igence of an ordinary schoolboy."

"I quite approve of that," said the President as Willis humbly
expressed his gratitude. "Have you had time to make an examination of
that ship of Slavatsky's, yet?"

"I have not. As soon as the work of restoration is completed, I will
go over it, and when I master the principles I will be glad to take
them up with the Army-Navy General Board."

"Thank you, Doctor," said the President. He shook hands heartily and
left the cave. Carnes turned and looked at the Doctor.

"Will you answer a question, Doctor?" he asked. "Ever since this case
started, I have been wondering at your extraordinary powers. You have
ordered the army, the navy, the department of justice and everyone
else around as though you were an absolute monarch. I know the
President was behind you, but what puzzles me is how he came to be so
vitally interested in the case."

Dr. Bird smiled quizzically at the detective.

"Even the secret service doesn't know everything," he said. "Evidently
you didn't recognize the man whose memory I restored. Besides being
one of the most brilliant corporation executives in the country, he
has another unique distinction. He happens to be the only brother of
the President of the United States."

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The Invisible Death

A COMPLETE NOVELETTE

_By Victor Rousseau_

[Illustration: Far overhead a luminous shape appeared.]

[Sidenote: With night-rays and darkness-antidote America strikes back
at the terrific and destructive Invisible Empire.]

CHAPTER I

_Out of the Hangman's Hands_

"You speak," said Von Kettler, jeering, "as if you really believed
that you had the power of life and death over me."

The Superintendent of the penitentiary frowned, yet there was
something of perplexity in the look he gave the prisoner. "Von
Kettler, I think it is time that you dropped this absurd pose of
yours," he said, "in view of the fact that you are scheduled to die by
hanging at eight o'clock to-morrow night. Your life and death are in
your own hands."

[Illustration]

Von Kettler bowed ironically. Standing in the Superintendent's
presence in the uniform of the condemned cell, collarless,
bare-headed, he yet seemed to dominate the other by a certain poise,
breeding, nonchalance.

"Your life is offered you in consideration of your making a complete
written confession of the whole ramifications of the plot against the
Federal Government," the Superintendent conti