"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 077 - The Merchants of Disaster" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

notebook was gone, detectives could see no connection between the jumbled letters Quinan had dictated
and his murder.

Since the girl did not know where Quinan had gotten those letters, or what they meant, the detectives
could not be blamed overly much.

They never did connect the murder with what happened at the army proving ground that afternoon.

The proving ground was the center of more than ordinary interest.

The site was used for testing new inventions, new explosives and other developments in warfare.
Theoretically, it was so located that it could not be spied upon by civilians.

Actually, it was possible to see the grounds, although from quite a distance, if high-powered binoculars
were used.

The two men, well hidden, who were watching the activity on the proving ground had high-powered
binoculars. And they appeared just as well pleased that they were considerable distance away.

They were the two who had offices across from that of the late Les Quinan.

Conversation lagged between them. They already knew what was going to occur. They were interested
merely in seeing that everything went as expected. But even their features became more tense as drama
unfolded before them.

At least two hundred soldiers and officers were on the field. They stood at ease, waiting for the test to
begin.

They were not sure just what the test was to be, but rumor had it that they were to try out a new type of
smoke screen. All had gas masks ready to don.

The gas masks really were not needed, the officers had reported, except that the glass in the goggles had
been treated with a special preparation which it was hoped would make it fairly easy to see while passing
through the smoke screen.

What the officers did not add was that intelligence reports were to the effect that a certain power had
developed a combination smoke screen and poison gas, and it was hoped the preparation on the goggles
would enable American troops to combat such an attack should it ever prove necessary.

That the tests were considered important was shown by the number of high army officers present. These
high officials, however, made themselves as inconspicuous as possible. They had withdrawn to a nearby
hill, and also expected to watch the test through field glasses.

Only a slight breeze was blowing. Everything was considered perfect for the business in hand.

The airplane that drifted overhead attracted no attention whatsoever. It was up so high, for one thing, and
its motors could scarcely be heard. For another, thin banks of clouds made it impossible to see from the
ground.

Then the smoke screen tests began.