Cold Light By Capt Read online

  or pipe, of heat and light with a dark, cold

  “Thanks, Bill,” replied the doctor.

  Astounding Stories of Super Science 6

  “Well, Carnes, that seems to add more weight in place inside the coils. Cemented to the

  to the theory that the spot of cold was made magnet was a tiny mirror.

  and didn’t just happen. If a prospecting party

  “What is that apparatus?” asked

  had just happened along they would either

  Carnes as the doctor finished his set-up and have left the wreck alone or would have made surveyed it with satisfaction.

  some attempt to inter the bodies. That cold

  “Merely a thermocouple attached to a

  belt must have been produced artificially by D’Arsonval galvanometer,” replied the doctor.

  men who planned to rob this plane after “This large, squat telescope catches and bringing it down and who were near at hand to concentrates on the thermocouple and the

  get their plunder. Is there any chance of galvanometer registers the temperature.”

  following that trail?”

  “You’re out of my depth. What is a

  “I doubt it, Doc. Walter and I scouted

  thermocouple?”

  around quite a little, but we couldn’t pick it up

  “A juncture of two wires made of

  again.”

  dissimilar metals, in this case of platinum and

  “Is there any power line passing within

  of platinum-iridium alloy. There is another twenty miles of here?”

  similar junction in this case, which is kept at a

  “None that Walter and I know of, constant temperature by the water bath. When Doc.”

  the temperatures of the two junctions are the

  “Funny! Such a device as must have

  same, the system is in equilibrium. When they been used would need power and lots of it for are at different temperatures, an electrical operation. Well, I’ll try my luck. Carnes, help potential is set up, which causes a current to me unpack and set up the rest of my flow from one to the other through the apparatus.”

  galvanometer. The galvanometer consists of a With the aid of the operative, Dr. Bird

  magnet set up inside coils through which the unpacked two of the burros and extracted current I spoke of flows. This current causes from cases where they were carefully packed the magnet to rotate and by watching the

  and padded some elaborate electrical and mirror, the rotation can be detected and optical apparatus. The first was a short measured.

  telescope of large diameter which he mounted

  “This device is one of the most

  on a base in such a manner that it could be sensitive ever made, and is used to measure elevated or depressed and rotated in any the radiation from distant stars. Currents as direction. At the focal point of the telescope small as .000000000000000000000000001

  was fastened a small knot of wire from which ampere have been detected and measured.

  one lead ran to the main piece of apparatus, This particular instrument is not that sensitive which he sat on a flat rock. The other lead to begin with, and has its sensitivity further from the wire knot ran into a sealed container reduced by having a high resistance in one of surrounded by a water bath under which a

  the leads.”

  spirit lamp burned. From the container another

  “What are you going to use it for?”

  lead led to the main apparatus. This main

  “I am going to try to locate somewhere

  piece consisted of a series of wire coils in these hills a patch of local cold. It may not mounted on a frame and attached to the two

  work, but I have hopes. If you will manipulate leads. The doctor took from a padded case a the telescope so as to search the hills around tiny magnet suspended on a piece of wire of here, I will watch the galvanometer.”

  exceedingly small diameter which he fastened For several minutes Carnes swung the

  Cold Light

  7

  telescope around. Twice Dr. Bird stopped him elevation, anyway,” replied the doctor.

  and decreased the sensitiveness of his “Maybe it is what we are seeking. We’ll start instrument by introducing more resistance in out in that direction, anyway. Bill, you had the lines in order to keep the magnet from

  better take the lead, for you know the country.

  twisting clear around, due to the fluctuations Spread out a little so that we won’t be too in the heats received on account of the varying bunched if anything happens.”

  conditions of reflection. As Carnes swung the For three-quarters of an hour the little

  telescope again the magnet swung around group of men made their way through the sharply, nearly to a right angle to its former wilderness in the direction indicated by the position.

  doctor. Presently Bill, who was in the lead,

  “Stop!” cried the doctor. “Read your

  held up his hand with a warning gesture. The azimuth.”

  other three closed up as rapidly as cautious Carnes read the compass bearing on

  progress would allow.

  the protractor attached to the frame which

  “What is it, Bill?” asked the doctor in

  supported the telescope. Dr. Bird took a pair an undertone.

  of binoculars and looked long and earnestly in

  “Slip up ahead and look over that

  the indicated direction. With a sigh he laid crest.”

  down the glasses.

