“But what a fearful risk you ran! If you hadn’t been able to get your motor started—”
“Why think of unpleasant things?” he said with a smile.
Then they went into the library, where Professor Wentworth added his congratulations.
“But I’m afraid I didn’t accomplish much,” said Jim, explaining about the pictures.
“Let me see them,” said the professor.
Jim handed them over.
For a moment or two Professor Wentworth examined them intently, holding them this way and that.
“They indeed appear to be extremely over-exposed,” he admitted at length. “Your Fire Ants are doubtless radio-active to a high degree. The results could not have been much worse had you tried to photograph the sun direct.”
“I thought as much,” said Carter, gloomily.
“But possibly the damage isn’t irreparable. Suppose we try re-developing a few of these negatives.”