diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | 41481-0.txt (renamed from 41481-8.txt) | 408 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 41481-8.zip | bin | 170789 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 41481-h.zip | bin | 1180954 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 41481-h/41481-h.htm | 435 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 41481.txt | 9829 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 41481.zip | bin | 170765 -> 0 bytes |
6 files changed, 7 insertions, 10665 deletions
diff --git a/41481-8.txt b/41481-0.txt index bbd844f..1a7760c 100644 --- a/41481-8.txt +++ b/41481-0.txt @@ -1,46 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Astounding Stories of Super-Science January -1930, by Various. - -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/license - - -Title: Astounding Stories of Super-Science January 1930 - -Author: Victor Rousseau - Captain S. P. Meek - Ray Cummings - M. L. Staley - C. V. Tench - Murray Leinster - Anthony Pelcher - -Editor: Harry Bates - -Release Date: November 25, 2012 [EBook #41481] -Last updated: January 29, 2013 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASTOUNDING STORIES *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41481 *** ASTOUNDING STORIES OF SUPER-SCIENCE @@ -343,7 +301,7 @@ the argument and remember that we've got to pull together!" Tommy Travers was the only skilled aviator of the expedition, which had brought two planes with it. It was a queer friendship that had sprung up -between him and Jim Dodd. Tommy, the blasé ex-Harvard man, who was known +between him and Jim Dodd. Tommy, the blasé ex-Harvard man, who was known along Broadway, and had never been able to settle down, seemed as different as possible from the spectacled, scholarly Dodd, ten years his senior, red-haired, irascible, and living, as Tommy put it, in the Age @@ -9466,364 +9424,4 @@ with." End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Astounding Stories of Super-Science January 1930, by Various. -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASTOUNDING STORIES *** - -***** This file should be named 41481-8.txt or 41481-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/4/8/41481/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://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. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -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/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. 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: - - http://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. +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41481 *** diff --git a/41481-8.zip b/41481-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 167ce08..0000000 --- a/41481-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/41481-h.zip b/41481-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 369b5ad..0000000 --- a/41481-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/41481-h/41481-h.htm b/41481-h/41481-h.htm index 91ccea7..e0af642 100644 --- a/41481-h/41481-h.htm +++ b/41481-h/41481-h.htm @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> <title> The Project Gutenberg eBook of Astounding Stories Of Super-Science, Vol. I, No. 1, January, 1930, by Various. @@ -172,54 +172,7 @@ table { </style> </head> <body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Astounding Stories of Super-Science January -1930, by Various. - -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/license - - -Title: Astounding Stories of Super-Science January 1930 - -Author: Victor Rousseau - Captain S. P. Meek - Ray Cummings - M. L. Staley - C. V. Tench - Murray Leinster - Anthony Pelcher - -Editor: Harry Bates - -Release Date: November 25, 2012 [EBook #41481] -Last updated: January 29, 2013 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASTOUNDING STORIES *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41481 ***</div> <div class="figcenter"> <img src="images/cover.jpg" alt=""/> @@ -589,7 +542,7 @@ the argument and remember that we've got to pull together!"</p> <p>Tommy Travers was the only skilled aviator of the expedition, which had brought two planes with it. It was a queer friendship that had sprung up -between him and Jim Dodd. Tommy, the blasé ex-Harvard man, who was known +between him and Jim Dodd. Tommy, the blasé ex-Harvard man, who was known along Broadway, and had never been able to settle down, seemed as different as possible from the spectacled, scholarly Dodd, ten years his senior, red-haired, irascible, and living, as Tommy put it, in the Age @@ -9761,386 +9714,6 @@ preferred one brunette.</p> the Nettleton triplets will never be sure just which one he fell in love with."</p> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Astounding Stories of Super-Science -January 1930, by Various. - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASTOUNDING STORIES *** - -***** This file should be named 41481-h.htm or 41481-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/4/8/41481/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://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. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -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/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. 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: - - http://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> - +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41481 ***</div> </body> </html> diff --git a/41481.txt b/41481.txt deleted file mode 100644 index bd35bff..0000000 --- a/41481.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9829 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Astounding Stories of Super-Science January -1930, by Various. - -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/license - - -Title: Astounding Stories of Super-Science January 1930 - -Author: Victor Rousseau - Captain S. P. Meek - Ray Cummings - M. L. Staley - C. V. Tench - Murray Leinster - Anthony Pelcher - -Editor: Harry Bates - -Release Date: November 25, 2012 [EBook #41481] -Last updated: January 29, 2013 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASTOUNDING STORIES *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - ASTOUNDING STORIES OF SUPER-SCIENCE - - VOL. I No. 1 JANUARY, 1930 - - W. M. CLAYTON, Publisher - - HARRY BATES, Editor - - DOUGLAS M. DOLD, Consulting Editor - - COVER DESIGN - H. W. WESSOLOWSKI - _Painted in Water-colors from a Scene in "The Beetle Horde."_ - - _On Sale the First Thursday of Each Month_ - - The Clayton Standard on a Magazine Guarantees: - - _That_ the stories therein are clean, interesting, vivid; by leading - writers of the day and purchased under conditions approved by the - Authors' League of America; - - _That_ such magazines are manufactured in Union shops by American - workmen; - - _That_ each newsdealer and agent is insured a fair profit; - - _That_ an intelligent censorship guards their advertising pages. - - _The other Clayton magazines are:_ - - ACE-HIGH MAGAZINE, RANCH ROMANCES, COWBOY STORIES, CLUES, - FIVE-NOVELS MONTHLY, WIDE WORLD ADVENTURES, ALL STAR DETECTIVE - STORIES, FLYERS, RANGELAND LOVE STORY MAGAZINE, WESTERN NOVEL - MAGAZINE, BIG STORY MAGAZINE, MISS 1930, _and_ FOREST AND STREAM - - _More Than Two Million Copies Required to Supply the Monthly Demand - for Clayton Magazines._ - - Issued monthly by Publishers' Fiscal Corporation, 80 Lafayette St., - New York, N. Y. W. M. Clayton, President; Nathan Goldmann, - Secretary. Application for entry as second-class mail pending at the - Post Office at New York, under Act of March 3, 1879. Application for - registration of title as Trade Mark pending in the U.S. Patent - Office. Member Newsstand Group--Men's List. For advertising rates - address E. R. Crowe & Co., Inc., 25 Vanderbilt Ave., New York; or - 225 North Michigan Ave., Chicago. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - EDITORIAL THE EDITOR 7 - _An Introduction to a New and Unique Magazine._ - - THE BEETLE HORDE VICTOR ROUSSEAU 8 - _Only Two Young Explorers Stand in the Way of the Mad Bram's - Horrible Revenge--the Releasing of His Trillions of Man-sized - Beetles upon an Utterly Defenseless World._ (Part One of a Two-part - Novel.) - - THE CAVE OF HORROR CAPTAIN S. P. MEEK 32 - _Screaming, the Guardsman Was Jerked Through the Air. An Unearthly - Screech Rang Through the Cavern. The Unseen Horror of Mammoth Cave - Had Struck Again!_ - - PHANTOMS OF REALITY RAY CUMMINGS 46 - _Red Sensua's Knife Came up Dripping--and the Two Adventurers Knew - that Chaos and Bloody Revolution Had Been Unleashed in that Shadowy - Kingdom of the Fourth Dimension._ (A Complete Novel.) - - THE STOLEN MIND M. L. STALEY 75 - _What Would You Do, If, Like Quest, You Were Tricked, and Your Very - Mind and Will Stolen from Your Body?_ - - COMPENSATION C. V. TENCH 92 - _Professor Wroxton Had Disappeared--But in the Bottom of the - Mysterious Crystal Cage Lay the Diamond from His Ring!_ - - TANKS MURRAY LEINSTER 100 - _Two Miles of American Front Had Gone Dead. And on Two Lone - Infantrymen, Lost in the Menace of the Fog-gas and the Tanks, - Depended the Outcome of the War of 1932._ - - INVISIBLE DEATH ANTHONY PELCHER 118 - _On Lees' Quick and Clever Action Depended the Life of "Old Perk" - Ferguson, the Millionaire Manufacturer Threatened by the Uncanny, - Invisible Killer._ - - - -_Introducing_-- - -ASTOUNDING STORIES - - -What _are_ "astounding" stories? - -Well, if you lived in Europe in 1490, and someone told you the earth was -round and moved around the sun--that would have been an "astounding" -story. - -Or if you lived in 1840, and were told that some day men a thousand -miles apart would be able to talk to each other through a little -wire--or without any wire at all--that would have been another. - -Or if, in 1900, they predicted ocean-crossing airplanes and submarines, -world-girdling Zeppelins, sixty-story buildings, radio, metal that can -be made to resist gravity and float in the air--these would have been -other "astounding" stories. - -To-day, time has gone by, and all these things are commonplace. That is -the only real difference between the astounding and the -commonplace--Time. - -To-morrow, more astounding things are going to happen. Your children--or -their children--are going to take a trip to the moon. They will be able -to render themselves invisible--a problem that has already been partly -solved. They will be able to disintegrate their bodies in New York and -reintegrate them in China--and in a matter of seconds. - -Astounding? Indeed, yes. - -Impossible? Well--television would have been impossible, almost -unthinkable, ten years ago. - -Now you will see the kind of magazine that it is our pleasure to offer -you beginning with this, the first number of ASTOUNDING STORIES. - -It is a magazine whose stories will anticipate the super-scientific -achievements of To-morrow--whose stories will not only be strictly -accurate in their science but will be vividly, dramatically and -thrillingly told. - -Already we have secured stories by some of the finest writers of fantasy -in the world--men such as Ray Cummings, Murray Leinster, Captain S. P. -Meek, Harl Vincent, R. F. Starzl and Victor Rousseau. - -So--order your next month's copy of ASTOUNDING STORIES in advance! - ---_The Editor._ - - - - -The Beetle Horde - -A TWO-PART NOVEL - -_By Victor Rousseau_ - - -[Illustration: _Dodd and Tommy realised that they were powerless against -the monstrous beetles._] - -[Sidenote: Only two young explorers stand in the way of the mad Bram's -horrible revenge--the releasing of his trillions of man-sized beetles -upon an utterly defenseless world.] - - - - -CHAPTER I - -_Dodd's Discovery_ - - -Out of the south the biplane came winging back toward the camp, a black -speck against the dazzling white of the vast ice-fields that extended -unbroken to the horizon on every side. - -It came out of the south, and yet, a hundred miles further back along -the course on which it flew, it could not have proceeded in any -direction except northward. For a hundred miles south lay the south -pole, the goal toward which the Travers Expeditions had been pressing -for the better part of that year. - -Not that they could not have reached it sooner. As a matter of fact, -the pole had been crossed and re-crossed, according to the estimate of -Tommy Travers, aviator, and nephew of the old millionaire who stood -fairy uncle to the expedition. But one of the things that was being -sought was the exact site of the pole. Not within a couple of miles or -so, but within the fraction of an inch. - -It had something to do with Einstein, and something to do with -terrestrial magnetism, and the variations of the south magnetic pole, -and the reason therefore, and something to do with parallaxes and the -precession of the equinoxes and other things, this search for the pole's -exact location. But all that was principally the affair of the -astronomer of the party. Tommy Travers, who was now evidently on his way -back, didn't give a whoop for Einstein, or any of the rest of the stuff. -He had been enjoying himself after his fashion during a year of -frostbites and hard rations, and he was beginning to anticipate the -delights of the return to Broadway. - -Captain Storm, in charge of the expedition, together with the five -others of the advance camp, watched the plane maneuver up to the tents. -She came down neatly on the smooth snow, skidded on her runners like an -expert skater, and came to a stop almost immediately in front of the -marquee. - -Tommy Travers leaped out of the enclosed cockpit, which, shut off by -glass from the cabin, was something like the front seat of a limousine. - -"Well, Captain, we followed that break for a hundred miles, and there's -no ground cleft, as you expected," he said. "But Jim Dodd and I picked -up something, and Jim seems to have gone crazy." - - * * * * * - -Through the windows of the cabin, Jim Dodd, the young archaeologist of -the party, could be seen apparently wrestling with something that looked -like a suit of armor. By the time Captain Storm, Jimmy, and the other -members of the party had reached the cabin door, Dodd had got it open -and flung himself out backward, still hugging what he had found, and -maneuvering so that he managed to fall on his back and sustain its -weight. - -"Say, what the--what--what's that?" gasped Storm. - -Even the least scientific minded of the party gasped in amazement at -what Dodd had. It resembled nothing so much as an enormous beetle. As a -matter of fact, it was an insect, for it had the three sections that -characterize this class, but it was merely the shell of one. Between -four and five feet in height, when Dodd stood it on end, it could now be -seen to consist of the hard exterior substance of some huge, unknown -coleopter. - -This substance, which was fully three inches thick over the thorax, -looked as hard as plate armor. - -"What is it?" gasped Storm again. - - * * * * * - -Tommy Travers made answer, for James Dodd was evidently incapable of -speech, more from emotion than from the force with which he had landed -backward in the snow. - -"We found it at the pole, Captain," he said. "At least, pretty near -where the pole ought to be. We ran into a current of warm air or -something. The snow had melted in places, and there were patches of bare -rock. This thing was lying in a hollow among them." - -"If I didn't see it before my eyes, I'd think you crazy, Tommy," said -Storm with some asperity. "What is it, a crab?" - -"Crab be damned!" shouted Jim Dodd, suddenly recovering his faculties. -"My God, Captain Storm, don't you know the difference between an insect -and a crustacean? This is a fossil beetle. Don't you see the -distinguishing mark of the coleoptera, those two elytra, or wing-covers, -which meet in the median dorsal line? A beetle, but with the shell of a -crustacean instead of mere chitin. That's what led you astray, I expect. -God, what a tale we'll have to tell when we get back to New York! We'll -drop everything else, and spend years, if need be, looking for other -specimens." - -"Like fun you will!" shouted Higby, the astronomer of the party. "Lemme -tell you right here, Dodd, nobody outside the Museum of Natural History -is going to care a damn about your old fossils. What we're going to do -is to march straight to the true pole, and spend a year taking -observations and parallaxes. If Einstein's brochure, in which he links -up gravitation with magnetism, is correct--" - -"Fossil beetles!" Jim Dodd burst out, ignoring the astronomer. "That -means that in the Tertiary Era, probably, there existed forms of life in -the antarctic continent that have never been found elsewhere. Imagine a -world in which the insect reached a size proportionate to the great -saurians, Captain Storm! I'll wager poor Bram discovered this. That's -why he stayed behind when the Greystoke Expedition came within a hundred -miles of the pole. I'll wager he's left a cairn somewhere with full -details inside it. We've got to find it. We--" - - * * * * * - -But Jim Dodd, suddenly realizing that the rest of the party could hardly -be said to share his enthusiasm in any marked degree, broke off and -looked sulky. - -"You say you found this thing pretty nearly upon the site of the true -pole?" Captain Storm asked Tommy. - -"Within five miles, I'd say, Captain. The fog was so bad that we -couldn't get our directions very well." - -"Well, then, there's going to be no difficulty," answered Storm. "If -this fair weather lasts, we'll be at the pole in another week, and we'll -start making our permanent camp. Plenty of opportunity for all you -gentlemen. As for me, I'm merely a sailor, and I'm trying to be -impartial. - -"And please remember, gentlemen, that we're well into March now, and -likely to have the first storms of autumn on us any day. So let's drop -the argument and remember that we've got to pull together!" - - * * * * * - -Tommy Travers was the only skilled aviator of the expedition, which had -brought two planes with it. It was a queer friendship that had sprung up -between him and Jim Dodd. Tommy, the blase ex-Harvard man, who was known -along Broadway, and had never been able to settle down, seemed as -different as possible from the spectacled, scholarly Dodd, ten years his -senior, red-haired, irascible, and living, as Tommy put it, in the Age -of Old Red Sandstone, instead of in the year 1930 A. D. - -It was generally known--though the story had been officially -denied--that there had been trouble in the Greystoke Expedition of three -years before. Captain Greystoke had taken the brilliant, erratic Bram, -of the Carnegie Archaeological Institute, with him, and Bram's history -was a long record of trouble. - -It was Bram who had exploded the faked neolithic finds at Mannheim, -thereby earning the undying enmity of certain European savants, but -brilliantly demolishing them when he smashed the so-called Mannheim -stone pitcher (valued at a hundred thousand dollars) with a pocket-axe, -and caustically inquired whether neolithic man used babbit metal rivets -to fasten on his jug handles. - - * * * * * - -Bram's brilliant work in the investigation of the origin of the negrito -Asiatic races had been awarded one of the Nobel prizes, and Bram had -declined it in an insulting letter because he disapproved of the year's -prize award for literature. - -He had been a storm center for years, embittered by long opposition, -when he joined the Greystoke Expedition for the purpose of investigating -the marine fauna of the antarctic continent. - -And it was known that his presence had nearly brought the Greystoke -Expedition to the point of civil war. Rumor said he had been -deliberately abandoned. His enemies hoped he had. The facts seemed to -be, however, that in an outburst of temper he had walked out of camp in -a furious snowstorm and perished. For days his body had been sought in -vain. - -Jimmy Dodd had run foul of Bram some years before, when Bram had -published a criticism of one of Dodd's addresses dealing with fossil -monotremes, or egg-laying mammals. In his inimitable way, Bram had -suggested that the problem which came first, the egg or the chicken, was -now seen to be linked up with the Darwinian theory, and solved in the -person of Dodd. - -Nevertheless, Jimmy Dodd entertained a devoted admiration for the memory -of the dead scientist. He believed that Bram must have left records of -inestimable importance in a cairn before he died. He wanted to find that -cairn. - -And he knew, what a number of Bram's enemies knew, that the dead -scientist had been a morphine addict. He believed that he had wandered -out into the snow under the influence of the drug. - - * * * * * - -Dodd, who shared a tent with Tommy, had raved the greater part of the -night about the find. - -"Well, but see here, Jimmy, suppose these beetles did inhabit the -antarctic continent a few million years ago, why get excited?" Tommy had -asked. - -"Excited?" bellowed Dodd. "It opens one of the biggest problems that -science has to face. Why haven't they survived into historic times? Why -didn't they cross into Australia, like the opossum, by the land bridge -then existent between that continent and South America? Beetles five -feet in length, and practically invulnerable! What killed them off? Why -didn't they win the supremacy over man?" - -Jimmy Dodd had muttered till he went to sleep, and he had muttered -worse in his dreams. Tommy was glad that Captain Storm had given them -permission to return to the same spot next morning and look for further -fossils, though his own interest in them was of the slightest. - -The dogs were being harnessed next morning when the two men hopped into -the plane. The thermometer was unusually high for the season, for in the -south polar regions the short summer is usually at an end by March. -Tommy was sweating in his furs in a temperature well above the freezing -point. The snow was crusted hard, the sky overcast with clouds, and a -wind was blowing hard out of the south, and increasing in velocity -hourly. - -"A bad day for starting," said Captain Storm. "Looks like one of the -autumn storms was blowing up. If I were you, I'd watch the weather, -Tommy." - - * * * * * - -Tommy glanced at Dodd, who was huddled in the rear cockpit, fuming at -the delay, and grinned whimsically. "I guess I can handle her, Captain," -he answered. "It's only an hour's flight to where he found that fossil." - -"Just as you please," said Storm curtly. He knew that Tommy's judgment -as a pilot could always be relied upon. "You'll find us here when you -return," he added. "I've counter-manded the order to march. I don't like -the look of the weather at all." - -Tommy grinned again and pressed the starter. The engine caught and -warmed up. One of the men kicked away the blocks of ice that had been -placed under the skids to serve as chocks. The plane taxied over the -crusted snow, and took off into the south. - - * * * * * - -The camp was situated in a hollow among the ice-mountains that rose to a -height of two or three thousand feet all around. Tommy had not dreamed -how strongly the gale was blowing until he was over the top of them. -Then he realized that he was facing a tougher proposition than he had -calculated on. The storm struck the biplane with full force. - -A snowstorm was driving up rapidly, blackening the sky. The sun, which -only appeared for a brief interval every day, was practically touching -the horizon as it rose to make its minute arc in the sky. A star was -visible through a rift in the clouds overhead, and the pale daylight in -which they had started had already become twilight. - -Tommy was tempted to turn back, but it was only a hundred miles, and -Jimmy Dodd would give him no peace if he did so. So he put the plane's -nose resolutely into the wind, watching his speed indicator drop from a -hundred miles per hour to eighty, sixty, forty--less. - -The storm was beating up furiously. Of a sudden the clouds broke into a -deluge of whirling snow. - -In a moment the windshield was a frozen, opaque mass. Tommy opened it, -and peered out into the biting air. He could see nothing.... The plane, -caught in the fearful cross-currents that swirl about the southern roof -of the world, was fluttering like a leaf in the wind. The altimeter was -dropping dangerously. - -Tommy opened the throttle to the limit, zooming, and, like a spurred -horse, the biplane shot forward and upward. She touched five thousand, -six, seven--and that, for her, was ceiling under those conditions, for a -sudden tremendous shock of wind, coming in a fierce cross-current, swung -her round, tossed her to and fro in the enveloping white cloud. And -Tommy knew that he had the fight of his life upon his hands. - - * * * * * - -The compasses, which required considerable daily adjusting to be of use -so near to the pole, had now gone out of use altogether. The air speed -indicator had apparently gone west, for it was oscillating between zero -and twenty. The turn and bank indicator was performing a kind of tango -round the dial. Even the eight-day clock had ceased to function, but -that might have been due to the fact that Tommy had neglected to wind -it. And the oil pressure gauge presented a still more startling sight, -for a glance showed that either there was a leak or else the oil had -frozen. - -Tommy looked around at Dodd and pointed downward. Dodd responded with a -vicious forward wave of his hand. - -Tommy shook his head, and Dodd started forward along the cabin, -apparently with the intention of committing assault and battery upon -him. Instead, the archaeologist collapsed upon the floor as the plane -spun completely around under the impact of a blast that was like a -giant's slap. - -The plane was no longer controllable. True, she responded in some sort -to the controls, but all Tommy was able to do was to keep her from going -into a crazy sideslip or nose dive as he fought with the elements. And -those elements were like a devil unchained. One moment he was dropping -like a plummet, the next he was shooting up like a rocket as a vertical -blast of air caught the plane and tossed her like a cork into the -invisible heavens. Then she was revolving, as if in a maelstrom, and by -degrees this rotary movement began to predominate. - -Round and round went the plane, in circles that gradually narrowed, and -it was all Tommy could do to swing the stick so as to keep her from -skidding or sideslipping. And as he worked desperately at his task Tommy -began to realize something that made him wonder if he was not dreaming. - - * * * * * - -The snow was no longer snow, but rain--mist, rather, warm mist that had -already cleared the windshield and covered it with tiny drops. - -And that white, opaque world into which he was looking was no longer -snow but fog--the densest fog that Tommy had ever encountered. - -Fog like white wool, drifting past him in fleecy flakes that looked as -if they had solid substance. Warm fog that was like balm upon his frozen -skin, but of a warmth that was impossible within a few miles of the -frozen pole. - -Then there came a momentary break in it, and Tommy looked down and -uttered a cry of fear. Fear, because he knew that he must be dreaming. - -Not more than a thousand feet beneath him he saw patches of snow, and -patches of--green grass, the brightest and most verdant green that he -had ever seen in his life. - -He turned round at a touch on his shoulder. Dodd was leaning over him, -one hand pointing menacingly upward and onward. - -"You fool," Tommy bellowed in his ear, "d'you think the south pole lies -over there? It's here! Yeah, don't you get it, Jimmy? Look down! This -valley--God, Jimmy, the south pole's a hole in the ground!" - -And as he spoke he remembered vaguely some crank who had once insisted -that the two poles were hollow because--what was the fellow's reasoning? -Tommy could not remember it. - -But there was no longer any doubt but that they were dropping into a -hole. Not more than a mile around, which explained why neither Scott nor -Amundsen had found it when they approximated to the site of the pole. A -hole--a warm hole, up which a current of warm air was rushing, forming -the white mist that now gradually thinned as the plane descended. The -plateau with its covering of eternal snows loomed in a white circle high -overhead. Underneath was green grass now--grass and trees! - - * * * * * - -The fog was nearly gone. The plane responded to the controls again. -Tommy pushed the stick forward and came round in a tighter circle. - -And then something happened that he had not in the least expected. One -moment he seemed to be traveling in a complete calm, a sort of clear -funnel with a ring of swirling fog outside it--the next he was dropping -into a void! - -There was no air resistance--there seemed hardly any air, for he felt a -choking in his throat, and a tearing at his lungs as he strove to -breathe. He heard a strangled cry from Dodd, and saw that he was -clutching with both hands at his throat, and his face was turning -purple. - -The controls went limp in Tommy's hands. The plane, gyrating more -slowly, suddenly nosed down, hung for a moment in that void, and then -plunged toward the green earth, two hundred feet below, with appalling -swiftness. - -Tommy realized that a crash was inevitable. He threw his goggles up over -his forehead, turned and waved to Dodd in ironic farewell. He saw the -earth rush up at him--then came the shattering crash, and then oblivion! - - - - -CHAPTER II - -_Beetles and Humans_ - - -How long he had remained unconscious, Tommy had no means of determining. -Of a sudden he found himself lying on the ground beside the shattered -plane, with his eyes wide open. - -He stared at it, and stared about him, without understanding where he -was, or what had happened to him. His first idea was that he had crashed -on the golf links near Mitchell Field, Long Island, for all about him -were stretches of verdant grass and small shrubby plants. Then, when he -remembered the expedition, he was convinced that he had been dreaming. - -What brought him to a saner view was the discovery that he was enveloped -in furs which were insufferably hot. He half raised himself and -succeeded in unfastening his fur coat, and thus discovered that -apparently none of his bones was broken. - -But the plane must have fallen from a considerable height to have been -smashed so badly. Then Tommy discovered that he was lying upon an -extensive mound of sand, thrown up as by some gigantic mole, for burrow -tracks ran through it in every direction. It was this that had saved his -life. - -Something was moving at his side. It was half-submerged in the -sand-pile, and it was moving parallel to him with great rapidity. - -A grayish body, half-covered with grains of sand emerged, waving two -enormously long tentacles. It was a shrimp, but fully three feet in -length, and Tommy had never before had any idea what an unpleasant -object a shrimp is. - -Tommy staggered to his feet and dropped nearer the plane, eyeing the -shrimp with horror. But he was soon relieved as he discovered that it -was apparently harmless. It slithered away and once more buried itself -in the pile of sand. - -Now Tommy was beginning to remember. He looked into the wreckage of the -plane. Jim Dodd was not there. He called his name repeatedly, and there -was no response, except a dull echo from the ice-mountains behind the -veil of fog. - - * * * * * - -He went to the other side of the plane, he scanned the ground all about -him. Jimmy had disappeared. It was evident that he was nowhere near, for -Tommy could see the whole of the lower scope of the bowl on every side -of him. He had walked away--or he had been carried away! Tommy thought -of the shrimp, and shuddered. What other fearsome monsters might inhabit -that extraordinary valley? - -He sat down, leaning against the wreck of the fuselage, and tried to -adjust his mind, tried to keep himself from going mad. He knew now that -the flight had been no dream, that he was a member of his uncle's -expedition, that he had flown with Jim toward the pole, had crashed in a -vacuum. But where was Jim? And how were they going to get out of the -damn place? - -Something like a heap of stones not far away attracted Tommy's -attention. Perhaps Jim Dodd was lying behind that. Once more Tommy got -upon his feet and began walking toward it. On the way, he stumbled -against the sharp edge of something that protruded from the ground. - -It cut his leg sharply, and, with a curse, he began rubbing his shin and -looking at the thing. Then he saw that it was another of the fossil -shells, half-buried in the marshy ooze on which he was treading. The -ground in this lower part of the valley was a swamp, on account of the -very fine mist falling from the fog clouds that surrounded it -impenetrably on every side. - -Then Tommy came upon another shell, and then another. And now he saw -that there were piles of what he had taken to be rock everywhere, and -that this was not rock but great heaps of the shells, all equally -intact. - -Hundreds of thousands of the prehistoric beetles must have died in that -valley, perhaps overcome by some cataclysm. - - * * * * * - -Tommy examined the heap near which he stood; he yelled Dodd's name, but -again no answer came. - -Instead, something began to stir among the heaps of shells. For a moment -Tommy hoped against hope that it was Dodd, but it wasn't Dodd. - -_It was a living beetle!_ - -A beetle fully five feet high as it stood erect, a pair of enormous -wings outspread. And the head, which was larger than a man's, was the -most frightful object Tommy had ever seen. - -Jim Dodd would have said at once that this was one of the Curculionidae, -or snout beetles, for a prolongation of the head between the eyes formed -a sort of beak a foot in length. The mouth, which opened downward, was -armed with terrific mandibles, while the huge, compound eyes looked like -enormous crystals of cut glass. Immediately in front of the eyes were -two mandibles as long as a man's arms, with feathery processes at the -ends. In addition to these there were three pairs of legs, the front -pair as long as a man's, the hind pair almost as long as a horse's. - - * * * * * - -Paralyzed with horror, Tommy watched the monster, which had apparently -been disturbed by the vibrations of his voice, extract itself from among -the shells. Then, with a bound that covered fifteen feet, it had -lessened the distance between them by half. - -And then a still more amazing thing happened. For of a sudden the hard -shell slipped from the thorax, the wing-cases dropped off, the whole of -the bony parts slipped to the ground with a clang, and a soft, -defenseless thing went slithering away among the rocks. - -The beetle had moulted! - -Tommy dropped to the ground in the throes of violent nausea. - -Then, looking up again, he saw the girl! - - * * * * * - -She was about a hundred yards away from him, very close to the fallen -plane, and she must have emerged from a large hole in the ground which -Tommy could now see under a ledge of overhanging rock. - -She seemed to be dressed in a single garment which fell to her knees, -and appeared to fit tightly about her body, but as she came nearer, -Tommy, watching her, petrified by this latest apparition, discovered -that it was woven of her own hair, which must have been of immense -length, for it fell naturally to her shoulders, and thence was woven -into this close-fitting material, a fringe an inch or two in length -extending beneath the selvage. - -She was about six feet tall, and apparently made after the normal human -pattern. She moved with a slow, majestic swing, and if ever any female -had seemed to Tommy to have the appearance of an angel, this unknown -woman did. - -She was so fair, in that flossy, flaxen covering, she moved with such -easy grace, that Tommy, gaping, gradually crept nearer to her. She did -not seem to see him. She was stooping over the very sand heap into which -he had fallen. Suddenly, with lightning-like rapidity, her arms shot -out, her hands began tunneling in the sand. With a cry of triumph she -pulled out the shrimp Tommy had seen, or another like it, and, stripping -it off the shell, began devouring it with evident relish. - -In the midst of her meal the girl raised her head and looked at Tommy. -He saw that her eyes were filmed, vacant, dead. Then of a sudden a third -membrane was drawn back across the pupils, and she saw him. - -She let the shrimp drop to the ground, uttered a cry, and moved toward -him with a tottering gait. She groped toward him with outstretched arms. -And then she was blind again, for the membrane once more covered her -pupils. It was as if her eyes were unable to endure even the dim light -of the valley, through whose surrounding mists the low sun, setting just -above the horizon, was unable to diffuse itself save as a brightening of -the fog curtain. - - * * * * * - -Tommy stepped toward the girl. His outstretched hand touched hers. It -was unquestionably a woman's hand he held, delicately warm, with -exquisitely moulded fingers, in whose touch there seemed to be, for the -girl, some tactile impression of him. - -Again that membrane was drawn back from the girl's pupils for a fleeting -flash. Tommy saw two eyes of intense black, their color contrasting -curiously with the flaxen color of her hair and her white skin, almost -the tint of an albino's. Those eyes had surveyed him, and appeared -satisfied that he was one of her kind. She could not have seen very much -in that almost instantaneous flash of vision. Queer, that membrane--as -if she had been used to living in the dark, as if the full light of the -day was unbearable! - -She drew her hand away. Soft vocals came from her lips. Suddenly she -turned swiftly. She could not have seen, but before Tommy had seen, she -had sensed the presence of the old man who was creeping out of the hole -in the mountainside. - -He moved forward craftily, and then pounced upon the sand pile, and in a -moment had pulled out another of the big shrimps, which he proceeded to -devour with greedy relish. The girl, leaving Tommy's side, joined him in -that unpleasant feast. - -And in the midst of it a flood came pouring from the hole--a flood of -living beetles, covering the ground in fifteen-foot leaps as they dashed -at the two. - -To his horror, Tommy saw Jimmy Dodd among them, wrapped in his fur coat -like a mummy, and being pushed and rolled forward like a football. - -For a moment Tommy hesitated, torn between his solicitude for Jim Dodd -and that for the girl. Then, as the foremost of the monsters bounded to -her side, he ran between them. The vicious jaws snapped within six -inches of Tommy's face, with a force that would have carried away an -ear, or shredded the cheek, if they had met. - - * * * * * - -Tommy struck out with all his might, and his fist clanged on the -resounding shell so that the blood spurted from his bruised knuckles. He -had struck the monster squarely upon the thorax, and he had not -discommoded it in the least. It turned on him, its glassy, many-faceted -eyes glaring with a cold, infernal light. Tommy struck out again with -his left hand, this time upon the pulpy flesh of the downward-opening -mouth. - -An inch higher, and he would have impaled his hand upon the beak, with a -point like a needle, and evidently used for purposes of attack, since it -was not connected with the mandibles. The blow appeared to fall in the -only vulnerable place. The monster dropped upon its back and lay there, -unable to reverse itself, its antenna and forelegs waving in the air, -and the rear legs rasping together in a shrill, strident shriek. - -Instantly, as Tommy darted out of the way, the swarm fell upon the -helpless monster and began devouring it, tearing strips of flesh from -the lower shell, which in the space of a half-minute was reduced simply -to bone. The most horrible feature of this act of cannibalism was the -complete silence with which it was performed, except for the rasping of -the dying monster's legs. It was evident that the huge beetles had no -vocal apparatus. - -For the moment left unguarded, Jim Dodd flung down the collar of his fur -coat, stared about him, and recognized Tommy. - -"My God, it's you!" he yelled. "Well, can you--?" - -He had no time to finish his sentence. A pair of antenna went round his -neck from behind. At the same instant Tommy, the old man, and the girl -were gripped by the monsters, which, forming a solid phalanx about them, -began hustling them in the direction of the hole. Resistance was utterly -impossible. Tommy felt as if he was being pushed along by a moving wall -of stone. - -Inside the opening it was completely dark. Tommy shouted to Dodd, but -the strident sounds of the moving legs drowned his cries. He was being -pushed forward into the unknown. - - * * * * * - -Suddenly the ground seemed to fall away beneath his feet. He struggled, -cried out, and felt himself descending through the air. - -For a full half-minute he went downward at a speed that constricted his -throat so that he could hardly draw breath. Then, just as he had nerved -himself for the imminent crash, the speed of his descent was checked. In -another moment he found that he was slowing to a standstill in mid-air. - -He was beginning to float backward--upward. But the wall of moving -shells, pushing against him, forced him on, downward, and yet apparently -against the force of gravitation. - -Then of a sudden Tommy was aware of a dim light all about him. His feet -touched earth and grass as softly as a thistledown alighting. - -He found himself seated in the same dim light upon red grass, and -staring into Jimmy's face. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -_Ten Miles Underground_ - - -"What I was going to say when we were interrupted, was, 'Can you beat -it?'" Jimmy Dodd observed, with admirable sang-froid. - -They were still seated on the red grass, gazing about them at what -looked like an illimitable plain, and upward into depths of darkness. It -was warm, and the light, furnished by what appeared to be luminous -vegetation, was about that of twilight. - -On every side were clumps of trees and shrubs, which formed centers of -phosphorescent illumination, but for the most part the land was open, -and here and there human figures appeared, moving with head down and -arms hanging earthward. - -"No, I'm damned if I can," said Tommy. "What happened to you after we -crashed?" - -"Why, first thing I knew, I found myself riding on the back of a fossil -beetle, apparently one of the _curculionidae_," said Dodd. - -"Never, mind being so precise, Jimmy. Let's call it a beetle. Go on." - -"They set me down inside the hole and seemed to be investigating me, -the whole swarm of them. Of course, I thought I was dead, and come to -my just reward, especially when I saw those beaks. Then one of them -began tickling my face with its antenna, and I drew up my fur collar. -They didn't seem to like the feel of the fur, and after a while the -whole gang started hustling me back again, like a nest of ants carrying -something they don't want outside their hill. And then you bobbed up." - -"Well, my opinion is you saved your life by pulling up your collar," -said Tommy. "Looks to me as if it's a case of the survival of the -fittest, said fittest being the insect, and the human race taking second -place. You know what the humans here live on, don't you?" - -"No, what?" - -"Shrimps as big as poodles. If you'd seen that girl and the old man -getting outside them, you'd realize that there seems to be a food -shortage in this part of the world. Say, where in thunder are we, -Jimmy?" - -"Haven't you guessed yet, Travers?" asked Dodd, a spice of malice in his -voice. - -"I suppose this is some sort of big hole on the site of the south pole, -with warm vapors coming up. Maybe a great fissure in the earth, or -something." - - * * * * * - -Jimmy Dodd's grin, seen in the half-light, was rather disconcerting. -"How far do you think we dropped just now?" Dodd asked. - -"Why, I'd say several hundred yards," replied Tommy. "What's your -estimate?" - -"Just about ten miles," answered Dodd. - -"What? You're still crazy! Why, we slowed up!" - -"Yeah," grinned Dodd, "we slowed up. We're inside the crust of the -world. That's the long and short of it. The earth we've known is just a -shell over our heads." - -"Yeah? Walking head downward, are we? Then why don't we drop to the -center of the earth, you damn fool?" - -"Because, my dear fellow, you can swing a pailful of water round your -head without spilling any of it. In other words, our old friend, -centrifugal force. The speed with which the earth is rotating, keeps us -on our feet, head downward. To be precise, the center of the earth's -gravity lies in the middle of the hollow sphere, of course, but the -counteraction of centrifugal force throws it outward to the middle of -the ten-mile crust. That's why we slowed down after we were half-way -through. We were moving against gravity." - -"And what's up there, or down there, or whatever you call it?" asked -Tommy, pointing to what ought to have been the sky. - -"Nothing. It's the center of the tennis ball, though I imagine it's -pretty near a vacuum when you get up a mile or so, owing to the speed of -the earth's rotation, which forces the heat into the shell." - -"You mean to say you actually believe that stuff you've been handing -me?" asked Tommy, after a pause. "Then how did human beings get here, -and those damn beetles? And why's the grass red?" - - * * * * * - -"The grass is red because there's no sunlight to produce chlorophyll. -The inhabitants of the deep sea are red or black, almost invariably. In -the case of the humans, they've become bleached. My belief is that that -man and woman we saw, and those"--he pointed to the vague forms of human -beings, who moved across the grass, gathering something--"are survivors -of the primitive race that still exists as the Australians. Undoubtedly -one of the branches of the human stock originated in antarctica at a -time when it enjoyed a tropical temperature, and was the land bridge -between Australia and South America." - -"And the--beetles?" asked Tommy. - -"Ah, they go back to the days when nature was in a more grandiose -mood!" replied the archaeologist enthusiastically. "That's the most -wonderful discovery of the ages. The world will go crazy over them when -we bring back the first living specimens to the zoological parks of the -great cities. - -"But," Dodd went on, speaking with still more enthusiasm, "of course, -this is only the beginning, Tommy. There are ten million species of -insects, according to Riley, and it is inevitable that there must be -hundreds of thousands of other survivals from the age of the great -saurians, perhaps even some of the saurians themselves. Who knows but -that we may discover the ancestor of the extinct monotremes, the -rhynchocephalia, the pterodactyls, hatch a brood of aepyornis eggs--" - -"And," said Tommy tartly, "how are we going to get them back, apart from -the little problem of getting out of here ourselves?" - -"Don't let's worry about that now," answered Dodd. "It will take ten -years of the hardest kind of labor even to begin a classification of the -inhabitants of this inner world. I could sit down for ever, and--" - -But Jimmy Dodd rose to his feet as a pair of antenna whipped round his -neck and jerked him bodily upward. - - * * * * * - -One of the monster beetles was standing upright behind them, and by its -gestures it evidently meant that Dodd and Tommy were to join the crowd -of humans in the offing. As Dodd turned upon it with an indignant show -of fists, one of the antennae whipped off his fur coat and stung him -painfully with the bristle-like attachment at the end. - -It was a painful moment when Dodd and Tommy realized that they were -powerless against the monstrous beetles. Tommy tried the uppercut with -which he had knocked out the deceased monster, but the quick jerks of -the present beetle's head were infinitely faster than the movements of -his fists, while the antenna had a whiplike quality about them that -speedily convinced him that discretion was the card to play. - -Under the threat of the curling antenna, Tommy and Dodd moved in the -direction of the slowly circulating humans. Numerous tiny rodents, which -evidently kept the red grass short, scampered away under their feet. The -beetles made no further effort to force them on, but now they could see -that a number of the monsters were stationed at intervals around a wide -circle, keeping the humans in a single body. - -"Good Lord!" ejaculated Tommy, stopping. "See what they're doing, Dodd? -They're herding us, like cowboys herd steers. Look at that!" - - * * * * * - -One of the herd, a male with a long beard, suddenly broke from the herd, -bawling, and flung himself upon a beetle guard. The antenna shot forth, -coiled around his neck, and hurled him a dozen feet to the ground, where -he lay stunned for a moment before arising and rejoining his companions. - -"But what are they looking for?" demanded Dodd. - -Tommy had not heard him. He had stopped in front of one of the luminous -trees and was plucking a fruit from it. - -"Jimmy, ever see an apple before?" he asked. "If this isn't an apple, -I'll eat my head." - -It certainly was an apple, and one of the largest and juiciest that -Tommy had ever tasted. It was the reddest apple he had ever seen, and -would have won the first prize at any agricultural fair. - -"And look at this!" shouted Tommy, plucking an enormous luminous peach -from another tree. - -They began munching slowly, then, seeing one of the beetle guards -approaching them, they moved into the midst of the crowd. - -"Did you notice anything strange about those fruit trees?" inquired -Dodd, as he munched. "I'll swear they were monocotyledonous, which, -after all, is what one would expect. Still, to think that the -monocotyledons evolved the familiar drupes, or stone fruits, on a -parallel line to the dicotyledons is--amazing!" - -A box on the ear like the kick of a mule's hoof jerked the last word -from his lips as he went sprawling. He got up, to see the girl standing -before him, intense disgust and anger on her face. - -She snatched the fruits from the hands of the two Americans and hurled -them away. It was evident from her manner that she considered such diet -in the highest degree unclean and disgusting; also that she considered -herself charged with the duty of superintending Tommy's and Dodd's -education, but especially Dodd's. - - * * * * * - -Taking him by the arm, she propelled him into the midst of the groping -humans. She released him, stooped, and suddenly stood up, a shrimp about -eighteen inches long in her hand. - -Towering over Dodd by six inches, she took his face in her hands and -began caressing him; then, seizing his jaws in her strong fingers, she -pried them apart, and popped the tail end of the shrimp into his mouth. - -Dodd let out a yelp, and spat out the love-gift, to be rewarded with -another box on the ear by the young Amazon, while Tommy stood by, -convulsed with laughter, and yet in considerable trepidation, for fear -of being forced to share Dodd's fate. - -For the girl was again holding out the tail end of the crustacean, and -Jim Dodd's jaws were slowly and reluctantly approaching it. - -But suddenly there came an intervention as the strident rasping of -beetle legs was heard in the distance. Panic seized the human herd, -grovelling for shrimps in the sandy soil with its tufts of red grasses. -Milling in an uneasy mob, they cowered under the lashes of the antenna -of the beetle guards, which sacrificed their backs through their hair -garments whenever any of them tried to bolt. - -Nearer and nearer came the beetles, louder and more penetrating the -shriek of their rasping legs. Now the swarm came into sight, rank after -rank of the shell-clad monsters, leaping fifteen feet at a bound with -perfect precision, until they had formed a solid phalanx all around the -humans. - - * * * * * - -Tommy heard sighs of despair, he heard muttering, and then he realized, -with deep thankfulness, that these human beings, degraded though they -were, had a speech of their own. - -In the middle of the front line appeared a beetle a foot taller than the -rest. That it was either a king or queen was evident from the respect -paid it by the rest of the swarm. At its every movement a bodyguard of -beetles moved in unison, forming themselves in a group before it and on -either side. - -There would have been something ludicrous about these movements, but for -the impression of horror that the swarm made upon Tommy and Jim Dodd. -Hitherto both had supposed that the hideous insects acted by blind -instinct, but now there could no longer be any doubt that they were -possessed of an organized intelligence. - - * * * * * - -The strident sounds grew louder. Already Tommy was beginning to discover -certain variations in them. It was dawning upon him that they formed a -language--and a perfectly intelligible one. For, as the note changed -about a half-semitone, two of the monsters left the side of their ruler -and reached the two men with three successive leaps. - -Their movements left no doubt in either Tommy's or Dodd's mind what was -required. The two strode hastily toward the assemblage, and stopped as -the antenna of their guards came down in menacing fashion. - -It was light enough for Tommy to see the face of the ruler of the -hellish swarm. And it required all his powers of will to keep from -collapsing from sheer horror at what he saw. - -For, despite the close-fitting shell, the face of the beetle king was -the face of a man--a white man! - -Jim Dodd's shriek rang