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CHAPTER VI—Continued
— 10 —
The center of the continent of
irica split in two as if a mighty
jiad come down on it, and out of
rrisly incision poured an
able tumult of the hell that
within the earth. Chasms yawned
t l,e ocean floor, swallowing levels
the sea and returning it
j v in continents of steam. The
plateau of inner Tibet dropped like
express elevator nine hundred
South America was riven into
islands, one extending north and
In the shape of a sickle, and the
roughly circular, composed of all
remained of the high lands of
jy' 0 rth America reeled and
split, snapped, boomed and
The Rocky mountains lost their
bility and danced like waves of
From the place that had been
stone park a mantle of lava
spread over thousands of square
The coastal plain along the Pacific
appeared, and the water moved up
dash itself in fury against a range
active volcanoes that extends
Kome to Panama.
Gases, steam and ashes welled
ten thousand vents into the earth’s
mosphere. The sun went out.
stars were made Invisible.
beat blew to the ends of the
The polar ice melted and a new
land emerged, fiery and shattered,
bile and catastrophic.
Those human beings who
the world’s white-hot throes were
vivors for the most part through
fortune. Few escaped through
—on the entire planet only a
places which had been picked by
geologists as refugees remained
itable.
Upon millions poured oceans
seething magma carrying death
terrible than the death which
on the tongue of the great tides.
air which was breathed by other
lions was suddenly choked with
phurous fumes and they fell
gassed soldiers, strangling In
streets of their destroyed cities.
iteam, blown with the violence of
hurricane, scalded populous
and barren steppes Impartially.
a sky that had hitherto deluged
kind only with rain, snow and
fell now burning torrents and
sleet. The very earth Itself slowed In
Its rotation, sped up again, sucked
dragged through space at the
of the bodies In the sky above. It
came girdled In smoke and steam,
blasts of hot gas; and upon it as
son Alpha and Beta drew away,
fell torrential rains which hewed down
rich land to the bare rock,
cooled the Issue from the earth to
metallic oceans, and which were
companied by lightnings that
the Infernal scenery with Incessant
lumination, and by thunder which
blended undetectably with the terres¬
trial din.
At Hendron’s camp forty-eight
In the Pit were experienced; and
Hendron's camp was on one of
safest and least disturbed corners
the world.
The first black clouds which Tony
had observed marked the beginning
an electrical storm. The tremor he
felt presaged a steady crescendo
earth-shakings. He left his
•oon and found that the population
the colony which, an hour before, had
At Hendron’s Camp Forty-eight
Hours in the Pit Were Experi-
enced; and Yet Hendron’s Camp
Was One of the Safest and Least
Oisturbed Corners of the World.
tetired for the night, was again awake.
•Ie met Hendron and several
haklng a last tour of Inspection, and
Joined them.
‘The dormitories," Hendron said,
are presumably quake-proof. I
think any force could knock over
stresses we have put around the
Projectile.”
1 ' en as he spoke, the wind In¬
creased, lightning stabbed the sky, the
radiance of the Bronson Bodies was
permanently extinguished, and
gusty wind was transformed to a
steady tempest As shock followed
shock, people began to pour into the
outdoors.
lony tried to locate Eve, but
enable to do so In the gathering throng.
w as difficult to walk on the
posted , between
area the various build-
“**’ for the ground underfoot fre-
DADE COUNTY TIMES: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1935
By EDWIN BALMER
and
PHILIP WYLIE
Copyright by Edwin Balmer & Philip Wy]||
WNU Service
quently forced Itself up like the floor
of a rapidly decelerated elevator. The
lightning came nearer. The thunder
was continual. It was hard to hear
the voice of one’s nearest neighbor.
Tony, with half a dozen others, rushed
into the brightly illuminated women's
dormitory and hurriedly brought from
it into the tumult and rain those who
had remained there.
By ten o’clock the violence of the
quakes was great enough so that It
was difficult to stand. The people hud¬
dled like sheep in a storm in the lee of
the buildings. Lightning hammered in¬
cessantly on the tall steel tower which
surrounded the space-flyer. Tony
moved through the assembled people
shouting words of encouragement he
did not feel.
