +last. + +"Better drop down a couple of thousand, Lieutenant," said Dr. Bird into +the speaking tube. "We can't see much from this altitude." + +The plane swung around in a wide circle, gradually losing altitude. +Carnes and the doctor hung over the side watching the ground below them. +As they watched a puff of smoke came from a low building a mile from the +edge of the town. Dr. Bird grabbed the speaking tube. + +"Bank, McCready!" he barked, "They're firing at us." + +The plane lurched sharply to one side. From a point a few yards below +them and almost directly along their former line of flight, a burst of +flame appeared in the air. The plane lurched and reeled as the blast of +the explosion reached it. From other points on the ground came other +puffs. + +"Get out of here," shouted Dr. Bird. "There must be a dozen guns firing +at us. One of them will have the range directly." + +From all around them came flashes and the roar of explosions. The plane +lurched and yawed in a sickening fashion. Lieutenant McCready fought +heroically with the controls, trying to prevent the sideslips which were +costing him altitude. Gradually the plane came under control and started +to climb. The shells burst nearer as the plane took a straighter course +and strove to fly out of the danger zone. Dr. Bird looked at the +air-speed meter. + +"A hundred and eighty," he shouted to Carnes. "We'll be safely out of +range in a minute." + + * * * * * + +The bursts were mostly behind them now. Suddenly a blast of air struck +them with terrific force. Half a dozen holes appeared in the fabric of +the wings. A bit of high explosive shell plowed a way through the after +compartment and wrecked the duplicate instrument board. In another +moment they were out of range. Lieutenant McCready turned the nose of +his plane toward the north. + +"We came out of that well," cried Carnes. Dr. Bird dropped the speaking +tube which he had held pressed to his ear and smiled grimly at the +detective. + +"I wish we had," he replied. "Our main gas tank is punctured." + +An expression of alarm crossed the detective's face. + +"Is it injured badly?" he asked. + +"I don't know yet. McCready says that the gauge is dropping pretty +rapidly. I'm going to go out and see what I can do." + +"Can't I go, Doctor? I'm a good deal lighter than you are." + +"You're not as strong or as agile, Carnes, and you haven't the +mechanical ability to make the repair. Hand me that line." + +He fastened one end of a coil of manila rope which Carnes handed him to +his waist, while the detective fastened the other end to one of the +safety belt hooks. With a word of farewell, he climbed out of the +cockpit and onto a wing. In the pocket of his flying suit he carried a +tool kit and repair material. Carnes shuddered as the doctor's figure +disappeared under the plane. He snubbed the rope about a seat bracket +and held it taut. For ten minutes the strain continued. It slackened at +last, and the figure of the doctor reappeared on the wing. Slowly he +climbed into the cockpit. + +"I've made a temporary repair, Lieutenant," he called into the speaking +tube, "and the leakage has stopped. How much gas have we left?" + +"Enough for about an hour of flying, including the emergency tank." + +"Thunder! No chance to get back to the _Denver_. Better head inland and +follow the course of the Dwina. If we can locate the place we are +looking for we may be able to drop a few eggs on it before we are washed +out. In any event, it will be better to come down on land than on +water." + + * * * * * + +McCready headed the plane south and followed the winding ribbon below +him which marked the channel of the Dwina. He kept his altitude well +over eight thousand feet. For a few minutes the plane roared along. +Without warning the motor sputtered once or twice and died. + +"Gas finished?" asked Dr. Bird into the speaking tube. + +"No, there is plenty of gas for another forty-five minutes. It acted +like a short in the wiring. Maybe another fragment got us that we didn't +know about. I can glide to a safe landing, Doctor. Which direction shall +I go?" + +"It doesn't matter," replied Dr. Bird as he looked over the side. "Wait +a minute, it does matter. See that long low building down there with the +projection like a tower on top? I'll bet a month's pay that that is the +very place we're looking for. Glide over it and let's have a look at it. +If I am convinced of it, I'll drop a few eggs on it." + +"Right!" + +McCready glided on a long slope toward the suspected building. Dr. Bird +kept his eye glued to the bomb sight. + +"It's suspicious enough for me to act," he cried. "Drop one!" + +Carnes pulled a lever and a hundred-pound high explosive bomb detached +itself from the plane and fell toward the ground. + +"Another!" cried the doctor. + +A second messenger of death followed the first. + +"Bank around and back over while we give them the rest." + +"Right!" + +The plane swung around in a wide circle. + +"Volley!" cried the doctor. Carnes pulled the master lever and the rest +of the bombs fell earthward. + +"Now glide to the east, McCready, until you are forced down." + + * * * * * + +McCready banked the plane and started on a long glide toward the east. +Carnes and the doctor watched the falling bombs. The doctor's aim had +been perfect. The first bomb released struck the building squarely while +the other landed only a few feet away. Instead of the puffs of smoke +which they had expected, the bombs had no effect. The volley which +Carnes had discharged fell full on the building as harmlessly as had the +two pilot shots. + +"Were these bombs armed, Lieutenant?" demanded the doctor. + +"Yes, sir. I inspected them myself before we took off and they were +fused and armed. They had always fused and should have gone off, no +matter in what position they landed." + +"Well, they didn't. That building is our goal all right. Saranoff would +naturally expect an air raid and he has perfected some device which +renders a bomb impotent before it lands. How far from the building will +you land?" + +"A couple of miles, Doctor." + +"Get as far as you can. If you can make that line of thicket ahead, +we'll take to our heels and hope to hide in it." + +"I don't think we'll have much luck, Doctor," said Carnes. + +"Why not?" + +"Look behind." + +Dr. Bird looked back toward the building they had tried to bomb. Across +the country, a truck loaded with armed men followed the course of the +plane. The plane was gaining slightly on the truck but it was evident +that the plane's occupants would have little chance of escaping on foot. +Dr. Bird gave a grim laugh. + +"We're cornered all right," he said. "If we did elude the men in that +truck, we would have a plane after us in no time. You might as well turn +back, McCready, and land fairly near the building. We are sure to be +captured and our best chance is to have the plane near us. They'll +probably patch it up and if we get a chance to escape later, it may be a +lifesaver. At any rate, we've lost for the present." + + * * * * * + +McCready turned the plane again to the west. The truck halted at their +new maneuver. As the plane passed over, it turned and again followed +them. The ground was approaching rapidly. With a final dip, McCready +leveled off and made a landing. The machine rolled to a stop about a +mile from the building. The truck was less than three hundred yards +away. It came up rapidly and disgorged a dozen men armed with rifles who +hurried forward. In the lead was a tall, slight figure who carried no +gun. Dr. Bird stepped forward to meet them. + +"Do you understand English?" he asked. + +An incomprehensible jargon of Russian answered him. The men raised their +rifles threateningly. Dr. Bird turned back to his companions. + +"Resistance is hopeless," he said. "Surrender gracefully and we'll see +what comes of it." + +He faced the Russians and held one hand high above his head. The Russian +leader stepped forward and confiscated the doctor's pistol. He repeated +the process with Carnes and McCready, frisking them thoroughly for +concealed weapons. At his command, six of the Russians stepped forward. +The Americans took their place in the midst of the guard and were +marched to the truck. The balance of the Russians moved over to the +American's plane. The truck rolled forward and approached the low +building. The projection which Dr. Bird had noticed from the air proved +to be a metal tube projection from the roof, fully twenty feet in +diameter and fifty feet long. + +"A projection tube of some sort," said the doctor, pointing. An excited +command came from the Russian in command. A rifle was leveled +threateningly at the doctor. He took the hint and maintained silence +while they climbed down from the truck and approached the door of the +building. + +It swung open as they approached. As they entered a strong garlic-like +smell was evident. The hum of heavy machinery smote their ears. + + * * * * * + +They were led down a corridor to a flight of steps. On the floor below +they went along another corridor to a heavy iron-studded door. The guide +unlocked it with a huge key and swung it open. With a shrug of his +shoulders, Dr. Bird led the way into the cell. The door closed behind +them and they were left alone. Dr. Bird turned to his companions. + +"Be careful what you say," he whispered. "I am not at all convinced that +there is no one here who knows English and we are probably spied upon. +There is almost sure to be a dictaphone somewhere in this room. We don't +want to give them any more information than we have to." + +Carnes and McCready nodded. Dr. Bird spoke aloud of inconsequential +matters while they explored the cell. It was a room some twenty feet +square, fitted with three bunks on one side, built into the wall like +the berths on shipboard. The room was lighted by a single electric light +overhead. A door opened into a lavatory equipped with running water. + +"We're comfortable here, at any rate," said the doctor cheerfully. "They +evidently don't mean to make us suffer. I'd like to know why they took +the trouble to capture us, anyway. It would seem to be more in line with +their usual policy to have shot us on sight. It must be that they want +some sort of information from us." + +Neither of his companions had a better reason to offer and conversation +languished. For an hour they sat almost without speech. A sound at the +door brought them to their feet. It opened and a Russian girl pushed in +a cart laden with food. She made no reply to the remarks which Dr. Bird +addressed to her but quickly and silently put their food on the table. +When she had completed her task, she left the room without having spoken +a word. + +"Beautiful, but dumb," Dr. Bird remarked. "Let's eat." + +"Do you suppose that it's safe to eat this food, Doctor?" asked Carnes +in a whisper. + +"I don't know, and I don't care. If we've got to go out, we might as +well be poisoned as shot. If we refuse food, they can poison us through +our water. We couldn't refuse that for any length of time. I'm hungry +and I'm going to make a good meal. What's this stuff, _bortsch_?" + + * * * * * + +They soon received proof that they were under observation. Hardly had +they pushed back their chairs at the completion of the meal than the +door opened and the Russian girl who had brought their food removed the +empty dishes. Silence settled down over the cell. For another hour they +waited before the door opened again. A tall bearded Russian entered with +a younger man at his heels. The bearded man dropped into a chair while +his companion sat at the table and opened a notebook. + +"Stand up!" barked the Russian sternly. + +Carnes and McCready rose to their feet but Dr. Bird remained stretched +out on a bed. + +"What for?" he demanded languidly. + +The Russian bristled with rage. + +"When I speak to you, you shall obey," he said in curiously clipped +English, "else it will be the worse for you. Would you rather be +questioned while in the _strelska_ than while standing?" + +"Not by a long shot," replied Dr. Bird promptly as he rose to his feet. +"Fire away, old fellow. I'll talk." + +"What are your names?" + +"I am Addison Sims of Seattle," replied Dr. Bird gravely, "and my +friends are Mr. Earle Liedermann and Mr. Bernarr Macfadden. You may have +read of us in the American magazines." + +"Their names," said the Russian to his clerk, "are Dr. Bird, of the +Bureau of Standards; Operative Carnes, of the United States Secret +Service; and Lieutenant McCready, of the United States Navy. Dr. Bird, +you will save yourself trouble if you will answer my future questions +truthfully." + +"Then ask questions to which I am not sure that you know the answer," +replied the doctor dryly. + +"What vessel brought you here?" + +"The _Denver_." + +"What is her armament?" + +"Consult the Navy list. You will doubtless find a copy in your files. It +may be purchased from the Superintendent of Public Documents at +Washington." + + * * * * * + +"What is your errand here?" + +"To consult with Ivan Saranoff and learn his future plans. If he means +merely to bestow on the northern hemisphere additional sunshine and +warmth, it is possible that the United States will not oppose him. We +would benefit equally with Russia, you know. Possibly the northern +countries could form some sort of an alliance against the southern +hemisphere which is already threatening war." + +"You chose a peculiar way of showing your peaceable intentions. You shot +down our plane without warning and you dropped bombs on us at first +sight." + +"But they didn't explode." + +"No, thanks to our ray operators. Dr. Bird, I have no time to waste. +Either you will answer my questions fully and truthfully or I will +resort to torture." + +"You don't dare. You were merely bluffing when you mentioned the +_strelska_. If you tortured us, you would have to answer to Ivan +Saranoff on his return." + +"How did you know that he is--" The Russian paused and bit his lip. +"Shall I tell him that you refuse to talk?" + +"When he returns, you may tell him that I will be glad to talk frankly +with him. I came to Russia for that purpose, but I will not talk with +one of his underlings. In the meanwhile, we are having lovely weather +for this time of year, aren't we?" + +With a muttered curse the Russian rose and left the room. Carnes turned +to Dr. Bird. + +"How did you know that Saranoff was away?" he demanded. + +"I didn't," replied Dr. Bird with a chuckle, "it was merely a shrewd +guess. We have twisted his tail so often that I figured he could not +resist the temptation to come here and gloat a few gloats over us if he +were here. I know his ruthless methods in dealing with his subordinates +and I knew that they would never dare to resort to torture in his +absence. No, old dear, we are safe until he returns. I hope he stays +away a long time." + + * * * * * + +Four days passed monotonously. Three times a day the Russian girl +appeared with ample meals. Despite their attempts to engage her in +conversation, not a word would she reply or give any indication that she +either heard or understood their remarks. The bearded Russian appeared +daily and tried to question them, but Dr. Bird laughed at his threats +and reaffirmed his intention of talking to no one but Saranoff. + +"Your chance will soon come," replied the Russian with an evil leer on +the fourth day. "He will be here the day after to-morrow. He will be +able to make you talk." + +"If he's telling the truth, the jig's about up," said Dr. Bird when the +Russian had left. "I don't fancy that Saranoff will show us much mercy +when he finds out what we've attempted to do." + +"How would it be to overpower our waitress and make a break?" asked +McCready in a guarded whisper. + +"No good at all," replied the doctor decisively. "We wouldn't have a +Chinaman's chance. Our best bet is to talk turkey to Saranoff. He may +spare us if I can make him believe that I am willing to work for him. +What a man he is! If we could turn his genius into the right channels, +he would be a blessing to the world." + + * * * * * + +He paused as the door swung open and the Russian girl appeared with +their food. She placed the cart against the wall and suddenly turned and +faced them. + +"Dr. Bird," she said in excellent English, "I am Feodrovna Androvitch." + +"I'm glad to know you," said Dr. Bird with a bow. + +"Do you recognize my name?" + +"I'm very sorry, my dear, but it simply doesn't register." + +"Do you remember Stefan Androvitch?" + +A sudden light came into Dr. Bird's face. + +"Yes," he exclaimed, "I do. He used to work for me in the Bureau some +time ago. I had to let him go under peculiar circumstances. Is he +related to you?" + +"He was my twin brother. The peculiar circumstances you refer to were +that you caught him stealing platinum. Instead of turning him over to +the police, you asked him why he stole. He told you his wife was dying +for lack of things that money would buy and he stole for her. You +allowed him to quit his position honorably and you gave him money for +his immediate needs. For that act of mercy, I am here to reward you." + +"Bread cast upon the waters," murmured Carnes. The Russian girl turned +on him like a wildcat. + +"Unless you wish to deprive yourself and your companions of my help, you +will not quote the Bible, that sop thrown by the church to their slaves, +to me," she said venomously. "I am a woman of the proletariat!" + +"Respect the lady's anti-religious prejudices, Carnesy, old dear," said +the doctor with a smile. "How do you propose to aid us, Miss +Androvitch?" + +"I will give you exactly what you gave my brother, your freedom and +money for your immediate needs." + +"Thanks. But, er--haven't you considered what your position here will +be if you aid us to escape? Saranoff doesn't deal kindly with traitors, +I fancy." + +The girl spat on the floor. + +"That swine!" she hissed, "I would like to kill him. I would have done +so long ago had not the hope of the people rested on his genius. When +the people finally triumph, I will feed his heart to my cat." + +"Nice, gentle, loving disposition," murmured the doctor. "All right, my +dear, we're ready for anything. What's the first move?" + + * * * * * + +The girl whisked the covers from the food cart and displayed three +pistols and belts of ammunition. + +"Put these on," she said, "and take this food with you. I will take you +to a hiding place outside the walls where you may safely stay for a few +days. I will bring you fresh supplies of food. As quickly as possible I +will arrange for you to escape from Russia. When you have left Russia +safely, my debt is paid and you are again my enemies." + +"But, listen here," said Dr. Bird persuasively, "why don't you come with +us? You know the object of our coming here. We aim to destroy this plant +and let the earth take its normal tilt. You hate Saranoff, although I +don't know why. If you'll help us to destroy him, we'll guarantee you a +welcome in the United States and you can join your brother. I'll take +him back into my laboratory." + +"My brother is dead," she said bitterly. "After he left you, he fell +into more evil times. His wife died and he swore revenge upon the +society which had murdered her. An opportunity came to him to join +Saranoff, and he did so. Saranoff hated him and distrusted him, although +he was the soul of loyalty. As a reward for his genius and aid to +Saranoff in constructing the black lamp, Saranoff abandoned him to you. +It was your men who killed him when you blew into nothingness the +helicopter he was piloting in your state of Maryland, near Washington." + +"All the more reason why you should revenge yourself upon Saranoff," +replied the doctor. "We will give you a chance to do so and aid you. We +also give you an opportunity to be received in a free country with +honor." + +An expression of rage distorted the girl's features. + +"I am a woman of the proletariat!" she cried. "I hate Ivan Saranoff for +what he has done but I am loyal to him. He alone will force the +bourgeoisie to their knees and establish the rule of the people. I hate +your country and your government; yes, and I hate you. I aid you because +I must pay my just debts. Come, the way is clear for your escape. Don't +ask how I cleared it." + +"Come on," said Dr. Bird with a shrug of his shoulders. "There is no +arguing with convictions. She must act