out above the shrilling of the beetle-legs, -"Bram! It's you, it's you! My God, it's you, Bram!" - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -_Bram's Story_ - - -A sneering chuckle broke from Bram's lips. "Yes, it's me, James Dodd," -he answered. "I'm a little surprised to see you here, Dodd, but I'm -mighty glad. Still insane upon the subject of fossil monotremes, I -suppose?" - -The words came haltingly from Bram's lips, as from those of a man who -had lost the habit of easy speech. And Tommy, looking on, and trying to -keep in possession of his faculties, had already come to the conclusion -that the sounds were inaudible to the beetles. Probably their hearing -apparatus was not attuned to such slow vibrations of the human voice. - -Also he had discovered that Bram was wearing the discarded shell of one -of the monsters: he had not grown the shell himself. It was fastened -about his body by a band of the hair-cloth, fastened to the two -protuberances of the elytra, or wing-cases, on either side of the dorsal -surface. - -The discovery at least robbed the situation of one aspect of terror. -Bram, however he had obtained control of the swarm, was still only a -man. - -"Yes, still insane," answered Dodd bitterly. "Insane enough to go on -believing that the polyprotodontia and the dasyuridae, which includes -the peramelidae, or bandicoots, and the banded ant-eaters, or -myrmecobidae, are not to be found in fossil form, for the excellent -reason that they were not represented before the Upper Cretaceous -period." - -"You lie! You lie!" screamed Bram. "I have shown to all the world that -phascalotherium, amphitherium, amblotherium, spalacotherium, and many -other orders are to be found in the Upper Jurassic rocks of England, -Wyoming, and other places. You--you are the man who denied the existence -of the nototherium, of the marsupial lion, in pleistocene deposits! You -denied that the dasyuridae can be traced back beyond the pleistocene. -And you stand there and lie to me, when you are at my mercy!" - -"For God's sake don't aggravate him," whispered Tommy to Dodd. "Don't -you see that he's insane? Humor him, or we'll be dead men. Think what -the world will lose, if you are never able to go back with your -specimens," he added craftily. - - * * * * * - -But Dodd, whose eyes were glaring, said a sublime thing: "I have given -my life to science, and I will never deny my master!" - -With a screech, which, however, was evidently inaudible to the beetles, -Bram leaped at Dodd and seized him by the throat. The two men fell to -the ground, the ponderous beetle-shell completely covering them. -Underneath it they could be seen to be struggling desperately. All the -while the beetle horde remained perfectly motionless. Tommy thought -afterward that in this fact lay their brightest chances of escape, if -Bram's immediate vengeance did not fall on them. - -Either because Bram was not himself a beetle, or because in some other -way the swarm instinct was not stirred, the monsters watched the -struggle with complete indifference. - -At the moment, however, Tommy was only concerned with saving Dodd from -the madman. He got his foot beneath the shell, then inserted his leg; -using his whole body as a lever, he succeeded in turning Bram over on -his back. - -Then, and only then, the swarm rushed in upon them. Then Tommy realized -that he had touched one of the triggers that regulated the beetle's -automatism. In another instant Bram would have been torn to pieces. The -needle-beaks were darting through the air, the hideous jaws were -snapping. Bram's yells rang through the cavern. - - * * * * * - -Dodging beneath the avalanche of the monsters, Tommy got Bram upon his -feet again. The beetles stopped, every movement arrested. Bram's hand -went to the pocket of his tattered coat, there came a snap, a flash. -Bram had ignited an automatic cigarette-lighter! - -Instantly the monsters went scurrying away into the distance. And Tommy -had another clue. The beetles, living in the dimness of the underworld, -could not stand light or fire! - -He ran to where Jimmy was lying, face upward, on the ground. His face -was badly scarred by Bram's nails, and the blood was spurting from a -long gash in his throat, made by the sharp flint that was lying beside -him. - -He had some time before discarded his fur coat. Now he pulled off his -coat, and, tearing off the tail of his shirt, he made a pad and a -bandage, with which he attempted to staunch the blood and bind the -wound. It must have taken ten minutes before the failing heart force -enabled him to get the bleeding under control. Dodd had nearly bled to -death, his face was drawn and waxen, but, because the pulsation was so -feeble, the artery had ceased to spurt. - -Then only did Tommy take notice of Bram. He had been squatting near, and -Tommy realized that he had unconsciously observed Bram put some sort of -pellets into his mouth. Now he realized that Bram was a drug fiend. That -was what had made him walk out of the Greystoke camp in the storm. - -Bram got up and came toward them. "Is he dead?" he whispered hoarsely. -"I--I lost my temper. You two--I don't intend to kill you. -There--there's room for the three of us. I've got--plans of the utmost -importance to humanity." - -"I don't think much of the way you've started to carry them out," -answered Tommy bitterly. "No, he's not dead yet, but I wouldn't give -much for his chances, even in the best hospital. The best thing you can -do now is to go to hell, and take your beetles with you," he added. - - * * * * * - -Bram, without replying, raised his head and emitted from his throat the -shrillest whistle that Tommy had ever heard. The response was amazing. - -Rasping out of the darkness came eight beetles in pairs. Instead of -leaping from an upright position, they trotted in the manner of horses, -on all fours, their shells, which touched at the edges, forming a solid -surface, gently rounded in the center so that a man's body could lie -there and fit snugly into the groove. - -"Help me get him up," said Bram. "Trust me! I'll do my best for him. If -we leave him here they may kill and eat him. I can't trust all those -beetle guards." - -Tommy hesitated a moment, then decided to follow Bram's suggestion. -Together they raised the unconscious man to the beetle-shell couch. Bram -seated himself upon the boss of one of the beetle-shells in front, and -Tommy jumped up behind. - -Next moment, to his amazement, the trained steeds were flying smoothly -through the air, at a rate that could not have been less than -seventy-five to eighty miles an hour. - -Tommy's shell seat was not a bed of roses, but he hardly noticed that. -He was thinking that if Dodd lived they should be able to turn the -tables. - -For, unknown to Bram, he was in possession of the cigarette-lighter -which he had picked up, and which Bram, in his agitation, had -forgotten. It was full of petrol, or some other fluid of a similar -nature, which Bram must have obtained from some natural source within -the earth. And, in an emergency, Tommy knew that he had the means of -keeping the beetles at bay. - - * * * * * - -They had traveled for perhaps an hour when a faint light began to glow -in the distance. It grew brighter, and a roaring sound became audible. A -turn of the track that they were traversing, and the light became a -glare. A terrific sight met Tommy's eyes. - -Out of the bowels of the earth--actually out of the crust beneath their -feet--there shot a pillar of roaring flame, of intense white color, and -radiating a heat that was perceptible even at a distance of several -hundred yards. The beetle steeds dropped gently to the ground; they -halted. Bram got down, grinning. - -"Nicely trained horses, what?" he asked. "By the way, you have the -advantage of me in names. Who and what are you?" - -Tommy told him. - -"Well, Travers, it looks as if we're going to be companions for some -time to come, and I quite admit you saved my life back there. So we -don't want to start with secrets. This is a natural petrol spring, which -has probably been burning undiminished for ages. My trained beetles are -blind--you didn't happen to notice I'd cut off their antenna? But the -rest of the swarm daren't come near it. So that makes me their master. - -"Pretty trick, what, Travers? I'm the Lord of the Flame down here, and -I'm using my advantage. But don't get the idea of supplanting me. There -are lots of other tricks you don't know anything about, and I'll have to -trust you better before--" - -He broke off and slipped another pellet into his mouth. - -"Help me get Dodd down, if this is our destination," answered Tommy. - -They lifted Dodd to the ground. He was conscious now, and moaning for -water. The two men carried him into a sort of large cavern, at the -farther end of which the fire was roaring. Bram went to a spring that -trickled down one side, filled something that looked like a petrified -lily calyx, and brought it to Dodd, who drained it. - - * * * * * - -Tommy looked about him. He was astonished to see that the place was, in -a way, furnished. Bram had carved out a very creditable couch, and -several low chairs, evidently with a stone ax, for by the light of the -fire, which cast a fair illumination even at that distance, Tommy could -see the marks of the implement, rough and irregular, in the wood. - -On the ground were thick rugs, woven of hair, and two or three more rugs -of the same material lay on the couch. It was evident that the human -herd was expected to furnish textile materials as well as meat. - -"Sit down, and make yourself comfortable," said Bram, when they had -raised Dodd to the couch. "We'll have dinner, and then we'll talk. I can -give you a fine vegetarian meal. Those dirty shrimp-eating savages look -on me as a cannibal because I eat the fruits of the trees." He grinned. -"There's a bad shortage of food in Submundia, as I've named this part of -the world," he went on, "for until I came the beetles simply devoured -the humans wholesale, instead of breeding them, like I taught them. And -there's another of the hundred-and-fifty year swarms due to hatch out -soon. However, we'll talk about that later. And all those fine fruits -going to waste! Excuse me, Travers." - - * * * * * - -He disappeared, and returned in a minute or two with a small table, -piled high with luscious fruits unknown to Tommy, though among them were -some that looked like loaves of natural bread. - -Tommy, whose appetite never failed him even in the worst circumstances, -fell to with a will. He was enjoying his meal when he happened to look -up, and saw that the penumbra at the edge of the lighted zone was dense -with beetles. - -Thousands--perhaps millions, for they stretched away as far as the eye -could see, were packed together, their antenna waving in unison, their -heads, beneath the shells, directed toward the fire. - -Bram saw Tommy's look of disgust, and laughed. "The fire seems to -intoxicate them, Travers," he said. "They always throng the entrance -when I'm here. It's as far as they dare go. They're quite blind in the -least light. Care to smoke? I've learned the art of making some quite -decent cigars." He produced a handful. "Oh, by the way, you didn't see -my lighter anywhere, did you?" he went on, with a pretense of -carelessness. - -"No," lied Tommy. "I was surprised you--" - -"Oh, there's a supply of petrol in the rocks. No matter," answered Bram -carelessly. "Your friend looks bad," he added, glancing at Dodd, who had -fallen asleep. "Travers, I'm sorry I lost my temper. The--the shock of -meeting men from the upper world, you know." - - * * * * * - -Dodd opened his eyes and tried to whisper. Tommy bent over him and -listened. - -"He wants to know whether he can have that girl to take care of him," he -said. - -"What, the one I saw you with? Why, she's a cull, Travers." - -"What d'you mean?" asked Tommy. - -"Why--useless, you know. There's several of them running loose, and -waiting to be rounded up. We raise two breeds, one for replenishing the -stock, and one for meat. She's just a cull, a reversion, no use for -either purpose. I'll have her brought by all means. I--I like Dodd. I -want to get him to like me," Bram went on, with a sort of penitence -that had a pathetic touch. "Our little differences--quite absurd, and I -can prove he's wrong in his ideas. - -"Make yourself comfortable as long as you're here, Travers, and don't -mind me. Only, don't try to escape. The beetles will get you if you do, -and there's no way out of here--none that you'll find. And don't try to -follow me. But you're a sensible man, and we'll all get along famously, -I'm sure, as soon as Dodd recovers." - - - - -CHAPTER V - -_Doomed!_ - - -There were no means known to Tommy of reckoning time in that strange -place of twilight. His watch had been broken in the airplane fall; and -Dodd never remembered to wind his, but they estimated that about two -weeks had passed, judging from the number of times they had slept and -eaten. - -In those two weeks they had gradually begun to grow accustomed to their -surroundings. Haidia, the girl, had arrived on beetle-back within an -hour after Bram's departure, apparently into a cleft of the rocks--how -he had communicated his order to the beetle steeds Tommy had no idea. -And under the girl's ministrations Dodd was making good progress toward -recovery. - -That Haidia was in love with Dodd in quite a human way was evident. To -please the girl, both Dodd and Tommy had learned to eat the raw shrimps, -which, being bloodless, were really no worse than oysters, and had a -flavor half-way between shrimp and crawfish. To please the men, Haidia -tried not to shudder when she saw them devouring the breadfruit and -nectarines of which Bram always had a plentiful supply. Bram was -solicitous in his inquiries for Dodd's health. - -"Jim, I've been thinking about our chances of getting away," said Tommy -one morning. "It's evident Bram's only waiting for your recovery to put -some proposition up to us. Suppose you were to feign paralysis." - -"How d'you mean? What for?" demanded Dodd. - -"If he thinks you're helpless, he'll be less on his guard. You haven't -walked about in his presence." That was true, for the activities of the -two had been nocturnal, when Bram had vanished. "Let him think a nerve's -been severed in your neck, or something of the sort. If it doesn't work, -you can always get better." - - * * * * * - -Dodd's realistic portrayal of a man with a partly paralyzed right side -brought cries of horror from Bram next morning. Solicitously he helped -Dodd back to the couch. Bram, when not under the influence of his drug, -had moments of human feeling. - -"Can't you move that arm and leg at all, Dodd?" he asked. "No feeling in -them?" - -"There's plenty of feeling," growled Dodd, "but they don't seem to work, -that's all." - -"You'll get better," said Bram eagerly. "You must get better. I need -you, Dodd, in spite of our differences. There's work for all of us, -wonderful work. A new humanity, waiting to be born, Dodd, not of the -miserable ape race, but of--of--" - -He checked himself, and a cunning look came over his face. He turned -away abruptly. - -At the end of two weeks or so, an amazing thing happened. One day -Haidia, with a look of triumph in her eyes, addressed Dodd with a few -English words! - -Her brain, which had probably developed certain faculties in different -proportions from those of the upper human race, had registered every -word that either of the two men had ever spoken, and remembered it. As -soon as Dodd ascertained this, he began to instruct her, and, with her -abnormal faculties of memory, it was not long before she could talk -quite intelligently. The obstacle that had stood between them was swept -away. She became one of themselves. - -In the days that followed the girl told them brokenly something of the -history of her race, of the legend of the universal flood that had -driven them down into the bowels of the earth, of the centuries-long -struggle with the beetles, and of the insects' gradual conquest of -humanity, and the final reduction of the human race to a miserable, -helpless remnant. - - * * * * * - -Everywhere, Haidia told them, were beetle swarms, everywhere humanity -had been reduced to a few handfuls. Bram, by breeding mankind from -prolific strains, and using the new-born progeny for food, had -temporarily averted universal starvation. But a new swarm of beetles was -due to hatch out shortly, and then-- - -The girl, with a shudder, put her hand to her bosom, and brought out a -little bright-eyed lizard. - -"The old man you saw with me, who is one of our wise elders, has told -our people that these things feed upon the beetle larvae," she said. "We -are putting them secretly into the nests. But what can a few lizards do -against millions." She looked up. "In the earth above us, the beetle -larvae extend for miles, in a solid mass," she said. "When they come out -as beetles, it will be the end of all of us." - -Bram had grown less suspicious as the time passed. His sudden visits to -the cavern had ceased. Dodd and Tommy knew that he spent the nights--if -they could be termed nights--lying in a drugged slumber somewhere among -the rocks. They had asked Haidia whether there was any way of escape -into the upper world. - -"There are two ways from here," answered the girl. "One is the way you -came, but it is impossible to pass the beetle guards without being torn -to pieces. The other--" - -She shuddered, and for an instant drew back the film from across her -pupils, then uttered a little cry of pain at the light, dim though it -was. - -"There is a bridge across that terrible monster that devours all it -touches," she said, shuddering, meaning the fire. - -Suddenly Dodd had an inspiration. He still had the fur coat that he had -worn, and, reaching into a pocket he drew out a pair of snow goggles, -which he adjusted over Haidia's nose. - -"Now look!" he said. - -Haidia looked, blinked and, with an effort kept her eyes open. She gazed -at Dodd in amazement. Dodd laughed, and pulled her toward him. He kissed -her, and Haidia's eyes closed. - -"What is this?" she murmured. "First you give me medicine that opens my -eyes, and then you give me medicine that closes them." - -"That's nothing," grinned Dodd. "Wait till you understand me better." - - * * * * * - -Bram's eyes were preternaturally bright. It was evident that he had been -increasing his dose of late, and that he was fully under the influence -of it now. - -"Well, gentlemen, the time has come for us to be frank with one -another," he said, as the three were gathered about the little table, -while Haidia crouched in a far corner of the cave. "I want you to work -for me in my plans for the regeneration of humanity. The time for which -I have long labored is almost at hand. Any day now the new swarm of -beetles may emerge from the pupal stage. But before I speak further, -come and see them, gentlemen!" - -He rose, and Dodd and Tommy rose too, Tommy supporting Dodd, who let his -arm and leg trail awkwardly as he moved. - -Bram led the way into the cleft among the rocks into which he had been -in the habit of passing. Beyond this opening the two men saw another -smaller cavern, with a beetle guard standing on either side, antenna -waving. - -Bram shrilled a sound, and the antenna dropped. The three passed -through. Tommy saw a hair-cloth pallet set against the rocks, a table, -and a chair. Beyond was a sloping ramp of earth. Overhead was a rock -ceiling. - -Bram led the way up the ramp, and the three stepped through a gap in the -rocks and found themselves on an extensive prairie. But in place of the -red grass there was a vast sea of mud. - -By the light cast by the petrol fire, which roared up in the distance, a -veritable fiery fountain, the two Americans could see that the mud was -filled with huge encysted forms, grubs three or four feet long, -motionless in the soil. - - * * * * * - -Bram scooped up one of them and tossed it into the air. It thudded to -their feet and remained motionless. - -"As far as you can see, and for miles beyond, these pupae of the beetles -lie buried in the decaying vegetation in which the eggs were hatched," -said Bram. "Every century and a half, so far as I have been able to -judge from comparative anatomy, a fresh swarm emerges. See!" - -He pointed to the pupa he had unearthed, which, as if stirred into -activity by his handling, was now beginning to move. Or, rather, -something was moving inside the cocoon. - -The shell broke, and the hideous head and folded antenna of a beetle -appeared. With a convulsive writhing, the monster threw off the covering -and stepped out. It extended its wings, glistening, with moisture, from -the still soft and pliant carapace, or shell, and suddenly zoomed off -into the distance. - - * * * * * - -Tommy shuddered as the boom of its flight grew softer and subsided. - -"Any day now the entire swarm will emerge," cried Bram. "How many -moultings they undergo before they undergo the finished state, I do not -know, but already, as you see, they are prepared for the battle of -life. They emerge ravenous. That beetle will fall upon the man-herds and -devour a full grown man, unless the guards destroy it." - -He raised his arms with the gesture of an ancient prophet. "Woe to the -human race," he cried, "the wretched ape spawn that has cast out its -teachers and persecuted those who sought to raise it to higher things!" - - * * * * * - -Tommy knew that Bram was referring to himself. Bram turned fiercely upon -Dodd. - -"When I joined the Greystoke expedition," he cried, "it was with the -express intention of refuting your miserable theories as to the fossil -monotremes. I could not sleep or eat, so deeply was I affronted by them. -For, if they were true, the dasyuridae are an innovation in the great -scheme of nature, and man, instead of being a mere afterthought, a jest -of the Creative Force, came to earth with a purpose. - -"That I deny," he yelled. "Man is a joke. Nature made him when she was -tired, as the architect of a cathedral fashions a gargoyle in a sportive -moment. It is the insect, not man, who is the predestined lord of the -ages!" - -And for once in his life, perhaps because at this point Tommy dug him -violently in the ribs, Dodd had the sense to remain silent. Bram led the -way swiftly back into the larger cave. - -"When this swarm hatches out," he said, "I calculate that there will be -a trillion beetles seeking food. There is no food for a tithe of them -here underneath the earth. What then? Do you realize their stupendous -power, their invincibility? - -"No, you don't realize it, because your minds, through long habit, are -only attuned to think in terms of man. All man's long history of -slaughter of the so-called lower creatures obsesses you, blinds your -understanding. A beetle? Something to be trodden underfoot, crushed in -sport! But I tell you, gentlemen, that nature--God, if you will--has -designed to supplant the man-ape by the beetle. - -"He has resolved to throw down the wretched so-called intelligence of -your kind and mine, and supplant it by the divine instinct of the -beetle, an instinct that is infinitely superior, because it arrives at -results instantaneously. It knows where man infers. Attuned closely to -nature, it alone is able to fulfil the divine plan of Creation." - - * * * * * - -Bram was certainly under the influence of his drug; nevertheless, so -violent were his gestures, so inspired was his utterance, that Tommy and -Dodd listened almost in awe. - -"They are invincible," Bram went on. "Their fecundity is such that when -the new swarm is hatched out their numbers alone will make them -irresistible. They do not know fear. They shrink from nothing. And they -will follow me, their leader--I, who know the means of controlling them. -How, then, can puny man hope to stand against them? - -"Join me, gentlemen," Bram went on. "And beware how you decide rashly. -For this is the supreme moment, not only of your own lives, but for all -humanity and beetledom. Upon your decision hangs the future of the -world. - -"For, irresistible as the beetles are, there is one thing they lack. That -is the sense of historic continuity. If they destroy man, they will know -nothing of man's achievements, poor though these are. My own work on the -fossil monotremes--" - -"Which is a tissue of inaccuracies and half-baked deductions!" shouted -Dodd. - -Bram started as if a whip had lashed him. "Liar!" he bawled. "Do you -think that I, who left the Greystoke expedition in a howling blizzard -because I knew that here, in the inner earth, I could refute your -miserable impostures--do you think that I am in the mood to listen to -your wretched farrago of impossibilities?" - -"Listen to me," bawled Dodd, advancing with waving arms. "Once and for -all, let me tell you that your deductions are all based upon fallacious -premises. No, I will not shut up, Tom Travers! You want me to aid your -damned beetles in the destruction of humanity! I tell you that your -phascalotherium, amphitherium, and all the rest of them, including the -marsupial lion, are degenerate developments of the age following the -pleistocene. I say the whole insect world was made to fertilize the -plant world, so that it should bear fruit for human food. Man is the -summit of the scale of evolution, and I will never join in any infamous -scheme for his destruction." - -Bram glared at Dodd like a madman. Three times he opened his mouth to -speak, but only inarticulate sounds came from his throat. And when at -last he did speak, he said something that neither Dodd nor Tommy had -anticipated. - -"It looks as if you're not so paralysed as you made out," he sneered. -"You'll change your mind within what used to be called a day, Dodd. -You'll crawl to my feet and beg for pardon. And you'll recant your lying -theories about the fossil monotremes, or you die--the pair of you--you -die!" - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -_Escape!_ - - -"I heard what he said. You shall not die. We shall go away to your -place, where there are no beetles to eat us, even if"--Haidia -shuddered--"even if we have to cross the bridge of fire, beyond which, -they tell me, lies freedom." - -High over and a little to one side of the petrol flame Dodd and Tommy -had seen the slender arch of rock leading into another cleft in the -rocks. They had investigated it several times, but always the fierce -heat had driven them back. - -Both Dodd and Tommy had noticed, however, that at times the fire seemed -to shrink in volume and intensity. Observation had shown them that these -times were periodical, recurring about every twelve hours. - -"I think I've got the clue, Tommy," said Dodd, as the three watched the -fiery fountain and speculated on the possibility of escape. "That flow -of petrol is controlled, like the tides on earth, by the pull of the -moon. Just now it is at its height. I've noticed that it loses pretty -nearly half its volume at its alternating phase. If I'm right, we'll -make the attempt in about twelve hours." - -"Bram's given us twenty-four," said Tommy. "But how about getting Haidia -across?" - -"I go where you go," said Haidia, sidling up to Dodd and looking down -upon him lovingly. "I do not afraid of the fire. If it burn me up, I go -to the good place." - -"Where's that, Haidia?" asked Dodd. - -"When we die, we go to a place where it is always dark and there are no -beetles, and the ground is full of shrimps. We leave our bodies behind, -like the beetles, and fly about happy for ever." - -"Not a bad sort of place," said Dodd, squeezing Haidia's arm. "If you -think you're ready to try to cross the bridge, we'll start as soon as -the fire gets lower." - -"I'll be on the job," answered Haidia, unconsciously reproducing a -phrase of Tommy's. - - * * * * * - -The girl glided away, and disappeared through the thick of the beetle -crowd clustered about the entrance to the cavern. Tommy and Dodd had -already discovered that it was through her ability to reproduce a -certain beetle sound meaning "not good to eat" that the girl could come -and go. They had once tried it on their own account, and had narrowly -escaped the lashing tentacles. - -After that there was nothing to do but wait. Three or four hours must -have passed when Bram returned from his inner cave. - -"Well, Dodd, have you experienced a change of heart?" he sneered. "If -you knew what's in store for you, maybe you'd come to the conclusion -that you've been too cocksure about the monotremes. We're slaughtering -in the morning." - -"That so?" asked Dodd. - -"That's so," shouted Bram. "The beetles are beginning to emerge from the -pupae, and they'll need food if they're to be kept quiet. We're rounding -up about threescore of the culls--your friend Haidia will be among them. -We've got some caged ichneumon flies, pretty little things only a foot -long, which will sting them in certain nerve centers, rendering them -powerless to move. Then we shall bury them, standing up, in the -vegetable mould, for the beetles to devour alive, as soon as they come -out of the shells. You'll feel pretty, Dodd, standing there unable to -move, with the new born beetles biting chunks out of you." - - * * * * * - -Tommy shuddered, despite his hopes of their escaping. Bram, for a -scientist, had a grim and picturesque imagination. - -"Dodd, there is no personal quarrel between us," Bram went on. Again -that note of pathetic pleading came into his voice. "Give up your mad -ideas. Admit that the banded ant-eater, at least, existed before the -pleistocene epoch, and everything can be settled. When you see what my -beetles are going to do to humanity, you'll be proud to join us. Only -make a beginning. You remember the point I made in my paper, about -spalacotherium in the Upper Jurassic rocks. It would convince anybody -but a hardened fanatic." - -"I read your paper, and I saw your so-called spalacotherium, -reconstructed from what you called a jaw-bone," shouted Dodd. "That -so-called jaw-bone was a lump of chalk, made porous by water, and the -rest was in your imagination. Do your worst, Bram, I'll never crucify -truth to save my life. And I'll laugh at your spalacotherium when your -beetles are eating me." - -Bram yelled and shrieked, he stamped up and down the cavern, shaking his -fists at Dodd. At last, with a final torrent of objurgation, he -disappeared. - -"A pleasant customer," said Tommy. "We'll have to make that bridge, Jim, -no question about it, even if it means death in the petrol fire." - -"Fire's dying down fast," answered Dodd. "Haidia ought to be here soon." - -"If Bram hasn't got her." - -"Bram got--that girl? If Bram harms a hair of her head I'll kill him -with worse tortures than he's ever dreamed of," answered Dodd, leaping -up, white with rage. - -"You mean you--?" Tommy began. - -"Love her? Yes, I love her," shouted Dodd. "She's a girl in a million. -Just the sort of helpmate I need to assist me in my work when we get -back. I tell you, Tommy, I didn't know what love meant before I saw -Haidia. I laughed at it as a romantic notion. 'Oh lyric love, half angel -and half bird!'" he quoted, beginning to stride up and down the cavern, -while Tommy watched him in amazement. - -And at this moment a complete beetle entered the cave. Complete, because -it had a plastron, or breast-shell, as well as a back-shell, or -carapace. - - * * * * * - -A double breast-shell! A new species of beetle? An executioner beetle, -sent by Bram to summon them to the torture? Tommy shuddered, but Dodd, -lost in his love ecstasy, was ignorant of the creature's advent. - -"'Oh lyric love--'" he shouted again, as he twirled on his heel, to run -smack into the monster. The crack of Dodd's head against the -beetle-shell re-echoed through the cave. - -The double plastron dropped, the carapace fell down: Haidia stood -revealed. The lovers, folded in each other's arms, passed momentarily -into a trance. - -It was Tommy who separated them. "We'll have to make a move," he said. -"I think the fire's as low as it ever gets. Why did you bring the -shells, Haidia?" - -"To save us all from the beetles," answered the girl. "When they see us -in the shells, they will not know we are human. That is what makes it so -hard to have to be eaten by those beetles, when they are such -dumb-bells," she added, reproducing another of Tommy's words. - -"Come," she continued bravely, "let us see if we can pass the fire." - - * * * * * - -The roaring fountain made the air a veritable inferno. Overhead the -rocks were red-hot. A cascade of sparks tumbled in a fiery shower from -the rock roof. Dodd, holding Haidia in his arms, to protect her, -staggered ahead, with Tommy in the rear. Only the beetle-shells, which -acted as non-conductors of the heat, made that fiery passage possible. - -There was one moment when it seemed to Tommy as if he must let go, and -drop into that raging furnace underneath. He heard Dodd bawling hoarsely -in front of him, he nerved himself to a last effort, beating fiercely at -his blazing hair--and then the heat was past, and he had dropped -unconscious upon a bed of cool earth beside a rushing river. - -He was vaguely aware of being carried in Dodd's arms, but a long time -seemed to have passed before he grew conscious again. He opened his eyes -in utter darkness. Dodd was whispering in his ear. - -"Tommy, old man, how are you feeling now?" Dodd asked. - -"All--right," Tommy muttered. "How's Haidia?" - -"Still unconscious, poor girl. We've got to get out of here. I heard -Bram yelling in the distance. He's discovered our flight. There may be -another way out of the cave, and, if so, he'll stop at nothing to get -us. See if you can stand, but keep your head low. There's a low roof of -rock above us." - -"There's water," said Tommy, listening to the roar of a torrent that -seemed to be rushing past them. - -"It's a stream, and I believe these shells will float and bear our -weight. We've got to try. We've got to put everything to the touch now, -Tommy. I'm going to lay Haidia on one of the shells, poor girl, and -start her off. Then I'll follow, and you can bring up the rear." - -"I'm with you," said Tommy, getting upon his feet, and uttering an -exclamation of pain as, forgetful of Dodd's injunction, he let his head -strike the rock roof overhead. - - * * * * * - -In the darkness he felt the outlines of his beetle-shell lying beside -the torrent. He could hear Dodd in front of him, grunting as he raised -Haidia's unconscious form in his arms and deposited her in her shell. -Tommy got his own shell into the stream, and held it there as the waters -swirled around it. - -"Ready?" he heard Dodd call. - -Before he could answer, there sounded from not far away, yet strangely -muffled by the rocks, Bram's bellow of fury. Bram was evidently fully -drugged and beside himself. Inarticulate threats came floating through -the rocky chamber. - -"Bram seems to have lost his head temporarily," called Dodd, laughing. -"A madman, Tommy. He insists that the marsupial lion--" - -"Yes, I heard you telling him about it," answered Tommy. "You handed it -to him straight. However, more about the marsupial lion later. I'm -ready." - -"Then let 'er go," called Dodd, and his words were swallowed up by the -sound of the hollow shell striking against the rocky bank as he launched -his strange craft into the water. - -Tommy set one foot into the hollow of his shell, and let himself go. - -Instantly the shell shot forward with fearful velocity. It was all Tommy -could do to balance himself, for it seemed more unstable than a canoe. -Once or twice he thought he heard Dodd shouting ahead of him, but his -cries were drowned in the rush of the torrent. - - * * * * * - -Suddenly a light appeared in the distance. Tommy thought it was another -of the petroleum fountains, and his heart seemed to stand still. But -then he gave a gasp of relief. It was a cluster of luminous fungi, ten -or twelve feet tall, emitting a glow equal to that of a dozen 40-watt -electric bulbs. - -By that infernal light Tommy could see that the stream curved sharply. -It was about fifty feet in width, and the low rock roof had receded to -some fifteen feet overhead. Instead of a tunnel, there was nothing on -either side of them but a vast tract of marshy ground thinly coated with -the red grass. - -As Tommy looked, he saw the shell that carried the unconscious body of -Haidia strike the bank beside the phosphorescent growth. He could see -the girl lying in the hollow of the shell, as pale as death, her eyes -closed. Dodd was close behind. As the swirl of the current caught his -shell, he turned to shout a warning to Tommy. - -And Tommy noticed a singular thing, of which his sense of balance had -already warned him, though he had hardly given conscious thought to the -matter. _The river was running up-hill!_ - -Of course it was, since the center of gravity was in the shell of the -earth, and not in the center! - -But, again, the shell of the earth was under their feet! - -Then Tommy hit on the solution to the problem. If the river was running -up-hill, that meant that they must be near the exterior of the earth. In -other words, they had passed the center of gravity: they must be within -a mile or so of the exit from Submundia! - - * * * * * - -Tommy was about to shout his discovery to Dodd when his shell grounded -beside the two others, at the base of the clump of fungi. - -Huge, straight, hollow stems they were, with mushroom caps, and, like -all fungi, fly-blown, for Tommy could see worms nearly a foot in length -crawling in and out of the porous stalks. The stench from the growth was -nauseating and overpowering, utterly sickening. - -"Push off and let's get out of here!" Tommy called to Dodd, who was -balancing his shell against the bank, and trying to peer into Haidia's -face. - -At that moment he caught sight of something that made his blood turn -cold! - -It was an insect fully fifteen feet in height, three times that of a -beetle, lurking among the fungi. He saw a hugely elongated neck, a -three-cornered head with a pair of tentacles, and two pairs of legs as -long as a giraffe's. But what gave the added touch of horror was that -the monster, balancing itself on its hind legs, had its forelegs -extended in the attitude of one holding a prayer-book! - -That attitude of devotion was so terrible that Tommy uttered a wild cry -of terror. At the same time another cry broke from Dodd's lips. - -"God, a praying mantis!" he shouted, struggling madly to push off his -shell and Haidia's. - -The next moment, as if shot from a catapult, the hideous monster -launched itself into the air straight toward them. - -(_To be concluded in the February Number._) - - - - -The Cave of Horror - -_By Captain S. P. Meek_ - -[Illustration: "_Suddenly, for no apparent reason at all, one of the men -on guard was jerked into the air feet upwards._"] - -[Sidenote: Screaming, the guardsman was jerked through the air. An -unearthly screech rang through the cavern. The unseen horror of Mammoth -Cave had struck again.] - - -Dr. Bird looked up impatiently as the door of his private laboratory in -the Bureau of Standards swung open, but the frown on his face changed to -a smile as he saw the form of Operative Carnes of the United States -Secret Service framed in the doorway. - -"Hello, Carnes," he called cheerfully. "Take a seat and make yourself at -home for a few minutes. I'll be with you as soon as I finish getting -this weight." - -Carnes sat on the edge of a bench and watched with admiration the long -nervous hands and the slim tapering fingers of the famous scientist. Dr. -Bird stood well over six feet and weighed two hundred and six pounds -stripped: his massive shoulders and heavy shock of unruly black hair -combined to give him the appearance of a prize-fighter--until one looked -at his hands. Acid stains and scars could not hide the beauty of those -mobile hands, the hands of an artist and a dreamer. An artist Dr. Bird -was, albeit his artistry expressed itself in the most delicate and -complicated experiments in the realms of pure and applied science that -the world has ever seen, rather than in the commoner forms of art. - -The doctor finished his task of weighing a porcelain crucible, set it -carefully into a dessicator, and turned to his friend. - -"What's on your mind, Carnes?" he asked. "You look worried. Is there -another counterfeit on the market?" - -The operative shook his head. - -"Have you been reading those stories that the papers have been carrying -about Mammoth Cave?" he asked. - -Dr. Bird emitted a snort of disgust. - -"I read the first one of them part way through on the strength of its -being an Associated Press dispatch," he replied, "but that was enough. -It didn't exactly impress me with its veracity, and, from a viewpoint of -literature, the thing was impossible. I have no time to pore over the -lucubrations of an inspired press agent." - -"So you dismissed them as mere press agent work?" - -"Certainly. What else could they be? Things like that don't happen -fortuitously just as the tourist season is about to open. I suppose that -those yarns will bring flocks of the curious to Kentucky though: the -public always responds well to sea serpent yarns." - -"Mammoth Cave has been closed to visitors for the season," said Carnes -quietly. - -"What?" cried the doctor in surprise. "Was there really something to -those wild yarns?" - - * * * * * - -"There was, and what is more to the point, there still is. At least -there is enough to it that I am leaving for Kentucky this evening, and I -came here for the express purpose of asking you whether you wanted to -come along. Bolton suggested that I ask you: he said that the whole -thing sounded to him like magic and that magic was more in your line -than in ours. He made out a request for your services and I have it in -my pocket now. Are you interested?" - -"How does the secret service cut in on it?" asked the doctor. "It seems -to me that it is a state matter. Mammoth Cave isn't a National Park." - -"Apparently you haven't followed the papers. It _was_ a state matter -until the Governor asked for federal troops. Whenever the regulars get -into trouble, the federal government is rather apt to take a hand." - -"I didn't know that regulars had been sent there. Tell me about the -case." - -"Will you come along?" - -Dr. Bird shook his head slowly. - -"I really don't see how I can spare the time, Carnes," he said. "I am in -the midst of some work of the utmost importance and it hasn't reached -the stage where I can turn it over to an assistant." - -"Then I won't bother you with the details," replied Carnes as he rose. - -"Sit down, confound you!" cried the doctor. "You know better than to try -to pull that on me. Tell me your case, and then I'll tell you whether -I'll go or not. I can't spare the time, but, on the other hand, if it -sounds interesting enough...." - - * * * * * - -Carnes laughed. - -"All right, Doctor," he said, "I'll take enough time to tell you about -it even if you can't go. Do you know anything about it?" - -"No. I read the first story half way through and then stopped. Start at -the beginning and tell me the whole thing." - -"Have you ever been to Mammoth Cave?" - -"No." - -"It, or rather they, for while it is called Mammoth Cave it is really a -series of caves, are located in Edmonson County in Central Kentucky, on -a spur railroad from Glasgow Junction on the Louisville and Nashville -Railroad. They are natural limestone caverns with the customary -stalactite and stalagmite formation, but are unusually large and very -beautiful. The caves are quite extensive and they are on different -levels, so that a guide is necessary if one wants to enter them and be -at all sure of finding the way out. Visitors are taken over a regular -route and are seldom allowed to visit portions of the cave off these -routes. Large parts of the cave have never been thoroughly explored or -mapped. So much for the scene. - -"About a month ago a party from Philadelphia who were motoring through -Kentucky, entered the cave with a regular guide. The party consisted of -a man and his wife and their two children, a boy of fourteen and a girl -of twelve. They went quite a distance back into the caves and then, as -the mother was feeling tired, she and her husband sat down, intending to -wait until the guide showed the children some sights which lay just -ahead and then return to them. The guide and the children never -returned." - -"What happened?" - -"No one knows. All that is known is the bare fact that they have not -been seen since." - -"A kidnapping case?" - -"Apparently not, in the light of later happenings, although that was at -first thought to be the explanation. The parents waited for some time. -The mother says that she heard faint screams in the distance some ten -minutes after the guide and the children left, but they were very far -away and she isn't sure that she heard them at all. At any rate, they -didn't impress her at the time. - - * * * * * - -"When half an hour had passed they began to feel anxious, and the father -took a torch and started out to hunt for them. The usual thing happened; -he got lost. When _he_ failed to return, the mother, now thoroughly -alarmed, made her way, by some uncanny sense of direction, to the -entrance and gave the alarm. In half an hour a dozen search parties were -on their way into the cave. The father was soon located, not far from -the beaten trail, but despite three days of constant search, the -children were not located. The only trace of them that was found was a -bracelet which the mother identified. It was found in the cavern some -distance from the beaten path and was broken, as though by violence. -There were no other signs of a struggle. - -"When the bracelet was found, the kidnapping theory gained vogue, for -John Harrel, the missing guide, knew the cave well and natives of the -vicinity scouted the idea that he might be lost. Inspired by the large -reward offered by the father, fresh parties began to explore the unknown -portions of the cave. And then came the second tragedy. Two of the -searchers failed to return. This time there seemed to be little doubt of -violence, for screams and a pistol shot were faintly heard by other -searchers, together with a peculiar 'screaming howl,' as it was -described by those who heard it. A search was at once made toward the -spot where the bracelet had been picked up, and the gun of one of the -missing men was found within fifty yards of the spot where the bracelet -had been discovered. One cylinder of the revolver had been discharged." - -"Were there any signs on the floor?" - -"The searchers said that the floor appeared to be rather more moist and -slimy than usual, but that was all. They also spoke of a very faint -smell of musk, but this observation was not confirmed by others who -arrived a few moments later." - -"What happened next?" - - * * * * * - -"The Governor was appealed to and a company of the National Guard was -sent from Louisville to Mammoth Cave. They took up camp at the mouth of -the cave and prevented everyone from entering. Soldiers armed with -service rifles penetrated the caverns, but found nothing. Visitors were -excluded, and the guardsmen established regular patrols and sentry posts -in the cave with the result that one night, when time came for a relief, -the only trace that could be found of one of the guards was his rifle. -It had not been fired. Double guards were then posted, and nothing -happened for several days--and then another sentry disappeared. His -companion came rushing out of the cave screaming. When he recovered, he -admitted that both he and the missing man had gone to sleep and that he -awoke to find his comrade gone. He called, and he says that the answer -he received was a peculiar whistling noise which raised all the hair on -the back of his neck. He flashed his electric torch all around, but -could see nothing. He swears, however, that he heard a slipping, sliding -noise approaching him, and he felt that some one was looking at him. He -stood it as long as he could and then threw down his rifle and ran for -his life." - -"Had he been drinking?" - -"No. It wasn't delirium either, as was shown by the fact that a patrol -found his gun where he had thrown it, but no trace of the other sentry. -After this second experience, the guardsmen weren't very eager to enter -the cave, and the Governor asked for regulars. A company of infantry was -ordered down from Fort Thomas to relieve the guardsmen, but they fared -worse than their predecessors. They lost two men the first night of -their guard. The regulars weren't caught napping, for the main guard -heard five shots fired. They rushed a patrol to the scene and found both -of the rifles which had been fired, but the men were gone. - -"The officer of the day made a thorough search of the vicinity and -found, some two hundred yards from the spot where the sentries had been -posted, a crack in the wall through which the body of a man could be -forced. This bodycrack had fresh blood on each side of it. Several of -his men volunteered to enter the hole and search, but the lieutenant -would not allow it. Instead, he armed himself with a couple of -hand-grenades and an electric torch and entered himself. That was last -Tuesday, and he has not returned." - -"Was there any disturbance heard from the crack?" - -"None at all. A guard was posted with two machine-guns pointed at the -crack in the wall, and a guard of eight men and a sergeant stationed -there. Last night, about six o'clock, while the guard were sitting -around their guns, a faint smell of musk became evident. No one paid a -great deal of attention to it, but suddenly for no apparent reason at -all one of the men on guard was jerked into the air feet upwards. He -gave a scream of fear, and an unearthly screech answered him. The guard, -with the exception of one man, turned tail and ran. One man stuck by his -gun and poured a stream of bullets into the crack. The retreating men -could hear the rattle of the gun for a few moments and then there was a -choking scream, followed by silence. When the officer of the day got -back with a patrol, there was a heavy smell of musk in the air, and a -good deal of blood was splashed around. The machine-guns were both -there, although one of them was twisted up until it looked like it had -been through an explosion. - -"The Officer commanding the company investigated the place, ordered all -men out of the cave, and communicated with the War Department. The -Secretary of War found it too tough a nut to crack and he asked for -help, so Bolton is sending me down there. Do you think, in view of this -yarn, that your experiments can wait?" - - * * * * * - -The creases on Dr. Bird's high forehead had grown deeper and deeper as -Carnes had told his story, but now they suddenly disappeared, and he -jumped to his feet with a boyish grin. - -"How soon are we leaving?" he asked. - -"In two hours, Doctor. A car is waiting for us downstairs and I have -reservations booked for both of us on the Southern to-night. I knew that -you were coming; in fact, the request for your services had been -approved before I came here to see you." - -Dr. Bird rapidly divested himself of his laboratory smock and took his -coat and hat from a cupboard. - -"I hope you realize, Carnsey, old dear," he said as he followed the -operative out of the building, "that I have a real fondness for your -worthless old carcass. I am leaving the results of two weeks of patient -work alone and unattended in order to keep you out of trouble, and I -know that it will be ruined when I get back. I wonder whether you are -worth it?" - -"Bosh!" retorted Carnes. "I'm mighty glad to have you along, but you -needn't rub it in by pretending that it is affection for me that is -dragging you reluctantly into this mess. With an adventure like this -ahead of you, leg-irons and handcuffs wouldn't keep you away from -Mammoth Cave, whether I was going or not." - -It was late afternoon before Dr. Bird and Carnes dismounted from the -special train which had carried them from Glasgow Junction to Mammoth -Cave. They introduced themselves to the major commanding the guard -battalion which had been ordered down to reinforce the single company -which had borne the first brunt of the affair, and then interviewed the -guards who had been routed by the unseen horror which was haunting the -famous cave. Nothing was learned which differed in any great degree from -the tale which Carnes had related to the doctor in Washington, except -that the officer of the day who had investigated the last attack failed -to entirely corroborate the smell of musk which had been reported by the -other observers. - -"It might have been musk, but to me it smelled differently," he said. -"Were you ever near a rattlesnake den in the west?" - - * * * * * - -Dr. Bird nodded. - -"Then you know the peculiar reptilian odor which such a place gives off. -Well, this smell was somewhat similar, although not the same by any -manner of means. It was musky all right, but it was more snake than musk -to me. I rather like musk, but this smell gave me the horrors." - -"Did you hear any noises?" - -"None at all. The men describe some rather peculiar noises and Sergeant -Jervis is an old file and pretty apt to get things straight, but they -may have been made by the men who were in trouble. I saw a man caught by -a boa in South America once, and the noises he made might very well have -been described in almost the same words as Jervis used." - -"Thanks, Lieutenant," replied the Doctor. "I'll remember what you have -told me. Now I think that we'll go into the cave." - -"My orders are to allow no one to enter, Doctor." - -"I beg your pardon. Carnes, where is that letter from the Secretary of -War?" - -Carnes produced the document. The lieutenant examined it and excused -himself. He returned in a few moments with the commanding officer. - -"In the face of that letter, Dr. Bird," said the major, "I have no -alternative to allowing you to enter the cave, but I will warn you that -it is at your own peril. I'll give you an escort, if you wish." - -"If Lieutenant Pearce will come with me as a guide, that will be all -that I need." - -The lieutenant paled slightly, but threw back his shoulders. - -"Do you wish to start at once, sir?" he asked. - -"In a few moments. What is the floor of the cave like where we are -going?" - -"Quite wet and slimy, sir." - -"Very slippery?