The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-26


Laden with its wealth, the stream of
cyanide falls by gravity through iron
pipes into a long box where 1t pre-
cipitates the gold upon shavings of zinc,
Thereupon the fluid which has wrought
this wonderwork drops into an iron stump
tank and is pumped back into the solu-
ton chamber, where its weakness is as
certained and enough cyanide added to
bring the solution up to the standard
strength Then the work is again and
again repeated. In all metallurgy there
is no process more beautiful than this.
and it formed the theme of many con-
versations between Miss Grafton and my
self. She was not only conversant with
every branch of the subectj and had
the minutiae of the process at her fin
ger ends, but she was likewise able to
discourse upon it most charmingly.
Twenty rounds of amalgam made 1t
necessary for me to use my largest re-
tort and when l had everything ready
Healy helped me lift 1t into the furnace,
cover it completely with the glowing
charcoal and adjust the tube In pail
of water.
A strange quiet reigned about the mill
that evening-almost a foreboding quiet
and more than once l caught myself
casting uneasy glances into the dark cor
ners around us. The bunk-house was a
quarter of a mile away and the night
Waterman was not to go on duty until
we left the mill, so the super and l were
quite alone-alone with a thousand dol
lars worth of gold throwing off its quick
silver in the furnace. A sense of respon-
sibility began suddenly to fret at my
nerves and a premonition of impending
evil was not long in mauifesting itself.
looked at Healy. He was sitting on the
floor before the furnace, his knees drawn
UP to his chin and his hands clasped
around them. He was thoughtful and a
splash of freight fell ruddily on his
strong face.
You're excellent company, Healy. I
must say" observed caustically, plung-
! ing my hand down into the water buck
ct and feeling for the end of the tube
that connected with the retort. why
don't you say something?"
my thoughts were such good compan-
| ions, Leffingwell, that l forgot all about
YOU" said he, looking up with laugh.
! ''How's the retorting coming along?"
1.-THE quick is all out in the pail" I
answered, removing the cover of the fur
! mace and showing an iron bar through a
ring in the top of the retort. Bear a
hand, will you?'
The next moment we had the white-hot
iron receptacle upon bed of cinders, and
I knock ed away the top so that the glow
ing balls of gold could roll out and cool
before being put away in the safe.
and to think" murmured Heay, fas-
teninig his eyes upon the cleaning yell
low spheres, there are people in this
world who would barter woman's love
for such stuff as that! What a sad COM
mentary on human nature, Leffingwell!
With the love of a woman-of one woman
any man might be rich even though he
hadn't dollar in the world"
80 you've found 1t out, have you" said
! l. well, it's true, and it's the love OF
one woman that makes a mans life worth
living, that hallows his weary round of
days and hovers above him like a bene-
diction."
You must have got that out of some
book" said Healy, but 1t rings true, and
believe Leffingwell, that you and I'M
derstand each other. Don't your"
IT think we do" said l heartily and
then we shook hands.
As we stood there, face to face, / saw
a dark form uprear itself directly behind
Healy. 1t was Manuel, a savage scowl
on his brow and his eyes giittering.
Look outl" l cried, and leaped toward
the Mexican.
A blow fell on the back of my head. My
brain reeled and / threw up my hands
and fell unconscious to the floor.
On regaining my senses l found that 1
was bound hand and foot and gagged with
a strip of canvas. 1t was some time be-
fore my brain could take cognizance Of
anything further, and then / discovered
that / was not in the mill, but was out
of doors in the bright moonlight, lying on
the tailings pile close TO the tanks. My
head throbbed feverishly at the point
where it had been struck, and every eff
fort was painful, even the effort to think.
N Mammal al
stealthy to the mill for the purpose OF
stealing the gold which It was known I
would retort that night. And then, as /
thought of the damoniacal look on the
Mexican's face, a sharp fear assailed me
on Healy's account.
Just then ! heard voices, and turned my
head on the plank walk that spanned
the top of an empty cyanide tank I saw
three men, one lying PROSTATE and the
other two standing erect. The former |
knew must be Healy. and the latter the
pair who had set upon us.
You was telling me, senor," CAME the
voice Of Manuel, low but sibilantly clear,
and pulsing with hate, that you throw
me to the tank and keel me with the
poison. Cospettol You would treat me as
one dog, and I will be treating you the
same. You hear?"
My heart stood stlll with horror as
tank and then run and kneel by the
valve which controlled the flow Of poi
son. II was Healy's own threat which
had put this diabolical idea into the
Mexican's mind. The cyanide solution.
when turned on, would gush up into the
tank from below. / struggled in my
bends at the thought OF what would
happen.
ThQre was something wrong with the
valve for / could hear Manuel rafting
at II and cursing in his native tongue;
then, Of a sudden, a clear voice called:
stop! Take your hands from that
piper
Miss Graftoni A wild thrill shot along
my nerves. To my dying day / shall
never forget the picture so clearly lined
against tho moonlit background. All
was In silhouette save the storage vat
and the figure OF the girl There was a
walk around the base Of the solution
tank and the expert had Just stepped
into view the silvery light fun upon her
face and striking a dull CLEAN from a