ral was found
dead in his prison, the morning after his arrest. People then said that
both men were concerned in the great plot, and that both had died rather
than be forced to confess.

All Mexico is very much puzzled and troubled over this mysterious
occurrence.

* * * * *

The meteorite has been safely landed, and is now on the dock at the
Brooklyn Navy-Yard, where it is to remain until Lieutenant Peary decides
what he will do with it.

In appearance it is a smooth, mud-colored rock, that looks like a great
boulder. The meteorite is ten feet long, eight feet wide, and six feet
thick. It weighs over ninety tons.

It was no easy matter to get this great stone on board the _Hope_. It
lay a short distance from the shore, and the sailors had to drag it to
the water's edge.

As soon as the _Hope_ arrived in Melville Bay, where the meteorite was
found, the whole crew, armed with shovels and picks, went ashore and
began digging around it.

The job of digging it out of the frozen ground was enough to have
discouraged these men at the outset. It was half covered with snow, and
frozen solidly to the surrounding earth. The sailors had to dig through
seven feet of frozen ground before they finally reached the lower
surface of the meteorite, then more digging followed, and at last,
after five days of this hard work, it was free and ready to be moved.

By means of some strong derricks which they had brought for the purpose,
the monster was finally lifted and dragged to the shore.

Here another kind of derrick, made like those that are used for lifting
heavy guns on board ship, was brought into service, and the mass of
metal was slowly lifted and lowered into the hold.

The ship had been lightened as much as possible to make room for this
enormous weight, but for all that the vessel was sunk much too deep in
the water for safety when she finally started on her homeward journey.

Scientists say that the meteorite is a mass of metal, and is practically
composed of material similar to the steel armor used for armor-plates.
All are agreed that it is the largest meteorite ever discovered.

Lieutenant Peary also brought back with him a party of Esquimaux, who
are to spend the winter building an Arctic exhibit for the Natural
History Museum. The materials they will use have all been brought back
by Mr. Peary. They are to build a little scene which will show the
Esquimaux in their national costu