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Show S.JzhBjck Bourhz ' and. . QnvlcsJmtcis t Bourhz 1 TITHOGLYCL: r ' even TNT, 13 r ! innocuous coir.; rt ; v. '. .i the deadlj chciv.!cl (.j-tilled (.j-tilled in a man's t'ooJ Ly . love. The old professor's . daughter smiled on big blond Jack Hazard there in Powder Valley, where disaster rode on every breath of air, and hate was born in the heart of . black Jim Sutton. The drl bad Bud him forget them, lot k knew lh tram matt bs bad worked aid by aid with wu la ter-ribl esrnast ww, aad ' kt added bis voic ta Suttoa'. "Isi,i tb stuff, professor l" bs triad. "Whatever' bsppened, -Jim bar hnew about It. Vkm'i tbat wire, Jim? What lra do yoa mesa?" Iba othere wra plainly motr. In sympathy I baa alarm. Th. profeeaor shrujeed bla brawny shuldera. "Bab t He's alck hyeterlcal. Why should I destroy air worb lust wbea It baa resrhed perfection' . "Bmon I did Itt I atuck the telephone tele-phone wlrt la It that curdled It up la tba storm. And tba wire's atill there, wait- laf for some on ta ring op and alaia bang - -h nrnat lata IC- u aaid a apark would . art It o aow and kere you'rs holding at lika loola." T ' "Bab. (airy talee, you ra both foola! Tba burl professor waa holding them botb . of now. angrier thaa ar la tba cbagria t, tbat selxed blm. OF THE5I all, ths eimy ofne-ec had atood quietly wltb folded arma. aa ona looking ea at a play tbat waa verging slowly bat surely lata drama. Now ka apoka. Ignorant of tha real Crisis. "If It la tma wbat this man says end . ,oa. professor, meybs wa bad better inveatl-a.ia. inveatl-a.ia. I myeelf aaw a thread o( wira when tha vapor cleared In tba tank yonder. Wber tha other and leadn " ' Tor ;our Una, outl" roared tba pre- 'iTreBched below tha tank, lifting strongly a loaf lever that ahould drop tha con-tenta con-tenta tnto tba tank of drowning minora b-low Ha atraightened ap. groaning. -It clogs It runa too slowly outl' ba tried agaia. . ' "Don't 70a aea tha man baa grounded a rentable lightning rod U tha powder? Oot la Powder Valley men aaw tha fleeing lures tba laat tha great form af tba pro-feasor pro-feasor tragic la tha disappointment thai made blm atop and glara back la tha n-ibt t. tba billa. Panic travels ulrkly In pow- . ' VirnHX CaHraa at Death, - whoa ear akk i. named Powder Valler knew wbat ha S waa talking abeat." Button aald. "And tbia saw nltro stuff la tba tuba aoonda lika I .' tba alitkcrlng of death' wing." "I aner waa one ta auk a faaa about fee there," Hazard answered between atrokea a kla paddla la tba tank of glutlnoao, elettrtc-lighted nitroglycerin are which ha waa working. - , Tha twa teemjsatea apoka la tba area tones af prof eaa local altro workera without - - kecking ap front tba ealrea aad paddlaa which they need to heap tha dangaraaa atutf cooled and in naotioa. In Powder Vajlej otherwtee known aa tba Caldroa af Death area tba ootalda workera apoka la whiapertl men in woolen . alothlBg and rubbar-aoled ahoaa. trundling fraaa aa death' residence ta another cara . of Uqoid annlhUation, cold at hot ta ault tba moat faetidioaa taataa. - la thoaa lltU glaaa-aided bouaaa, wide arattared thraogboat tba bUla. where naea work alwajr in pair, aa that none aball . go ta tha great emknowa alone, ft la bardie ' teta danreroua ta draw a quirk breath thaa It would he to throw etoaea la tha manner af tha prortrb. ,. I Tkerefore, wbat aemetlmea happea ta mea left for a time alone ia a thing ta ba considered wltb eharltj. fur all human frail-" frail-" xrop. aul, in P" ' vn-f Of tbem all. Hazard and Huttoa had moat ranee for cautloa, hartng rhoeea of ail deSaaca to deatruetloB the naoat trearher -oua the testing of a new formula for ra-. ra-. due log nltro compound to a anlid man which would eiplode under electrical