The Project Gutenberg EBook of Poisoned Air, by Sterner St. Paul Meek

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Title: Poisoned Air

Author: Sterner St. Paul Meek

Release Date: June 8, 2009 [EBook #29069]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POISONED AIR ***

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Astounding Stories March 1932.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the
U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.

[Illustration: _Dr. Bird fell back under the ferocity of
her attack._]

Poisoned Air

By Capt. S. P. Meek

* * * * *

[Sidenote: Again Dr. Bird closes with the evil Saranoff--this time
near the Aberdeen Proving Ground, in a deadly, mysterious blanket of
fog.]

A telephone bell jangled insistently. The orderly on duty dropped his
feet from the desk to the floor and lifted the receiver with a
muttered curse.

"Post hospital, Aberdeen Proving Ground," he said sleepily, rubbing
his eyes.

A burst of raucous coughing answered him. Several times it ceased for
an instant and a voice tried to speak, but each time a fresh spasm of
deep-chested wracking coughing interrupted.

"Who is this?" demanded the now aroused orderly. "What's the matter?"

Between intervals of coughing difficultly enunciated words reached
him.

"This is--_uch! uch!_--Lieutenant Burroughs at
the--_uch!_--Michaelville range. We have been--_uch!_--caught in a
cloud of poison--_uch!_ _uch!_--gas. Send an ambulance and
a--_uch!_--surgeon at once. Better bring--_uch!_--gas masks."

"At the Michaelville range, sir? How many men are down there?"

"_Uch! uch! uch!_--five--all help--_uch! uch!_--helpless. Hurry!"

"Yes, sir. I'll start two ambulances down at once, sir."

"Don't forget the--_uch! uch!_--gas--_uch!_--masks."

"No, sir; I'll send them, sir."

* * * * *

Five minutes later two ambulances roll