Evening star., 1925-01-29
CHAPTER u.
\, Terrible Power.

Mlliken and ] were very much left
10 ourselves, as far as Dan Lamont
Vas concerned. Our friend haunted
he laboratory of the chief of the
league and il was evident that
all his scientific interest had been
aroused by the things he saw there.
He grew more and more silent and
the Soyishness left him. He was
preoceupied and grave, with only
ware flashes of his careless humor.
hut in his gravity he was perhaps
more loNable than ever. The Dan
Lamont who stood in the front rank
of the scientists on both sides OF the
Atlantic was on top.
The chief gradually fell TO treating
Dan big fellow scientst-there
was no doubt or that. We would
often see the pair OF them strolling
bout the caves, absorbed in deep
discussion, and. while for the most
part Dams share seemed TO be in
listening we could see that his
opinion counted with the amazing
leader of the league. IT Milliken
and l encountered our friend while
he was in the company of the chief,
the greeting we got was an absent
minded smile and nod, nothing more.
enough with the arrangement. for
Milliken shared the lively respect
had for Dams ability, and we argued
that Dan was after stuff that neither
of US could begin to grasp. SO We
waited with patience until Dan was
ready to speak to us OF his discoV-
cries, or of the revelations made TO
him by the little leader.
That we should have something
HIag
had seen in the airshipS themselves.
Satou in showing US over the YES
sells kept nothing back. We only
saw, however. the instruments and
appauatus used Tor controlling the
mysterious powers of the league.
Seton did not pretend TO any deep
knowledge OF the means by which
tlsese instruments were worked.
The airship was constant marvel
to Milliken and myself, and it was
clearly shown what little chance
our Merlin would have had against
her in our encounter If her full pow
ers had been exerted. Apart from
any weapon OF offense, her mere
power of climbing-by reason OF that
extremely light gas used to buoy her
and the marvelously adjusted appa-
ratus for suddenly expanding it in
her allonets-would have taken her
Tar ous of our reach at any moment.
This, in combination with the engine
stopping ray, would have made our
hest maneuvers on the Merlin quite
ineffective.
Even if we had succeeded with our
contemplated quick dive in smashing
The stern engines and controls. the
airship would still have had ample
power and msneuverab bility to rise to
Il great height and proceed home.
nf would
have been able to master the ship.
Seton hnted at other weapons TO
be used as last resort, weapons
that in q few seconds could have
disposed OF the biggest air fleet imag-
Unable, leaving no trace of man or
metal. Yet, understanding all this,
Niliiken and I were even then hardly
prepared for the revelations Dan
made to Us one night when had
been in the cavern some weeks.
We had seen nothing of Dan all
day, and when he appeared Milliken
and | we're about TO go to bed Our
little companion was white and
almost shaking. as if he had just
seen a vision, and he looked old.
What's the matter, DAM" ! cried,
and ran to help him.
He sat down on his bed and looked
Al me wanly.
beaten. 1t will have to surrender
to the League OF the Covenant, That
little man-my God!-how big he is"
There's no doubling that, Danny"
1 said quietly, his bigness. I mean"
1T takes z. man trained in science
10 understand fully how great that
little fellow is" said Dan, though
even then it is difficult to believe
what he says is true. But l have
seen proofs, Jimmy-prcofs that
must convince the veriest skeptic
among US, among men of science.
You know I'm reckoned TO be no
smouch at my job can say that
for myself?" he pleaded.
Sure, Danny" | replied, soothing
Iy. he was so painfully modest in
making the claim. "AIl the world
knows you're wizard"
I'm glad if / count for something,
he said-"glad because they may
take my word for 1t that we're
beaten. They'll have to take my word
for it-they'll just have to, We can't
let the league exert its greatest
power If the peoples don't believe
then it's all up with the earth as
We know it. God knows what viii
happen"
VIII the. chief push that power"
/ asked.
Dan looked at me pityingly.
Can you doubt that determina-
tion-the will that's behind that per-
sonality? My dear Jimmy! Don't let
the fact that the chief has been so
careful of human life up TO now
blind you to the real issue. If hu-
manity does not come to heel and,
behave. humanity will be destroyed.
IL anything is sure, that is The
master is a scientist. when alls said
10 look upon man at long last as
merely small crawling masses of
impure carbohydrates. That's all
man will be if he refuses what the
master offers Then there's the will
Of him, Why, I believe the man
we know as. the chief has been dead
for years The torture he has en-
dured for years no human could en-
dure and live, There's nothing there
but the willard, by God what a
force it is. Only the will keeps him
alive with that mighty big hole in
his side-and he won't die until hissl
task is finished. Finished it will be-
100, even il it means the destruction
OF the earth. 1t might mean t6 e
destruction of the solar syste m--of
the universe,
He broke OFF in whisper. FOR
4 minute or two he remained silent,
while Miliiken and sat gazing at
him, in awe of his upwonted ye-
bsmence. Then he looked up with
a hint of his usual grin.
Think I'm mad. | suppose, old
.Tmmy?" he smiled II don't blame
YOU il you debut Tn .sane---as sane
as any physicist could be after to-
nights experience. What do you
know a about the atomic theory, Jim
ny?' he broke off.
"Oh, just layman's kuawledge," T
he nprlanS and odd