The Moon Metal | Page 6

some unknown purpose,
resorted to the summit of this tremendous peak long before the white
men invaded their mountains. Yet neither the Indians nor the whites
ever really conquered the Teton, for above the highest point that they
attained rises a granite buttress, whose smooth vertical sides seemed to
them to defy everything but wings.

Winding across the sage-covered floor of Jackson's Hole runs the
Shoshone, or Snake River, which takes its rise from Jackson's Lake at
the northern end of the basin, and then, as if shrinking from the
threatening brows of the Tetons, whose fall would block its progress,
makes a detour of one hundred miles around the buttressed heights of
the range before it finds a clear way across Idaho, and so on to the
Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.
On a July morning, about a month after the visit of Dr. Max Syx to the
assembled financiers in New York, a party of twenty horsemen,
following a mountain-trail, arrived on the eastern margin of Jackson's
Hole, and pausing upon a commanding eminence, with exclamations of
wonder, glanced across the great depression, where lay the shining
coils of the Snake River, at the towering forms of the Tetons, whose
ice-striped cliffs flashed lightnings in the sunshine. Even the impassive
broncos that the party rode lifted their heads inquiringly, and snorted as
if in equine astonishment at the magnificent spectacle.
One familiar with the place would have noticed something, which, to
his mind, would have seemed more surprising than the pageantry of the
mountains in their morning sun-bath. Curling above one of the wild
gorges that cut the lower slopes of the Tetons was a thick black smoke,
which, when lifted by a passing breeze, obscured the precipices
half-way to the summit of the peak.
Had the Grand Teton become a volcano? Certainly no hunting or
exploring party could make a smoke like that. But a word from the
leader of the party of horsemen explained the mystery.
"There is my mill, and the mine is underneath it."
The speaker was Dr. Syx, and his companions were members of the
financial congress. When he quitted their presence in New York, with
the promise to return within an hour for their reply, he had no doubt in
his own mind what that reply would be. He knew they would accept his
proposition, and they did. No time was then lost in communicating with
the various governments, and arrangements were quickly perfected
whereby, in case the inspection of Dr. Syx's mine and its resources

proved satisfactory, America and Europe should unite in adopting the
new metal as the basis of their coinage. As soon as this stage in the
negotiations was reached, it only remained to send a committee of
financiers and metallurgists, in company with Dr. Syx, to the Rocky
Mountains. They started under the doctor's guidance, completing the
last stage of their journey on horseback.
"An inspection of the records at Washington," Dr. Syx continued,
addressing the horsemen, "will show that I have filed a claim covering
ten acres of ground around the mouth of my mine. This was done as
soon as I had discovered the metal. The filing of the claim and the
subsequent proceedings which perfected my ownership attracted no
attention, because everybody was thinking of the south pole and its
gold-fields."
The party gathered closer around Dr. Syx and listened to his words
with silent attention, while their horses rubbed noses and jingled their
gold-mounted trappings.
"As soon as I had legally protected myself," he continued, "I employed
a force of men, transported my machinery and material across the
mountains, erected my furnaces, and opened the mine. I was safe from
intrusion, and even from idle curiosity, for the reason I have just
mentioned. In fact, so exclusive was the attraction of the new
gold-fields that I had difficulty in obtaining workmen, and finally I sent
to Africa and engaged negroes, whom I placed in charge of trustworthy
foremen. Accordingly, with half a dozen exceptions, you will see only
black men at the mine."
"And with their aid you have mined enough metal to supply the mints
of the world?" asked President Boon.
"Exactly so," was the reply. "But I no longer employ the large force
which I needed at first."
"How much metal have you on hand? I am aware that you have already
answered this question during our preliminary negotiations, but I ask it
again for the benefit of some members of our party who were not

present then."
"I shall show you to-day," said Dr. Syx, with his curious smile, "2500
tons of refined artemisium, stacked in rock-cut vaults under the Grand
Teton."
"And you have dared to collect such inconceivable wealth in one
place?"
"You forget that it is not wealth until