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"In that case before we go in we want to put on baseball shoes with -cleats on them, so that we can run if we have to. Can you get us -anything like that?" - -"In a few moments, sir." - -"Good! As soon as we can get them we'll start. In the meantime, may I -look at that gun that was found?" - - * * * * * - -The Browning machine-gun was laid before the doctor. He looked it over -critically and sniffed delicately at it. He took from his pocket a phial -of liquid, moistened a portion of the water-jacket of the weapon, and -then rubbed the moistened part briskly with his hand. He sniffed again. -He looked disappointed, and again examined the gun closely. - -"Carnes," he said at length, "do you see anything on this gun that looks -like tooth marks?" - -"Nothing, Doctor." - -"Neither do I. There are some marks here which might quite conceivably -be finger-prints of a forty-foot giant, and those two parallel grooves -look like the result of severe squeezing, but there are no tooth marks. -Strange. There is no persistent odor on the gun, which is also strange. -Well, there's no use in theorizing: we are confronted by a condition and -not a theory, as someone once said. Let's put on those baseball shoes -and see what we can find out." - -Dr. Bird led the way into the cave, Carnes and the lieutenant following -closely with electric torches. In each hand Dr. Bird carried a -phosphorus hand-grenade. No other weapons were visible, although the -doctor knew that Carnes carried a caliber .45 automatic pistol strapped -under his left armpit. As they passed into the cave the lieutenant -stepped forward to lead the way. - -"I'm going first," said the doctor. "Follow me and indicate the turns by -pressure on my shoulder. Don't speak after we have started, and be ready -for instant flight. Let's go." - -Forward into the interior of the cave they made their way. The iron -cleats of the baseball shoes rang on the floor and the noise echoed back -and forth between the walls, dying out in little eerie whispers of sound -that made Carnes' hair rise. Ever forward they pressed, the lieutenant -guiding the doctor by silent pressure on his shoulder and Carnes -following closely. For half a mile they went on until a restrainable -pressure brought the doctor to a halt. The lieutenant pointed silently -toward a crack in the wall before them. Carnes started forward to -examine it, but a warning gesture from the doctor stopped him. - - * * * * * - -Slowly, an inch at a time, the doctor crept forward, hand-grenades in -readiness. Presently he reached the crack and, shifting one of the -grenades into his pocket, he drew forth an electric torch and sent a -beam of light through the crack into the dark interior of the earth. - -For a moment he stood thus, and then suddenly snapped off his torch and -straightened up in an attitude of listening. The straining ears of -Carnes and Lieutenant Pearce could hear a faint slithering noise coming -toward them, not from the direction of the crack, but from the interior -of the cave. Simultaneously a faint, musky, reptilian odor became -apparent. - -"Run!" shouted the doctor. "Run like hell! It's loose in the cave!" - -The lieutenant turned and fled at top speed toward the distant entrance -to the cave, Carnes at his heels. Dr. Bird paused for an instant, -straining his ears, and then threw a grenade. A blinding flash came from -the point where the missile struck and a white cloud rose in the air. -The doctor turned and fled after his companions. Not for nothing had Dr. -Bird been an athlete of note in his college days. Despite the best -efforts of his companions, who were literally running for their lives, -he soon caught up with them. As he did so a weird, blood-curdling -screech rose from the darkness behind them. Higher and higher in pitch -the note rose until it ended suddenly in a gurgling grunt, as though the -breath which uttered it had been suddenly cut off. The slithering, -rustling noise became louder on their trail. - -"Faster!" gasped the doctor, as he put his hand on Carnes' shoulder and -pushed him forward. - - * * * * * - -The noise of pursuit gained slightly on them, and a sound as of intense -breathing became audible. Dr. Bird paused and turned and faced the -oncoming horror. His electric torch revealed nothing, but he listened -for a moment, and then threw his second grenade. Keenly he watched its -flight. It flew through the air for thirty yards and then struck an -invisible obstruction and bounded toward the ground. Before it struck -the downward motion ceased, and it rose in the air. As it rose it burst -with a sharp report, and a wild scream of pain filled the cavern with a -deafening roar. The doctor fled again after his companions. - -By the time he overtook them the entrance of the cave loomed before -them. With sobs of relief they burst out into the open. The guards -sprang forward with raised rifles, but Dr. Bird waved them back. - -"There's nothing after us, men," he panted. "We got chased a little way, -but I tossed our pursuer a handful of phosphorus and it must have burned -his fingers a little, judging from the racket he made. At any rate, it -stopped the pursuit." - -The major hurried up. - -"Did you see it, Doctor?" he asked. - -"No, I didn't. No one has ever seen it or anything like it. I heard it -and, from its voice, I think it has a bad cold. At least, it sounded -hoarse, so I gave it a little white phosphorus to make a poultice for -its throat, but I didn't get a glimpse of it." - -"For God's sake, Doctor, what is it?" - -"I can't tell you yet, Major. So far I can tell, it is something new to -science and I am not sure just what it looks like. However, I hope to be -able to show it to you shortly. Is there a telegraph office here?" - -"No, but we have a Signal Corps detachment with us, and they have a -portable radio set which will put us in touch with the army net." - -"Good! Can you place a tent at my disposal?" - -"Certainly, Doctor." - -"All right, I'll go there, and I would appreciate it if you would send -the radio operator to me. I want to send a message to the Bureau of -Standards to forward me some apparatus which I need." - -"I'll attend to it, Doctor. Have you any special advice to give me about -the guarding?" - -"Yes. Have you, or can you get, any live stock?" - -"Live stock?" - -"Yes. Cattle preferred, although hogs or sheep will do at a pinch. Sheep -will do quite well." - -"I'll see what I can do, Doctor." - -"Get them by all means, if it is possible to do so. Don't worry about -paying for them: secret service funds are not subject to the same audit -that army funds get. If you can locate them, drive a couple of cattle or -half a dozen sheep well into the cave and tether them there. If you -don't get them, have your sentries posted well away from the cave mouth, -and if any disturbance occurs during the night, tell them to break and -run. I hope it won't come out, but I can't tell." - - * * * * * - -A herd of cattle was soon located and two of the beasts driven into the -cave. Two hours later a series of horrible screams and bellowings were -heard in the cave. Following their orders the sentries abandoned their -posts and scattered, but the noise came no nearer the mouth, and in a -few minutes silence again reigned. - -"I hope that will be all that will be needed for a couple of days," said -the doctor to the commanding officer, "but you had better have a couple -more cattle driven in in the morning. We want to keep the brute well -fed. Is there a tank stationed at Fort Thomas?" - -"No, there isn't." - -"Then radio Washington that I want the fastest three-man tank that the -army has sent here at once. Don't bother with military channels, radio -direct to the Adjutant General, quoting the Secretary of the Treasury as -authority. Tell him that it's a rush matter, and sign the message 'Bird' -if you are afraid of getting your tail twisted." - -Twice more before the apparatus which the doctor had ordered from -Washington arrived cattle were driven into the depths of the cave, and -twice were the screams and bellowings from the cave repeated. Each time -searching parties found the cattle gone in the morning. A week after the -doctor's arrival, a special train came up, carrying four mechanics from -the Bureau of Standards, together with a dozen huge packing cases. Under -the direction of the doctor the cases were unpacked and the apparatus -put together. Before the assembly had been completed the tank which had -been requested arrived from Camp Meade, and the Bureau mechanics began -to install some of the assembled units in it. - -The first apparatus which was installed in the tank consisted of an -electric generator of peculiar design which was geared to the tank -motor. The electromotive force thus generated was led across a spark gap -with points of a metallic substance. The light produced was concentrated -by a series of parabolic reflectors, directed against a large quartz -prism, and thence through a lens which was designed to throw a slightly -divergent beam. - -"This apparatus," Dr. Bird explained to the Signal Corps officer, who -was an interested observer, "is one which was designed at the Bureau for -the large scale production of ultra-violet light. There is nothing -special about the generator except that it is highly efficient and gives -an almost constant electromotive force. The current thus produced is -led across these points, which are composed of magnalloy, a development -of the Bureau. We found on investigation that a spark gave out a light -which was peculiarly rich in ultra-violet rays when it was passed -between magnesium points. However, such points could not be used for the -handling of a steady current because of lack of durability and ease of -fusion, so a mixture of graphite, alundum and metallic magnesium was -pressed together with a binder which will stand the heat. Thus we get -the triple advantages of ultra-violet light production, durability, and -high resistance. - - * * * * * - -"The system of reflectors catches all of the light thus produced except -the relatively small portion which goes initially in the right -direction, and directs it on this quartz prism where, due to the -refractive powers of the prism, the light is broken up into its -component parts. The infra-red rays and that portion of the spectrum -which lies in the visible range, that is, from red to violet inclusive, -are absorbed by a black body, leaving only the ultra-violet portion free -to send a beam through this quartz lens." - -"I thought that a lens would absorb ultra-violet light," objected the -signal officer. - -"A lens made of glass will, but this lens is made of rock crystal, which -is readily permeable to ultra-violet. The net result of this apparatus -is that we can direct before us as we move in the tank a beam of light -which is composed solely of the ultra-violet portion of the spectrum." - -"In other words, an invisible light?" - -"Yes. That is, invisible to the human eye. The effect of this beam of -ultra-violet light in the form of severe sunburn would be readily -apparent if you exposed your skin to it for any length of time, and the -effects on your eyesight of continued gazing would be apt to be -disastrous. It would produce a severe opthalmia and temporary -impairment of the vision, somewhat the same symptoms as are observed in -snow blindness." - -"I see. May I ask what is the object of the whole thing?" - -"Surely. Before we can successfully combat this peculiar visitant from -another world, it is necessary that we gain some idea of the size and -appearance of it. Nothing of the sort has before made its appearance, so -far as the annals of science go, and so I am forced to make some rather -wild guesses at the nature of the animal. You are probably aware of the -fact that the property of penetration possessed by all waves is a -function of their frequency, or, perhaps I should say, of their -wave-length?" - - * * * * * - -"Certainly." - -"The longer rays of visible light will not penetrate as deeply into a -given substance as the shorter ultra-violet rays. This visitor is -evidently from some unexplored and, indeed, unknown cavern in the depths -of the earth where visible light has never penetrated. Apparently in -this cavern the color of the inhabitants is ultra-violet, and hence -invisible to us." - -"You are beyond my depth, Doctor." - -"Pardon me. You understand, of course, what color is? When sunlight, -which is a mixture of all colors from infra-red to ultra-violet -inclusive, falls on an object, certain rays are reflected and certain -others are absorbed. If the red rays are reflected and all others -absorbed, the object appears red to our eyes. If all the rays are -reflected, the object appears white, and if all are absorbed, it appears -black." - -"I understand that." - -"The human eye cannot detect ultra-violet. Suppose then, that we have an -object, either animate or inanimate, the surface of which reflects only -ultra-violet light, what will be the result? The object will be -invisible." - -"I should think it would be black if all the rays except the -ultra-violet were absorbed." - -"It would, but mark, I did not say the others were absorbed. Are you -familiar with fluorescein?" - -"No." - -"I think you are. It is the dye used in making changeable silk. If we -fill a glass container with a fluorescein solution and look at it by -reflected light it appears green. If we look at it by transmitted light, -that is, light which has traversed the solution, it appears red. In -other words, this is a substance which reflects green light, allows a -free passage to red light, and absorbs all other light. This creature we -are after, if my theory is correct, is composed of a substance which -allows free passage to all of the visible light rays and at the same -time reflects ultra-violet light. Do I make this clear?" - - * * * * * - -"Perfectly." - -"Very well, then. My apparatus will project forward a beam of -ultra-violet light which will be in much greater concentration than -exists in an incandescent electric light. It is my hope that this light -will be reflected by the body of the creature to a sufficient to allow -me to make a photograph of it." - -"But won't your lens prevent the ultra-violet light from reaching your -plate?" - -"An ordinary lens made of optical glass would do so, but I have a camera -here equipped with a rock crystal lens, which will allow ultra-violet -light to pass through it practically unhindered, and with very slight -distortion. When I add that I will have my camera charged with X-ray -film, a film which is peculiarly sensitive to the shorter wave-lengths, -you will see that I will have a fair chance of success." - -"It sounds logical. Would you allow me to accompany you when you make -your attempt?" - -"I will be glad of your company, if you can drive a tank. I want to take -Carnes with me, and the tank will only hold two besides the driver." - -"I can drive a tractor." - -"In that case you should master the tricks of tank driving in short -order. Get familiar with it and we'll appoint you as driver. We'll be -ready to go in to-night, but I am going to wait a day. Our friend was -fed last night, and there is less chance he'll be about." - - * * * * * - -The early part of the next evening was marked by howls and screams -coming from the mouth of the cave. As the night wore on the noises were -quite evidently coming nearer and the sentries watched the cave mouth -nervously, ready to bolt and scatter according to their orders at the -first alarm. About two A. M. the doctor and Carnes climbed into the tank -beside Lieutenant Leffingwell, and the machine moved slowly into the -cave. A search-light on the front of the tank lighted the way for them -and, attached to a frame which held it some distance ahead of them, was -a luckless sheep. - -"Keep your eye on the mutton, Carnes," cautioned the doctor. "As soon as -anything happens to it, shut off the search-light and let me try to get -a picture. As soon as I have made my exposures I'll tell you, and you -can snap it on again. Lieutenant, when the picture is made, turn your -tank and make for the entrance to the cave. If we are lucky, we'll get -out." - -Forward the tank crawled, the sheep bleating and trying to break loose -from the bonds which held it. It was impossible to hear much over the -roar of the motor, but presently Dr. Bird leaned forward, his eyes -shining. - -"I smell musk," he announced. "Get ready for action." - -Even as he spoke the sheep was suddenly lifted into the air. It gave a -final bleat of terror, and then its head was torn from its body. - -"Quick, Carnes!" shouted the doctor. - -The search-light went out, and Carnes and the lieutenant could hear the -slide of the ultra-violet light which Dr. Bird was manipulating open. -For two or three minutes the doctor worked with his apparatus. - -"All right!" he cried suddenly. "Lights on and get out of here!" - -Carnes snapped on the search-light and Lieutenant Leffingwell swung the -tank around and headed for the cave mouth. For a few feet their progress -was unhindered and then the tank ceased its forward motion, although the -motor still roared and the track slid on the cave floor. Carnes watched -with horror as one side of the tank bent slowly in toward him. There was -a rending sound, and a portion of the heavy steel fabric was torn away. -Dr. Bird bent over something on the floor of the tank. Presently he -straightened up and threw a small object into the darkness. There was a -flash of light, and bits of flaming phosphorus flew in every direction. -The anchor which held the tank was suddenly loosed and the machine -crawled forward at full speed, while a roar as of escaping air mingled -with a bellowing shriek burdened the smoke-laden air. - -"Faster!" cried the doctor, as he threw another grenade. - - * * * * * - -Lieutenant Leffingwell got the last bit of speed possible out of the -tank and they reached the cave mouth without further molestation. - -"I had an idea that our friend wouldn't care to pass through a -phosphorus screen," said Dr. Bird with a chuckle as he climbed out of -the tank. "He must have been rather severely burned the other day, and -once burned is usually twice shy. Where is Major Brown?" - -The commanding officer stepped forward. - -"Drive a couple of cattle into the cave, Major," directed Dr. Bird. "I -want to fill that brute up and keep him quiet for a while. I'm going to -develop my films." - -Lieutenant Leffingwell and Carnes peered over the doctor's shoulders as -he manipulated his films in a developing bath. Gradually vague lines and -blotches made their appearance on one of the films, but the form was -indistinct. Dr. Bird dropped the films in a fixing tank and straightened -up. - -"We have something, gentlemen," he announced, "but I can't tell yet how -clear it is. It will take those films fifteen minutes to fix, and then -we'll know." - -In a quarter of an hour he lifted the first film from the tank and held -it to the light. The film showed a blank. With an exclamation of -disappointment he lifted a second and third film from the tank, with the -same result He raised the fourth one. - -"Good Lord!" gasped Carnes. - - * * * * * - -In the plate could be plainly seen the hind quarters of the sheep held -in the grasp of such a monster as even the drug-laden brain of an opium -smoker never pictured. Judging from the sheep, the monster stood about -twenty feet tall, and its frame was surmounted by a head resembling an -overgrown frog. Enormous jaws were opened to seize the sheep but, to the -amazement of the three observers, the jaws were entirely toothless. -Where teeth were to be expected, long parallel ridges of what looked -like bare bone, appeared, without even a rudimentary segregation into -teeth. The body of the monster was long and snakelike, and was borne on -long, heavy legs ending in feet with three long toes, armed with vicious -claws. The crowning horror of the creature was its forelegs. There were -of enormous length, thin and attenuated looking, and ended in huge -misshapen hands, knobby and blotched, which grasped the sheep in the -same manner as human hands. The eyes were as large as dinner plates, and -they were glaring at the camera with an expression of fiendish -malevolence which made Carnes shudder. - -"How does that huge thing ever get through that crack we examined?" -demanded the lieutenant. - -Dr. Bird rubbed his head thoughtfully. - -"It's not an amphibian," he muttered, "as is plainly shown by the shape -of the limbs and the lack of a tail, and yet it appears to have scales -of the true fish type. It corresponds to no recovered fossil, and I am -inclined to believe it is unique. The nervous organisation must be very -low, judging from the lack of forehead and the general conformation. It -has enormous strength, and yet the arms look feeble." - -"It can't get through that crack," insisted the lieutenant. - -"Apparently not," replied the doctor. "Wait a moment, though. Look at -this!" - -He pointed to the great disproportion between the length and diameter of -the forelegs, and then to the hind legs. - -"Either this is grave distortion or there is something mighty queer -about that conformation. No animal could be constructed like that." - - * * * * * - -He turned the film so that an oblique light fell on it. As he did so he -gave a cry of astonishment. - -"Look here!" he said sharply. "It does get through that crack! Look at -those arms and hands! There is the answer. This creature is tall and -broad, but from front to rear it can measure only a few inches. The same -must be true of the froglike head. That animal has been developed to -live and move in a low roofed cavern, and to pass through openings only -a few inches wide. Its bulk is all in two dimensions!" - -"I believe you're right," said Carnes as he studied the film. - -"There is no doubt of it," answered the doctor. "Look at those paws, -too, Carnes. That substance isn't bone, it's gum. The thing is so young -and helpless that it hasn't cut its teeth yet. It must be a baby, and -that is the reason why it made its way into the cave when no other of -its kind ever has." - -"How large are full grown ones if this is a baby?" asked the -lieutenant. - -"The Lord alone knows," replied Dr. Bird. "I hope that I never have to -face one and find out. Well, now that we know what we are fighting, we -ought to be able to settle its hash." - -"High explosive?" suggested the lieutenant. - -"I don't think so. With such a low nervous organization, we would have -to tear it practically to pieces to kill it, and I am anxious to keep it -from mutilation for scientific study. I have an idea, but I'll have to -study a while before I am sure of the details. Send me the radio -operator." - -The next day the Bureau mechanics began to dismount the apparatus from -the tank and to assemble another elaborate contrivance. Before they had -made an end of the work additional equipment arrived from Washington, -which was incorporated in the new set-up. At length Dr. Bird pronounced -himself ready for the attempt. - - * * * * * - -Under his direction, three cattle were driven into the cave and there -tethered. They were there the next morning unharmed, but the second -night the now familiar bellowing and howling came from the depths of the -cave and in the morning two of the cattle were gone. - -"That will keep him quiet for a day or two," said the doctor, "and now -to work!" - -The tank made its way into the cave, dragging after it two huge cables -which led to an engine-driven generator outside the cave. These cables -were attached to the terminals of a large motor which was set up in the -cave near the place where the cattle were customarily tethered. This -motor was the actuating force which turned two generators, one large and -one small. The smaller one was mounted on a platform on wheels, which -also contained the spark gaps, the reflectors and other apparatus which -produced the beam of ultra-violet light which had been used to -photograph the monster. - -From the larger generator led two copper bars. One of these was -connected to a huge copper plate which was laid flat on the floor of the -cave. The other led to a platform which was erected on huge porcelain -insulators some fifteen feet above the floor. Huge condensers were set -up on this platform, and Dr. Bird announced himself in readiness. - -A steer was dragged into the cave and up a temporary runway which led to -the platform containing the condensers, and there tied with the copper -bus bar from the larger generator fastened to three flexible copper -straps which led around the animal's body. When this had been completed, -everyone except the doctor, Carnes, and Lieutenant Leffingwell left the -cave. These three crouched behind the search-light which sent a mild -beam of ultra-violet onto the platform where the steer was held. The -engine outside the cave was started, and the three men waited with tense -nerves. - -For several hours nothing happened. The steer tried from time to time to -move and, finding it impossible, set up plaintive bellows for liberty. - -"I wish something would happen," muttered the lieutenant. "This is -getting on my nerves. - -"Something is about to happen," replied Dr. Bird grimly. "Listen to that -steer." - - * * * * * - -The bellowing of the steer had suddenly increased in volume and, added -to the note of discontent, was a note of fright which had previously -been absent. Dr. Bird bent over his ultra-violet search-light and made -some adjustments. He handed a helmetlike arrangement to each of his -companions and slipped one on over his head. - -"I can't see a thing, Doctor," said Carnes in a muffled voice. - -"The objects at which you are looking absorb rather than reflect -ultra-violet light," said the doctor. "This is a sort of a fluoroscope -arrangement, and it isn't perfect at all. However, when the monster -comes along, I am pretty sure that you will be able to see it. You may -see a little more as your eyes get accustomed to it." - -"I can see very dimly," announced the lieutenant in a moment. - -Dimly the walls of the cave and the platform before them began to take -vague shape. The three stared intently down the beam of ultra-violet -light which the doctor directed down the passageway leading deeper into -the cave. - -"Good Lord!" ejaculated Carnes suddenly. - -Slowly into the field of vision came the hideous figure they had seen on -the film. As it moved forward a rustling, slithering sound could be -heard, even over the bellowing of the steer and the hum of the -apparatus. The odor of musk became evident. - -Along the floor toward them the thing slid. Presently it reared up on -its hind legs and its enormous bulk became evident. It turned somewhat -sideways and the correctness of Dr. Bird's hypothesis as to its peculiar -shape was proved. All of the bulk of the creature was in two dimensions. -Forward it moved, and the horrible human hands stretched forward, while -the mouth split in a wide, toothless grin. Nearer the doomed steer the -creature approached, and then the reaching hands closed on the animal. - -There was a blinding flash, and the monster was hurled backward as -though struck by a thunderbolt, while a horrible smell of musk and -burned flesh filled the air. - -"After it! Quick!" cried the doctor as he sprang forward. - - * * * * * - -Before he could reach the prostrate creature it moved and then, slowly -at first, but with rapidly gaining speed, it slithered over the floor in -retreat. Dr. Bird's hand swung through an arc, and there was a deafening -crash as a hand-grenade exploded on the back of the fleeing monster. - -An unearthly scream came from the creature, and its motion changed from -a steady forward glide to a series of convulsive jerks. Leffingwell and -Carnes threw grenades, but they went wide of their mark, and the monster -began to again increase its speed. Another volley of grenades was thrown -and one hit scored, which slowed the monster somewhat but did not arrest -the steady forward movement. - -"Any more bombs?" demanded the doctor. - -"Damn!" he cried as he received negative answers. "The current wasn't -strong enough. It's going to get away." - -Carnes jerked his automatic from under his armpit and poured a stream of -bullets into the fleeing monster. Slower and slower the motion of the -creature became, and its movements again became jerky and convulsive. - -"Keep it in sight!" cried the doctor. "We may get it yet!" - -Cautiously the three men followed the retreating horror, Leffingwell -pushing before him the platform holding the ultra-violet ray apparatus. -The chase led them over familiar ground. - -"There is the crack!" cried the lieutenant. - -"Too late!" replied the doctor. - -He rushed forward and seized the lower limb of the monster and tried -with all his strength to arrest its flight, but despite all that he -could do it slid sideways through the crack in the wall and disappeared. -A final backward kick of its leg threw the doctor twenty feet against -the far wall of the cave. - -"Are you hurt, Doctor?" cried Carnes. - -"No, I'm all right. Put on your masks and start the gas! Quick! That may -stop it before it gets in far!" - - * * * * * - -The three adjusted gas masks and thrust the mouths of two gas cylinders -which were on the light truck into the crack, and opened the valves. The -hissing of the gas was accompanied by a thrashing, writhing sound from -the bowels of the earth for a few minutes, but the sound retreated and -finally died away into an utter silence. - -"And that's that!" cried the doctor half an hour later as they took off -their gas masks outside the cave. "It got away from us. Carnes, how soon -can we get a train back to Washington?" - -"What kind of a report are you going to make to the Bureau, Doctor?" -asked Carnes as they sat in the smoker of a southern train, headed for -the capital. - -"I'm not going to put in any report, Carnes," replied the doctor. "I -haven't got the creature or any part of it to show, and no one would -believe me. I am going to maintain a discreet silence about the whole -matter." - -"But you have your photograph to show, Doctor, and you have my evidence -and Lieutenant Leffingwell's." - -"The photograph might have been faked and I might have doped both of -you. In any case, your words are no better than mine. No, indeed, -Carnes, when I failed to make the current strong enough to kill it -outright I made the first of the moves which bind me to silence, -although I thought that two hundred thousand volts would be enough. - -"The second failure I made was when I missed him with my second grenade, -although I doubt if all six would have stopped him. My third failure was -when we failed to get a sufficient concentration of cyanide gas into -that hole in a hurry. The thing is so badly crippled that it will die, -but it may take hours, or even days, for it to do so. It has already -made its way so far into the earth that we couldn't reach it by blasting -without danger of bringing the whole place down on our heads. Even if we -could blast our way into the place it came from I wouldn't dare open a -path which would allow Lord only knows what terrible monsters to invade -the earth. When the soldiers have finished stopping that crack with ten -feet of solid masonry, I think the barrier will hold, even against that -critter's papa and mamma and all its relatives. Then Mammoth Cave will -be safe for visitors again. That latter fact is the only report which I -will make." - -"It is a dandy story to go to waste," said Carnes soberly. - -"Tell it then, if you wish, and get laughed at for your pains. No, -Carnes, you must learn one thing. A man like Bolton, for instance, will -implicitly believe that a four leaf clover in his watch-charm will bring -him good luck, and that carrying a buckeye keeps rheumatism away from -him; but tell him a bit of sober fact like this, attested by three -reliable witnesses and a good photograph, and you'll just get laughed at -for your pains. I'm going to keep my mouth shut." - -"So be it, then!" replied Carnes with a sigh. - - - - -Phantoms of Reality - -A COMPLETE NOVEL - -_By Ray Cummings_ - -[Illustration: _The office room faded.... I was lying on another -floor.... New walls sprang around me._] - -[Sidenote: Red Sensua's knife came up dripping--and the two adventurers -knew that chaos and bloody revolution had been unleashed in that shadowy -kingdom of the fourth dimension.] - - - - -CHAPTER I - -_Wall Street--or the Open Road?_ - - -When I was some fifteen years old, I once made the remark, "Why, that's -impossible." - -The man to whom I spoke was a scientist. He replied gently, "My boy, -when you are grown older and wiser you will realize that nothing is -impossible." - -Somehow, that statement stayed with me. In our swift-moving wonderful -world I have seen it proven many times. They once thought it impossible -to tell what lay across the broad, unknown Atlantic Ocean. They thought -the vault of the heavens revolved around the earth. It was impossible -for it to do anything else, because they could see it revolve. It was -impossible, too, for anything to be alive and yet be so small that one -might not see it. But the microscope proved the contrary. Or again, to -talk beyond the normal range of the human voice was impossible, until -the telephone came to show how simply and easily it might be done. - -I never forgot that physician's remark. And it was repeated to me some -ten years later by my friend, Captain Derek Mason, on that memorable -June night of 1929. - -My name is Charles Wilson. I was twenty-five that June of 1929. Although -I had lived all of my adult life in New York City, I had no relatives -there and few friends. - - * * * * * - -I had known Captain Mason for several years. Like myself, he seemed one -who walked alone in life. He was an English gentleman, perhaps thirty -years old. He had been stationed in the Bermudas, I understood, though -he seldom spoke of it. - -I always felt that I had never seen so attractive a figure of a man as -this Derek Mason. An English aristocrat, he was, straight and tall and -dark, and rather rakish, with a military swagger. He affected a small, -black mustache. A handsome, debonair fellow, with an easy grace of -manner: a modern d'Artagnan. In an earlier, less civilized age, he would -have been expert with sword and stick, I could not doubt. A man who -could capture the hearts of women with a look. He had always been to me -a romantic figure, and a mystery that seemed to shroud him made him no -less so. - -A friendship had sprung up between Derek Mason and me, perhaps because -we were such opposite types! I am an American, of medium height, and -medium build. Ruddy, with sandy hair. Derek Mason was as meticulous of -his clothes, his swagger uniforms, as the most perfect Beau Brummel. Not -so myself. I am careless of dress and speech. - -I had not seen Derek Mason for at least a month when, one June -afternoon, a note came from him. I went to his apartment at eight -o'clock the same evening. Even about his home there seemed a mystery. He -lived alone with one man servant. He had taken quarters in a high-class -bachelor apartment building near lower Fifth Avenue, at the edge of -Greenwich Village. - -All of which no doubt was rational enough, but in this building he had -chosen the lower apartment at the ground-floor level. It adjoined the -cellar. It was built for the janitor, but Derek had taken it and fixed -it up in luxurious fashion. Near it, in a corner of the cellar, he had -boarded off a square space into a room. I understood vaguely that it was -a chemical laboratory. He had never discussed it, nor had I ever been -shown inside it. Unusual, mysterious enough, and that a captain of the -British military should be an experimental scientist was even more -unusual. Yet I had always believed that for a year or two Derek had been -engaged in some sort of chemical or physical experiment. With all his -military swagger he had the precise, careful mode of thought -characteristic of the man of scientific mind. - - * * * * * - -I recall that when I got his note with its few sentences bidding me come -to see him, I had a premonition that it marked the beginning of -something strange. As though the portals of a mystery were opening to -me! - -Nothing is impossible! Nevertheless I record these events into which I -was plunged that June evening with a very natural reluctance. I expect -no credibility. If this were the year 2000, my narrative doubtless would -be tame enough. Yet in 1929 it can only be called a fantasy. Let it go -at that. The fantasy of to-day is the sober truth of to-morrow. And by -the day after, it is a mere platitude. Our world moves swiftly. - -Derek received me in his living-room. He admitted me himself. He told me -that his man servant was out. It was a small room, with leather-covered -easy chairs, rugs on its hardwood floor, and sober brown portieres at -its door and windows. A brown parchment shade shrouded the electrolier -on the table. It was the only light in the room. It cast its mellow -sheen upon Derek's lean graceful figure as he flung himself down and -produced cigarettes. - -He said, "Charlie, I want a little talk with you. I've something to tell -you--something to offer you." - -He held his lighter out to me, with its tiny blue alcohol flame under my -cigarette. And I saw that his hand was trembling. - - * * * * * - -"But I don't understand what you mean," I protested. - -He retorted, "I'm suggesting that you might be tired of being a clerk in -a brokerage office. Tired of this humdrum world that we call -civilization. Tired of Wall Street." - -"I am, Derek. Heavens, that's true enough." - -His eyes held me. He was smiling half whimsically: his voice was only -half serious. Yet I could see, in the smoldering depths of those -luminous dark eyes, a deadly seriousness that belied his smiling lips -and his gay tone. - -He interrupted me with, "And I offer you a chance for deeds of high -adventuring. The romance of danger, of pitting your wits against -villainy to make right triumph over wrong, and to win for yourself power -and riches--and perhaps a fair lady...." - -"Derek, you talk like a swashbuckler of the middle ages." - -I thought he would grin, but he turned suddenly solemn. - -"I'm offering to make you henchman to a king, Charlie." - -"King of what? Where?" - -He spread his lean brown hands with a gesture. He shrugged. "What -matter? If you seek adventure, you can find it--somewhere. If you feel -the lure of romance--it will come to you." - -I said, "Henchman to a king?" - -But still he would not smile. "Yes. If I were king. I'm serious. -Absolutely. In all this world there is no one who cares a damn about me. -Not in this world, but...." - -He checked himself. He went on, "You are the same. You have no -relatives?" - -"No. None that ever think of me." - -"Nor a sweetheart. Or have you?" - -"No," I smiled. "Not yet. Maybe never." - -"But you are too interested in Wall Street to leave it for the open -road?" He was sarcastic now. "Or do you fear deeds of daring? Do you -want to right a great wrong? Rescue an oppressed people, overturn the -tyranny of an evil monarch, and put your friend and the girl he loves -upon the throne? Or do you want to go down to work as usual in the -subway to-morrow morning? Are you afraid that in this process of -becoming henchman to a king you may perchance get killed?" - -I matched his caustic tone. "Let's hear it, Derek." - - - - -CHAPTER II - -_The Challenge of the Unknown_ - - -Incredible! Impossible! I did not say it, though my thoughts were -written on my face, no doubt. - -Derek said quietly, "Difficult to believe, Charlie? Yes! But it happens -to be true. The girl I love is not of this world, but she lives -nevertheless. I have seen her, talked with her. A slim little -thing--beautiful...." - -He sat staring. "This is nothing supernatural, Charlie. Only -the ignorant savages of our past called the unknown--the -unusual--supernatural. We know better now." - -I said, "This girl--" - -He gestured. "As I told you, I have for years been working on the theory -that there is another world, existing here in this same space with us. -The Fourth Dimension! Call it that it you like. I have found it, proved -its existence! And this girl--her name is Hope--lives in it. Let me tell -you about her and her people. Shall I?" - -My heart was pounding so that it almost smothered me. "Yes, Derek." - -"She lives here, in this Space we call New York City. She and her people -use this same Space at the same time that we use it. A different world -from ours, existing here now with us! Unseen by us. And we are unseen by -them! - -"A different form of matter, Charlie. As tangible to the people of the -other realm as we are to our own world. Humans like ourselves." - -He paused, but I could find no words to fill the gap. And presently he -went on: - -"Hope's world, co-existing here with us, is dependent upon us. They -speak what we call English. They shadow us." - -I murmured, "Phantoms of reality." - -"Yes. A world very like ours. But primitive, where ours is civilized." - - * * * * * - -He paused again. His eyes were staring past me as though he could see -through the walls of the cellar room into great reaches of the unknown. -What a strange mixture was this Derek Mason! What a strange compound of -the cold reality of the scientist and the fancy of the romantic dreamer! -Yet I wonder if that is not what science is. There is no romantic lover -gawping at the moon who could have more romance in his soul, or see in -the moonlit eyes of his loved one more romance than the scientist finds -in the wonders of his laboratory. - -Derek went on slowly: - -"A primitive world, primitive nation, primitive passions! As I see it -now, Charlie--as I know it to be--it seems as though perhaps Hope's -world is merely a replica of ours, stripped to the primitive. As though -it might be the naked soul of our modern New York, ourselves as we -really are, not as we pretend to be." - -He roused himself from his reverie. - -"Hope's nation is ruled by a king. An emperor, if you like. A monarch, -beset with the evils of luxury and ease, and wine and women. He is -surrounded by his nobles, the idle aristocracy, by virtue of their birth -proclaiming themselves of too fine a clay to work. The crimson nobles, -they are called. Because they affect crimson cloaks, and their beautiful -women, voluptuous, sex-mad, are wont to bedeck themselves in veils and -robes of crimson. - -"And there are workers, toilers they call them. Oppressed, down-trodden -toilers, with hate for the nobles and the king smoldering within them. -In France there was such a condition, and the bloody revolution came of -it. It exists here now. Hope was born in the ranks of these toilers, but -has risen by her grace and beauty to a position in the court of this -graceless monarch." - - * * * * * - -He leaped from his chair and began pacing the room. I sat silent, -staring at him. So strange a thing! Impossible? I could not say that. I -could only say, incredible to me. And as I framed the thought I knew its -incredibility was the very measure of my limited intelligence, my lack -of knowledge. The vast unknown of nature, so vast that everything which -was real to me, understandable to me, was a mere drop in the ocean of -the existing unknown. - -"Don't you understand me now?" Derek added vehemently. "I'm not talking -fantasy. Cold reality! I've found a way to transport myself--and -you--into this different state of matter, into this other world! I've -already made a test. I went there and stayed just for a few moments, a -night or so ago." - -It made my heart leap wildly. He went on:-- - -"There is chaos there. Smoldering revolution which at any time--to-night -perhaps--may burst into conflagration and destroy this wanton ruling -class." He laughed harshly. "In Hope's world the workers are a primitive, -ignorant people. Superstitious. Like the peons of Mexico, they're all -primed and ready to shout for any leader who sets himself up. My -chance--our chance--" - -He suddenly stopped his pacing and stood before me. "Don't you feel the -lure of it? The open road? 'The road is straight before me and the Red -Gods call for me!' I'm going, Charlie. Going to-night--and I want you to -go with me! Will you?" - -Would I go? The thing leaped like a menacing shadow risen solidly to -confront me. Would I go? - -Suddenly there was before me the face of a girl. White. Apprehensive. It -seemed almost pleading. A face beautiful, with a mouth of parted red -lips. A face framed in long, pale-golden hair with big staring blue -eyes. Wistful eyes, wan with starlight--eyes that seemed to plead. - -I thought, "Why, this is madness!" I was not seeing this face with my -eyes. There was nothing, no one here in the room with me but Derek. I -knew it. The shadows about us were empty. I was conjuring the face only -from Derek's words, making real that which existed only in my -imagination. - -Yet I knew that in another realm, with my thoughts now bridging the gap, -the girl was real. Would I go into the unknown? - -The quest of the unknown. The gauntlet of the unknown flung down now -before me, as it was flung down before the ancient explorers who picked -up its challenge and mounted the swaying decks of their little galleons -and said, "We'll go and see what lies off there in the unknown." - -That same lure was on me now. I heard my voice saying, "Why yes, I guess -I'll go, Derek." - - - - -CHAPTER III - -_Into the Unknown_ - - -We stood in the boarded room which was Derek's laboratory. Our -preparations had been simple: Derek had made them all in advance. There -was little left to do. The laboratory was a small room of board walls, -board ceiling and floor. Windowless, with a single door opening into the -cellar of the apartment house. - -Derek had locked the door after us as we entered. He said, "I have sent -my man servant away for a week. The people in the house here think I -have gone away on a vacation. No one will miss us, Charlie--not for a -time, anyway." - -No one would miss me, save my employers, and to them I would no doubt be -small loss. - -We had put out the light in Derek's apartment and locked it carefully -after us. This journey! I own that I was trembling, and frightened. Yet -a strange eagerness was on me. - -The cellar room was comfortably furnished. Rugs were on its floor. -Whatever apparatus of a research laboratory had been here was removed -now. But the evidence of it remained--Derek's long search for this -secret which now he was about to use. A row of board shelves at one -side of the room showed where bottles and chemical apparatus had stood. -A box of electrical tools and odds and ends of wire still lay discarded -in a corner of the room. There was a tank of running water, and gas -connections, where no doubt bunsen burners had been. - - * * * * * - -Derek produced his apparatus. I sat on a small low couch against the -wall and watched him as he stripped himself of his clothes. Around his -waist he adjusted a wide, flat, wire-woven belt. A small box was -fastened to it in the middle of the back--a wide, flat thing of metal, a -quarter of an inch thick, and curved to fit his body. It was a storage -battery of the vibratory current he was using. From the battery, tiny -threads of wire ran up his back to a wire necklace flat against his -throat. Other wires extended down his arms to the wrists. Still others -down his legs to the ankles. A flat electrode was connected to the top -of his head like a helmet. I was reminded as he stood there, of medical -charts of the human body with the arterial system outlined. But when he -dressed again and put on his jaunty captain's uniform, only the -electrode clamped to his head and the thin wires dangling from it in the -back were visible to disclose that there was anything unusual about him. - -He said smilingly, "Don't stare at me like that." - -I took a grip on myself. This thing was frightening, now that I actually -was embarked on it. Derek had explained to me briefly the workings of -his apparatus. A vibratory electronic current, for which as yet he had -no name, was stored in the small battery. He had said: - -"There's nothing incomprehensible about this, Charlie. It's merely a -changing of the vibration rate of the basic substance out of which our -bodies are made. Vibration is the governing factor of all states of -matter. In its essence what we call substance is wholly intangible. That -is already proven. A vortex! A whirlpool of nothingness! It creates a -pseudo-substance which is the only material in the universe. And from -this, by vibration, is built the complicated structure of things as we -see and feel them to be, all dependent upon vibration. Everything is -altered, directly as the vibratory rate is changed. From the most -tenuous gas, to fluids to solids--throughout all the different states of -matter the only fundamental difference is the rate of vibration." - - * * * * * - -I understood the basic principle of this that he was explaining--that -now when this electronic current which he had captured and controlled -was applied to our physical body, the vibration rate of every smallest -and most minute particle of our physical being was altered. There is so -little in the vast scale of natural phenomena of which our human senses -are cognisant! Our eyes see the colors of the spectrum, from red to -violet. But a vast invisible world of color lies below the red of the -rainbow! Physicists call it the infra-red. And beyond the violet, -another realm--the ultra-violet. With sound it is the same. Our audible -range of sound is very small. There are sounds with too slow a vibratory -rate for us to hear, and others too rapid. The differing vibratory rate -from most tenuous gas to most substantial solid is all that we can -perceive in this physical world of ours. Yet of the whole, it is so very -little! This other realm to which we were now going lay in the higher, -more rapid vibratory scale. To us, by comparison, a more tenuous world, -a shadow realm. - -I listened to Derek's words, but my mind was on the practicality of what -lay ahead. An explorer, standing upon his ship, may watch his men -bending the sails, raising the anchor, but his mind flings out to the -journey's end.... - - * * * * * - -We were soon ready. Derek wore his jaunty uniform, I wore my ordinary -business suit. A magnetic field would be about us, so that in the -transition anything in fairly close contact with our bodies was affected -by the current. - -Derek said, "I will go first, Charlie." - -"But, Derek--" A fear, greater than the trembling I had felt before, -leaped at me. Left here alone, with no one on whom to depend! - -He spoke with careful casualness, but his eyes were burning me. "Just -sit there, and watch. When I am gone, turn on the current as I showed -you and come after me. I'll wait for you." - -"Where?" I stammered. - -He smiled faintly. "Here. Right here. I'm not going away! Not going to -move. I'll be here on the couch waiting for you." - -Terrifying words! He had lowered the couch, bending out its short legs -until the frame of it rested on the board floor. He drew a chair up -before it and seated me. He sat down on the couch. - -He said, "Oh, one other thing. Just before you start, put out the light. -We can't tell how long it will be before we return." - -Terrifying words! - -His right hand was on his left wrist where the tiny switch was placed. -He smiled again. "Good luck to us, Charlie!" - -Good luck to us! The open road, the unknown! - -I sat there staring. He was partly in shadow. The room was very silent. -Derek lay propped up on one elbow. His hand threw the tiny switch. - -There was a breathless moment. Derek's face was set and white, but no -whiter than my own, I was sure. His eyes were fixed on me. I saw him -suddenly quiver and twitch a little. - -I murmured, "Derek--" - -At once he spoke, to reassure me. "I'm all right, Charlie. That was just -the first feel of it." - - * * * * * - -There was a faint quivering throb in the room, like a tiny distant -dynamo throbbing. The current was surging over Derek; his legs -twitched. - -A moment. The faint throbbing intensified. No louder, but rapid, -infinitely more rapid. A tiny throb, an aerial whine, faint as the -whirring wings of a humming bird. It went up the scale, ascending in -pitch, until presently it was screaming with an aerial microscopic -voice. - -But there seemed no change in Derek. His uniform was glowing a trifle, -that was all. His face was composed now; he smiled, but did not speak. -His eyes roved away from me, as though now he were seeing things that I -could not see. - -Another moment. No change. - -Why, what was this? I blinked, gasped. There was a change! My gaze was -fastened upon Derek's white face. White? It was more than white now! A -silver sheen seemed to be coming to his skin! - -I think no more than a minute had passed. His face was glowing, -shimmering. A transparent look was coming to it, a thinness, a sudden -unsubstantiality! He dropped his elbow and lay on the couch, stretched -at full length at my feet. His eyes were staring. - -And suddenly I realized that the face that held those staring eyes was -erased! A shimmering apparition of Derek was stretched here before me. I -could see through it now! Beneath the shimmering, blurred outlines of -his body I could see the solid folds of the couch cover. A ghost of -Derek here. An apparition--fading--dissipating! - -A gossamer outline of him, imponderable, intangible. - -I leaped to my feet, staring down over him. - -"Derek!" - -The shape of him did not move. Every instant it was more vaporous, more -unreal. - -I thought, "He's gone!" - -No! He was still there. A white mist of his form on the couch. Melting, -dissipating in the light like a fog before sunshine. A wisp of it left, -like a breath, and then there was nothing. - - * * * * * - -I sat on the couch. I had put out the light. Around me the room was -black. My fingers found the small switch at my wrist. I pressed it -across its tiny arc. - -The first shock was slight, but infinitely strange. A shuddering, -twitching sensation ran all over me. It made my head reel, swept a wave -of nausea over me, a giddiness, a feeling that I was falling through -darkness. I lay on the couch, bracing myself. The current was whining up -its tiny scale. I could feel it now. A tiny throbbing, communicating -itself to my physical being. - -And then in a moment I realized that my body was throbbing. The -vibration of the current was communicating itself to the most minute -cells of my body. An indescribable tiny quivering within me. Strange, -frightening, sickening at first. But the sickness passed, and in a -moment I found it almost pleasant. - -I could see nothing. The room was wholly dark. I lay on my side on the -couch, my eyes staring into the blackness around me. I could hear the -humming of the current, and then it seemed to fade. Abruptly I felt a -sense of lightness. My body, lying on the couch, pressed less heavily. - -I gripped my arm. I was solid, substantial as before. I touched the -couch. It was the couch which was changing, not I! The couch cover -queerly seemed to melt under my hand! - -The sense of my own lightness grew upon me. A lightness, a freedom, -pressed me, as though chains and shackles which all my life had -encompassed me were falling away. A wild, queer freedom. - -I wondered where Derek was. Had I arrived in the other realm? Was he -here? I had no idea how much time had passed: a minute or two, perhaps. - -Or was I still in Derek's laboratory? The darkness was as solid, -impenetrable as ever. No, not quite dark! I saw something now. A -glowing, misty outline around me. Then I saw that it was not the new, -unknown realm, but still Derek's room. A shadowy, spectral room, and the -light, which dimly illumined it, was from outside. - - * * * * * - -I lay puzzling, my own situation forgotten for the moment. The light -came from overhead, in another room of the apartment house. I stared. -Around me now was a dim vista of distance, and vague, blurred, misty -outlines of the apartment building above me. The shadowy world I had -left now lay bare. There was a moment when I thought I could see far -away across a spectral city street. The shadows of the great city were -around me. They glowed, and then were gone. - -A hand gripped my arm in a solid grip. Derek's voice sounded. - -"Are you all right?" - -"Yes," I murmured. The couch had faded. I was conscious that I had -floated or drifted down a few inches, to a new level. The level of the -cellar floor beneath the couch. Cellar floor! It was not that now. Yet -there was something solid here, a solid ground, and I was lying upon it, -with Derek sitting beside me. - -I murmured again, "Yes, I'm all right." - -My groping hand felt the ground. It was soil, with a growth of -vegetation like a grass sward on it. Were we outdoors? It suddenly -seemed so. I could feel soft, warm air on my face and had a sense of -open distance around me. A light was growing, a vague, diffused light, -as though day were swiftly coming upon us. - -I felt Derek fumbling at my wrist. "That's all, Charlie." - -There was a slight shock. Derek was pulling me up beside him. I found -myself on my feet, with light around me. I stood wavering, gripping -Derek. It was as though I had closed my eyes, and now they were suddenly -open. I was aware of daylight, color, and movement. A world of normality -here, normal to me now because I was part of it. The realm of the -unknown! - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -_"Hope, I Came...."