lmpulaion tbia, tb latest diaooeary of the company's ' aaw chemist, a professor of annihilation af " aot. Ia fact, Hatard toi Suttos both knew that a raluable Ooeernment contract depended de-pended upon tha successful issue of tbia new . eiplosire within a giren time aow almost tipired which would aweep tb company's ' principal rival in tbia powder nsanufartur . from tb field. v " . Tbclr waa work that few naea eared to ha engaged la aniens they possessed iron acre or bad aoma strong incentive. Big blond Jack Hazard and black Jim Button, physically unalike aa they wen la other respects, at least possessed tb (rat attribute ia perfection at, at least, so Haa-ard Haa-ard bad hitherto always thought a( his sore Or leas silent teammate. fm tha real, tb two aaea had grows from boya ia Powder Valley, where tb bulls ess of making powerful explosives de-. de-. acends from father ta eoa aoma times of tb ' sudd en eat. 80 fsr the tests of the sew powder had beta attended with disastrous conditions of ' . weather and luck. ' Both men were oa tdg with tb strain. M fef- :' .l.j ittl. thunder f fZ V' aVC.VV ' J ,T ' J , alrfta-srhi V-W A jjf" ft T" . and the pow- J itS C' f V f . ' ed about tb. ZfySX. VtV', t i ) l" M , Aermomete. X- I &fgff X&itt V?A i f a J v .tent, of tb. )( V ca- ofaead , M -2 V" ( ..working at . I . 3,' d U )lt s V A ' m ' w VV end, I aug- vV -- - : N. . V er and there ' V tl -SX V, iV I 'a danreroua. ' i;V t X lV of what But- V J M VmV "X VvN. HtV1, . y Tha work A? -' uiah thunder A great bofst of . vT Lm . -ok. belched-from t S coed. Then. the vat and a oheet of . ,inia.. yiT H.. w.. flame fell on them sM IfC" p.. do it mighty ' ' ' stJ$t&h - V robber matting with carefully lifted feet. "80 r tb chemist smiled, hie glance I flitting from tb cool young aaea to tba tanks with their aighing mixture, "as, all Is well yet? I as thoss little thunder ' beads ws bsvs beta having bar left a mark ( oa your fares it will paaal And tb pow- 1 dee that will aot harden aa I wish, how goes it with that" i With ratlike tread he snored about tb tanka, comparing tba relative thermometers, flitiivea. everything. . There were places In thst esporlsing , mass wher a siiider's web might hsng undetectedbut un-detectedbut here, with his picked mea, everything was right. "Pip cool, connecting tb tubs, as thst tha mixtures may mis whils yoa mil, good. ' Vslr free, to dump the contents of tb tubs into the drowning rat la case of need tbst's welll Ton are twins, working at tha Niaasea twin tubs and bars sou aay asmplaint ?" "Why, it's this way. professor." Hazard Haz-ard aaid, apes king kls mind as to oas af safe 'sympathy. "There are time wbea ens men Is left alone here, and too much depends on the work of ns to afford to hare anything happen, from inside or out. Now that wa are getting near the end, I aug-geat aug-geat that two ba alwaya together and there be a watcher at ot times. It's dangerous, yoa know, ond Iheti, tb Government tests srs so Bear" ( HE WAS not even thinking of what Button But-ton bad aaid, but his fellow mate scowled. The professor nodded. "Good! It shall be done. The work A great burst of smoke belched-from the vat and a sheet of . flame fell on them feasor waa aaying. "Providence la a great hand with wireless explosives such ss mine." Huttoa glsnred st tbs blsck bask of clouda . aver the valley. II. had not thought of the storm, except aa it meant a layoff; for tbs nltro workers when It broke. - "We may glv Providence a chance, eh?" , But nobody thought of him. Aa the men passed him going out b. had to grip himself to beep from laughing st tbs opjaortunity they were giving bim. "They'll have to at art building when they get back," he muttered. The plan tbat sprang fuU-fledged In bia brain waa aimplicity itself, bow