The San Francisco call., 1905-08-20

advice to your Majesty In the turtner
prosecution of this affair."
mo, Davie,' said the King, stopping
in his march and speaking with pleas
ed cordiality, mo, / value your advice;
you are an honest man. and it is not to
be expected that the subtlety and Graf
tiness of these foreigners should be as
clear to you as the sunshine on a
Highland hill. Speak out, Davie, and
If you give me your counsel, know 1T
will be as wholesome as oatmeal por-
ridge
We'll, your Majesty, you must meet
subtlety with subtlety."
II am not sure that the adage holds
good, Davie," demurred the King.
You cannot OUTRAGE a Highlandman
in his own glen, although you may
fight him fairly in the open. Once this
Frenchman's head is off. you stop his
boiling pot"
That is quite true, your Majesty,
but If the French ambassador should
put in a claim for his worthless car
cass you will find yourself on the eve
of break with France, If you proceed
to his execution"
But l shall have made France
throw off it's mask"
1T is not France I am thinking
about, your Majesty. Your own no.
bleS have gone clean daft over this
Italian. He is their goose that lays the
golden eggs, and you saw yourself to-
night with what breathless expectation
they watched his experimenting. l am
sure. your Majesty, that they Will
stand by him and that you will find
not only France but Scotland arrayed
against you. A moments reflection
viii show you the danger. These meet
ings have been going on for months
past, yet no whisper of their progress
has reached your Majesty's ears"
That is true; even you yourself,
Dayie, kept silent
Il swore an oath of silence, and. hon.
estly, 1 did not think that this gold
making was an affair of state"
: Very well. will act with caution.
The breath of the ey-getter tar
nishes the polish of the sword; and in
my dealings 1 shall try to recollect that
have to do with men growing rapidly
rich, as we'll as with mobiles who should
be too proud to accept unearned gold
from any man. Now. Davie. I'll need
your help in this, and in aiding me
you will assist yourself; thus will vir-
tue be It's own reward, as is preached
to US. Twill give you as many gold
pieces as you need. and instead of pay
ing three pieces at the entrance give
the man 800. Urge all the mobiles to
increase their wagers, for thus we
shall soon learn the depths Of this
yellow treasury. If l attempt to wiring
the neck of the goose before the eggs
are laid. my followers would be justi-
fed in saying that the English part
Of my nature had got the better Of
the Scotch. Meanwhile / will know
nothing of this mans doings, and hope
for your sake, Davie. that the gold
mine will prove as prolific as my own
in the Clydesdale."
The mobiles followed the example set
to them by the lavish Sir David. They
needed no urging from him to increase
their stakes. The fever of the gambler
was on each of them, and soon the al
legged Italian began to be embarrassed
IN keeping up the pace he had set for
himself. 1t required now an enormous
sum to pay even double the amount
announced that the meetings would be
held less often, but the mobiles would
not have it so. Then his experiments
became less and less successful. One
night the bonus amounted only to half
then there Avere ominous grumbiings
At the next meeting the bare amount
paid in was given back and the deep
roar of resentment which greeted this
proclamation made the foreigner trem-
BILE in his red robe. The ambassador
was sending messenger after messen-
ger to. France, and looked anxiously
for their return, while the necromancer
did everything to gain time. At last
there came an experiment which failed
entirely; no gold was produced in the
crucible. The alchemist begged for a
postponement, but swords flashed forth
and he was compelled on the spot to
renew his Incarnation. If gold could