“Yes—the very place where I was,” answered Mr. Jenks, “and there is the apparatus—the steel box—from which the diamonds are taken—now to see how they make them.”
Fascinated, the adventurers looked into the cave. The men there were unaware of the presence of our friends, and were busily engaged. Some attended to the grinding machine, the roar and clatter of which made it possible for Tom and the others to talk and move about without being overheard. Into this machine certain ingredients were put, and they were then pulverized, and taken out in powdery form.
The power to run the mixing machine was a gasoline motor, which chug-chugged away in one corner of the cave.
As the powder was taken out, other men fashioned it into small balls, which were put on pan, and into a sort of oven, that was heated by a gasoline stove.
“Is that how they make the diamonds?” asked Mr. Damon.
“That is evidently the first step,” said Mr. Jenks. “Those balls of powdered chemicals are partly baked, and then they are put into the steel box. In some way terrific heat and pressure are applied, and the diamonds are made. But how the heat and pressure are obtained is what we have yet to learn.”
He paused to watch the men at work. They were all busy, some attending to the machines, and others coming and going in and out of the cave. In one part a man was apparently getting ready a meal.
Suddenly there rushed into the cave a man who seemed much excited.
“Are you nearly ready with that stuff?” he cried. “There's a good storm gathering on the mountain!”
“Yes, we'll be ready in half an hour,” answered one of the men at the mixing machine.