tbat be bad the house to himself. His tools of destruction were .11 at band the telephone, tb nitro tanka and tbs coming com-ing storm. Tb connecting link be formed with a bit of wire. Imperceptible where he wound it-round it-round a coil in tb tsnk. Tb other end he twisted round the telephone wire oa the wall beyond the tank and back ot it. Thia flniabed, he could wait for the electric elec-tric Mora fo do the rest. "Tb. telephone wire will carry ths electricity elec-tricity into tb mixture Just like a lightning-rod," lightning-rod," he an id. "It will help out this Providence Provi-dence game." Button bad bo certainly of what might happen one tb. wira carried tli electric ' fluid Into the nltro tsnk. But the storm had tba whole length of tb valley wire to play upon, and tb lightning at leaat, with such a conductor, should e-t tb stuff oa hr. Thst was wbst ths professor thought would happea, and Button's mind waa .willing .will-ing to believe anything Juat then even tbat ' be himself contemplated do great harm. "I'm only delaying tb. manufacture of a great destructive force and diverting a few dollars to myself," he argued with himself. him-self. "It will be safer for us sll here with this place gone . What waa that?" Tba flrst low rumbling tsm Inn the kills, followed by a flicker of lightning searching for sosvs Bearer opening for tb atorm. Button knew that waa the eigne! for tha workers to lay off, and he drew a deep breath. Tb Impulse seised bia ta go, too, but he shook It off. "I'm tsking sll the risk II there is sny. The stuff won't explode; we've proved thst. I'll stsy trlt tbs hr slarta to make surs I haven't - missed connections; mustn't waste thia chance.' he muttered. He ssnk into s chair, bis head heavy and strangely numb with the hesvily cbsrged stmoepbere. "I don't wsnt to fsli off here, though. I've got to go aoon." It waa pouring rain when he awoke. He beard voices, and before he could more in tbe fear thst held bim in the chair three mea hurried into the sbsck tbs professor pro-fessor end Hazard and another msa In tbs uniform of sn army officer. "Heavens I" the professor was saying, "we got ourselves soaking by accident, but fiow sre srs here w will get good end dry sgsio." STAKING dumbly. Button gathered they had route, with the breakup of the etormg with the officer to test the powder once more and had been caught in s suddea squall "out of s clear aky." . He must bare slept ftr hours, and tba other men were back at their work aa k should bsvs been. "Let us see If bsrm hss com to my mix -tore thst this sleepy fool has neglected' The professor's voles reached him like th horll of doom. ".i! It seems safe enough, sines K hi not solidifying." Button, better then sny one, hnew he had neglected bis work ss be wstcbed the sticky mass surge' slowly before tbe woodea paddle tbe professor carefully wielded. Solidifying? Solidi-fying? Tbe stuff waa solid compared to whet It had lieen when bs dropped ths little wire into it ! Uis culmiustmg horror cams with tb must go forward if this devilish thunder weather permit, for tb powder, thst would be only dangerous when It begins te solidify, and so fsr thst hsa not happened. Then, spark anything might set it off. We shell see." "Well, nltro will burn, and do It mighty auleh, at th best," Hazard insisted, "and-thers's "and-thers's sll this prepared metal, and tba imported fixings that ws coulda't replace-not replace-not in time, anywsy." - He wss fighting for his chance at a ssfs snd hsppy future, when this , dsngerous work should bs over, snd hs cared neither for the professor's knowing smils nor Button's But-ton's scowl. Every msa for himself In Powder Valler. "That is sll it will do. aow unless a wire with a proiier current, ba dropped ia tbe thickening