The Argosy for May — page 49: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

236 that you leave the operating-room this morning between eight and ten o’clock. ‘That will give you two hours, which is ample time. We'll understand where you are, and not think it unusual if you do not answer during that time. If you don’t answer soon after ten o’clock, however, we'll know there is something wrong.” ‘“Good plan, and we'll abide by it,” Bob answered. He closed the key, but immediately there came another call, and he turned to answer it. : “7,” he said. ‘You will do well,’ came the message, ‘to leave the city at daybreak. You have been warned.” ‘“‘ Great Scott!” cried Haverson. ‘Wait! ’? Bob implored. He worked the key, calling the tower. ‘Did you send that message?” he de- manded. “No,” the tower answered. “Then who in the world—” Bob be- gan. The circuit opened; Bob closed the key, and then came more words from the unknown operator. ‘“T am the master of the world. I ad- mire brave men, but say to the two oper- ators in the Electrical Building that re- sistance is useless. Leave the city at day- break ; it will not be safe for you to re- main longer than noon to-morrow. ‘This is the last warning.” ‘‘Some operator along the line joking,” Bob wired to the tower. The answer came immediately: “Cut out wire except from tower to headquarters, and see.’ This was immediately done. The tower operator reported soon that communica- tion beyond the tower had been inter- rupted. Then the mysterious operator cut in. “Vou see? It is not some operator fooling. I am master of the world, and I warn you because I admire brave men. But I do not admire them enough to allow them to prevent me from accom- plishing my purpose. Leave the city be- fore noon to-mofrow.” “ Are you thd fellow who telephoned ? ” Bob demanded on the key. 6c I. 19 “And who turned the lights on and off >?” THE ARGOSY: ic is ? “Well, what else can you do? Did you throw, the invisible wall around the city?” ry; a 79 ‘That confounded thing is the work of human hands, then? ” "Lhe work of a brain,” came the ego- tistical answer—* the work of the great- est brain in the world. Are you satis- fied 2?” . ‘I’m satisfied that you are the greatest scoundrel of the age,” Bob _ replied. ‘“You’re nothing but a man, in spite of your confounded mysterious power—a man that uses his brain for evil instead of good, and I’ve never yet met a man I was afraid of.” ‘““If you are wise, you will be afraid of me,” came the answer. CHAPTER V, THE FIRST BLOW. ‘WELL, what do you think of that?” Bob asked Haverson, turning from the key. The tower operator had cut off, and was reporting the conversation, Bob sup- posed, to the authorities. “What do you think about it?”’ Fred demanded in return. “T think it is some maniac with a great deal of nerve and bluff.” ‘ But you are not remembering the in- visible wall. A man that can create that is liable to be able to do anything.” ‘“T’m not forgetting the invisible wall,” Bob retorted, “‘ but I want to see him do something else—something that actually threatens us—before I run away from him. What do you think of the report of the scientists ? ” ‘ They talked a lot without saying any- thing,” Haverson replied. ‘‘ They seem to be as far from solving the\mystery as before.” ‘“ You noticed what they said about the belt-line_ track?” | “Yes, but they also said they believed it was merely used as a boundary for the wall. What is the history of the belt line? ”’ : “It is innocent enough,” explained Bob. “Some months ago a corporation headed by a man named Hellinger se- -(€O) OO mn S (E@