The Gold of the Gods

that Norton and Lockwood say about him," remarked Kennedy, c

d his Wall Street office, where we were m

he said, "but if you will be seated

ters on a table near us. Kennedy could not help seeing the letter on top of the pile, and noticed that it bore a stamp from Peru. He picke

in that," remarked Craig

y, and with a nod of his head to himself, as though settling

had Mr. Whitney on the wire," he reported. "I

ince Edward Albe

we must have seen that in order to know the telephone number

" rejoined Kennedy, as

f he is with Senora de

k I can beat him back

rr

to work quickly over an X-ray apparatus. As I watc

'low tubes,'" he explained.

ral minutes, then took the le

lace that letter, I think I will have something that will astonish you-though whether it will have an

as not back when I arrived, but the clerk was there, and I

n see Mr. Whitney," I said, on the spur of

tter on the table, which might have excited suspicion, I stuck it in the letter slot of the door,

urned. "Mr. Whitney is on hi

him up when he arrived, congratulating myself on

minutes later, when I had rej

ntly over what loo

ish scientist, Dr. Hall Edwards. He has been experimenting with the method of using X-rays recently discovered by a German scientist, by which radiographs of very thin substances, such as a

s guidance, to read the words inscribed on the sheet of paper inside. So admirably defined were all the details

scarcely believing what I actually s

ossible, by taking a radiograph, as I have done, stereoscopically. Then every detail can be seen standing out in relief. Besides, it can be greatly magnifi

contents of several paragraphs labori

A, P

R WH

I am doing everything in my power to conserve our interests, and now and then, owing to the scarc

Senora de Moche, with her son, Alfonso, is at present in New York. Doubtless she has already called on you and

etting out of the country an Inca dagger which, I believe, bears a very important inscription. I do not know anything definite about it, as these people are very ret

What the inscription is I don't know, but from the way these people down here act one would think that they all had a proprietary interest in the relic. Wha

ying on Mendoza's passions-she's thoroughly unscrupulous and Don Luis is somewhat of a Don Juan. I write this to put you on guard. Her son, Alfonso, whom you perha

t is in every one's mouth. As for the inscribed dagger which Norton has taken with him, I rely on you to inform me. There seems to b

incerel

GGE

h he had jotted down as we picked out the letters and words, "that's how the

could not help pu

one had dropped it overboard. I believe I will keep th

ing Whitney's building. I was about to step into the el

ned and caught sight of the archaeologist

ainly showed tha

d Kennedy, putting the

Whitney be

ut having no alternative motioned

was stolen-that is, about the loss," he said nervously. "

ave been just after his return to the office and recei

aging an expedition in that God-forsaken country doesn't give you time to read every inscription, especially when it is almost ille

known something about the dag

ther things for that, why, of course, I would have done so. We can't afford to lose him as a

else. Why don't they come out and face me? I've a notion to try to carry on my work independently. Nothing plays hob with scholarship like money. You'd think he owned me body a

d have to cut loose," he went on finally. "Now, I suppose it is coming. Ah, well, perhaps it will be better-who can t

some good, for I am sure that he left us in

ood-luck, and we aga

I am sure that if it had been any one else than Kennedy he would have thrown

rton, up at your place?" he demanded,

tell me," returned Kennedy, purposely I thought,

-when he's actually so careless as to let himself be robbed of what he gets with my money. I tell you, you can't trust anybody. They all double-cross you. I swear, I think Lockwood and I ought to go it alon

been telling you somet

twice this morning, b

he had been watching and had some idea of where he really was. W

ous. We can get along without him. I tell you, Kennedy, no one is indispensable. There is always some way to get along-if you can't ge

ld not help thinking that both Norton and Whitney were perhaps just a bit glad at the break. Had

whether his anger had been genuine. Did he know more about t

r her son, too," remarked Kennedy, tenaciously tryin

dy's face, a proceeding that served by contrast to emphasize the abnormal cond

one of the leading families in Peru," ventured Kenned

doza herself can be t

lied with a

of Mr. Lockwood,

ically, as though in doubt

f it came to the point in this matter of the Gold of the Gods, as they all seem to call the buried treasure a

measure as a man quite susceptible to a pretty fac

ghed, with a self-satisfied air. "You will excuse me? I

walked to the door with us

t to open the outer door when it was pushed

e queried, in a tone which I could not

the negative. "Not u

doux seems to have quite upset the Senorita, though. I don't know how many times she has called me up

way, but one could see that he was gre

ferred to you, th

added, "I won't say but that I

nder the tail of his coat bu

idea who could ha

oever he is, I'm ready," he