k," said Seaton after the meal was over, "I'm afraid that we
must go back as soon as we can. Dorothy's parents and Martin's bankers
will think they are dead by this time. We should start right now,
but...."

"Oh, no, you must not do that. That would rob our people of the chance
of bidding you goodbye."

"There's another reason, too. I have a mighty big favor to ask of you."

"It is granted. If man can do it, consider it done."

"Well, you know platinum is a very scarce and highly useful metal with
us. I wonder if you could let us have a few tons of it? And I would like
to have another faidon, too--I want to see if I can't analyze it."

"You have given us a thousand times the value of all the platinum and
all the jewels your vessel can carry. As soon as the foundries are open
tomorrow we will go and load up your store-rooms--or, if you wish, we
will do it now."

"That isn't necessary. We may as well enjoy your hospitality for one
more sleeping-period, get the platinum during the first work-period, and
bid you goodbye just before the second meal. How would that be?"

"Perfectly satisfactory."

The following kokam, Dunark piloted the Skylark, with Seaton, Crane, and
DuQuesne as crew, to one of the great platinum foundries. The girls
remained behind to get ready for their departure, and for the great
ceremony which was to precede it. The trip to the foundry was a short
one, and the three scientists of Earth stared at what they
saw--thousands of tons of platinum, cast into bars and piled up like
pig-iron, waiting to be made into numerous articles of every-day use
throughout the nation. Dunark wrote out an order, which his chief
attendant handed to the officer in charge of the foundry, saying:

"Please have it loaded at once."

Seaton indicated the storage compartment into which the metal was to be
carried, and a procession of slaves, two men staggering under one ingot,
was soon formed between the pile and the storage room.

* * * * *

"How much are you loading on, Dunark?" asked Seaton, when the large
compartment was more than half full.

"My order called for about twenty tons, in your weight, but I changed it
later--we may as well fill that room full, so that the metal will not
rattle around in flight. It doesn't make any difference to us, we have
so much of it. It is like your gift of the salt, only vastly smaller."

"What are you going to do with it all, Dick?" asked Crane. "