Shortly after eleven an extraordi¬
narily violent shock lifted one end of
the men’s building so that bricks and
cement cascaded from its wall. Tony
had the floodlights thrown on the land¬
ing field, and every one migrated
thither.
Before midnight some caprice of the
seismic disturbance snapped off the
power. At one o’clock in the morn¬
ing a truck from the kitchen of the
dining hails floundered through the
mud with sandwiches and coffee. At
two o’clock the temperature of the
wind dropped, and the wet multitude
shivered and chattered with cold. Hall
fell In place of rain.
Half an hour later the wind stopped
abruptly; it puffed, veered, and came
back from the southwest. It blew
fif’y miles an hour, a hundred, and
THE STORY FROM THE BEGINNING
David Ransdell arrives at New York from South Africa, bearing a case
containing photographic plates to Dr. Cole Hendron. Tony Drake calls at the
Hendron*’ apartment. Ransdell arrives and Eve Hendron, with whom Tony is
deeply in love, introduces Tony to Ransdell. Newspapers publish a statement by
Hendron saying that Professor Bronson has discovered two planets, which
have been brought under the attraction of the earth’s sun. The result of the
inevitable collision must be the end of the world. The approaching bodies are
referred to as Bronson Alpha and Bronson Beta. Bronson Beta will pass, but
the other will hit the earth and demolish It. To devise means of transferring
to Bronson Beta Is what is occupying the minds of the members of the League
of the Last Days. Hendron plans to build a “Space Ship,” with the Idea of
landing on Bronson Beta. Tony rounds up suitable men and women to build
the ship at a cantonment In northern Michigan. Hendron has not been able to
find a metal or an alloy which will withstand the heat and pressure of atomic
energy to be used In propelling the Space Ship. Tides rush through the streets
of New York. Earthquakes change the entire surface of the earth, bringing
death to half the world’s population.
then rose from that velocity to an
immeasurable degree. Every man and
woman was compelled to lie face down
on the muddy earth, the i ndulations
of which Increased.
They lay for an hour or more, shiv¬
ering, gasping for breath, hiding their
faces. Then a particularly violent
shock suddenly separated the landing
field into two parts, one of which rose
eight or nine feet above the other,
leaving a sharp diminutive precipice
across the middle of the field.
There was no dawn, no daylight,
only a diffused inadequate grayness.
The people lay on the ground, each
man wrapped in the terrors of his own
soul, with fingers clutching the grass
or buried in the earth. And so the day
began. The air grew perpetually more
warm. An augmented fury of the
gale brought a faint odor of sulphur.
Midday held no respite. It was im¬
possible to bring up food against the
gale. Impossible even to stand. The
sulphurous odors and the heat In¬
creased. The driven rain seemed hot
Toward what would have been after¬
noon, and in the absolute darkness,
there was a sudden abatement; and
the wind, while it still blew strong, al¬
lowed the shaken populace to rise and
to stare through the impenetrable
murk. Fifty or more of the men made
a rush for the dining halls. They
found them, and were surprised that
they had not collapsed. The low hills
around had furnished them with pro¬
tection. There was no time to prepare
food. Snatching what they could, and
loading themselves with containers of
drinking water, they fought their way
back to the field. There, like animals,
the people drank and ate, finishing In
time only to throw themselves once
again on the bare ground under the
renewed fury of the storm.
Night came again. The sulphur in
the air, the fumes and gases, the heat
and smoke and dust, the hot rain, al¬
most extinguished their frantically de¬
fended lives. The dust and rain com¬
bined with the wind to make a diagonal
downfall of foetid mud which blistered
them and covered the earth.
The respite brought by the second
morning was comparative rather than
real. The wind abated; the torrential
rain became Intermittent; and the visi¬
bility returned, though no one could
have told whether it was early morn¬
ing or twilight.
