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 alonbeen 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