according to her lights, even as +we must act according to ours. Grab your guns and let's go." + + * * * * * + +The three buckled on the weapons and belts of ammunition and followed +the girl from the cell. Once outside she touched her lips for silence. A +door barred their way but she opened it with a key which she withdrew +from her dress. Outside the door, a guard slumbered noisily. At a motion +from the girl, Carnes rolled him over on his face to quiet his snoring. +He moved and stirred, but did not wake. + +A few feet from the door the girl paused and faced the wall. She +manipulated a hidden lever and a panel swung open in the wall. She led +the way silently into the dark. As the panel closed behind her, a beam +of light from an electric torch stabbed the darkness. Down a sloping +tunnel they followed her for half a mile. The tunnel turned at right +angles and led upward. At length they paused before another door. The +girl opened it and they stepped out into the night. As they did so, a +dull booming struck their ears. The girl paused. + +"The ship!" she cried. "Your ship! It is attacking Fort Novadwinskaja. +The factory will be awake in a moment! Run for your lives!" + +Even as she spoke a pair of twinkling lights appeared far down the +tunnel through which they had come. She turned as if to return down the +tunnel. Dr. Bird caught her about the waist and clapped his hand over +her mouth. + +"Quick, Carnes, your belt," he cried. "Tie her up. She meant to go down +that tunnel and give her life to delay them while we escaped. We'll save +her in spite of herself." + +Carnes and McCready quickly bound the struggling girl with their belts. +They laid her on the ground beside the door and watched the oncoming +lights. + +"You two hold them back for the present," said the doctor. "I'm going to +take Feodrovna away a bit and argue gently with her. If I can make her +see the light, we may accomplish our mission yet. If I can't, I'll come +back and help you." + + * * * * * + +He picked up the girl in his arms and disappeared into the darkness. +Pistol in hand, the two men watched the oncoming lights. The men behind +the lights could not be seen, but from the sound of their footsteps it +was evident that there were quite a few of them. + +"Had we better let them emerge from the door and then get them?" +whispered Carnes. + +"No. These heavy guns will drive a bullet through three men at short +range. Level your gun down the tunnel and fire when I give the word. +Remember, every one is apt to shoot high in the dark." + +The lights approached slowly. When they were twenty-five yards away, +Lieutenant McCready spoke. The quiet was shattered by the roar of two +Luger pistols. Again and again the guns barked. A volley of fire came +from the tunnel, but Carnes and the lieutenant were standing well away +from the opening and they escaped unharmed. Their deadly fire poured +into the shambles until they were rewarded by the sound of retreating +feet. + +"So ends round one," said Carnes with a laugh. "I think we win on +points." + +"They won't try a direct attack again," replied the lieutenant. "Look +out for a flank attack or from some new weapon. I don't like the way +those bombs failed to explode the other day." + +Dr. Bird appeared from the darkness. + +"McCready," he said in a voice vibrant with excitement, "we're in luck. +We have come out less than a hundred yards from the point where our +plane came down. It is still there. If the _Denver_ has approached +within shooting range, we will have enough gas to make it. Try to get +your motor going." + +"If it isn't completely washed out I'll have it going in a few minutes, +Doctor," cried the pilot. "I'm going down the tunnel and get those +flash-lights those birds dropped when they pulled out. Where's the +girl?" + +"She's back by the plane," said the doctor with a chuckle. "She is a +spit-fire, all right. I took her gag off and she tried to bite me. I +couldn't get a word of anything but abuse out of her. Go ahead and get +the lights and I'll show you the plane." + + * * * * * + +In a few minutes they stood before the ship. It was apparently +uninjured, but the spark was dead. Carnes went back to the tunnel mouth +to guard against surprise while Dr. Bird and McCready labored over the +motor. Despite the best of both of them, no spark could be coaxed from +the coil. As a last resort, Dr. Bird short-circuited the cells with a +screwdriver blade. No answering spark came from the terminals. + +"Dead as a mackerel," he remarked. "I guess that ends that hope. Let's +get the machine guns out of her. Well have another attack soon and +they'll be more effective than our pistols." + +It was the work of a few minutes to dismount the two Brownings from the +plane. Carrying the two guns, Dr. Bird joined Carnes while McCready +staggered along laden down with belts of ammunition. + +"Do you remember that rocky knoll we passed just before we landed?" +asked the lieutenant. "If we can get this stuff there before we are +attacked, we'll have a much better chance than we will in the open." + +"Good idea, Lieutenant. Carnes, connect yourself to one of these guns. +I'll fasten the other on my back and carry Feodrovna. We can't leave her +here to Saranoff's tender mercies." + +Through the night the little cavalcade made its way. The thunder of guns +from Fort Novadwinskaja kept up and the sky to the north was lighted by +their flashes. McCready's bump of direction proved to be a good one for +the sought-for retreat was soon located. As they deposited their burdens +and looked back, the lights of two trucks could be seen approaching +across the plain from the factory. Hurriedly they mounted the machine +gun. Dr. Bird straightened up and listened carefully. + +"The guns are sounding less frequently," he said. "Possibly the _Denver_ +has had enough and is pulling out." + +"If I know Captain Evans as well as I think I do, the _Denver_ is not +retreating," replied McCready grimly. + +"I hope she's hammering the fort out of existence," said the doctor. +"However, our main interest just now is on the land front. Gunners to +the fore. Carnes, you aren't so good at this, better let McCready and me +handle them." + + * * * * * + +The trucks approached slowly. Presently the American plane loomed up in +the glare of their headlights. A powerful searchlight mounted on the +leading truck swept the country. Discovery was a matter of moments. +Lieutenant McCready trained his gun carefully and pressed the trigger. A +rattle of fire came from the Browning. A crash was heard from the truck +and the searchlight winked out. + +"Bull's-eye!" cried Carnes exultantly. + +"Down, you fool!" cried the doctor as he swept the detective from his +feet and threw him down behind a rock. His action was none too soon. A +burst of machine gun fire came from the trucks and a hail of bullets +splattered on the rocks a few yards from them. McCready crawled back to +his gun. + +"Wait a minute, Lieutenant," counseled the doctor. "A burst of fire from +here will give them our location and probably do them little damage. +Wait until they try to rush us." + +They did not have long to wait. A guttural shout came from a point a few +yards away and the sound of running feet came to their ears. The rush +was directed toward a point a few yards to the left of where they +crouched. Dr. Bird swung his gun around. As the rush passed them, he +released his trigger. A volley of screams and oaths from the plain +answered the crackle of the Browning. McCready's gun joined in with a +staccato burst of fire. The attack could not live before that rain of +death. A few running feet were heard from the darkness and a few +groans. Presently the roar of a motor came from the direction of the +parked trucks. It retreated into the distance and all was quiet. + +"Round two goes to us on a knock-down," said Carnes jubilantly. "What +will they do next, Doctor?" + +"Probably nothing until daylight, now that they know we have machine +guns. I wish that we could make that thicket, but it's too far to try. +It'll be daylight in an hour or so." + +The night was normally short in Archangel at that season of the year and +the unnatural lengthening of the day which Saranoff had accomplished +made it shorter still. In an hour red streamers in the east announced +the approach of daylight. Hardly had they appeared than a dull drone of +truck motors came from the direction of the factory. + +"Round three is about to commence," announced Carnes. "I wish that I +could do something." + +"You can as soon as our ammunition runs out, which won't be long," +replied McCready. "It will be a matter of pistols at close quarters." + + * * * * * + +The trucks approached to within a half mile and stopped. The distance +was too great to warrant wasting any of their scanty store of ammunition +at such long range. In the dim light they would see the Russians working +at the trucks. Presently a flash came from the plain. A whining sound +filled the air. With a crash a three-inch shell broke behind them. + +"No fun," remarked the doctor. "We'll have to get better cover than +this." + +A second shell whined through the air and burst over their heads. A +third burst a few yards in front of them. + +"They have us bracketed now," said McCready. "We'd better slide back a +piece before they start rapid fire." + +Dragging their prisoner with them, the three men made their way to the +reverse side of the knoll. A short search revealed an overhanging ledge +under which they crouched in comparative safety from anything but a +direct hit above them. + +"We're all right here except for the fact that they may rush us under +cover of the fire," said the doctor. "One man will have to keep watch +all the time and it will be a dangerous detail. I'll take the first +hitch." + +"You will not!" exclaimed Carnes emphatically. "I have done nothing so +far and I am the least important member of the party. I'll do the +watching." + +"Let's draw straws," suggested McCready. "I'm willing to do that, but if +it's a matter of volunteering, I refuse to yield to the civilian +branches of the government. The Navy has traditions to uphold, you +know." + +"McCready's right," replied the doctor. "Get straws, Lieutenant, and +we'll draw." + +McCready picked up three bits of grass and held them out. + +"The shortest goes on watch," he said. Carnes and the doctor drew, +McCready exhibited the remaining bit of grass. It was the shortest of +the three. He waited until the next shell burst above them and then +stepped out from the shelter. + +"I'll relieve you in fifteen minutes," said Carnes as he left. + +"Right." + + * * * * * + +When the lieutenant had left, Dr. Bird removed the gag from Feodrovna's +mouth and tried to argue with her, but the Russian girl only glared her +hatred and refused to talk other than to abuse him. With a sigh, the +doctor gave over his efforts and talked to Carnes. The time passed +slowly with a constant rain of shells on the knoll. + +"It's time for my relief," said Carnes at length. As he spoke the hail +of shells on the knoll ceased. + +"What the dickens?" cried the doctor. + +He and Carnes jumped from their shelter and ran over the knoll. On the +plain a few hundred yards from them, a straggling line of Russians were +advancing with fixed bayonets. McCready was nowhere in sight. + +"Where the devil is McCready?" cried the doctor. "He must have been +killed. Hello, one of the guns is gone, too. There's only a belt and a +half of ammunition left. I'll try to break that attack up." + +He advanced to the gun and trained it carefully. When he pressed the +trigger a dull click came from the gun. + +"Misfire!" he cried. He drew back the bolt and inserted a fresh +cartridge. Again the gun clicked harmlessly. Dr. Bird ejected the shell +and examined it. A deep indentation appeared on the primer. Hurriedly he +tried a half dozen more cartridges but they refused to explode. He +turned a keen gaze toward the trucks. On the ground was set a tube-like +projector pointing toward them. Dr. Bird swore softly and jerked his +pistol from its holster. The hammer clicked futilely on a cartridge. + +"Stymied!" he exclaimed. "They have that portable ray mechanism, with +them, which disabled our bombs. It's hand to hand, Carnesy, old dear. I +wonder where McCready is." + + * * * * * + +The Russians approached slowly, keeping their lines straight. They were +within two hundred yards of the knoll. Suddenly from a point a hundred +yards to the left of the end of the land came a rattle of fire. The +attacking line dropped in a pile of grotesque heaps. + +"It's McCready!" shouted Carnes. A little ravine ran from the knoll +toward the trucks. Sitting in the ravine was the lieutenant, playing a +Browning machine gun on the line of attackers. When there were no more +of them on their feet, he turned his gun on the trucks. Panic seized the +Russians and they made a rush for their truck. Their leader leaped among +them, yelling furiously. They paused and turned to the projector tube. +Slowly they swung it around. The lieutenant's gun ceased firing. + +As the Russians rushed the now silent gun, Dr. Bird stepped to the gun +on the knoll. He trained it and pressed the trigger. A rattle of fire +came from it and two of the rushing figures fell. The attack paused for +an instant. McCready had risen to his feet and was running up the ravine +with his gun under his arm. + +"Good head!" cried Dr. Bird, "Clever work! Watch the fun now." + +He ceased firing his gun. The Russians wavered and then rushed the point +from which McCready had fired. The lieutenant allowed them to get to +within a short distance and then crumpled the attack with another burst +of fire from the flank. With cries of alarm, the Russians turned and +fled toward their trucks. McCready ran along the ravine until he was +within fifty yards of the standing machines. As the Russians approached, +one of them stepped to the truck crank. McCready's pistol spoke and he +dropped. A second shared his fate. With cries of despair, the Russians +climbed into the remaining truck whose motor was running. Rapidly it +drove away across the plain. McCready rose from the ravine and ran +toward the standing truck. He started the motor and headed for the +knoll. + +"He's got a truck," cried Carnes. "We can get away in it." + +"Where to?" demanded Dr. Bird. "Archangel is between us and the +_Denver_." + +The truck came up. + +"Come on, Doctor," cried McCready. "Hurry up. We'll take the battery out +of this truck and get our plane going." + +"Oh, clever!" cried Dr. Bird admiringly. "Load that gun while I get +Feodrovna, Carnesy. We'll get away safely yet." + + * * * * * + +The truck rolled up to the plane and stopped. While Carnes transferred +the prisoner and the guns to the plane, the lieutenant and Dr. Bird +ripped up the floor boards of the truck and exposed the battery. It was +a matter of moments to detach it and carry it to the plane. It would not +fit in place but they anchored it in place with wire. + +"You'd better hurry," cried Carnes. "Here come a couple more trucks over +the plain." + +"That'll do, Doctor," said McCready. "Get on the prop and we'll see if +the old puddle jumper will take off." + +Dr. Bird ran to the propeller. + +"Ready!" he cried. + +"Contact!" snapped McCready. + +The plane motor roared into life. The ship moved slowly forward as Dr. +Bird climbed on board. Toward the oncoming trucks they rushed across the +plain. A crash seemed imminent. In the nick of time McCready pulled back +on his joystick and the plane rose gracefully into the air, clearing the +leading truck by inches. The truck halted and hastily mounted a machine +gun. + +"Too late!" laughed the lieutenant. "Now it's our turn for some fun." + +He tapped the key of his radio transmitter. In a few seconds he received +an answer. + +"They have reduced Fort Novadwinskaja," he reported to the rear cockpit, +"but they don't know what to fire at next. Their largest guns will reach +the factory easily. Shall I start some fireworks?" + +"You may fire when ready, Gridly," chuckled Dr. Bird. + +Again the lieutenant depressed his key. From their altitude of four +thousand feet, they could see the _Denver_. From its forward turret +came a puff of smoke. There were a few moments of pause and then a cloud +of black rose from the plain below them, half a mile from the factory. +McCready reported the position of the burst to the ship. A second shell +burst beyond the factory and the third just in front of it. + +"It's a clear bracket," said McCready. "Now watch the gun. I'll give +them a salvo." + + * * * * * + +From the side of the _Denver_ came a cloud of black smoke as all of her +turret guns fired in unison. The aim was perfect. For a few moments all +was quiet and then the factory disappeared in a smother of bursting high +explosive shells. + +Hardly had the shells landed than a terrific sheet of lightning ripped +across the sky. The thunderclap which seemed to come simultaneously, +rocked the plane like a feather. Sheet after sheet of lightning +illuminated the sky while the roar of thunder was continuous. Rain fell +in solid sheets. Even as they watched, it began to turn into snow. The +air grew bitterly cold. + +"The solar magnet is wrecked," shouted the doctor, "and these storms are +the efforts of nature to return to normal." + +"If they get any worse, we're doomed." + +"But in a good cause." + +Through the storm the plane raced. Suddenly the motor died with +sickening suddenness. + +"Our haywire battery connections are gone," shouted McCready. "Say your +prayers." + +The wind tossed the plane about like a feather. Rapidly it lost +altitude. A building loomed up before them. As a crash seemed imminent, +a gust of wind caught the plane and tossed it up into the air again. For +several minutes the ground could not be seen through the rain. Suddenly +the plane hit an airpocket and dropped like a stone. With a splash it +fell into the sea. A rift came for a moment in the curtain of rain. + +"Look!" cried Carnes. + +A hundred yards away, the _Denver_ rode at anchor. + +"I'm only sorry about one thing," said Carnes ten minutes later as they +changed to dry clothes aboard the battle cruiser, "and that is that +Saranoff wasn't in the factory when that salvo fell on it." + +"I'm glad he was away," replied Dr. Bird. "With him absent, we succeeded +in destroying it. If he had been there, our task would have been more +difficult and perhaps impossible. I am an enemy of Saranoff's, but I +don't underrate his colossal genius." + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Solar Magnet, by Sterner St. Paul Meek + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SOLAR MAGNET *** + +***** This file should be named 29401-8.txt or 29401-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/4/0/29401/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Tamise Totterdell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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S. P. Meek. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + body {margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%;} + + .tn {text-align: center; + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; + padding: 0.5em; + background-color: #eeeeee; + border: solid 2px;} + + .intro {text-align: center; + margin-left: 30%; + margin-right: 30%; + padding: 0.5em; + margin-top:3em; + border: solid 2px; + background-color: #f2f2f2} + + h1 {text-align: center; + clear: both;} + + p {margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em;} + + .big {font-weight: bold; + text-align: center; + font-size: 150%;} + + .initial:first-letter {font-size: 180%; + font-weight: bold; + float: left; + line-height: 105%;} + + .initial {margin-top: 5em;} + + .initialmc:first-letter {font-size: 180%; + font-weight: bold; + float: left; + line-height: 90%;} + + .initialmc {margin-top: 5em;} + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; + text-align: center;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Solar Magnet, by Sterner St. Paul Meek + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Solar Magnet + +Author: Sterner St. Paul Meek + +Release Date: July 13, 2009 [EBook #29401] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SOLAR MAGNET *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Tamise Totterdell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<p class="tn"> +Transcriber's Note: This e-text was produced from Astounding Stories +October 1931. