t
something be done about it?"

"Certainly. I hadn't forgotten it. Have your crew stand by. I'll
telephone Washington and have some men with apparatus sent right down
from the Bureau of Standards. They'll have it ready for flying in the
morning. We'll also have search parties sent out in cars to locate the
crews of those abandoned ships and bring them in. Now let's go."

* * * * *

Colonel Wesley, the commanding officer of the Aberdeen Proving Ground,
welcomed Carnes and Dr. Bird warmly.

"I'll tell you, General Merton," he said to the Chief of the Air
Corps, "if you ever get up against something that is beyond all
explanation, you want to get these two men working on it. They are the
ones who settled that poisoning case here, you know."

"Yes, I read of that," replied the general. "I am inclined to think
that they are up against something even queerer right now."

Colonel Wesley's eyes sparkled.

"Give your orders, Dr. Bird!" he cried. "Since our last experience
with you, you can't give an order on this post that won't be obeyed!"

"Thank you, Colonel," said Dr. Bird warmly. "One reason why I came
here was that I knew that I could count on your hearty cooperation.
The first thing I want is two cars. I want them sent out to bring in
the crews of two ships which were abandoned some eight miles south of
here. Carnes will locate them on the map for your drivers."

"They'll be ready to start in five minutes, Doctor. What next?"

"Turn out every man and every piece of transportation you have
to-morrow morning. I want the men armed. They will have to search a
stretch of swamp south of here, inch by inch, until they find what I'm
looking for."

"They'll be ready, Doctor. Would it be indiscreet for me to ask what
it's all about?"

"Not at all, Colonel. I was about to explain to General Merton when
trouble started. I am searching for the cause of the great drought
which has been afflicting this country for the past two years. If I
can find the cause, I hope to end it."

"Oh! I had a sneaking hope that we were in for another skirmish with
that Russian chap, Saranoff, whose men started that poison here."

"I rather think we are, Colonel Wesley."

General Merton laughed.

"I'll swallow a good deal, Dr. Bird," he said, "but when you talk of
an individual being responsible for the great drought, it's a little
too much. A man can't control the weather, you know!"

* *