Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-04-29

"Then l took his neck in my hands
and choked him, came and found you
and we came here. At midnight
they change shifts in the works
again. AT few minutes before then
shall fly bomb from the field
where they are now awaiting to-
morrow's demonstration. Just at
midnight l shall explode it over the
prison. 1t will practically destroy
the place. The explosion will throw
the entire works into decentralization.
They will get t ste of what they
meant to give others, and their death
will come without warning out of a
clear sky. With such a chance. what
convicts are in the shops and such
as are not killed by the bomb will
seize the opportunity to rise and
escape. 1t will be their first i'm
pulse. The guards will be unable
to hold them, for they, too, will, for
the time, be demoralized. At once
we will go down in the motor. You
in the uniform Of Nishi will pass
unobserved in the confusion. 1 am
too we'll known to excite attention.
,Oshitu will, perforce, be out of his
house, directing his men. We will
slip in and slip out with the girl.
This is the thing have planned, and
TINS will we do. |, Dmitri Karloff,
shall undo what l have done, be-
cause, after all, my blood is white 7"
My God! said Gafford, as the
full scope of the plan grippcd him.
You'll get the girl, come bac! here.
and blow up the whole plant ?"
karloff nodded. "But for the pirl.
as ! told you this morning, | could
do it now" Again he looked at his
watch. ut was now a quarter of
twelve. We shall beginw
He crossed to the side of the hut
and threw the little turbine water
wheel into gear. 1t purred softly.
karloff touched another lever end a
rising whine came from the DYNAMO.
He came back to the table. moved n
switch slightly, and waited. The
cracking crash of the wireless spark
flashed and echoed through the
room. karloff waved Gafford to his
side. " ''
Now watch!" he cried in a voice
shaking with excitement. Down in
the field below are packed the
bombs. This chart marked one, two,
three, four, shows their positions.
place the needle of my Indicator on
this sextant on the table at four
That is the bomb nearest the plant.
Now, watch the dial of the range
Under l have just explained to YOU.
Watch it! 1t is steady at present.
Watch its needlew He pressed an
other switch. The crackle OF the
spark changed, tuned, and settled to
steady swapping hum.
Suddenly. as Gafford watched the
tiny dial before him, the needle be-
gan to mov1. 1t swung slightly,
checked, and started to crawl across
the dial to the right.
Karloff laughed aloud. "She is
flying" he cried out hoarsely. "She
rises and moves to the right-my
little blue pigeon. Fly away! Fly
away, my pet! All! One kilo, two,
three! Is she not swift, my friend,
Gafford? Four! And half! Now,
stop, my beauty! Stop! Stopw
Swiftly he turned q circular button.
Again the pulse Of the wireless
changed its tone. The indicator
slowed before Gafford's eyes and
stopped.
"Fivew screamed Karloff. He
glanced at q second row of figures
on the dial.
1.-TWO to the right. See? 1t is
shown on this dial also, before me
in the table! They correspond. This
other dial gives the elevation-three
hundred feet. So. Now my pigeon
hovers over the prison, and it is five
minutes Of twelve. The thing Is
done. Watch now, friend Gafford,
and you shall see what no man has
ever seen before. At twelve shall
lower it % fifty feet and fire. Do
you go out and start the motor in
my car and come back at once"
Gafford ran from the hut. With
hands which trembled he CROPPED for
the self-starter and touched the but
ton. The engine caught with a
roar. Even as it toned to a steady
throb, the faint, sweet notes Of q
bugle came to his ear.
He ran back to the hut. Karloff
stood beside his table, leaning for
ward. His fingers touched button
and turned it slowly, while his eyes
read an indicators scale. He paused
and glanced at Gafford with eyes
which seemed to shoot fire.
His face was drawn and distorted
with hacl-drawn lips which showed
his cleaning teeth.
"Now watchw he rasped as he
turned back to his work. His hand
seized tiny lever on the range
finder and drew it toward him. "In
one second now-one second-one
little second-Watchw He snapped
the lever clear over and leaped back.
Out over the dusky valley, under
the pulsing glare, grew great
light. 1t was white, binding, ap-
palling. To Gafford it seemed that
it scared the sight from his eyes for
the brief instant Of its existence, and
faded to leave him cropping in an
utter darkness out of which grew
the faint illumination of the wireless
room, with Karloff standing straight,
tall, massive. as if turned to stone,
IN expression Of exaltation on his
face.
A terrific concussion followed. The
ground trembled beneath their feet.
The hut seemed to rise and sway
under the impact Of the terrible
shock. Karloff seemed to shrink to-
gether and gather his wits.
"OIlickl To the InotOrW he cried