Air Wonder Stories, August 1929 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

~~ THE SILENT DESTROYER the deadly disrupter the prisoners filed,-one at a time, between guards who quickly searched them and passed them to a new and growing group. It reminded Addison of the fateful trickle of sand through the neck of an hourglass. Several of the officers had carried small pocket disrupters and were quickly dis- armed by the silent guards. Addison underwent the search with apprehension. The guards took from his pocket a heavy black-object and examined it curiously but returned it-to him—he carried no disrupter. He edged over to Captain Gauthier and bent close to him. “Be ready when I make a move,” he breathed. The captives had all been searched and the leader of the enemy walked up to Captain Gauthier. “We expected a move of this kind, so insulated our shops and hangars. You certainly changed the map, but we captured you and your ship. Thanks for the ship,” he said: with a quiet smile. “We figured that if we turned off our anti-nullifiers one at a time you would’ think that you had destroyed them—and the trap worked.” “You win for the time being, Ghorski,” the captain said slowly. “What are you going to do with us?” “We'll question your men and then make all of you immortal; We haven't decided what to transmute you into but have been thinking of a huge gold nugget for the museum at Singapore.” Addison, who had looked upon Ghorski as a rather pleasant person, shuddered, and any hesitancy he had felt. gave way to desperation. Quickly he drew. the heavy: black object that the searchers had scorned and pointed it at the traitor’s right shoulder. There was a flash of fire and a report that blasted the stillness to THE zine entitled: ment every month. charge for this service. NEXT MONTH EGINNING with our September issue, we are inaugurating a new department in this maga- “AVIATION FORUM” In this department, we shall endeavor to answer any and all questions, not only of technical, but general aviation interest. Ask us any questions about aeronautics or aviation that comes to your mind. Those of interest to our readers will be published in the ‘“‘Aviation Forum” depart- Our staff of aviation experts will give authoritative answers to your questions. There is no Address all questions to “Aviation Forum,” c/o Air Wonder Stories, 96-98 Park Place, New ty > << atoms. Mountain peaks barked savagely at one an- other, while the two groups of quiet-loving men stood rooted to the ground in horror that their sensitive ears should be thus tortured. A queer look of mingled pain and astonishment spread over Ghorski’s face and he clutched: at his shoulder. His right-hand hung limp andthe disrupter slid from his numb fingers. Captain Gauthier, startled as he was, recovered himself and seized the disrupter from the traitor’s stiffened hand. It was a tense moment and Gauthier was equal to it. Addison turned his head away, and well that he did. A blinding flash that left the sunlight pale and sickly by comparison lit the canyon for an instant. A wave of frightful heat like the breath of an angry furnace rushed by, scorching his clothes and singeing his hair. Slowly and apprehensively he turned and there, not twenty-six men but fifty-two pieces of men lay in grotesque huddles on the ground, frozen solid. “Alright,” said the captain quietly, feeling his numb, outraged ears, “we'll go down and destroy their laboratory and hangars. I am sure thatthe Orientals will be ready to listen to reason now. But how did you make that frightful racket?” : “T shot with a Colt 45 automatic,” said Allison simply, handing the heavy weapon to the captain who examined it curiously. “Seems to:me that }-saw one of these in the Museum of Antiquity at Chicago but I didn’t pay- much atten- tion to it. How did you happen to bring such an old fashioned contrivance along ?” “T had no idea of what conditions I might encounter on this plane so. brought it along as a precautionary measure,” Addison smiled, sliding the gun- back into his pocket. Enp =_s er eee ll te bed be