Show gift 0 o eft Q 0 E rr I 1 A A I 1 L STOR iffie R OF MOONS by ROBERT W CHAMBERS illustrations by J J sheridan copyright G P putnam s sons CHAPTER 1 concerning yue laou and the xin I 1 know nothing more than you shall know I 1 am miserably anxious to clear the matter up perhaps what I 1 write ma nia save the united states govern ment mone and lives perhaps it may arouse the scientific world to action at any rate it will put an end to the teri ible suspense of two people taint Is better than suspense if I 1 the government dares to disregard the warning and refuses to send 4 thoroughly equipped aped expedition at once the people of the state may take tale swift langeance lenge ance on the whole regions and leae leane a biaca ened devastated waste where today to day forest and flower ing meadow land border the lal e in the cardinal Cai dinal woods you already know part of the story the new lorl papers have been full of alleged details this much is true barns barris caught the shiner red handed or rather yellow handed for his pockets and boots and dirty fists were stuffed with mith lumps of gold I 1 sa gold advisedly you may call it what iou please you also know how barria barris was but unless I 1 begin at the beginning of my own experiences you will be none the wiser after all on the ad of august of th this is present 3 ear car I 1 m was as standing in tiffany tiff any s chat ting with mith george godfrey of the de signing delai department ament on the glass coun ter between us lay a coiled serpent an exquisite specimen of chiseled gold no replied godfrey to my ques tion it isn t my work I 1 wish it was why man its a masterpiece I 1 asked now I 1 should be very alad to know also said sodd godfriey we bought it from aa n old jay who sat bafs he ives lives in the co antry somewhere about the cardinal woods that a near starlit lake I 1 believe lake of the stars 7 I 1 suggested some call it starlit lal e it s all the same well my rustic reuben says that he represents the sculptor of this e for all practical and busi ness pun purl oses he got his price too we vve hope he hell 11 bring us something moie we have sold this aheady to the metropolitan politan museum I 1 was mas leaning idly on the glass case w matching the I 1 een eyes of the artist in pie tous clous metals as he stooped over the gold serpent A masterpiece he muttered to himself fondling the glittering coil look at the texture whew bi bt t I 1 was not looking at the serpent something was moving claw dawling ling out of godfrey s coat pocket the locket nearest me something soft and yellow with crablike crab like legs all covered with coarse yellow hair what in heavens name said I 1 have you got in your pockets it s crawling out it s trying to creep up dour our coat godfrey he turned quid quiel ly and dragged the creature out with alth his left hand I 1 shrank bad as he held the re object dangling before me and he laughed and placed it on the coun ter did ou eer ever see anything like that he demanded no said I 1 truthfully and I 1 hope I 1 never shall again what hat Is it ita I 1 don dont t know them at the natural history museum they cant tell 3 ou the smithsonian is all at sea too it is I 1 believe the connect ing link between a sea urchin a spider and the devil it 1001 a venomous bat but I 1 can cant t find either tangs fangs or mouth Is it blind these things may be eyes but they 1001 as it they were painted A japanese sculptor might have pro deuced such an iiii beast but tt it Is haid to believe that god did it 1001 s unfinished too I 1 have a mad idea that this creature Is only one of the parts of some some larger and more grotesque organism it looks so lone 11 1 so hopelessly dependent so cursed ly unfinished I 1 im in going to use it as a model it if I 1 don t out japanese the japs my name isn t godfre godfrey the creature was mas moving slowly across the glass case towards me I 1 drew drem bad godfriey I 1 said I 1 would mould execute a man who executed an such w mork ork as you propose what do you want to 1 perpetuate such a reptile for tora I 1 can stand the japanese grotesque but I 1 cant stand that spider its a crab crab or spider or blind worm ugh what do you want to do it fora its a nightmare it its s unclean I 1 hated bated the thing it was as the first living creature that I 1 had ever hated for some time I 1 had noticed a damp aclid odor in the air and godfrey said it came from the reptile then kill i and bury it I 1 said and by the was m aa where did it rome come froma I 1 don t know that either laughed godfrey I 1 found it cl nging to the box that this gold was brought in I 1 suppose my old reuben Is re jf the cardinal woods are the lurk ing places for things like this said I 1 I 1 am sorry that I 1 am going to the cardinal woods are you asked godfrey for the shooting 7 yes with barris and pierpont why dont don t ou kill that creature G go off on your shooting trip and let me alone laughed godfrey I 1 shuddered at the crab