Putnam patriot., 1911-04-07

l wonder. he said muSlncly, tf these internal scientists with their new inventions are going to block my game"
 Two more weeks passed without a report from Colonel Whistleton, then he appeared one morning in his en- ployers office and said:
 Watching the prisoner through a keyhole. your commercial highness. saw him take tablet from his vest pocket and put 1t in his mouth"
 "A tablet?'
 "Yes. tablet. At any rate it was so small that he held it between his thumb and finger and swallowed 1t whole"
 Aha! Now we shall get at the secret. Has he lost flesh?"
 Not a pound"
 And he is living on tablets?"
 q am sure he has nothing else"
 How many a dayT
 "One I have had him under sur veillance for several weeks, and he takes but one tablet each twentyfour hours
 "Take them away from him. But hold. The secret would die with him. 1t may be useful to me. Should have it his death might not be neces sary to me. It costs, say. dollar day to feed man. If million men can be fed 300 days on cent day there is a saving of S299,00o000 If can do that can find a way to under mine him. Secure one of the tablets and bring it to me at once"
 Another week passed. The colonel made another report. The prisoner carried no supply of tablets on his person. Moreover. he was not seen to swallow any more tablets.
 "Bungler." cried Mir. Van Roekagan. You have made him suspicious. He has found means of supply that you are not aware of and takes his daily meal when you are not observing him. Does he still retain his tlesh?'
 He does. If he receives tablets from without it must be during the night, and he must eat them then"
 Co back and watch all night, with out and within.'
 The next report was that during the night a huge bird lit on chimney lead ing down to the prisoners apartments, remained there moment and flew away.
 Bird be hangedr' exclaimed MT. Van Rockagan contemptuously. Tt was one of these newfangled aero
 
 boy in it. Catch or shoot one of them before he can drop tablet down the chimney and you'll get what you're after"
 A bird was captured just before it reached the chimney. Its wing was broken by a shot. and 1t was caught in net. It proved to be a ten-year- old boy. On his person was one of the mysterious tablets.
 When Colonel Whistleton brought the tablet to his chief the latter ordered Mir. Harrihill to be supplied with food till further orders. Then he sent out at once for Dr. Beckendorf, the scientist in charge of his department of chemis try. When the gentleman arrived Mir. Van Rockagan said to him:
 "Analyze that" and he handed the doctor the tablet
 pr. Beckendorf withdrew and the next morning reappeared with his re- port
 That tablet. your commercial high ness," he said, was suggested thirty years ago by French scientist named Berthelow. It is composed of carbon derived from carbonic acid, hydrogen taken from water, with Ozate and oxy- gen borrowed from the atmosphere. Dr. Berthelow declared that such a tablet would supply man with all the nourishment he needed. But 1 have never heard of one being manufac- tured. Doubtless process of doing so has been recently hit upon"
 .Can you manufacture itT
 "I think I can"
 ''Do so. But never mind. You may ge."
 A few days later Mir. Rockagan's financial chief appeared before MT Harrihil and said:
 ..Mr Rockagan possesses your secret, and it will enable him to feed a man on a cent day or less. He will at once begin competing road with every one you own, to cost small percentage of what yours cost. or he will buy your roads at the market price"
 One morning it was announced that all Mir. Harihill's railroad securities had been transferred to Mir Rockagan 'sNow." said that gentleman. i've may assume the title of president, em peror or whatever we like"