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that +the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus.jpg" width="548" height="600" alt="" /><br /> +<i>Pistol in hand, the two men watched the oncoming lights.</i></p> + +<h1>The Solar Magnet</h1> + +<p class="big">By Capt. S. P. Meek</p> + +<p class="intro">Another episode in Dr. Bird's long scientific duel with his +country's arch-enemy, Saranoff.</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> milling crowd in front of the Capitol suddenly grew quiet. A tall +portly figure came out onto the porch of the building and stepped before +a microphone erected on the steps. A battery of press cameras clicked. A +newsreel photographer ground away on his machine. Wild cheers rent the +air. The President held up his hand for silence. As the cheering died +away he spoke into the microphone.</p> + +<p>"My countrymen," he said, "the Congress of the United States has met in +extraordinary session and is ready to cope with the condition with +which we are confronted. While they deliberate as to the steps to be +taken, it is essential that you meet this danger, if it be a danger, +with the bravery and the calm front which has always characterized the +people of the United States in times of trial and danger. You may rest +assured—"</p> + +<p>A slightly built, inconspicuous man who had followed the President out +onto the porch was surveying the crowd intently. He turned and spoke in +an undertone to a second man who mysteriously appeared from nowhere as +the first man spoke. He listened for a moment, nodded, and edged closer +to the President. The first man slipped unobtrusively down the Capitol +steps and mingled with the crowd.</p> + +<p>"—that no steps will be neglected which may prove of value," went on +the President. "The greatest scientists of the country have gathered in +this city in conference and they undoubtedly will soon find a simple and +natural explanation for what is happening. In the meantime—"</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> President paused. From the crowd in front of him came a sudden +disturbance. A man sprang free of the crowd and broke through the +restraining cordon of police. In his hand gleamed an ugly blue steel +automatic pistol. Quickly he leveled it and fired. A puff of dust came +from the Capitol. The bullet had landed a few inches from one of the +lower windows, fifty feet from where the President stood. He raised his +weapon for a second shot but it was never fired. The man who had come +down the Capitol steps sprang forward like a cat and grasped the weapon. +For a moment the two men struggled, but only for a moment. From the +crowd, stunned for a moment by the sheer audacity of the attack, came a +roar of rage. The police closed in about the struggling men but the +crowd rolled over them like a wave. The captor shouted his identity and +tried to display the gold badge of the secret service but the mob was +in no state of mind to listen. The police were trampled underfoot and +the would-be assassin torn from the hands of the secret service +operative. Every man in reach tried to strike a blow. The secret service +man was buffeted and thrown aside. Realizing that the affair had been +taken out of his hands, he made his way to the rear of the Capitol where +his badge gained him ready passage through the cordon of police. He +entered the building and reappeared in a few moments by the side of the +President.</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">Two</span> hours later he leaned forward in his chair in Dr. Bird's private +laboratory in the Bureau of Standards and spoke earnestly.</p> + +<p>"Dr. Bird," he said, "that bullet was never meant for the President. +That man was after bigger game."</p> + +<p>The famous scientist nodded thoughtfully.</p> + +<p>"Even a very rotten pistol shot should have come closer to him," he +replied. "He must have missed by a good forty feet."</p> + +<p>"He missed by a matter of inches. Doctor, that bullet struck the Capitol +only two inches from a window. In that window was standing a man. The +bullet was intended for the occupant of that window. I was directly +behind him when he raised his weapon for a second shot and I am sure of +his aim. He deliberately ignored the President and aimed again at that +window. That was when I tackled him."</p> + +<p>"Who was standing there, Carnes?"</p> + +<p>"<i>You</i> were, Doctor."</p> + +<p>Dr. Bird whistled.</p> + +<p>"Then you think that bullet was intended for me?"</p> + +<p>"I am sure of it, Doctor. That fact proves one thing to me. You are +right in your idea that this whole affair is man-made and not an +accident of nature. The guiding intelligence back of it fears you more +than he fears anyone else and he took this means to get rid of you +unobtrusively. Attention was focused on the President. Your death would +have been laid to accident. It was a clever thought."</p> + +<p>"It does look that way, Carnes," said the doctor slowly. "If you are +right, this incident confirms my opinion. There is only one man in the +world clever enough to have disturbed the orderly course of the seasons, +and such a plan for my assassination would appeal to his love of the +dramatic."</p> + +<p>"You mean—"</p> + +<p>"Ivan Saranoff, of course."</p> + +<p>"We are pretty sure that he hasn't got back to the United States, +Doctor."</p> + +<p>"You may be right but I am sure of nothing where that man is concerned. +However, that fact has no bearing. He may be operating from anywhere. +His organization is still in the United States."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">A</span> knock sounded at the door. In response to the doctor's command a +messenger entered and presented a letter. Dr. Bird read it and dropped +it in a waste basket.</p> + +<p>"Tell them that I am otherwise engaged just now," he said curtly. The +messenger withdrew. "It was just a summons to another meeting of the +council of scientists," he said to Carnes. "They'll have to get along +without me. All they'll do anyway will be to read a lot of dispatches +and wrangle about data and the relative accuracy of their observations. +Herriott will lecture for hours on celestial mechanics and propound some +fool theory about a hidden body, which doesn't exist, and its possible +influence, which would be nil, on the inclination of the earth's axis. +After wasting four hours without a single constructive idea being put +forward, they will gravely conclude that the sun rose fifty-three +seconds earlier at the fortieth north parallel than it did yesterday and +correspondingly later at the fortieth south parallel. I know that +without wasting time."</p> + +<p>"Was it fifty-three seconds to-day, Doctor?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. This is the twentieth of July. The sun should have risen at 4:52, +sixteen minutes later than it rose on June twentieth and fifty-three +seconds later than it rose yesterday. Instead it rose at 4:20, sixteen +minutes <i>earlier</i> than it did on June twentieth and fifty-three seconds +earlier than yesterday."</p> + +<p>"I don't understand what is causing it, Doctor. I have tried to follow +your published explanations, but they are a little too deep for me."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">"As</span> to the real underlying cause, I am in grave doubts, Carnes, although +I can make a pretty shrewd guess. As to the reason for the unnatural +lengthening of the day, the explanation is simplicity itself. As you +doubtless know, the earth revolves daily on its axis. At the same time, +it is moving in a great ellipse about the sun, an ellipse which it takes +it a year to cover. If the axis of rotation of the earth were at right +angles to the plane of its orbit; in other words, if the earth's equator +lay in the plane of the earth's movement about the sun, each day would +be of the same length and there would be no seasons. Instead of this +being the case, the axis of rotation of the earth is tipped so that the +angle between the equator and the elliptic is 23½°."</p> + +<p>"I seem to remember something of the sort from my school days."</p> + +<p>"This angle of tilt may be assumed to be constant, for I won't bother +with the precessions, nutations and other minor movements considered in +accurate computations. As the earth moves around the sun, this tilt +gives rise to what we call the sun's declination. You can readily see +that at one time in the year, the north pole will be at its nearest +point to the sun, speaking in terms of tilt and not in miles, while at +another point on the elliptic, it will be farthest from the sun and the +south pole nearest. There are two midway points when the two poles are +practically equidistant."</p> + +<p>"Then the days and nights should be of equal length."</p> + +<p>"They are. These are the periods of the equinoxes. The point at which +the sun is nearest to the south pole we call the winter solstice, and +the opposite point, the summer solstice. The summer solstice is on June +twenty-first. At that time the declination of the sun is 23½° north +of the equatorial line. It starts to decrease until, six months later, +it reaches a minus declination of 23½° and is that far south of the +line. The longest day in the northern hemisphere is naturally June +twenty-first."</p> + +<p>"And the shortest day when the sun has the greatest minus declination."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">"Precisely</span>, at the winter solstice. Now to explain what is happening. +The year went normally until June twenty-first. That day was of the +correct length, about fourteen hours and fifty minutes long. The +twenty-second should have been shorter. Instead, it was longer than the +twenty-first. Each day, instead of getting shorter as it should at this +time of year, is getting longer. We have already gained some thirty-two +minutes of sunlight at this latitude. The explanation is that the angle +between the equator and the elliptic is no longer 23½° as it has been +from time immemorial, but it is greater. If the continuing tilt keeps up +long enough, the obliquity will be 90°. When that happens, there will be +perpetual midday at the north pole and perpetual night at the south +pole. The whole northern hemisphere will be bathed in a continuous flood +of sunlight while the southern hemisphere will be a region of cold and +dark. The condition of the earth will resemble that of Mercury where the +same face of the planet is continually facing the sun."</p> + +<p>"I understand that all right, but I am still in the dark as to what is +causing this increase of tilt."</p> + +<p>"No more than I am, old dear. Herriott keeps babbling about a hidden +body which is drawing the earth from its normal axial rotation, but the +fool ignores the fact that a body of a size sufficient to disturb the +earth would throw every motion of the solar system into a state of +chaos. Nothing of the sort has happened. Ergo, no external force is +causing it. I am positive that the force which is doing the work is +located on the earth itself. Furthermore, unless my calculations are +badly off, this force is located on or very near the surface of the +earth at approximately the sixty-fifth degree of north latitude."</p> + +<p>"How can you tell that, Doctor?"</p> + +<p>"It would take me too long to explain, Carnes. I will, however, qualify +my statement a little. Either a variable force is being used or else a +constant force located where I have said. The sixty-fifth parallel is a +long line. The exact location and the nature of that force, we have to +find. If it be man-made, and I'll bet my bottom dollar that it is, we +will also have to destroy it. If we fail, we'll see this world plunged +into such a riot of war and bloodshed as has never before been known. It +will be literally a fight of mankind for a place in the sun. Due to its +favorable location in the new position of the earth, it is more than +probable that Russia would emerge as the dominant power."</p> + +<p>"Undertaking to destroy a thing that you don't know the location of and +of whose existence you aren't even sure is a pretty big contract."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">"We've</span> tackled bigger ones, old dear. We have the President behind us. I +haven't made much headway selling my idea to that gang of old fossils +who call themselves the council of scientists, but I did to his nibs. +Just before that attempt at assassination, I had a chin-chin with him. +The fastest battle cruiser in the Navy, the <i>Denver</i>, is to be placed at +my service. It will carry a big amphibian plane, so be equipped to +assemble and launch it. Bolton will relieve you from the Presidential +guard to-day. We sail in the morning."</p> + +<p>"Where for, Doctor?"</p> + +<p>"I feel sure that the force is caused and controlled by men and I know +of but one man who has the genius and the will to do such a thing. That +man is Saranoff. Because he must be concealed and work free from +interruption, I fancy he is working in his own country. Does that answer +your question?"</p> + +<p>"It does. We sail for Russia."</p> + +<p>"Carnesy, old dear, at times you have flashes of such scintillating +brilliance that I have hopes for the future of the secret service. In +time they may even show human intelligence. Toddle along now and pay +your fond farewells to the bright lights of Washington. Meet me at the +Pennsy station at six. We'll sail from New York in the morning."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">With</span> the famous scientist and his assistant as passengers, the <i>Denver</i> +steamed at her best speed across the Atlantic. As soon as New York +harbor was cleared, Dr. Bird charted the course. Captain Evans raised +his eyebrows when he saw the course laid out, but his orders had been +positive. Had Dr. Bird ordered him to steam at full speed against the +shore, he would have obeyed without question.</p> + +<p>The <i>Denver</i> avoided the usual lanes of traffic and bore to the north of +the summer lane. Not a vessel was sighted in the eight days which +elapsed before the Faroe Islands came in sight on the starboard bow. The +<i>Denver</i> bore still more to the north and skirted around North Cape five +days later. At Cape Kanin she headed south into the White Sea. +Surprisingly little ice was encountered. When Captain Evans mentioned +this, Dr. Bird pointed out to him that it was August and that the days +were still lengthening. Once in the White Sea, the <i>Denver</i> was made +ready for instant action. A huge amphibian plane was hoisted in sections +from the hold and mechanics started to assemble it. Dr. Bird spent most +of his time working on some instruments he had assembled in the radio +room.</p> + +<p>"This is an ultra-short wave detector," he explained to Carnes. "It will +receive vibrations to the lowest limit of waves that we have ever been +able to measure. The X-ray is high on the scale and even the cosmic ray +is far above its lower limit of detection. We are hunting for an +electro-magnet, the largest and strangest electro-magnet that has ever +been constructed. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we are +seeking for a generator of magnetic force. It does not generate the +ordinary magnetism which attracts iron and steel, nor the special type +of magnetism which we call gravity, but something between the two. It +attracts the sun enough to disturb the tilt of the earth's axis, but not +enough to pull the earth out of its orbit. Such a device should give out +a wave that can be detected, if we get a receiver delicate enough and +operating on the right wave length."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">He</span> spent hours improving and refining the apparatus, but in the end he +confessed himself beaten.</p> + +<p>"It's no use, Carnes," he said the day after Cape Kanin faded from view +to the north. "Either the apparatus we are seeking gives out no wave +that we can detect or my apparatus is faulty. Luckily we have other +things to guide us."</p> + +<p>"What are they, Doctor?"</p> + +<p>"The facts that Saranoff must have easy transportation and a source of +power. The first precludes him from locating his station far from the +sea-coast and the second indicates that it will be near a river or other +source of power. The only Russian points on the sixty-fifth parallel +that are open to water transport are the Gulf of Anadyr, north of +Kamchatka, and the vicinity of Archangel. I passed up Kamchatka because +it would mean too long a haul through unfriendly waters from Leningrad +and because there is not much water power. Archangel is easy of access +at this time of the year and it has the Dwina river for power. That will +be our first line of search."</p> + +<p>"We will explore by plane, of course?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly. We wouldn't get far on foot, especially as neither of us +speaks Russian. We'll head south for another day and then— What's that?"</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">He</span> paused and listened. From the distance came a dull drone of sound +which brought him to his feet with a start. He raced out onto deck with +Carnes at his heels. Far overhead in the blue, a tiny speck of black +hovered.</p> + +<p>"We're on the right trail, Carnes," he said grimly. The plane passed +over them. In huge circles it sank toward the ground. Dr. Bird turned to +Captain Evans. Orders flew from the bridge and a detail of marines +rapidly stripped the covers from the two forward anti-aircraft rifles.</p> + +<p>"I dislike to fire on that craft before it makes a hostile +demonstration, Dr. Bird," demurred Captain Evans. "We are at peace with +Russia. My action in firing might precipitate a war, or in any event, +serious diplomatic misunderstandings."</p> + +<p>"Allow me to correct you, Captain Evans, we are at war with Russia. The +whole world is at war with the man who has pulled the earth out of her +course. In any event, your orders are positive and the responsibility is +mine. Wait until that plane gets within easy range and then shoot it +down. Do not fail to get it; it must not get back to shore with word of +our approach."</p> + +<p>Captain Evans bowed gravely. Shells came up from the magazines and were +piled by the guns. From the fire control stations came a monotonous +calling of firing data. The guns slowly changed direction as the plane +descended. Nearer and nearer it came, intent on positive identification +of the war vessel below it. It passed over the <i>Denver</i> less than five +thousand feet up. As it passed it swung off to one side and began to +climb sharply. Dr. Bird glanced at the fighting top of the cruiser and +swore softly. From the top the stars and stripes had been broken to the +breeze.</p> + +<p>"Fire at once!" he cried, "and then court-martial the fool who broke out +that flag!"</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> two three-inch rifles barked their message of death into the sky. +For agonizing seconds nothing happened. The guns roared again. Below and +behind the fleeing plane, two puffs of white smoke appeared in the sky. +The staccato calls of the observers came from the control station and +the guns roared again and again. Now above and now below the Russian +plane appeared the white puffs that told of bursting shells, but the +plane droned on, unharmed.</p> + +<p>"It's away safely," groaned the doctor. "Now the fat <i>is</i> in the fire. +Saranoff will know in an hour that we are coming. If we had a pursuit +plane ready to take off, we might catch him, but we haven't. Oh, well, +there's no use in crying over spilt milk. How soon will that amphibian +be ready to take off?"</p> + +<p>"In twenty minutes. Doctor," replied the Engineering Officer. "As soon +as we finish filling the tanks and test the motor, she'll be ready to +ramble."</p> + +<p>"Hurry all you can. Hang a half dozen hundred-pound bombs and a few +twenty-fives on the racks. Lower her over the side as soon as she's +ready. Where's Lieutenant McCready?"</p> + +<p>"Below, getting into his flying togs, Doctor."</p> + +<p>"Good enough. Come on, Carnes, we'll go below and put on our fur-lined +panties, too. We'll probably need them."