The daily tribune., 1906-03-16

lliOuSn tit uoOu. lleIc Tue HiiSi,
| Wars declared.
The general twitched with suppress
| ed excitement. For O moment Longer,
he watched the picture in the reflector.
| Then he saw that the fleet had the
news. Across the Atlantic the in
stantaneous service had carried the de-
claration OF var.
Far below him was the chief city Of
his nation, now subdued in the know.
ledge that it and the nation had been
brought to the final test. In the send
ing station was the man on whom his
nations hopes depended. He firmly
pressed the button.
In the reflector he saw the enemy's
squadron move, He knew that it had
been in readiness to start, and on the
instant of the receipt of the tidings
was setting forth. If 1t came unmo-
Tested, as it had every right to expect
it would. there could be but one result
to his nation
1t seemed an eternity of time as he
watched the reflector
Suddenly one of the ships disap-
peared in a blotch which sent confused
shadows over the reflector. Montrus
trembled in his excitement.
The pictures grew clear for an in
stant Then another blur-a quick
succession of blurs. between which he
could see nothing.
He grew dizzy, and held tightly to
the supports of the reflector to steady
himself. His unblinking eyes were SO
held by the grim. silent onaos of de-
struction portrayed before him, that
the seeing faculty seemed thing apart
from him and separated completely by
his dazed condition.
The tumultuous heaving and blur
ring on the reflector cleared away. 1t
revealed torn and shattered fleet
two-thirds of the ships had vanished
completely, others beating feebly and
in their last efforts. others slowly
sinking through the air a few trying
to escape from an unseen terror.
General Montrus, veteran though he
was, shuddered at the horror of the
sight. Unseen, unheard, softly through
the thick darkness. the wireless death
had swept that proud aerial fleet out
of existence In one tense instant. And
Atsins, the shock-headed youth, was
the destroyer, sitting calmly up there
in the sending station, with one soiied
hand on the lever of his great, terrible
concentrator. 1t was he who had uti
lized the means formerly used to send
messages. to bear intelligence across
boundless areas. which, increased
hundred thousand-fold in soltage, had
now carried absolute destruction.
Still breathing heavily, Montrus
threw off the hood, coming back to the
utter blackness and the drizzle OF the
Washington night.
A bulletin was flashed on the board
which carried the duplicates from
Curtis.
Fleet gone-Vanished in Convul
sion-Pictures Actual and Accurate
Disturbance not caused by defects but
by destruction of iieet-Cant explain
it, but America is saved"
Montrus turned the wireless televue
on to the sending station. and saw At
sins sitting quietly on II box in one
corner of the little room, gravely
smoking short pipe. his shock Of
blonde hair badly rumpled. smile on
his freckled face. "Atsins'-the com
mander-in-chief was trying hard to con-
troll his voice-Atsins. You have saved
us. 1t is all over. Their fleet was an
initiated"
1t seemed to the old soldier, veteran
of a dozen campaigns, absurdly impos
sible that the safety of a great nation
should have been put into the hands
of that erimly boy IN blue overalls.
at worked all right, didn't lt?' At
sins answered calmly.
"Come over here" Montrus went on
Hurry and come. Tomorrow Con
gressTl be giving you vote of thanks;
you'll be bigger man than old Dewey
ever was"
A troubled frown came on Atsin's
face. Excuse me, please. general" he
said. "I'm going back to the shop
I've inst thought of big Improvement
on my concentrator Good night"