The San Francisco call., 1905-08-20

--C " eS dbO0A " Aul II O0N VI ~AAC
main street he ran suddenly into the
arms Of a man coming from the shop
Of a clothier, who made costumes for
the court
'Ha. Davie!" cried the King, its
surely late in the day to choose the
colors for a new jacket"
Indeed, your Majesty is in the
right" replied Sir David, but I was
not selecting cloth; L was merely en-
acting the part of an honest man and
hquidadng a reckoning of long stand
ing"
What. a poet with money! ex-
claimed the King. Who ever heard
of such a thing? Man Davie, you
might share the knowledge of your
treasure house with a friend. Kings
are always in want of money. Is your
gold mine rich enough for two?'
The King spoke Jocularly, placing
no particular meaning upon his words,
and If Sir David had answered in kind
James would doubtless thought no
more about the matter, but the poet
stammered and showed such evident
confusion that his Majesty's quick
suspicious were at once aroused.
"Davie." cried James, you make
very poor conspirator."
Indeed, your Majesty" replied the
poet earnestly, no one is less of
conspirator than L
DAVIS, you are hlolhg something
from me-"
The knight was visibly perturbed,
bat at last he answered:
In this matter L am sworn to Sc
crecy."
"AlI secrets reveal themselves at the
Kings command. replied James
sternIy. Speak out; speak fully, and
speak quickly"
We'll, there came some time since
to Stirling an Italian chemist, who
took Up his abode and set up his SHOP
in the abandoned refectory of the old
monastery. He is the author of many
wonderful inventions but none inter
ests the court so much as the COM
pounding OF pure gold in a crucible
from the ordinary earth in the fields.
Il can well believe that" cried the
King. 4 have some stout fighters in
my court, who fear neither man nor
devil in battle, yet who would stand
with mouth agape before a Juggler'S
tent. But surely, Davie, you, who
have been TO the college and have
read much from the learned books,
are not such a fool as to be deluded
by that ancient fallacy, the transmuta-
ton Of any other metals into gold ?"
Sir David laughed uneasily.
4 did not say 1 believed it. vour
Majesty, still d man must place some
credence in what his eye sees done, as
well as in what he reads from books;
and after all the proof Of the cudgel
is the rap on the head have be-
held the contest beginning with an
empty pot and ending with bar OF
gold"
Doubtless. I have seen juggler
swallow hot iron, but have never be-
lieved it went down his throttle, al
though it appeared to have done so.
Did you get any share Of the trans
rnuted gold? That's the practical test,
THAT is exactly the test your
barons applied. I doubt if their no
bilities would take much interest in
a scientific experiment Each man en-
tering the laboratory pays what he
pleases to the money taker at the
table, but il must not be less than one
gold bonnet-piece. When all have en-
tered the doors are closed and locked.
The amount Of money collected is
weighed against small bars Of gold
which the alchemist places in the op-
posite scale until the two are equally
balanced. This bar Of gold he then
throws into the crucible."
"Oh, he puts the gold into the cru
chile, does he2 Where, then, is the
profit? / thought these necromancers
made gold from iron"
@'Signor Farini's method is different,
your Majesty. He asserts that like
attracts alike and that the gold in the
crucible will take to itself the minute
unseen particles which he believes ex-
sst IN all soils, the intense heat burn
ing away the dross and leaving the
II see: and how ends this expert
ment?"
Sometimes II is double the amount Of
gold put in, sometimes treble; and 1
have known him upon occasion take
from the crucible quadruple the gold
of the bars, but never have known
a melting fall below double the
collected ~ the man 2 the
table At the final act each noble
has returned to him double or treble
the gold he relinquished on entering.
'eEYhere. then, arises the profit to
your Italian? I never knew these for
eigners to work for nothing.
ssTIe SAYS he does it for love Of Scot
land and hatred Of England; an ancient
enemy Were but the Scottish nation
rich. he thinks they could the better
withstand incursions from the SOUTH
well, Davie, that seems to me
most unsubstantial reason. Scotland's
protection has been her poverty in all
except hard knocks. Were she as
wealthy as France it would be the
greater temptation for Engishers to
Jverrun the country. My grandfather,
James III. had black chest fun OF
gold and jewels. yet he was muir
dered living from defeat in battle.
When does this golden wizard fire his
csldron, Davie?"
Tonight, your Majesty. That is
the reason the mobiles of your court
were making sly haste TO his oomi-
Gle"
"Ah, and Sir David LINDSAY was
hurrying TO the same spot so olinoly
that he nearly overran his monarch.
1T is even so, your Majesty.
Then am / hindering you from much
profit. and you must even blame your
6elf for being so long in the telling.
However, IL is never too late TO turn
one bonnet piece into two. so, Davie,
lead the way, for 1 would see TINS
aIchemist turn out gold from pot as
a housewife boils potatoes"
Il fear, your Majesty, that the doors
will be shut"
IF they are, Davie, the Kings name
viii open them. Lead the way; leao
the way"
The doors were not shut, but were
Just on the point Of closing when Sir
David put his shoulder to them and