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">In</span> half an hour the amphibian rose from the water. Lieutenant McCready +was at the controls, with Carnes and the doctor at the bomb racks. The +plane rose in huge spirals until the altimeter read four thousand feet. +The pilot straightened it out toward the south. The plane was alone in +the sky. For two hours it flew south and then veered to the east, +following the line of the Gulf of Archangel. The town came in sight at +last.</p> + +<p>"Better drop down a couple of thousand, Lieutenant," said Dr. Bird into +the speaking tube. "We can't see much from this altitude."</p> + +<p>The plane swung around in a wide circle, gradually losing altitude. +Carnes and the doctor hung over the side watching the ground below them. +As they watched a puff of smoke came from a low building a mile from the +edge of the town. Dr. Bird grabbed the speaking tube.</p> + +<p>"Bank, McCready!" he barked, "They're firing at us."</p> + +<p>The plane lurched sharply to one side. From a point a few yards below +them and almost directly along their former line of flight, a burst of +flame appeared in the air. The plane lurched and reeled as the blast of +the explosion reached it. From other points on the ground came other +puffs.</p> + +<p>"Get out of here," shouted Dr. Bird. "There must be a dozen guns firing +at us. One of them will have the range directly."</p> + +<p>From all around them came flashes and the roar of explosions. The plane +lurched and yawed in a sickening fashion. Lieutenant McCready fought +heroically with the controls, trying to prevent the sideslips which were +costing him altitude. Gradually the plane came under control and started +to climb. The shells burst nearer as the plane took a straighter course +and strove to fly out of the danger zone. Dr. Bird looked at the +air-speed meter.</p> + +<p>"A hundred and eighty," he shouted to Carnes. "We'll be safely out of +range in a minute."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> bursts were mostly behind them now. Suddenly a blast of air struck +them with terrific force. Half a dozen holes appeared in the fabric of +the wings. A bit of high explosive shell plowed a way through the after +compartment and wrecked the duplicate instrument board. In another +moment they were out of range. Lieutenant McCready turned the nose of +his plane toward the north.</p> + +<p>"We came out of that well," cried Carnes. Dr. Bird dropped the speaking +tube which he had held pressed to his ear and smiled grimly at the +detective.</p> + +<p>"I wish we had," he replied. "Our main gas tank is punctured."</p> + +<p>An expression of alarm crossed the detective's face.</p> + +<p>"Is it injured badly?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"I don't know yet. McCready says that the gauge is dropping pretty +rapidly. I'm going to go out and see what I can do."</p> + +<p>"Can't I go, Doctor? I'm a good deal lighter than you are."</p> + +<p>"You're not as strong or as agile, Carnes, and you haven't the +mechanical ability to make the repair. Hand me that line."</p> + +<p>He fastened one end of a coil of manila rope which Carnes handed him to +his waist, while the detective fastened the other end to one of the +safety belt hooks. With a word of farewell, he climbed out of the +cockpit and onto a wing. In the pocket of his flying suit he carried a +tool kit and repair material. Carnes shuddered as the doctor's figure +disappeared under the plane. He snubbed the rope about a seat bracket +and held it taut. For ten minutes the strain continued. It slackened at +last, and the figure of the doctor reappeared on the wing. Slowly he +climbed into the cockpit.</p> + +<p>"I've made a temporary repair, Lieutenant," he called into the speaking +tube, "and the leakage has stopped. How much gas have we left?"</p> + +<p>"Enough for about an hour of flying, including the emergency tank."</p> + +<p>"Thunder! No chance to get back to the <i>Denver</i>. Better head inland and +follow the course of the Dwina. If we can locate the place we are +looking for we may be able to drop a few eggs on it before we are washed +out. In any event, it will be better to come down on land than on +water."</p> + +<p class="initialmc"><span class="smcap">McCready</span> headed the plane south and followed the winding ribbon below +him which marked the channel of the Dwina. He kept his altitude well +over eight thousand feet. For a few minutes the plane roared along. +Without warning the motor sputtered once or twice and died.</p> + +<p>"Gas finished?" asked Dr. Bird into the speaking tube.</p> + +<p>"No, there is plenty of gas for another forty-five minutes. It acted +like a short in the wiring. Maybe another fragment got us that we didn't +know about. I can glide to a safe landing, Doctor. Which direction shall +I go?"</p> + +<p>"It doesn't matter," replied Dr. Bird as he looked over the side. "Wait +a minute, it does matter. See that long low building down there with the +projection like a tower on top? I'll bet a month's pay that that is the +very place we're looking for. Glide over it and let's have a look at it. +If I am convinced of it, I'll drop a few eggs on it."</p> + +<p>"Right!"</p> + +<p>McCready glided on a long slope toward the suspected building. Dr. Bird +kept his eye glued to the bomb sight.</p> + +<p>"It's suspicious enough for me to act," he cried. "Drop one!"</p> + +<p>Carnes pulled a lever and a hundred-pound high explosive bomb detached +itself from the plane and fell toward the ground.</p> + +<p>"Another!" cried the doctor.</p> + +<p>A second messenger of death followed the first.</p> + +<p>"Bank around and back over while we give them the rest."</p> + +<p>"Right!"</p> + +<p>The plane swung around in a wide circle.</p> + +<p>"Volley!" cried the doctor. Carnes pulled the master lever and the rest +of the bombs fell earthward.</p> + +<p>"Now glide to the east, McCready, until you are forced down."</p> + +<p class="initialmc"><span class="smcap">McCready</span> banked the plane and started on a long glide toward the east. +Carnes and the doctor watched the falling bombs. The doctor's aim had +been perfect. The first bomb released struck the building squarely while +the other landed only a few feet away. Instead of the puffs of smoke +which they had expected, the bombs had no effect. The volley which +Carnes had discharged fell full on the building as harmlessly as had the +two pilot shots.</p> + +<p>"Were these bombs armed, Lieutenant?" demanded the doctor.</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir. I inspected them myself before we took off and they were +fused and armed. They had always fused and should have gone off, no +matter in what position they landed."</p> + +<p>"Well, they didn't. That building is our goal all right. Saranoff would +naturally expect an air raid and he has perfected some device which +renders a bomb impotent before it lands. How far from the building will +you land?"</p> + +<p>"A couple of miles, Doctor."</p> + +<p>"Get as far as you can. If you can make that line of thicket ahead, +we'll take to our heels and hope to hide in it."</p> + +<p>"I don't think we'll have much luck, Doctor," said Carnes.</p> + +<p>"Why not?"</p> + +<p>"Look behind."</p> + +<p>Dr. Bird looked back toward the building they had tried to bomb. Across +the country, a truck loaded with armed men followed the course of the +plane. The plane was gaining slightly on the truck but it was evident +that the plane's occupants would have little chance of escaping on foot. +Dr. Bird gave a grim laugh.</p> + +<p>"We're cornered all right," he said. "If we did elude the men in that +truck, we would have a plane after us in no time. You might as well turn +back, McCready, and land fairly near the building. We are sure to be +captured and our best chance is to have the plane near us. They'll +probably patch it up and if we get a chance to escape later, it may be a +lifesaver. At any rate, we've lost for the present."</p> + +<p class="initialmc"><span class="smcap">McCready</span> turned the plane again to the west. The truck halted at their +new maneuver. As the plane passed over, it turned and again followed +them. The ground was approaching rapidly. With a final dip, McCready +leveled off and made a landing. The machine rolled to a stop about a +mile from the building. The truck was less than three hundred yards +away. It came up rapidly and disgorged a dozen men armed with rifles who +hurried forward. In the lead was a tall, slight figure who carried no +gun. Dr. Bird stepped forward to meet them.</p> + +<p>"Do you understand English?" he asked.</p> + +<p>An incomprehensible jargon of Russian answered him. The men raised their +rifles threateningly. Dr. Bird turned back to his companions.</p> + +<p>"Resistance is hopeless," he said. "Surrender gracefully and we'll see +what comes of it."</p> + +<p>He faced the Russians and held one hand high above his head. The Russian +leader stepped forward and confiscated the doctor's pistol. He repeated +the process with Carnes and McCready, frisking them thoroughly for +concealed weapons. At his command, six of the Russians stepped forward. +The Americans took their place in the midst of the guard and were +marched to the truck. The balance of the Russians moved over to the +American's plane. The truck rolled forward and approached the low +building. The projection which Dr. Bird had noticed from the air proved +to be a metal tube projection from the roof, fully twenty feet in +diameter and fifty feet long.</p> + +<p>"A projection tube of some sort," said the doctor, pointing. An excited +command came from the Russian in command. A rifle was leveled +threateningly at the doctor. He took the hint and maintained silence +while they climbed down from the truck and approached the door of the +building.</p> + +<p>It swung open as they approached. As they entered a strong garlic-like +smell was evident. The hum of heavy machinery smote their ears.</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">They</span> were led down a corridor to a flight of steps. On the floor below +they went along another corridor to a heavy iron-studded door. The guide +unlocked it with a huge key and swung it open. With a shrug of his +shoulders, Dr. Bird led the way into the cell. The door closed behind +them and they were left alone. Dr. Bird turned to his companions.</p> + +<p>"Be careful what you say," he whispered. "I am not at all convinced that +there is no one here who knows English and we are probably spied upon. +There is almost sure to be a dictaphone somewhere in this room. We don't +want to give them any more information than we have to."</p> + +<p>Carnes and McCready nodded. Dr. Bird spoke aloud of inconsequential +matters while they explored the cell. It was a room some twenty feet +square, fitted with three bunks on one side, built into the wall like +the berths on shipboard. The room was lighted by a single electric light +overhead. A door opened into a lavatory equipped with running water.</p> + +<p>"We're comfortable here, at any rate," said the doctor cheerfully. "They +evidently don't mean to make us suffer. I'd like to know why they took +the trouble to capture us, anyway. It would seem to be more in line with +their usual policy to have shot us on sight. It must be that they want +some sort of information from us."</p> + +<p>Neither of his companions had a better reason to offer and conversation +languished. For an hour they sat almost without speech. A sound at the +door brought them to their feet. It opened and a Russian girl pushed in +a cart laden with food. She made no reply to the remarks which Dr. Bird +addressed to her but quickly and silently put their food on the table. +When she had completed her task, she left the room without having spoken +a word.</p> + +<p>"Beautiful, but dumb," Dr. Bird remarked. "Let's eat."</p> + +<p>"Do you suppose that it's safe to eat this food, Doctor?" asked Carnes +in a whisper.</p> + +<p>"I don't know, and I don't care. If we've got to go out, we might as +well be poisoned as shot. If we refuse food, they can poison us through +our water. We couldn't refuse that for any length of time. I'm hungry +and I'm going to make a good meal. What's this stuff, <i>bortsch</i>?"</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">They</span> soon received proof that they were under observation. Hardly had +they pushed back their chairs at the completion of the meal than the +door opened and the Russian girl who had brought their food removed the +empty dishes. Silence settled down over the cell. For another hour they +waited before the door opened again. A tall bearded Russian entered with +a younger man at his heels. The bearded man dropped into a chair while +his companion sat at the table and opened a notebook.</p> + +<p>"Stand up!" barked the Russian sternly.</p> + +<p>Carnes and McCready rose to their feet but Dr. Bird remained stretched +out on a bed.</p> + +<p>"What for?" he demanded languidly.</p> + +<p>The Russian bristled with rage.</p> + +<p>"When I speak to you, you shall obey," he said in curiously clipped +English, "else it will be the worse for you. Would you rather be +questioned while in the <i>strelska</i> than while standing?"</p> + +<p>"Not by a long shot," replied Dr. Bird promptly as he rose to his feet. +"Fire away, old fellow. I'll talk."</p> + +<p>"What are your names?"</p> + +<p>"I am Addison Sims of Seattle," replied Dr. Bird gravely, "and my +friends are Mr. Earle Liedermann and Mr. Bernarr Macfadden. You may have +read of us in the American magazines."</p> + +<p>"Their names," said the Russian to his clerk, "are Dr. Bird, of the +Bureau of Standards; Operative Carnes, of the United States Secret +Service; and Lieutenant McCready, of the United States Navy. Dr. Bird, +you will save yourself trouble if you will answer my future questions +truthfully."</p> + +<p>"Then ask questions to which I am not sure that you know the answer," +replied the doctor dryly.</p> + +<p>"What vessel brought you here?"</p> + +<p>"The <i>Denver</i>."</p> + +<p>"What is her armament?"</p> + +<p>"Consult the Navy list. You will doubtless find a copy in your files. It +may be purchased from the Superintendent of Public Documents at +Washington."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">"What</span> is your errand here?"</p> + +<p>"To consult with Ivan Saranoff and learn his future plans. If he means +merely to bestow on the northern hemisphere additional sunshine and +warmth, it is possible that the United States will not oppose him. We +would benefit equally with Russia, you know. Possibly the northern +countries could form some sort of an alliance against the southern +hemisphere which is already threatening war."</p> + +<p>"You chose a peculiar way of showing your peaceable intentions. You shot +down our plane without warning and you dropped bombs on us at first +sight."</p> + +<p>"But they didn't explode."</p> + +<p>"No, thanks to our ray operators. Dr. Bird, I have no time to waste. +Either you will answer my questions fully and truthfully or I will +resort to torture."</p> + +<p>"You don't dare. You were merely bluffing when you mentioned the +<i>strelska</i>. If you tortured us, you would have to answer to Ivan +Saranoff on his return."</p> + +<p>"How did you know that he is—" The Russian paused and bit his lip. +"Shall I tell him that you refuse to talk?"</p> + +<p>"When he returns, you may tell him that I will be glad to talk frankly +with him. I came to Russia for that purpose, but I will not talk with +one of his underlings. In the meanwhile, we are having lovely weather +for this time of year, aren't we?"</p> + +<p>With a muttered curse the Russian rose and left the room. Carnes turned +to Dr. Bird.</p> + +<p>"How did you know that Saranoff was away?" he demanded.</p> + +<p>"I didn't," replied Dr. Bird with a chuckle, "it was merely a shrewd +guess. We have twisted his tail so often that I figured he could not +resist the temptation to come here and gloat a few gloats over us if he +were here. I know his ruthless methods in dealing with his subordinates +and I knew that they would never dare to resort to torture in his +absence. No, old dear, we are safe until he returns. I hope he stays +away a long time."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">Four</span> days passed monotonously. Three times a day the Russian girl +appeared with ample meals. Despite their attempts to engage her in +conversation, not a word would she reply or give any indication that she +either heard or understood their remarks. The bearded Russian appeared +daily and tried to question them, but Dr. Bird laughed at his threats +and reaffirmed his intention of talking to no one but Saranoff.</p> + +<p>"Your chance will soon come," replied the Russian with an evil leer on +the fourth day. "He will be here the day after to-morrow. He will be +able to make you talk."</p> + +<p>"If he's telling the truth, the jig's about up," said Dr. Bird when the +Russian had left. "I don't fancy that Saranoff will show us much mercy +when he finds out what we've attempted to do."</p> + +<p>"How would it be to overpower our waitress and make a break?" asked +McCready in a guarded whisper.</p> + +<p>"No good at all," replied the doctor decisively. "We wouldn't have a +Chinaman's chance. Our best bet is to talk turkey to Saranoff. He may +spare us if I can make him believe that I am willing to work for him. +What a man he is! If we could turn his genius into the right channels, +he would be a blessing to the world."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">He</span> paused as the door swung open and the Russian girl appeared with +their food. She placed the cart against the wall and suddenly turned and +faced them.</p> + +<p>"Dr. Bird," she said in excellent English, "I am Feodrovna Androvitch."</p> + +<p>"I'm glad to know you," said Dr. Bird with a bow.</p> + +<p>"Do you recognize my name?"</p> + +<p>"I'm very sorry, my dear, but it simply doesn't register."</p> + +<p>"Do you remember Stefan Androvitch?"</p> + +<p>A sudden light came into Dr. Bird's face.</p> + +<p>"Yes," he exclaimed, "I do. He used to work for me in the Bureau some +time ago. I had to let him go under peculiar circumstances. Is he +related to you?"</p> + +<p>"He was my twin brother. The peculiar circumstances you refer to were +that you caught him stealing platinum. Instead of turning him over to +the police, you asked him why he stole. He told you his wife was dying +for lack of things that money would buy and he stole for her. You +allowed him to quit his position honorably and you gave him money for +his immediate needs. For that act of mercy, I am here to reward you."</p> + +<p>"Bread cast upon the waters," murmured Carnes. The Russian girl turned +on him like a wildcat.</p> + +<p>"Unless you wish to deprive yourself and your companions of my help, you +will not quote the Bible, that sop thrown by the church to their slaves, +to me," she said venomously. "I am a woman of the proletariat!"</p> + +<p>"Respect the lady's anti-religious prejudices, Carnesy, old dear," said +the doctor with a smile. "How do you propose to aid us, Miss +Androvitch?"</p> + +<p>"I will give you exactly what you gave my brother, your freedom and +money for your immediate needs."</p> + +<p>"Thanks. But, er—haven't you considered what your position here will +be if you aid us to escape? Saranoff doesn't deal kindly with traitors, +I fancy."</p> + +<p>The girl spat on the floor.</p> + +<p>"That swine!" she hissed, "I would like to kill him. I would have done +so long ago had not the hope of the people rested on his genius. When +the people finally triumph, I will feed his heart to my cat."</p> + +<p>"Nice, gentle, loving disposition," murmured the doctor. "All right, my +dear, we're ready for anything. What's the first move?"</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> girl whisked the covers from the food cart and displayed three +pistols and belts of ammunition.</p> + +<p>"Put these on," she said, "and take this food with you. I will take you +to a hiding place outside the walls where you may safely stay for a few +days. I will bring you fresh supplies of food. As quickly as possible I +will arrange for you to escape from Russia. When you have left Russia +safely, my debt is paid and you are again my enemies."