_ - - -I think I was first conscious of a queer calmness which had settled upon -me, as though now I had withdrawn contact with the turmoil of our world! -Something was gone, and in its place came a calmness. But that was a -mere transition. It had passed in a moment. I stood trembling with -eagerness, as I know Derek was trembling. - -A radiant effulgence of light was around us, clarifying, growing. There -was ground beneath our feet, and sky overhead. A rational landscape, -strangely familiar. A physical world like my own, but, it seemed, with a -new glory upon it. Nature, calmly serene. - -I had thought we were standing in daylight. I saw now it was bright -starlight. An evening, such as the evening we had just left in our own -world. The starlight showed everything clearly. I could see a fair -distance. - -We stood at the top of a slight rise. I saw gentle, slightly undulating -country. A brook nearby wound through a grove of trees and lost itself. -Suddenly, with a shock, I realized how familiar this was! We stood -facing what in New York City we call West. The contour of this land was -familiar enough for me to identify it. A mile or so ahead lay a river; -it shimmered in its valley, with cliffs on its further side. Near at -hand the open country was dotted with trees and checkered with round -patches of cultivated fields. And there were occasional habitations, -low, oval houses of green thatch. - -The faint flush of a recent sunset lay upon the landscape, mingled with -the starlight. A road--a white ribbon in the starlight--wound over the -countryside toward the river. Animals, strange of aspect, were slowly -dragging carts. There were distant figures working in the fields. - -A city lay ahead of us, set along this nearer bank of the river. A city! -It seemed a primitive village. All was primitive, as though here might -be some lost Indian tribe of our early ages. The people were -picturesque, the field workers garbed in vivid colors. The flat little -carts, slow moving, with broad-horned oxen. - - * * * * * - -This quiet village, drowsing beside the calm-flowing river, seemed all -very normal. I could fancy that it was just after sundown of a quiet -workday. There was a faint flush of pink upon everything: the glory of -the sun just set. And as though to further my fancy, in the village by -the river, like an angelus, a faint-toned bell was chiming. - -We stood for a moment gazing silently. I felt wholly normal. A warm, -pleasant wind fanned my hot face. The sense of lightness was gone. This -was normality to me. - -Derek murmured, "Hope was to meet me here." - -And then we both saw her. She was coming toward us along the road. A -slight, girlish figure, clothed in queerly vivid garments: a short -jacket of blue cloth with wide-flowing sleeves, knee-length pantaloons -of red, with tassels dangling from them, and a wide red sash about her -waist. Pale golden hair was piled in a coil upon her head.... - -She was coming toward us along the edge of the road, from the direction -of the city. She was only a few hundred feet from us when we first saw -her, coming swiftly, furtively it seemed. A low pike fence bordered the -road. She seemed to be shielding herself in the shadows beside it. - -We stood waiting in the starlight. The nearest figures in the field and -on the road were too far away to notice us. The girl advanced. Her white -arm went up in a gesture, and Derek answered. She left the road, -crossing the field toward us. As she came closer, I saw how very -beautiful she was. A girl of eighteen, perhaps, a fantastic little -figure with her vivid garments. The starlight illumined her white face, -anxious, apprehensive, but eager. - -"Derek!" - -He said, "Hope, I came...." - -I stood silently watching. Derek's arms went out, and the girl, with a -little cry, came running forward and threw herself into them. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -_Intrigue_ - - -"Am I in time, Hope?" - -"Yes, but the festival is to-night. In an hour or two now. Oh Derek, if -the king holds this festival, the toilers will revolt. They won't stand -it--" - -"To-night! It mustn't be held to-night! It doesn't give me time, time to -plan." - -I stood listening to their vehement, half-whispered words. For a moment -or two, absorbed, they ignored me. - -"The king will make his choice to-night, Derek. He has announced it. -Blanca or Sensua for his queen. And if he chooses the Crimson Sensua--" -She stammered, then she went on: - -"If he does--there will be bloodshed. The toilers are waiting, just to -learn his choice." - -Derek exclaimed, "But to-night is too soon! I've got to plan. Hope, -where does Rohbar stand in this?" - -Strange intrigue! I pieced it together now, from their words, and from -what presently they briefly told me. A festival was about to be held, an -orgy of feasting and merrymaking, of music and dancing. And during it, -this young King Leonto was to choose his queen. There were two -possibilities. The Crimson Sensua, a profligate, debauched woman who, as -queen, would further oppress the workers. And Blanca, a white beauty, -risen from the toilers to be a favorite at the Court. Hope was her -handmaiden. - -If Blanca were chosen, the toilers would be appeased. She was one of -them. She would lead this king from his profligate ways, would win from -him justice for the workers. - -But Derek and Hope both knew that the pure and gentle Blanca would -never be the king's choice. And to-night the toilers would definitely -know it, and the smoldering revolt would burst into flame. - - * * * * * - -And there was this Rohbar. Derek said, "He is the king's henchman, -Charlie." - -I stood here in the starlight, listening to them. This strange primitive -realm. There were no modern weapons here. We had brought none. The -current used in our transition would have exploded the cartridges of a -revolver. I had a dirk which Hope now gave me, and that was all. - -Primitive intrigue. I envisaged this chaotic nation, with its toilers -ignorant as the oppressed Mexican peons at their worst. Striving to -better themselves, yet, not knowing how. Ready to shout for any leader -who might with vainglorious words set himself up as a patriot. - -This Rohbar, perhaps, was planning to do just that. - -And so was Derek! He said, "Hope, if you could persuade the king to -postpone the festival--if Blanca would help persuade him--just until -to-morrow night...." - -"I can try, Derek. But the festival is planned for an hour or two from -now." - -"Where is the king?" - -"In his palace, near the festival gardens." - -She gestured to the south. My mind went back to New York City. This -hillock, where we were standing in the starlight beside a tree, was in -my world about Fifth Avenue and Sixteenth Street. The king's palace--the -festival gardens--stood down at the Battery, where the rivers met in the -broad water of the harbor. - - * * * * * - -Derek was saying, "We haven't much time: can you get us to the palace?" - -"Yes. I have a cart down there on the road." - -"And the cloaks for Charlie and me?" - -"Yes." - -"Good!" said Derek. "We'll go with you. It's a long chance; he probably -won't postpone it. If he does not, we'll be among the audience. And when -he chooses the Red Sensua--" - -She shuddered, "Oh, Derek--" And I thought I heard her whisper, "Oh, -Alexandre--" and I saw his finger go to his lips. - -His arm went around her. She huddled, small as a child against his tall, -muscular body. - -He said gently, "Don't be afraid, little Hope." - -His face was grim, his eyes were gleaming. I saw him suddenly as an -instinctive military adventurer. An anachronism in our modern New York -City. Born in a wrong age. But here in this primitive realm he was at -home. - -I plucked at him. "How can you--how can we dare plunge into this thing? -Hidden with cloaks, yes. But you talk of leading these toilers." - -He cast Hope away and confronted me. "I can do it! You'll see, Charlie." -He was very strangely smiling. "You'll see. But I don't want to come -into the open right away. Not to-night. But if we can only postpone this -accursed festival." - -We had been talking perhaps five minutes. We were ready now to start -away. Derek said: - -"Whatever comes, Charlie, I want you to take care of Hope. Guard her for -me, will you?" - -I said, "Yes, I will try to." - -Hope smiled as she held out her hand to me. "I will not be afraid, with -Derek's friend." - - * * * * * - -Her English was of different intonation from our own, but it was her -native language, I could not doubt. - -I took her cold, slightly trembling hand. "Thank you, Hope." - -Her eyes were misty with starlight. Tender eyes, but the tenderness was -not for me. - -"Yes," I repeated. "You can depend upon me, Derek." - -We left the hillock. A food-laden cart came along the road. The driver, -a boy vivid in jacket and wide trousers of red and blue, bravely worn -but tattered, ran alongside guiding the oxen. When they had passed we -followed, and presently we came to the cloaks Hope had hidden. Derek and -I donned them. They were long crimson cloaks with hoods. - -Hope said, "Many are gathering for the festival shrouded like that. You -will not be noticed now." - -Further along the road we reached a little eminence. I saw the river -ahead of us, and a river behind us. And a few miles to the south, an -open spread of water where the rivers joined. Familiar contours! The -Hudson River! The East River. And down at the end of the island, New -York Harbor. - -Hope gestured that way. "The king's palace is there." - -We were soon passing occasional houses, primitive thatched dwellings. I -saw inside one. Workers were seated over their frugal evening meal. -Always the same vivid garments, jaunty but tattered. We passed one old -fellow in a field, working late in the starlight. A man bent with age, -but still a tiller of the soil. Hope waved to him and he responded, but -the look he gave us as we hurried by shrouded in our crimson cloaks was -sullenly hostile. - -We came to an open cart. It stood by the roadside. An ox with shaggy -coat and spreading horns was fastened to the fence. It was a small cart -with small rollers like wheels. Seats were in it and a vivid canopy over -it. We climbed in and rumbled away. - - * * * * * - -And this starlit road in our own world was Broadway! We were presently -passing close to the river's edge. This quiet, peaceful, starlit river! -Why, in our world it was massed with docks! Great ocean liners, huge -funneled, with storied decks lay here! Under this river, tunnels with -endless passing vehicles! Tubes, with speeding trains crowded with -people! - -The reality here was so different! Behind us what seemed an upper city -was strung along the river. Ahead of us also there were streets and -houses, the city of the workers. A bell was tolling. Along all the roads -now we could see the moving yellow spots of lights on the holiday carts -headed for the festival. And there were spots of yellow torchlight from -boats on the river. - -We soon were entering the city streets. Narrow dirt streets they were, -with primitive shacks to the sides. Women came to the doorways to stare -at our little cart rumbling hastily past. I was conscious of my crimson -cloak, and conscious of the sullen glances of hate which were flung at -it from every side, here in this squalid, forlorn section where the -workers lived. - -Along every street now the carts were passing, converging to the south. -They were filled, most of them, with young men and girls, all in gaudy -costumes. Some of them, like ourselves, were shrouded in crimson cloaks. -The carts occasionally were piled with flowers. As one larger than us, -and moving faster rumbled by, a girl in it stood up and pelted me with -blossoms. She wore a crimson robe, but it had fallen from her shoulders. -I caught a glimpse of her face, framed in flowing dark hair, and of eyes -with laughter in them, mocking me, alluring. - -We came at last to the end of the island. There seemed to be a thousand -or more people arriving, or here already. The tip of the island had an -esplanade with a broad canopy behind it. Burning torches of wood gave -flames of yellow, red and blue fire. A throng of gay young people -promenaded the walk, watching the arriving boats. - - * * * * * - -And here, behind the walk at the water's edge, was a garden of trees and -lawn, shrubs and beds of tall vivid flowers. Nooks were here to shelter -lovers, pools of water glinted red and green with the reflected -torchlight. In one of the pools I saw a group of girls bathing, -sportive as dolphins. - -To one side at a little distance up the river, banked against the water, -was a broad, low building: the palace of the king. About it were broad -gardens, with shrubs and flowers. The whole was surrounded by a high -metal fence, spiked on top. - -The main gate was near at hand; we left our cart. Close to the gate was -a guard standing alert, a jaunty fellow in leather pantaloons and -leather jacket, with a spiked helmet, and in his hand a huge, -sharp-pointed lance. The gardens of the palace, what we could see of -them, seemed empty--none but the favored few might enter here. But as I -climbed from the cart, I got the impression that just inside the fence a -figure was lurking. It started away as we approached the gate. The guard -had not seen it--the drab figure of a man in what seemed to be dripping -garments, as though perhaps he had swum in from the water. - -And Derek saw him. He muttered, "They are everywhere." - -Hope led us to the gate. The guard recognized her. At her imperious -gesture he stood aside. We passed within. I saw the palace now as a long -winged structure of timber and stone, with a high tower at the end of -one wing. The building fronted the river, but here on the garden side -there was a broad doorway up an incline, twenty feet up and over a small -bridge, spanning what seemed a dry moat. Beyond it, a small platform, -then an oval archway, the main entrance to the building. - -Derek and I, shrouded in our crimson cloaks with hoods covering us to -the eyes, followed Hope into the palace. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -_The King's Henchman_ - - -The long room was bathed in colored lights. There was an ornate tiled -floor. Barbaric draperies of heavy fabric shrouded the archways and -windows. It was a totally barbaric apartment. It might have been the -audience chamber of some fabled Eastern Prince of our early ages. Yet -not quite that either. There was a primitive modernity here. I could not -define it, could not tell why I felt this strangeness. Perhaps it was -the aspect of the people. The room was crowded with men and gay laughing -girls in fancy dress costumes. Half of them at least were shrouded in -crimson cloaks, but most of the hoods were back. They moved about, -laughing and talking, evidently waiting for the time to come for them to -go to the festival. We pushed our way through them. - -Derek murmured, "Keep your hood up, Charlie." - -A girl plucked at me. "Handsome man, let me see." She thrust her painted -lips up to mine as though daring me to kiss them. Hope shoved her away. -Her parted cloak showed her white, beautiful body with the dark tresses -of her hair shrouding it. Exotically lovely she was, with primitive, -unrestrained passions--typical of the land in which she lived. - -"This way," whispered Hope. "Keep close together. Do not speak!" - -We moved forward and stood quietly against the wall of the room, where -great curtains hid us partly from view. Under a canopy, at a table on a -raised platform near one end of the apartment, sat the youthful monarch. -I saw him as a man of perhaps thirty. He was in holiday garb, robed in -silken hose of red and white, a strangely fashioned doublet, and a -close-fitting shirt. Bare-headed, with thick black hair, long to the -base of his neck. - -He sat at the table with a calm dignity. But he relaxed here in the -presence of his favored courtiers. He was evidently in a high good humor -this night, giving directions for the staging of the spectacle, -despatching messengers. I stood gazing at him. A very kingly fellow -this. There was about him, that strange mingled look of barbarism and -modernity. - - * * * * * - -Hope approached him and knelt. Derek and I could hear their voices, -although the babble of the crowd went on. - -"My little Hope, what is it? Stand up, child." - -She said, "Your Highness, a message from Blanca." - -He laughed. "Say no more! I know it already! She does not want this -festival. The workers,"--what a world of sardonic contempt he put into -that one word!--"the workers will be offended because we take pleasure -to-night. Bah!" But he was still laughing. "Say no more, little Hope. -Tell Blanca to dance and sing her best this night. I am making my -choice. Did you know that?" - -Hope was silent. He repeated, "Did you know that?" - -"Yes, Your Highness," she murmured. - -"I choose our queen to-night, child. Blanca or Sensua." He sighed. "Both -are very beautiful. Do you know which one I am going to choose?" - -"No," she said. - -"Nor do I, little Hope. Nor do I." - -He dismissed her. "Go now. Don't bother me." - -She parted her lips as though to make another protest, but his eyes -suddenly flashed. - -"I would not have you annoy me again. Do you understand?" - -She turned away, back toward where Derek and I were lurking. The -chattering crowd in the room had paid no attention to Hope, but before -she could reach us a man detached himself from a nearby group and -accosted her. A commanding figure, he was, I think, quite the largest -man in the room. An inch or two taller than Derek, at the least. He wore -his red cloak with the hood thrown back upon his wide heavy shoulders. A -bullet-head with close-clipped black hair. A man of about the king's -age, he had a face of heavy features, and flashing dark eyes. A -scoundrel adventurer, this king's henchman. - -Hope said, "What is it, Rohbar?" - -"You will join our party, little Hope?" He laid a heavy hand on her -white arm. His face was turned toward me. I could not miss the gleaming -look in his eyes as he regarded her. - -"No," she said. - - * * * * * - -It seemed that he twitched at her, but she broke away from him. - -Anger crossed his face, but the desirous look in his eyes remained. - -"You are very bold, Hope, to spurn me like this." He had lowered his -voice as though fearful that the king might hear him. - -"Let me alone!" she said. - -She darted away from him, but before she joined us she stood waiting -until he turned away. - -"No use," Hope whispered. "There is nothing we can do here. You heard -what the king said--and the festival is already begun." - -Derek stood a moment, lost in thought. He was gazing across the room to -where Rohbar was standing with a group of girls. He said at last: - -"Come on, Charlie. We'll watch this festival. This damn fool king will -choose the Red Sensua." He shrugged. "There will be chaos...." - -We shoved our way from the room, went out of the main doorway and -hurried through the gardens of the palace. The red-cloaked figures were -leaving the building now for the festival grounds. We waited for a group -of them to pass so that we might walk alone. As we neared the gate, -passing through the shadows of high flowered shrubs, a vague feeling -that we were being followed shot through me. In a moment there was so -much to see that I forgot it, but I held my hand on my dirk and moved -closer to Hope. - -We reached the entrance to the canopy. A group of girls, red-cloaked, -were just coming out. They rushed past us. They ran, discarding their -cloaks. Their white bodies gleamed under the colored lights as they -rushed to the pool and dove. - -We were just in time. Hope whispered, "The king will be here any -moment." - - * * * * * - -Beneath the canopy was a broad arena of seats. A platform, like a stage, -was at one end. It was brilliantly illuminated with colored torches held -aloft by girls in flowing robes, each standing like a statue with her -light held high. The place was crowded. In the gloom of the darkened -auditorium we found seats off to one side, near the open edge of the -canopy. We sat, with Hope between us. - -Derek whispered, "Shakespeare might have staged a play in a fashion like -this." - -A primitive theatrical performance. There was no curtain for interlude -between what might have been the acts of a vaudeville. The torch girls, -like pages, ranged themselves in a line across the front of the stage. -They were standing there as we took our seats. The vivid glare of their -torches concealed the stage behind them. - -There was a few moments wait, then, amid hushed silence, the king with -his retinue came in. He sat in a canopied box off to one side. When he -was seated, he raised his arm and the buzz of conversation in the -audience began again. - -Presently the page girls moved aside from the stage. The buzz of the -audience was stilted. The performance, destined to end so soon in -tragedy, now began. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -_The Crimson Murderess_ - - -Hope murmured. "The three-part music comes first. There will first be -the spiritual." - -An orchestra was seated on the stage in a semi-circle. It was composed -of men and women musicians, and there seemed to be over a hundred of -them. They sat in three groups; the center group was about to play. In a -solemn hush the leaderless choirs, with all its players garbed in -white, began its first faint note. I craned to get a clear view of the -stage. This white choir seemed almost all wood-wind. There were tiny -pipes in little series such as Pan might have used. Flutes, and -flageolets; and round-bellied little instruments of clay, like ocarinas. -And pitch-pipes, long and slender as a marsh reed. - -In a moment I was lost in the music. It began softly, with single muted -notes from a single instrument, echoed by the others, running about the -choir like a will-o'-the-wisp. It was faint, as though very far away, -made more sweet by distance. And then it swelled, came nearer. - -I had never heard such music as this. Primitive! It was not that. Nor -barbaric! Nothing like the music of our ancient world. Nor was it what I -might conceive to be the music of our future. A thing apart, unworldly, -ethereal. It swept me, carried me off; it was an exaltation of the -spirit lifting me. It was triumphant now. It surged, but there was in -its rhythm, the beat of its every instrument, nothing but the soul of -purity. And then it shimmered into distance again, faint and exquisite -music of a dream. Crooning, pleading, the speech of whispering angels. - -It ceased. There was a storm of applause. - -I breathed again. Why, this was what music might be in our world but was -not. I thought of our blaring jazz. - -Hope said, "Now they play the physical music. Then Sensua will dance -with Blanca. We will see then which one the king chooses." - - * * * * * - -On the stage all the torches were extinguished save those which were -red. The arena was darker than before. The stage was bathed with a deep -crimson. Music of the physical senses! It was, indeed, no more like the -other choir than is the body to the spirit. - -There were stringed instruments playing now; deep-toned, singing -zithers, and instruments of rounded, swelling bodies, like great viols -with sensuous, throbbing voices. Music with a swift rhythm, marked by -the thump of hollow gourds. It rose with its voluptuous swell into a -paean of abandonment, and upon the tide of it, the crimson Sensua flung -herself upon the stage. She stood motionless for a moment that all might -regard her. The crimson torchlight bathed her, stained crimson the white -flush of her limbs, her heavy shoulders, her full, rounded throat. - -A woman in her late twenties. Voluptuous of figure, with crimson veils -half-hiding, half-revealing it. A face of coarse, sensuous beauty. A -face wholly evil, and it seemed to me wholly debauched. Dark eyes with -beaded lashes. Heavy lips painted scarlet. A pagan woman of the streets. -One might have encountered such a woman swaggering in some ancient -street of some ancient city, flaunting the finery given her by a rich -and profligate eastern prince. - -She stood a moment with smoldering, passion-filled eyes, gazing from -beneath her lowered lids. Her glance went to the king's canopy, and -flashed a look of confidence, of triumph. The king answered it with a -smile. He leaned forward over his railing, watching her intently. - -With the surge of the music she moved into her dance. Slowly she began, -quite slowly. A posturing and swaying of hips like a nautch girl. She -made the rounds of the musicians, leering at them. She stood in the -whirl of the music, almost ignoring it, stood at the front of the stage -with a gaze of slumberous, insolent passion flung at the king. A knife -was in her hand now. She held it aloft. The red torchlight caught its -naked blade. With shuddering fancy I seemed to see it dripping crimson. -She frowned, and struck it at a phantom lover. She backed away. She -stooped and knelt. She knelt and seemed with her empty arms to be -caressing a murdered lover's head. She kissed him, rained upon his dead -lips her macabre kisses. - -And then she was up on her bare feet, again circling the stage. Her -anklets clanked as she moved with the tread of a tigress. The musicians -shrank from her waving blade. - - * * * * * - -A girl in white veils was suddenly disclosed standing at the back of the -stage. - -Derek whispered, "Is that Blanca?" - -"Yes," whispered Hope. - -Blanca stood watching her rival. The crimson Sensua passed her, took her -suddenly by the wrist, drew her forward. For an instant I thought it -might have been rehearsed. I saw Blanca as a slim, gentle girl in white, -with a white head-dress. A dancer who could symbolize purity, now in the -grip of red passion. - -An instant, and then horror struck us. And I could feel it surge over -the audience. A gasp of horror. The frightened girl in white tried to -escape. The musicians wavered and broke. I stared, stricken, with -freezing blood. Upon the stage the knife went swiftly up; it came down; -then up again. The red Sensua stood gloating. The knife she waved aloft -was truly dripping crimson now. - -With a choked, gasping scream the white girl of the toilers crumpled and -fell.... She lay motionless, at the feet of the crimson murderess. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -_"Why, This Is Treason!"_ - - -There was a gasp. The audience sat frozen. On the stage, with no one -lifting a hand to stop her, the crimson murderess made a leap and -vanished. A moment, and then the spell broke. A girl in the audience -screamed. Some one moved to stand up and overturned a seat with a crash. - -The amphitheater under the canopy broke into a pandemonium. Screams and -shouts, crashing of seats, screaming, frightened people struggling to -get out of the darkness. The torches on the stage were dropped and -extinguished. The darkness leaped upon us. - -Derek and I were gripping Hope. We were struck by a bench flung backward -from in front. People were rushing at us. We were swept along in the -panic of the crowd. - -I heard Derek shout, "We must keep together!" - -We fought, but we were swept backward. We found ourselves outside the -canopy. Torchlight was here. It glimmered on the pool of water. People -were everywhere rushing past us, some one way, some another. Aimless, -with the shock of terror upon them. Under the canopy they were still -screaming. - -I was momentarily separated from Derek and Hope. I very nearly stumbled -into the pool. A girl was here, crouched on the stone bank. Her wet -crimson veils clung to her white body. Her long, wet hair lay on her. I -stumbled against her. She raised her face. Eyes, wide with terror. Mute, -painted red lips.... - -I heard Derek calling again, "Charlie!" I shoved my way back to him. The -crowd was thinning out around us. Girls were climbing from the pool, -rushing off in terror, to mingle with the milling throng. Among the -crowd now, down by the edge of the bay, I saw the sinister figures of -men come running. The toilers, miraculously appearing everywhere! I saw, -across the pool, a terrified girl crouching. A huge man in a black cloak -came leaping. The colored lights in the trees glittered on his upraised -knife blade as it descended. The girl fell with a shuddering scream. The -murderer turned and whirled away into the crowd. - -"Charlie!" - -I was back with Derek and Hope. Hope stood trembling, with her hand -pressed against her mouth. Derek gripped me. - -"That cloak, get it off!" He ripped his crimson cloak from him and -tossed it away. He jerked mine off. "Too dangerous! That's the crimson -badge of death to-night." - -We stood revealed in the clothes of our own world. My business suit, in -which that day I had worked in Wall Street. Derek in his swagger -uniform. He stood drawn to his full height, a powerful figure. The wires -of our mechanism showed at his wrists. They dangled at the back of his -neck, mounting to that strangely fashioned electrode clamped to his -head. Strange, awe-inspiring figure of a man! - -We were momentarily alone under the colored lights of the trees. Hope -murmured, "But they will see us--see you...." - -Derek's face was grim, but at her words he laughed harshly. "See us! -What matter?" He swung on me. "It forces our hand; we've got to come out -in the open now! This murder--this king! My God, what a fool to let -himself get into such a condition as this! His people--this chaos--what -a fool!" - -He had drawn his dirk. I realized that I was holding mine. Near us the -body of a crimson noble was lying under a tree. A sword was there on the -ground. Derek sprang for it, waved it aloft. - -I think that no more than a minute or two had passed since the murder. -Down by the water the boats were hastily loading and leaving the dock. -One of them overturned. There were screams everywhere. Red forms lay -inert upon the ground where they had been trampled, or stabbed. But the -prowling figures of the toilers now seemed to have vanished. - -Derek gestured. "Look at the palace! The garden!" - -Beyond the canopy I could see the dim gardens surrounding the palace. I -glimpsed the high fence, and the gateway in front. A mob of toilers was -there. The guard at the gate had fled. The mob was surging through. Men -and women in the vivid garments of the fields, armed with sticks and -clubs and stones and the implements of agriculture. They milled at the -gate; rushed through; scattered over the garden. Their shouts floated -back to us in a blended murmur. - -We were standing only a dozen feet from the edge of the pavilion. No one -seemed yet to have noticed us. A few straggling lights had come on under -the canopy. I could see the dead lying there in the wreckage of -overturned seats. - -Derek said, "We can't help it--it's done. Look at them! They're -attacking the palace!" - -This mob springing miraculously into existence! I realized that the -toilers had planned that if Sensua were chosen they would attack the -festival. The murder of Blanca had come as big a surprise to them as to -us.... - -"Come on! Can you get into the palace, Hope? The king must have gotten -back there. Get your wits, girl!" Derek stood gripping her, shaking her. - -"Yea, there's an underground passage. He probably went that way." - -From the palace gardens the shouts of the mob sounded louder now. And -from within the building there was an alarm bell tumultuously clanging. - -Hope gasped, "This way." - -She led us back into the pavilion. We clambered over its broken seats, -past its grewsome huddled figures. Some were still moving.... We went to -a small door under the platform. A dim room was here, deserted now. -Against the wall was a large wardrobe closet; stage costumes were -hanging in it. The closet was fully twenty feet deep. We pushed our way -through the hanging garments. Hope fumbled at the blank board wall in -the rear. Her groping fingers found a secret panel. A door swung aside -and a rush of dank cool air came at us. The dark outlines of a tunnel -stretched ahead. - -"In, Charlie!" - -I crouched and stepped through the door. Hope closed it behind us. The -tunnel passage was black, but soon we began to see its vague outlines. -Derek, sword in hand, led us. I clutched my dirk. We went perhaps five -hundred feet. Down at first, then up again. I figured we were under the -palace gardens now, as the tunnel was winding to the left. There were -occasional small lights. - -Derek whispered to Hope, "The toilers don't know of this?" - -"No." - -"Where does it bring us out?" I whispered. - -"Into the lower floor of the castle. The king must have gone this way. -There might be a guard, Derek. What will you do?" - -He laughed. "I can handle this mob. Disperse it! You'll see! And handle -the king." He laughed again grimly. "There is no Blanca to choose now." - -The tunnel went round a sharp angle and began steeply ascending. Derek -stopped. - -"How much further, Hope?" - -"Not far," she whispered. - -We crept forward. The tunnel was more like a small corridor now. Beyond -Derek's crouching figure, in the dimness I could see a doorway. Derek -turned and gestured to us to keep back. A palace guard was standing -there. His pike went up. - -"Who are you?" - -"A friend." - -But the man lunged with his pike. Derek leaped aside. His sword flashed; -the flat of it struck the fellow in the face. Derek, with incredible -swiftness, was upon him. They went down together and before the man -could shout, Derek had struck him on the head with the sword hilt. The -guard lay motionless. Derek climbed up as we ran forward to join him. - -I noticed now, for the first time, that in his left hand Derek held a -small metal cylinder. A weapon, strange to me, which he had brought with -him. He had not mentioned it. He had produced it, when menaced by this -guard. Then he evidently decided not to use it. - -He shoved it back in his pocket. He whirled on us, panting. "Hurry! -Close that door!" - -We closed the door of the tunnel. - -"Charlie, help me move him!" - -We dragged the prostrate figure of the unconscious guard aside into a -shadow of the wall. We were in a lower room of the palace. It seemed -momentarily unoccupied. Overhead we could hear the footsteps of running -people. A confusion in the palace, and outside in the garden the shouts -of the menacing throng of toilers. And above it all, the wild clanging -of the alarm bell from the palace tower. - -Derek said swiftly, "Get us to the king!" - -Hope led us through the castle corridors, and up a flight of steps to -the main floor. The rooms here were thronged with terrified -people--crimson nobles in their bedraggled finery of the festival. In -all the chaos no one seemed to notice us. - -We mounted another staircase. We found a vacant room; through its -windows we looked a moment, gazing into the garden. It was jammed with a -menacing mob, which milled about, leaderless, waving crude weapons, -shouting imprecations at the palace. At the foot of the main steps the -throng stood packed, but none dared to mount. A group of the palace -guards stood on the platform over the moat. - -Derek turned away impatiently. "Let's get to the king." - -We mounted to the upper story. The castle occupants stared at Derek and -me as we passed them. A group of girls at the head of the staircase fled -before us. - -"The king," Derek demanded, "Which is his apartment? Hurry, Hope, we've -no time now!" - -We found the frightened king seated on a couch with his counsellors -around him. It was a small room in this top story of the castle, with -long windows to the floor. I saw that they gave onto a balcony which -overlooked the gardens. There were perhaps twenty or thirty people -huddled in the room. A confusion existed here as everywhere else--no one -knowing what to do in this crisis. And that cursed alarm bell wildly -adding to the turmoil. We paused at the doorway. - -"Now," whispered Derek. He drew himself to his full height. His eyes -were flashing. It was a Derek I had not seen before; he wore an air of -mastery. As though he, and not the frightened, trembling monarch on the -couch, were master here. And as I stared at him that instant in this -primitive chaotic environment, the power of him swept me. A conqueror. -The strange electrode clamped to his head gave him an aspect miraculous, -awe inspiring. - -He strode forward across the apartment. The king was just giving some -futile, vague command to be transmitted to his guards down below. A hush -fell over the room at our appearance. The king half stood up, then sank -back. - -"Why--why--who--" - -I saw Rohbar here. His long crimson cloak hung from his shoulders, with -its hood thrown back. Beneath it, as it parted in front, his leather -uniform was visible. A sword was strapped to his waist. He was striding -back and forth with folded arms, frowning, but his gaze was very keen. -Rohbar was not frightened. He seemed rather to be gauging the situation, -pondering how he might turn it to his own ends. He stopped short and -swung about to face us. His jaw dropped with surprise, amazement, at our -strangeness. - -Derek confronted him. His bulk, and huge weight towered even over Derek. -The king gasped and sat helplessly staring. - -Rohbar spoke first. "Who are you?" - -"This mob must be dispersed. Don't stand looking at me like that, man!" - -Derek spoke in friendly fashion, but vehemently. "This is no time for -explanations." - -They were menacing each other. Rohbar's heavy hand fell to his sword, -but Derek boldly pushed him away. He faced the king. - -"Your Majesty...." - -The king stared blankly at him. The title was no doubt strange to this -realm, but no stranger than Derek's aspect. - -"Your Majesty...." - -But the noise from the garden, the confusion which now broke out in the -room, and that damnable clattering bell, drowned his words. - -The king found his voice. "Be quiet, all of you!" He was on his feet. He -demanded of Derek again, "Who are you?" - -Derek said swiftly, "I'll show you. I can disperse this mob! Charlie, -come." - -It seemed as though the gaze of everyone in the room went to me. I drew -myself up and flashed defiance back at them. And I followed Derek to one -of the balcony windows. He went through it, with me after him. I stood -at the threshold, watchful of the room behind us. Rohbar was standing -aside, and I saw now the woman Sensua with him. They were whispering, -staring at me and Derek. - -I had been wondering why, when Sensua must have known that the king -would choose her--why she had dared to murder her rival. I thought -now--as I saw her with Rohbar--that I could guess the reason. She loved -Rohbar, not the king. Rohbar was plotting to put himself on the throne, -using Sensua as a lover to that end. He had doubtless persuaded her to -this murder, knowing it would arouse the toilers, precipitate this chaos -which was what he wanted. Scheming scoundrel! I could not forget the -look of desire on his face as he had accosted Hope.... - -And now Derek appeared, to add an unknown element to Rohbar's plans. -There was no way he could guess who or what we were. I saw that he was -puzzled, was whispering to Sensua about us, doubtless wondering how to -handle us. - -I saw too, that there were half a dozen crimson cloaked men here who -were not frightened. They had gathered in a group. They stood with hands -upon their swords, eyeing me, and watching Rohbar--as though at a sign -from him they would rush me. - -On the balcony Derek stood with the light from the room upon him. The -crowd saw him. The main gateway of the palace was just under his -balcony. The crowd had now started up the steps to where the guards were -standing at the top. At the sight of Derek the mob let out a roar, and -those on the steps retreated down again. - -Derek stood at the balcony rail, silent, with upraised arms, gazing down -upon the menacing throng. There was a moment of startled silence as he -appeared. Then the shout broke out louder than before. The crowd was -milling and pushing, but still leaderless. An aimless activity. Someone -threw a stone. It came hurtling up. It missed Derek and struck the -castle wall, falling almost at my feet. - -Derek did not move. He stood calmly gazing down; stood like an orator -waiting for the confusion to die before he would speak. - -From the platform, just beneath Derek, the guards were staring -wonderingly up, awed, startled. To the right a wing of the building -turned an angle. The castle tower was there: it rose perhaps a hundred -feet higher than our balcony. On the railed platform-balcony girding its -top I saw the figures of other guards standing, gazing down at Derek. -The clanging bell up there was suddenly stilled. - -I became aware of the king close behind me. His voice rang out: "What -are you doing? How dare you?" - -Derek whirled, "You fool! To what a pass you have come! Your people in -arms against you...." - -His violent words brought the king's anger. "How dare you! This is -treason!" - -I stood alert, with my hand upon my dirk. - -There would be conflict here, I felt that we could not hold it off more -than a moment longer. My mind leaped to that metal cylinder Derek had -concealed. A weapon? Then why did he not have it out now? His eyes were -flashing. The aspect of power, of confidence, upon him was unmistakable. -It heartened me. I took a step toward him. - -He smiled faintly. "Wait, Charlie." - -The king gasped again. "How dare you? Why, this is treason! Rohbar, -seize him!" - -Hope was beside me, her eyes watching the room. Rohbar came striding -forward. Derek rasped, "You perhaps have some sense! Lead His Majesty -away. Take care of him until this is over." - -They stood with crossing glances. And upon Rohbar's face a look, queerly -sinister, had come. A smile, sardonic. - -He said abruptly to the king, "I think we should let him have his way. -What harm?" - -He gestured and Sensua came forward. The crimson murderess! Her -voluptuous figure was shrouded in a crimson cloak. Her heavy painted -lips smiled at the King. Her rounded white arms went over his shoulders. - -"Leonto, do as Rohbar says. Let this stranger try. It can do no harm." - -The king yielded to her; I watched as she and Rohbar urged him through -an archway that gave into the adjoining apartment. - -No wonder Rohbar was sardonically smiling! Derek had played into his -hand. We did not know it then, but we were soon to find it out. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -_"Alexandre--"_ - - -Derek turned back to the balcony. It had been a brief interlude. The mob -in the garden, the soldiers at the top of the stairway, and the other -guards high on the bridge of the tower were all standing gazing. Shouts -again arose as Derek appeared. Again he raised his arms. This time his -voice rang out. - -"Silence all of you! I am a friend! Silence!" - -At first they did not heed him; then someone shouted: - -"Quiet! Listen to him! Let him talk!" - -The crowd was bellowing, and then they ceased. The bell was still. In -the hush came Derek's voice: - -"I am a friend. I come from foreign lands, from distant lands of strange -people and strange magic." - -For answer the crowd shouted and milled in confusion. A stone came up -and then another. Derek stood immovable, like a statue gazing down at -them. - -"I command you to disperse. You will not? Then look at me! Look at me, -all of you. My will is law beyond this king--beyond these palace -soldiers--beyond any power you have ever known." - -Then I knew a part of Derek's purpose! He had pressed the mechanism at -his wrist. He stood imperious with upraised arms. The garden was in a -tumult, but in a moment it died. A wave of horror swept the crowd. A -freezing, incredulous horror. They stood staring, incredulous, silent, -swept with a widening wave of horror. - -The figure of Derek on the balcony was fading, turning luminous. A -wraith, a ghost of his menacing shape standing there. It faded until it -was almost gone, and then, as he reversed the mechanism, it materialized -again. A moment passed, then he stood again solid before them. - -His voice rang out, "Will you obey me now? I am a friend of the -toilers!" - -They were prostrate before him. There is no fear more terrible than the -fear of the supernatural. In all of history there has been in our world -no worship more abject than the worship and fear of a primitive people -for its supernatural God. On the platform beneath the balcony, the -palace soldiers stared up, horrified. Then they too were prostrate -before Derek's threatening gestures and commanding voice. - -I stood watching, listening. And suddenly, from the prostrate crowd, a -man leaped up. In the silence his amazed voice carried over the garden. - -"Alexandre! It is our Prince Alexandre! Our lost prince!" - -He stood staring at Derek, his arms gesturing to his comrade around him. -He shouted it again: - -"Our rightful king, come back to us! Don't you recognize him? _I_ saw -him go! He went like that--fading into a ghost. Ten years ago, when -Leonto killed his father and would have killed him had he not escaped!" - -The crowd was standing up now. They recognized Derek! There was no doubt -of it. The garden was ringing with the tumultuous shouts, - -"Alexandre! Our lost prince has come back to us!" - -My head was whirling with it. Derek, prince of this realm? I could see -that it was true. Escaped from here as a young lad, when his throne was -usurped. Returning now, a man, to claim his own. - -And suddenly he turned and flashed me his smile. - -The din from the garden drowned his words. The crowd was shouting: -"Alexandre! Our lost prince!" - -The king's guards on the lower platform stood sullen, confused. I heard -footsteps behind me. I whirled around. - -From the room, the group of Rohbar's crimson nobles were rushing toward -me! Their swords were out. One of them shouted, "Kill them now! We must -kill them and have done!" - -There were five or six men in the group. They were no more than ten feet -away from me. They came leaping. - -I stood in the window opening, with only my dirk to oppose them. I -shouted, "Derek! Derek!" - -I think I took a step backward. I was out on the balcony. It flashed -over me--Derek and I were caught out here! - -The first of the red cloaked figures came hurtling through the doorway. -I leaped to avoid his sword. I saw the others crowding behind him. - -Then I felt Derek shove me violently aside. I half fell, but recovered -myself at the balcony rail. Five of the crimson nobles were on the -balcony. Derek confronted them. His aspect made them pause. They stood, -with outstretched swords. The garden was silent; the crowd stared up. -And in the silence Derek roared, - -"Get back! All of you, go back inside! Back, or I'll kill you!" - -In Derek's right hand he held the cylinder outstretched, leveled at the -menacing nobles. - -"Back, I say!" - -But instead they rushed him. There was a flash. From the cylinder it -seemed that a ray spat out, a flash of silver light. It caught the three -men who were in advance of the others. Their swords dropped with a -clatter to the balcony floor. They stood, transfixed. - -An instant. Derek's silver ray played upon them. Their red cloaks were -painted with its silver sheen. - -They were shimmering! I gasped, staring. The other nobles, beyond the -ray, had fallen back. And they too stood staring in horror. - -Another instant The three figures wavered. I saw the face of one of -them, with the shock of incredulous horror still upon it. A face turning -luminous! A face, erased, with only the staring eyes to mark where it -had been! - -There was a moment when the three stricken men stood like shimmering -ghosts, with Derek's deadly ray upon them. Then they were gone! It -seemed, just as they vanished, that they were falling through the -balcony floor.... - -Derek snapped off his ray. He rasped, "Back into that room, I tell you!" - -The remaining nobles fled before him. He turned again to the balcony -rail. - -"My people--yes, I am Alexandre--I had not thought you would recognize -me so soon. But you are right--the time has come for me to claim my -inheritance. And I will rule you justly." - -His cylinder was still in his hand; he swept a watchful glance behind -him. I thought of Rohbar. He was in the next room, with the king. Had -they seen this attack upon Derek? They must have heard the crowd -shouting, "Alexandre!" It seemed strange they did not appear. - -I recall now, as I look back to this moment on the balcony, that I -suddenly thought of Hope. She had been beside me just before the nobles -attacked. I did not see her now. I was startled, but thought of her was -driven from my mind. From within the palace a scream sounded. A girl -screaming. - -But it was not Hope's voice. A girl, screaming, and then shouting: - -"The king is dead!" - -Derek came rushing at me. "Charlie, that--" - -We heard it again. "The king is dead!" - -We hurried into the adjoining room. There was no one to stop us--no one -up here now who dared oppose Derek. The terrified nobles in the room -fell cringing before him. - -"Alexandre--spare us! We are loyal to you!" - -He strode past them. In the adjacent apartment we found the king lying -upon the floor. A wound in his throat welled crimson. He had evidently -been lying here alone, and had just now been found by a girl who had -entered. He was not quite dead. Derek bent over him. He opened his eyes. - -He gasped faintly: "Rohbar--killed me. Rohbar and that--accursed crimson -Sensua...." - -His voice trailed away. The light went out of his staring eyes. Derek -laid him gently back on the floor. - -And as though already the news of his death had miraculously spread, the -bell in the castle tower began tolling. Not clanging now. Tolling, with -slow, solemn accent. The crowd evidently recognized it. We could hear -the shouts: "Death! Death has come!" - -Derek's eyes ware blazing as he stood up. "The end, Charlie! I would not -have planned this, and yet...." - -He did not finish. He whirled, rushed back to the other room and to the -balcony. The scene was again in confusion the crowd milling, voices -shouting: - -"The king is dead!" - -At the edge of the garden a woman's shrill, hysterical laughter rose -over the din. - -Derek called, "Yes, the king is dead!" He paused. Then he added, "If you -want me--if I have your loyalty--I will claim my throne." - -A tumult interrupted him. "Alexandre! King Alexandre!" - -He spread his arms, but he could not silence them. - -"The king is dead. Long live King Alexandre!" - -A wave of it swept over the garden, engulfing the castle. At the main -entrance Leonto's soldiers stood sullen, listening to it. - -Derek stood triumphant. His hands were outstretched, palms down. But up -on the circular bridge at the top of the tower there was a sudden -commotion. The soldiers up there had vanished, moved back within the -tower to make room for other figures. I stared amazed, transfixed. A -huge man in leather garments was there, with a sword stuck in his wide -belt. A man with a bullet head, a heavy face, gazing down.... - -Rohbar! - -And held in front of him the slender figure of a girl. Hope! He clutched -her, his thick arm encircling her breast. With sinking heart I realized -what had happened. Hope had moved away from me. Every one in the room -had been intent upon Derek. Rohbar had come quietly in, after murdering -the king, had seized Hope, stifled her outcry, and had taken her up into -the tower. - -And I had promised Derek that I would shield this girl from harm! The -horror of it--the self-condemnation of it--swept me, froze me to -numbness. I could not think; I could only stand and stare. Rohbar held -Hope like a shield before him. The low railing hardly reached her knees. -A sheer drop to the garden beneath. He held her tightly, and in his free -hand I saw his dirk come up menacingly against her white throat. His -voice called: - -"Silent, down there! Alexandre, you traitor! Silence!" - -Derek stared up. The triumph faded from him. He stared, stricken. The -crowd stared. The soldiers on the lower platform ceased their shouting -and gazed up at these new actors, come so unexpectedly upon the stage. -Again Rohbar called, to the guards this time: - -"I represent your King Leonto. This Alexandre is a traitor to us all. -And he cannot harm me! I defy him. Look at him! I defy him to use his -evil weapon upon me!" - -Derek was silent. A single adverse move and Rohbar's knife would stab -into Hope's throat. Derek's ray was powerless. A flash from it would -have killed Hope, not Rohbar. - -The king's soldiers saw Derek's indecision. One of them shouted, "He -cannot harm us! Look, he is frightened!" - -The crowd recognized Hope. They began calling her name. And calling, -"Master Rohbar, do not harm our Hope!" - -"I will not harm her! Not if you do what I tell you! Leave the -garden--go quietly! I will deal with this traitor!" - -He added to the guards, "Go up and seize him! He cannot hurt you! -Traitor! Seize him! If he does not yield--if any of this crowd attacks -you--then I will kill Hope." - -Derek stood clinging to the balcony rail. With Rohbar's watchful gaze -upon him he did not dare turn or move. I was standing back from the -balcony, behind Derek and partly in the room. No one thought of me. No -one from outside could see me. And I, who had played no part in this, -save that one I had neglected, suddenly saw my role. My cue was -sounding. My role to play, here upon this tumultuous stage. - -I turned back into the dim room. A few frightened men and girls were -here. They were all crowding forward, gazing through the windows at the -scene outside. No one noticed me, but I saw, with sudden realization, my -role to play. - -I darted across the room, out into the dim, deserted corridor of the -castle. