The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-20

You might present us, you know,
said; the journey is monotonous."
Barris had drawn a telegram from
his pocket, and as he sat turning i
over and over between his fingers h,
smiled. After a moment or two HI
handed 1t to Pierpont who read 1t witt
slightly raised eyebrows.
Its rot suppose it's cipher" h
said; Il see it's signed by Genera
Drummond-'
'Drummond. chief of the government
service" said Barris.
Something interesting?" 1 inquired
lighting a cigarette.
Something so interesting" replied
Barris. that I'm going TO look into il
myself"
And break up our shooting trio"
mo. Do you want to hear about it!
Do you Billy Pierpont?"
Yes" replied that immaculate young
man.
Barris rubbed the amber mouthpiece
of his pipe on his handkerchief, cleared
the stem with bit of wire puffed once
or twice, and leaned back in his chair
"Pierpont." he said, do you remem-
Der that evening at the United States
club when General Miles, General
Drummond and 1 were examining that
gold nugget that Captain Mahan had
You examined it also. 1 believe"
II did" said Pierpont.
Was it gOld?" asked Barris, drum
ming on the window.
1T was" replied Pierpont.
Il saw it, too" said 1; "of course, it
was gold"
''Well?" said Pierpont.
We'll" said Barris, 1T was not
gold"
After a silence Pierpont asked what
tests had been made.
The usual tests" replied BaTris.
'The United States mint is satisfied
that it is gold. so is every Jeweler who
has seen it. But it is not gold-and yet
it is gold"
PierpOnt and I exchanged glances.
Now" said l, for Barris' usual
coup de theatre; what was the mug
get?"
practically It was pure gold; but. -
said Barris, enjoying the situation in
tensely, really it was not gold. Pier
pont, what is gold?"
Colds an element, a metal"
Wrong! Billy Pierpont," said Bar
ris coolly.
Gold was an element when 1 went
10 school," said /.
1T has not been an element for two
weeks said Barris; land. except Cen
eral Drummond, Professor La Grange
and myself, you two youngsters are the
only people. except one, in the world
who know it-or have known it"
DO you mean TO say that gold is
a composite metal?" said Pierpont
slowly.
81 do. La Grange has made II. He
produced a scale of pure gold day be-
fore yesterday. That nugget was man
ufactured gold"
Could Barris be joking? Was this a
colossal hoax? / looked at Pierpont.
He muttered something about that set
Ting the silver question, and turned
his head to Barris. but there was that
in Barris' face which forbade testing,
and Pierpont and l sat silently ponder
ing.
Don't ask me how it's made" said
Barrts, quietly; Il don't know. But 1
do know that somewhere in the region
Of the Cardinal woods there is a gang
Of people who do know how gold is
made, and who make it, You under
stand the danger this is to every civ
Ilized nation. It's got 10 be stopped, of
course. Drummond and have decided
that j am the man TO stop Ii. Wher-
ever and whoever these people are
these goldmakers-they must be
caught, every one of them-caught or
shot"
"Or shot" repeated Pierpont. who
was owner of the Crosscut gold mine
and found his income too small: PRO
tessor La Grange win of course be pru-
dent; science need not know things
that would upset the worldr
Little Willy" said Barris laugh
ing, your income is safe"
1 suppose" said I, some flaw in
the nugget gave Professor La Grange
the tip"
Exactly. He cut the flaw out be-
fore sending the nugget TO be tested.
He worked ON the flaw and separated
gold into its three elements"
He is great man." said Pierpont.
but he will be the greatest man in
The world if he can keep his discovery
TO himself
"WhoT said Barris.