* * * * *

Dr. Bird was in his private laboratory on the third floor of the
Bureau of Standards. When Carnes entered he was seated in a chair at
his desk. His black eyes shone out from a chalky face like two burned
holes in a blanket. Carnes started at the appearance of utter
weariness presented by the famous scientist. Dr. Bird straightened up
and squared his shoulders as the detective entered.

"Any luck, Carnes?" he asked eagerly.

"None at all, Doctor. We haven't been able to get a single trace of
his corporeal existence since that submarine was destroyed off the
Massachusetts coast. All we have is Karuska's word that he is still
alive."

"We heard his voice yesterday."

"His or another's."

"True. Have you set in motion every agency that the government has?"

"Every one. Either Bolton or I have talked to the Chief of Police in
every large city in the United States and Canada. Every known member
of the Young Labor party who is above the mere rank and file is under
close surveillance."

"Good enough. Keep at it and you'll trace him eventually. As soon as I
get a few quarts of black coffee into my system, I'll start another
line of search going."

"What did you find out last night?"

"I found that our seismograph recorded the Charleston disaster. It was
merely a faint jog, about what should be caused by a severe landslide.
The disaster did not affect the earth's crust, but was purely local.
That gives me a clue to his method."

"I described the affair to Bolton and he suggested that it might be
caused by a disintegrating ray."

* * * * *

Dr. Bird snorted. "When will people learn that there is not, and in
the nature of things never can be, a disintegrating ray?" he
exclaimed. "Of course a ray can be made which will tear things down to
their constituent elements, but matter is indestructible, and the idea
of wiping matter out of existence is absurd."

"But I have heard you say that matter and energy were
interchangeable."

"That is a different proposition. I believe they are. In fact, if you
remember, Carmichael proved it, although the proof was lost at his
death. Nothing of the sort was done at Charleston, however. Do you
know how much energy is contained in matter? Well, a cubic inch of
copper would drive the largest ship afloat around the world twice, and
across the Atlantic to boot. The energy contained in the cubic yards
of rock