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -_My Role to Play_ - - -I slipped like a shadow through the almost empty corridors. Down on the -lower floor I found that many of the soldiers were on the inside, -standing about the corridors in groups, waiting for word from their -comrades on the platform to indicate what action they should take. My -time was short; I knew that within a few minutes they would be rushing -up to overpower Derek. - -I stood unseen against the wall near the main entrance. I could not get -outside. There were too many soldiers there. - -I tried to keep my sense of direction. The wing upon which the tower -stood was about two hundred feet from me here. If I could not get -outside I would have to try the inside, along this corridor. I prayed -that I might not make an error. I tried to gauge exactly where the tower -would be. - -The hallway was almost dark and in this wing there chanced to be no one -at the moment. I came to the angle and turned it to the left. I was -unarmed save my dirk. I drew it. But I encountered no one. I passed the -doors of many empty rooms. The windows were all barred on this lower -floor. I could hear the shouts of the crowd outside. - -I came at last to the end of the wing. A staircase here led upward. I -guessed that I was directly under the tower now, and that this staircase -undoubtedly led upward into it. I mounted a few steps to verify what I -was sure would be the condition. It was as I thought. Rohbar had won -over the soldiers who were here. He had sent them down from the tower -bridge. They were guarding this staircase. - -I crept up another few steps, very cautiously. I could hear their voices -on the stairs. A light was up there. I could see the legs of some of -them as they crowded the stairs. I softly retreated. - -There was no way of getting up into the tower here. Alone and armed only -with my dirk, I could not mount these stairs and assail a dozen armed -men standing above me; especially when, if I raised an alarm, Rohbar -overhead might be startled into killing Hope. - -I stood another moment, thinking, planning my actions. I was trembling. -Everything depended upon me now. I must get up into the tower. And, -above everything, haste was necessary. - -I retreated back to the lower floor. I was still some twenty feet above -the ground, I judged. That was too far. A dozen paces along the hall I -saw a stairway leading downward into the ground level cellar of the -castle. I marked in my mind exactly in which direction I turned, and how -far. I went down the stairs. - -There was an empty lower room. It was pitch black. I lay down on its -earthen floor. Above me, a few paces off to one side I could visualize -the tower. A hundred and fifty feet above me, at least, up to that -bridge balcony, where Rohbar stood with Hope. I kept my mind on it and -prayed that I might not be making an error, a miscalculation. - -I prayed, too, that luck would be with me. A desperate chance, yet I -thought I knew what was here, or about here, in New York City. I lay on -my side, alone in the blackness, and pressed the switch at my wrist.... - -The familiar sensation of the transition began. The darkness grew -luminous. Around me shadows were taking form. My body was humming, -thrilling with the vibrations within it. I could feel the ground under -me seeming to melt. My head was reeling. Nausea swept me, but with it -all I tried to keep my wits. I must watch this new Space into which I -was going. Space? I prayed that here on this spot in New York City there -would be empty space! If not, at the first warning, I was prepared to -stop my mechanism. - -The shadows grew around me. There was a moment or two when I felt as -though I were floating. Weightless. The sense of my body hovering in a -void, intangible, imponderable, with only my struggling mentality -holding it together.... - -And then I felt myself materializing. Around me walls were taking form. -I floated down a foot or two and came to rest upon a new floor. My hand -brushed it. My physical senses were returning. I could feel a floor of -concrete. A vague, shimmering light was near me. It seemed to outline -the rectangle of a window. All around was darkness. Empty darkness. -Soundless, with only the throbbing hum of the mechanism.... - -I was indoors, in a room. I felt suddenly almost normal, except for the -whirring vibration. I flung the switch again. There was a shock. A -whirling of my senses. Then I sat up; my head steadied. The nausea -passed. - -I was back in my own world, in New York City. This was night: I tried to -calculate the time. Derek and I had departed about midnight. This would -be, then some time before dawn. I was in a cellar room, lying on its -cement floor. There was a window, with a faint light outside it. A -window up near the ceiling. A straggling illumination showed me a bin, a -few barrels, a door leading into another room which looked as though it -might be a machine shop. - -I sat up, calculating. I was a thousand feet perhaps from the Battery -wall, two hundred feet from the Hudson River. This was an office -building, and I was in one of its cellar rooms, at the ground level. - -Near dawn? I tried to calculate what might be overhead. A deserted -office building. Too early yet for the scrub-women. The elevator would -not be running. I laughed to myself. Of what use to me an elevator, if -it had been running? How could I, a midnight prowler, appear from the -cellar of this building, and demand to be taken upstairs! There would be -no elevator, but there would be watchmen. I would avoid them. - -I found a door. My heart leaped with a sudden fear that it would be -locked, but it was not. I went through it into a passage and found the -staircase. I made two turns. I tried again to keep my mind on this Space -here. I stood, carefully thinking. I had it clear. I had made no move -without careful thought. The tower with Rohbar was still to my left, and -about directly above me. - -I went up the short stone staircase, opened another door carefully. I -was in the dim lower hall of the office building. I found myself beside -the deserted elevator shaft. A light was burning on the night -attendant's table in an alcove, on the other side of the shaft. He sat -there with his back to me. I closed the door soundlessly. - -The stairway upward beside the elevator was here. I watched my chance. I -darted around the angle and went up. I met no one. The concrete -staircase had a light at each floor. Four floors up. No, not enough! I -opened the fourth floor door. The marble hall of the office building was -empty and silent. Rows of locked office doors with their gold-leaf names -and numbers. A single dim light to illumine the silent emptiness.... - -I retreated into the staircase shaft and mounted higher. My dirk was in -my hand. Charlie Wilson, the Wall Street brokerage clerk, prowling -here! And upon what a strange adventure! - -I came to what I thought was the proper floor. In the hall I selected a -room. The door was securely locked. I had no way of breaking the lock, -but the panel was of opaque glass. I would have to chance the noise. I -rushed the length of the hall, to where a red fire-ax hung in a bracket. -I came back with it. I smashed the glass panel of the door. - -Would a watchman hear me? I did not wait to find out. With the ax I -scraped away the splinters of glass. I climbed through the opening. My -hand was cut, but I did not heed it. - -I was in a dim, silent office, with rugs on the floor, desks standing -about, filing cases, a water-cooler, and a safe in the corner. I rushed -to one of the windows. It looked over Battery Park and the upper bay. -The stars were shining, but to the east over Brooklyn I could see them -paling with the coming dawn. I gazed down to try and calculate my -height. Yes, this would be about right. And my position. I could see the -outline of the shore, the trees of Battery Park, the busy harbor, even -at this hour before dawn, thronged with the moving lights of its boats. - -I saw all this with my eyes, but with my mind I saw the wrecked, -deserted pavilion, and the gardens of Leonto's castle. The threatening -mob would be below me. The palace entrance would be here to my left, -down in the street where those taxis were parked. There was a commotion -down there by the office building entrance. I know now what caused it, -but at the time I did not notice. The wing of the castle was under me. -This would be the tower. Its upper room, or the balcony, just about -where I was standing. I prayed that it might be so. I seemed with my -mind to see it all. - -I lay down on the floor by the window. Out in the office building -hallway I heard heavy footsteps come running. One of the night watchmen -had evidently heard the glass crashed. - -I laughed. I pressed the switch at my wrist.... - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -_The Fight on the Tower Balcony_ - - -The sensations swept me again. The room faded. Whether the watchmen came -in to see a ghost of me lying there on the floor I did not know, nor did -I care. I whirled into the shadows. And came in a moment out of the -black silence. The office room was gone. I seemed to have fallen or -floated down--how far I do not know. A triumph swept me. I was lying on -another floor. I could see a doorway materializing. I was not upon the -balcony as I had calculated, but within the tower room. New walls sprang -around me. - -I did not heed it, this time, the sensation, of the transition. I was -too alert to what new situation might come upon me. The tower room. I -could see it. I could see its oval windows close at hand. The doorway to -its balcony. Sounds flooded me, mingled with the humming within me. -Familiar sounds. The crowd shouting. And a single voice--the voice of -Rohbar. Vague and blurred, but as I materialized it became clearer. - -I was suddenly aware that there was a man beside me. One of the palace -soldiers. He saw me materialize. He leaped backward in horror. I flung -my switch. I was on my feet, swaying, and then I leaped upon him. My -dirk plunged downward into his chest. - -The thing made me shudder. I reeled with the sickness of it, but as he -fell I clung to the dirk and ripped it out of him. It was dripping with -his blood. - -I stood trembling. The small tower room had no other occupants. I turned -toward the door. I could see a patch of stars, paling with the coming -dawn. I crouched in the small doorway which gave onto the balcony, -staring, swiftly calculating. The scene had scarcely changed. But, some -of the soldiers had left the entrance platform, gone, no doubt, into the -castle on their way upstairs to seize Derek. - -On this upper balcony, no more than ten feet before me, Rohbar still -stood gripping Hope. She was in front of him. His back was to me. A -sudden jump, and I could plunge my dagger into his back. - -Rohbar was shouting, "King Leonto is dead. If you should want me to -succeed him, I will take this girl Hope for my queen. You all love -her...." - -I was tense to spring. Then out in the balcony, to one side, I saw -Sensua crouching. Her crimson robe fell away to bare her white limbs. -Her hand fumbled in her robe. She had been Rohbar's dupe, and now she -knew it. Her knife was in her hand. Frenzied with jealousy and rage she -sprang upon Rohbar's back, trying to stab at Hope. - -Perhaps he sensed her coming, heard her; or perhaps she was unskilful. -Her knife only grazed Hope's shoulder. He released Hope. He roared. He -turned and gripped his murderous assailant. A second or two while I -stood watching. He caught Sensua's wrist, twisted the knife from it and -plunged the knife into her breast. She sank with a scream at his feet, -and as he straightened he saw me. - -But I had leaped. I was upon him. His own knife had remained in Sensua's -breast. As I raised mine in my leap, he caught at my wrist; twisted it, -but I flung the knife away before he could get it. The knife fell over -the balcony rail. The weight of my hurtling body flung him backward, but -the rail caught him. His arms went around me. Powerful arms, crushing -me. I gripped at his throat. - -There was an instant when I thought that we would both topple over the -railing. I felt Hope beside us. I heard her scream. We did not go over -the rail, for Rohbar lurched and flung us back. We dropped to the -balcony floor, rolling, locked together. He was far stronger and -heavier than I. He came uppermost. He lunged and broke my hold upon his -throat, but I was agile: I squirmed from under him. I almost regained my -feet. He got up on one knee. He was trying to draw his sword. Then again -I bore into him, kicking and tearing. He roared like a bull. And -ignoring my plucking fingers, my flailing fists, he lunged to his feet -with me gripping again at his throat. - -His huge height swung me off the ground. I was aware that he had drawn -his sword, but I was too close for him to use it. He swayed drunkenly -with my weight; he was confused. I felt the rail behind us. We lunged -again into it. Again I heard Hope scream in terror, and saw her leap at -us. Rohbar stooped, trying to clutch the low rail. His bending down -brought my feet to the balcony floor. With a last despairing effort I -shoved him backward. And as he toppled at the rail, I fought to break -his hold upon me. I felt us going and then I felt Hope reach me. Her -arms flung about my waist. Her hold tore me loose. Rohbar's huge body -fell away.... - -For an instant Rohbar seemed balanced upon the rail; then he went over. -He gave a last long, agonized scream as he fell. I did not look down. I -crouched by the rail. The crowd in the garden; Derek standing on the -other balcony; the soldiers who now had appeared behind him--all were -silent, and in the silence I heard the horrible thud of Rohbar's body as -it struck.... - -I clung to Hope for an instant, and she shuddered against me. The scene -broke again into chaos. I cast Hope away and leaped up. I stood at the -balcony rail. My arms went up and gestured to Derek. Amazement was on -his face, but he answered my gesture. Behind him the soldiers who had -come to seize him were standing in a group, stricken at this new -tragedy. - -Derek swung on them. He was not powerless now! "Away with you!" - -His cylinder menaced them, and they fell back in terror before him. - -He darted past them and disappeared into the castle. - -I felt Hope plucking at me. "I want to talk to the people." - -She stood beside me, leaning over the rail. Gentle little figure. -Familiar figure to them all. Their beloved Hope. Her voice rang out -clearly through the hush. - -"My people, we all want our beloved Alexandre--he has come back to us. -He is our rightful king." - -"King Alexandre! Long live King Alexandre!" - -Derek in a moment appeared behind us. "My God, Charlie, I can't -understand--" - -I told him how I had done it. He gripped me. "I'll never be able to -repay you for this!" - -I pushed him forward and he joined Hope at the rail. Held her, and her -arms went around his neck as she returned his kisses. The crowd gaped, -then cheered. - -I shouted, "Hope will be your queen--The reign of the crimson nobles is -at an end!" - -The wild cheering of the people, in which now the castle guards were -joining, surged up to mingle with my words. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -_One Tumultuous Night_ - - -I come now with very little more to record. - -I returned to my own world. And Derek stayed in his. Each to his own; -one may rail at this allotted portion--but he does not lightly give it -up. - -The scientists who have examined the mechanism with which I returned -very naturally are skeptical of me. Derek feared a further communication -between his world, and mine. He smiled his quiet smile. - -"Your modern world is very aggressive, Charlie. I would not want to -chance having my mechanism duplicated--a conquering army coming in -here." - -And so he adjusted the apparatus to carry me back and then go dead. I -have wires and electrodes to show in support of my narrative. But since -they will not operate I cannot blame my hearers for smiling in derision. - -Yet there is some contributing evidence. Derek Mason has vanished. A -watchman in an office building near Battery Park reports that at dawn of -that June morning he heard splintering glass. He found the office door -with its broken panel, and the ax lying on the hall floor. He even -thinks he saw a ghost stretched out by the window. But he is laughed at -for saying it. - -And there is still another circumstance. If you will trouble to examine -the newspaper files of that time, you will find an occurrence headed -"Inexplicable Tragedy at Battery Park." You will read that near dawn -that morning, the bodies of three men in crimson cloaks came hurtling -down through the air and fell in the street near where several taxis -were parked. Strange, unidentified men. Of extraordinary aspect. The -flesh burned, perhaps. All three were dead; the bodies were mangled by -falling some considerable height. - -An inexplicable tragedy. Why should anyone believe that they were the -three crimson nobles whom Derek attacked with his strange ray? - -I am only Charles Wilson, clerk in a Wall Street brokerage office. If -you met me, you would find me a very average, prosaic sort of fellow. -You would never think that deeds of daring were in my line at all. Yet I -have lived this one strange tumultuous night, and I shall always cherish -the memory. - - - - -The Stolen Mind - -By M. L. Staley - -[Illustration: _The structure, pivoting downward, plunged Quest to his -waist in the osmotic solution._] - -[Sidenote: What would you do, if, like Quest, you were tricked, and your -very Mind and Will stolen from your body?] - - -"What caused you to answer our advertisement?" Owen Quest felt the steel -of the quick gray eyes that jabbed like gimlets across the office table. - -"Why does any man apply for a job?" he bristled. - -Keane Clason gave an impatient smile. - -"Come!" he said. "I'm not trying to snare you. But there were unusual -features to my ad, and they were put there to attract an unusual type of -man. To judge your qualifications, I must know just why this proposition -appeals to you." - -"I can tell you that," nodded Quest, "but there's nothing unusual about -it. In the first place, I knew that the Clason Research Corporation is -the leading concern of its kind in the country. In the second place, -this seemed to offer a way to obtain a substantial sum of money -quickly." - -"Good," said Clason. "And you feel that you have all the necessary -qualifications?" - -"Decidedly. I am 24 years old, athletic, and of an earnest and -determined nature. Moreover, I have no family ties, and I'm willing to -run any reasonable risk in order to improve the condition of my fellow -men." - -Clason smiled his approval. - -"You say you need money. How much immediately?" - -Quest was unprepared for the question. - -"A thousand dollars," he ventured. - -Without hesitation Clason counted out ten one-hundred-dollar notes from -his wallet and laid them on the table. - -"There's your advance fee. You're ready to go to work immediately, I -hope?" - -"Certainly," stammered Quest. - -Stunned by the swiftness of the transaction, he sat staring at the money -that lay untouched before him. - -To accept it would be like signing an unread contract. But he had asked -for it; to refuse it was impossible. Even to delay about picking it up -might arouse Clason's suspicion. Already the latter had turned away and -was opening the door of a steel cabinet. Quest had one second in which -to reach a decision.... He crammed the currency into his pocket. - - * * * * * - -With delicate care Clason set two objects on the table. One looked to -Quest like a miniature broadcasting tower or a mooring mast for lighter -than air craft. The other was a circular vat of some black material, -probably carbon. Within it a series of concentric tissues were suspended -from metal rings, and in a trough outside ranged four stoppered flasks -containing liquids of as many different colors. - -"Look at these models carefully," said Clason. "They represent two of -the most remarkable discoveries of all time. The one on your left is the -most _de_structive weapon known to man. The other I consider the most -_con_structive discovery in the history of science. It may even lead to -an understanding of the nature of life, and of the future of the spirit -after death. - -"Both of these were developed by my brother Philip and me together--but -we have disagreed about the use to which they shall be put. - -"Philip"--the inventor dropped his voice to a whisper--"wants to sell -the secret of the Death Projector--the tower, there--as an instrument of -war. If I should permit him to do that, it might lead to the destruction -of whole nations!" - -"How?" demanded Quest "I've heard of a device called the Death Ray. Is -this it?" - -"No, no," said Clason contemptuously. "Even in a perfected state the Ray -would be a child's toy compared to the Projector. This is based on our -discovery that invisible light rays of a certain wave-length, if highly -concentrated, destroy life--and our additional discovery that if these -are synchronized with short radio waves the effect is absolutely -devastating. - -"We obtain the desired concentration of invisible light by using a -tellurium current-filter under the influence of alternate flashes of red -and blue light. The projector can literally blanket vast areas with -death, up to a top range of at least five hundred miles. - -"Just picture to yourself what this means! In a space of ten minutes two -men can lay down a circle of destruction a thousand miles in diameter; -or they can cut a swath five hundred miles long in any desired -direction." - - * * * * * - -"Have you ever proved it?" demanded Quest skeptically. - -"Yes, young man, we have," snapped Clason. "Right here in the -laboratory--but on a minute scale, of course. However, there's no time -to demonstrate now. The point is that my brother is determined to sell -if he can obtain his price for the invention. He argues that instead of -bringing disaster upon the world, this machine will forever discourage -war by making it too terrible for any civilized nation to consider. In -spite of my opposition he has opened negotiations with an ambitious -Balkan power. He may actually close the sale at any moment! - -"However," Clason drew a deep breath "you see this other device? Simple -as it appears, it is the key to the whole situation. We can use it--you -and I--to overcome Philip's will and prevent this unthinkable -transaction. The two of us can do it. Alone I would be virtually -helpless." - -"Why not have the Projector confiscated or destroyed by our own -Government?" suggested Quest. "That seems to me the only safe and sure -way out of the difficulty." - -"You simply do not understand," frowned Clason impatiently. "Philip is -selling the plans and descriptions of the machine, not the machine -itself. Even if this model and the larger test machine that we have -built were destroyed--even if I were willing to have Philip sent to -Leavenworth for life--he could still sell the Projector. - -"But this other invention, our Osmotic Liberator, makes it possible for -me to gain control of Philip and actually _change his mind_, through the -medium of an agent. I have hired you to act as my Agent, Quest, because -I can see that you are a young man of unusual character and vitality. -And by way of reward I can promise you both money and a brilliant -future." - - * * * * * - -The inventor poised in a tense attitude on the edge of his chair as -though his body were charged with electricity. His eyes seemed to dart -out emanations that set Quest's blood to tingling. Then for a moment the -latter lost consciousness of his physical self. It was as though he had -opened a door and found himself suddenly on the brink of a new and -totally strange world. He dispelled this fancy by a quick effort of the -will, for he knew that he had a delicate problem on his hands and that -it must be solved within a very few minutes. However he proceeded, he -must act without disloyalty to his Government, and at the same time -without injustice to Keane Clason. - -"Tell me," he said in a husky voice, "how do you intend to use me? I do -not believe in Spiritualism. I would be a poor medium." - -Clason gave a short laugh. - -"You are not to be a medium in that sense at all. Spiritualism as -practiced is just a blind sort of groping and hoping. Osmotic -Liberation, on the other hand, is an exact and opposite physico-chemical -science. Here--I will show you." - -Into the outer cell of the Liberator he emptied the purple vial, and so -on to the innermost, which he filled with a golden-green liquid like old -Chartreuse. - -"The separating membranes, you understand, are permeable by these -complicated solutions. Each liquid has a different osmotic pressure and -therefore should, under normal conditions, interchange with the others -through the membranes until all pressures are equalized. I prevent such -interchange, however, by maintaining an anti-electrolysis which retards -ionization and thus builds up what might be called osmotic potential. - - * * * * * - -"Now if an Agent--yourself for instance--submerges himself in the -central cell, at the same time maintaining a physical contact with his -Control at the surface of the liquid, and if then the osmotic potential -is suddenly released by throwing the electrolytic switch, the host of -ions thus turned loose in the outer compartments make one grand rush for -the center solution, which contains the cathode. - -"Under these conditions your body becomes a sort of sixth cell, and your -skin another membrane in the series. Properly speaking, however, you are -not a part of the electrolytic circuit but are merely present in the -action. Your body acts as a catalyser, hastening the chemical action -without itself being affected in any way. Physically you undergo no -change whatever; but in some strange way which is, like life, beyond -analysis, your mind flows out into the solution, while your unaltered -body remains at the bottom of the tank in a state of suspended -animation. - -"If no Control is present, all that is needed to return your mind into -your body is a throw of the electrolytic switch back to negative, -whereupon you emerge from the tank exactly as you entered it. But with -your Control present and in contact with your submerged body, your mind, -instead of remaining suspended in the solution, flows instantly into his -body and resides there subject to his will. - -"This can not be done, however, unless the wills of Control and Agent -have first been brought into accord. To accomplish that, we clasp -hands"--Quest grasped Clason's extended hand--"and look steadily into -each other's eyes. - -"Now, it is well known that the vibrations of an individual's will are -as distinctive as the sworls of his finger-prints. What is not so well -known is that the frequency of vibration in one person can be brought -into accord with that in another. - - * * * * * - -"You consciously retract your will by concentrating your mind upon the -thing which you know I wish to accomplish. Gradually while we continue -in this position your vibrations speed up or slow down until they -acquire exactly the same frequency as my own. We are then in accord, and -when your mind is liberated in the tank it is in a state which admits -absorption into my body. And it is subject to my will because you have -purposely attuned it to my peculiar frequency. Immediately after the -transfer there will be a brief conflict, due to the instinctive desire -of your will to obtain the ascendancy. But of course mine will gain the -upper hand at once, since both wills will be in my frequency." - -Quest felt, rather than saw, a wall of alarm closing in on him. He tried -to avert his eyes, to withdraw his hand from Clason's grasp. With a -nostalgic pang in the pit of his stomach he suddenly realized that he -could not do so. He had gone too far--farther than any man in his -position had a right to go. Having deliberately weakened his will, it -seemed now to have deserted him entirely. A prickling sensation coursed -up his spine, his extended arm went numb, his hand trembled violently. - -"Splendid!" said Clason, suddenly releasing both eye and hand. "Just as -I foresaw, you will be able to attune yourself to my vibration-frequency -with hardly an effort. Now please remain seated; I'll be back in a -moment." - - * * * * * - -For a second after the door closed, Quest remained slumped in his chair. -Then he was on his feet, shaking himself like a wet dog to free himself -from the spell under which he had fallen. Something about Clason -attracted and at the same time repelled him, fraying his nerves like an -irritant drug and confusing his mind at the moment when he needed the -full alertness of every faculty. - -Invisible light--disembodied minds--will vibrations! Nothing there to -get hold of. Were these things real or imaginary? Was Keane Clason a -great inventor, or a madman? Would Philip prove to be a real or an -imaginary scoundrel? Should he summon help, or go on alone? - -Professional pride said: wait, don't be an alarmist! With his knuckles -Quest tapped the table, half expecting it to melt under his fingers. The -feeling and sound of the contact gave him a peculiar start. On the -farther end of the table stood a letter-box--an invitation. From his -pocket Quest snatched a slip of paper, and wrote: - - 6 stroke 4--9:45A--Hired. If no report in 48 hours, clamp down - hard. - -To address a stamped envelope and slip it in with the outgoing mail was -the work of seconds. But he was none too quick. He had just dropped back -into a lounging attitude when the door burst open and Clason flew into -the room? - -"We must act instantly," hissed the inventor. "Philip plans to close the -transaction within a day." - -In spite of himself, Quest jumped upright in his chair. Clason tapped -him on the shoulder reassuringly. - -"It's all right," he smiled, "I'm ready for him. We'll make our move -this afternoon and beat him by eighteen hours. - -"Let's see." He paused. "Oh! yes. I was about to explain to you that as -soon as the will of the Agent enters the body of his Control, the latter -can again transfer it into the body of still another person. - -"Now you understand why I advertised for a man of exceptional character? -As my Agent, I want you to enter the body of Philip, and your will must -be strong enough to conquer his in the battle for mastery which will -begin the instant you intrude into his body. You will still be under my -control, but your will must be strong enough on its own merits to -overcome his. I can direct you, but your strength must be your own. -That's clear, isn't it?" - - * * * * * - -"I think so," said Quest slowly. "But what becomes of me after you have -frustrated Philip's plot?" - -"That's the easy part of the process," smiled Clason; "but naturally you -feel some anxiety about it. I simply withdraw your will from Philip, -return it to your own body, and pay you a reward of ten thousand -dollars." - -"You're sure you can?" - -"Perfectly. I have merely to touch Philip's hand to recapture your will. -Then I immerse myself in the tank with the switch at plus. The osmotic -action will extract both wills momentarily from my body. But the -presence of two bodies and two wills in the solution together forces a -balance, and each will seeks out and enters its own body. Then you and -I climb out of the tank exactly as we are this minute." - -"If it weren't for my belief that anything is possible," Quest shook his -head, "I'd say that your claims for this invention were ridiculous." - -"And you couldn't be blamed," admitted Clason readily. "This toy of a -model is hardly convincing. But come along with me and I'll show you how -the Liberator looks in actual operation." - - * * * * * - -The office rug concealed a trap door which gave upon a spiral stair. -Below, Clason unlocked another door and led the way through a narrow and -tremendously long passage lighted at intervals by small electric bulbs. -Presently another door yielded to the inventor's deft touch and closed -behind them with a portentous chug. Here the darkness was so utter and -intense that Quest imagined he could feel the weight of it on his -shoulders. From the slope of the passageway and the muffled beat of -machinery that had come to his ears on the way along, he guessed that he -was below ground in some chamber at the rear of the factory. - -He gave a low exclamation as Clason switched on the toplight. No wonder -the darkness had seemed of almost supernatural quality! Even the hard -white glare of the daylight arc was grisly. Its rays rebounded from the -liquids of the great circular tank in a blinding dazzle of color, while -the dull black walls and ceiling were so perfectly absorptive that -beyond arm's length they became to all effects invisible. Even the ledge -on which he stood--the shoulder of the vat--gave Quest the feeling that -to move would be to step off into a bottomless pit. - -But Clason took his attention at once, pointing here and there in his -quick, nervous way to indicate how faithfully the Liberator had been -reproduced from the model. In all respects the arrangements were the -same, with the addition that here a long plank like a spring-board -extended out from a wall-mount as far as the central compartment of the -tank, and that from its end a narrow ladder hung down to the surface of -the Chartreuse liquid. A double-throw switch fixed to the wall above the -base of the plank was evidently the source of electrolytic control. - -"When you throw the switch to plus," said Clason, pointing to the -chalk-marked sign above, "you produce the violent electrolytic action -needed to bring about a liberation. All the rest of the time it should -be closed at minus, in order to maintain the anti-action which I -explained to you. - -"Now let's rehearse, so that when the time for the real performance -arrives we can be sure of running it off without a hitch." - -"All right, sir," nodded Quest, so dazed by the glittering light that he -was hardly conscious of what he said. - - * * * * * - -"First," said Clason, running lightly up the steps to the plank, "you -walk out to the end, like this, and start down the ladder. Then you -lower yourself into the tank. The liquid is at body temperature; it's -neither strongly acid nor caustic; it will cause you no injury or -discomfort whatever. - -"Meanwhile I keep in contact with your hand until the instant that you -become submerged. Now your mind is in me, see?--ready for transfer into -Philip, where it will act as my Agent. That's how simple it is! Come on -up and we'll go through the motions." - -Quest experienced a shiver as he mounted the bridge. Annoyed with -himself, he shrugged the feeling off. There was no risk here. Moreover, -it was a part of his daily work to take chances; he had done so a -hundred times without hesitation. Now he moved all the more quickly, as -if to belie the squeamishness that possessed him in spite of himself. - -Swinging past Clason on the plank, he lowered himself without a pause -to the bottom rung of the ladder, while the inventor, hanging head -down, maintained contact with him. - -"No need to stay here," he said in sudden irritation. "I understand -perfectly what I am to do." - -"I'm testing my own acrobatic ability," grunted Clason amiably. "Just a -minute now." - -He wriggled as if trying to adjust himself to a better balance, but in -reality to mask the motion of his free hand with which he reached up and -pressed a button in the side of the plank. Instantly the structure, -pivoting downward on its wall-socket, plunged Quest to his waist in the -osmotic solution. - -"For God's sake get out of the way!" he shouted, trying to wrench his -hand out of Clason's sinewy grip. "Let go, I tell you!" - -But Clason clung like a leech, his teeth gritted under the strain. Again -the plank lurched downward, and with a violent splash Quest vanished -below the surface. - -Quick as a cat, Clason scrambled up the ladder and back to the base of -the plank, where he erased and interchanged the chalk-marked signs with -which he had misled Quest. Then with a sinister twist of a smile he -threw the switch to minus, and turned to watch as the plank slowly -righted itself and the vacant ladder came clear of the liquid. - -For some time he stood staring at the gleaming colored rings of his -dissociation-vat like some witch over her cauldron, his lips working, -his hands clasping and unclasping like the tentacles of some sub-sea -monster. Then, as if the spell had suddenly broken, he turned on his -heel and switched off the light. As he hastened down the passageway -toward his office, the airlock sucked the door against its jamb with an -ominous whistle. - - * * * * * - -In a twinkling, as Quest's shackled spirit writhed in its new housing, -he knew that he was in bondage to a scoundrel. Formless and voiceless, -he still fought madly for the freedom which the instinct of ten -thousand generations made necessary to him. - -At the same time he was furious at himself for having been tricked like -an innocent schoolboy. The plank socket, the button which had tripped -the supporting spring, the fake rehearsal, the tuning of his will to -that of Clason--step by step the whole cunning scheme unfolded itself to -him now. - -But what could be the purpose behind this villainy? Only one answer -seemed possible. Keane must be the one bent on selling the Death -Projector, Philip the one who wished to frustrate the fiendish -transaction! And Quest of the Secret Service--he was to be the tool to -force the sale. - -With the soundless scream of rage Quest's will hurled itself against -Keane's. The two met like infuriated bulls, and for an instant too brief -to be pictured as a lapse of time they poised immovable. But two wills -can not exist on equal terms in a single body, and in this case the -vibration of both was that of Clason. Quest had challenged the Master -Will. He could do no more. It hurled him back, crushed him like foam, -compressed him to the proportions of an atom in the background of his -consciousness. So brief and unequal was the conflict that in the next -breath Clason had all but forgotten the presence of the stolen will -within him. When he was ready to use his Agent, that would be time -enough to summon him! - -Despite this suppression, Quest began to see dimly through strange eyes, -and to hear vaguely with ears that were not his own. Feelers, tentacles, -some intangible kind of conduits carried thought impulses to him from -the Master Will. He received these impressions vividly, but those which -he gave off in return were so weak, due to the subjection of his will, -that Clason was entirely unconscious of any response. Quest was not -enough of a scientist to be astonished at the ability of a disembodied -mind to experience sense impressions in the body of another. He was -only glad that the darkness and silence were growing less. Very, very -slowly he was awakening to a new kind of consciousness--the -consciousness of another person's Self. He hated and loathed that Self, -yet it was better than the awful blankness that had gone before. - - * * * * * - -Suddenly, as light grew brighter and sound more clear and definite, a -new element entered--the element of hope. At first it was feeble: its -only suggestion was that sometime, somehow, he might escape this prison. -But it was like water to a parched plant. It caused his will to expand, -to extend its feelers, to press up a little more bravely against the -crushing pile of the Master Will. - -Now another surprise sprang upon him. He was moving! That is, Clason's -body was moving in some kind of a conveyance, which was threading its -way through crowded streets. Stores, buildings, buses, people--Quest -remembered them all distantly as things he had known thousands of years -ago. The driver turned his head, and his profile seemed vaguely -familiar. - -Now a rush of foreign thoughts drowned out his own. They were a sort of -overflow from the mind of Clason. They thronged along the conduits that -bound the two wills together, but only Quest was conscious of the -movement. - -Keane's mind was on his brother Philip: that much was particularly -clear. And there was something about a telephone call. Yes, Keane had -telephoned to the police, disguising his voice, refusing to divulge his -name. He had said that a man by the name of Philip Clason was in trouble -and had told them where to find him. Then the police had telephoned the -factory, and Keane had pretended astonishment and alarm at the news. -That's why he was here now--he was on the way to confer with the police. -And he was chuckling--chuckling because he had fooled Quest and the -police, and because now the hundred million dollars was almost in his -grasp. - -Cutting in close, the car turned a corner and drew up before one of a -row of loft buildings in a section of the city which Quest failed to -recognize. As Clason stepped to the sidewalk, Quest was more painfully -aware than ever of his powerlessness to influence by so much as the -twitch of a muscle the behavior of this hostile body in which he had -permitted himself to be trapped. In his weakness he felt himself -shrinking, contracting almost to nothingness under the careless pressure -of the Master Will. - - * * * * * - -Clason glanced casually at his watch, and three men converged toward him -from as many directions. There was nothing to distinguish them from -anyone else in the street, but along the conduits it came to Quest that -they were detectives and that they were there by appointment with Keane -Clason. - -"What floor?" asked the latter, with an excitement which Quest felt -instantly was pure pretense. "Are you sure they haven't spirited him -away?" - -"Don't worry," replied the leader of the detectives. "The alley and roof -are covered. We'll take care of the rest ourselves." - -On tiptoe they climbed three long flights of stairs in the half-light. -Clason held back as if in fear. He was a good actor, and Quest felt the -shrinking and hesitation of his body as he crouched and slunk along in -the wake of the detectives, pretending terror at what was about to -happen, though he knew--and Quest knew he knew--that there would be no -resistance up there--that Philip would be found alone exactly as he had -been left by Keane's hired thugs. - -On the top landing Burke, the leader, paused to count the doors from -front to rear. - -"This is it," he whispered to the bull-necked fellow just behind him. - -The other nodded, and crouched back against the opposite wall while his -companions placed themselves in position to cross-fire into the room the -moment the door gave way. - - * * * * * - -Quest longed for the power to kick his hypocrite of a master as he still -held back, cowering on the stairs, playing his fake to the limit. Then -the door flew in with a splintering shriek under the charge of the human -battering ram, and across it hurtled the other two detectives in a cloud -of ancient dust. - -"Here he is!" someone shouted. - -"Phil! Phil!" Keane Clason's voice fairly quavered with sham emotion as -he ran into the room and threw himself at a man tightly bound to an -upholstered chair, which in turn was wedged in among other articles of -stored furniture. - -But Philip was too securely gagged to reply, and as Burke slashed the -ropes from across his chest he dropped forward in a state of collapse. -Stretched on a couch, he soon gave signs of response as a brisk massage -began to restore the circulation to his cramped limbs. Suddenly he sat -up and thrust his rescuers aside. - -"What time is it?" he demanded with an air of alarm. - -"One o'clock," replied Keane before anyone else could answer, patting -his brother affectionately on the shoulder while within him Quest -writhed with indignation. "By Jove! Phil, it's wonderful that we got to -you in time. Really, how--you're not injured?" - -"No," grunted Philip, "just lamed up. I'll be as fit as ever by -to-morrow." - -"If you feel equal to it," suggested Burke, "I wish you'd tell me -briefly how you arrived here. Do you know the motive behind this affair? -Did you recognize any of the body-snatchers?" - - * * * * * - -Philip frowned and shook his head. - -"Yesterday noon," he said slowly, "I took the eight-passenger Airline -Express to Cleveland on business. There were three other passengers in -the cabin--two men and a woman. Right away I got out a correspondence -file and was running over some letters. The next thing I knew I was -approaching the ground in the strangest state of mind I ever -experienced. My head was splitting, and everything looked unreal to me. -Seemed as if I was coming down on some new planet." - -"You mean the ship was gliding down to land?" - -"No, no. I was dangling from a parachute.... By the way, where am I -now?" - -"In a Munson Avenue loft." - -"In Chicago?" - -Burke nodded. - -"I guessed as much," frowned Philip. "You see, I came down in a field, -and then before I could free myself from my trappings I was pounced -on--trussed up and blindfolded--by a gang of men. I knew they had taken -me a long distance by automobile, but I saw nothing more until they tore -the blindfold from my eyes when they left me here." - -"And they were all strangers to you?" - -"Yes--those that I saw." - -"Isn't this enough for just now, Burke?" interrupted Keane, and Quest -received an impression of uneasiness that was not apparent in the -inventor's tone. "After a good rest he's sure to recall things that -escape him now." - -"Just one minute," nodded the detective, turning back to Philip. "Can -you think of no plausible reason for this attack? Is there no one who -might possibly benefit by putting you temporarily out of the way?" - -Philip gave a frightened start. Then he was on his feet, clutching at -his brother's arm. - -"Keane!" he pleaded, "Keane! What's happened? I know, I know! It's the -Projector." - -"Water!" roared Keane, and Quest felt the panic that coursed through him -as he tried to drown out his brother. "Somebody bring water! He needs -it!" - -At the same time he snatched up Philip's hand in a grip of steel. -Instantly the latter's wild eyes became calm, the flush passed from his -relaxing face, and he slumped down weakly on the couch. - - * * * * * - -In that fleeting moment Quest surged into the body of Philip and -confronted his will with a fierce and triumphant ardor. For now his will -would have command of a body with which to fight his fiend of a Control. - -With a sensation of contempt he met Philip's resistance and buffeted him -ruthlessly backward, crushed down and compressed his feebly struggling -will. And as Philip yielded, Quest felt his own will expanding to -normal, taking possession of the borrowed body with hungry greed, and -flashing from its faded eyes the spark of youth. - -Burke stared in amazement at the kaleidoscopic rapidity of the changes -in the rescued man's expression. Strange lights and shadows continued to -flit across Philip's face as Quest's invasion of him proceeded, but with -a diminishing frequency which soon assured Keane that his Agent was -tightening his command. - -The younger of Burke's aides stood fascinated, his mouth agape. The -other spoke guardedly to his superior: - -"Dope, eh!" - -"Nah!" replied Burke, shrugging himself out of his trance. "Shock." - -The actual duration of the conflict in Philip was something less than -three seconds. It would have been more brief if Quest had exerted -himself to the utmost. But his sensations as he first surged into this -new habitat under Keane's propulsion were so weird and unearthly that -for the moment he was lost in the wonder of the experience. For that -short time, therefore, Philip was able to fight back against the onrush -of the invading will. - -In the next second Quest became conscious of the resistance. Urged on by -his Control, he must push Philip back and quell him; but his sympathy -for his opponent and his hatred of Keane roused him to sudden revolt. He -wanted to disobey the Master Will, retreat, leave Philip in command of -himself. But he could only go on, unwillingly thrusting back Philip's -will despite the indescribable torment and confusion in his own. Then, -with the feeling that he was ten times worse than the most inhuman -ghoul, he took full possession of his borrowed body. - -"I'll take him home now," said Keane composedly to Burke. "As you see, -he needs a little extra sleep. Meanwhile, if you have any occasion to -call me, I will be at the factory." - - * * * * * - -To the youthful mind of the Agent, used to the lightness of an athletic -physique, the body in which it moved down the stairs to the limousine -seemed strangely heavy and awkward. - -"I'm badly done up, Keane," he said with Philip's lips as the car got -under way. - -"Bah!" snorted Keane, "you've had a scare, that's all. Go to bed when -you get home and sleep till nine this evening. At ten a man named Dr. -Nukharin will call for you. He will drive you to a garage, leave the -car, and transfer to another one a few blocks away. - -"Out near Marbleton you will find an airplane staked in an open field. -Nukharin is a