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 secret powers and, that you may know,” roared Mr. Carson, “it has also Krakatit, so!”

Prokop jumped up like a madman. “What!”

“Krakatit. Nine grammes and thirty-five decigrammes. All that we had left.”

“What did you do with it?” said Prokop fiercely.

“Experiments. We handled it as carefully as if as if it were something very precious. And one evening”

“What?”

“It disappeared. Including the porcelain box.”

“Stolen?”

“Yes,”

“And who—who”

“Obviously the Martians,” grinned Mr. Carson. “Unfortunatey through the base collusion of a lab. boy who has disappeared—of course with the porcelain box.”

“When did that happen?”

“Well, just before they sent me here in search of you. An educated man, a Saxon. He left us not even a grain of powder. Now you know why I came.”

“And you think that it fell into the hands of these mysterious people?”

Mr. Carson only snorted.

“How do you know?”

“I am certain. Listen,” said Mr. Carson, jumping about on his short legs, “do I look like a timid person?”

“N—no.”

“But I tell you that this frightens me. Honestly, I’m terrified. Krakatit that’s bad enough; and