"Sit down and let us plan.I take it that it was a chemical bomb and not one with a fuse, or you would have a different story to tell.First of all, we must remove it.That is easily done."He called up a near-by garage and ordered an automobile."I will drive it myself," he ordered, "only send a man around with it immediately.""No, no, no," she cried, running toward him, you must not risk it.
It is bad enough that we should risk our lives.But strangers must not.Think, Professor Kennedy.Suppose the bomb should explode at a touch! Had we not better call the police and let them take the risk, even if it does get into the papers?""No," replied Kennedy firmly."Miss Nevsky, I am quite willing to take the risk.Besides, here comes the automobile.""You are too kind," she exclaimed."Kazanovitch himself could do no more.How am I ever to thank you?"On the back of the automobile Kennedy placed a peculiar oblong box, swung on two concentric rings balanced on pivots, like a most delicate compass.
We rode quickly downtown, and Kennedy hurried into the house, bidding us stand back.With a long pair of tongs he seized the bomb firmly.It was a tense moment.Suppose his hand should unnecessarily tremble, or he should tip it just a bit - it might explode and blow him to atoms.Keeping it perfectly horizontal he carried it carefully out to the waiting automobile and placed it gingerly in the box.
"Wouldn't it be a good thing to fill the box with water?" Isuggested, having read somewhere that that was the usual way of opening a bomb, under water.
"No," he replied, as he closed the lid, "that wouldn't do any good with a bomb of this sort.It would explode under water just as well as in air.This is a safety bomb-carrier.It is known as the Cardon suspension.It was invented by Professor Cardono, an Italian.
You see, it is always held in a perfectly horizontal position, no matter how you jar it.I am now going to take the bomb to some safe and convenient place where I can examine it at my leisure.
Meanwhile, Miss Nevsky, I will leave you in charge of Mr.Jameson.""Thank you so much," she said."I feel better now.I didn't dare go into my own room with that bomb at the door.If Mr.Jameson can only find out what has become of Mr.Kazanovitch, that is all Iwant.What do you suppose has happened to him? Is he, too, hurt or ill?""Very well, then," Craig replied." I will commission you, Walter, to find Kazanovitch.I shall be back again shortly before noon to examine the wreck of Kharkoff's office.Meet me there.Goodbye, Miss Nevsky."It was not the first time that I had had a roving commission to find some one who had disappeared in New York.I started by inquiring for every possible place that he might be found.No one at the Fifth Avenue house could tell me anything definite, though they were able to give me a number of places where he was known.I consumed practically the whole morning going from one place to another on the East Side.Some of the picturesque haunts of the revolutionists would have furnished material for a story in themselves.But nowhere had they any word of Kazanovitch, until I visited a Polish artist who was illustrating his stories.He had been there, looking very worn and tired, and had talked vacantly about the sketches which the artist had showed him.After that I lost all trace of him again.It was nearly noon as I hurried to meet Craig at Kharkoff's.
Imagine my surprise to see Kazanovitch already there, seated in the wrecked office, furiously smoking cigarettes and showing evident signs of having something very disturbing on his mind.The moment he caught sight of me, he hurried forward.
"Is Professor Kennedy coming soon?" he inquired eagerly."I was going up to his laboratory, but I called up Nevsky, and she said he would be here at noon." Then he put his hand up to my ear and whispered, "I have found out who it was who shadowed Kharkoff.""Who?" I asked, saying nothing of my long search of the morning.
"His name is Revalenko - Feodor Revalenko.I saw him standing across the street in front of the house last night after you had gone.When Kharkoff left, he followed him.I hurried out quietly and followed both of them.Then the explosion came.This man slipped down a narrow street as soon as he saw Kharkoff fall.As people were running to Kharkoff's assistance, I did the same.He saw me following him and ran, and I ran, too, and overtook him.
Mr.Jameson, when I looked into his face I could not believe it.
Revalenko - he is one of the most ardent members of our organisation.
He would not tell me why he had followed Kharkoff.I could make him confess nothing.But I am sure he is an agent provocateur of the Russian government, that he is secretly giving away the plans that we are making, everything.We have a plot on now - perhaps he has informed them of that.Of course he denied setting the bomb or trying to poison any of us, but he was very frightened.I shall denounce him at the first opportunity."I said nothing.Kazanovitch regarded me keenly to see what impression the story made on me, but I did not let my looks betray anything, except proper surprise, and he seemed satisfied.
It might be true, after all, I reasoned, the more I thought of it.
I had heard that the Russian consul-general had a very extensive spy system in the city.In fact, even that morning I had had pointed out to me some spies at work in the public libraries, watching what young Russians were reading.I did not doubt that there were spies in the very inner circle of the revolutionists themselves.
At last Kennedy appeared.While Kazanovitch poured forth his story, with here and there, I fancied, an elaboration of a particularly dramatic point, Kennedy quickly examined the walls and floor of the wrecked office with his magnifying-glass.When he had concluded his search, he turned to Kazanovitch.
