“I think so,” agreed the professor; “they are not the sort of things to have lying about.”
A search of the Discoverer’s lower structure resulted in the finding of a dozen or more of the deadly missiles. These were all thrown off into the air at once.
“And now,” said the professor, planting his hat firmly on his head, “I suppose you are anxious to know something about that queer gun I used.”
A chorus of assent greeted this remark.
“Well, it’s a weapon called the Fog-maker, and was invented by a friend of mine especially for use in aerial warfare, or for protecting a small vessel from hostile aeroplanes,” said the professor. “As you saw, it works perfectly, throwing out a thick cloud of dark, acrid smoke, which is heavier than the atmosphere. While it has no permanent bad results, yet it renders those who breathe it insensible for a time.”
“It is indeed an effective weapon,” declared Nat; “can we see one of the projectiles?”
The professor took up the gun and slid open a small space in the stock. Then, pressing a metal button, he caused two round black objects, about the size of small oranges, to roll out into his hand.
“The magazine holds ten of these,” he said. “They are made of glass and filled with chemicals.”
“What kind of chemicals?” asked Joe.
“Ah! That is the secret of the inventor,” was the reply, “nobody but he himself knows what they contain; but that they are effective, you must admit. He told me that the old ‘stink-pots’ that Chinese pirates used to use gave him the idea. If ever there is a war in the air, I think that the nation equipped with this invention will have a powerful implement of havoc.”