e horizon the color of blood. The telephone clamored for
attention and Bill stifled a hysterical sob as the terrifying sound
broke the eery stillness.

Van was on the way to get them! He had a Government car and they were
to go to Arlington for Bill's plane. Then what? He refused to commit
himself: they must follow him blindly. Anything was better than this
inactivity, though. Bart shouted with glee.

* * * * *

"We're going north," Van replied shortly, in answer to Bart's question
when they entered the official car in front of the hotel, "after Dan
Kelly."

"After Dan Kelly? Got a line on him?"

"Yes. Secret Service reports him in Toronto. The Canucks are after him
now, but, by God, I'm going to get him myself!"

Van was haggard and wan, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical light. The
strain had done something to him--something Bart didn't like at all.
This was a different Van from the man who had entered his office two
days previously. Unshaven and unkempt, he looked and talked like a
drunken man on the verge of delirium tremens.

"What's the idea, Van?" he asked gently.

"I'm going to get him. I tell you. The scum! It's his fault the whole
world's against me. I'll get him, Bart; I'll kill him with my bare
hands!"

So that was it! The combination of gruelling labor in the effort to
save mankind from the dread moon weed, and bitter censure from the
very people he was trying to save, had been too much for Van. He had
developed a fixation, unreasoning and murderous; he'd get even with
the man who had caused the trouble. And nothing could deter him from
his purpose: Bart could see that. Might as well humor him and help
him. It made little difference, anyway, with the red doom spreading at
its present rate. They'd all be victims in a few days.

They were speeding through the streets of Washington at a break-neck
rate. Van bent over the wheel, and like a demented man glued his
wildly staring eyes to the road.

"What about your work?" Bart asked, after a while. "Has anything been
accomplished?"

"Yes and no. They'll be ready to shoot in a few hours. Don't know
whether it'll be a complete success or not. But I sneaked away anyhow.
This other thing's more important to me right now."

"What's the dope? Can you tell us now?"

"Sure. I've got one of the machines in the car and I'll explain when
we're on our way to Canada."

This wasn't like Van. Never secretive and always in good h