capable pilot. He will fly back southeast along the -lakeshore to the meeting place. You should arrive about twelve-thirty. -The test is set for one o'clock." - -Quest listened in a state of abject rage. Lacking the power to resist -his Control, he could only boil away in Philip's body like a wild -creature hemmed in by bars of steel. - -"Bring with you," continued Keane venomously, "the set of papers that -you took from the safe in my office. Hold the other set in readiness to -deliver to Nukharin to-morrow, after he has studied the results of the -test and has notified Paris to release a hundred million dollars in -cash for delivery at your Loop office at 3 p. m." - -The murderous greed of the man maddened Quest. He tried to revolt, his -will squirming like a physical thing, threshing the ether like a wounded -shark in the sea. For a moment he felt that he was about to burst the -bonds that his demon of a Control had woven around him. So violently did -he resist that the immured and sporelike will of Philip forged up -fitfully out of the blackness and joined his in the hopeless struggle. -But along the attenuated conduits that still chained Quest to the Master -Will Keane caught the impulse of the mutiny, and his eyes darted flame -as he countered with a will-shock that paralyzed his unruly Agent. - -"Listen! you whimpering dog," he snarled. "Think as I tell you--and -nothing more! You are going to apologize to Dr. Nukharin for your -previous unwillingness to sell the Projector. You are going to tell him -that I am at fault--that I held out--but that you found a way to force -my compliance. You understand?" - -Quest could find no words. With Philip's head he nodded meekly. Just -then the car stopped and the chauffeur threw open the door. - - * * * * * - -Dr. Nukharin flew high despite the masses of cumulus cloud which -frequently reduced visibility to zero. He had merely to follow the rim -of the lake to his destination, and an occasional glimpse of the water -was sufficient to hold him on his course. - -In the back seat hunched Philip, his body crumbling under the weight of -Quest's despair. For hours the latter had gone on vaguely, hoping -somehow to thwart this horrible transaction that was rushing the world -to its doom, thinking he might grow strong enough to wrench himself free -and so liberate Philip from the dominance of his conscienceless brother. -Even though such a move should leave his own will forever separate from -his body, he was ready and anxious to make the sacrifice. - -Suddenly the crash of the motor ceased and Nukharin banked the ship up -in a spiral glide. Quest had never been in the air before, and the long -whirl down into the darkness on this devil's errand was to him as eery -as a ride to perdition in a white-hot projectile. - -His mind seemed to trail out in a great nebular helix behind the -descending ship. He felt that he had suddenly crossed some cosmic -meridian into a new plane of existence, where he was changed to a gas, -yet continued capable of thought. But even here his obsession remained -the same. Keane Clason--trickster, traitor, arch-criminal--must be -destroyed! - -"I'll get him!" vowed Quest in words that were no less real for being -soundless. "I'll trail him to the end of space and bring him to -account!" - - * * * * * - -Then wheels touched earth and the cold, bare facts of his destiny rushed -in on him with redoubled force. He felt the nearness of his Control -seconds before he perceived him through the eyes of Philip. With a -sensation like a stab he realized that now he must speak, play his part, -be any bloodless hypocrite that Keane Clason chose to make him. The -silent order surged down the conduits promptly enough; he responded as -an automaton obeys the pressure of a button. - -"Well, Doctor," chuckled Philip with a cunning leer, "here's the magic -tower, just as I promised you. We'll run it up in a jiffy. This test is -going to be so vivid and conclusive that not even a hard-headed skeptic -like you can raise a question." - -"You misunderstand me," returned Nukharin in an injured tone. "So far as -I am concerned this procedure is only a formality, but it is none the -less necessary. Suppose that I should spend a hundred million of my -government's money and the purchase prove worthless? You may guess that -my folly would cost me dear." - -Keane Clason was waiting on the platform of a giant truck, the motor of -which was idling. All the apparatus was in readiness except that the -three demountable sections of the tower had yet to be run up into -position. - -"One of the beauties of the D. P.," said Philip gleefully to the Doctor, -while Keane smiled slyly to himself, "is that this pint-size dynamo -provides all the current needed for the test. We pick the power for our -radio right out of the air by means of a wave trap and mensurator -invented by this bright little brother of mine," and he clapped Keane -patronizingly on the back. - -"Yes, ah--Dr. Nukharin," ventured Keane timidly, and at that moment -Quest experienced the raging red hatred that causes men to murder. -"Philip has promised me that you will employ this device only as a -threat to hold the ambitions of the larger powers in check." - -"Of course, of course!" replied the Doctor heartily. "But now let's have -the test. Even at night I'm not too fond of these open-air -performances." - - * * * * * - -The height of the tower as they ran the upper sections into place was -forty feet. When all connections had been inspected, first by Keane, -then by Philip, the former led Nukharin aloft. - -As the climax of his plot approached, Keane's excitement bordered on a -cataleptic state, hints of which came confusedly through the conduits to -Quest. With a peculiar satisfaction he felt that Keane was suffering. -The inventor's jaws became rigid, as though his blood had changed to -liquid air and frozen him, and he had difficulty in controlling the -movements of his arms. - -Now he was afraid! Genuinely afraid, this time. Quest caught the impulse -too clearly to doubt its meaning. This was no sham! Keane was doubting -his own machine, fearing that in the crisis some element in the finely -calculated mechanism might fail to operate, thus cheating him of the -blood-money on which his heart was set. Then he was speaking, and even -Nukharin noticed the tremor in his voice: - -"These nine tubes, which look like a row of gun barrels, are molded from -silicon paste. Each shoots a beam of invisible light and a radio dart of -precisely the same wave length. The destructive effect depends chiefly -upon this exactness of synchronization." - -"A question occurs to me," said the Doctor: "will others be able to -manipulate the machine as successfully as you can?" - -"It's fool-proof," chattered Keane, almost losing control of his voice, -"absolutely fool-proof. Surely you have scientists in your country who -can follow written directions! Nothing more is necessary." - -"Very well," shrugged Nukharin. "I only want to be sure that no -unforeseen difficulties may arise in an emergency." - -"See this range-setter?" continued Keane. "The thread on the vertical -shaft enables us not only to limit the range by angling the beams into -the ground, but it can also be disengaged and the Projector revolved in -a flat circle for maximum ranges." - -"And is there no danger of the machine going wrong--of destroying itself -and us?" suggested Nukharin. - -"None whatever, Doctor. There is no explosive force and no great -electrical voltage involved. As long as we stand back of the muzzles we -have nothing to fear. - -"Now look. I have set the micrometer at three hundred yards, which will -just about cover the stretch between ourselves and the lake. I will cut -a swath for you--and every bush, every blade of grass, every insect in -this swath will be withered to ash in the twinkling of an eye. The -destruction will be absolute." - -"Please proceed," said Nukharin grimly. - -Keane pulled a lever in its slot, then pressed it down into its lock as -his projection battery swung lakeward at the desired angle. Then with -one hand poised on another lever, he pressed an electric button. - -At the controls below, a bulb flashed on and off. The signal was -superfluous, for already Quest had received his silent command from the -Master Will. An icy dread fastened on him. He must obey the unspoken -command; he had no will of his own with which to resist. The test would -be a success; the Projector would be sold; the world would be turned -into a shambles. And he, Owen Quest, would be the destroyer, the -murderer, the weak fool who made this horror possible. - -All this flashed through the Agent's mind in the fraction of a second -that it took him to extend Philip's hand, close the switch of the -dynamo, and snap on the alternating lights in the housing over the -tellurium filter. - -For an interminable five seconds he waited, in a ferment of revolt which -the paralysis of his will made it impossible to put into action. Then -again the command pulsed within him, the signal bulb flashed, and he -reversed his motions of the moment before. - -Cold sweat cascaded down Philip's face as Quest felt the ladder -vibrating under descending feet. He longed for the power to hurl Keane -Clason to the ground and turn the Projector upon him. But with an awful -irony the Master Will forced him to his feet, and to speak in a tone -that withered the manhood within him. - -"Come," said Philip in a triumphant tone to Nukharin, "and I will show -you that Clason inventions perform as well as they sound." - -Flashlight in hand, he started toward the lake with Nukharin and his -brother close behind him. Twenty paces, and the long meadow grass -suddenly vanished from beneath their feet. - -"See that!" whispered Philip excitedly, waving the light from side to -side to show the forty-foot swath that stretched away before them. "Not -a trace of life left, not a blade of grass--nothing but dust!" - -The only response was a gurgling sound that issued from Nukharin's -throat. - -"Look!" Quest formed the word with Philip's lips under the urge of the -Master Will. "Here was a tall bush. What do you see now? Just a -teaspoonful of ash. When you examine the remains by daylight, you will -find that even the root has disintegrated to a depth of two feet." - -"Enough of this," croaked Nukharin in horror. "The deal is closed." - -His face was convulsed with fear. Without another word he whirled about -and fled toward his airplane. Philip gave a start as if to follow. - -"Halt! you slob," growled Keane, whose composure had returned with the -successful outcome of the test. "I have use for your company, even -though you are as great a coward as our Slavic friend." - -Coward! The epithet stung Quest like a flaming goad. One of the fine, -intangible lines that bound him under the will of Keane Clason severed, -and his own will exploded into action like a thunderbolt. With startling -agility he whirled Philip about, the flashlight clubbed in his hand. But -Keane was quicker still. A clip on the wrist sent the weapon flying. -Then Philip reeled backward from a kick in the stomach, and his -clutching hands beat the air as he sank unconscious in the dust. - - * * * * * - -With a violent tug, Quest lifted Philip's body to a sitting posture. The -phone was ringing, and by the pull on the will-fibers he knew that Keane -was at the other end of the wire. Philip's body was failing under the -strain of the part it was forced to play, and the blow of the night -before had further weakened it. Now he sat rocking his head painfully -between his hands. But Quest lifted him to his feet by sheer will, and -he staggered across the room. - -"Hello!", he said in a hoarse voice. - -"Get the hell out here to the factory!" rasped Keane, and the crash of -the receiver emphasized the command. - -It was one o'clock as Philip whirled his sedan into Olmstead Avenue. At -three, reflected Quest as the car scorched over the pavements, he must -be at the downtown office to deliver the papers and receive the money. - -Then he was face to face with Keane, reeling dizzily at the hatred that -blazed from the latter's accusing eyes. - -"Double-crossed me, eh!" The voice was a low snarl, and as he spoke -Keane thumped the extra outspread on his desk. "But you're not going to -get away with it--neither of you!" - -Dismay, hope, dread, wonder robbed Quest of the power to speak. But he -whirled around behind the desk with such unexpected violence that Keane -staggered back in alarm. Then he was devouring the screaming headlines -of the newspaper. Three seconds, like a slow exposure, and every word of -the Record's great scoop was etched upon his mind as if with caustic: - - DOOM LAUNCH ADRIFT ON LAKE - - Physician Baffled by Condition of Five Bodies Found in Craft - - Blighted Area on Shore Said to Have Bearing on Tragedy - - THAW HARBOR, IND., June 6.--Five Chicago sportsmen, most of them - prominent in business and society, perished in the early hours this - morning while returning in the launch of A. Gaston Andrews from a - weekend camping party near Hook Spit on the Michigan shore. - - The boat was towed into this port at daybreak by the Interlake Tug - Mordecai after being found adrift less than a mile off shore. - According to Captain Goff of the Mordecai the death craft carried - no lights and he barely avoided running her down. The weather along - the Indiana shore was perfect throughout the night and there is - nothing to indicate that the launch was in trouble at any time. The - bodies are unmarked, and this little community is agog with rumors - ranging all the way from murder and suicide to the supernatural. - - Dr. J. M. Addis of Thaw Harbor, the first physician to examine the - bodies, says that they appear to have suffered some violent - electro-chemical action the nature of which cannot be determined at - the moment. This statement is considered significant in view of the - reported discovery ashore of a large blighted area almost directly - opposite the point where the launch was found. Joseph Sleichert, a - farmer who lives in that vicinity, reports that this patch of - ground extending back from the lakeshore was completely stripped of - vegetation overnight. He ascribes the damage to some unknown insect - pest. Others say that the condition of the ground indicates that it - has been burned at incinerator temperatures. Nothing is left of the - soil but a blue powder. - -Philip faced his brother with eyes that were dull with agony. - -"You have made me a murderer!" Quest forced out the words in painful -gasps. - -But Keane snapped back at him like a rabid dog. - -"You did it--you did it yourself! You tampered with the Projector. You -tried to spoil the test. You changed the range. You tried to kill me, -and instead you killed these others. And you're going to pay--both of -you. You hear me?--you're going to pay!" - -His voice mounted the scale to a scream. It was a wail of unreasoning -terror, of the dread of exposure, of the fear that he would fail to -collect the fortune now so nearly in his grasp. The accident that had -jarred his well-laid plans had unnerved him. - - * * * * * - -Frantically Quest strove to answer him, to explain his utter subjection, -as Agent, to say that if he had possessed the will to oppose or trick -him he would have turned him over to the police, or might even have -killed him, at the very outset. But in his frenzy, Keane had so -tightened his control that Quest was speechless. Now he tried to -substitute gesture for words, but Philip was rooted to the spot like a -statue; even his hands were immovable. - -He might have remained in this state indefinitely had not Keane's fears -withdrawn his mind from his immediate surroundings. Momentarily he -forgot Quest, Philip--everything but himself and his predicament. And in -the instant that his vigilance relaxed, Quest's enslaved will -experienced a sudden lease of strength and hope. Independently of his -Control, he found that he could move Philip's hand, could take a -faltering step. - -But now, what to do? How might he fan this feeble spark of volition to -sufficient strength for decisive resistance? The idea came to him: if -only he could place distance between himself and Keane, perhaps with one -titanic effort he might launch himself against the Master Will, take him -by surprise, crush him down, and reverse him to the status of Agent -instead of Control. - -With infinite effort Quest forced Philip's body step by step across the -room. He must reach that window, get a signal of distress to someone in -the street. - -But Keane began to sense a mutiny. He followed. He crossed the floor -with slinking, tigerish steps and snaking body. His wet lips writhed -back over his teeth, and his contorted features wove the leer of the -abyss. Now as his Control drew physically near, Quest felt his mite of -strength ebbing fast. Slowly Keane reached up with his clawed fingers -and grasped his Agent by the arm. - -"Remember!" he hissed, "if these deaths are traced to us, you break -down--you confess--you take the blame--you paint me lily white--you -describe the cowardly means by which you moulded me to your will--you -plead only for a quick trial and the full penalty of the law. You -understand?" - -Quest made no reply, but he understood all too well the hideous -intention of his betrayer. What a fool he had been to imagine that Keane -Clason would ever restore him to his body! Philip to the chair, Quest a -homeless spirit wandering in space, and for the body at the bottom of -the tank, the brief regrets of the Department! - - * * * * * - -A sudden rushing sound filled the air with a sense of action and alarm. - -Two--three--four speeding automobiles swung in recklessly to the curb -and shrieked to a standstill under smoking brakes. Men leaped out and -deployed on the run to surround the factory. Keane darted to the door -and twisted the key. - -"Come on!" he spat at Philip as he snatched back the rug and threw open -the trap door. - -The command galvanized Quest to action. In two bounds he had Philip on -the stairs. A heavy impact rattled the office door just as he dropped -the trap into place over his head. Then, infected with Keane's panic, he -was running down the passageway like mad. - -Inside the tank chamber the brilliantly colored rings of liquid flashed -back the rays of the arclight. Half crazed with anxiety, Keane danced on -the black ledge like a monkey on a griddle. His face was ashen, drool -ran from his twisted mouth, his eyes were two black pools of terror. - -Again Quest experienced the peculiar sensation which came with the -slackening of control. New hope sprang up in his agonized being as heavy -blows boomed against the air-locked door. Great waves of fear poured -along the conduits, betraying to the Agent the state of mind of his -Control. Now what would Keane do? What could he do? Why, of all places, -had he fled down into this blind burrow? - -Thud, thud! Then came a series of sharp reports. Outside, they were -trying to shoot away the deep-sunk disk hinges. - -Still the door stood fast, but the fury of the assault on it whipped the -faltering Keane to action. In a bound he was on the platform. With a -lightning hand he threw the switch to plus, starting electrolytic action -in the tank. Then he pressed a button concealed under the edge of the -switch-mount and a panel slid silently aside in the wall, revealing a -narrow outlet. - - * * * * * - -To Quest everything went a flaming red. He might have known that this -fox would have something in reserve--a way of escape when danger -threatened! - -But his Control gave him no time for independent thought. He forced -Quest to turn Philip's eyes up to his own. Without disconnecting that -grip of his glittering eyes, Keane leaped back to the ledge. Quest felt -the silent order: - -"Get up on that plank! Dive into the tank! Get back into your own body, -let Philip have his! Then come up--the two of you--and face the music. -For I'll be gone, and your story will sound like the ravings of a -maniac." - -Quest took an obedient step toward the platform. But at the same instant -a tremendous crash shivered the door. It seemed to unnerve Keane Clason. -With a gasp he sank down upon the steps, his body doubled in pain, his -hand clutching at his heart. Another crash followed, and he shuddered -and cried out. - -Instantly Quest felt an expansion of the will. Keane's sudden physical -weakness had loosened his control. Philip's lips worked painfully as -Quest forced him to pause, to disobey the command of the Master Will. In -a spasm of will he fought to wrench himself free from the countless -clinging tentacles of his Control. In great surges, Quest's reviving -volition pounded against the walls of his borrowed body. Now he sought -to force this sluggish body back to the wall, so that he might release -the airlock and spring the door. But Philip seemed to ossify, every cord -and muscle of his body frozen to stone by the conflict that raged within -him. - -Braced against the wall, Keane was rising slowly to his feet. His -seizure was easing, and so he was able to exert a better pressure upon -his rebellious Agent. - -"Come!" he gasped, realizing that he lacked the strength to escape alone -and must therefore change his plan. "Lift me--quick! Carry me out! Slide -the panel back into place. We will escape together!" - - * * * * * - -The spoken command turned the balance against Quest. His will yielded to -the master. At the same instant Philip's body relaxed like an object -relieved of a great excess of electrical potential. Suddenly strong and -supple, he lifted the trembling Keane and tossed him across his -shoulder. - -For a moment there had been a lull in the assault on the door. Now the -battering resumed with a fury that jarred the whole chamber and sent -ripples dancing across the varicolored liquids in the osmotic tank. - -"Quick!" gasped Keane. "Move! I say. Carry me out." - -But he was in a fainting condition. Crash after crash rocked the -chamber, and with every blow Quest's will felt a stimulation that -enabled him to stand off the commands of his Control. Then a wave of -nausea swept over him and left him reeling. It seemed that Philip's -blood had turned to boiling oil. A dazzling mist swallowed him up, and -with a weird sense of inflation he felt full strength returning to his -will. - -A booming blow that bulged the door inward acted upon him like a stage -player's cue. He leaped to the platform. The gurgling sound of -remonstrance rattled from Keane's throat. But Quest paid no heed. Philip -was walking the plank--away from the open panel--out over the tank. - -Rapidly he dropped down the ladder to the bottom rung, snatched Keane's -wrist in a gorillalike grip, and hurled him down into the vat. - -Then Philip was clinging desperately to the ladder, his strength gone, -his body shivering as if with ague. - -"Go on up!" came a strange, impatient voice from below him. "For -heaven's sake let me out of here!" - - * * * * * - -A downward glance, and with a shout of alarm Philip was scrambling up -the ladder, for there was a head down there, and a pair of naked -shoulders, and the face of a man he had never seen before. Hand over -hand Quest followed. Philip had collapsed and lay prone on the plank. -Quest lifted him to his feet and shook him anxiously. - -"Philip!" he urged. "Philip! Can you walk?" - -The tattoo on the battered door helped to revive the older man. - -"Quick!" whispered Quest, kneading Philip's arms. "There's barely an -hour left. Get to your office. Burn the papers. Refuse the money. Do you -hear me?" - -Philip nodded dazedly. - -"Hurry!" puffed Quest, thrusting him through the opening that Keane had -reserved for his own escape, and sliding the panel back into place. - -Quest was himself now--young, strong, free. Instantly he threw the -electrolytic switch to minus. For Keane had failed to emerge from the -tank, and since he was submerged alone, he could not escape until -electrolysis was halted. - -Just as Quest leaped from the platform to release the airlock, the door -burst in and three men with drawn guns rushed into the chamber. - -The leader stopped with a startled oath and stood blinking his -unbelieving eyes. Quest was poised like a statue, his naked body -gleaming an unearthly white against the lusterless black of the wall. - -"Quest," came from the three in chorus. Then a rush of questions: -"What's the matter? What's happened to you? Where are the Clasons?" - -Quest turned toward the platform, expecting to see Keane. - -"Something's wrong!" he shouted. "Quick! Somebody get Philip. He's gone -to his Loop office. Keane Clason's at the bottom of this tank. I'm not -sure how this thing works, but Philip can get him out! I'm sure of it!" - - * * * * * - -Despite the confident predictions of both Quest and Philip Clason, -osmotic association failed to restore Keane to life, and at last the -coroner ordered the removal of the body. The autopsy revealed heart -disease as the cause of his death. - -For reasons best understood at Washington, the cause of the five launch -deaths was withheld from the public. Quest's punishment for his part in -the crime consisted of a promotion and a warm personal letter from the -President of the United States. - - - - -Compensation - -By C. V. Tench - -[Illustration: _Good God! Was I going mad? Surely this was some awful -nightmare!_] - -[Sidenote: Professor Wroxton had disappeared--but in the bottom of the -mysterious crystal cage lay the diamond from his ring.] - - -"Why, John!" Involuntarily I halted at the entrance to my snug bachelor -quarters as the flood of light my turning of the switch produced -revealed a huddled figure slumped in an easy chair. - -"Aye, sir, 'tis me." The man got to his feet, gnarled hands rubbing at -his eyes. "An' 'tis all day that I've been waiting for you, sir. The -caretaker said you'd be back soon so let me in. I must have fell asleep, -an' no wonder, what with the strain an' no sleep or rest all last -night." - -"Strain? No rest?" I stared my bewilderment, trying at the same time to -conceal the vague apprehensions occasioned by the fact that the trusted -servitor of my friend, Professor Wroxton, should wait all day for me. - -Hastily shedding my outer things, I bade him again be seated, sat down -facing him, and asked him to explain. - -"'Tis the professor, sir." The old chap peered at me with anxious, -wrinkled eyes. "'Tis common enough for him to send me here on messages, -sir, but to-day I've come on my own, because, sir," answering the -question in my eyes, "I haven't seen sight of him since last night." - -"Why--" I began. - -"That's just it, sir." John took the words out of my mouth. "For twenty -years my wife an' me have looked after the professor at The Grange. In -all that time he's never been away at night. Whenever he had to come to -town he'd tell us. Most times I'd drive him myself in the old car. But -that was very seldom, sir, for Professor Wroxton had few interests -outside." - - * * * * * - -"But, John," I protested "is there no other reason for your agitation? -He might have had an urgent call, or gone out for a walk or drive by -himself." - -"No, sir. If you'll pardon me, sir, you're wrong. The professor was -fixed in his habits. He would not go away without tellin' me. Think -back, sir, you know the professor as well as me. Better, because you are -his friend and I am only a servant. Although, sir," this proudly, "he -always treated me as a friend." - -"Go on," I urged, seeing he was not finished. - -"Well, sir, a few minutes back you asked me if there was no other reason -for my being upset like. There is, sir. You know, sir, that for more'n -twenty years the professor has led a retired sort of life; the life of -a--a--" - -"Recluse," I suggested. - -"That's it, sir. He only left The Grange when he had to. He was all -wrapped up in some weird-like thing he was inventing. In all those -years, sir, you were the only visitor who ever went into his laboratory, -or stayed at The Grange for a night or more. That is, sir, until three -days ago." - -"Go on," I again urged, some of his perturbation communicating itself to -me. - -"The Grange, sir, lying as it does, fifteen miles from town an' back in -its own grounds away from the road, isn't noted by many. When strangers -do get into the grounds I usually gets 'em out again in short order. -Three days ago, sir, a stranger drove up to the door in a fine car. He -told me he was wantin' to purchase a country home. I told him The Grange -was not for sale an' turned 'im away. He was turning his car to leave -when my master came out. To my surprise, sir, he invited the stranger -in. An' I'm sure, sir, because he looked so taken aback like, that the -stranger had never seen the professor before." - -"And after that?" I asked, now feeling decidedly uneasy. - -"The stranger, sir--a Mr. Lathom he called himself--stayed on. He was in -the study with the master last night. This morning there was no trace of -either of them." - -"But--good God, John!" I jerked to my feet, a fresh dread clutching at -my heart. "What are you trying to get at? The professor and Mr. Lathom -might possibly have driven away somewhere last night." - -"Both cars, sir," the servant answered, "are in the garage. I bolt all -the doors in the house myself every night. They were still fastened this -morning. My wife an' me searched the house from cellar to garret an' -hunted all over the grounds. We couldn't find a trace of the master or -his guest." - -"You mean to suggest then," I shot at him, "that two full grown men have -completely vanished? It's absurd, John, absurd!" - - * * * * * - -I paced the floor thinking desperately for a few minutes, conscious of -the ancient's anxious eyes. I half smiled. The thing was too ridiculous -for anything. Old John had grown morbid from living away from the outer -world. Also, I had to admit that the atmosphere of The Grange, -impregnated as it was with the lethal scientific dabblings of my friend, -was exactly suited to the conjuring up of unhealthy forebodings in -uneducated minds. I'd drive out to the home of my friend at once. No -doubt I'd find him fit and well. He had refused to install a phone, so -drive it had to be. - -"John." I stopped my pacing and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm coming -out to The Grange at once." His face showed his thankfulness. "I am -sure," I went on as I struggled into my coat, "that we shall find the -professor and his guest awaiting us. Anyway, it's time you got back to -your wife and had some food." - -"I hope to Heaven, sir, that you're right." With that we left the -building and entered my car. - -Although I had tried to dispel my fears, although I had tried to banter -John out of his dread, I drove that evening as I had never driven before -or since. Barely fifteen minutes later I halted my roadster at the short -flight of steps leading to the main door of The Grange. Even as we -stepped from the machine the door flung open and an agitated woman -hurried towards us. She was Mary, John's wife. - -"Sir!" She gripped my arm and stared anxiously into my face. "'Tis glad -I am that you've come. The Grange is a house of death." - -In spite of myself a chill shook my whole body. Gently handing her to -John, I strode up the steps. - -At the open doorway I halted, the aged couple crowding on my heels, the -woman still babbling about death. I couldn't blame her. All day she had -been alone in that gloomy, rambling old building, wondering, no doubt, -why John and I had not returned sooner. - - * * * * * - -And gloomy the house was. Always, even when staying there at the -professor's request, I had found it to be somber and depressing, as if -there lurked within its walls the shadowy wings of the years-old tragedy -that had caused my friend to retire to such a God-forsaken place, and -there become absorbed in his scientific experiments. - -Even now, as I gazed into the dimly-lighted hallway, the air seemed -charged with that same malignant something I cannot describe. - -Pulling myself together I strode quickly along the corridor, and flung -open the study door. The lights being full on, one glance sufficed to -show me that my friend was not there. Swinging on my heel, the horror I -saw in the eyes of the servants, honest, healthy folks not easily -frightened, conveyed itself to me. Somehow, the sight of that room, -lights on, chairs drawn up to the burnt-out fire, brought home to me the -fact that something serious was amiss. I chided myself for thinking John -had been unduly agitated. - -For a moment I stood, trying to conceal the chill coursing through my -veins, puzzling what to do next. I decided to search the house -thoroughly. If I found no sign of the professor or his guest, I would -call in the police. - -Fearfully yet willingly the aged couple led me from room to room, from -attic to basement, until but one place remained--the laboratory. I -hesitated for several seconds at the closed door of my friend's -workroom. Not that I had never entered the--to a layman's -eyes--weirdly-appointed place. I had been in many times with the -professor. But this time I dreaded what I might find. - - * * * * * - -Pulling myself together, I gently tried the door. To my horror it -yielded to my touch. Alive, the professor always kept it locked. A new -dread assailed me, as, flinging the door wide open, I blinked in the -sudden glare of powerful globes. Someone had left the lights full on! - -Horrified I stood and stared, knowing by their heavy breathing that the -aged couple were also staring with fright-widened eyes. Afraid of what? -I did not know. I only knew that the atmosphere had become even more -sinister. I knew that something dreadful had taken place in that room. - -Trembling with consternation I forced myself to take a few steps -forward, then I again stared about me. At one end of the large room -something shone brightly in the glow of the lights. Slowly I walked -across to examine it: it appeared to be a glass case, almost like a -show-case, about eight feet square and seven feet in height. With the -mechanical actions of the mentally distraught I walked all around it. -Not the slightest sign of an entrance could I see. The fact intrigued -me. I tapped lightly on the highly polished surface with my fingers. It -rang to my touch like cut glass. - -Through the transparent surface I could see John and his wife. They were -watching me furtively, wondering, no doubt, why I lingered. As I looked -at them John suddenly lumbered up to the case on the opposite side. -Dropping to his knees, he stared. Turning an imploring gaze to me, he -pointed. His lips moved soundlessly. I followed the pointing finger with -my eyes; gasped at what I saw. - -Near the center of the cage, on the floor constructed of the same -crystalline substance, something glittered, its brilliance almost -dazzling as the light rays struck it. My face pressed close to the cold -outer surface of the structure, my shocked intelligence gradually -realized what that small sparkling object was. It was a magnificent -diamond--and the professor had always worn a diamond ring! - - * * * * * - -In a sudden frenzy of horror I pawed my way around the cage to where -John still knelt. As I reached him he jerked his head in a numb way as -he croaked, "It's a diamond, sir! The professor's!" - -"But how?" I implored. "How can it be? There's no way into this thing. -Perhaps he was working here, and the stone came loose from its setting. -He couldn't have dropped it after the cage was completed." - -"It's his diamond, sir," intoned the old man, dully. "I know it is." - -Then a sudden unreasoning terror filled me. I shrank away from that -shining box. It seemed to be mocking me, gloatingly, malevolently. - -"Quickly!" I threw at the aged couple. "Let us get out of here! Now! At -once!" They needed no second urging. I knew that they felt as I felt: -the laboratory was a sepulcher! - -Five minutes later I was guiding my car over the narrow road to town. I -did not pause until I drew up at police headquarters. I suppose my -appearance was distraught, for I was ushered into the presence of the -chief without delay. In a few moments I had poured out my story. He -listened with a polite calmness I found almost maddening. Leaning back -in his chair, he reviewed, audibly, the facts. - -"Some twenty-odd years ago your friend, Professor Wroxton, married. He -was so absorbed in the pursuit of some weird invention that he neglected -his bride. She ran away with another man. This man deserted her, and -disappeared. The professor found her many months later, in desperate -health. Shortly afterwards she died. Your friend tried to trail the man, -but failed. Shocked and saddened beyond measure, he retired to a place -known as The Grange." - - * * * * * - -He suddenly straightened up in his seat, and pointed at me a thick -forefinger. - -"How long have you known Professor Wroxton?" - -"About ten years," I answered. - -"What was he trying to invent?" - -"I don't know," I replied. - -"And yet you had his confidence in other matters?" - -"But what has all this to do with finding out what has become of my -friend?" I blurted out. "Perhaps every moment counts." - -"A lot." The chief eyed me in a way I did not like. "Solely because your -friend has not been seen by his servants for nearly twenty-four hours, -merely because you saw what you believe to be his diamond in some kind -of a glass compartment in his laboratory, you come here as distraught as -a man who has something terrible on his mind. Why?" - -"I can't say." I shifted uneasily under that direct stare. "Somehow I -_feel_ that something dreadful has happened to my friend." - -"We do not go by _feelings_." The chief got to his feet. "But you have -told me enough to warrant action. I want you to guide me and a couple of -men to this house. Please wait here until I return." He left the room. - -Sitting there awaiting his return, I tried to ponder the matter -reasonably. After all, perhaps the chief was right. Merely because the -professor had been absent for a few hours and I had seen what I thought -to be his diamond in the laboratory, I had worked myself into a perfect -fever of anxiety. I almost smiled to myself. In that businesslike office -the whole affair did seem absurd. After all the professor did not have -to answer to his servants for his actions. - -Heavy footsteps, announcing the chief's return, caused me to rise to my -feet. A few minutes later, in company with the three officers, I was -driving again towards The Grange. - - * * * * * - -We made the return journey in almost complete silence. Occasionally the -chief would shoot a question at me; but, the night air cooling my -fevered brain, my replies were guarded. He realized that fact, for I -felt his eyes upon me all the way. What was going on behind that broad -forehead, I wondered. - -Then we reached The Grange. As we mounted the steps, John, his wife -herding behind him, flung wide the door. He answered the question in my -eyes with a negative shake of his head, and the words, "Nothing fresh, -sir." - -The chief eyed him keenly, then curtly bade him lead the way to the -laboratory. John hung back, his face blanched. "I can't, sir," he -faltered. The chief turned to me, and, although I wanted to follow -John's example, although the atmosphere of the house had again filled me -with an unshakable dread, I led the way, standing back at the door to -allow the officers to enter first. - -With calculating gaze the chief slowly took in every detail of the stone -apartment. He turned to me. - -"What is there here to be afraid of?" I pointed hesitatingly towards the -crystalline cage. The chief and his men strode across to it. - -"You don't know how to open this?" the chief shot at me after a brief -examination. - -"No," I replied. "It was not here on my last visit." - -"When was that?" - -"Some two or three months ago", I answered. "My work occasions much -traveling on my part." - - * * * * * - -The chief and his men turned again to the cage, talking in undertones. -He turned again to me. - -"You notice that this thing is built in sections. One of them must be -movable. Perhaps--" He paused as his eyes fell upon some wires and tubes -that trailed across the floor from underneath the cage to a switchboard -fastened to the wall. - -"Perhaps," he repeated, "it is worked from that board." He crossed over, -stared thoughtfully at the shining levers for some seconds, and moved -one slightly. The result was astounding. All four of us stared with -unbelieving eyes as slowly, without the faintest sound, a section of one -wall slid inwards, as if guided by invisible tracks on floor and -ceiling. - -"Guess that's enough for now." With the words the chief backed away, -almost timidly, I thought, from the switchboard, and walked to the cage. -For a moment he hesitated, but he entered, and emerged with the -sparkling object in his hand. - -"It's the professor's," I choked, crowding close to him. - -"How'd you know?" he shot back. "All unset stones look pretty much -alike." - -"I just know," was all I could falter. - -"You 'just know'." The chief sat down on a stool and regarded me -searchingly. "Mr. Thornton, when I started out with you, I thought I was -on a wild goose chase or the trail of a confession. You looked exactly -like a man who had either committed a serious crime, or was getting over -a bad drunk. I feel sure now"--he again regarded the diamond--"that your -story was not the product of an alcohol-crazed brain. Come on!" He -lurched to his feet, and grasped me by the shoulder. "Come through!" - - * * * * * - -Without answering, I wrenched myself free. Over my shoulder I saw one of -the policemen at the door. In the hand of the other a revolver suddenly -appeared. Good God! I glared in bewilderment from one to another. Was I -going mad? Surely this was some awful nightmare! What had I said to make -them suspect me of having committed a revolting crime? - -"Sit down!" The command came from the chief. Mechanically I found a -stool, and obeyed him. "Hold your stations, boys, and listen carefully," -he ordered his men. Then he turned to me. - -"Professor Wroxton was a wealthy man without kith or kin?" - -"Yes." - -"Do you know the nature of his will?" - -"Yes." Chilled to the heart, I felt the circumstantial net tightening. - -"What is its nature?" - -"This house and an annuity to John and his wife," I explained. "The -residue of his wealth to me." - -"Humph!" The chief stared at me piercingly. "And how has business been -with you lately?" - -Damn the man! What right had he to put me through the third degree? I -felt my state of dazed horror slowly giving way to anger. I glanced -around. The pistol still menaced; the man at the door had not moved. It -was useless to try and evade the questions. - -"For the past year," I replied, "business has been very poor. In fact, -the professor advanced me some money." - -"Humph!" Again that irritating, non-committal grunt. - - * * * * * - -The chief turned in his seat and stared thoughtfully at the crystalline -cage. - -"And you don't know what the professor was trying to invent?" - -"Only its nature," I began. - -"Ah! That's better. Why didn't you tell me that before?" The chief -leaned forward. - -"Well," I explained, "the whole thing seems so absurd. When the -professor told me how his married life had been broken up, he told me -that at that time he reached the utmost depths of human suffering. -Absolute zero, he called it." - -"Ah!" - -"The experiments he indulged in," I continued, trying to hide the shiver -pimpling my flesh, "were to produce an actual state of absolute zero. It -is years since he told me this. I had almost forgotten it." - -"And exactly what is an absolute zero?" The chief's eyes never left -mine. - -"Well," I protested, "please understand that I also am a layman in these -matters. According to my friend, an absolute zero has been the dream of -scientists for ages. Once upon a time it was attained, but the secret -became lost." - -"And exactly what is an absolute zero?" - -Curse the man! I could have struck him down for the chilling level of -his tone. I forced myself to go on, realizing that I was damning myself -at every step. - -"An absolute zero is a cold so intense it will destroy flesh, bone and -tissue. Remove them," my voice rose in spite of myself, "leaving -absolutely no trace." - - * * * * * - -No trace! Something attracted my eyes. The chief had opened his hand. -The diamond there flashed and sparkled as if mocking me. I pulled myself -together, and went on. - -"It all comes back to me now. One day I came out here and found the -professor terribly distraught. He told me that, with the aid of electric -currents he had been able to invent the absolute zero, but he could not -invent a _container_." - -"Why?" Those eyes continued to bore into mine. - -"Because--remember it is years since he told me this--there was -difficulty in controlling the power. Besides destroying living things, -it would destroy bricks and mortar, stone and iron. Only one substance -it could not wipe out--crystalline of diamond hardness. - -"I know, now!" I jumped to my feet and grabbed the chief's arm. "I know -now what he meant. Fool, fool! Why did I not think of it before? This--" -I swung towards the cage--"is compensation." Almost panting in my -eagerness I went on: - -"My friend told me that the law of compensation would atone to him for -the tragedy of his youth. Absolute zero in suffering would be atoned for -by a real state of absolute zero. Chief!" I whirled on him. "Don't you -understand? This is the perfected dream of my friend. It is the absolute -zero." - -"Humph! Plausible but not convincing." I slumped back at the officer's -words. "That does not explain the professor's disappearance. Even if it -did, what about Mr. Lathom? And don't forget this contrivance is worked -from outside. We found the diamond inside. Of course, he might have -placed it there himself to test the machine," he concluded. - -"Of course, that's it," I commenced. But I regretted the words when I -saw suspicion flicker again in the chief's eyes. Lamely I finished, "And -he has probably rushed off, in an ecstasy of triumph, to acquaint -professional colleagues." - -"Without unlocking any doors or taking a car, eh? - -"Mr. Thornton." The chief stood up and regarded me sternly. "As a -sensible man, don't you think yourself that your story is a bit thin? -The professor has disappeared. Here is a strange-looking case which you -say is an absolute zero container. Whether you know, or are just jumping -at conclusions, remains to be proved. But even if it is, do you think -that, after perfecting such a tremendous invention, the professor would -commit suicide?" - -"On the contrary," I gasped, "my friend was a man of gentle, kindly -disposition, but strong purpose. I should think his first action on -attaining his life's ambition would be to notify me, his closest -friend." - -"And he didn't." Every word condemned me, and roused me to retaliate. - -"Chief, I know enough of the law to know that, before you can try a man -for murder, you must prove that murder has been committed." I grinned -savagely. "You must have the corpus delicti. Go ahead! Find my friend or -his remains, or else withdraw your charges." I grinned again, with -shocked mirthlessness. - - * * * * * - -Then I buried my head in my hands. I had called in the police to help -find the professor, and they had only blundered around and asked a lot -of stupid questions. The chief had practically accused me of -murder--something I knew he could not prove, yet feared he might. -Because I had told the chief of the locked doors and unused cars, he had -confined his investigations to the house itself. - -He interrupted my thoughts. - -"Mr. Thornton, I am going back to town. You will remain here with my -men. I advise you to get some sleep, as I shall not be able to carry out -certain investigations until the morning. One of my men will spend his -time searching the house and patrolling the grounds, the other one will -stay here with you." - -He turned away, whispered some instructions to his men, and, followed by -one of them, silently left the laboratory. I started to protest, tried -to follow him; the man at the door stopped me. Silently, almost grimly, -he indicated a narrow cot at one end of the room. For a moment I -hesitated, feeling the man's eyes upon me. - -Sleep on my dead--I felt sure he was dead--friend's cot! Sleep in that -fearful place! My whole being crawled with horror. I turned again to the -man. His features were unyielding. Perhaps this was more third degree. -Limp with weakness and weariness, I dragged my lagging feet towards the -cot. - - * * * * * - -As long as I live I shall never forget my awakening. A uniformed figure, -the chief, shaking me by the shoulder. Two other uniformed men silently -watching. I sat up and gazed about me, dazedly. Bright sunlight streamed -through the windows. A stray gleam struck the cage. I shrank back, -trembling. And yet I had slept soundly. - -"Mr. Thornton," the chief said, "I have serious news for you. I have -positive proof your friend is dead." - -"Dear God!" The exclamation was wrung from me as recollection returned -with a rush. "Where? You can't have!" - -"Here." He thrust a bundle of letters into my hands. "You acted so -strangely last night you caused me to suspect you of a serious crime. -Also, you overlooked several important points. You got back from a trip -only last night." - -Last night! Surely it was years. - -"You had left instructions to have your mail forwarded," the level voice -went on. "These letters were evidently one day behind you. I picked them -up at your rooms this morning. I took the liberty of opening them. Read -this one." He selected it. - - * * * * * - -With trembling fingers I extracted from the envelope a single written -page. I recognized the handwriting as the professor's. I read with -feverish intensity, each single word burning itself into my -consciousness: - - Dear Thornton: - - I am writing this in anticipation. I will see that it is mailed - when my plans are completed. Too late, dear friend, for you to - attempt, with the best intentions in the world, to frustrate them. - - You will, perhaps, recall that many years ago, when I gave you my - full confidence, I told you that I felt sure that the law of - compensation would atone in some measure for my loss. Thornton, old - friend, I believe that, in more ways than one, my hour has arrived. - Two days ago I completed the absolute zero. But even better! - - A man called here to-day. Although he did not recognize me, I saw - through the veneer of added years with ease. Fate, call it what you - will, my visitor is the man who wrecked my happiness. - - Under pretext I shall detain him. I shall induce him to enter the - crystalline cage. I have already arranged a dual control which the - power will destroy when I apply it from _the inside of the cage_. - - Please destroy the cage. It will have brought compensation to me - before you read this. - - Good-by, dear friend! - - Wroxton. - -"I apologize, Mr. Thornton." The chief offered a hand which I clutched -in mingled sorrow and relief. The world had lost a genius. I had lost a -dear friend. But he was right. It was compensation. - - - - -Tanks - -_By Murray Leinster_ - - ... The deciding battle of the War of 1932 was the first in which - the use of infantry was practically discontinued ... - - --History of the U.S., 1920-1945 (Gregg-Harley). - - -[Illustration: _Row after row of the monsters roared by, going greedily -with hungry guns into battle._] - -[Sidenote: Two miles of American front had gone dead. And on two lone -infantrymen, lost in the menace of the fog-gas and the tanks, depended -the outcome of the war of 1932.] - - -The persistent, oily smell of fog-gas was everywhere, even in the little -pill-box. Outside, all the world was blotted out by the thick gray mist -that went rolling slowly across country with the breeze. The noises that -came through it were curiously muted--fog-gas mutes all noises -somewhat--but somewhere to the right artillery was pounding something -with H E shell, and there were those little spitting under-current -explosions that told of tanks in action. To the right there was a -distant rolling of machine-gun fire. In between was an utter, solemn -silence. - -Sergeant Coffee, disreputable to look at and disrespectful of mien, was -sprawling over one of the gunners' seats and talking into a field -telephone while mud dripped from him. Corporal Wallis, equally muddy and -still more disreputable, was painstakingly manufacturing one complete -cigarette from the pinched-out butts of four others. Both were -rifle-infantry. Neither had any right or reason to be occupying a -definitely machine-gun-section post. The fact that the machine-gun crew -was all dead did not seem to make much difference to sector H.Q. at the -other end of the telephone wire, judging from the questions that were -being asked. - -"I tell you," drawled Sergeant Coffee, "they're dead.... Yeah, all dead. -Just as dead as when I told you the firs' time, maybe even deader.... -Gas, o'course. I don't know what kind.... Yeh. They got their masks -on." - -He waited, looking speculatively at the cigarette Corporal Wallis had in -manufacture. It began to look imposing. Corporal Wallis regarded it -affectionately. Sergeant Coffee put his hand over the mouthpiece, and -looked intently at his companion. - -"Gimme a drag o' that, Pete," he suggested. "I'll slip y' some butts in -a minute." - - * * * * * - -Corporal Wallis nodded, and proceeded to light the cigarette with -infinite artistry. He puffed delicately upon it, inhaled it with the -care a man learns when he has just so much tobacco and never expects to -get any more, and reluctantly handed it