mass. Kven tbat bow would merely shock tb mixture into Are. Bo f4r nothing." Tbe big chemist waa familiar with tha whima of altro workers and for their saks often aaw bo danger wkere danger by common com-mon consent existed. But llsxard had spoken because, aa Suttoa aaid, ha waa interested in-terested in tb success of ths experiment. As for Button himself, no man bnt himself him-self knew wbst his snsrling nerves were saying to bia own dissatisfied outlook oa life.. He bed taken himself to the opea door-, wsy, gszlng out on tbe Valley of Death while ths mea within talked over ita da-taila. da-taila. No one consulted blm, he reflected bitterly bit-terly alwaya Hazard had the lead, with tbe gtrl'a favor, tba professor's success, everything. And wbst wss this "Professor's Powder," after sll. but food for great wsrsblps' guna. to annihilate lives snd property, even ns It threatened to snnihilst tbs men who wer forced to tend it ia Its infsacy of conception? A msa wouldn't be blamed for delaying such a work, Huttoa pondered, gazing out wbere men In ailenc. went tbeir daily rounds of cslls st destb's houses. Suppose on of thess ominous bouaee burned down, ss might happen ta this very mixing aback should snytbing go wrong' with th powder in Ita present stsge. That would not endanger life. It would make one threat less. In the back of kla head Button hept harping on tbe anphlatry of tba princely - reward tbat could be claimed from the rival powder company as tbe price of a good deed, though he did sot figure how he should collect it. "It's en tbe cards that another would give those Hill people a hand ap If I dida't." h argued with tb temptation, aot stopping to analyse H any more than he had bia wn obliquity. "Aad I'd be doing a favor to tb poor devils tbat might get shot up with tbe powder there's enough devilish s'uff loos, now, Ilesvea knows 1" Nerves It might be. with Jim Suttoa. "nitro-worker's aerres" thst make all .things eaiy and confuse th good with the evil once a msa surrenders to tbeir mastery. mas-tery. But they had mastered Jim Suttoa. Tbe chime of tba midday gong waa call - w ing th nitro workers to tb big hotel ea tb bill tb oa break ia the day a routine f perils when th telephone tinkled. Hazard took dowa tbs -receiver, tbea tamed to tba professor with a little smile: "bliss Lueill calling you, air." he said. Operative Button's face was aot good to see aa he listened. , "Tea, I will fetch Friend Hazard te dinner with us with this atorai grumbling la tb valley he will ha safer," the pre- and taa laat week or vicious electrical storms the one thing th professor did sot wsnt cuhninsting ia aa equally vicious f . "arthshak," as tbs powder mea called tb -Bsturbpae which had been instrumental wiping out a boos at en end af tb ailsj row. I hop it won't take aa In rotations, 'cause we're next but one," Hsxard said la a pause In tb work. "We're cogs ia 1 tb wheel, Jim. What toonfa ia ta get tb work don without -getting wheels." "A man can slford to be s cog for a while and get wheels, too," Button aaid, scowling st th thermometer that marked tb temperature of tbe twin tank to Hazard's Haz-ard's that he was working over, "wbea he ' knows that he's working for a gruh-atake like Gawd! that gave me a snspped . aerre, too!" ' - la tbe irritation of tbe moment he had . Jerked his paddle from tbs mixing -tsnk, just missing the thermometer. Strained silence followed, with ths slight fluttering of a bubbling mixture, as though destb's wings hsd, indeed, (raxed them ia passing. I For friction or tbe merest shock ia thst piece meant ertermtnetaon. Hazard drew a deep breath. "If I thought yoa wer trying to rattle my nerve with those careless tricks ot yours, Jim Button " k said, aad stopped. Tb aitro-room was a place even for verbal