The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-28
VIA MYSTERY INDEED.


VIA MYSTERY INDEED,
When President Boon had heard oul
story he promptly approved Hall dismis
sal of the men. He expressed great sur
prise that DR.. Syx should have resorted tt
a deception which had been so disastrous
to innocent people, and at first he talked
of legal proceedings. But after thinking
the matter over he concluded that Syx was
too powerful to be attacked with success
especially when the only evidence against
him was that he had claimed to find arte-
misium in his mine at time when. as
everybody knew, artemisium actually was
found outside the mine. There was no ap-
parent motive for the deception and NJ
proof OF malicious intent In short, MI
Boon decided that the best thing for him
aud his stockholders to do was to keel
silent about their losses and await events
And. at Halls suggestion, he also deter
mined to say nothing to anybody about the
discovery We had made.
1t could do no good said Hall in max
ing the suggestion. land it might spoil a
plan have in mind
What plan?" asked the president.
Il prefer not to tell just yet was the
reply.
observed that in cur interview with Mr.
Boon Hall made no reference to the
side tunnel to which he had appeared to
attach SO much Importance, and l con-
clueed that he now regarded it as lacking
significance. In this / was mistaken.
A few days afterward / received an In
vitation from Hall to accompany him once
more into the abandoned tunnel.
Il have found out what that side track
means" he said,- land it has plunged me
into another mystery SO dark and pro-
found that cannot see my way through
II. I must beg you to say no word to any
one concerning the things l am about to
show YOU
gave the required promise, and We en-
tered the tunnel which nobody had visited
since our former adventure. Having ex-
tinguished our lamp my companion
opened the peephole and thin ray Of
light streamed through from the tunnel
on the opposite side of the wall. He ap-
piled his eye to the hole.
Yes" he said, quickly stepping back
and pushing me into his place, they are
still at it. Look and tell me what you
see"
I see." ! replied after placing my eye
at the aperture, "a gang of men unload
ing car which has Just come cut of the
side tunnel, and putting its contents upon
another car standing on the track CT the
main tunnel"
Yes, and what are they handling?"
why. ore. Of course"
And do you see nothing significant in
that?"
ITO be sure," exclaimed, why, that
ore"
Hush, hush" admonished Hall. put
ting his hand over my mouth; don't talk
SO loud. Now, 60 on in a whisper"
The ore, I resumed, may have come
back from the furnace room, because the
side tunnel turns off SO as to run parallel
with the other.
1T not only may have come back, 1t
actually has come back said Hail.
How can you be sure?"
Because have been over the track, and
know that 1t leads TO a secret apartment
directly under the furnace in which d..
Syx pretends to melt the ore!''
For a minute after hearing this ayowal
/ was speeches..
Are you serious?" / asked at length.
Perfectly serious. Run your finger
along the rock, here. Do you perceive a
seam? Two days ago, after seeing what
you have just witnessed in the Syx tun-
mel. l carefully cut out section Of the
wall. making an aperture large enough to
crawl through. and. when l knew the
workmen were asleep I crept in there and
examined both tunnels from end to end.
bat IN solving one mystery / have run
myself into another infinitely more DER.
Picking
How is that"
Why does Dr. Syx take such elaborate
pains to deceive his visitors. and also the
Government officers? 1t is now plain that
ne conducts no mining operations what
ever. This mine OF his is gigantic blind.
Whenever inspectors or scientific curiosity
seekers visit his mill his mute workm.n
assume the air Of being very busy. the cars
iaden with his so-calied ore rumble out 4
OF tie tunnel, and their contents are os-
tertetiously poured into the furnace or |
appear to be poured into IL. really dropping |
into receptacle beneath, to be carried |
BACK into inc mine again. And then the |
coctor leads his gulled visitors sround to |
the other side Of the furnace and shows
them the molten metal coming out In
streams. Now. what Toes 1t all mean.
That's what I'd like 20 find out What's |
his game! For. mark you. II he doesn't |
gel aftemisium from this pretended ore he |
gets IL from some other source. and right |
on this spot. too. There is no doub. about |
that. The whole world is supplied By Syx's |
furnace. and SyX feeds his furnace with |
that comes from hts ten acres |
Or Grand Teton rock. What Is that some I
hing? How does he get il, and where
Toes he hide II? These are the things I
;houid like to find out."
Well" l replied, 81 fear / can't help
you"
But the difference between you and
me-" he retorted sis that you can go to
sleep ever 1t. while l shall never get
another good nights rest SO long as thfa
black mystery remains unsolred"
ny Eat will you doP"
4 don't know exactly what. But I've
got dim idea which may take shane
ifter a while"
Hall was silent for some time: then
lie suddenly asked:
did you ever hear OF that queer magic
antcrn show with which DR.. Syx enter
aimed Mr. Boon and the members OF the
commission in the early days OF
he artemisium business?"
Yes. I've heard the story. but / don't
mink X was ever made public. The news
'apers never got hold OF It."
No. 1 believe not Odd thing wasn't
tgn
Why. yes. very odd. but 1ust like the
ocfor's eccentric ways. though. He's
ways doing something 20 astonish some-
ody without any apparent earthly rca-
on. But what put you In mind CT iba'?- s
free arteMi6fuia put me In iHln,1 IT Il 8
eplied Hall Quikxically. I,
Il don't see the connection" s
Tn not sure that do either. but when q
on are dealing with DR.. syx nothing Is I
% Improbable TO be thought Of" IL
Hall thereupon fell to musfng again.
nile we returned 70 the entrance OF the Q
1nuel. After he had made everything
ecure, and slipped the key into his =