  The doctor obeyed instructions. As he

  “I can’t see a thing, Carnesy,” he said.

  glanced over he gave vent to a low whistle of

  “We’ll have to move over to the next crest and surprise and motioned for Carnes to join him.

  make a new set-up. Plant a rod on the hill so The operative crawled up and glanced over

  that we can get an azimuth bearing and get the the crest. In a hollow before them was a crude airline distance with a range finder.”

  one-storied house, and erected on an open

  On the hilltop which Dr. Bird had space before it was a massive piece of pointed out the apparatus was again set up.

  apparatus. It consisted of a number of huge For several minutes Carnes swept the hills

  metallic cylinders, from which lines ran to a before an exclamation from the doctor told

  silvery concave mirror mounted on an

  him to pause. He read the new azimuth, and

  elaborate frame which would allow it to be

  the doctor laid off the two readings on a sheet rotated so as to point in any direction.

  of paper with a protractor and made a few

  “What is it?” whispered Carnes.

  calculations.

  “Some kind of a projector,” muttered

  “I don’t know,” he said reflectively

  the doctor. “I never saw one quite like it, but it when he had finished his computations. “This is meant to project something. I can’t make darned instrument is still so sensitive that you out the curve of that mirror. It isn’t a parabola may have merely focused on a deep shadow or and it isn’t an ellipse. It must be a high degree a cold spring or something of that sort, but the subcatenary or else built on a transcendental magnet kicked clear around and it may mean

  function.”

  that we have located what we are looking for.

  He raised himself to get a clearer view,

  It should be about two miles away and almost and as he did so a puff of smoke came from

  due west of here.”

  the house, to be followed in a moment by a

  “There is no spring that I know of,

  sharp crack as a bullet flattened itself a few Doc, and I think I know of every water hole in inches from his head. The doctor tumbled

  this country,” remarked Bill.

  back over the crest out of sight
of the house.

  “There could hardly be a spring at this

  Bill and Walter hurried forward, their rifles

  Astounding Stories of Super Science 8

  held ready for action.

  below the hill if you value your lives!”

  “Get out on the flanks, men,” directed

  He turned and raced at full speed

  the doctor. “The man we want is in a house in toward the sheltering crest of the hill, the that hollow. He’s armed, and he means others following him closely. The whirring business.”

  sound continued, and the concave reflector

  Bill and Walter crawled under the turned with a grating sound on its gears. As shelter of the rocks to a short distance away the path of its rays struck the ground the rocks and then, rifles ready, advanced to the attack.

  became white with frost and one rock split

  A report came from the hollow and a bullet

  with a sharp report, one fragment rolling down whined over Bill’s head. Almost instantly a the slope, carrying others in its trail.

  crack came from Walter’s rifle and splinters With panic-stricken faces the four men

  flew from the building in the hollow a few

  raced toward the sheltering crest, but

  inches from a loophole, through which remorselessly the reflector swung around in projected the barrel of a rifle.

  their direction. The intense cold numbed the The rifle barrel swung rapidly in a

  racing men, cutting off their breath and

  circle and barked in Walter’s direction; but as impeding their efforts for speed.

  it did so, Bill’s gun spoke and again splinters

  “Stop!” cried the doctor suddenly.

  flew from the building.

  “Fire at that reflector! It’s our only chance!”

  “Good work!” ejaculated Dr. Bird as

  He set the example by turning and

  he watched the slow advance of the two emptying his pistol futilely at the turning guides. “If we just had rifles we could join in mirror. Bill, Walter and Carnes followed his the party, but it’s a little far for effective pistol example. Nearer and nearer to them came the work. Let’s go ahead, and we may get close

  deadly ray. Bill was the nearest to its path, and enough to do a little shooting.”

  he suddenly stiffened and fell forward, his Pistols in hand, Carnes and the doctor

  useless gun still grasped in his hands. As his crawled over the crest and joined the advance.

  body struck the ground it rolled down hill for Again and again the rifle spoke from the a few feet, the deadly ray following it. His hollow and was answered by the vicious barks head struck a rock, and Carnes gave a cry of of the rifles in the hands of the guides, Carnes horror as it broke into fragments.

  and the doctor resting their pistols on rocks Walter threw his rifle to his shoulder

  and sending an occasional bullet toward the and fired again and again at the rotating disc.

  loophole. The conditions of light and the The cold had became intense and he could not moving target were not conducive to good

  control the actions of his muscles and his rifle marksmanship on the part of the besieged

  wavered about. He threw himself flat on the man, and none of the attackers were hit. ground, and, with an almost superhuman Presently Walter succeeded in sending a bullet effort, steadied himself for a moment and

  through the loophole. The rifle barrel fired. His aim was true, and with a terrific suddenly disappeared. With a shout the four crash the reflector split into a thousand

  men rose from their cover and advanced fragments. Dr. Bird staggered to his feet.

  toward the building at a run.

