“Yes; Chief of Ordnance. But have you read this?”
“No, sir.”
“But there certainly is some mystery here!” exclaimed the President, highly interested in the conversation.
Cobb took his penknife from his pocket, and slowly opening it, said:
“If I cut this black cement in the base of the bullet, I come to the meteorite; am I correct?”
“Yes.”
“And it is white.” And he cut the cement carefully away and disclosed the little disc of fulminate and the white explosive surrounding it.
“Strange!” cried both of the others together, surprised that he should know the color of an explosive invented after his time.
“Have you any nitric acid?” asked Cobb.
“Yes; here is a little,” and Secretary Fowler handed him a small bottle containing the nitric acid used in testing at the War Department.