As I say, I had collected six of the golden platters, one at a
time. Together they weighed about twenty pounds--for they were
small and rather thin--which was near the amount required for my
purpose. I explained the thing to Harry, and we set to work.
We first procured a vessel of granite from the attendant on some
pretext or other--this for melting the gold. Then we pried a slab
of limestone from a corner of one of the seats; luckily for us it
was very soft, having been selected by the Incas for the purpose
of inserting in its face the crystal prisms. Then we procured a
dozen or more of the prisms themselves, and, using them as
chisels, and small blocks of granite as hammers, set to work at
the block of limestone.
It was slow work, but we finally succeeded in hollowing out a
groove in its surface about eighteen inches long and two inches
deep. That was our mold.
Then to melt the golden platters. We took four of the urns,
placing them in a group on the floor, and just at the tip of the
flames placed the granite vessel, supported by four blocks of
stone which we pried loose from one of the seats. In the vessel
we placed the golden platters.
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