to Sergeant Coffee. - -Sergeant Coffee emptied his lungs in a sigh of anticipation. He put the -cigarette to his lips. It burned brightly as he drew upon it. Its tip -became brighter and brighter until it was white-hot, and the paper -crackled as the line of fire crept up the tube. - -"Hey!" said Corporal Wallis in alarm. - -Sergeant Coffee waved him aside, and his chest expanded to the fullest -limit of his blouse. When his lungs could hold no more he ceased to -draw, grandly returned about one-fourth of the cigarette to Corporal -Wallis, and blew out a cloud of smoke in small driblets until he had to -gasp for breath. - -"When y' ain't got much time," said Sergeant Coffee amiably, "that's a -quick smoke." - -Corporal Wallis regarded the ruins of his cigarette with a woeful air. - -"Hell!" said Corporal Wallis gloomily. But he smoked what was left. - -"Yeah," said Sergeant Coffee suddenly, into the field telephone, "I'm -still here, an' they're still dead.... Listen, Mr. Officer, I got me a -black eye an' numerous contusions. Also my gas-mask is busted. I called -y'up to do y' a favor. I aim to head for distant parts.... Hell's bells! -Ain't there anybody else in the army--" He stopped, and resentment died -out in wide-eyed amazement. "Yeh.... Yeh.... Yeh.... I gotcha, Loot. -A'right, I'll see what I c'n do. Yeh.... Wish y'd see my insurance gets -paid. Yeh." - -He hung up, gloomily, and turned to Corporal Wallis. - -"We' got to be heroes," he announced bitterly. "Sit out here in th' -stinkin' fog an' wait for a tank t' come along an' wipe us out. We' the -only listenin' post in two miles of front. That new gas o' theirs wiped -out all the rest without report." - -He surveyed the crumpled figures, which had been the original occupants -of the pill-box. They wore the same uniform as himself and when he took -the gas-mask off of one of them the man's face was strangely peaceful. - -"Hell of a war," said Sergeant Coffee bitterly. "Here our gang gets -wiped out by a helicopter. I ain't seen sunlight in a week, an' I got -just four butts left. Lucky I started savin' 'em." He rummaged shrewdly. -"This guy's got half a sack o' makin's. Say, that was Loot'n't Madison -on the line, then. Transferred from our gang a coupla months back. They -cut him in the line to listen in on me an' make sure I was who I said I -was. He recognized my voice." - - * * * * * - -Corporal Wallis, after smoking to the last and ultimate puff, pinched -out his cigarette and put the fragments of a butt back in his pocket. - -"What we got to do?" he asked, watching as Sergeant Coffee divided the -treasure-trove into two scrupulously exact portions. - -"Nothin'," said Coffee bitterly, "except find out how this gang got -wiped out, an' a few little things like that. Half th' front line is in -th' air, the planes can't see anything, o'course, an' nobody dares cut -th' fog-gas to look. He didn't say much, but he said for Gawd's sake -find out somethin'." - -Corporal Wallis gloated over one-fourth of a sack of tobacco and stowed -it away. - -"Th' infantry always gets th' dirty end of the stick," he said gloomily. -"I'm goin' to roll me a whole one, pre-war, an' smoke it, presently." - -"Hell yes," said Coffee. He examined his gas-mask from force of habit -before stepping out into the fog once more, then contemptuously threw it -aside. "Gas-masks, hell! Ain't worth havin'. Come on." - -Corporal Wallis followed as he emerged from the little round cone of -the pill-box. - -The gray mist that was fog-gas hung over everything. There was a -definite breeze blowing, but the mist was so dense that it did not seem -to move. It was far enough from the fog-flares for the last least trace -of striation to have vanished. Fifteen miles to the north the fog-flares -were placed, ranged by hundreds and by thousands, burning one after -another as the fog service set them off, and sending out their -incredible masses of thick gray vapor in long threads that spread out -before the wind, coalesced, and made a smoke-screen to which the puny -efforts of the last war--the war that was to make the world safe for -democracy--were as nothing. - -Here, fifteen miles down wind from the flares, it was possible to see -clearly in a circle approximately five feet in diameter. At the edge of -that circle outlines began to blur. At ten feet all shapes were the -faintest of bulks, the dimmest of outlines. At fifteen feet all was -invisible, hidden behind a screen of mist. - -"Cast around," said Coffee gloomily. "Maybe we'll find a shell, or -tracks of a tank or somethin' that chucked the gas here." - - * * * * * - -It was rather ludicrous to go searching for anything in that mass of -vapor. At three yards distance they could make each other out as dim -outlines, no more. But it did not even occur to them to deplore the -mist. The war which had already been christened, by the politicians at -home, the last war, was always fought in a mist. Infantry could not -stand against tanks, tanks could not live under aircraft-directed -artillery fire--not when forty guns fired salvos for the aircraft to -spot--and neither artillery nor aircraft could take any advantage of a -victory which either, under special conditions, might win. The general -staffs of both the United States and the prominent nation--let us say -the Yellow Empire--at war with it had come to a single conclusion. -Tanks or infantry were needed for the use of victories. Infantry could -be destroyed by tanks. But tanks could be hidden from aerial spotters by -smoke-screens. - -The result was fog-gas, which was being used by both sides in the most -modern fashion when, their own unit wiped out and themselves wandering -aimlessly in the general direction of the American rear, Sergeant Coffee -and Corporal Wallis stumbled upon an American pill-box with its small -garrison lying dead. For forty miles in one direction and perhaps thirty -in the other, the vapor lay upon the earth. It was being blown by the -wind, of course, but it was sufficiently heavier than air to cling to -the ground level, and the industries of two nations were straining every -nerve to supply the demands of their respective armies for its material. - -The fog-bank was nowhere less than a hundred feet thick--a cloud of -impalpable particles impenetrable to any eye or any camera, however -shrewdly filtered. And under that mattress of pale opacity the tanks -crawled heavily. They lurched and rumbled upon their deadly errands, -uncouth and barbarous, listening for each other by a myriad of devices, -locked in desperate, short-range conflict when they came upon each -other, and emitting clouds of deadly vapor, against which gas-masks were -no protection, when they came upon opposing infantry. - - * * * * * - -The infantrymen, though, were few. Their principal purpose was the -reporting of the approach or passage of tanks, and trenches were of no -service to them. They occupied unarmed little listening-posts with field -telephones, small wireless or ground buzzer sets for reporting the enemy -before he overwhelmed them. They held small pill-boxes, fitted with -anti-tank guns which sometimes--if rarely--managed to get home a shell, -aimed largely by sound, before the tank rolled over gun and gunners -alike. - -And now Sergeant Coffee and Corporal Wallis groped about in that -blinding mist. There had been two systems of listening-posts hidden in -it, each of admittedly little fighting value, but each one deep and -composed of an infinity of little pin-point posts where two or three men -were stationed. The American posts, by their reports, had assured the -command that all enemy tanks were on the other side of a certain -definite line. Their own tanks, receiving recognition signals, passed -and repassed among them, prowling in quest of invaders. The enemy tanks -crawled upon the same grisly patrol on their own side. - -But two miles of the American front had suddenly gone silent. A hundred -telephones had ceased to make reports along the line nearest the enemy. -As Coffee and Wallis stumbled about the little pill-box, looking for -some inkling of the way in which the original occupants of the small -strong-point had been wiped out, the second line of observation-posts -began to go dead. - -Now one, now another abruptly ceased to communicate. Half a dozen were -in actual conversation with their sector headquarters, and broke off -between words. The wires remained intact. But in fifteen nerve-racking -minutes a second hundred posts ceased to make reports and ceased to -answer the inquiry-signal. G.H.Q. was demanding explanations in crisp -accents that told the matter was being taken very seriously indeed. And -then, as the officer in command of the second-line sector headquarters -was explaining frenziedly that he was doing all any man could do, he -stopped short between two words and thereafter he, also, ceased to -communicate. - -Front-line sector headquarters seemed inexplicably to have escaped -whatever fate had overtaken all its posts, but it could only report that -they had apparently gone out of existence without warning. American -tanks, prowling in the area that had gone dead, announced that no enemy -tanks had been seen. G-81, stumbling on a pill-box no more than ten -minutes after it had gone silent, offered to investigate. A member of -her crew, in a gas-mask, stepped out of the port doorway. Immediately -thereafter G-81's wireless reports stopped coming in. - - * * * * * - -The situation was clearly shown in the huge tank that had been built to -serve as G.H.Q. That tank was seventy feet long, and lay hidden in the -mist with a brood of other, smaller tanks clustered near it, from each -of which a cable ran to the telephones and instruments of the greater -monster. Farther off in the fog, of course, were other tanks, hundreds -of them, fighting machines all, silent and motionless now, but -infinitely ready to protect the brain of the army. - -The G.H.Q. maneuver-board showed the battle as no single observer could -ever have seen it. A map lay spread out on a monster board, under a -pitiless white light. It was a map of the whole battlefield. Tiny sparks -crawled here and there under the map, and there were hundreds of little -pins with different-colored heads to mark the position of this thing and -that. The crawling sparks were the reported positions of American tanks, -made visible as positions of moving trains had been made visible for -years on the electric charts of railroads in dispatcher's offices. Where -the tiny bulbs glowed under the map, there a tank crawled under the fog. -As the tank moved, the first bulb went out and another flashed into -light. - -The general watched broodingly as the crawling sparks moved from this -place to that place, as varicolored lights flashed up and vanished, as a -steady hand reached down to shift tiny pins and place new ones. The -general moved rarely, and spoke hardly at all. His whole air was that of -a man absorbed in a game of chess--a game on which the fate of a nation -depended. - -He was thus absorbed. The great board, illuminated from above by the -glaring bulb, and speckled with little white sparks from below by the -tiny bulbs beneath, showed the situation clearly at every instant. The -crawling white sparks were his own tanks, each in its present position. -Flashing blue sparks noted the last report of enemy tanks. Two staff -officers stood behind the general, and each spoke from time to time into -a strapped-on telephone transmitter. They were giving routine orders, -heading the nearest American patrol-tanks toward the location of the -latest reported enemies. - - * * * * * - -The general reached out his hand suddenly and marked off an area with -his fingers. They were long fingers, and slender ones: an artist's -fingers. - -"Our outposts are dead in this space," he observed meditatively. The use -of the word "outposts" dated him many years back as a soldier, back to -the old days of open warfare, which had only now come about again. -"Penetration of two miles--" - -"Tank, sir," said the man of the steady fingers, putting a black pin in -position within that area, "let a man out in a gas-mask to examine a -pill-box. The tank does not report or reply, sir." - -"Gas," said the general, noting the spot. "Their new gas, of course. It -must go through masks or sag-paste, or both." - -He looked up to one of a row of officers seated opposite him, each man -with headphones strapped to his ears and a transmitter before his lips, -and each man with a map-pad on his knees, on which from time to time he -made notations and shifted pins absorbedly. - -"Captain Harvey," said the general, "you are sure that dead spot has not -been bombarded with gas-shells?" - -"Yes, General. There has been no artillery fire heavy enough to put more -than a fraction of those posts out of action, and all that fire, sir, -has been accounted for elsewhere." - -The officer looked up, saw the general's eyes shift, and bent to his map -again, on which he was marking areas from which spotting aircraft -reported flashes as of heavy guns beneath the mist. - -"Their aircraft have not been dropping bombs, positively?" - -A second officer glanced up from his own map. - -"Our planes cover all that space, sir, and have for some time." - -"They either have a noiseless tank," observed the general meditatively, -"or...." - -The steady fingers placed a red pin at a certain spot. - -"One observation-post, sir, has reopened communication. Two infantrymen, -separated from their command, came upon it and found the machine-gun -crew dead, with gas-masks adjusted. No tanks or tracks. They are -identified, sir, and are now looking for tank tracks or shells." - -The general nodded emotionlessly. - -"Let me know immediately." - - * * * * * - -He fell back to the ceaseless study of the board with its crawling -sparks and sudden flashes of light. Over at the left, there were four -white sparks crawling toward a spot where a blue flash had showed a -little while since. A red light glowed suddenly where one of the white -sparks crawled. One of the two officers behind the general spoke -crisply. Instantly, it seemed, the other three white sparks changed -their direction of movement. They swung toward the red flash--the point -where a wireless from the tank represented by the first white flash had -reported, contact with the enemy. - -"Enemy tank destroyed here, sir," said the voice above the steady -fingers. - -"Wiped out three of our observation posts," murmured the general, "His -side knows it. That's an opportunity. Have those posts reoccupied." - -"Orders given, sir," said a staff officer from behind. "No reports as -yet." - -The general's eyes went back to the space two miles wide and two miles -deep in which there was only a single observation-post functioning, and -that in charge of two strayed infantrymen. The battle in the fog was in -a formative stage, now, and the general himself had to watch the whole, -because it was by small and trivial indications that the enemy's plans -would be disclosed. The dead area was no triviality, however. Half a -dozen tanks were crawling through it, reporting monotonously that no -sign of the enemy could be found. One of the little sparks representing -those tanks abruptly went out. - -"Tank here, sir, no longer reports." - -The general watched with lack-luster eyes, his mind withdrawn in -thought. - -"Send four helicopters," he said slowly, "to sweep that space. We'll see -what the enemy does." - -One of the seated officers opposite him spoke swiftly. Far away a -roaring set up and was stilled. The helicopters were taking off. - - * * * * * - -They would rush across the blanket of fog, their vertical propellers -sending blasts of air straight downward. For most of their sweep they -would keep a good height, but above the questionable ground they would -swoop down to barely above the fog-blanket. There their monstrous screws -would blow holes in the fog until the ground below was visible. If any -tanks crawled there, in the spaces the helicopters swept clear, they -would be visible at once and would be shelled by batteries miles away, -batteries invisible under the artificial cloud-bank. - -No other noises came through the walls of the monster tank. There was a -faint, monotonous murmur of the electric generator. There were the -quiet, crisp orders of the officers behind the general, giving the -routine commands that kept the fighting a stalemate. - -The aircraft officer lifted his head, pressing his headphones tightly -against his ears, as if to hear mores clearly. - -"The enemy, sir, has sent sixty fighting machines to attack our -helicopters. We sent forty single-seaters as escort." - -"Let them fight enough," said the general absently, "to cause the enemy -to think us desperate for information. Then draw them off." - -There was silence again. The steady fingers put pins here and there. An -enemy tank destroyed here. An American tank encountered an enemy and -ceased to report further. The enemy sent four helicopters in a wide -sweep behind the American lines, escorted by fifty fighting planes. They -uncovered a squadron of four tanks, which scattered like insects -disturbed by the overturning of a stone. Instantly after their -disclosure a hundred and fifty guns, four miles away, were pouring -shells about the place where they had been seen. Two of the tanks ceased -to report. - -The general's attention was called to a telephone instrument with its -call-light glowing. - -"Ah," said the general absently. "They want publicity matter." - -The telephone was connected to the rear, and from there to the Capital. -A much-worried cabinet waited for news, and arrangements were made and -had been used, to broadcast suitably arranged reports from the front, -the voice of the commander-in-chief in the field going to every -workshop, every gathering-place, and even being bellowed by -loud-speakers in the city streets. - - * * * * * - -The general took the phone. The President of the United States was at -the other end of the wire, this time. - -"General?" - -"Still in a preliminary stage, sir," said the general, without haste. -"The enemy is preparing a break-through effort, possibly aimed at our -machine-shops and supplies. Of course, if he gets them we will have to -retreat. An hour ago he paralyzed our radios, not being aware, I -suppose, of our tuned earth-induction wireless sets. I daresay he is -puzzled that our communications have not fallen to pieces." - -"But what are our chances?" The voice of the President was steady, but -it was strained. - -"His tanks outnumber ours two to one, of course, sir," said the general -calmly. "Unless we can divide his fleet and destroy a part of it, of -course we will be crushed in a general combat. But we are naturally -trying to make sure that any such action will take place within -point-blank range of our artillery, which may help a little. We will cut -the fog to secure that help, risking everything, if a general engagement -occurs." - -There was silence. - -The President's voice, when it came, was more strained still. - -"Will you speak to the public, General?" - -"Three sentences. I have no time for more." - -There were little clickings on the line, while the general's eyes -returned to the board that was the battlefield in miniature. He -indicated a spot with his finger. - -"Concentrate our reserve-tanks here," he said meditatively. "Our -fighting aircraft here. At once." - -The two spots were at nearly opposite ends of the battle field. The -chief of staff, checking the general's judgment with the alert suspicion -that was the latest addition to his duties, protested sharply. - -"But sir, our tanks will have no protection against helicopters!" - -"I am quite aware of it," said the general mildly. - -He turned to the transmitter. A thin voice had just announced at the -other end of the wire, "The commander-in-chief of the army in the field -will make a statement." - - * * * * * - -The general spoke unhurriedly. - -"We are in contact with the enemy, have been for some hours. We have -lost forty tanks and the enemy, we think, sixty or more. No general -engagement has yet taken place, but we think decisive action on the -enemy's part will be attempted within two hours. The tanks in the field -need now, as always, ammunition, spare tanks, and the special supplies -for modern warfare. In particular, we require ever-increasing quantities -of fog-gas. I appeal to your patriotism for reinforcements of material -and men." - -He hung up the receiver and returned to his survey of the board. - -"Those three listening-posts," he said abruptly, indicating a place near -where an enemy tank had been destroyed. "Have they been reoccupied?" - -"Yes, sir. Just reported. The tank they reported rolled over them, -destroying the placement. They are digging in." - -"Tell me," said the general, "when they cease to report again. They -will." - -He watched the board again and without lifting his eyes from it, spoke -again. - -"That listening-post in the dead sector, with the two strayed -infantrymen in it. Was it reported?" - -"Not yet, sir." - -"Tell me immediately it does." - -The general leaned back in his chair and deliberately relaxed. He -lighted a cigar and puffed at it, his hands quite steady. Other -officers, scenting the smoke, glanced up enviously. But the general was -the only man who might smoke. The enemy's gases, like the American ones, -could go through any gas-mask if in sufficient concentration. The tanks -were sealed like so many submarines, and opened their interiors to the -outer air only after that air had been thoroughly tested and proven -safe. Only the general might use up more than a man's allowance for -breathing. - - * * * * * - -The general gazed about him, letting his mind rest from its intense -strain against the greater strain that would come on it in a few -minutes. He looked at a tall blond man who was surveying the board -intently, moving away, and returning again, his forehead creased in -thought. - -The general smiled quizzically. That man was the officer appointed to I. -I. duty--interpretative intelligence--chosen from a thousand officers -because the most exhaustive psychological tests had proven that his -brain worked as nearly as possible like that of the enemy commander. His -task was to take the place of the enemy commander, to reconstruct from -the enemy movements reported and the enemy movements known as nearly as -possible the enemy plans. - -"Well, Harlin," said the general, "Where will he strike?" - -"He's tricky, sir," said Harlin. "That gap in our listening-posts looks, -of course, like preparation for a massing of his tanks inside our lines. -And it would be logical that he fought off our helicopters to keep them -from discovering his tanks massing in that area." - -The general nodded. - -"Quite true," he admitted. "Quite true." - -"But," said Harlin eagerly. "He'd know we could figure that out. And he -may have wiped out listening posts to make us think he was planning just -so. He may have fought off our helicopters, not to keep them from -discovering his tanks in there, but to keep them from discovering that -there were no tanks in there!" - -"My own idea exactly," said the general meditatively. "But again, it -looks so much like a feint that it may be a serious blow. I dare not -risk assuming it to be a feint only." - -He turned back to the board. - -"Have those two strayed infantrymen reported yet?" he asked sharply. - -"Not yet, sir." - - * * * * * - -The general drummed on the table. There were four red flashes glowing at -different points of the board--four points where American tanks or -groups of tanks were locked in conflict with the enemy. Somewhere off -in the enveloping fog that made all the world a gray chaos, lumbering, -crawling monsters rammed and battered at each other at infinitely short -range. They fought blindly, their guns swinging menacingly and belching -lurid flames into the semi-darkness, while from all about them dropped -the liquids that meant death to any man who breathed their vapor. Those -gases penetrated any gas-mask, and would even strike through the -sag-pastes that had made the vesicatory gases of 1918 futile. - -With tanks by thousands hidden in the fog, four small combats were kept -up, four only. Battles fought with tanks as the main arm are necessarily -battles of movement, more nearly akin to cavalry battles than any other -unless it be fleet actions. When the main bodies come into contact, the -issue is decided quickly. There can be no long drawn-out stalemates such -as infantry trenches produced in years past. The fighting that had -taken place so far, both under the fog and aloft in the air, was -outpost skirmishing only. When the main body of the enemy came into -action it would be like a whirlwind, and the battle would be won or lost -in a matter of minutes only. - -The general paid no attention to those four conflicts, or their possible -meaning. - -"I want to hear from those two strayed infantrymen," he said quietly, "I -must base my orders on what they report. The whole battle, I believe, -hinges on what they have to say." - -He fell silent, watching the board without the tense preoccupation he -had shown before. He knew the moves he had to make in any of three -eventualities. He watched the board to make sure he would not have to -make those moves before he was ready. His whole air was that of waiting: -the commander-in-chief of the army of the United States, waiting to hear -what he would be told by two strayed infantrymen, lost in the fog that -covered a battlefield. - - * * * * * - -The fog was neither more dense nor any lighter where Corporal Wallis -paused to roll his pre-war cigarette. The tobacco came from the gassed -machine-gunner in the pill-box a few yards off. Sergeant Coffee, three -yards distant, was a blurred figure. Corporal Wallis put his cigarette -into his mouth, struck his match, and puffed delicately. - -"Ah!" said Corporal Wallis, and cheered considerably. He thought he saw -Sergeant Coffee moving toward him and ungenerously hid his cigarette's -glow. - -Overhead, a machine-gun suddenly burst into a rattling roar, the sound -sweeping above them with incredible speed. Another gun answered it. -Abruptly, the whole sky above them was an inferno of such tearing noises -and immediately after they began a multitudinous bellowing set up. -Airplanes on patrol ordinarily kept their engines muffled, in hopes of -locating a tank below them by its noise. But in actual fighting there -was too much power to be gained by cutting out the muffler for any minor -motive to take effect. A hundred aircraft above the heads of the two -strayed infantrymen were fighting madly about five helicopters. Two -hundred yards away, one fell to the earth with a crash, and immediately -afterward there was a hollow boom. For an instant even the mist was -tinged with yellow from the exploded gasoline tank. But the roaring -above continued--not mounting, as in a battle between opposing patrols -of fighting planes, when each side finds height a decisive advantage, -but keeping nearly to the same level, little above the bank of cloud. - -Something came down, roaring, and struck the earth no more than fifty -yards away. The impact was terrific, but after it there was dead silence -while the thunder above kept on. - -Sergeant Coffee came leaping to Corporal Wallis' side. - -"Helicopters!" he barked. "Huntin' tanks an' pill-boxes! Lay down!" - -He flung himself down to the earth. - -Wind beat on them suddenly, then an outrageous blast of icy air from -above. For an instant the sky lightened. They saw a hole in the mist, -saw the little pill-box clearly, saw a huge framework of supporting -screws sweeping swiftly overhead with figures in it watching the ground -through wind-angle glasses, and machine-gunners firing madly at dancing -things in the air. Then it was gone. - -"One o' ours," shouted Coffee in Wallis' ear. "They' tryin' to find th' -Yellows' tanks!" - - * * * * * - -The center of the roaring seemed to shift, perhaps to the north. Then a -roaring drowned out all the other roarings. This one was lower down and -approaching in a rush. Something swooped from the south, a dark blotch -in the lighter mist above. It was an airplane flying in the mist, a -plane that had dived into the fog as into oblivion. It appeared, was -gone--and there was a terrific crash. A shattering roar drowned out even -the droning tumult of a hundred aircraft engines. A sheet of flame -flashed up, and a thunderous detonation. - -"Hit a tree," panted Coffee, scrambling to his feet again. "Suicide -club, aimin' for our helicopter." - -Corporal Wallis was pointing, his lips drawn back in a snarl. - -"Shut up!" he whispered. "I saw a shadow against that flash! Yeller -infantryman! Le's get 'im!" - -"Y'crazy," said Sergeant Coffee, but he strained his eyes and more -especially his ears. - -It was Coffee who clutched Corporal Wallis' wrist and pointed. Wallis -could see nothing, but he followed as Coffee moved silently through the -gray mist. Presently he too, straining his eyes, saw an indistinct -movement. - -The roaring of motors died away suddenly. The fighting had stopped, a -long way off, apparently because the helicopters had been withdrawn. -Except for the booming of artillery a very long distance away, firing -unseen at an unseen target, there was no noise at all. - -"Aimin' for our pill-box," whispered Coffee. - -They saw the dim shape, moving noiselessly, halt. The dim figure seemed -to be casting about for something. It went down on hands and knees and -crawled forward. The two infantrymen crept after it. It stopped, and -turned around. The two dodged to one side in haste. The enemy -infantryman crawled off in another direction, the two Americans -following him as closely as they dared. - -He halted once more, a dim and grotesque figure in the fog. They saw him -fumbling in his belt. He threw something, suddenly. There was a little -tap as of a fountain pen dropped upon concrete. Then a hissing sound. -That was all, but the enemy infantryman waited, as if listening.... - - * * * * * - -The two Americans fell upon him as one individual. They bore him to the -earth and Coffee dragged at his gas-mask, good tactics in a battle where -every man carries gas-grenades. He gasped and fought desperately, in a -seeming frenzy of terror. - -They squatted over him, finally, having taken away his automatics, and -Coffee worked painstakingly to get off his gas-mask while Wallis went -poking about in quest of tobacco. - -"Dawggone!" said Coffee. "This mask is intricate." - -"He ain't got any pockets," mourned Wallis. - -Then they examined him more closely. - -"It's a whole suit," explained Coffee. "H-m.... He don't have to bother -with sag-paste. He's got him on a land diving-suit." - -"S-s-say," gasped the prisoner, his language utterly colloquial in spite -of the beady eyes and coarse black hair that marked him racially as of -the enemy, "say, don't take off my mask! Don't take off my mask!" - -"He talks an' everything," observed Coffee in mild amazement. He -inspected the mask again and painstakingly smashed the goggles. "Now, -big boy, you take your chance with th' rest of us. What' you doin' -around here?" - -The prisoner set his teeth, though deathly pale, and did not reply. - -"H'm-m...." said Coffee meditatively. "Let's take him in the pill-box -an' let Loot'n't Madison tell us what to do with him." - -They picked him up. - -"No! No! For Gawd's sake, no!" cried the prisoner shrilly. "I just -gassed it!" - - * * * * * - -The two halted. Coffee scratched his nose. - -"Reckon he's lyin', Pete?" he asked. - -Corporal Wallis shrugged gloomily. - -"He ain't got any tobacco," he said morosely. "Let's chuck him in first -an' see." - -The prisoner wriggled until Coffee put his own automatic in the small of -his back. - -"How long does that gas last?" he asked, frowning. "Loot'n't Madison -wants us to report. There's some fellers in there, all gassed up, but we -were in there a while back an' it didn't hurt us. How long does it -last?" - -"Fur-fifteen minutes, maybe twenty," chattered the prisoner. "Don't put -me in there!" - -Coffee scratched his nose again and looked at his wrist-watch. - -"A'right," he conceded, "we give you twenty minutes. Then we chuck you -down inside. That is, if you act real agreeable until then. Got anything -to smoke?" - -The prisoner agonizedly opened a zipper slip in his costume and brought -out tobacco, even tailor-made cigarettes. Coffee pounced on them one -second before Wallis. Then he divided them with absorbed and scrupulous -fairness. - -"Right," said Sergeant Coffee comfortably. He lighted up. "Say, you, if -y' want to smoke, here's one o' your pills. Let's see the gas stuff. -How' y' use it?" - -Wallis had stripped off a heavy belt about the prisoner's waist and it -was trailing over his arm. He inspected it now. There were twenty or -thirty little sticks in it, each one barely larger than a lead pencil, -of dirty gray color, and each one securely nested in a tube of -flannel-lined papier-mache. - -"These things?" asked Wallis contentedly. He was inhaling deeply with -that luxurious enjoyment a tailor-made cigarette can give a man who had -been remaking butts into smokes for days past. - -"Don't touch 'em," warned the prisoner nervously. "You broke my goggles. -You throw 'em, and they light and catch fire, and that scatters the -gas." - - * * * * * - -Coffee touched the prisoner, indicating the ground, and sat down, -comfortably smoking one of the prisoner's cigarettes. By his air, he -began to approve of his captive. - -"Say, you," he said curiously, "you talk English pretty good. How'd you -learn it?" - -"I was a waiter," the prisoner explained. "New York. Corner Forty-eighth -and Sixth." - -"My Gawd!" said Coffee. "Me, I used to be a movie operator along there. -Forty-ninth. Projection room stuff, you know. Say, you know Heine's -place?" - -"Sure," said the prisoner. "I used to buy Scotch from that blond feller -in the back room. With a benzine label for a prescription?" - -Coffee lay back and slapped his knee. - -"Ain't it a small world?" he demanded. "Pete, here, he ain't never been -in any town bigger than Chicago. Ever in Chicago?" - -"Hell," said Wallis, morose yet comfortable with a tailor-made -cigarette. "If you guys want to start a extra war, go to knockin' -Chicago. That's all." - -Coffee looked at his wrist-watch again. - -"Got ten minutes yet," he observed. "Say, you must know Pete Hanfry--" - -"Sure I know him," said the enemy prisoner, scornfully. "I waited on -him. One day, just before us reserves were called back home...." - -In the monster tank that was headquarters the general tapped his fingers -on his knees. The pale white light flickered a little as it shone on the -board where the bright sparks crawled. White sparks were American tanks. -Blue flashes were for enemy tanks sighted and reported, usually in the -three-second interval between their identification and the annihilation -of the observation-post that had reported them. Red glows showed -encounters between American and enemy tanks. There were a dozen red -glows visible, with from one to a dozen white sparks hovering about -them. It seemed as if the whole front line were about to burst into a -glare of red, were about to become one long lane of conflicts in -impenetrable obscurity, where metal monsters roared and rumbled and -clanked one against the other, bellowing and belching flame and ramming -each other savagely, while from them dripped the liquids that made their -breath mean death. There were nightmarish conflicts in progress under -the blanket of fog, unparalleled save perhaps in the undersea battles -between submarines in the previous European war. - - * * * * * - -The chief of staff looked up; his face drawn. - -"General," he said harshly, "it looks like a frontal attack all along -our line." - -The general's cigar had gone out. He was pale, but calm with an iron -composure. - -"Yes," he conceded. "But you forget that blank spot in our line. We do -not know what is happening there." - -"I am not forgetting it. But the enemy outnumbers us two to one--" - -"I am waiting," said the general, "to hear from those two infantrymen -who reported some time ago from a listen-post in the dead area." - -The chief of staff pointed to the outline formed by the red glows where -tanks were battling. - -"Those fights are keeping up too long!" he said sharply. "General, don't -you see, they're driving back our line, but they aren't driving it back -as fast as if they were throwing their whole weight on it! If they were -making a frontal attack there, they'd wipe out the tanks we have facing -them; they'd roll right over them! That's a feint! They're concentrating -in the dead space--" - -"I am waiting," said the general softly, "to hear from those two -infantrymen." He looked at the board again and said quietly, "Have the -call-signal sent them. They may answer." - -He struck a match to relight his dead cigar. His fingers barely quivered -as they held the match. It might have been excitement--but it might have -been foreboding, too. - -"By the way," he said, holding the match clear, "have our machine-shops -and supply-tanks ready to move. Every plane is, of course, ready to take -the air on signal. But get the aircraft ground personnel in their -traveling tanks immediately." - -Voices began to murmur orders as the general puffed. He watched the -board steadily. - -"Let me know if anything is heard from these infantrymen...." - - * * * * * - -There was a definite air of strain within the tank that was -headquarters. It was a sort of tensity that seemed to emanate from the -general himself. - -Where Coffee and Wallis and the prisoner squatted on the ground, -however, there was no sign of strain at all. There was a steady gabble -of voices. - -"What kinda rations they give you?" asked Coffee interestedly. - -The enemy prisoner listed them, with profane side-comments. - -"Hell," said Wallis gloomily. "Y'ought to see what we get! Las' week -they fed us worse'n dogs. An' th' canteen stuff--" - -"Your tank men, they get treated fancy?" asked the prisoner. - -Coffee made a reply consisting almost exclusively of high powered -expletives. - -"--and the infantry gets it in the neck every time," he finished -savagely. "We do the work--" - -Guns began to boom, far away. Wallis cocked his ears. - -"Tanks gettin' together," he judged, gloomily. "If they'd all blow each -other to hell an' let us infantry fight this battle--" - -"Damn the tanks!" said the enemy prisoner viciously. "Look here, you -fellers. Look at me. They sent a battalion of us out, in two waves. We -hike along by compass through the fog, supposed to be five paces apart. -We come on a pill-box or listenin' post, we gas it an' go on. We try not -to make a noise. We try not to get seen before we use our gas. We go on, -deep in your lines as we can. We hear one of your tanks, we dodge it if -we can, so we don't get seen at all. O'course we give it a dose of gas -in passing, just in case. But we don't get any orders about how far to -go or how to come back. We ask for recognition signals for our own -tanks, an' they grin an' say we won't see none of our tanks till the -battle's over. They say 'Re-form an' march back when the fog is out.' -Ain't that pretty for you?" - -"You second wave?" asked Coffee, with interest. - -The prisoner nodded. - -"Mopping up," he said bitterly, "what the first wave left. No fun in -that! We go along gassin' dead men, an' all the time your tanks is -ravin' around to find out what's happenin' to their listenin'-posts. -They run into us--" - -Coffee nodded sympathetically. - -"The infantry always gets the dirty end of the stick," said Wallis -morosely. - - * * * * * - -Somewhere, something blew up with a violent explosion. The noise of -battle in the distance became heavier and heavier. - -"Goin' it strong," said the prisoner, listening. - -"Yeh," said Coffee. He looked at his wrist-watch. "Say, that twenty -minutes is up. You go down in there first, big boy." - -They stood beside the little pill-box. The prisoner's knees shook. - -"Say, fellers," he said pleadingly, "they told us that stuff would -scatter in twenty minutes, but you busted my mask. Yours ain't any good -against this gas. I'll have to go down in there if you fellers make me, -but--" - -Coffee lighted another of the prisoner's tailor-made cigarettes. - -"Give you five minutes more," he said graciously. "I don't suppose it'll -ruin the war." - -They sat down relievedly again, while the fog-gas made all the earth -invisible behind a pall of grayness, a grayness from which the noises of -battle came. - -In the tank that was headquarters, the air of strain was pronounced. The -maneuver-board showed the situation as close to desperation, now. The -reserve-tank positions had been switched on the board, dim orange glows, -massed in curiously precise blocks. And little squares of green showed -there that the supply and machine-shop tanks were massed. They were -moving slowly across the maneuver-board. But the principal change lay in -the front-line indications. - -The red glows that showed where tank battles were in progress formed an -irregularly curved line, now. There were twenty or more such isolated -battles in progress, varying from single combats between single tanks to -greater conflicts where twenty to thirty tanks to a side were engaged. -And the positions of those conflicts were changing constantly, and -invariably the American tanks were being pushed back. - - * * * * * - -The two staff officers behind the general were nearly silent. There were -few sparks crawling within the American lines now. Nearly every one had -been diverted into the front-line battles. The two men watched the board -with feverish intensity, watching the red glows moving back, and -back.... - -The chief of staff was shaking like a leaf, watching the American line -stretched, and stretched.... - -The general looked at him with a twisted smile. - -"I know my opponent," he said suddenly. "I had lunch with him once in -Vienna. We were attending a disarmament conference." He seemed to be -amused at the ironic statement. "We talked war and battles, of course. -And he showed me, drawing on the tablecloth, the tactical scheme that -should have been used at Cambrai, back in 1917. It was a singularly -perfect plan. It was a beautiful one." - -"General," burst out one of the two staff officers behind him. "I need -twenty tanks from the reserves." - -"Take them," said the general. He went on, addressing his chief of -staff. "It was an utterly flawless plan. I talked to other men. We were -all pretty busy estimating each other there, we soldiers. We discussed -each other with some freedom, I may say. And I formed the opinion that -the man who is in command of the enemy is an artist: a soldier with the -spirit of an amateur. He's a very skilful fencer, by the way. Doesn't -that suggest anything?" - -The chief of staff had his eyes glued to the board. - -"That is a feint, sir. A strong feint, yes, but he has his force -concentrated in the dead area." - -"You are not listening, sir," said the general, reprovingly. "I am -saying that my opponent is an artist, an amateur, the sort of person who -delights in the delicate work of fencing. I, sir, would thank God for -the chance to defeat my enemy. He has twice my force, but he will not -be content merely to defeat me. He will want to defeat me by a plan of -consummate artistry, which will arouse admiration among soldiers for -years to come." - -"But General, every minute, every second--" - -"We are losing men, of whom we have plenty, and tanks, of which we have -not enough. True, very true," conceded the general. "But I am waiting to -hear from two strayed infantrymen. When they report, I will speak to -them myself." - -"But, sir," cried the chief of staff, withheld only by the iron habit of -discipline from violent action and the taking over of command himself, -"they may be dead! You can't risk this battle waiting for them! You -can't risk it, sir! You can't!" - -"They are not dead," said the general coolly. "They cannot be dead. -Sometimes, sir, we must obey the motto on our coins. Our country needs -this battle to be won. We have got to win it, sir! And the only way to -win it--" - - * * * * * - -The signal-light at his telephone glowed. The general snatched it up, -his hands quivering. But his voice, was steady and deliberate as he -spoke. - -"Hello, Sergeant--Sergeant Coffee, is it?... Very well, Sergeant. Tell -me what you've found out.... Your prisoner objects to his rations, eh? -Very well, go on.... How did he gas our listening-posts?... He did, eh? -He got turned around and you caught him wandering about?... Oh, he was -second wave! They weren't taking any chances on any of our -listening-posts reporting their tanks, eh?... Say that again, Sergeant -Coffee!" The general's tone had changed indescribably. "Your prisoner -has no recognition signals for his own tanks? They told him he wouldn't -see any of them until the battle was over?... Thank you, Sergeant. One -of our tanks will stop for you. This is the commanding general -speaking." - -He rang off, his eyes blazing. Relaxation was gone. He was a dynamo, -snapping orders. - -"Supply tanks, machine-shop tanks, ground forces of the air service, -concentrate here!" His finger rested on a spot in the middle of the dead -area. "Reserve tanks take position behind them. Draw off every tank -we've got--take 'em out of action!--and mass them in front, on a line -with our former first line of outposts. Every airplane and helicopter -take the air and engage in general combat with the enemy, wherever the -enemy may be found and in whatever force. And our tanks move straight -through here!" - -Orders were snapping into telephone transmitters. The commands had been -relayed before their import was fully realized. Then there was a gasp. - -"General!" cried the chief of staff. "If the enemy is massed there, -he'll destroy our forces in detail as they take position!" - -"He isn't massed there," said the general, his eyes blazing. "The -infantrymen who were gassing our listening-posts were given no -recognition signals for their tanks. Sergeant Coffee's prisoner has his -gas-mask broken and is in deadly fear. The enemy commander is foolish in -many ways, perhaps, but not foolish enough to break down morale by -refusing recognition signals to his own men who will need them. And look -at the beautiful plan he's got." - - * * * * * - -He sketched half a dozen lines with his fingers, moving them in -lightning gestures as his orders took effect. - -"His main force is here, behind those skirmishes that look like a feint. -As fast as we reinforce our skirmishing-line, he reinforces his--just -enough to drive our tanks back slowly. It looks like a strong feint, but -it's a trap! This dead space is empty. He thinks we are concentrating to -face it. When he is sure of it--his helicopters will sweep across any -minute, now, to see--he'll throw his whole force on our front line. -It'll crumple up. His whole fighting force will smash through to take -us, facing the dead space, in the rear! With twice our numbers, he'll -drive us before him." - -"But general! You're ordering a concentration there! You're falling in -with his plans!" - -The general laughed. - -"I had lunch with the general in command over there, once upon a time. -He is an artist. He won't be content with a defeat like that! He'll want -to make his battle a masterpiece, a work of art! There's just one touch -he can add. He has to have reserves to protect his supply-tanks and -machine-shops. They're fixed. The ideal touch, the perfect tactical -fillip, will be--Here! Look. He expects to smash in our rear, here. The -heaviest blow will fall here. He will swing around our right wing, drive -us out of the dead area into his own lines--and drive us on his -reserves! Do you see it? He'll use every tank he's got in one beautiful -final blow. We'll be outwitted, out-numbered, out-flanked and finally -caught between his main body and his reserves and pounded to bits. It is -a perfect, a masterly bit of work!" - -He watched the board, hawklike. - -"We'll concentrate, but our machine-shops and supplies will concentrate -with us. Before he has time to take us in rear we'll drive ahead, in -just the line he plans for us! We don't wait to be driven into his -reserves. We roll into them and over them! We smash his supplies! We -destroy his shops! And then we can advance along his line of -communication and destroy it, our own depots being blown up--give the -orders when necessary--and leaving him stranded with motor-driven tanks, -motorized artillery, and nothing to run his motors with! He'll be -marooned beyond help in the middle of our country, and we will have him -at our mercy when his tanks run out of fuel. As a matter of fact, I -shall expect him to surrender in three days." - - * * * * * - -The little blocks of green and yellow that had showed the position of -the reserve and supply-tanks, changed abruptly to white, and began to -crawl across the maneuver-board. Other little white sparks turned about. -Every white spark upon the maneuver-board suddenly took to itself a new -direction. - -"Disconnect cables," said the general, crisply. "We move with our tanks, -in the lead!" - -The monotonous humming of the electric generator was drowned out in a -thunderous uproar that was muffled as an air-tight door was shut -abruptly. Fifteen seconds later there was a violent lurch, and the -colossal tank was on the move in the midst of a crawling, thundering -horde of metal monsters whose lumbering progress shook the earth. - -Sergeant Coffee, still blinking his amazement, absent-mindedly lighted -the last of his share of the cigarettes looted from the prisoner. - -"The big guy himself!" he said, still stunned. "My Gawd! The big guy -himself!" - -A distant thunder began, a deep-toned rumbling that seemed to come from -the rear. It came nearer and grew louder. A peculiar quivering seemed to -set up in the earth. The noise was tanks moving through the fog, not one -tank or two tanks, or twenty tanks, but all the tanks in creation -rumbling and lurching at their topmost speed in serried array. - -Corporal Wallis heard, and turned pale. The prisoner heard, and his -knees caved in. - -"Hell," said Corporal Wallis dispairingly. "They can't see us, an' they -couldn't dodge us if they did!" - -The prisoner wailed, and slumped to the floor. - -Coffee picked him up by the collar and jerked him out of the pill-box. - -"C'mon Pete," he ordered briefly. "They ain't givin' us a infantryman's -chance, but maybe we can do some dodgin'!" - - * * * * * - -Then the roar of engines, of metal treads crushing upon earth and -clinking upon their joints, drowned out all possible other sounds. -Before the three men beside the pill-box could have moved a muscle, -monster shapes loomed up, rushing, rolling, lurching, squeaking. They -thundered past, and the hot fumes of their exhausts enveloped the trio. - -Coffee growled and put himself in a position of defiance, his feet -braced against the concrete of the pill-box dome. His expression was -snarling and angry but, surreptitiously, he crossed himself. He heard -the fellows of the two tanks that had roared by him, thundering along in -alignment to right and left. A twenty-yard space, and a second row of -the monsters came hurtling on, gun muzzles gaping, gas-tubes elevated, -spitting smoke from their exhausts that was even thicker than the fog. A -third row, a fourth, a fifth.... - -The universe was a monster uproar. One could not think in this volume of -sound. It seemed that there was fighting overhead. Crackling noises came -feebly through the reverberating uproar that was the army of the United -States in full charge. Something came whirling down through the -overhanging mist and exploded in a lurid flare that for a second or two -cast the grotesque shadows of a row of tanks clearly before the trio of -shaken infantrymen. - -Still the tanks came on and roared past. Twenty tanks, twenty-one ... -twenty-two.... Coffee lost count, dazed and almost stunned by the sheer -noise. It rose from the earth and seemed to be echoed back from the -topmost limit of the skies. It was a colossal din, an incredible uproar, -a sustained thunder that beat at the eardrums like the reiterated -concussions of a thousand guns that fired without ceasing. There was no -intermission, no cessation of the tumult. Row after row after row of the -monsters roared by, beaked and armed, going greedily with hungry guns -into battle. - - * * * * * - -And then, for a space of seconds, no tanks passed. Through the -pandemonium of their going, however, the sound of firing somehow seemed -to creep. It was gunfire of incredible intensity, and it came from the -direction in which the front-rank tanks were heading. - -"Forty-eight, forty-nine, forty-ten, forty-'leven," muttered Coffee -dazedly, his senses beaten down almost to unconsciousness by the ordeal -of sound. "Gawd! The whole army went by!" - -The roaring of the fighting-tanks was less, but it was still a monstrous -din. Through it, however, came now a series of concussions that were so -close together that they were inseparable, and so violent that they were -like slaps upon the chest. - -Then came other noises, louder only because nearer. These were different -noises, too, from those the fighting-tanks had made. Lighter noises. The -curious, misshapen service tanks began to rush by, of all sizes and all -shapes. Fuel-carrier tanks. Machine-shop tanks, huge ones, these. -Commissary tanks.... - -Something enormous and glistening stopped short. A door opened. A voice -roared an order. The three men, beaten and whipped by noise, stared -dumbly. - -"Sergeant Coffee!" roared the voice. "Bring your men! Quick!" - -Coffee dragged himself back to a semblance of life. Corporal Wallis -moved forward, sagging. The two of them loaded their prisoner into the -door and tumbled in. They were instantly sent into a heap as the tank -took up its progress again with a sudden sharp leap. - -"Good man," grinned a sooty-faced officer, clinging to a handhold. "The -general sent special orders you were to be picked up. Said you'd won the -battle. It isn't finished yet, but when the general says that--" - -"Battle?" said Coffee dully. "This ain't my battle. It's a parade of a -lot of damn tanks!" - -There was a howl of joy from somewhere above. Discipline in the -machine-shop tanks was strict enough, but vastly different in kind from -the formality of the fighting-machines. - -"Contact!" roared the voice again. "General wireless is going again! Our -fellows have rolled over their reserves and are smashing their -machine-shops and supplies!" - -Yells reverberated deafeningly inside the steel walls, already filled -with tumult from the running motors and rumbling treads. - -"Smashed 'em up!" shrieked the voice above, insane with joy. "Smashed -'em! Smashed 'em! Smashed 'em! We've wiped out their whole reserve -and--" A series of detonations came through even the steel shell of the -lurching tank. Detonations so violent, so monstrous, that even through -the springs and treads of the tank the earth-concussion could be felt. -"There goes their ammunition! We set off all their dumps!" - -There was sheer pandemonium inside the service-tank, speeding behind the -fighting force with only a thin skin of reserve-tanks between it and a -panic-stricken, mechanically pursuing enemy. - -"Yell, you birds!" screamed the voice. "The general says we've won the -battle! Thanks to the fighting force! We're to go on and wipe out the -enemy line of communications, letting him chase us till his gas gives -out! Then we come back and pound him to bits! Our tanks have wiped him -out!" - - * * * * * - -Coffee managed to find something to hold on to. He struggled to his -feet. Corporal Wallis, recovering from the certainty of death and the -torture of sound, was being very sea-sick from the tank's motion. The -prisoner moved away from him on the steel floor. He looked gloomily up -at Coffee. - -"Listen to 'em," said Coffee bitterly. "Tanks! Tanks! Tanks! Hell! If -they'd given us infantry a chance--" - -"You said it," said the prisoner savagely. "This is a hell of a way to -fight a war." - -Corporal Wallis turned a greenish face to them. - -"The infantry always gets the dirty end of the stick," he gasped. "Now -they--now they' makin' infantry ride in tanks! Hell!" - - - - -Invisible Death - -_By Anthony Pelcher_ - -[Illustration: _Wildly racing through the night, missing other cars by a -breath, the visible car continued its pursuit of--what?