Argosy, Volume XXIII — Index Page, 1897 — page 180: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

750 A MONTH IN THE MOON. ‘It is marvelous !’’ spelt the the doctor on his fingers. ‘‘ The Selenites must have known how to make gold; they must have been possessed of the so called philosopher’s stone of the alchemists.”’ | ‘' What, uncle !’’ asked Gertrude, ‘‘is it possible that you believe in the science of alchemy ?”’ ‘I do not believe that they have ever found out yet how to make gold, but I do not see why they should not succeed,’’ answered he. ‘‘ Modern chemistry is day by day reducing the number of elementary bodies. For aught we know, she may one day prove that gold is simply composed of a solidified gas as common as nitrogen. It would only add one more to the long list of surprises in nature.’’ | They had reached a door similar to the first, opening in the same way. In the third hall beyond a marvelous sight awaited them. In the middle rose an immense catafalque (if the eight or ten storied structure could with propriety be so termed). On the hi ghest story lay a statue of colossal proportions, in the attitude of sleep, a ray of light falling on it through the crystal apertures in the roof. It wasa sleeping statue of Hercules ; but how far superior to the earthly Hercules in every respect was this image of massive gold ! ‘I must measure it !’’ said the doctor to himself, as not without difficulty, he climbed the steps of the catafalque. When he reached the top he took a tape from his pocket, and had just . ascertained the length to be thirty feet from the head to the feet when the the statue crumbled away. Vet he had scarce ever touched it. The features disappeared in a cloud of gold dust, and in their place the doctor saw only a colossal skull. ‘A skeleton !’’ he cried. ‘‘It is the skeleton of a Titan !”’ Caught up and repeated by four or five echoes, the voice resounded throu gh the vast hall as if it had been the nave of some cathedral. There was air in the hall, then ! The doctor’s discovery was so absorbing that they scarcely noticed this last fact. It was indeed a human skeleton thirty feet long. There it lay, still half covered with its gold cuticle. ‘So we may conclude that the moon was inhabited, and the Selenites were giants !’’ said the doctor. ‘‘ At all events, this one was a giant,’’ said Norbert laughing, and glad to find his tongue unchained at last. ‘Not only this one,’”’ replied the doctor from his high perch. ‘‘A gigantic stature was imperative for the inhabitants of the moon. As its gravity is six times less than that of our globe, trees, plants, animals, and selenic men (where there were such) were necessarily bound to develop pro- portionately in height and muscular strength.’’ ' But,”’ asked Gertrude, ‘‘ how do you explain this sudden transformation of a gold statue into a skeleton ?’”’ ‘It never was a statue. Evidently the Selenites had a custom similar to that of Egypt, of enveloping their dead in thin metallic shrouds. I should a) Eomichooks (E(0)