VI
A STRANGE DISCOVERY
"It is my belief that Dr. Max Syx is a deceiver."
The person who uttered this opinion was a young engineer, Andrew Hall,
who had charge of the operations of one of the mining companies which
were driving tunnels into the Grand Teton.
"What do you mean by that?" asked President Boon, who was the
principal backer of the enterprise.
"I mean," replied Hall, "that there is no free metal in this mountain,
and Dr. Syx knows there is none."
"But he is getting it himself from his mine," retorted President Boon.
"So he says, but who has seen it? No one is admitted into the Syx
mine, his foremen are forbidden to talk, and his workmen are specially
imported negroes who do not understand the English language."
"But," persisted Mr. Boon, "how, then, do you account for the nuggets
scattered over the mountain? And, beside, what object could Dr. Syx
have in pretending that there is free metal to be had for the
digging?"
"He may have salted the mountain, for all I know," said Hall. "As for
his object, I confess I am entirely in the dark; but, for all that, I
am convinced that we shall find no more metal if we dig ten miles for
it.
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