  “It’s out of order for a moment!” he

  As they did so an ominous whirring

  cried. “To the house while we can!”

  sound came from the apparatus in front of the As swiftly as his numbed feet would

  house and a sudden chill filled the air.

  allow him, he stumbled toward the house. The

  “Back!” shouted Dr. Bird. “Back muzzle of the rifle again projected from the

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  9

  loophole and with its crack the doctor feet. “The game is up for you, and you’d staggered for a moment and then fell. Walter’s better realize it.”

  rifle spoke again and the rifle disappeared

  “Secret Service! Thank God!” cried

  through the loophole with a spasmodic jerk.

  the voice. “Get Koskoff––he has the plans. He Carnes stumbled over the doctor.

  has gone out through the tunnel!”

  “Are you hit badly?” he gasped

  “Where is it?” demanded Carnes.

  through chattering teeth.

  “The entrance is that iron plate on the

  “I’m not hit at all,” muttered the floor.”

  doctor. “I stumbled and fell just as he fired.

  Carnes and the doctor jumped at the

  Look out! He’s going to shoot again!”

  plate and tried to lift it, without result. There The rifle barrel came slowly into view

  was no handle or projection on which they

  through the loophole. Walter fired, but his could take hold.

  bullet went wild. Carnes threw himself behind

  “Not that way,” cried the voice. “That

  a rock for protection.

  cover is fastened on the inside. Go outside the The rifle swung in Walter’s direction

  building; he’ll come out about two hundred

  and paused. As it did so, from the house came yards north. Shoot him as he appears or he’ll a strangled cry and a sound as of a blow. The get away.”

  rifle barrel disappeared, and the sounds of a The three men nearly tumbled over

  struggle came from the building.

  each other to get through the doorway into the

  “Come on!” cried Carnes as he rose to

  bitter cold outside. As they emerged from the his feet, and made his stumbling way forward, cabin the gaze of the guide swept the

  the others following at the best speed which surrounding hills.

  their numbed limbs would allow.

  “There he goes!” he cried.

  As they reached the door they were

  “Get him!” said Carnes sharply.

  aware of a struggle which was going on

  Walter ran forward a few feet and

  inside. With an oath the doctor threw his

  dropped prone on the ground, cuddling the

  massive frame against the door. It creaked, but stock of his rifle to his cheek. Two hundred the solid oak of which it was composed was

  yards ahead a figure was scurrying over the proof against the attack, and he drew back for rocks away from the cabin. Walter drew in his another onslaught. From the house came a

  breath and his hand suddenly grew steady as pistol shot, followed by a despairing cry and a his keen gray eyes peered through the sights.

  guttural shout. Reinforced by Carnes, the Carnes and the doctor held their breath in doctor threw his weight against the door sympathy.

  again. With a rending crash it gave, and they Suddenly the rifle spoke, and the

  fell sprawling into the cabin. The doctor was fleeing man threw up his arms and fell

  the first one on his feet.

  forward on his face.

  “Who are you?” asked a voice from

  “Got him,” said Walter laconically.

  one corner. The doctor whirled like a flash

  “Go bring the body in, Carnes,”

  and covered the speaker with his pistol.

  exclaimed the doctor. “I’ll take care of the

  “Put them up!” he said tersely.

  chap inside.”

  “I am unarmed,” the voice replied.

  “Did you get him?” asked the voice

&n
bsp; “Who are you?”

  eagerly, as the doctor stepped inside.

  “We’re from the United States Secret

  “He’s dead all right,” replied the

  Service,” replied Carnes who had gained his doctor grimly. “Who the devil are you, and

  Astounding Stories of Super Science 10

  what are you doing here?”

  “As to who I am or what I was, it

  “There is a light switch on the left of

  doesn’t really matter. Koskoff knew me as

  the door as you come in,” was the reply.

  John Smith, and it will pass as well as any Dr. Bird found the switch and snapped

  other name. Let my past stay buried. I am, or on a light. He turned toward the corner from was, a scientist of some ability; but fortune whence the voice had come and recoiled in

  frowned on me, and I was driven out of the

  horror. Propped in the corner was the body of world. Money would rehabilitate me––money

  a middle-aged man, daubed and splashed with will do anything nowadays––so I set out to get blood which ran from a wound in the side of it. In the course of my experimental work, I his head.

  had discovered that cold was negative heat

  “Good Lord!” he ejaculated. “Let me

  and reacted to the laws which governed heat.”

  help you.”

  “I knew that,” cried Dr. Bird; “but I

  “There’s not much use,” replied the

  never could prove it.”

  man rather faintly. “I am about done in. This