"Oh, Lord!" sniffed the inventor. "I suppose as soon as I said that,
you began to see green shades appear, eh? Why--dear me!"

Hawkins stepped rapidly over to the side of his mixer. Then he stepped
away with considerably greater alacrity.

There was no two ways about it; the devilish mess in the vat was
taking on a marked tinge of green!

"Well--I--I guess I'll shut off the power," muttered Hawkins, suiting
the action to the word.

"When the agitator has stopped, Griggs, the mass will cool at once, so
you needn't worry."

"If it didn't cool, would it--would it blow up?" I quavered.

"Oh, it would," admitted Hawkins, rather nervously. "But as soon as
the mixing ceases, the slight color disappears, as you see."

"I don't see it; it seems to me to be getting greener than ever."

"Well, it's not!" the inventor snapped. "Five minutes from now, that
stuff will be an even brown once more."

"And while it's regaining the even brown, why not clear out of here?"
I said eagerly.

"Yes, we may as well, I suppose," said Hawkins, with a readiness which