</p> + +<p>"But, listen here," said Dr. Bird persuasively, "why don't you come with +us? You know the object of our coming here. We aim to destroy this plant +and let the earth take its normal tilt. You hate Saranoff, although I +don't know why. If you'll help us to destroy him, we'll guarantee you a +welcome in the United States and you can join your brother. I'll take +him back into my laboratory."</p> + +<p>"My brother is dead," she said bitterly. "After he left you, he fell +into more evil times. His wife died and he swore revenge upon the +society which had murdered her. An opportunity came to him to join +Saranoff, and he did so. Saranoff hated him and distrusted him, although +he was the soul of loyalty. As a reward for his genius and aid to +Saranoff in constructing the black lamp, Saranoff abandoned him to you. +It was your men who killed him when you blew into nothingness the +helicopter he was piloting in your state of Maryland, near Washington."</p> + +<p>"All the more reason why you should revenge yourself upon Saranoff," +replied the doctor. "We will give you a chance to do so and aid you. We +also give you an opportunity to be received in a free country with +honor."</p> + +<p>An expression of rage distorted the girl's features.</p> + +<p>"I am a woman of the proletariat!" she cried. "I hate Ivan Saranoff for +what he has done but I am loyal to him. He alone will force the +bourgeoisie to their knees and establish the rule of the people. I hate +your country and your government; yes, and I hate you. I aid you because +I must pay my just debts. Come, the way is clear for your escape. Don't +ask how I cleared it."</p> + +<p>"Come on," said Dr. Bird with a shrug of his shoulders. "There is no +arguing with convictions. She must act according to her lights, even as +we must act according to ours. Grab your guns and let's go."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> three buckled on the weapons and belts of ammunition and followed +the girl from the cell. Once outside she touched her lips for silence. A +door barred their way but she opened it with a key which she withdrew +from her dress. Outside the door, a guard slumbered noisily. At a motion +from the girl, Carnes rolled him over on his face to quiet his snoring. +He moved and stirred, but did not wake.</p> + +<p>A few feet from the door the girl paused and faced the wall. She +manipulated a hidden lever and a panel swung open in the wall. She led +the way silently into the dark. As the panel closed behind her, a beam +of light from an electric torch stabbed the darkness. Down a sloping +tunnel they followed her for half a mile. The tunnel turned at right +angles and led upward. At length they paused before another door. The +girl opened it and they stepped out into the night. As they did so, a +dull booming struck their ears. The girl paused.</p> + +<p>"The ship!" she cried. "Your ship! It is attacking Fort Novadwinskaja. +The factory will be awake in a moment! Run for your lives!"</p> + +<p>Even as she spoke a pair of twinkling lights appeared far down the +tunnel through which they had come. She turned as if to return down the +tunnel. Dr. Bird caught her about the waist and clapped his hand over +her mouth.</p> + +<p>"Quick, Carnes, your belt," he cried. "Tie her up. She meant to go down +that tunnel and give her life to delay them while we escaped. We'll save +her in spite of herself."</p> + +<p>Carnes and McCready quickly bound the struggling girl with their belts. +They laid her on the ground beside the door and watched the oncoming +lights.</p> + +<p>"You two hold them back for the present," said the doctor. "I'm going to +take Feodrovna away a bit and argue gently with her. If I can make her +see the light, we may accomplish our mission yet. If I can't, I'll come +back and help you."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">He</span> picked up the girl in his arms and disappeared into the darkness. +Pistol in hand, the two men watched the oncoming lights. The men behind +the lights could not be seen, but from the sound of their footsteps it +was evident that there were quite a few of them.</p> + +<p>"Had we better let them emerge from the door and then get them?" +whispered Carnes.</p> + +<p>"No. These heavy guns will drive a bullet through three men at short +range. Level your gun down the tunnel and fire when I give the word. +Remember, every one is apt to shoot high in the dark."</p> + +<p>The lights approached slowly. When they were twenty-five yards away, +Lieutenant McCready spoke. The quiet was shattered by the roar of two +Luger pistols. Again and again the guns barked. A volley of fire came +from the tunnel, but Carnes and the lieutenant were standing well away +from the opening and they escaped unharmed. Their deadly fire poured +into the shambles until they were rewarded by the sound of retreating +feet.</p> + +<p>"So ends round one," said Carnes with a laugh. "I think we win on +points."</p> + +<p>"They won't try a direct attack again," replied the lieutenant. "Look +out for a flank attack or from some new weapon. I don't like the way +those bombs failed to explode the other day."</p> + +<p>Dr. Bird appeared from the darkness.</p> + +<p>"McCready," he said in a voice vibrant with excitement, "we're in luck. +We have come out less than a hundred yards from the point where our +plane came down. It is still there. If the <i>Denver</i> has approached +within shooting range, we will have enough gas to make it. Try to get +your motor going."</p> + +<p>"If it isn't completely washed out I'll have it going in a few minutes, +Doctor," cried the pilot. "I'm going down the tunnel and get those +flash-lights those birds dropped when they pulled out. Where's the +girl?"</p> + +<p>"She's back by the plane," said the doctor with a chuckle. "She is a +spit-fire, all right. I took her gag off and she tried to bite me. I +couldn't get a word of anything but abuse out of her. Go ahead and get +the lights and I'll show you the plane."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">In</span> a few minutes they stood before the ship. It was apparently +uninjured, but the spark was dead. Carnes went back to the tunnel mouth +to guard against surprise while Dr. Bird and McCready labored over the +motor. Despite the best of both of them, no spark could be coaxed from +the coil. As a last resort, Dr. Bird short-circuited the cells with a +screwdriver blade. No answering spark came from the terminals.</p> + +<p>"Dead as a mackerel," he remarked. "I guess that ends that hope. Let's +get the machine guns out of her. Well have another attack soon and +they'll be more effective than our pistols."</p> + +<p>It was the work of a few minutes to dismount the two Brownings from the +plane. Carrying the two guns, Dr. Bird joined Carnes while McCready +staggered along laden down with belts of ammunition.</p> + +<p>"Do you remember that rocky knoll we passed just before we landed?" +asked the lieutenant. "If we can get this stuff there before we are +attacked, we'll have a much better chance than we will in the open."</p> + +<p>"Good idea, Lieutenant. Carnes, connect yourself to one of these guns. +I'll fasten the other on my back and carry Feodrovna. We can't leave her +here to Saranoff's tender mercies."</p> + +<p>Through the night the little cavalcade made its way. The thunder of guns +from Fort Novadwinskaja kept up and the sky to the north was lighted by +their flashes. McCready's bump of direction proved to be a good one for +the sought-for retreat was soon located. As they deposited their burdens +and looked back, the lights of two trucks could be seen approaching +across the plain from the factory. Hurriedly they mounted the machine +gun. Dr. Bird straightened up and listened carefully.</p> + +<p>"The guns are sounding less frequently," he said. "Possibly the <i>Denver</i> +has had enough and is pulling out."</p> + +<p>"If I know Captain Evans as well as I think I do, the <i>Denver</i> is not +retreating," replied McCready grimly.</p> + +<p>"I hope she's hammering the fort out of existence," said the doctor. +"However, our main interest just now is on the land front. Gunners to +the fore. Carnes, you aren't so good at this, better let McCready and me +handle them."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> trucks approached slowly. Presently the American plane loomed up in +the glare of their headlights. A powerful searchlight mounted on the +leading truck swept the country. Discovery was a matter of moments. +Lieutenant McCready trained his gun carefully and pressed the trigger. A +rattle of fire came from the Browning. A crash was heard from the truck +and the searchlight winked out.</p> + +<p>"Bull's-eye!" cried Carnes exultantly.</p> + +<p>"Down, you fool!" cried the doctor as he swept the detective from his +feet and threw him down behind a rock. His action was none too soon. A +burst of machine gun fire came from the trucks and a hail of bullets +splattered on the rocks a few yards from them. McCready crawled back to +his gun.</p> + +<p>"Wait a minute, Lieutenant," counseled the doctor. "A burst of fire from +here will give them our location and probably do them little damage. +Wait until they try to rush us."</p> + +<p>They did not have long to wait. A guttural shout came from a point a few +yards away and the sound of running feet came to their ears. The rush +was directed toward a point a few yards to the left of where they +crouched. Dr. Bird swung his gun around. As the rush passed them, he +released his trigger. A volley of screams and oaths from the plain +answered the crackle of the Browning. McCready's gun joined in with a +staccato burst of fire. The attack could not live before that rain of +death. A few running feet were heard from the darkness and a few +groans. Presently the roar of a motor came from the direction of the +parked trucks. It retreated into the distance and all was quiet.</p> + +<p>"Round two goes to us on a knock-down," said Carnes jubilantly. "What +will they do next, Doctor?"</p> + +<p>"Probably nothing until daylight, now that they know we have machine +guns. I wish that we could make that thicket, but it's too far to try. +It'll be daylight in an hour or so."</p> + +<p>The night was normally short in Archangel at that season of the year and +the unnatural lengthening of the day which Saranoff had accomplished +made it shorter still. In an hour red streamers in the east announced +the approach of daylight. Hardly had they appeared than a dull drone of +truck motors came from the direction of the factory.</p> + +<p>"Round three is about to commence," announced Carnes. "I wish that I +could do something."</p> + +<p>"You can as soon as our ammunition runs out, which won't be long," +replied McCready. "It will be a matter of pistols at close quarters."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> trucks approached to within a half mile and stopped. The distance +was too great to warrant wasting any of their scanty store of ammunition +at such long range. In the dim light they would see the Russians working +at the trucks. Presently a flash came from the plain. A whining sound +filled the air. With a crash a three-inch shell broke behind them.</p> + +<p>"No fun," remarked the doctor. "We'll have to get better cover than +this."</p> + +<p>A second shell whined through the air and burst over their heads. A +third burst a few yards in front of them.</p> + +<p>"They have us bracketed now," said McCready. "We'd better slide back a +piece before they start rapid fire."</p> + +<p>Dragging their prisoner with them, the three men made their way to the +reverse side of the knoll. A short search revealed an overhanging ledge +under which they crouched in comparative safety from anything but a +direct hit above them.</p> + +<p>"We're all right here except for the fact that they may rush us under +cover of the fire," said the doctor. "One man will have to keep watch +all the time and it will be a dangerous detail. I'll take the first +hitch."</p> + +<p>"You will not!" exclaimed Carnes emphatically. "I have done nothing so +far and I am the least important member of the party. I'll do the +watching."</p> + +<p>"Let's draw straws," suggested McCready. "I'm willing to do that, but if +it's a matter of volunteering, I refuse to yield to the civilian +branches of the government. The Navy has traditions to uphold, you +know."</p> + +<p>"McCready's right," replied the doctor. "Get straws, Lieutenant, and +we'll draw."</p> + +<p>McCready picked up three bits of grass and held them out.</p> + +<p>"The shortest goes on watch," he said. Carnes and the doctor drew, +McCready exhibited the remaining bit of grass. It was the shortest of +the three. He waited until the next shell burst above them and then +stepped out from the shelter.</p> + +<p>"I'll relieve you in fifteen minutes," said Carnes as he left.</p> + +<p>"Right."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">When</span> the lieutenant had left, Dr. Bird removed the gag from Feodrovna's +mouth and tried to argue with her, but the Russian girl only glared her +hatred and refused to talk other than to abuse him. With a sigh, the +doctor gave over his efforts and talked to Carnes. The time passed +slowly with a constant rain of shells on the knoll.</p> + +<p>"It's time for my relief," said Carnes at length. As he spoke the hail +of shells on the knoll ceased.</p> + +<p>"What the dickens?" cried the doctor.</p> + +<p>He and Carnes jumped from their shelter and ran over the knoll. On the +plain a few hundred yards from them, a straggling line of Russians were +advancing with fixed bayonets. McCready was nowhere in sight.</p> + +<p>"Where the devil is McCready?" cried the doctor. "He must have been +killed. Hello, one of the guns is gone, too. There's only a belt and a +half of ammunition left. I'll try to break that attack up."</p> + +<p>He advanced to the gun and trained it carefully. When he pressed the +trigger a dull click came from the gun.</p> + +<p>"Misfire!" he cried. He drew back the bolt and inserted a fresh +cartridge. Again the gun clicked harmlessly. Dr. Bird ejected the shell +and examined it. A deep indentation appeared on the primer. Hurriedly he +tried a half dozen more cartridges but they refused to explode. He +turned a keen gaze toward the trucks. On the ground was set a tube-like +projector pointing toward them. Dr. Bird swore softly and jerked his +pistol from its holster. The hammer clicked futilely on a cartridge.</p> + +<p>"Stymied!" he exclaimed. "They have that portable ray mechanism, with +them, which disabled our bombs. It's hand to hand, Carnesy, old dear. I +wonder where McCready is."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> Russians approached slowly, keeping their lines straight. They were +within two hundred yards of the knoll. Suddenly from a point a hundred +yards to the left of the end of the land came a rattle of fire. The +attacking line dropped in a pile of grotesque heaps.</p> + +<p>"It's McCready!" shouted Carnes. A little ravine ran from the knoll +toward the trucks. Sitting in the ravine was the lieutenant, playing a +Browning machine gun on the line of attackers. When there were no more +of them on their feet, he turned his gun on the trucks. Panic seized the +Russians and they made a rush for their truck. Their leader leaped among +them, yelling furiously. They paused and turned to the projector tube. +Slowly they swung it around. The lieutenant's gun ceased firing.</p> + +<p>As the Russians rushed the now silent gun, Dr. Bird stepped to the gun +on the knoll. He trained it and pressed the trigger. A rattle of fire +came from it and two of the rushing figures fell. The attack paused for +an instant. McCready had risen to his feet and was running up the ravine +with his gun under his arm.</p> + +<p>"Good head!" cried Dr. Bird, "Clever work! Watch the fun now."</p> + +<p>He ceased firing his gun. The Russians wavered and then rushed the point +from which McCready had fired. The lieutenant allowed them to get to +within a short distance and then crumpled the attack with another burst +of fire from the flank. With cries of alarm, the Russians turned and +fled toward their trucks. McCready ran along the ravine until he was +within fifty yards of the standing machines. As the Russians approached, +one of them stepped to the truck crank. McCready's pistol spoke and he +dropped. A second shared his fate. With cries of despair, the Russians +climbed into the remaining truck whose motor was running. Rapidly it +drove away across the plain. McCready rose from the ravine and ran +toward the standing truck. He started the motor and headed for the +knoll.</p> + +<p>"He's got a truck," cried Carnes. "We can get away in it."</p> + +<p>"Where to?" demanded Dr. Bird. "Archangel is between us and the +<i>Denver</i>."</p> + +<p>The truck came up.</p> + +<p>"Come on, Doctor," cried McCready. "Hurry up. We'll take the battery out +of this truck and get our plane going."</p> + +<p>"Oh, clever!" cried Dr. Bird admiringly. "Load that gun while I get +Feodrovna, Carnesy. We'll get away safely yet."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">The</span> truck rolled up to the plane and stopped. While Carnes transferred +the prisoner and the guns to the plane, the lieutenant and Dr. Bird +ripped up the floor boards of the truck and exposed the battery. It was +a matter of moments to detach it and carry it to the plane. It would not +fit in place but they anchored it in place with wire.</p> + +<p>"You'd better hurry," cried Carnes. "Here come a couple more trucks over +the plain."</p> + +<p>"That'll do, Doctor," said McCready. "Get on the prop and we'll see if +the old puddle jumper will take off."</p> + +<p>Dr. Bird ran to the propeller.</p> + +<p>"Ready!" he cried.</p> + +<p>"Contact!" snapped McCready.</p> + +<p>The plane motor roared into life. The ship moved slowly forward as Dr. +Bird climbed on board. Toward the oncoming trucks they rushed across the +plain. A crash seemed imminent. In the nick of time McCready pulled back +on his joystick and the plane rose gracefully into the air, clearing the +leading truck by inches. The truck halted and hastily mounted a machine +gun.</p> + +<p>"Too late!" laughed the lieutenant. "Now it's our turn for some fun."</p> + +<p>He tapped the key of his radio transmitter. In a few seconds he received +an answer.</p> + +<p>"They have reduced Fort Novadwinskaja," he reported to the rear cockpit, +"but they don't know what to fire at next. Their largest guns will reach +the factory easily. Shall I start some fireworks?"</p> + +<p>"You may fire when ready, Gridly," chuckled Dr. Bird.</p> + +<p>Again the lieutenant depressed his key. From their altitude of four +thousand feet, they could see the <i>Denver</i>. From its forward turret +came a puff of smoke. There were a few moments of pause and then a cloud +of black rose from the plain below them, half a mile from the factory. +McCready reported the position of the burst to the ship. A second shell +burst beyond the factory and the third just in front of it.</p> + +<p>"It's a clear bracket," said McCready. "Now watch the gun. I'll give +them a salvo."</p> + +<p class="initial"><span class="smcap">From</span> the side of the <i>Denver</i> came a cloud of black smoke as all of her +turret guns fired in unison. The aim was perfect. For a few moments all +was quiet and then the factory disappeared in a smother of bursting high +explosive shells.</p> + +<p>Hardly had the shells landed than a terrific sheet of lightning ripped +across the sky. The thunderclap which seemed to come simultaneously, +rocked the plane like a feather. Sheet after sheet of lightning +illuminated the sky while the roar of thunder was continuous. Rain fell +in solid sheets. Even as they watched, it began to turn into snow. The +air grew bitterly cold.</p> + +<p>"The solar magnet is wrecked," shouted the doctor, "and these storms are +the efforts of nature to return to normal."</p> + +<p>"If they get any worse, we're doomed."</p> + +<p>"But in a good cause."</p> + +<p>Through the storm the plane raced. Suddenly the motor died with +sickening suddenness.</p> + +<p>"Our haywire battery connections are gone," shouted McCready. "Say your +prayers."</p> + +<p>The wind tossed the plane about like a feather. Rapidly it lost +altitude. A building loomed up before them. As a crash seemed imminent, +a gust of wind caught the plane and tossed it up into the air again. For +several minutes the ground could not be seen through the rain. Suddenly +the plane hit an airpocket and dropped like a stone. With a splash it +fell into the sea. A rift came for a moment in the curtain of rain.