Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-11

Yes" replied the doctor simply.
! could hear chair overturned.
"Why, with that you cam
II can do etferything," broke In the
doctor. 1.-THE possibilities are enor-
NOUS
{ "And you can really produce it in
quantityr
"I think So 1t ISIS for us to discov-
err
A pause ensued
"Whyr came the voice Of Percy
barrow, awestricken. with fifty
centigrams only you could-you could
transmute any substance = why, you
scould make anything you pleased al
most! You could make enough dia-
monds to fill that chest! 1t is the
philosophers stone!'
"Diamonds-yes- is possible" in
terrupted the doctor impatiently, IF
It was worth while. But you should
see the real Importance
The ship careened to chance sr VI.
A door slammed. The voices were cut
off. l looked up. The nigger's 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 bow.
When the door slammed he turned ST.
lently to glide away. At that instant
the watch was changed, and in q mo-
ment found myself in my bunk.
Ten seconds later the niger, de-
.ained by Captain Selover for some
1rifiing duty, burst into the forecastle.
die was possessed Of the widest ex-
titement. This in itself was enough
flo gain the attention of the men, but
his first words were startling.
IT found de treasurer he almost
shouted. II know where he keptw :
They leaped at him-Handy Solo
mon and Pulz--and fairly shook out Of
him what he thought he knew. He
babblcd in the forgotten terms of al
chemy, dressing modern facts in the
garments Of medieval thought until
they were scarcely TO be recognized.
and so he say dat he fine him, de
philosopher stone, and he keep him in
dat heavy box we see him carry
aboard, and he dom have to make gol
with 1.-THE can make diamon's-dia
mon's-he say 1t too easy to fill dat
box plum full of diamon's."
They gesticulated and exclaimed and
breathed hard, full Of the marvel OF
such a 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 tho EN-
phasizing Of ships etiquette they in
tween themselves and me. There was
much whispering apart, many private
talks and consultations In which had
no part. Ordinarily they talked free
~ enough before me. Even the read,
ing during the dog watch was inter.
mitted-at least 1t was on such days
as I happened to be in the watch be
low. But twice caught the Niger
and Handy Solomon consulting to,
gether 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 afterguard
was armed and was four TO the crews
Eve. 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 now
had Handy Solomon and Perdosa.
The Niger. being cook, stood no watch
You drunken greassr swab! snarl'
ed Handy Solomon. "You son Of a
Yaqui! I'll learn you to step on a
seaman's foot, and you can kiss the
book on thatl I'll cut your heart out
and feed It TO the sharksp'
''Pothaw sneered Perdosa. "You
cut heem you finger wild your knife"
They wrangled At first I thought
the quarrel genuine, but after a mo.
ment or 50 could not avoid a sort of
reminiscent impression Of the cheap
melodrama. II seemed incredible. but
soon 1 could not dodge the conclusion
that II was makeup quarrel designed
70 impress me.
Why should they desire 10 do so? |
had to give IT up, but the fact itself
was obvious enough. l laughed to see
them. The affair did not come to
blows, but il did come TO black looks
on meeting. muttered oaths. growis Of
enmity every time they happened to
pass each other on the deck. Perdosa
was not so bad. His Mexican blood
inclined him to the histrionic. and bis
Mexican cast lent itself well to evil
looks. But Handy solomon for the
first time In my acquaintance with
him was ridiculous.
About this time we crossed into fire.
quent thunders. One evening just at
dark We made out a heavy black
squaIL Not knowing exactly what
weight lay behind II. l called up all
hands. We ducked the staysaIl and
foresan. lowered the peak Of the main
san and waited to feel Of Il. rough
and ready seamanship often used in
these LITTLE California wind tanners.