ver-bal quarrels. But Button gsr a snsrling lsugh thst ' wss worse than tbs srs re he hsd plainly ahowa. "What a anap for tboae hill Powder people if something did happen ta as her v In tb valley," hi said. "They wouldn't abed tears over our boat Government contract, tbst's sure. Bay, there's money ia thst idea." h said, suddenly giving tb reia I ta his 111 temper. "We're sot sll pulling " owb a bonus from tb professor and matri-aaoay matri-aaoay lata his family. If enotber powder company wants to plsy odd man out dowa here for a little delay and pay well for it " He pulled ap, conscious tbat he was going a Itttl too far even with bia old chum, who waa winning out with tb. girl that ia always at ths bottom of brokea friend -' ships. ttrOMES wer. scarce in Powder Valley, W but Miss Lucils, th. professor's daughter, daugh-ter, hod dipped her pretty Augers la the pie , M this particular friendabip wbea she first cans to Powder Valley with her father, tb. I chemist. Mow, with Hazard naturally taking prece-0nce prece-0nce aver him aad ia tin for further benefits ia lucre and love if tbey succeeded in tbeir common work of peril, Jim Suttoa hnew there wasn't mock at a show for . him. . Aad hs wss of ths men who tura to ths I ' next best thing, even to taking a long , chance la th. feathering of tbeir awa Beat. Hazard knew his mat' temper so well As was aot eves listening. Ba had atepped'to tba door to greet a harly, fed-bearded sua, tha professor himself, him-self, who stood, with tha superintendent beside him, -screwing up his calm Mas eye la epp royal st wbst seemed tbe orderly aad I aafs aspect of ths room. Both mea aeoved Softly inside, treading always aa toe smooth professor's words, spoken slowly and with great satisfaction. "I am mistaken, gentlemen I The nitre Is thicker, truly, hot thst could happen. And tha temperature la quits right. "There Is ns great danger of this mas s . neglect, but tbs explosivs is more dangerous. danger-ous. It is thickened, becauas it has stood st rest, and that is tbs secret I bsvs beea trying to find." "l'ou mesa you bsvs beea trying how to make it solid msks it Into powder?" the officer said. In tbe plain eatlafactlon af tha chemist beaming over the work tbat had unexpectedly unexpect-edly become gnod, tbs others gathered round . blm. wstrbing bia Manipulate tbe terrible stuff of death. SUTTON', still silent, wss forgotten. "Bonis accident maybe tbe electricity of the atorm is turning it into s ' most terrible exploilve," tb professor beamed. "That proves ths proportions ere rigbtl Also, la ita present stste sn electric spsrk a slight shock even in th heart of this mixture, snd this valley of our poof!" A more hideous shock tbsn aver aped from a dynamo froas Sutton ta tbe floor. - The whole seen, bed psaaed so quickly almost before tbe men bad ceased atirring from ths doo, or even thought to shake out tbeir wet clothe tbat his sumbed senses bad aot understood. ' But be understood now. Hs knew thst no accidental electricity from ths storm . hsd thickened thst hideous Biasa la tb tanks: or. If It hsd, tbs current psaaed waa passing then by wsy of ths electric wire he had fastened in it, Th. phenomenon that pi rased the professor profes-sor and perfected his work was dus to bis Bends ths murderously desttructlv. handa of Jim Sutton and tb. try tbat he gar. aa tbe whole terrible truth burst apua him petrified tbe others in tbeir tura. "Tbs telephone will eiplode It!" b gaid. 