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Title of Story
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The Blue Bolt
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Story Summary
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A sequel to The Silver Ball (1908) similar in style. Professor uses electricity to erase invaders.
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Date Details Added to IA
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October 2024
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Attributed Author
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"J. B. C"
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First Published Date of Last Installment
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1908
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Year For Sorting
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1908
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Length
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Flash Fiction
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Edition Creator
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Neil Hogan
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OCR from TBC and Trove
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THE BLUE BOLT.ANNIHILATES AN ARMY.By J. B. C.Since the affair of the Silver Ball, in which Professor Paff had by a simple chemical process completely destroyed fifteen hostile gunboats anchored in Hobson's Bay, Australia had been absolutely insured against open attack by sea. At first the astounding phenomenon had Leen ascribed to the ' sudden formation and eruption of an island volcano, but the ahsurd theory was completely disposed of when a similar catastrophe happened to a couple of offensive cruisers which menaced Cooktown. It was then made manifest that every port in Australia was prepared with a sea-igniting Silver Ball. As a matter of simple fact, immediately after his wonderful demonstration, Professor Paff was by solemn Act of Parliament made a Commonwealth institution. ' He and his secret were secured at a salary of £10,000 a year, and in compliance with a stipulation made by the Professor, he alone was to have the nomination of his successor, to whom the secret should pass. The long, northern coast-line of the Continent was open in spite of the Silver Ball, and it was always possibJe that an Army might be covertly mobilised in the North and sweep Australia to the South. The very existence of the secret of the Silver Ball would be a stimulus to enemies to score by land strategy, wlurj they were checkmated by sea. Ana so it happened-.-' The first intimation of it which reached the capital of the Commonwealth was the news tjiat Burketown, Normanton, and Cooktown had ^boeri similarly seized by the' stealthily-insinuated enemy. As sopn.,!is "the Prime Minister was apprised of this (Usa^^.he sent for Professor Paff, who immediately;:aitepJtppl;,-. "Sir," saiS^the..}>cientist v "I am prepared for this." "And your plans ?" asked the Prime Minister. "Sir, i would advise that instructions be issued to all the people north of Townsville to come south below that line, driving all the cattle .and sheep before them. At the same time, all the Commonwealth forces should be mo^ilisea and marched north to the Townsville line. They can fall back from there should any mistake in our calculations make such a movement necessary. The great point to be achieved in order to effectively striKe our final blow is to Keep the enemy, and no living creature but the enemy, as far north as possible, and to keep our forces as close to them as circumstances may permit." "Then Professor, you see signs of an immense invasion," said the" Prime Minister, somewhat anxiously. "Sir, 1 do. Now that Cooktown has been captured by a simple ruse easily foreseen, yet unl'rustratable, our northern seatioara is open, the Silver Ball notwithstanding. That means that troops may be poured into the southern portion of the peninsula practically by the million. By driving the cattle and sheep soutn we can make them dependable upon themselves alone for their commissariat. Our own people l wish to vacate the place also for their own safety and for the freedom of our tuture operations." Within four and twenty hours what became known as Uie Great Drive was in operation. There were but 30,1)00 sneep, but the northern cattle mustered over half a million. The riders who had gone forth, like so many tierve Keals, to carry the orders from headquarters, came hack and reported that the exodus from, the North was in full swing, the common sense oi the manoeuvre having at once appealed to all. Meanwhile, the Professor himself had proceeded by rail to llocidiampton, ana thence uy swift conveyance overland to Townsville, transit by sea being out of the question, as the marine mammoths of the enemy patrolled tlie coast. When the Prime Minister and the Professor had established themselves at Townsville the reports they received were of mixed import. The Ureal Drive had progressed satisfactorily, ana arrangements were already made fnr the distribution of the influx of cattle among the Downs, where the artesian bores were most bountiful in their output of water. The sturdiest and trustiest of the splendid Northern stocumen were formed into a corps of scouts, who kept the movements of the enemy under constant surveillance. "Sir," said the Professor to the Prime Minister, "1 ardently desire to end this aliair without the necessity of drawing our norinern line farther south than this. It will all depend upon the progress of the enemy. Evidently their first movements will be slow. They will make complete preparations before they start, but once their order is given to advance they will proceed by forced marches, hoping to surprise us unprepared, and to leave as much conquered country behind them as possible before they are actively resisted." "Then," commented the Prime Minister, "ourobvious objective is to meet them as far north as possible." "."iir," responded the Professor, with a slight smile ana eyes