</p> + +<p>"Look!" cried Carnes.</p> + +<p>A hundred yards away, the <i>Denver</i> rode at anchor.</p> + +<p>"I'm only sorry about one thing," said Carnes ten minutes later as they +changed to dry clothes aboard the battle cruiser, "and that is that +Saranoff wasn't in the factory when that salvo fell on it."</p> + +<p>"I'm glad he was away," replied Dr. Bird. "With him absent, we succeeded +in destroying it. If he had been there, our task would have been more +difficult and perhaps impossible. I am an enemy of Saranoff's, but I +don't underrate his colossal genius."</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Solar Magnet, by Sterner St. Paul Meek + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SOLAR MAGNET *** + +***** This file should be named 29401-h.htm or 29401-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/4/0/29401/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Tamise Totterdell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/29401-h/images/illus.jpg b/29401-h/images/illus.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..062eb78 --- /dev/null +++ b/29401-h/images/illus.jpg diff --git a/29401.txt b/29401.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a11336d --- /dev/null +++ b/29401.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1698 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Solar Magnet, by Sterner St. Paul Meek + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Solar Magnet + +Author: Sterner St. Paul Meek + +Release Date: July 13, 2009 [EBook #29401] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SOLAR MAGNET *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Tamise Totterdell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + Transcriber's Note: This e-text was produced from Astounding Stories + October 1931. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that + the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. + + + + +[Illustration: _Pistol in hand, the two men watched the oncoming lights._] + + + + +The Solar Magnet + +By Capt. S. P. Meek + + + +------------------------------------+ + | Another episode in Dr. Bird's long | + | scientific duel with his country's | + | arch-enemy, Saranoff. | + +------------------------------------+ + + +The milling crowd in front of the Capitol suddenly grew quiet. A tall +portly figure came out onto the porch of the building and stepped before +a microphone erected on the steps. A battery of press cameras clicked. A +newsreel photographer ground away on his machine. Wild cheers rent the +air. The President held up his hand for silence. As the cheering died +away he spoke into the microphone. + +"My countrymen," he said, "the Congress of the United States has met in +extraordinary session and is ready to cope with the condition with +which we are confronted. While they deliberate as to the steps to be +taken, it is essential that you meet this danger, if it be a danger, +with the bravery and the calm front which has always characterized the +people of the United States in times of trial and danger. You may rest +assured--" + +A slightly built, inconspicuous man who had followed the President out +onto the porch was surveying the crowd intently. He turned and spoke in +an undertone to a second man who mysteriously appeared from nowhere as +the first man spoke. He listened for a moment, nodded, and edged closer +to the President. The first man slipped unobtrusively down the Capitol +steps and mingled with the crowd. + +"--that no steps will be neglected which may prove of value," went on +the President. "The greatest scientists of the country have gathered in +this city in conference and they undoubtedly will soon find a simple and +natural explanation for what is happening. In the meantime--" + + * * * * * + +The President paused. From the crowd in front of him came a sudden +disturbance. A man sprang free of the crowd and broke through the +restraining cordon of police. In his hand gleamed an ugly blue steel +automatic pistol. Quickly he leveled it and fired. A puff of dust came +from the Capitol. The bullet had landed a few inches from one of the +lower windows, fifty feet from where the President stood. He raised his +weapon for a second shot but it was never fired. The man who had come +down the Capitol steps sprang forward like a cat and grasped the weapon. +For a moment the two men struggled, but only for a moment. From the +crowd, stunned for a moment by the sheer audacity of the attack, came a +roar of rage. The police closed in about the struggling men but the +crowd rolled over them like a wave. The captor shouted his identity and +tried to display the gold badge of the secret service but the mob was +in no state of mind to listen. The police were trampled underfoot and +the would-be assassin torn from the hands of the secret service +operative. Every man in reach tried to strike a blow. The secret service +man was buffeted and thrown aside. Realizing that the affair had been +taken out of his hands, he made his way to the rear of the Capitol where +his badge gained him ready passage through the cordon of police. He +entered the building and reappeared in a few moments by the side of the +President. + + * * * * * + +Two hours later he leaned forward in his chair in Dr. Bird's private +laboratory in the Bureau of Standards and spoke earnestly. + +"Dr. Bird," he said, "that bullet was never meant for the President. +That man was after bigger game." + +The famous scientist nodded thoughtfully. + +"Even a very rotten pistol shot should have come closer to him," he +replied. "He must have missed by a good forty feet." + +"He missed by a matter of inches. Doctor, that bullet struck the Capitol +only two inches from a window. In that window was standing a man. The +bullet was intended for the occupant of that window. I was directly +behind him when he raised his weapon for a second shot and I am sure of +his aim. He deliberately ignored the President and aimed again at that +window. That was when I tackled him." + +"Who was standing there, Carnes?" + +"_You_ were, Doctor." + +Dr. Bird whistled. + +"Then you think that bullet was intended for me?" + +"I am sure of it, Doctor. That fact proves one thing to me. You are +right in your idea that this whole affair is man-made and not an +accident of nature. The guiding intelligence back of it fears you more +than he fears anyone else and he took this means to get rid of you +unobtrusively. Attention was focused on the President. Your death would +have been laid to accident. It was a clever thought." + +"It does look that way, Carnes," said the doctor slowly. "If you are +right, this incident confirms my opinion. There is only one man in the +world clever enough to have disturbed the orderly course of the seasons, +and such a plan for my assassination would appeal to his love of the +dramatic." + +"You mean--" + +"Ivan Saranoff, of course." + +"We are pretty sure that he hasn't got back to the United States, +Doctor." + +"You may be right but I am sure of nothing where that man is concerned. +However, that fact has no bearing. He may be operating from anywhere. +His organization is still in the United States." + + * * * * * + +A knock sounded at the door. In response to the doctor's command a +messenger entered and presented a letter. Dr. Bird read it and dropped +it in a waste basket. + +"Tell them that I am otherwise engaged just now," he said curtly. The +messenger withdrew. "It was just a summons to another meeting of the +council of scientists," he said to Carnes. "They'll have to get along +without me. All they'll do anyway will be to read a lot of dispatches +and wrangle about data and the relative accuracy of their observations. +Herriott will lecture for hours on celestial mechanics and propound some +fool theory about a hidden body, which doesn't exist, and its possible +influence, which would be nil, on the inclination of the earth's axis. +After wasting four hours without a single constructive idea being put +forward, they will gravely conclude that the sun rose fifty-three +seconds earlier at the fortieth north parallel than it did yesterday and +correspondingly later at the fortieth south parallel. I know that +without wasting time." + +"Was it fifty-three seconds to-day, Doctor?" + +"Yes. This is the twentieth of July. The sun should have risen at 4:52, +sixteen minutes later than it rose on June twentieth and fifty-three +seconds later than it rose yesterday. Instead it rose at 4:20, sixteen +minutes _earlier_ than it did on June twentieth and fifty-three seconds +earlier than yesterday." + +"I don't understand what is causing it, Doctor. I have tried to follow +your published explanations, but they are a little too deep for me." + + * * * * * + +"As to the real underlying cause, I am in grave doubts, Carnes, although +I can make a pretty shrewd guess. As to the reason for the unnatural +lengthening of the day, the explanation is simplicity itself. As you +doubtless know, the earth revolves daily on its axis. At the same time, +it is moving in a great ellipse about the sun, an ellipse which it takes +it a year to cover. If the axis of rotation of the earth were at right +angles to the plane of its orbit; in other words, if the earth's equator +lay in the plane of the earth's movement about the sun, each day would +be of the same length and there would be no seasons. Instead of this +being the case, the axis of rotation of the earth is tipped so that the +angle between the equator and the elliptic is 23-1/2 deg." + +"I seem to remember something of the sort from my school days." + +"This angle of tilt may be assumed to be constant, for I won't bother +with the precessions, nutations and other minor movements considered in +accurate computations. As the earth moves around the sun, this tilt +gives rise to what we call the sun's declination. You can readily see +that at one time in the year, the north pole will be at its nearest +point to the sun, speaking in terms of tilt and not in miles, while at +another point on the elliptic, it will be farthest from the sun and the +south pole nearest. There are two midway points when the two poles are +practically equidistant." + +"Then the days and nights should be of equal length." + +"They are. These are the periods of the equinoxes. The point at which +the sun is nearest to the south pole we call the winter solstice, and +the opposite point, the summer solstice. The summer solstice is on June +twenty-first. At that time the declination of the sun is 23-1/2 deg. +north of the equatorial line. It starts to decrease until, six months +later, it reaches a minus declination of 23-1/2 deg. and is that far +south of the line. The longest day in the northern hemisphere is +naturally June twenty-first." + +"And the shortest day when the sun has the greatest minus declination." + + * * * * * + +"Precisely, at the winter solstice. Now to explain what is happening. +The year went normally until June twenty-first. That day was of the +correct length, about fourteen hours and fifty minutes long. The +twenty-second should have been shorter. Instead, it was longer than the +twenty-first. Each day, instead of getting shorter as it should at this +time of year, is getting longer. We have already gained some thirty-two +minutes of sunlight at this latitude. The explanation is that the angle +between the equator and the elliptic is no longer 23-1/2 deg. as it has +been from time immemorial, but it is greater. If the continuing tilt +keeps up long enough, the obliquity will be 90 deg. When that happens, +there will be perpetual midday at the north pole and perpetual night at +the south pole. The whole northern hemisphere will be bathed in a +continuous flood of sunlight while the southern hemisphere will be a +region of cold and dark. The condition of the earth will resemble that +of Mercury where the same face of the planet is continually facing the +sun." + +"I understand that all right, but I am still in the dark as to what is +causing this increase of tilt." + +"No more than I am, old dear. Herriott keeps babbling about a hidden +body which is drawing the earth from its normal axial rotation, but the +fool ignores the fact that a body of a size sufficient to disturb the +earth would throw every motion of the solar system into a state of +chaos. Nothing of the sort has happened. Ergo, no external force is +causing it. I am positive that the force which is doing the work is +located on the earth itself. Furthermore, unless my calculations are +badly off, this force is located on or very near the surface of the +earth at approximately the sixty-fifth degree of north latitude." + +"How can you tell that, Doctor?" + +"It would take me too long to explain, Carnes. I will, however, qualify +my statement a little. Either a variable force is being used or else a +constant force located where I have said. The sixty-fifth parallel is a +long line. The exact location and the nature of that force, we have to +find. If it be man-made, and I'll bet my bottom dollar that it is, we +will also have to destroy it. If we fail, we'll see this world plunged +into such a riot of war and bloodshed as has never before been known. It +will be literally a fight of mankind for a place in the sun. Due to its +favorable location in the new position of the earth, it is more than +probable that Russia would emerge as the dominant power." + +"Undertaking to destroy a thing that you don't know the location of and +of whose existence you aren't even sure is a pretty big contract." + + * * * * * + +"We've tackled bigger ones, old dear. We have the President behind us. I +haven't made much headway selling my idea to that gang of old fossils +who call themselves the council of scientists, but I did to his nibs. +Just before that attempt at assassination, I had a chin-chin with him. +The fastest battle cruiser in the Navy, the _Denver_, is to be placed at +my service. It will carry a big amphibian plane, so be equipped to +assemble and launch it. Bolton will relieve you from the Presidential +guard to-day. We sail in the morning." + +"Where for, Doctor?" + +"I feel sure that the force is caused and controlled by men and I know +of but one man who has the genius and the will to do such a thing. That +man is Saranoff. Because he must be concealed and work free from +interruption, I fancy he is working in his own country. Does that answer +your question?" + +"It does. We sail for Russia." + +"Carnesy, old dear, at times you have flashes of such scintillating +brilliance that I have hopes for the future of the secret service. In +time they may even show human intelligence. Toddle along now and pay +your fond farewells to the bright lights of Washington. Meet me at the +Pennsy station at six. We'll sail from New York in the morning." + + * * * * * + +With the famous scientist and his assistant as passengers, the _Denver_ +steamed at her best speed across the Atlantic. As soon as New York +harbor was cleared, Dr. Bird charted the course. Captain Evans raised +his eyebrows when he saw the course laid out, but his orders had been +positive. Had Dr. Bird ordered him to steam at full speed against the +shore, he would have obeyed without question. + +The _Denver_ avoided the usual lanes of traffic and bore to the north of +the summer lane. Not a vessel was sighted in the eight days which +elapsed before the Faroe Islands came in sight on the starboard bow. The +_Denver_ bore still more to the north and skirted around North Cape five +days later. At Cape Kanin she headed south into the White Sea. +Surprisingly little ice was encountered. When Captain Evans mentioned +this, Dr. Bird pointed out to him that it was August and that the days +were still lengthening. Once in the White Sea, the _Denver_ was made +ready for instant action. A huge amphibian plane was hoisted in sections +from the hold and mechanics started to assemble it. Dr. Bird spent most +of his time working on some instruments he had assembled in the radio +room. + +"This is an ultra-short wave detector," he explained to Carnes. "It will +receive vibrations to the lowest limit of waves that we have ever been +able to measure. The X-ray is high on the scale and even the cosmic ray +is far above its lower limit of detection. We are hunting for an +electro-magnet, the largest and strangest electro-magnet that has ever +been constructed. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we are +seeking for a generator of magnetic force. It does not generate the +ordinary magnetism which attracts iron and steel, nor the special type +of magnetism which we call gravity, but something between the two. It +attracts the sun enough to disturb the tilt of the earth's axis, but not +enough to pull the earth out of its orbit. Such a device should give out +a wave that can be detected, if we get a receiver delicate enough and +operating on the right wave length." + + * * * * * + +He spent hours improving and refining the apparatus, but in the end he +confessed himself beaten. + +"It's no use, Carnes," he said the day after Cape Kanin faded from view +to the north. "Either the apparatus we are seeking gives out no wave +that we can detect or my apparatus is faulty. Luckily we have other +things to guide us." + +"What are they, Doctor?" + +"The facts that Saranoff must have easy transportation and a source of +power. The first precludes him from locating his station far from the +sea-coast and the second indicates that it will be near a river or other +source of power. The only Russian points on the sixty-fifth parallel +that are open to water transport are the Gulf of Anadyr, north of +Kamchatka, and the vicinity of Archangel. I passed up Kamchatka because +it would mean too long a haul through unfriendly waters from Leningrad +and because there is not much water power. Archangel is easy of access +at this time of the year and it has the Dwina river for power. That will +be our first line of search." + +"We will explore by plane, of course?" + +"Certainly. We wouldn't get far on foot, especially as neither of us +speaks Russian. We'll head south for another day and then-- What's that?" + + * * * * * + +He paused and listened. From the distance came a dull drone of sound +which brought him to his feet with a start. He raced out onto deck with +Carnes at his heels. Far overhead in the blue, a tiny speck of black +hovered. + +"We're on the right trail, Carnes," he said grimly. The plane passed +over them. In huge circles it sank toward the ground. Dr. Bird turned to +Captain Evans. Orders flew from the bridge and a detail of marines +rapidly stripped the covers from the two forward anti-aircraft rifles. + +"I dislike to fire on that craft before it makes a hostile +demonstration, Dr. Bird," demurred Captain Evans. "We are at peace with +Russia. My action in firing might precipitate a war, or in any event, +serious diplomatic misunderstandings." + +"Allow me to correct you, Captain Evans, we are at war with Russia. The +whole world is at war with the man who has pulled the earth out of her +course. In any event, your orders are positive and the responsibility is +mine. Wait until that plane gets within easy range and then shoot it +down. Do not fail to get it; it must not get back to shore with word of +our approach." + +Captain Evans bowed gravely. Shells came up from the magazines and were +piled by the guns. From the fire control stations came a monotonous +calling of firing data. The guns slowly changed direction as the plane +descended. Nearer and nearer it came, intent on positive identification +of the war vessel below it. It passed over the _Denver_ less than five +thousand feet up. As it passed it swung off to one side and began to +climb sharply. Dr. Bird glanced at the fighting top of the cruiser and +swore softly. From the top the stars and stripes had been broken to the +breeze. + +"Fire at once!" he cried, "and then court-martial the fool who broke out +that flag!" + + * * * * * + +The two three-inch rifles barked their message of death into the sky. +For agonizing seconds nothing happened. The guns roared again. Below and +behind the fleeing plane, two puffs of white smoke appeared in the sky. +The staccato calls of the observers came from the control station and +the guns roared again and again. Now above and now below the Russian +plane appeared the white puffs that told of bursting shells, but the +plane droned on, unharmed. + +"It's away safely," groaned the doctor. "Now the fat _is_ in the fire. +Saranoff will know in an hour that we are coming. If we had a pursuit +plane ready to take off, we might catch him, but we haven't. Oh, well, +there's no use in crying over spilt milk. How soon will that amphibian +be ready to take off?" + +"In twenty minutes. Doctor," replied the Engineering Officer. "As soon +as we finish filling the tanks and test the motor, she'll be ready to +ramble." + +"Hurry all you can. Hang a half dozen hundred-pound bombs and a few +twenty-fives on the racks. Lower her over the side as soon as she's +ready. Where's Lieutenant McCready?" + +"Below, getting into his flying togs, Doctor." + +"Good enough. Come on, Carnes, we'll go below and put on our fur-lined +panties, too. We'll probably need them." + + * * * * * + +In half an hour the amphibian rose from the water. Lieutenant McCready +was at the controls, with Carnes and the doctor at the bomb racks. The +plane rose in huge spirals until the altimeter read four thousand feet. +The pilot straightened it out toward the south. The plane was alone in +the sky. For two hours it flew south and then veered to the east, +following the line of the Gulf of Archangel. The town came in sight at +last. + +"Better drop down a couple of thousand, Lieutenant," said Dr. Bird into +the speaking tube. "We can't see much from this altitude." + +The plane swung around in a wide circle, gradually losing altitude. +Carnes and the doctor hung over the side watching the ground below them. +As they watched a puff of smoke came from a low building a mile from the +edge of the town. Dr. Bird grabbed the speaking tube. + +"Bank, McCready!" he barked, "They're firing at us." + +The plane lurched sharply to one side. From a point a few yards below +them and almost directly along their former line of flight, a burst of +flame appeared in the air. The plane lurched and reeled as the blast of +the explosion reached it. From other points on the ground came other +puffs. + +"Get out of here," shouted Dr. Bird. "There must be a dozen guns firing +at us. One of them will have the range directly." + +From all around them came flashes and the roar of explosions. The plane +lurched and yawed in a sickening fashion. Lieutenant McCready fought +heroically with the controls, trying to prevent the sideslips which were +costing him altitude. Gradually the plane came under control and started +to climb. The shells burst nearer as the plane took a straighter course +and strove to fly out of the danger zone. Dr. Bird looked at the +air-speed meter. + +"A hundred and eighty," he shouted to Carnes. "We'll be safely out of +range in a minute." + + * * * * * + +The bursts were mostly behind them now. Suddenly a blast of air struck +them with terrific force. Half a dozen holes appeared in the fabric of +the wings. A bit of high explosive shell plowed a way through the after +compartment and wrecked the duplicate instrument board. In another +moment they were out of range. Lieutenant McCready turned the nose of +his plane toward the north. + +"We came out of that well," cried Carnes. Dr. Bird dropped the speaking +tube which he had held pressed to his ear and smiled grimly at the +detective. + +"I wish we had," he replied. "Our main gas tank is punctured." + +An expression of alarm crossed the detective's face. + +"Is it injured badly?" he asked. + +"I don't know yet. McCready says that the gauge is dropping pretty +rapidly. I'm going to go out and see what I can do." + +"Can't I go, Doctor? I'm a good deal lighter than you are." + +"You're not as strong or as agile, Carnes, and you haven't the +mechanical ability to make the repair. Hand me that line." + +He fastened one end of a coil of manila rope which Carnes handed him to +his waist, while the detective fastened the other end to one of the +safety belt hooks. With a word of farewell, he climbed out of the +cockpit and onto a wing. In the pocket of his flying suit he carried a +tool kit and repair material. Carnes shuddered as the doctor's figure +disappeared under the plane. He snubbed the rope about a seat bracket +and held it taut. For ten minutes the strain continued. It slackened at +last, and the figure of the doctor reappeared on the wing. Slowly he +climbed into the cockpit. + +"I've made a temporary repair, Lieutenant," he called into the speaking +tube, "and the leakage has stopped. How much gas have we left?" + +"Enough for about an hour of flying, including the emergency tank." + +"Thunder! No chance to get back to the _Denver_. Better head inland and +follow the course of the Dwina. If we can locate the place we are +looking for we may be able to drop a few eggs on it before we are washed +out. In any event, it will be better to come down on land than on +water." + + * * * * * + +McCready headed the plane south and followed the winding ribbon below +him which marked the channel of the Dwina. He kept his altitude well +over eight thousand feet. For a few minutes the plane roared along. +Without warning the motor sputtered once or twice and died. + +"Gas finished?" asked Dr. Bird into the speaking tube. + +"No, there is plenty of gas for another forty-five minutes. It acted +like a short in the wiring. Maybe another fragment got us that we didn't +know about. I can glide to a safe landing, Doctor. Which direction shall +I go?" + +"It doesn't matter," replied Dr. Bird as he looked over the side. "Wait +a minute, it does matter. See that long low building down there with the +projection like a tower on top? I'll bet a month's pay that that is the +very place we're looking for. Glide over it and let's have a look at it. +If I am convinced of it, I'll drop a few eggs on it." + +"Right!" + +McCready glided on a long slope toward the suspected building. Dr. Bird +kept his eye glued to the bomb sight. + +"It's suspicious enough for me to act," he cried. "Drop one!" + +Carnes pulled a lever and a hundred-pound high explosive bomb detached +itself from the plane and fell toward the ground. + +"Another!" cried the doctor. + +A second messenger of death followed the first. + +"Bank around and back over while we give them the rest." + +"Right!" + +The plane swung around in a wide circle. + +"Volley!" cried the doctor. Carnes pulled the master lever and the rest +of the bombs fell earthward. + +"Now glide to the east, McCready, until you are forced down." + + * * * * * + +McCready banked the plane and started on a long glide toward the east. +Carnes and the doctor watched the falling bombs. The doctor's aim had +been perfect. The first bomb released struck the building squarely while +the other landed only a few feet away. Instead of the puffs of smoke +which they had expected, the bombs had no effect. The volley which +Carnes had discharged fell full on the building as harmlessly as had the +two pilot shots. + +"Were these bombs armed, Lieutenant?" demanded the doctor. + +"Yes, sir. I inspected them myself before we took off and they were +fused and armed. They had always fused and should have gone off, no +matter in what position they landed." + +"Well, they didn't. That building is our goal all right. Saranoff would +naturally expect an air raid and he has perfected some device which +renders a bomb impotent before it lands. How far from the building will +you land?" + +"A couple of miles, Doctor." + +"Get as far as you can. If you can make that line of thicket ahead, +we'll take to our heels and hope to hide in it." + +"I don't think we'll have much luck, Doctor," said Carnes. + +"Why not?" + +"Look behind." + +Dr. Bird looked back toward the building they had tried to bomb. Across +the country, a truck loaded with armed men followed the course of the +plane. The plane was gaining slightly on the truck but it was evident +that the plane's occupants would have little chance of escaping on foot. +Dr. Bird gave a grim laugh. + +"We're cornered all right," he said. "If we did elude the men in that +truck, we would have a plane after us in no time. You might as well turn +back, McCready, and land fairly near the building. We are sure to be +captured and our best chance is to have the plane near us. They'll +probably patch it up and if we get a chance to escape later, it may be a +lifesaver. At any rate, we've lost for the present." + + * * * * * + +McCready turned the plane again to the west. The truck halted at their +new maneuver. As the plane passed over, it turned and again followed +them. The ground was approaching rapidly. With a final dip, McCready +leveled off and made a landing. The machine rolled to a stop about a +mile from the building. The truck was less than three hundred yards +away. It came up rapidly and disgorged a dozen men armed with rifles who +hurried forward. In the lead was a tall, slight figure who carried no +gun. Dr. Bird stepped forward to meet them. + +"Do you understand English?" he asked. + +An incomprehensible jargon of Russian answered him. The men raised their +rifles threateningly. Dr. Bird turned back to his companions. + +"Resistance is hopeless," he said. "Surrender gracefully and we'll see +what comes of it." + +He faced the Russians and held one hand high above his head. The Russian +leader stepped forward and confiscated the doctor's pistol. He repeated +the process with Carnes and McCready, frisking them thoroughly for +concealed weapons. At his command, six of the Russians stepped forward. +The Americans took their place in the midst of the guard and were +marched to the truck. The balance of the Russians moved over to the +American's plane. The truck rolled forward and approached the low +building. The projection which Dr. Bird had noticed from the air proved +to be a metal tube projection from the roof, fully twenty feet in +diameter and fifty feet long. + +"A projection tube of some sort," said the doctor, pointing. An excited +command came from the Russian in command. A rifle was leveled +threateningly at the doctor. He took the hint and maintained silence +while they climbed down from the truck and approached the door of the +building. + +It swung open as they approached. As they entered a strong garlic-like +smell was evident. The hum of heavy machinery smote their ears. + + * * * * * + +They were led down a corridor to a flight of steps. On the floor below +they went along another corridor to a heavy iron-studded door. The guide +unlocked it with a huge key and swung it open. With a shrug of his +shoulders, Dr. Bird led the way into the cell. The door closed behind +them and they were left alone. Dr. Bird turned to his companions. + +"Be careful what you say," he whispered. "I am not at all convinced that +there is no one here who knows English and we are probably spied upon. +There is almost sure to be a dictaphone somewhere in this room. We don't +want to give them any more information than we have to." + +Carnes and McCready nodded. Dr. Bird spoke aloud of inconsequential +matters while they explored the cell. It was a room some twenty feet +square, fitted with three bunks on one side, built into the wall like +the berths on shipboard. The room was lighted by a single electric light +overhead. A door opened into a lavatory equipped with running water. + +"We're comfortable here, at any rate," said the doctor cheerfully. "They +evidently don't mean to make us suffer. I'd like to know why they took +the trouble to capture us, anyway. It would seem to be more in line with +their usual policy to have shot us on sight. It must be that they want +some sort of information from us." + +Neither of his companions had a better reason to offer and conversation +languished. For an hour they sat almost without speech. A sound at the +door brought them to their feet. It opened and a Russian girl pushed in +a cart laden with food. She made no reply to the remarks which Dr. Bird +addressed to her but quickly and silently put their food on the table. +When she had completed her task, she left the room without having spoken +a word. + +"Beautiful, but dumb," Dr. Bird remarked. "Let's eat." + +"Do you suppose that it's safe to eat this food, Doctor?" asked Carnes +in a whisper. + +"I don't know, and I don't care. If we've got to go out, we might as +well be poisoned as shot. If we refuse food, they can poison us through +our water. We couldn't refuse that for any length of time. I'm hungry +and I'm going to make a good meal. What's this stuff, _bortsch_?" + + * * * * * + +They soon received proof that they were under observation. Hardly had +they pushed back their chairs at the completion of the meal than the +door opened and the Russian girl who had brought their food removed the +empty dishes. Silence settled down over the cell. For another hour they +waited before the door opened again. A tall bearded Russian entered with +a younger man at his heels. The bearded man dropped into a chair while +his companion sat at the table and opened a notebook. + +"Stand up!" barked the Russian sternly. + +Carnes and McCready rose to their feet but Dr. Bird remained stretched +out on a bed. + +"What for?" he demanded languidly. + +The Russian bristled with rage. + +"When I speak to you, you shall obey," he said in curiously clipped +English, "else it will be the worse for you. Would you rather be +questioned while in the _strelska_ than while standing?" + +"Not by a long shot," replied Dr. Bird promptly as he rose to his feet. +"Fire away, old fellow. I'll talk." + +"What are your names?" + +"I am Addison Sims of Seattle," replied Dr. Bird gravely, "and my +friends are Mr. Earle Liedermann and Mr. Bernarr Macfadden. You may have +read of us in the American magazines." + +"Their names," said the Russian to his clerk, "are Dr. Bird, of the +Bureau of Standards; Operative Carnes, of the United States Secret +Service; and Lieutenant McCready, of the United States Navy. Dr. Bird, +you will save yourself trouble if you will answer my future questions +truthfully." + +"Then ask questions to which I am not sure that you know the answer," +replied the doctor dryly. + +"What vessel brought you here?" + +"The _Denver_." + +"What is her armament?" + +"Consult the Navy list. You will doubtless find a copy in your files. It +may be purchased from the Superintendent of Public Documents at +Washington." + + * * * * * + +"What is your errand here?" + +"To consult with Ivan Saranoff and learn his future plans. If he means +merely to bestow on the northern hemisphere additional sunshine and +warmth, it is possible that the United States will not oppose him. We +would benefit equally with Russia, you know. Possibly the northern +countries could form some sort of an alliance against the southern +hemisphere which is already threatening war." + +"You chose a peculiar way of showing your peaceable intentions. You shot +down our plane without warning and you dropped bombs on us at first +sight." + +"But they didn't explode." + +"No, thanks to our ray operators. Dr. Bird, I have no time to waste. +Either you will answer my questions fully and truthfully or I will +resort to torture." + +"You don't dare. You were merely bluffing when you mentioned the +_strelska_. If you tortured us, you would have to answer to Ivan +Saranoff on his return." + +"How did you know that he is--" The Russian paused and bit his lip. +"Shall I tell him that you refuse to talk?" + +"When he returns, you may tell him that I will be glad to talk frankly +with him. I came to Russia for that purpose, but I will not talk with +one of his underlings. In the meanwhile, we are having lovely weather +for this time of year, aren't we?" + +With a muttered curse the Russian rose and left the room. Carnes turned +to Dr. Bird. + +"How did you know that Saranoff was away?" he demanded. + +"I didn't," replied Dr. Bird with a chuckle, "it was merely a shrewd +guess. We have twisted his tail so often that I figured he could not +resist the temptation to come here and gloat a few gloats over us if he +were here. I know his ruthless methods in dealing with his subordinates +and I knew that they would never dare to resort to torture in his +absence. No, old dear, we are safe until he returns. I hope he stays +away a long time." + + * * * * * + +Four days passed monotonously. Three times a day the Russian girl +appeared with ample meals. Despite their attempts to engage her in +conversation, not a word would she reply or give any indication that she +either heard or understood their remarks. The bearded Russian appeared +daily and tried to question them, but Dr. Bird laughed at his threats +and reaffirmed his intention of talking to no one but Saranoff. + +"Your chance will soon come," replied the Russian with an evil leer on +the fourth day. "He will be here the day after to-morrow. He will be +able to make you talk." + +"If he's telling the truth, the jig's about up," said Dr. Bird when the +Russian had left. "I don't fancy that Saranoff will show us much mercy +when he finds out what we've attempted to do." + +"How would it be to overpower our waitress and make a break?" asked +McCready in a guarded whisper. + +"No good at all," replied the doctor decisively. "We wouldn't have a +Chinaman's chance. Our best bet is to talk turkey to Saranoff. He may +spare us if I can make him believe that I am willing to work for him. +What a man he is! If we could turn his genius into the right channels, +he would be a blessing to the world." + + * * * * * + +He paused as the door swung open and the Russian girl appeared with +their food. She placed the cart against the wall and suddenly turned and +faced them. + +"Dr. Bird," she said in excellent English, "I am Feodrovna Androvitch." + +"I'm glad to know you," said Dr. Bird with a bow. + +"Do you recognize my name?" + +"I'm very sorry, my dear, but it simply doesn't register." + +"Do you remember Stefan Androvitch?" + +A sudden light came into Dr. Bird's face. + +"Yes," he exclaimed, "I do. He used to work for me in the Bureau some +time ago. I had to let him go under peculiar circumstances. Is he +related to you?" + +"He was my twin brother. The peculiar circumstances you refer to were +that you caught him stealing platinum. Instead of turning him over to +the police, you asked him why he stole. He told you his wife was dying +for lack of things that money would buy and he stole for her. You +allowed him to quit his position honorably and you gave him money for +his immediate needs. For that act of mercy, I am here to reward you." + +"Bread cast upon the waters," murmured Carnes. The Russian girl turned +on him like a wildcat. + +"Unless you wish to deprive yourself and your companions of my help, you +will not quote the Bible, that sop thrown by the church to their slaves, +to me," she said venomously. "I am a woman of the proletariat!" + +"Respect the lady's anti-religious prejudices, Carnesy, old dear," said +the doctor with a smile. "How do you propose to aid us, Miss +Androvitch?" + +"I will give you exactly what you gave my brother, your freedom and +money for your immediate needs." + +"Thanks. But, er--haven't you considered what your position here will +be if you aid us to escape? Saranoff doesn't deal kindly with traitors, +I fancy." + +The girl spat on the floor. + +"That swine!" she hissed, "I would like to kill him. I would have done +so long ago had not the hope of the people rested on his genius. When +the people finally triumph, I will feed his heart to my cat." + +"Nice, gentle, loving disposition," murmured the doctor. "All right, my +dear, we're ready for anything. What's the first move?" + + * * * * * + +The girl whisked the covers from the food cart and displayed three +pistols and belts of ammunition. + +"Put these on," she said, "and take this food with you. I will take you +to a hiding place outside the walls where you may safely stay for a few +days. I will bring you fresh supplies of food. As quickly as possible I +will arrange for you to escape from Russia. When you have left Russia +safely, my debt is paid and you are again my enemies." + +"But, listen here," said Dr. Bird persuasively, "why don't you come with +us? You know the object of our coming here. We aim to destroy this plant +and let the earth take its normal tilt. You hate Saranoff, although I +don't know why. If you'll help us to destroy him, we'll guarantee you a +welcome in