'Ijet me st It !" "Good Lord, tbs man is crazy!" Hazard cried. "Bend him to the hotel." tb. professor said impatiently. "Or wait! I expected my daughter to call m by bow. 1 will ask her to send tbs doctor quickly. It la not tbe poor fellow's fsult that hs Is Interfering with my work. It is good we cam!". His work? Good tbey tame? Sutton sprang upon tbs bearded German, forcing bim back from tbe telephone. "Heavens sbov tea, don't ring! Ton say a sparh st electricity may lire thst atulf Heaves known why It hasn't dons it yet ! Hump it out. Dump it sll into tb drowning rata, I tell yoa. Damn you, Hazard, Haz-ard, let me get to tbat cursed wire! We'll sll be blown op four ways!" He wss fighting for bis lifs Dow, trying . I get to the thread of wire thst linked sll these men to lifs or destb, and they hsd sll tbey could do to bold him fast. Hs wss fighting liks a madman, but Jack Hazard knew very well tbat Button waa not s man to loos bis senses without good reason. "Nitro-workera' nerves" might seise him. yes, and he might for a time do silly things tbat seemed to blm eminently ssne. That is -one of tb perils of tbe powder worker's life. And that morning be bad suspected that Jiai Button was ia a critical stale. der ptauis. . . . x Aa tb. mixing bouse emptied Itself men faded away ta every direction, none stopping t. ssk the csuss af Us flight, nons curious t. know why th. canopy waa not opening sbovs tbem even then. Only smoke poured lata Only Jack Haiard and Jim Button, his ( teammate, knew tbe reason of that. Wbea the truth flashed, liks sb explosioa. upon the brains of sll. Hosard slon. bad on. stronger feeling than fear. Shasm shook him like a blow, thst his partner had failed in hie trust. Tbea la a culminating shock hs hesrd Button babbling behind the tank. "It serves ma right I deeerv ts get blowa op. Pool, that I didn't hnew tbat tbe girl might call up sny minute shoot a corrent into tbs stuff!" Ths girl 00 the other end of tb. telephone! tele-phone! Hsxsrd sprang for him. "By Jove, yon are a scoundrel! ha cried. A great bo rat of amoks belched from th est snd a sheet of flam fell oa them. Plunging out, with Suttoa la bis arms. Hazard beard th tinkl ot s telephone. But bo cataclysm followed. "It's sll right I tut tbs eonnec-Uoa. Button gasped, "tbs win that led into the tank." Hazard dropped him. "If tb stuff i only going to burn" he said. Lying helpless. help-less. Button heard his groaning vaie at the telephone "All right, alias Locy father's safe!'' lis cams oot ea ths second burst at flra snd sBxoVe I "Ton don't deserve It," hs snarled at Suttoa, "but I'm going to savs yea from . being blown to bits and finish tb Job myself sfterwsrd. Or tbs professor will !" Us wss running with his helpless burden wkea tbs long -walled for blast shook th earth ! Tb special Ooverameat powder invented by tbe fasaowa professor snd perfected by tb malicious spirit In Jim Suttoa did aot loss snytbing in waiting to let go with all tbs fores of a doses flrst-elaus Vssarloasa sll ia tbs finest working order. Bot tba moment's delay, while port af the smolawrtng moss dribbled Into tba drowning vat, aneo&e salvation ta sll can--cerned la tbs work of Powder Valley. Tbea cams tb final rear I - N Hsxard snd Suttoa wer thrown forward snd, lolling ever and ever, wrapped In each ether's srms and propelled by ths aasa-strous aasa-strous bloat, lung ap the mounts inside tu tb feet od the grim professor, who stood like Jove oa th hillside! . When ths heavens had . closed and th earth resumed it wonted solidity tbey were Sll stsading tber blackened snd bruised snd silent. Hsxard was feeling himself srer to so wbst was left snd glaring tt Button, wb stsggered. bat aUil stood ready to take bia punishment lika a maa at lease Tb professor only mad an. ressark .- . "Tba msa," h said cryptically, "i to much hurt yet." Then wbea Hazard with a touch 0 arm' pathy tried to explain what tb. atraia ad' Powder Valley did to men's nerves at fusses lbs professor nodded, "And what men's fool nerves de ts sag Jnreatina! Never mind," be aaid grimly, I can wsitr t ' - ' |