Tony rose to his feet the Instant the
wind slacked. Through all the long
and terrible hours he had been absent
from Eve. It would have been utterly
unthinkable to attempt to locate her In
the midst of that sound and fury. He
found, however, that there was no
use In looking for her immediately. So
heavy had beeD the downpour of rain
and "ashes from the sky, that it not
only reduced the field to a quagmire,
but It covered the human beings who
had lain there with a thick chocolate-
colored coating; so that as one by one
the people arose to sitting and stand¬
ing postures, he found It difficult even
to distinguish man from woman.
He was compelled to put Eve from
his mind. It was necessary to think
of all and not one. Many of those
who had been in the field were unable j
to rise. Several had been Injured. Of
the older men a number were suffering
perhaps fatally from exposure.
Tony found that his limbs would
scarcely support him, but after he had
staggered for some distance through
the murk, his numbed circulation was
restored, and his muscles responded.
Out of the subsiding maelstrom he
collected some thirty or forty persons,
most of them men.
“Any of you men working on the
power plant?" he shouted. . . . “Right.
You two come over here. Now who
else here was in the machine shop?
Good. You fellows get to work on
starting up the lights. They’ll be the
first thing. Now 1 want half of you
to get beds In shape in the woman’s
hall.’’ lie counted the number he re¬
quired. “If they don’t look safe," he
shouted after the disappearing men,
“find a place that is safe, and put the
beds there. We’ll have to have a hos¬
pital.’’
With the remnant of his men he
went to the dining halls. One of these
buildings was a complete wreck, but
the other still stood. They entered the
kitchen. Its floor was knee-deep in
mud. He recognized among those still
with him Taylor, the student of light,
whom he had sent to Hendron from
Cornell. “Take charge in here, will
you Taylor? I’ll leave you half these
men. The rest of us are going to round
up the doctors and get medical sup¬
plies ready. They'll want coffee out
there, and any kind of food that they
can eat Immediately.” He saw Tay¬
lor’s mouth smile in assent, and heard
Taylor begin to Issue instructions for
the lighting of a fire In one of the big
stoves.
Once again he went outdoors. It was
a little lighter. His anxious gaze
traveled to the tower that housed the
Ark, and from Its silhouette he de¬
duced that It was at least superficial¬
ly intact. The shouting he had done
had already rendered him hoarse, for
the air was still sulphurous. It Irri¬
tated the nose and throat, and pro¬
duced In every one a dry frequent
cough. Besides the Irritating vapors
in the air, there was heat, not the
heat expected any day in July, but
such heat as surrounds a blast fur¬
nace—a sullen withering heat which
blanched the skin, parched the Ups
and was unrelieved by the rivulets of
perspiration that covered the body.
Tony went back alone to the flying
field. It was a little lighter. Mist mo¬
tions were visible In the sky, and
threads of vapor were flung over the
Stygian landscape by the wind. Peo¬
ple were returning from what had been
the flying field to the partial wreck
at the camps, In twos and threes,
many of them limping, some of them
being carried. He found Eve at last,
just as he reached the edge of the
flying field. She was helping two other
girls, who were trying to carry a third.
She recognized him and called to him.
"Are you all right, Eve?” His soul
was In his rasping voice. He came
close to her. He looked Into her eyes.
She nodded, first to him and then
toward the unconscious girl. She put
her lips close to his ear, for she could
speak only in a whisper: “Give us a
hand, Tony. This girl fainted."
He picked up the girl, and they fol¬
lowed him through the slough to the
main hall of the women’s dormitory.
Beds were being carried there, and
many of them were already filled.
Some one had found candles and stuck
them in window sills so that the room
was lighted. Already two men who
were doctors w r ere examining the ar¬
rivals. Tony recognized one of the
men as Dodson when he heard the
boom of his voice: “Get hot water
here, lots of it, boiling water. Don’t
anybody touch those bandages. Every¬
thing has to be sterilized. See If you
can find anybody who knows anything
about nursing. Get the rest of the
doctors.”
Somehow Dodson had already man¬
aged to wash, and his heavy-jowled
face radiated power and confidence.
Tony went outdoors again. A gong
boomed In the kitchen, and he remem¬
bered his thirst and hunger. Around
a caldron of coffee and a heap of sand-
wdches, which were replenished as fast
as they disappeared, were grouped at
least two hundred people. Tony stood
in the line which passed the caldron,
and was handed a cup of coffee and a
sandwich. The coffee tasted muddy.