the United States and you can join your brother. I'll take +him back into my laboratory." + +"My brother is dead," she said bitterly. "After he left you, he fell +into more evil times. His wife died and he swore revenge upon the +society which had murdered her. An opportunity came to him to join +Saranoff, and he did so. Saranoff hated him and distrusted him, although +he was the soul of loyalty. As a reward for his genius and aid to +Saranoff in constructing the black lamp, Saranoff abandoned him to you. +It was your men who killed him when you blew into nothingness the +helicopter he was piloting in your state of Maryland, near Washington." + +"All the more reason why you should revenge yourself upon Saranoff," +replied the doctor. "We will give you a chance to do so and aid you. We +also give you an opportunity to be received in a free country with +honor." + +An expression of rage distorted the girl's features. + +"I am a woman of the proletariat!" she cried. "I hate Ivan Saranoff for +what he has done but I am loyal to him. He alone will force the +bourgeoisie to their knees and establish the rule of the people. I hate +your country and your government; yes, and I hate you. I aid you because +I must pay my just debts. Come, the way is clear for your escape. Don't +ask how I cleared it." + +"Come on," said Dr. Bird with a shrug of his shoulders. "There is no +arguing with convictions. She must act according to her lights, even as +we must act according to ours. Grab your guns and let's go." + + * * * * * + +The three buckled on the weapons and belts of ammunition and followed +the girl from the cell. Once outside she touched her lips for silence. A +door barred their way but she opened it with a key which she withdrew +from her dress. Outside the door, a guard slumbered noisily. At a motion +from the girl, Carnes rolled him over on his face to quiet his snoring. +He moved and stirred, but did not wake. + +A few feet from the door the girl paused and faced the wall. She +manipulated a hidden lever and a panel swung open in the wall. She led +the way silently into the dark. As the panel closed behind her, a beam +of light from an electric torch stabbed the darkness. Down a sloping +tunnel they followed her for half a mile. The tunnel turned at right +angles and led upward. At length they paused before another door. The +girl opened it and they stepped out into the night. As they did so, a +dull booming struck their ears. The girl paused. + +"The ship!" she cried. "Your ship! It is attacking Fort Novadwinskaja. +The factory will be awake in a moment! Run for your lives!" + +Even as she spoke a pair of twinkling lights appeared far down the +tunnel through which they had come. She turned as if to return down the +tunnel. Dr. Bird caught her about the waist and clapped his hand over +her mouth. + +"Quick, Carnes, your belt," he cried. "Tie her up. She meant to go down +that tunnel and give her life to delay them while we escaped. We'll save +her in spite of herself." + +Carnes and McCready quickly bound the struggling girl with their belts. +They laid her on the ground beside the door and watched the oncoming +lights. + +"You two hold them back for the present," said the doctor. "I'm going to +take Feodrovna away a bit and argue gently with her. If I can make her +see the light, we may accomplish our mission yet. If I can't, I'll come +back and help you." + + * * * * * + +He picked up the girl in his arms and disappeared into the darkness. +Pistol in hand, the two men watched the oncoming lights. The men behind +the lights could not be seen, but from the sound of their footsteps it +was evident that there were quite a few of them. + +"Had we better let them emerge from the door and then get them?" +whispered Carnes. + +"No. These heavy guns will drive a bullet through three men at short +range. Level your gun down the tunnel and fire when I give the word. +Remember, every one is apt to shoot high in the dark." + +The lights approached slowly. When they were twenty-five yards away, +Lieutenant McCready spoke. The quiet was shattered by the roar of two +Luger pistols. Again and again the guns barked. A volley of fire came +from the tunnel, but Carnes and the lieutenant were standing well away +from the opening and they escaped unharmed. Their deadly fire poured +into the shambles until they were rewarded by the sound of retreating +feet. + +"So ends round one," said Carnes with a laugh. "I think we win on +points." + +"They won't try a direct attack again," replied the lieutenant. "Look +out for a flank attack or from some new weapon. I don't like the way +those bombs failed to explode the other day." + +Dr. Bird appeared from the darkness. + +"McCready," he said in a voice vibrant with excitement, "we're in luck. +We have come out less than a hundred yards from the point where our +plane came down. It is still there. If the _Denver_ has approached +within shooting range, we will have enough gas to make it. Try to get +your motor going." + +"If it isn't completely washed out I'll have it going in a few minutes, +Doctor," cried the pilot. "I'm going down the tunnel and get those +flash-lights those birds dropped when they pulled out. Where's the +girl?" + +"She's back by the plane," said the doctor with a chuckle. "She is a +spit-fire, all right. I took her gag off and she tried to bite me. I +couldn't get a word of anything but abuse out of her. Go ahead and get +the lights and I'll show you the plane." + + * * * * * + +In a few minutes they stood before the ship. It was apparently +uninjured, but the spark was dead. Carnes went back to the tunnel mouth +to guard against surprise while Dr. Bird and McCready labored over the +motor. Despite the best of both of them, no spark could be coaxed from +the coil. As a last resort, Dr. Bird short-circuited the cells with a +screwdriver blade. No answering spark came from the terminals. + +"Dead as a mackerel," he remarked. "I guess that ends that hope. Let's +get the machine guns out of her. Well have another attack soon and +they'll be more effective than our pistols." + +It was the work of a few minutes to dismount the two Brownings from the +plane. Carrying the two guns, Dr. Bird joined Carnes while McCready +staggered along laden down with belts of ammunition. + +"Do you remember that rocky knoll we passed just before we landed?" +asked the lieutenant. "If we can get this stuff there before we are +attacked, we'll have a much better chance than we will in the open." + +"Good idea, Lieutenant. Carnes, connect yourself to one of these guns. +I'll fasten the other on my back and carry Feodrovna. We can't leave her +here to Saranoff's tender mercies." + +Through the night the little cavalcade made its way. The thunder of guns +from Fort Novadwinskaja kept up and the sky to the north was lighted by +their flashes. McCready's bump of direction proved to be a good one for +the sought-for retreat was soon located. As they deposited their burdens +and looked back, the lights of two trucks could be seen approaching +across the plain from the factory. Hurriedly they mounted the machine +gun. Dr. Bird straightened up and listened carefully. + +"The guns are sounding less frequently," he said. "Possibly the _Denver_ +has had enough and is pulling out." + +"If I know Captain Evans as well as I think I do, the _Denver_ is not +retreating," replied McCready grimly. + +"I hope she's hammering the fort out of existence," said the doctor. +"However, our main interest just now is on the land front. Gunners to +the fore. Carnes, you aren't so good at this, better let McCready and me +handle them." + + * * * * * + +The trucks approached slowly. Presently the American plane loomed up in +the glare of their headlights. A powerful searchlight mounted on the +leading truck swept the country. Discovery was a matter of moments. +Lieutenant McCready trained his gun carefully and pressed the trigger. A +rattle of fire came from the Browning. A crash was heard from the truck +and the searchlight winked out. + +"Bull's-eye!" cried Carnes exultantly. + +"Down, you fool!" cried the doctor as he swept the detective from his +feet and threw him down behind a rock. His action was none too soon. A +burst of machine gun fire came from the trucks and a hail of bullets +splattered on the rocks a few yards from them. McCready crawled back to +his gun. + +"Wait a minute, Lieutenant," counseled the doctor. "A burst of fire from +here will give them our location and probably do them little damage. +Wait until they try to rush us." + +They did not have long to wait. A guttural shout came from a point a few +yards away and the sound of running feet came to their ears. The rush +was directed toward a point a few yards to the left of where they +crouched. Dr. Bird swung his gun around. As the rush passed them, he +released his trigger. A volley of screams and oaths from the plain +answered the crackle of the Browning. McCready's gun joined in with a +staccato burst of fire. The attack could not live before that rain of +death. A few running feet were heard from the darkness and a few +groans. Presently the roar of a motor came from the direction of the +parked trucks. It retreated into the distance and all was quiet. + +"Round two goes to us on a knock-down," said Carnes jubilantly. "What +will they do next, Doctor?" + +"Probably nothing until daylight, now that they know we have machine +guns. I wish that we could make that thicket, but it's too far to try. +It'll be daylight in an hour or so." + +The night was normally short in Archangel at that season of the year and +the unnatural lengthening of the day which Saranoff had accomplished +made it shorter still. In an hour red streamers in the east announced +the approach of daylight. Hardly had they appeared than a dull drone of +truck motors came from the direction of the factory. + +"Round three is about to commence," announced Carnes. "I wish that I +could do something." + +"You can as soon as our ammunition runs out, which won't be long," +replied McCready. "It will be a matter of pistols at close quarters." + + * * * * * + +The trucks approached to within a half mile and stopped. The distance +was too great to warrant wasting any of their scanty store of ammunition +at such long range. In the dim light they would see the Russians working +at the trucks. Presently a flash came from the plain. A whining sound +filled the air. With a crash a three-inch shell broke behind them. + +"No fun," remarked the doctor. "We'll have to get better cover than +this." + +A second shell whined through the air and burst over their heads. A +third burst a few yards in front of them. + +"They have us bracketed now," said McCready. "We'd better slide back a +piece before they start rapid fire." + +Dragging their prisoner with them, the three men made their way to the +reverse side of the knoll. A short search revealed an overhanging ledge +under which they crouched in comparative safety from anything but a +direct hit above them. + +"We're all right here except for the fact that they may rush us under +cover of the fire," said the doctor. "One man will have to keep watch +all the time and it will be a dangerous detail. I'll take the first +hitch." + +"You will not!" exclaimed Carnes emphatically. "I have done nothing so +far and I am the least important member of the party. I'll do the +watching." + +"Let's draw straws," suggested McCready. "I'm willing to do that, but if +it's a matter of volunteering, I refuse to yield to the civilian +branches of the government. The Navy has traditions to uphold, you +know." + +"McCready's right," replied the doctor. "Get straws, Lieutenant, and +we'll draw." + +McCready picked up three bits of grass and held them out. + +"The shortest goes on watch," he said. Carnes and the doctor drew, +McCready exhibited the remaining bit of grass. It was the shortest of +the three. He waited until the next shell burst above them and then +stepped out from the shelter. + +"I'll relieve you in fifteen minutes," said Carnes as he left. + +"Right." + + * * * * * + +When the lieutenant had left, Dr. Bird removed the gag from Feodrovna's +mouth and tried to argue with her, but the Russian girl only glared her +hatred and refused to talk other than to abuse him. With a sigh, the +doctor gave over his efforts and talked to Carnes. The time passed +slowly with a constant rain of shells on the knoll. + +"It's time for my relief," said Carnes at length. As he spoke the hail +of shells on the knoll ceased. + +"What the dickens?" cried the doctor. + +He and Carnes jumped from their shelter and ran over the knoll. On the +plain a few hundred yards from them, a straggling line of Russians were +advancing with fixed bayonets. McCready was nowhere in sight. + +"Where the devil is McCready?" cried the doctor. "He must have been +killed. Hello, one of the guns is gone, too. There's only a belt and a +half of ammunition left. I'll try to break that attack up." + +He advanced to the gun and trained it carefully. When he pressed the +trigger a dull click came from the gun. + +"Misfire!" he cried. He drew back the bolt and inserted a fresh +cartridge. Again the gun clicked harmlessly. Dr. Bird ejected the shell +and examined it. A deep indentation appeared on the primer. Hurriedly he +tried a half dozen more cartridges but they refused to explode. He +turned a keen gaze toward the trucks. On the ground was set a tube-like +projector pointing toward them. Dr. Bird swore softly and jerked his +pistol from its holster. The hammer clicked futilely on a cartridge. + +"Stymied!" he exclaimed. "They have that portable ray mechanism, with +them, which disabled our bombs. It's hand to hand, Carnesy, old dear. I +wonder where McCready is." + + * * * * * + +The Russians approached slowly, keeping their lines straight. They were +within two hundred yards of the knoll. Suddenly from a point a hundred +yards to the left of the end of the land came a rattle of fire. The +attacking line dropped in a pile of grotesque heaps. + +"It's McCready!" shouted Carnes. A little ravine ran from the knoll +toward the trucks. Sitting in the ravine was the lieutenant, playing a +Browning machine gun on the line of attackers. When there were no more +of them on their feet, he turned his gun on the trucks. Panic seized the +Russians and they made a rush for their truck. Their leader leaped among +them, yelling furiously. They paused and turned to the projector tube. +Slowly they swung it around. The lieutenant's gun ceased firing. + +As the Russians rushed the now silent gun, Dr. Bird stepped to the gun +on the knoll. He trained it and pressed the trigger. A rattle of fire +came from it and two of the rushing figures fell. The attack paused for +an instant. McCready had risen to his feet and was running up the ravine +with his gun under his arm. + +"Good head!" cried Dr. Bird, "Clever work! Watch the fun now." + +He ceased firing his gun. The Russians wavered and then rushed the point +from which McCready had fired. The lieutenant allowed them to get to +within a short distance and then crumpled the attack with another burst +of fire from the flank. With cries of alarm, the Russians turned and +fled toward their trucks. McCready ran along the ravine until he was +within fifty yards of the standing machines. As the Russians approached, +one of them stepped to the truck crank. McCready's pistol spoke and he +dropped. A second shared his fate. With cries of despair, the Russians +climbed into the remaining truck whose motor was running. Rapidly it +drove away across the plain. McCready rose from the ravine and ran +toward the standing truck. He started the motor and headed for the +knoll. + +"He's got a truck," cried Carnes. "We can get away in it." + +"Where to?" demanded Dr. Bird. "Archangel is between us and the +_Denver_." + +The truck came up. + +"Come on, Doctor," cried McCready. "Hurry up. We'll take the battery out +of this truck and get our plane going." + +"Oh, clever!" cried Dr. Bird admiringly. "Load that gun while I get +Feodrovna, Carnesy. We'll get away safely yet." + + * * * * * + +The truck rolled up to the plane and stopped. While Carnes transferred +the prisoner and the guns to the plane, the lieutenant and Dr. Bird +ripped up the floor boards of the truck and exposed the battery. It was +a matter of moments to detach it and carry it to the plane. It would not +fit in place but they anchored it in place with wire. + +"You'd better hurry," cried Carnes. "Here come a couple more trucks over +the plain." + +"That'll do, Doctor," said McCready. "Get on the prop and we'll see if +the old puddle jumper will take off." + +Dr. Bird ran to the propeller. + +"Ready!" he cried. + +"Contact!" snapped McCready. + +The plane motor roared into life. The ship moved slowly forward as Dr. +Bird climbed on board. Toward the oncoming trucks they rushed across the +plain. A crash seemed imminent. In the nick of time McCready pulled back +on his joystick and the plane rose gracefully into the air, clearing the +leading truck by inches. The truck halted and hastily mounted a machine +gun. + +"Too late!" laughed the lieutenant. "Now it's our turn for some fun." + +He tapped the key of his radio transmitter. In a few seconds he received +an answer. + +"They have reduced Fort Novadwinskaja," he reported to the rear cockpit, +"but they don't know what to fire at next. Their largest guns will reach +the factory easily. Shall I start some fireworks?" + +"You may fire when ready, Gridly," chuckled Dr. Bird. + +Again the lieutenant depressed his key. From their altitude of four +thousand feet, they could see the _Denver_. From its forward turret +came a puff of smoke. There were a few moments of pause and then a cloud +of black rose from the plain below them, half a mile from the factory. +McCready reported the position of the burst to the ship. A second shell +burst beyond the factory and the third just in front of it. + +"It's a clear bracket," said McCready. "Now watch the gun. I'll give +them a salvo." + + * * * * * + +From the side of the _Denver_ came a cloud of black smoke as all of her +turret guns fired in unison. The aim was perfect. For a few moments all +was quiet and then the factory disappeared in a smother of bursting high +explosive shells. + +Hardly had the shells landed than a terrific sheet of lightning ripped +across the sky. The thunderclap which seemed to come simultaneously, +rocked the plane like a feather. Sheet after sheet of lightning +illuminated the sky while the roar of thunder was continuous. Rain fell +in solid sheets. Even as they watched, it began to turn into snow. The +air grew bitterly cold. + +"The solar magnet is wrecked," shouted the doctor, "and these storms are +the efforts of nature to return to normal." + +"If they get any worse, we're doomed." + +"But in a good cause." + +Through the storm the plane raced. Suddenly the motor died with +sickening suddenness. + +"Our haywire battery connections are gone," shouted McCready. "Say your +prayers." + +The wind tossed the plane about like a feather. Rapidly it lost +altitude. A building loomed up before them. As a crash seemed imminent, +a gust of wind caught the plane and tossed it up into the air again. For +several minutes the ground could not be seen through the rain. Suddenly +the plane hit an airpocket and dropped like a stone. With a splash it +fell into the sea. A rift came for a moment in the curtain of rain. + +"Look!" cried Carnes. + +A hundred yards away, the _Denver_ rode at anchor. + +"I'm only sorry about one thing," said Carnes ten minutes later as they +changed to dry clothes aboard the battle cruiser, "and that is that +Saranoff wasn't in the factory when that salvo fell on it." + +"I'm glad he was away," replied Dr. Bird. "With him absent, we succeeded +in destroying it. If he had been there, our task would have been more +difficult and perhaps impossible. I am an enemy of Saranoff's, but I +don't underrate his colossal genius." + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Solar Magnet, by Sterner St. Paul Meek + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SOLAR MAGNET *** + +***** This file should be named 29401.txt or 29401.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/4/0/29401/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Tamise Totterdell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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