, vaguely and unsympathetically.

"It must travel towards the centre of the low pressure."

"Of course," assented Swift, as he would to a lunatic. Evidently that
inexpressible shock had been too much for the middle-aged man.

"The Gopher lake on the north, and the Buzzard mountain on the south,
prevent the isothermal curve from being deflected toward the north."

"Really?" said Swift.

"It will be deflected to the south, young man," said Mr. Ticks,
severely. "The atmospheric equilibrium can suffer no centripetal
disturbance."

"Well, what then?" asked Swift, a little bored.

"There could be no gyrating motion of the atmosphere. There will be no
aerial contest. There could be no colder stratum above the warmer layer
coming from another direction. Both would flow from the south. There
could be no inversion of these conditions. My friend, Russell has
experienced no tornado or cyclone. And yet--" he added wistfully and
thoughtfully, "and yet--"

"Well, if there was no tornado, what the deuce are we going to
Empiria for?" demanded Swift. He forgot himself, and gave the
four-hundred-dollar horse a sharp cut with the whip, in consequence of
which the animal backed them so nearly toward the place from which they
started that the journey to Empiria was seriously lengthened. Mr. Ticks
did not notice this delay.

"--And yet?" he mused.

"What is the matter, then, if it isn't wind?" asked Swift, impatiently,
after he had persuaded his horse to defer the next attack of backing for
a mile or so. "Is there a new variety of atmospheric disturbance? If
so, it might strike us here!"

"Sir--no! This is not a common tornado. As to further theories, they are
not formulated as yet. No, this quadrant of the State of Harrison was
not subjected to such a violent disturbance. I am prepared to say that
there will be no evidences of a vortex wind in or near Empiria." Mr.
Ticks relapsed into further thought, nor could he be aroused until the
jaded horse brought the two jaded reporters into the open square of the
county seat.

It was early, about five o'clock, but still there were evidences of
stirring and excitement. Upon the village common two or three large
tents were erected, and from out of these, scantily dressed men and
woman emerged. As these came into the cool, open air they lifted up
their faces to the south, searching the horizon and sky to see if there
was anything new in the smitten district. It was a motion as instinctiv