The sandwiches had a flavor not un¬
like the noxious odor in the air. Tony’s
craving was for water, but he realized
that for the time being all liquids
would have to be boiled. With his
first sip of coffee he realized that
brandy had been added to it. He wet
his burning throat and swallowed his
sandwich In three mouthfuls, and
joined the line again.
CHAPTER VII
Tony’s senses reasserted themselves.
He realized that the wind was dying,
the oppressiveness was departing
the temperature had lowered
bly. He was able for the first
to hear the conversation of
around him.
lie saw Peter Vanderbilt
pathetically on a log, a cup of coffee
one hand, a sandwich In the other,
his bedraggled handkerchief
over his knees for a napkin. The
gant Vanderbilt’s mustache
clogged with mud. His hair was
cake of mud. His shoes were gobs
mud. One of his pant legs had
torn off at the knee. Ills
had escaped his belt, and yet as
approached him, his urbanity was
ruffled.
Vanderbilt rose. “Tony, my
he exclaimed. "What a
What a disguise! I recognized
only by the gauge In which
made your shoulders. Sit down.
me In a spot of lunch.”
Tony sat on the log. ‘‘I’ll have
snack with you,” he replied.
1 must get back to work.”
The quondam Beau Brummel
Fifth avenue nodded
“Work! I never saw so many
who were so avid for work, and
there’s something exalting about
And the storm was certainly
sive. I admit that I was
In fact, I proclaim that I was
pressed. Yet its whole moral was fu¬
tility.”
“Futility?”
“Oh, don't think that for a
I was being philosophical. I
thinking of the many years I
spent as a lad in learning
and how useless all that
was to me now. I should imagine
the geography I learned at twelve
now completely out of date.”
Tony nodded to the man on the
“So I should Imagine. You’ll
me, but I’m needed.”
Peter Vanderbilt smiled and
a word rose and followed the
man. They found Hendror/
from the great hangar. He
Tony’s shoulder the minute his
lighted upon him. “Tony, son,
you seen Eve?”
"Yes. She's all right. She’s
ing over at the emergency hospital.”
Behind Hendron stood a number
men. He turned to them. “You
ahead and inspect the machine
I’ll join you in a minute."
He then noticed that Tony had
companion. “Hello, Vanderbilt.
to see you’re safe." And again
spoke to Tony. “What was the
of the injury to personnel?”
Tony shook his head. “I don’t
yet.”
Vanderbilt spoke. “I just came
the field hospital before I had
coffee. I was making a private
up. So far as Is known, no one
was killed. There are three cases
collapse that may develop Into
monia, several minor cases of
two broken legs, one broken arm,
sprained ankle; and there are
or fifty people with more or less
scratches and abrasions. In all
than seventy-five were reported
far.”
Hendron's head bobbed ngaln.
sighed with relief. "Good God,
thankful!’’ He rubbed his hand across
his face. "Did you men say something
about coffee?"
“With brandy in It," Tony said.
Vanderbilt took Hendron’s arm.
“May I escort you? You’re a bit rocky,
I guess."
“Just a bit. Brandy, eh? Good.”
Before he walked away, he spoke to
Tony. “Listen, son—” The use of that
word rocked Tony's heart. “This was
much more than I had anticipated,
much worse. But the ship Is safe,
although one side was dented against
Its cradle. That’s about all. I’ve got
to get some rest now. I’m Just a few
minutes away from unconsciousness.
I want you to take over things, If you
think you can stand up for another
twelve hours."
“I’m in the pink,” Tony answered.
“Good. You’re In charge, then.
Have me waked In twelve hours.”
Tony began the rounds again. In
the hall of the women's dormitory,
Dodson and Smith were hard at work.
Their patients sat or lay In bed. Eve,
together with a dozen other women,
was acting as nurse. She had changed
her clothes, and washed. She smiled
at him across the room, and he told
her that her father was asleep.
Tony went next to the machine shop.
