Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-04-22

easily be mistaken for a rift in any
cloud they crossed.
Gafford's heart poun ed in his
breast as he watched their approach
on the train and foresaw all that
they might mean. Sent against a
fleet or an army, they could hover
abo'e the doomed with never a sign
of their presence.
Not until from a seemingly clear
sky came the flash of their explosion
and their death burst over the heads
| unsuspecting, would t be realized
that they were there. The ficndish
ingenuity of their design appalled,
him. The horror of their potential
power gripped his breath in his
throat At the same time he real
lied that the circular structure was
a magazine in which they were
stored against the time of their
need.
The sight CO the train-load Of
death spurred him to action. He
wriggled back from the lip of the
ledge and crawled into his cave.
Once there, he drew out his little
mirror and the bottle of stain and
went carefully over his face, arms,
body and limbs, renewing their tint,
as he now did each day.
That finished, he rolled his blan-
kets and threw them over his shoul-
der, left the cave, and plunged into
the underground, slantirIg down the
side of the mountain toward the
railroad. Consciously or uncon-
sciously, he had determined to reach
the track and walk openly into the
bomb plant. There he would apply
for work and risk all on the one
chance, or, at least, so he thought.
The sight of the things in their
finished form had m.de him impa-
tient of all delay, fired all the ad-
venturous spirit which had thus far
led him to the place, determined him
to risk everything in an attempt to
destroy them and remove their rlen-
ace from his race. In that moment
when he left the cave he had not one
thought of self.
So for some time he went onward
in a line which led obliquely forward
and down. In fact, he had almost
regained the right of the
service railroad when a new sound
arrested his ear. 1t was the pant of
motor ascending hill. With the
instinct of caution returninp he sank
down and listened screened by a
friendly bush. TIE throb Of the ap-
preaching car came on, turned off
Just below him, ard died in a last
wheeze. Gafford Strengthened and
began to slip toward it through the
trees and bushes. Presently he came
in sight of recently built hut
1t was of concrete construction,
like the factory buildings, and he
could see that it stood on the banks
of the little brook which had given
him drink earlier in the day. His
eyes picked out the reason for this
in the raceway o. a water-wheel,
through which foamed a stream of
water. Before the hut stood
powerful roadster auto, and a man
was just unlocking the door.
He was tall, wi h first impress
sion of great physical strength, clad
in brown khaki, 18th a figure un-
usual in its breadth of shoulder for
Japan. Then, as he turned, Gafford
all but cried out, for the face he
looked upon was white. A black
beard, cut squarely, covered its
lower portion, and above it a fiat,
Slavic conformation rose to a shock
of black hair, half concealed by
round cap.
The man made some remark to
the chauffeur of the car, and the
machine swung and fled away along
a well-defined road. The white man
stood and gazed after it for mo-
ment, nodded his head slowly,
turned and went into the hut. Gaf-
ford watched him in a passing spec
u,ation which climaxed in the NUT
tered "Karloff" which passed his
lips. He felt certain, beyond doubt,
that this was the man whom Oshitu
had named as the inventor of the
bombs.
Gafford crouched down and waited
to see what might happen. Almost
at once there came to his ears the
purring hum of dynamo. He nod
ded. The purpose of the water
wheel was explained. 1t was it's
power which turned the electric en-
gine. He strained his ears to hear
more. 1t came in a cracking crash,
"Cra ash! Cra-a-a-shw
He started He knew the sound.
1t was the hiss and snap Of wire
less spark. He glanced hurriedly
from his spot of concealment and
became conscious of what his low
focused gaze lad not before OBJ
served Beyond the hut, opposite a
wide break in the trees of the hill
side, two straight trunks had been
trimmed of branches so that they
might serve as masts. Between
them hung the laterals of wireless
installation. He drew back and pom
dered the thing and shook his head.
He had hardly expected to find such
things as this in the hills.
The volleying spark was changing
its singing as the operator tuned it
down. 1t was taking an regular
rhythm of beat. Gatford crept half
out of cover and fastened his eyes
on the laterals beyond the hut. They
held a fascination which drew him.
He wondered if they were even now
reporting to headquarters the prog
gre made on the bombs. He stood
and gazed upon them and clenched
his hands.
Beyond them something swan
into his field of vision. At first he