DEATH COMETH SOON OR LATE: 35+ Mystery & Revenge Tales. Robert Barr
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to the mild and benevolent scientist: "I cannot find a trace of the dog."
"Nor can I," said Lambelle. "Of course when you can hardly find a sign of the building it is not to be expected that there should be any remnants of the dog."
"Suppose we get back to the hill now and have lunch," said the
Minister.
"Do you wish to try another experiment?"
"I would like to try one more after we have had something to eat. What would be the effect if you poured the whole bottleful into the quarry and set it off?"
"Oh, impossible!" cried Lambelle. "It would rend this whole part of the country to pieces. In fact, I am not sure that the shock would not be felt as far as Paris. With a very few drops I can shatter the whole quarry."
"Well, we'll try that after lunch. We have another dog left."
When an hour had passed, Lambelle was anxious to try his quarry experiment.
"By-and-by," he said, "the sun will not be shining in the quarry, and then it will be too late."
"We can easily wait until to-morrow, unless you are in a hurry."
"I am in no hurry," rejoined the inventor. "I thought perhaps you might be, with so much to do."
"No," replied the official. "Nothing I shall do during my administration will be more important than this."
"I am glad to hear you say so," answered Lambelle; "and if you will give me the bottle again I will now place a few drops in the sunny part of the quarry."
The Minister handed him the bottle, apparently with some reluctance.
"I still think," he said, "that it would be much better to allow this secret to die. No one knows it at present but yourself. With you, as I have said, it will be safe, or with me; but think of the awful possibilities of a disclosure."
"Every great invention has its risks," said Lambelle firmly. "Nothing would induce me to forego the fruits of my life-work. It is too much to ask of any man."
"Very well," said the Minister. "Then let us be sure of our facts. I want to see the effects of the explosive on the quarry."
"You shall," said Lambelle, as he departed.
"I will wait for you here," said the Minister, "and smoke a cigarette."
When the inventor approached the quarry, leading the dog behind him, the Minister's hand trembled so that he was hardly able to hold the field-glass to his eye. Lambelle disappeared down the path. The next instant the ground trembled even where the Minister sat, and a haze of dust arose above the ruined quarry.
Some moments after the pallid Minister looked over the work of destruction, but no trace of humanity was there except himself.
"I could not do otherwise," he murmured, "It was too great a risk to run."
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