and bade godfrey good by until december that night pierpont barris and I 1 sat chatting in the smoking car of the quebec express when the long train pulled out of the grand central de pot old david had gone forward with the dogs poor things they hated to ride in the baggage car but the que bee northern road provides no si sl s cars and david and tle the three gordon setters were in for an uncomfortable night except tor for pierpont pont barris darris and my self the car was empty barris trim stout ruddy and bronzed sat drum ming on the window ledge a short fragrant pipe his gun case lay jay beside him on the floor when I 1 have white hair and years of discretion said pierpont languid ly III not flirt with pretty serving maids will you roy 9 no said I 1 looking at barris you mean the maid with the cap in the pullman car cara said pierpont yes said pierpont pont I 1 smiled tor for I 1 had seen it also barns barris twisted his crisp gray mus tache and yawned you children had better be tod adling off to bed he said that lady 3 maid is a member 0 of the secret ser vice oh said pierpont pont one of your colleagues 7 9 you might present us you know I 1 said the journey Is monotonous V rong billy pierpont said bar ns ris coolly gold waa was an element when I 1 went to school said I 1 it has not been an element for two tro weeks necks said barns barris and except gen Di Diu inmond ummond prof lagrange la grange and my self you two tuo youngsters are the only people except one in the world who know knoye it or have known it do 3 ou mean to say that gold Is a composite said pierpont slowly I 1 do la grange has made it he produced a scale ot of pure gold day be fore yesterday that nugget was man gold could barns barris be joking was this a colossal hoax I 1 locked at pierpont he muttered something about that set aling the silver question and turned bis his head to barns barris but there was that in barris darris face which forbade jesting and pierpont pont and I 1 sat silently ponder ing don dont t ask me how its made said barris quietly I 1 don t know but I 1 do know that somewhere in the re gion of the cardinal woods there is a gang of people who do know how gold is made and who make it you under stand the danger this Is to every civi lazed nation it its s got to be stopped of course drummond and I 1 have de aided that I 1 am the man to stop it wherever and whoever these people ire lre these gold makers they must be caught every one of them caught or shot 0 or shot repeated pierpont who was owner of the cross cut gold mine and found his income too small prof la grange will of course be prudent science need not know things that would upset the world little willy said barns barris laughing your income is safe I 1 suppose said I 1 some flaw in the nugget gae gaie prof la grange the tip exactly he cut the flaw out be tore fore sending the nugget to be tested 1 an X A 0 J except for lor pierpont barns barris and myself the car was empty barns barris had drawn a telegram from his pocket and as he sat turning it o over oer er and over between his fingers he smiled after a moment or two he handed it to pierpont who read it with slightly raised eye eyebrows broms its rot I 1 suppose its cipher he scud said I 1 see it s signed by gen drum mond drummond chief of the govern ment secret service said barris darris something 7 9 I 1 inquired lighting a cigarette something so interesting replied barris that I 1 im m going to look into it myself and break up our shooting trio no do you want to hear about it if do you billy Pierpont 7 9 yes replied that immaculate young man barris rubbed the amber mouth piece of 0 his pipe on hia big handkerchief cleared the stem with a bit of wire puffed once or twice and leaned back in his chair pierpont he said do you re member that evening at the united states club when gen miles allies gen drummond Di ummond and I 1 were examining that gold nugget that capt fahad hada you examined it also I 1 believe I 1 did said pierpont was it gold asked barris drum ming on the window it was replied pierpont pont I 1 saw it too said I 1 of course it was gold prof la grange saw it also said barns darris he said it was gold after a silence pierpont asked what tests had been made the usual tests replied barris the united states mint is satisfied that it is gold so Is every jeweler who has seen it but it ts is not gold and yet it is gold pierpont and I 1 exchanged glances now said I 1 for barris usual coup de theatre what was the nug get practically it was pure gold but said barns enjoying the situation in tensely really it was not gold pier pont what Is gold gold s an element a metal he worked on the flaw and separated gold into its three elements he Is a great man said pierpont but he will be the greatest man in the world it if he can keep his discovery to himself whoa said barns darris prof la grange prof la grange was 91 shot through the heart two hours ago replied bar dar ns ris slowly TO BB BE CONTINUED |