self on the bed without undressing and fell into the troubled
sleep of exhaustion and despair.

* * * * *

The next day brought no encouragement, though it was reported that the
growth developed with less rapidity after sunrise than it had during
the night. Bart endeavored to get Van on the telephone, but was curtly
informed by the operator at the Research Building that no incoming
calls could be transferred to the laboratory where he was working.
Knowing his friend, he pictured him as working feverishly with the
Government engineers and giving no thought to sleep or food. He'd kill
himself, sure! But such a death, even, was preferable to the red one
of the moon weed.

The Canadians and Mexicans had been quick to protect their borders and
forbid the landing of any American aircraft or the passage of trains
and automobiles. But the seed had reached Europe, one of the
twelve-hour night air-liners having carried a thousand refugees who
had sufficient foresight and the means to engage passage. It was a
world catastrophe they faced!

By mid-afternoon the streets of Washington were almost deserted. It
was less than twenty-four hours since the first moon seed took root,
and already the crimson growth had progressed nearly a hundred miles
southward from the point of origin! Another twenty or thirty hours and
it would reach the capital city--unless Van and those engineers over
in the Research Building discovered something; a miracle.

Bart tried the telephone once more and was overjoyed when the
operator, all apologies now, informed him that Van had been trying to
reach him for several hours.

"Listen, old man," his friend's voice came over the wire: "I've been
worried as the devil not knowing where you were. I want you and Bill
to stick around where I can get you at any time. I may need you. Where
are you staying?"

"The Willard. Have you doped out something?" Bart answered in quick
excitement.

"Maybe. Can't let anything out yet--not till we've tested it
thoroughly. But I can tell you that a hundred factories are already
working on machines we've devised. By good luck it only means minor
changes to an apparatus that is on the market in large quantity."

"Great stuff. The city's nearly emptied itself, you know, and, boy,
how they've been razzing you over the radio and in the papers--howling
for your hide, the whole country."

"I know." Van's voice was calm, but Bart sensed in it somet