twinkling ueinnu tneir glazed ramparts, "it is our omious oujectne not to meet them at all. llut in case my little experiment uoes not succeed, x want ail our orainary defences as close up as possible in order to co>cr my failure." At tlie word "failure " it was the Prime Minister's turn to smile, for his conlidence in tne rrofessor was without uounds. The news was that tne lorces of the enemy, which had cunningly collecieu at BuiKetown and JN'ornyuiton, haa concentrated jut uroyuon, and that the main army, an lniiumeraLle mass of soldiers, had commenced its advance south from Cooktown. Almost simultaneously tne massed forces of the Commonwealth hau been detrained at Kocknampton, anu were on the march i\orth. "That will just about do it," said the Professor when he received this intelligence. " it will be a bit of a race, but 1 think we have just a slight advantage, we must watch that lot at Croydon. As soon as they move out again the general advance of the enemy will nave commenced. If our forces are then wivmn a couple of days' march I will act, and, if all is well, the enemy will come no further south." The Professor occupied the days in completing what seemed line a complicated electric communication extending from Townsville almost in a straight line west to Woolgar, which is almost due south from Croydou. He was generally accompanied by; the iTime Minister, who was profoundly inte'rested, but most studiously non-inquisitive. He asked no questions, nor dia he formulate any theories, as ne knew that the rrofessor's plan was no ordinary one, and that any speculation upon it would ue mere profitless guesswork. At last the long-expected movement from Croydon was maue uy tue enemy, ana ;h>: btoCK fcjeouts, as lliey became Known, reported the advanced lines of the main army to ,.e just south of lieriierton and Chillagoe. The Commonwealth forces were at The .nvue >iiue in touch with Townsville, and the first important point of the manoeuvres had thus been gaimd v,y Australia. "To-morrow," said the Professor to the Prime Minister, who, understanding how momentous was tne pronouncement, ,nodued in grave silence. A reference to the map will snow how skiifully devised had been the enemy's line oi advance, so that by skirting the mountains they could concentrate on 'townsville from two points. From Croydon through Woolgar, and from Cooktown by keeping close to the seahoard. It will also show how ingeniously the Professor had foreseen and interpretea the hostile operations. The decisive day dawned. It developed with all the indications of a coming upheaval of tne (elements peculiar to tropical regions, in whicn but short warning is given of terrific weather phenomena. The sky grew black with immense clouds, which looked like the mobilisation of magnificent heavenly hosts to meet the hideous hordes of the infernal regions. The day darkened, and an unearthly, ominous stillness prevailed, awe-inspiring in its threatening mysteriousness. "Nature is on our side," was the Professor's naive, scientific comment upon the fact* With the Prime Minister he was in what he called his Power House. A.large map of Northern Queensland, was spread out before him,and lie constantly referred to this and to an accurately-adjusted chronometer, fl'rom the very latest intelligence from the Stock Scouts he knew that ny 4 O'CIOCK in the afternoon the first lines oi the eaemv, with lines and lines uehinct, would be within ten miles of the Townsville line. At that hour he intended to put his new mighty engine of war to the terrible test. The hour came. The Professor touched the carefully-secreted button of his central apparatus, and immediately through the blackness of the atmosphere and the torrential tropical downpour which came in floods from the clouds, there shot forth in a straight westerly line for 200 miles a vivid blue liaming flash, like a lightning-charged thunderbolt destined hy the gods to destroy the earth. Illuminating the day with a blinding sheet of light, such as might be imagined to usher in the end of the world, it swept northwards like a live thing directed and eontrelled by some Almighty power. The Prime Minister from the conning tower of the Power House was overwhelmed by the awful sight, and fell back almost fainting from the paralysing effect of the gigantic force which had so simply been set loose. "Sir," said the Professor calmly, " I think we may order a general advance. The "lines of the enemy are destroyed for at least 50 miles north. Any behind that will soon be in full retreat." "But," stammered the Prime Minister. "What —how—I don't understand." "Sir," explained the Professor, "it is very simple. The army of the enemy has been struckby lightning. It was only a matter of concentrating electric force, a not very difficult scientific achievement." The Prime Minister smiled at the great little man's modesty and remarKed : "No, I suppose not, when you know the secret." "Yes, sir," said the Professor, smilingly, seizing the word. "It will be best to keep it "a secret. The Blue Bolt Secret, eh ?" * * * * The Stock Scouts did not take" long to confirm the Professor's explanation of what had happened. The vast hostile army had been almost annihilated, stretched out a mass of black and charred corpses in the formation in which it was making its triumphant advance. The terrific Bolt from the Blue had struck it and laid it low. Black clouds of circling, cawing crows, disturbed of their dismal feast, marked where it lay. What was left of it, well at the rear, was in full retreat, and the Commonwealth forces were able to march peaceably over the enemy's tracks, capture stragglers, and see the transports scuttling away back home well out of range of the universally dreaded Silver Ball. "Well, Professor," said the genial and philosophical Prime Minister, "are you satisfied ?" "Sir," replied Professor Pafi, "I serve my country. The Commonwealth is now for ever freed from fear of war. With your great help I hope now to aid its progress in the paths of peace." And so the self-effacing, patriotic little scientist regarded his heroic deeds.
