Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1915-02-06

this to you, and you will understand.
told you that the Japs thought
themselves wiser than they were.
They thought they knew all, but
Karloff held something back-some-
thing they knew not of. This"-he
touched the machine he had brought
in the carts it. Without it my
little blue pigeons lose their sting.
Japs think-all!"
His voice quivered as he spoke.
The hand which he had laid upon
tl-e machine trembled. The eyes
which he turned upon Gafford spark
led and shone with an almost fanati-
cal light.
"And it shall be used once-just
once" he said slowly, land then no
more. And that once is tonight.
But | will explain: This machine is
the thing which really fires the blue
bombs. The firing devices are, after
all, no more than the cap of a cart
ridge, which, unless it is stuck, will
not explode. Unless they are struck
by the spark of he wireless, they
vii, not fire the bombs. The fools,
not to see it! How could | both fly
my pets and explode them by the
same power, unless there was some
control?"
"You mean that this machine in
some way regulates, or chances the
spark so that it explodes the
bombs ?" gasped Gafford in amaze.
Precisely. 1t changes the poten-
tial of the spark. How else could
the thing be done? These sextants
and dials show with mathematical
precision the range to which the
spark may be concentrated with
sufficient power to explode the
charge in the firing device.
eff a bomb is = kilometer away
one moves the index to the word
'kilo,' and switched the spark
through a shunt circuit into the ma
chine. In one second after the bomb
will explode. The dial here auto
matically registers the position or
distance of the bomb when it is fly
ing through the variation of the po-
tential of the current used. That,
by the way, is how they are flown
and controlled, by projecting a re-
pulsive force against them. If, by
chance, they are sent too far away,
a weakening If the current effects
an automatic reversing lever in the
bomb and brings them back.
"Here"-he rose and bent over the
tablets a plan of the valley" He
pointed to plan spread beyond the
switches on the table and marked to
show the different positions of the
works, the compound, the magazine,
and the line of the surrounding hills.
81 have prepared this against the
tests which were to be tomorrow.
You see the distances are plainly
marked. The magazine is three
kilometers from this hut. The prison
compound five, and so on. The
bombs are set in motion by the
short wireless receivers on the back
of each. Through them the motors
of the propellers are started. AS
long as they are within the radius
of control they will run, and when
it grows too weak they automatic
ally reverse and fv back. There is
also a way to steer them right or
left, up or down, or in a circle, by
means of certain variations of the
current which it would take too long
to explain"
at is wonderful! Wonderful be-
v)nd any dream of mortal mind be-
fore" said Gafford in a voice Of awe.
81 wish l could see you do it-just
oncew
Patience" whispered Karloff,
With flashing eyes and hands which
lowered over his brain-child and
trembled. "You shall, my friend.
You shall!'
"Wha. do you mean?" Gafford
spoke hoarsely. Karloff's attitude,
the intonation of his voice, his whole
action since the meeting at the hut
by the switch had affected him
strangely.
The Russian drew himself up,
folded his arms, aid threw back his
head. So for moment he stood and
looked into Gafford's eyes. 81 shall
tell YOU" he said loudly. 81 and my
bombs shall, tonight, save a world
from war of destruction. First
shall we save this gill of the people,
we and my little blue pigeons.
Then"-he lifted his arms and shook
them in frenzy or emotion
shall STAY them all; STAY them-my
children! One by one they shall die
by the hands which made them.
They shall die sacrifice-that shall
redeem tho lives of many. And the
many shall never know that |, Kar-
loft, have given them lifew
He dropped to a stool in front of
the table and bowed his head on his
crms.
Gafford spranc to his side and
seized his shoulders.
"Karloff," he protested-"Karlof
il Gods name, what do you mean ?"
The great shoulders he gripped
heaved beneath his hands. Some
thing like a sob burst from the
bearded lips. The Russian lifted his
head.
at is past, he said softly. "The
drea.i of lifetime is deadp Quite
calmly he drew out his watch and
looked at its dial. "There is time to
tell you," he decided. Eve shall not
ac' Until midnight, my bombs and I.
Tonight l announced that | would
come to the hut and spend the night
against tomorrow. took Nishi and
set out. | had to bring him, or IL