The Washington times., 1912-04-30
CHAPTER XVIII.
The PulYerite.

A N hour passed. And now, under
~ the circle of light cast by the
~ hooded lamp upon the table,
there in that bare, wrecked Of
fee home of theirs, the pulverite was
coming to its birth.
Already at the bottom OF the metal
dish lay thin yellow cloud, something
that looked like London fog on a De-
cember morning. There, covered with
the water, 1t gently swirled and curdled
with strange metallic glints and oily
eheens, as Beatrice with a gold spoon
stirred 1t at the engineers command.
From moment to moment he dropped
in 9 minute quantity of glycerin out OF
glass test-tube, graduated to the hun
dredth Of an ounce. Keenly. under the
hampshire, he watched the final reac-
tion; his face. very pale and set, re-
hsoted ss,Is a., little of the mental stress that
Along the table edge before him, limp
In its sling, his wounded arm lay use
Cess: Yet with his left hand he con-
ttrolle6 the sleeping giant in the dish.
Nnd , as as he dropped the glycerin' he
4 Ten, eleven, twelve-fifteen. sixteen
twenty! Nov! Now pour the water off.
:, splendidIy the girl obeyed. The water
ran, foaming strangely, out into a glass
jar set to receive It. Her hands trem-
bled not. nor did she hesitate. Only,
2 line formed between her brows; and
through her lips.
Stop"
His voice rang like a shot.
into the WALSH
Again, using both hands for steadi-
ness, she did his bidding.
And one by one as she filled the little
TASKS Of chained death, the engineer
of han uikh 10 lnPf hor
: When the last one was done, Stern
drew a tremendous sigh. and dashed the
sweat from his forehead with a gesture
of victory
Into the residue in the dish he poured
little nitric acid.
That's got no kick left in it. now,
anyhow" said he. relieved The HNO3
tames 1t quick enough. But the bottles
take care-don't tip one over, as you
love life'
He stood up. slowly, and. for mo-
ment remained there. his face in the
shadow of the lamp shade, holding to
hand.
At him the girl looked.
And now" she began, now?
The question had no time for com
pletion For even as she spoke, swift
little something ficked through the win
dow, behind them.
1t struck the opposite wall with a
sharp crack! then fell slithertng to the
Outside, against the building. they
heard another and another little shock
and all at once second missile darted
through the air.
This hit the lamp. Stern grabbed the
shade and steadicd IT, Beatrice stopped
and snatched up the thing from where
It Law beside the table.
Only one glance Stern gave at 1t. as
she held 1t UP. A long reed stem he saw
wrapped at its base with cotton tibers-
q fish-bone point firm lashed,.and or
that point dull red stain. blotch OF
something dry ana shiny:
"Rlow- gun darts!' cried ne. Poison
ed! They've seen the light-got our
range! They're. up there in the three
tops-shootinR at u.s.
with one pun the light was gone, BY
Eed her toward the flont wall, off tc
one side, out Of range.
1.-The TASKS Of pulverit"! suppose &
dart should hit one?" exclaimed the
"Thats so, Wait here-rll get them;
But SHE was there beside him as, II
the thick dark, he cautiously felt foi
the deadly things and found them witt
u hand that dared not tremble. And
though here. there, the little venom
stinEs whis-s-s shed over them and pas
them. to shatter on the rear wall. she
helped him hear the walls, all nine o
item to a place of safety in the left
hanI front corner. where Dy no posslDil
itY could they he struck;
Together, then. quietly as wraiths
they stole into the next room: anc
tackled. they spied out at the dark tres
tops that lay in. dense masses alros'
See See there" whispered Stern il