The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

THE GOLD DELUGE.* Astounding consequences arising from the discovery of a chemist—Terror of the governments to whom unlimited gold meant destruction—The extraordinary lengths to which Erik Poulsen was driven to maintain his independence. SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTERS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED. ERIK POULSEN, a Danish chemist, after several yeats of experimenting, succeeds in discov- ering how to make gold. He is anxious to publish the formula to the world, but his governtnent will not hear to it, declaring that it will overturn civilization. So he and his wife depart for Berlin, and here he is offered the crown of a small kingdom in exchange for his secret, to be the property of Germany. But he indignantly declines and leaves for Paris, where he proposes to lay the facts before.the editor of a widely circulated journal of chemistry and reap the fame that is his due, even if he should thereby be bereft of the fortune his discovery has brought him. But here, too, he is made aware that he is under constant surveillance, to prevent the publication of his secret, and finally he retreats to a small, rocky island off the coast of Spain, where he broods over his powerlessness. Finally he builds a completely equipped steamer, the Chemeia, and seeks to escape to other lands. At once, however, a French and an English man of war are sent on his track, and although the former is outdistanced, the Madras begins to wreak des- truction with her cannonade. In this crisis Erik loads a cannon with gun cotton, and although the risk to all on board the Chemeia is great, resolves to attempt the destruction of the enemy’s searchlight. Szemsky,a member of the crew who has been on a Russian man of war, declares he is willing to risk his life in the firing of the charge, and proceeds to train the cannon. CHAPTER XII.—NEARING THE SouTH POLE. Sy EVENLY a thunderous, deafening crash reverberated from the center 4 the Chemeia’s deck, and a bright red column of vivid fire shot past the side of the ship. At the same instant everything about them was wrapt in dense darkness, felt all the more on account of the glare of a moment before. The electric searchlight of the English man o’ war had been destroyed. For a moment the crew and the officers all thought the Chemeia had been struck by one of the enemy’s missiles—a large hole had been torn in the deck and a portion of the nearest cabin was blown away. When they realized that they themselves and their comrades were uninjured, they grasped the full meaning of all that had happened. ‘“You can foire like an angel!’’ Kelly cried joyfully, but the one addressed spoke not. He lay insensible and bleeding, near the torn and shattered cannon. The night gradually neared its end. All on board the Chemeia had retired for a few hours’ rest, so badly needed after the terrible strain they had been under. The danger from pur- suit and possible capture seemed averted for the time being. The second *This story began in the June issue of THE ARGOSY. The two back numbers will be matled to any address on receipt of 20 cents. Eomicbooks (S@)