A shift of men was at work clearing
away the Infiltrated dust on the en¬
gines and the mud that had poured
over the floors. Another group of
men lay In deep sleep wherever there
was room enough to recline. One of
the workers explained: “Nobody
around here can work for long without
a little sleep, so we’re going In one-
hour shifts. Sleep an hour, clean an
hour. Is that all right, Mr. Drake?”
“That’s fine,” Tony said.
At the power house a voice balled
him.
“You’re Just In time, Mr. Drake."
“What for?”
“Come In.” Tony entered the power
house. The man conducted him to
a walled panel and pointed to a
switch. "Pull her down.”
Tony pulled. At once all over tho
cantonment obscurity was annihilated
by the radiance of countless electric
lights. The electrician who had sum¬
moned Tony grinned. “We’re using s
little emergency engine, and only about
a quarter of the lights of the lines are
operating. That’s all we’ve had time
to put In order, but It’s better than this
d—n’ gloom."
TO BE CONTINUED.
Blend Chimney Color
Frequently, a chimney seems to cut
a house In parts. It Is Important, In
painting a small dwelling In an at¬
tractive color scheme, to make the
chimney an Integral part of the pic¬
ture. It may be painted with either
stucco or concrete paint
UW "’ * IMPROVED
UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
CUNDAY Dchool Lesson I
IBy REV P. B F1TZWATER. D. D„
Member of Faculty, Moody Bible
Institute of OhlcaKo.)
ffi. Western Newspaoer Union.
Lesson for March 3
a ETER UNMASKS FALSEHOOD
AND HYPOCRISY
LESSON TEXT—Acts 6:1-11, 8:18-24.
GOLDEN TEXT—Wherefore putting
iway lying, speak every man truth
with his neighbor: for we are member*
>ne of another. Ephesians 4:25.
PRIMARY TOPIC — Peter* Friend
Helps People.
JUNIOR TOPIC—Peter Stand* for
Truth and Honesty.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP¬
IC—The Sin of Lying.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP¬
IC—Modern Forms of Hypocrisy.
I. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts
5:1-11).
The new community formed after
Pentecost is now for the first time
called the Church. Since the Chris¬
tians have now broken with Judaism
the success of the new community de¬
pends upon its gaining recognition.
The Church Is now superseding the
Mosaic economy. Tt was now to be
God’s dwelling place, as hitherto It had
been in the Tabernacle and Temple.
Their sanctity was now being trans¬
ferred to the Church. This fact the
Church itself must learn as well as
the Jewish people who surrounded 1L
1. Their sin (vv. 1, 2). It was a
hypocritical Imitation of the generous
act of Barnabas (4:36, 37). Because
of the particular distress of the early
Church following its open rupture with
Judaism, Its members for a time had
a "community of goods.” This was not
universal nor permanent. Ananias
kept back a part of the proceeds from
the sale of his land, while pretending
to have brought it all. His wife was
a partner in it. They wanted the
honor of generosity without paying
the price thereof.
2. Their judgment (vv. 3-10).
Physical death was visited upon An¬
anias and Sapphira for their sin. They
lied to the Holy Ghost In keeping back
a part of the price of their land. They
were not obliged to sell their land or,
having sold it, to bring any of their
money and place It in the common
fund. People today are walking in the
way of Ananias and Sapphira when
they make a profession of Christianity
for temporal gain and pleasure.
Preaching the sermons of Moody,
Spurgeon, etc., without giving credit
is another form of this evlL God is
passing judgment upon many for their
sins of this kind (I Cor. 11:27-30).
3. The effect (vv. 11-16).
a. Great fear came upon the Church
and upon all who heard of these
(v. 11). The Church shouid be re¬
garded as holy because of its being the
very dwelling place of the Most High
God. Irreverence is an outstanding sin
of this age.
b. Multitudes of men and women
were added to the Lord (vv. 14, 15).
The fame of Peter was spread far and
wide, so that the people were anxious
to come under his shadow. The
proper recognition of the holiness of
the Church, the body of Christ, will
bring many to Christ for salvation.
c. Hypocrites did not dare to Join
(v 13). The vindication of the holi¬
ness of the Church deterred none but
hypocrites from joining. No unre¬
generate person and nothing unhal¬
lowed has any place in the Church.
II. Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:18-
24).
1. His wicked request (vv. 18, |i^er 19).
When Simon saw that Peter’s
to work wonders exceeded his own
and that this power was received
through the laying on of hands, he
offered money for the gift. This act
revealed his hypocrisy. He professed
faith in Christ and was baptized, and
even followed the apostles for a selfish
end. Traffic in sacred things is called
“Simony,” from the name of this sor¬
cerer. Making merchandise of Chris¬
tianity is committing the same sin.
Using the name of Christ for the pur¬
pose of gain is to be guilty of this sin.
2. Peter’s severe rebuke (vv.
20 - 22 ).
a. "Thy money perish with thee.”
This Implies that Peter’s judgment was
that Simon was unregenerate and that
he himself was In the way of perish¬
ing.
b. “Thy heart is not right in the
sight of God.” One whose inner life
delights in God could not seek the
Spirit's power for selfish reasons.
C. “Repent of thy wickedness and
pray to God for forgiveness.” While
Peter recognized that this man was
unsaved, he did not regard him as be¬
yond the hope of salvation, but urged
him to turn from his sin and ask for
forgiveness.
d. “Thou art In the gall of bitter¬
ness and in the bond of Iniquity.” The
one and only thing for this man to do
was to repent and sue for forgiveness.
Simon requested Peter’s prayer to the
end that he might escape divine Judg¬
ment.
The Power of Jeiut
Therefore doth my Father love me,
because I lay down my life, that l
might take it again. No man taketh
it from me, but I lay It down of my¬
self. I have power to lay it down, and
I have power to take it again. This
commandment have I received of my
Father.—John 10:17-18.
Must Be Tested
In most men there must be a trag
edy of the soul, and the “majesty ot
righteousness*’ must be burned into ua.
rxi Me
LIFE’S IMPORTANT THINGS
My list of the four most preferable
things in life Is: First, wisdom; sec¬
ond, domestic happiness; third, rec¬
ognition and encouragement; fourth,
welfare of one’s country.—Dean Inge.
A Law Every
Mother Should
Know and Observe
Never Give Your Child An
Unknown Remedy without
Asking Your Doctor First
According to
any doctor you
ask, the only
safe way is
never to give
your child a
remedy you don’t know all
about, without asking him first.
When it comes to “milk of
magnesia,” that you know doctors every¬
where, for over 60 years,
have said “PHILLIPS’ Milk of
Magnesia for your child.”
So —always say Phillips' when
you buy. And, for your own
peace of mind, see that your
child gets this; the finest men
know.
Safety fit
You can assist others by refusing
to accept a substitute for the
genuine Phillips' Milk of Mag¬
nesia. Do this in the
interest of children yourself
and your
— and in the in¬
terest of the
public in general.
Phillips’ <»
AfilA. vf AjaqtteiieL.
A man wrapped up in himself
makes a very small package.
F E RRVi
PUREBRED FLOWER
FLOWERS
YOUR NEIGHBORS
WILL ENVY
Don’t take a back seat
when it comes to grow¬
ing flowers. Plant
Ferry’s Purebred Flower
Seeds and your garden
will be the envy of
every one in your neigh¬
borhood. They are pure¬
bred seeds—-the off¬
spring of generations of
perfect plants.
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD'
STORE SELLS THEM IN
FRESH DATED PACKETS
— MANY ONLY . . .
Leads to Temptation
If one is very smart, that is, “clev¬
er,” the temptation to be dishonest
may be greater.
Tt'o# » te
on the
lie? COUGHS
eau %N
jn —needs more
« -a if then cosmetics
l' 'O J r from Beauty within. of skin cornea
When con.
V **■ I stipationclogstheporea with intestinal
1 ||l CLEANSE INTER- wastes,
yourdnuc store 25c ErlQc
GARFIELD TEA
1 AltLJ L/ll -NOW I C COCKROACHES RATS IN TUBES MICE m
ASK YOUR DEALER