Page:Weird Tales Volume 10 Number 2 (1927-08).djvu/107

 light, and the sudden appearance of Whittly-and Cloud with drawn guns.

"Stop!" Whittly's shout echoed harshly through the instant hush caused by their surprize. "The first one that makes another move, I §hoot! And I'll shoot to hit! You're mad! You're a mob of fanatical idiots, come to annoy a man who has been giving his life's blood to save you and all mankind from worse than death!"

"He's been experimenting upon people!" shrieked someone out in the crowd. Another voice took it up, and another, till the cry rose to a maddened roar. "He's been killing human beings for his damnable experiments." "He killed that fellow Arn!" "He killed his mother!" "He said so himself, we heard him!" "This building has got to go!" "The fiend killed his mother!"

"He did not! Listen to me! He saved her life!" Whittly's shout cut through their rage, and their long acquaintance with the doctor, their respect for him and his word, held them in muttering half-quietude to hear him out. "He's found a cure for cancer! Cancer, do you hear me? Corcoran—I see you out there. I see you, Jordan, and you, Masterson. All three of you have cancers—and you know that I know it! Do you want to die, horribly, as Elfield died last week? Or do you want this man to put life into your veins and make you whole?"

A stunned silence held the mob, shaken at the import of what Whittly had said. Then the voice of the man Corcoran answered belligerently: "If he saved his mother from cancer why did he say he killed her?"

"Arn took the solution himself!" Whittly answered, breathing in a little relief, knowing that he had got their attention. "Blauvette refused to give it to him till he was sure of its action. Arn took it himself. Arn appeared to be getting better, and Blauvette's mother was so near death that he gave the solution to her. Then Arn died. Blauvette was nearly crazed, he thought he'd killed his mother. But Arn had taken the wrong solution—and Mrs. Blauvette is alive, made whole again, as you can be made whole. Saul Blauvette has conquered cancer!"

A great shout rose in the crowd.

"If she's healed bring her out." "Bring her out—let us see her!"

Behind the doctor Mrs. Blauvette and Helene stepped into sight, one on each side of Saul. Whittly paled, holding his breath as he caught, sight of them. But the thing was done. The mob that had come to destroy, stayed to cheer.

"Blauvette! Blauvette! God save Blauvette! Blauvette has conquered cancer!"

They advanced toward him, shouting his name, cheering and crying in hysterical abandon, swayed to mad fervor of applause by the thing this man had done. And Cloud's cry broke above the sound of their shouts in startled dismay:

"Good God! They've set fire to the laboratory!"

Whittly wheeled to stare where Cloud pointed. On the other side of the huge building flame and smoke sent up their first menacing pillar and glow. The crowd began to back $way, stumbling over each other in their wild haste, and Whittly called frantically:

"Henry! Henry Ara's body is in the laboratory!"

"Let him stay!" Saul's answer rose above the increasing crackle of the flames. "He'd rather have it that way! Let him pass with the laboratory that was his love and his life! He would be glad, if he knew! Let him stay!"

In a reverent, silent group, Saul, Cloud, Whittly and the two women stood withdrawn from the heat of the rising, roaring flames, backed by the