Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-08

"And you can really produce it in
quantity?"
Il think so. 1t ISIS for us to discov-
err"
A pause ensued.
"Why" came the voice of Percy
barrow, awestrickcn with fifty
centigrams only you could-you could
transmute any substance - Why, you
could make anything you pleased al
most! You could make enough dia-
monds 10 fill that chest, 1t is the
philosophers stone!'
'.Diamonds-ye5-it is possible" IL
terrupted the doctor impatiently. IF
it was worth while But you should
see the real Importance
The ship careened TO q chance swell.
A door slammed. The voices were cut
off. looked up. The niggers head
was thrust forward fairly into the
glow from the companionway. The
mask of his sullennesS had fallen. His
eyes fairly rolled in excitement. His
thick lips were drawn back to expose
his teeth. His powerful figure was
gathered with the tensity of a bow
When the door slammed he turned 81
lently to glide away. At that instant
the watch was changed and in a mo-
ment l found myself in my bunk.
Ten seconds later the Niger, de-
tanned by Captain Selover for some
trffing duty, burst into the forecastle.
He was possessed of The widest ex-
G tement. This in itself was enough
,, gain the attention of the men, but
his first words were startling.
Il found de treasurer he almost
shouted. 81 know where he kept"
They leaped at him-Handy Sole.
mon and puiZ--a2d fairly shook out of
him what he thought lie knew. He
baDbled in the forgotten terms of al
chemy, dressing modern facts in the
garments of medieval thought unit!
| they We're scarcely to be recognized.
And so he say dat he fine him, de
philosopher stone, and he haeD him in
dat heavy box we see him carry
aboard. and he don have to make gol'
with 1.-THE can make diamon's-dia-
mon's-he say it too easy to fill dat
| box plum full of GiImOn's.'
| They gesticulated and exclaimed and
breathed hard. full Of the marvel of
such Il thought Then abruptly the
clamOr died TO nothing. | felt six
eyes bent on me, six unWinking eyes
moving restless in motiOnlesS figures,
suspicious. deadly as cobras.
Up to now my standing with the
men had been well enough. Now they
drew frankly apart One of the most
significant indications of this was the
increased respect they paid my Office
1t was as though by prompt obedi
ence, instant Difference and the EN-
phasizing of ships etiquette they in
tended to draw sharply the line be
tween themselves and me. There was
much whispering apart, many private
talks and consultations in which l had
no part. Ordinarily they talked free
Fly enough before me. Even the read
ing during the dog watch was inter
mitted-at least it was on such days
as | happened to lie in the watch be
low. But twice l caught the niggel
and Handy Solomon consulting to
gethcr over the volume on alchemy.
was in two minds whether TO re
port the whole matter to Captain Sci
over The only thing that restrained
ME was the vagueness of the inten
ton and the fact that the afterguarG
was armed and was four to the crews
five. An incident. however, decided
me. One evening l was awakened
by a sound of violent voices. Cap
tain Selover occasionally juggled the
watches for variety's sake, and 1 now
had Handy Solomon and Perdosa
The Niger. being cook, stood no watch
You drunken greaser swabr' snari
ed Handy Solomon. You son of ;
Yaqui! I'll learn you TO step on ;
seaman's foot, and you can kiss thu
book on that! III cut your heart oui
and feed it to the sharksr'
"Pothar' sneered Perdosa. "You
cut heem you finger wild your knife"
They wrangled. At first l though
the quarrel genuine, but after mo
ment or so ! could not avoid a sort o
reminiscent impression of the cheal
melodrama. 1t seemed incredible, bu
soon | could not dodge the conclusion
that it was a makeup quarrel designed
to impress me.
Why should they desire to do so?
had to give it up, but the fact itsel
was obvious enough. ! laughed to Sc
them. The affair did not come t
blows, but it didscome to black look
on meeting muttered oaths, growls o
enmity every time they happened t
pass each other on the deck. Perdos
was not so bad. His Mexican bloot
inclined him to the hiStriOnic, and hi
Mexican cast lent itself well to evi
looks. But Handy Solomon for tn
first time in my acquaintance wit
him was ridiculous
About this time we crossed into fire
quent thunders. One evening just a
dark we made out a heavy blacI
squat. Not knowing exactly wha
weight lay behind it, l called up a
hands. We ducked the staysail an
, foresail, lowered the peak of the main
sail and waited to feel Of it, a roug