White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1935-05-16

abilities. Informed that pirates were
coming to attack the place he sum-
moned his people to fetch in their gold,
and from that he cast these guns" He
had been taught the process of temper
ing gold by an old Inca chief who was
devoted to him, and it is probable
that he made his powder from the
charcoal and sulphur and saltpeter
that was obtainable in that region
The count paused for breath. Tom
managed to mutter, "By CORY, might
have guessed it from the weight Of
them"
"That brave effort failed" count de
Corlay resumed, still speaking French
"The mission was destroyed, put to
fire and sword, and these pirates must
have discovered the secret Of the guns.
Thereafter they passed from hand to
hand eventually to be captured by my
ancestor, who took them from bucca-
neer ship Purisi,na Conception, which
he destroyed They were then covered,
as now, by this coating Of gum, and
the character Of their metal was un-
suspected. My ancestor was set to
thinking in the manner that Mr.. Jor-
dan has just mentioned. BY their as
tonishing weight. He knew something
OF metallurgy and found occasion to
make some tests, when he discovered
that aqua regia alone was able to
erode their SURFACE. Even that reacted
more slowly thans upon virgin gold"
Historically, as Doctor White re-
called, the counts story was credible.
In actual fact, as far as history may
be trusted, the authorities of Porto
Bello, when that stronghold of Spain
in the new world was beseiged by Nor
CAMS merciless buccaneers, resorted to
precisely the same subterfuge. The
gold in the city, by all accounts vast
store, awaiting shipment to Spain, and
all that could be hastily gathered from
the citizens, was melted and some
small cannon (the number is not re-
corded cast and mounted with their
more practical If less intrinsically val
liable brothers, on the city's walls Dis
mantled from their carriages before
the final victorious assault of Nor.
CAMS men, they naturally were COM
pletely overlooked by the buccaneers,
intent only on pillage, but there is no
historic record of the costly weapons"
having been salvaged.
That the secret should have remained
undivulged, in view of the savage tor
lures inflicted on the unfortunate citi-
zens of Porto Bello who were suspected
of having concealed their treasures, is
one of the marvels in the tragic history
of the Spanish Main Possibility few,
except a handful of the higher au-
liberties, knew of the trick, and these
in all probability were slain in the first
0f ell JT1of +1,o+ f~nN
capture of the city by the buccaneers
and before the systematic pillage was
begun. The incident, however, was vi
vid in Doctor Whites memory as the
count de Corlay ended his explanation.
Tom, staring at the three pieces of
ordnance that had been SO carelessly
dumped down upon the beach, gave a
long, low whistle. Then, with Yankee
practically he said, They'll reach to
a hacksaw, reckon and looked at
Jessica.
But Doctor White was not thinking
of that consideration. His mind was
at work on the idea of argumentum ad
hominum, and how easily he might
have fallen victim to such had not the
honor Of the Frenchmen spurned it on
discovering that they had in turn to
deal with a just man whose fairness
they were content to abide by and
whose mere word was enough to make
them feel safe in their astonishing rev.
elation
The doctors eyes glistened as he
contemplated the honor done him He
felt incapable of speech. His throat
swelled. Some acknowledgement be-
ing in order, he merely bowed, first to
the count and then to Robert. His
salute was gravely returned by each.
No more was necessary. The two
Frenchmen understood.