Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers | Page 9

me tell my story, you will see the need of secrecy."
"Oh, I don't mind being awakened," answered Tom, good- naturedly,
"but I will be frank with you, Mr. Jenks. I hardly can believe what you
have stated to me several times--that you know how diamonds can be
made."
"I can prove it to you," was the quiet answer.
"Yes, I know. For centuries men have tried to discover the secret of
transmuting base metals into gold, and how to make diamonds by
chemical means. But they have all been failures."
"All except this process--the process used at Phantom Mountain,"
insisted the queer man. "Do you want to hear my story?"
"I have no objections."
"Then let me warn you," went on Mr. Jenks, "that if you do hear it, you
will be so fascinated by it that I am sure you will want to cast your lot
in with mine, and aid me to get my rights, and solve the mystery. And I
also want to warn you that if you do, there is a certain amount of
danger connected with it."
"I'm used to danger," answered Tom, quietly. "Let me hear your story.
But first explain how you came to come here, and why you acted so
strangely at the jewelry store."

"Willingly. I tried to attract your attention at the store, because I saw
that you were going to buy a diamond, and I didn't want you to."
"Why not?"
"Because I want to present you with a beautiful stone, that will answer
your purpose as well or better, than any one you could buy. That will
prove my story better than any amount of words or argument. But I
could not attract your attention without also attracting that of the
jeweler. He became suspicious, gave chase, and I thought it best to
vanish. I hope no one was made to suffer for what may have been my
imprudence."
"No, the lad whom Mr. Track caught was let go. But how did you
happen to come to Shopton?"
"To see you. I got your address from the owner of the yacht Resolute. I
knew that if there was one person who could aid me to recover my
rights, it would be you, Tom Swift. Will you help me? Will you come
with me to discover the secret of Phantom Mountain? If we go, it will
have to be in an airship, for in no other way, I think, can we come upon
the place, as it is closely guarded. Will you come? I will pay you well."
"Perhaps I had better hear your story," said the young inventor. "But
first let me suggest that we move farther away from the house. My
father, or Mr. Jackson, or the housekeeper, may hear us talking, and it
may disturb them. Come with me to my private shop," and Tom led the
way to a small building where he did experimental work. He unlocked
the door with a key he carried, turned on the lights, which were run by
a storage battery, and motioned Mr. Jenks to a seat.
"Now I'll hear your story," said Tom.
"I'll make it as short as possible," went on the queer man. "To begin
with, it is now several years ago since a poorly dressed stranger applied
to me one night for money enough to get a meal and a bed to sleep in. I
was living in New York City at the time, and this was midnight, as I
was returning home from my club.

"I was touched by the man's appearance, and gave him some money.
He asked for my card, saying he would repay me some day. I gave it to
him, little thinking I would hear from the man again. But I did. He
called at my apartments about a week later, saying he had secured work
as an expert setter of diamonds, and wanted to repay me. I did not want
to take his money, but the fact that such a sorry looking specimen of
manhood as he had been when I aided him, was an expert handler of
gems interested me. I talked with the man, and he made a curious
statement.
"This man, who gave his name as Enos Folwell, said he knew a place
where diamonds could be made, partly in a scientific manner, and
partly by the forces of nature. I laughed at him, but he told me so many
details that I began to believe him. He said he and some other friends of
his, who were diamond cutters, had a plant in the midst of the Rocky
Mountains, where they had succeeded in making several small, but
very perfect diamonds. They had come to the end of their rope, though,
so to speak, because they