_] - -[Sidenote: On Lees' quick and clever action depended the life of "Old -Perk" Ferguson, the millionaire manufacturer threatened by the uncanny, -invisible killer.] - - -The inquest into the mysterious death of Darius Darrow, savant, -inventor, recluse and eccentric, resembled a scientific convention. Men -and women of high scientific attainment, and, in some instances, world -fame, attended to hear first hand the strange, uncanny, unbelievable -circumstances as hinted by the newspapers. - -Mrs. Susan Darrow, the widow, was the paramount witness. She appeared a -quaint figure as she took the stand. Tearful, yet alert, this little -woman betrayed the intelligence that had made her one of the world's -foremost chemists. She gave her age as fifty-eight, but if it had not -been for her snowy hair she would have looked much younger. She was -small but not frail, and had expressive blue eyes. She had a firm little -nose and chin, and was garbed in black silk garments of a fashion -evidently dating back a decade. - -Although not modern in dress, her answers to questions regarding -scientific and business affairs involved in the mysterious case, proved -she was thoroughly abreast of the times in all other particulars. - -"You believe your husband was murdered?" bluntly asked the examiner at -one stage. - -"That is my opinion," she said, then added: "It might have been some -scientific accident, the nature of which I cannot fathom. We were -confidential in all matters except my husband's work. He reserved the -right to be secretive about the scientific problems on which he was -working." - -"Can you throw any light on a motive for such a crime?" - -"The motive seems self-evident. He was working on an invention that he -said would do away with war and would make the owner of the device a -practical world dictator, should he choose to exercise such power. The -device was completed. The murderer killed him to secure his device. That -all seems plain enough." - -"Was anything else of value taken?" - -"We had nothing else of value about the place. I was never given to -jewelry. The furnishings and equipment were undisturbed. It is quite -evident, I think, that the thief was no ordinary petty burglar." - - * * * * * - -The attorney interposed: "I believe we had better let Mrs. Darrow tell -this story from the beginning in her own way. There are only two really -important witnesses. Whatever she can remember to recite might be of -value to the authorities. Now, Mrs. Darrow, how long had you lived at -Brooknook? Begin there and just let your story unfold. Try to control -your nerves and emotions." - -"I am not emotional. I am not nervous," said the quaint little woman, -bravely. "My heart hurts, that is all. - -"The place was named by my father. We inherited it at his death, thirty -years ago, and moved in. My two children were born and died there. At -first we kept the servants and maintained all of the thirty-two rooms. -But after the children were gone, we both gave ourselves over to study -and we began to close one room after another, releasing the servants one -by one." - -"How many rooms do you occupy now?" - -"We lived in three, a living-room, kitchen and bedroom. The two big -parlors were turned into a laboratory. We both worked there. It was -there my husband met his death at his work. Sometimes we worked -together, sometimes independently. I did all my own housework, except -the laundry, which I sent out. We had no visitors. We lived for each -other and our work." - -"Tell us about the rooms that were not occupied." - -"We left them just as they always had been. I have not been in any of -these rooms for twenty years. Once I looked into the little girl's -room--my daughter's room. It was dusty and cobwebby, but undisturbed by -human hand. My husband peered in over my shoulder. I closed the door. We -turned away in each other's arms." - - * * * * * - -Here the little old woman fell to weeping softly into her lace -handkerchief. Minutes lapsed as the court waited, respecting her grief. - -"Were these rooms locked?" asked the attorney finally. - -"No," said the widow, recovering, as she dabbed at her eyes. "We feared -no one. All the rooms were closed, but not locked. The outside doors -were seldom locked. We lived in our own world. For appearance sake we -kept up the grounds. Peck, the gardener, kept the grounds, as you know. -He called in outside help when necessary. This was his affair. We never -bothered him. He lived probably a half mile up the road. The first of -each month he would come for his pay. He was practically our only -visitor. - -"When it was necessary to see our attorney or other connections, Peck -would drive us. At first he used to drive our horses. Ten years ago we -pastured the horses for life and bought the small car. We seldom went -out. We have no close friends and no relatives nearer than the Pacific -coast. They are distant cousins. You see, we were rather alone in the -world since the children went away--we never spoke of them as being -dead." - -Again the court was hushed. The coroner and the attorney took occasion -to blow their noses rather violently. - -"On May 27th, the day your husband died, what happened, as you -re-remember it?" asked the attorney. - -"We arose and had breakfast as usual. I was puttering about the rooms. -My husband kissed me and started for the laboratory. I was in the -kitchen. It was about ten o'clock when I finished in the kitchen and -went into the living room which adjoins the laboratory. I had been -rather fretted, something unusual for me. It seemed I dimly sensed the -presence of someone near me, someone I did not know, an outsider. I -thought it was foolish of me and buckled up. - -"But when I went into the living room, it seemed as if some invisible -presence were following me. I could hear the low hum of my husband's -device. The door of the laboratory was open. He called to me and said: - -"'Sue dear, it seems strange, but I made two models of this set and now -I can find only one. You could not have misplaced the other by any -chance, could you?' - -"I assured him I knew nothing of it and he said, 'Hum-m, that's funny.' -Then he went back into the library and closed the door. The humming -continued. I was more annoyed than ever, but I did not want to bother my -husband. Then a queer thing happened. I saw the door of the laboratory -open and close, but I did not see anyone. The next instant, I heard my -husband's outcry. It was more a groan than a scream. - - * * * * * - -"I rushed into the laboratory. My husband was lying by his slate-topped -table. The device, I noticed, was gone. It was no bigger than a -coffee-mill, I thought, as I bent over my husband. Strange how such a -thought could have crowded in at such a time. - -"My husband's head was bleeding. It was cut, a long gash over the ear, -just below the bald spot. It must have been a frightful blow. I looked -in his eyes. My nurse's and pharmaceutical course gave me knowledge -which sent a chill to my heart. He was dead. I must have fainted. - -"When I recovered I ran for Peck. I found him near the house, coming my -way and holding his right eye. - -"'Something struck me,' he said. Then, seeing me so pale, he said, 'My -God! Mrs. Darrow, what has happened?' - -"'Run for the doctor,' I said. When the doctor came he called the police -and coroner. They told me not to disturb the body. Later they took it -away, and the gardener told me--" - -"Never mind what Peck told you," interrupted the attorney. "We will let -him tell it. Is that all you can tell us about the death itself?" - -But the widow was weeping now, so violently that the court ordered her -excused. - - * * * * * - -The gardener was called and took the stand displaying a big, black eye, -which offered comedy relief to a pathetic situation. - -"On the main road to the east," he began after preliminary questioning, -"was a small car which had been parked there all morning. I noticed it -because it had no license plates. It was visible from the inside of the -grounds, but was hidden from the road by a hedge. It made me wonder -because it was just inside our grounds. - -"I had some very special red flags which I planted as a border back of -pink geraniums. They were doing fine. I got them from the Fabrish seed -house. There are no plants like Fabrish's--I wouldn't give a snap of my -finger for all the other--" - -"Just a minute," interrupted the attorney. He told the gardener to never -mind the geraniums and flags, but to tell just what happened. - -"Well, I was bending over the border bed when I heard sounds like -someone running along the gravel path towards me. I heard a humming like -a bumble bee and I jumped to my feet. Just then something hit me in the -eye and knocked me down. Yes sir, knocked me plumb down, and--" - -"Then what happened? Never mind the asides, the extras--tell us just the -simple facts," instructed the attorney. - -"Well, you won't believe it, but I heard the footsteps leave the road. -The geraniums were badly trampled. I looked at the parked automobile and -could hear the hum coming from there. - -"The machine started and turned into the road--" - -"Did you notice anyone at the wheel?" - -"That's what you're not going to believe. There wasn't anybody in that -auto at all. I didn't see anyone at any time. The auto started itself, -and what is more, that auto only went about a hundred yards when it -disappeared altogether--like that--like a flash." - -"Did it turn off the road?" - -"I didn't turn anywhere. It was in the middle of the road. It just -disappeared right in the middle of the road. It started without a -driver, it turned north without a driver, and went on by itself for -about a hundred yards. Then it vanished in the middle of the road. Just -dropped out of sight." - -The court-room was hushed. The audience and court attaches were awe -stricken and looked their incredulity. - -"Do you mean to tell us that auto drove itself?" asked the court -sternly. - - * * * * * - -The witness was completely confused. The attorney came to his rescue, -looked at the court, and said: - -"He has told that same story a hundred times, and he will stick to it. -It seems impossible, but has not Mrs. Darrow told us she heard this -humming and saw nothing? With the purely perfunctory recitals of the -doctor and the constabulary this court and the jury have heard all there -is to hear. We have no more witnesses. That is all there is. - -"The jury will have to decide from the evidence whether this case is -accident or murder. The doctor and two experts have reported that the -wound appeared to have been made by some blunt instrument, swung -powerfully. The skull under the wound and back of the ear was simply -crushed. Death was instantaneous. It all happened in broad daylight." - -After an hour's deliberation the jury decided the savant came to his -death in his laboratory from a blow on the skull received in some manner -unknown. - -The crowd filed out, spiritedly discussing the unusual crime. In the -crowd was Perkins Ferguson, known as "Old Perk," head of the Schefert -Engineering Corporation, who paid royalty on some of the Darrow patents. -With him was Damon Farnsworth, his first vice-president. - -"Well, what do you think of it?" asked Farnsworth, biting into a black -cigar. - -"Damned weird, isn't it?" replied "Old Perk." "I have my own theory, -however," he added, "but I am going to know a whole lot more about this -case before I venture it." The pair climbed into Ferguson's car -discussing the Darrow death case with furrowed brows. - - * * * * * - -What might be termed an extraordinary meeting of the directors of the -Schefert Engineering Corporation, was held a few days later in a big -building in the financial district. - -The rich furnishings of the directors' room indicated, better than -Bradstreet's, the great wealth of the corporation. Uniformed pages stood -at attention at each end of the long, mahogany table at which were -seated the fourteen directors of the company. All were men of wealth, -standing and engineering knowledge. The departed Darrow often had been -summoned to such meetings, and at this one there was a hush because of -his recent demise. - -After a batch of preliminary business had been transacted, Ferguson -arose and cleared his throat. The directors leaned forward in their -chairs expectantly. The page boys lost their mechanical attitude for the -instant and fairly craned their necks around the bulks of the forms in -front of them. - -"The Darrow case has taken a sudden and sinister turn," said the -president. "I have a letter. I will read it: - - "Old Perk: Get wise to yourself. We are in a position to destroy - you and all the pot-bellies in the Wall Street crowd. If you want - to die of old age, remember what happened to Darrow and begin - declaring us in on Wall Street dividends. If you do not you will - follow Darrow in the same way. - - "Our first demand is for $100,000. Leave this amount in hundreds - and fifties in the rubbish can at the corner of 50th Street and - Broadway at 10 A. M. next Thursday. If you fail we will break your - damned neck. Bring the police with you if you like. - - Invisible Death. - - * * * * * - -Ferguson passed the letter around for inspection. It was painstakingly -printed, evidently from the type in a rubber stamp set such as is sold -in toy stores. - -"I have decided," said Perkins at length, "to give this case to Walter -Lees. He has never failed us in mechanical, chemical, or any form of -scientific problem. I hope he will not fail in this. He will work -independently of the police, who have requested that we keep the -appointment at 50th Street and Broadway at the hour named. We will -deposit a roll of newspapers, around which has been wrapped a fifty -dollar bill and then we will stand by while the awaiting detectives do -their duty." - -"You do not think anyone is going to call for any supposed package of -money at one of the most congested corners in the world in broad -daylight?" asked a director at the end of the table. - -"Why not?" asked Ferguson. "A seedy individual could pick a package from -a rubbish bin at that corner without attracting the least attention." - -"I guess you're right," agreed the doubting one. - -"I know I'm right," said the president. And he usually was. - -"I have already arranged to have Lees instructed in his work," Ferguson -volunteered as a pause came in the buzz of conversation about the table. -"Lees is young, but he is capable." There was general discussion of the -strange case of Darius Darrow; the room filled with the blue haze of -many cigars. - -Suddenly a low, humming sound was heard in the room. - -Papers on the directors' table were bunched as if by unseen hands, and -thrown to the ceiling, from which they descended like flakes of snow and -scattered about the room. - -A book of minutes was torn from the hands of a secretary. It was raised -and brought down on vice-president Farnsworth's head. A chair was pulled -out from under another director and he was deposited in an undignified -heap on the floor. - -Another director acted as though he had been tripped, and he fell on top -of Farnsworth. Two big vases crashed to the floor in bits. Other -decorative objects were scattered about. - -The directors who had been hurtled to the floor stood up with -expressions of comical surprise on their features. Their chairs -catapulted into a far corner of the room, one after the other. - -Startled expressions resounded from the group. - -A small bookcase fell on its front with a crash of glass. Ferguson's -cane jumped in the air and crashed a window pane. - -The humming ceased suddenly. - - * * * * * - -The room was a wreck. The assembled men stood aghast. They were simply -nonplussed. Finally they phoned for the police. - -After hearing the strange recital from so many highly reputable -witnesses, a detective sergeant, who had responded to the call with -others, reported to headquarters. - -A uniformed police guard was sent to the place with instructions to -remain on duty until relieved. - -Ferguson sent for Walter Lees, the young engineer of whom he had spoken -to the directorate. Assigned to the task of unraveling the Darrow death -mystery, Lees ran true to form by getting busy at once. This was at -midnight of the day of the surprising directors' meeting. Lees owned a -big car; he piled into it and started for the scene of the crime. - -Daybreak found him examining every inch of the road around the Darrow -estate. Then he searched the hedge along the east road, where the -phantom auto had disappeared after the crime. The brush along the -opposite side of the thoroughfare was also gone over. - -Passing autos had stopped to ask the meaning of his flashlight. Lees -explained he had lost a pocketbook. It was as good an excuse as any and -served to keep him from drawing a crowd. He found nothing to reward his -long and painstaking efforts. - -At seven A. M. he decided to interview the Darrow widow, and found her -already up and about her kitchen, weeping softly as she worked. - -She bade him be seated in the living room. - -"No, I am not afraid to stay here alone," she said in reply to Lees' -first question. "Whoever killed my husband did so to get possession of -his second model. They had already stolen the first. I have thought -since that they were afraid that the finding of the second model after -his death would aid in their detection. For some reason they had to have -both models." - -She agreed to tell all she knew of the case. Lees listened to the long -recital as already recorded at the coroner's inquest. By adroit -questioning Lees gained just one new fact. Mrs. Darrow remembered that -she had called her husband, just before he retired to his laboratory, to -fix a towel hanger in the kitchen. "He found the pivot needed oiling," -explained the widow. "That was all. He oiled it and went into the -laboratory." - - * * * * * - -The idea of one of the world's greatest mechanical engineers stopping -his work to oil a towel hanger caused Lees to smile, but Mrs. Darrow did -not smile. - -"My husband was a genius at repairing about the house," she said, in all -seriousness. - -"I can imagine so," agreed Lees. - -The conversation ceased. Lees sat for a few minutes with his head in his -hands, thinking deeply. Finally he said: - -"I am convinced that someone who was well aware of your husband's habits -committed this crime. Do you believe, positively, that the gardener is -above suspicion?" - -"Oh, it couldn't have been Peck," insisted Mrs. Darrow. "I had seen him -down near the gate from the window. He was too far from the house, and -besides, he was devoted to us both." - -"Then it was somebody from the neighborhood," said Lees. - -"Maybe so," replied Mrs. Darrow, noncommittally. - -"Who lives in the next house south?" - -"That is towards the city," mused the widow. "There are no houses south -on either side of the road for a little further than a mile, when you -reach the town limits of Farsdale. The town line is about half-way -between, and marks the southern end of this estate." - -"Who lives in the first house to the north?" - -"That is the cottage of Peck, the gardener." - -"How near is the next house?" - -"That was the parcel my father sold. It is about three acres, and in the -center, or about the center, is the house built by Adolph Jouret, who -bought the land. He lives there with his daughter. They built a -magnificent place. The brook that traverses our grounds rises at a -spring back of his house. Save for two West Indian servants, they are -alone. The servants live in Farsdale and motor back and forth." - - * * * * * - -"What do you know of this--what's his name?" queried Lees, who had -assumed the role of examiner. - -"Jouret? Very little. He is some sort of a circus man or showman, or was -before he retired. He once had wealth, but my husband, some weeks ago, -said that because of ill-advised investments he was not so well rated as -formerly. I had the feeling that he might be forced to give up the -place. I just felt that. I never heard it. I am so sorry because of the -daughter. She is a beautiful girl, and seemed kindly, the one time I saw -her. She was about twelve then. I do not like to say it, but she seemed -a little dazed or slow witted, but really beautiful." Mrs. Darrow fell -to smoothing out the folds in her house apron as Lees asked: - -"When was the only time you saw her?" - -"Ten years ago, about. Just after my father's death. They called on us. -We did not care to continue the friendship, as Jouret seemed a little -flamboyant--his circus nature, I suppose. Anyway, we were quiet folks, -and there was no need of close association with neighbors. - -"I remember," continued the widow, after a pause, "that Jouret, when he -heard my husband was a scientist, simulated an interest in science. He -did have a smattering knowledge of science, but he was plainly affected, -so we decided to just let him drop. No ill-feeling. We just--well, we -were not interested." - -"You do not approve of circus people?" - -"It is not that. Any honest work is honorable. It seems commendable to -furnish amusement for the public. I know little about people of his -profession but I am sure they are perfectly all right. It was Jouret, -personally. He seemed noisy and insincere. The girl was nice. I loved -her." - -"That is all you know of the Jourets?" - -"That is all." - -"Mrs. Darrow, I wish to go through this house from attic to basement. -Have you any objections?" - -"None whatever. Make yourself free, but do not attach any significance -to what appears to be a secret passageway and cave. My father was a -biological chemist. He used to experiment much with small animals. He -had a cave where he stored chemicals, and I believe you will find old -chemicals stored down there now. I disturbed nothing." - -The widow forced a smile to her lips. "Will you excuse me?" she -concluded. "I am trying to carry on." - - * * * * * - -Lees, carrying a flashlight, began a systematic search of the premises. -He made his way up a winding staircase, through dust and cobwebs to the -attic. He found the top story filled with trunks and bits of furniture -of a previous generation. All was in order, but dust-covered and -cobwebby. - -"Someone has been here before me," he said to himself, brushing a mist -of cobwebs from his coat sleeves. "There is a path brushed through the -spiderwebs." Turning his flashlight on the floor, he exclaimed: - -"And here are footprints in the dust. Well I'll be--!" - -Then, after some study, he mused: - -"Of course there has been someone here. The killer of Darrow probably -has been here to see what he could see. It was no great task. The doors -were never locked. The footprints are of no value except to give me the -size of his shoes." - -He measured the footprints carefully. Then he went downstairs and phoned -the measurements to a local shoe dealer, asking him to give him the -trade size of shoes which would make such prints. - -"They are number nines," decided the shoe dealer. - -Lees then returned to resume his search in the rooms and corridors. - -"Wonder if Jouret wears nines," he questioned himself. "But what if he -does? I couldn't convict him on that score. However, it might help." - -Then he fell to searching through the old trunks. He found old -photographs, articles of apparel, knicknacks--grandmother's and -grandfather's belongings all of them, and some children's clothes of the -days when little boys wore ruffles about their necks and little girls' -pantalettes reached to their ankles. - -Carefully each article was replaced. He made his way down to the third -and then the second floor. Through cobwebby corridors and bedchambers he -searched, but found nothing further to aid his case. - -In the unused rooms on the first floor he found an old spinning-wheel, -candle moulds and utensils used in cooking in the days when housewives -cooked over an open fire. - - * * * * * - -He did not find the "secret" passageway until Mrs. Darrow came to his -aid. Leading from the basement was a coal chute. This shoot was formed -in a triangle with the point under a trap. It was man-high at the cellar -opening and its floor was a slide for fuel. It had been in use, -evidently, quite recently. - -At the cellar wall of this chute, Mrs. Darrow pressed what appeared to -be a knot in the old timber and pushed open a door. - -A dank odor issued forth as the door was opened. Lees entered the -passage and Mrs. Darrow returned upstairs. - -Following the underground passageway, Lees came onto a cave about 14 by -14 feet in size with a ceiling and walls of arched brick. It had -evidently been built before the days of cement construction. - -A long bench and shelves with carboys and jars of chemicals were the -only furnishings. Lees sounded all the walls, but found nothing further -to interest him. - -Lees returned to town at the urgent call of "Old Perk," who had arranged -with great care to keep the appointment at 50th street and Broadway, -where the decoy package was to be left. He had snipers in nearby -windows. He had detectives, dressed in the gay garb of the habitues of -the neighborhood, patrolling the corner, and he and his own guard parked -an automobile, against all traffic rule, at the curb near the rubbish -can. - -An office boy sauntered up to the rubbish can, threw in the decoy -package, and sauntered away. - -A second later there was a low humming sound. The decoy package fairly -jumped out of the rubbish can and disappeared in thin air. - -The humming sound seemed to round the corner into 50th Street. -Detectives followed on the jump. The humming approached an auto at the -curb and the auto's self starter began to function. As the police stood -near by, enough to have jumped into the auto, the whole machine, a big -touring car, actually disappeared before their eyes. - -Consternation is a mild word when used to describe the result. - - * * * * * - -All forces set to trap the extortionists gathered in a group, and in -their surprise and disappointment began discussing the queer case in -loud tones. A crowd was gathering which was blocking traffic. - -"Old Perk" was the first to recover from his surprise. - -"Get the hell out of this neighborhood," he yelled to his working -forces. "All of you get down to my office!" - -The working force dissolved and "Old Perk" drove away. - -At "Old Perk's" office shortly afterward a conference of the defeated -forces of the law and of science was held. - -"Old Perk" stormed and raged and the detective captain in charge fumed -and fussed, but nothing came of it all. One was as powerless as another. -Finally the conference adjourned. - -The next morning in the mail, Perkins Ferguson, president of Schefert -Engineering Corporation, received a letter carefully printed in rubber -type. It read: - - Thanks for the $50 bill. You cheated us by $99,950. This will never - do. Don't be like that. You poor fools, you make us increase our - demand. We double it. Leave $200,000 for us on your desk and leave - the desk unlocked. We will get it. Every time you ignore one of our - demands, one of your number will die. Better take this matter - seriously. Last warning. - - Invisible Death. - -"Not another dime will they get out of me," mused Ferguson. - -He started opening the rest of his mail. - -A clerk entered and handed him a telegram. It read: - - "Damon Farnsworth struck down at breakfast table. Family heard - humming sound as he fell from his chair. Removed to Medical Center. - Skull reported fractured. May die. - - "William Devins, Chief of Police, Larchmont." - -Ferguson wildly seized the telephone. "Get me Farnsworth's house at -Larchmont!" he shouted to his operator. - - * * * * * - -The phone was answered by Jones, the butler. - -"This is Ferguson." - -An agitated voice replied: - -"'Ow sir, yes sir. It's true, sir. 'E was bleeding at the 'ead, sir. -Something 'it 'im." - -"Let me talk to Mrs. Farnsworth." - -"They are at the 'ospital, sir." - -"One of the boys." - -"Both are at the 'ospital, sir." - -"Do you think he will live?" - -"An' 'ow could I say, sir?" - -Ferguson called the Medical Center. They permitted him to talk to a -doctor and a nurse. The nurse referred him to the doctor, who said: - -"He is unconscious. There is a wicked fracture at the base of the brain. -He was struck from the back--a club, I believe. He may die without -regaining consciousness. I am hoping he will rally and that he will be -all right." - -Ferguson ordered his car and, with Lees at his heels, jumped in the -tonneau. He heard a humming sound back of him. He looked back and saw -nothing. Both he and Lees were too impressed for words. - -"Step on it," Ferguson ordered the chauffeur. "Drive us to the Medical -Center." - -At the world's largest group of hospitals, Ferguson's worst fears were -confirmed. The patient was reported sinking. - - * * * * * - -Ferguson, giant of Wall Street, was a low spirited man as he drove back -down town to his office. With Lees he passed through the outer offices, -buzzing with business and the click of typewriters. Not a head was -raised from a desk or machine. It was a well-drilled force. - -Into his private sanctum he walked or rather dragged himself, and -wearily he sat down. He pushed a pile of papers from him and ran his -hand over his hot brow. - -Blood pounded at his temples. - -For the first time in his life he faced a situation which was too deep -for his understanding. - -Over and over again he reviewed the uncanny events as Lees sat awaiting -orders. - -"I cannot have them killing off my friends like that," he mused finally. - -He called a clerk. - -"Go to the bank and get $200,000 in fifties and one hundreds," he -commanded. - -When the clerk returned with the money he laid the package on his desk -and left the desk open. "This might appear cowardly, but it will give us -time," he said. Lees did not offer an opinion. - -Ferguson drew a personal note for $200,000 and sent it to the Schefert -Corporation's attorneys. This amount represented a large part of -Ferguson's personal assets, not involved with any company with which he -was connected. He told Lees to go about his further investigations. Then -he left the office and started for his home. "I'll bank my life Lees -will have those crooks lined up within a week," he assured himself as he -lolled in his auto, bound homeward. But his voice sounded hollow, and -the blood still pounded at his temples. - - * * * * * - -Reaching home, he found a call from the western plant, at Chicago. He -phoned the superintendent with a foreboding that all was not well. - -"This you, Perk?" sounded the voice on the wire. - -"Yes, what's up?" - -"I had not intended bothering you with this, but in the light of all -that has happened I guess you had better know that one of our engineers -went stark mad out here about three weeks ago. He was a very brainy man -but his reason snapped. He first appeared queer when he began talking of -anarchy and cursing capitalists. Then one afternoon he struck a shop -foreman down with a heavy wrench and rushed out of the plant. We have -not seen him since. The police have been looking for him, but he is -still at large." - -"That explains a lot of things," said "Old Perk." "Tell the police to -keep after him. We'll look for him here. File me a complete detailed -report of the incident by telegraph," he instructed. Then he asked: - -"How is the foreman? Badly hurt?" - -"He dodged; it was a glancing blow. The foreman was back to work in a -week. But he is nervous and has armed himself. We have put on extra -guards." - -"Good," commended Ferguson. "Don't hesitate to spend tolls to keep me -advised of any developments." - -An hour and a half later, Ferguson phoned the chief clerk in his -offices: - -"Go into my private office," he ordered, "and see if there is a package -on my desk. It is a bank package." - -The clerk returned in a few moments. - -"There is no package on your desk, Mr. Ferguson." - -"That is all I wanted to know," said Ferguson, and hung up the receiver. - -Then Ferguson called up the Darrow home and tried to get in touch with -Lees, but was unable to do so, as Mrs. Darrow said she had not seen him -since he had been called back to the office. - - * * * * * - -The reason Ferguson could not reach Lees was because Lees had decided to -learn once and for all if Jouret wore number nine shoes. He had started -for Jouret's in his own car. It was a beautiful country he was -traversing, but he had no time to note that the tree branches almost met -over his head and that his way was bordered with a profusion of wild -flowers, displaying a rainbow of colors. - -The house of Jouret, the retired circus performer, sat back far from the -road, against the side of a beautiful hill, and was surrounded by -poplars. The landscape was wilder and more natural than that of the -Darrow place adjoining. - -The door was opened by a Porto Rican boy. Lees lost no time. He said -bluntly: - -"Tell your master that a gentleman is here to see him on very particular -business." - -Jouret, himself, came back with the boy. - -"What is it?" he asked, smiling a welcome. - -"I am working on the case of the death of Mr. Darrow, your neighbor. I -believed you might have seen something. I thought you might aid me." - - * * * * * - -Jouret betrayed no surprise. - -"Come in," he said. He led the way to a large reception room and asked -his visitor to be seated. He was the soul of affability. Short, husky -and florid. His eyes large, black and staring. His hair black, quite -long and curling upward at the ears. He was dressed in black, and he had -the appearance of a big, fat crow. - -"I am glad you came," he greeted his guest, "for I have far too few -callers." He switched on a big electric bunch-light in the center of the -room, for it was dusk. - -"We have been told that you are a retired circus man," said Lees, in his -usual frank manner. - -"Not exactly," said Jouret. "I traveled on the continent, finally -journeying to Australia and then to the States. I crossed the country -from San Francisco and settled down here. I was known as 'Elias, the -Great.' I had my own company and property. It was a magic show. It was -not a circus, although we did carry two elephants, three camels, some -ponies, snakes, and birds and smaller animals. That's where the circus -report came from. - -"When I retired I sold my stock to a circus. The newspapers regarded it -as funny, and one of them printed a half page story with pictures about -the public sale. It was very much exaggerated. They mentioned giraffes, -hyenas, and a lot of other animals I never possessed. Odd, wasn't it, -getting so much publicity after I was through needing it? However I -never, in those days, dodged the limelight." Jouret ended his speech -with a loud and hearty guffaw. - -"I will call my daughter," Jouret appended. "She will be glad to meet -you." He left the room. - -Lees had taken occasion to note the size of Jouret's feet. They were -small, almost effeminate. More likely fives or sixes than nines. - -Soon Jouret returned with a girl in her early twenties. She was blond -and radiantly beautiful. - - * * * * * - -Doris Jouret bowed and smiled in a perfectly friendly manner. Lees noted -that there was something about her eyes that made her appear dazed. - -Jouret monopolized the conversation, giving no one a chance to edge in a -word. - -"This gentleman desires information in connection with the death of our -neighbor Mr., or is it Dr., Darrow? I want you to assure him, as I will, -that we have seen or noted nothing that could possibly throw light on -the strange case." - -The girl nodded, it seemed a little wearily, and Jouret was off on -another conversational flight: - -"I too am a man of scientific attainments," he chattered. "I am a -biologist, toxicologist, doctor of medicine, a geologist, metalurgist, -mineralogist, and somewhat of a mechanic and electrician. I have given -long hours to the study of strange sciences in meta-physics, to which -you men give too little attention. There are sciences which transcend -any of this sphere. There is a higher astronomy. I neglected to say that -I am an astronomer." - -"Yes?" drawled Lees. - -"Yes!" said Jouret emphatically. - -The girl had adopted rather a theatrical pose, which disclosed -considerable of her nether charms, and said nothing at all. - -"When you find your man," volunteered Jouret, "you will find a madman." -He said this ponderously and with a gesture meant evidently to be -impressive. - -"You believe a madman did it?" asked Lees, as Jouret paused, expecting a -question. - -"Undoubtedly. It was a paranoic with delusions of money, grandeur and a -strongly developed homicidal mania. To me, that is the only sensible -solution. I am quite sure that I am correct." - -Lees arose to go and Jouret did not urge him to stay. He bowed Lees out -and Doris bowed with him. - -"She is a beautiful girl," mused Lees once he was outside. - -Lees ran over in his mind the circumstances of his visit to Jouret. -There was no doubt in his mind that Jouret's shoes were too small to be -number nines, and he reasoned that that fact might tend to eliminate -Jouret. But he was not satisfied. - -"I am going to get some gas," he told himself, "and then I am going to -get two private detectives to assist me, for I'm going right back there. -For the first time in my life I am going to be a Peeping Tom. - -"There is no moon. The poplars will give us a view of all three floors -of that house, if they leave their blinds up enough, and three of us can -watch all three floors at once." - -He phoned Ferguson that he might be busy for days, joined his pair of -operatives from the detective agency and for some time the three -operated on a well conceived plan. - - * * * * * - -It was probably a week later that Lees rendered a report to Perkins -Ferguson, which for a time proved one of the strangest documents in the -weird case. It read: - -"You will probably think I am crazy, and for this reason I am having -this report subscribed and sworn to, jointly and severally. With my two -detectives I have seen Miss Jouret, the girl I told you about over the -phone, in three places at one and the same time. Not once but twice this -has happened. - -"Looking through the windows of the Jouret place at night, we saw the -girl on the first, second and third floor of the house. We believed this -due to a clever arrangement of mirrors. But figure this out: - -"The next day she drove a car to town. We followed. She got out at one -theater and entered. She did not come back, that we could see, but the -car drove off. There was no chauffeur, and we thought we had discovered -the driverless auto, until we looked and saw Miss Jouret still at the -wheel. - -"She got out and entered another theater. She did not come back, but the -car drove off with her still at the wheel. She entered a third theater -after parking the car and this time the driver's seat and the tonneau -was empty. - -"Reverse the reel and you will see her coming out of three theaters and -driving home. That is what happened. There must be three of her, all -identical, but only one shows at a time. If it's some of Jouret's -far-famed magic, I'll say he's some conjurer. The explanation is not yet -forthcoming. We want to shadow Jouret, but he never goes anywhere. The -girl has only been out the one time when she attended three matinees as -described. Believe it or not. - -"The next night we each--the two detectives and I--tried to steal a -march on one another and called her up and asked her to go out. To our -individual surprise, she agreed in each case. To our collective -surprise, she kept all three dates on the same night. She walked -through the trees in this vicinity with me. She also drove down the road -in the auto with one of my detectives, and she went dancing with the -other. She was in three places miles apart at one and the same time. - -"We each brought her home within a half hour of the other and we are -swearing to that. Either we are all hypnotized or else there are three -identical Misses Jouret. - -"Jouret himself treats us all wonderfully, gives us the run of the -house, and tries to talk us to death." - - * * * * * - -The strange document was subscribed by Lees and the two detectives and -was held by Ferguson pending developments. - -The next report from Lees read: - -"I had a chance to prowl around the Jouret house a little while waiting -for Miss Jouret to dress. I met her twice in my ramblings and a few -minutes later she met me again, this time in a different costume. - -"I got a chance to search the woods back of Jouret's house in the -evening. I found a spot where the earth had been disturbed, and dug up a -pair of shoes. They were number nines." - -A fourth report from him read: - -"We found the body of the crazed engineer. He had drowned himself in a -lake. This eliminates him as a murder suspect." - - * * * * * - -Two weeks passed with no new developments in the "Invisible Death" case -except for the arrival of a letter demanding $1,000,000 and threatening -the life of Perkins Ferguson if the demand was ignored. It was ignored, -and only served to spur Lees and his detectives on to decisive action. - -They decided to rush the Jouret house and kidnap Jouret with the idea of -holding him until he agreed to explain the presence of the number nine -shoes buried back of his house. - -A low moon hung over the poplars when Lees rang the Jouret front door -bell. One detective was guarding a side door and the other a back door. - -Suddenly Jouret was seen to jump from a second-story window. As he did, -a car driven by one of his Porto Ricans came along the drive and he -leaped into it. Lees, first to see Jouret, called his detectives. They -came running. Their car was waiting in the road. - -The Porto Rican was seen to jump from the Jouret car just as it started -south towards New York. - -Lees took up the race. Both cars had plenty of power, but the Jouret car -suddenly disappeared as a low humming noise began to break the stillness -of the night. - -One of the detectives was at the wheel. Lees, as usual, was giving -orders: - -"Keep close to that hum. Never mind that you cannot _see_ the car. It is -there all right. If you can gain on it enough, drive right into it." - -"Righto!" shouted the detective. "We're wise to him now." - -The humming noise was taking on speed with every second. So was Lees' -car. Soon Lees' car was making sixty miles an hour with the hum just -ahead and barely audible. - -Past traffic lights, over bridges and grade crossings the mad chase of -the phantom continued. - -Wildly racing through the night, missing other cars by a breath, the -big, visible auto continued its pursuit of--what? - -Careening, Lees' car rounded a curve, and, above the hum just ahead, -they heard the shouted curses of their quarry. But he could not be seen. -Lees could only see the road marked by his lights. - -Mile after mile the wild, uncanny chase of the phantom continued. - - * * * * * - -Soon the lights of New York could be seen in the distance. The cars were -forced to slow down somewhat. Suddenly there was a thundering crash -ahead. A car was twisted in a mass of tangled wreckage. - -Feminine and masculine shrieks blended as Lees' car piled up on the -wrecked heap. A third car, becoming suddenly visible, rolled over and -brought up at the edge of the road. From this car emerged the limping, -cursing form of Jouret. - -From the wreckage three painfully injured young men dragged and tore -themselves. Then they leaped--ignoring their hurts--at the limping -figure. - -The fight was on. Jouret was heavy and powerful and proved an obstinate -fighter, for he knew he was fighting for his life. He bit and clawed. He -kicked with one uninjured leg and butted with his massive head. - -Lees and his detectives were fighting with no respect for the rules. -Lees managed to get his two hands on the bull-neck of Jouret just as one -detective connected a duet of blows to the man's wind. - -Lees' hands closed in a steely grip, and soon Jouret was limp and -helpless. - -They held him there. An ambulance arrived. A few minutes later a police -auto with reserves came on the scene. The police shackled Jouret. - -The car that had been hit by the phantom was a light sedan. It was -occupied by two women. Their bodies were drawn from the wreckage. Both -were dead--innocents sacrificed to the blood madness of a maniac. - -Jouret was right about himself. He was a paranoic with a strongly -developed homicidal mania. - -In the wreckage was found a package containing $200,000 and also two -twisted and broken mechanisms. One of these was about the size of an -ordinary kitchen coffee-mill, and the other slightly larger. - - * * * * * - -Regarding these machines, Lees wrote in a report: - -"While making a fourth search of Darrow's laboratory, I found the -equations, specifications and what I believe to be the full plans for -the last invention of the ingenious Darius Darrow. - -"Many of the most astounding inventions and discoveries have resulted -from theories which were laughed to scorn at the time they were -advanced. Roebling's plans for the Brooklyn Bridge resulted in a meeting -of the foremost engineers of the day. All agreed that the plans were -built on a false premise. They argued that the bridge would fall of its -own weight. Then they all had a good laugh. The bridge still stands. - -"Watching smoke float over a hill from army camp fires caused an early -French scientist to dream of filling a bag full of smoke and riding with -it over the hill. The first balloon was the answer to this dream. - -"James Watt is said to have gotten his idea for a steam engine from -watching a lid on a tea-kettle dance under steam pressure. - -"When Langley was flying his man-carrying kites the Wright brothers -dreamed of hitching an engine and a propeller to a giant kite. The -airplane was the result of these experiments. - - * * * * * - -"Darrow got his idea from watching a rapidly revolving wheel. He noticed -that the spokes and rim blended into a blurred disc when a certain speed -was reached. The entire wheel was practically invisible, under certain -lighting conditions, when a higher speed was attained. - -"Darrow went further and reached the conclusion that there was a rate of -vibration that would produce invisibility. This was accepted in -practically all engineering research plants, long before it was -perfected by Darrow. - -"The facts are that any rapidly vibrating object becomes more and more -difficult to outline as its rate of vibration increases. All that was -left for Darrow was to arrive at the exact mathematical time, tone, or -rate of vibration producing invisibility and to construct a vibrator -tuned to produce this condition. - -"His first machine produced the vibrations of invisibility in a field -with a three-foot radius in all directions. That is, it caused every -solid object, within this atmospheric field, to vibrate at the rate, -tone, or speed of invisibility. This machine was in no sense rotary. It -departed from the original example of a revolving wheel and entered -instead into general vibration in a given or measured field. - -"The pulsations or vibrations of an ordinary automobile engine will -cause every ounce of metal, or solid, in the automobile--including the -driver--to vibrate at the same rate or momentum. This is a known fact, -and it provided the basis for Darrow's experiments. - - * * * * * - -"Darrow built two machines. The first had a field with a radius of three -feet on all sides. This was used by the killer in his murders. Jouret -stole this machine first, thus paving his way for the second robbery. - -"With the first machine in his possession, Jouret was able to commit the -Darrow murder without being seen. He had to have the second and larger -machine, however, to make his auto disappear. He stole the larger -machine at the time of the Darrow murder, and with it he had his auto -vanish, as the gardener testified. - -"Both machines were hopelessly smashed in the wreck, but with Darrow's -documents at hand, we might be able to construct another and a larger -model. A machine built on the proper scale will make a plane or a -battleship invisible and should, as Darrow said, make war against this -country impossible. - - * * * * * - -"Digging into Jouret's history we found that the 'Misses Jouret' were -one-cell triplets. Their mother, Mrs. Doris Nettleton, an English woman, -was a member of Jouret's troupe, as was the father. - -"The mother died at the birth of the triplets. The father died a few -years later. The company was touring Australia at the time. Jouret and -the father had the birth of only one baby recorded. She was named Doris, -after the mother. The other girls also used this one name. They now have -only one name among them until the court gives them individual names. - -"Jouret never let but one girl be seen at a time. The reason was that he -and the father had planned to use the girls, when grown, to create a -surprising stage illusion. In this illusion, one girl was to act as the -earthly body and the other girls as the astral bodies of the same -purported individual. - -"The father died, and Jouret retired before he ever got around to -staging the illusion. Jouret continued the deception, however, because -it appealed to his showman's nature. - -"The girls, at all times, were under the hypnotic control of Jouret, -and, of course, knew nothing of his crazed intellect or crimes. Upon his -arrest Jouret released the girls from the spell of years. - -"The Misses Nettleton say that Jouret was always kind to them and was an -ethical showman until his mind gave way. - -"I told the triplets that I might find them employment with our concern, -but they prefer to follow in the footsteps of their mother and father, -and return to the stage." - -Ferguson, quite his normal self once more, since Farnsworth was -recovering slowly, twitted Lees about being in love with one of the -triplets. Lees admitted they were most gorgeous blondes, but insisted he -preferred one brunette. - -"Then another thing," added Lees. "Any man who falls in love with one of -the Nettleton triplets will never be sure just which one he fell in love -with." - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Astounding Stories of Super-Science -January 1930, by Various. - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASTOUNDING STORIES *** - -***** This file should be named 41481.txt or 41481.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/4/8/41481/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://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. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -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/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. 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: - - http://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. diff --git a/41481.zip b/41481.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 83e954f..0000000 --- a/41481.zip +++ /dev/null |