stories by modern american authors-第31部分

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endeavor　was　to　divide　the　sentence　into　the　natural　division

intended　by　the　cryptographist。〃



〃You　mean；　to　punctuate　it？〃



〃Something　of　that　kind。〃



〃But　how　was　it　possible　to　effect　this？〃



〃I　reflected　that　it　had　been　a　POINT　with　the　writer　to　run　his

words　together　without　division；　so　as　to　increase　the　difficulty

of　solution。　　Now；　a　not　overacute　man；　in　pursuing　such　an　object；

would　be　nearly　certain　to　overdo　the　matter。　　When；　in　the　course

of　his　composition；　he　arrived　at　a　break　in　his　subject　which

would　naturally　require　a　pause；　or　a　point；　he　would　be

exceedingly　apt　to　run　his　characters；　at　this　place；　more　than

usually　close　together。　　If　you　will　observe　the　MS。；　in　the

present　instance；　you　will　easily　detect　five　such　cases　of　unusual

crowding。　　Acting　upon　this　hint　I　made　the　division　thus：





〃'A　good　glass　in　the　bishop's　hostel　in　the　devil's　seatforty…

one　degrees　and　thirteen　minutesnortheast　and　by　northmain

branch　seventh　limb　east　sideshoot　from　the　left　eye　of　the

death's　heada　bee…line　from　the　tree　through　the　shot　fifty　feet

out。'〃





〃Even　this　division；〃　said　I；　〃leaves　me　still　in　the　dark。〃



〃It　left　me　also　in　the　dark；〃　replied　Legrand；　〃for　a　few　days；

during　which　I　made　diligent　inquiry　in　the　neighborhood　of

Sullivan's　Island；　for　any　building　which　went　by　name　of　the

'Bishop's　Hotel'；　for；　of　course；　I　dropped　the　obsolete　word

'hostel。'　　Gaining　no　information　on　the　subject；　I　was　on　the

point　of　extending　my　sphere　of　search；　and　proceeding　in　a　more

systematic　manner；　when；　one　morning；　it　entered　into　my　head；

quite　suddenly；　that　this　'Bishop's　Hostel'　might　have　some

reference　to　an　old　family；　of　the　name　of　Bessop；　which；　time　out

of　mind；　had　held　possession　of　an　ancient　manor　house；　about　four

miles　to　the　northward　of　the　island。　　I　accordingly　went　over　to

the　plantation；　and　reinstituted　my　inquiries　among　the　older

negroes　of　the　place。　　At　length　one　of　the　most　aged　of　the　women

said　that　she　had　heard　of　such　a　place　as　Bessop's　Castle；　and

thought　that　she　could　guide　me　to　it；　but　that　it　was　not　a

castle；　nor　a　tavern；　but　a　high　rock。



〃I　offered　to　pay　her　well　for　her　trouble；　and；　after　some　demur；

she　consented　to　accompany　me　to　the　spot。　　We　found　it　without

much　difficulty；　when；　dismissing　her；　I　proceeded　to　examine　the

place。　　The　'castle'　consisted　of　an　irregular　assemblage　of　cliffs

and　rocksone　of　the　latter　being　quite　remarkable　for　its　height

as　well　as　for　its　insulated　and　artificial　appearance。　　I

clambered　to　its　apex；　and　then　felt　much　at　a　loss　as　to　what

should　be　next　done。



〃While　I　was　busied　in　reflection；　my　eyes　fell　upon　a　narrow　ledge

in　the　eastern　face　of　the　rock；　perhaps　a　yard　below　the　summit

upon　which　I　stood。　　This　ledge　projected　about　eighteen　inches；

and　was　not　more　than　a　foot　wide；　while　a　niche　in　the　cliff　just

above　it　gave　it　a　rude　resemblance　to　one　of　the　hollow…backed

chairs　used　by　our　ancestors。　　I　made　no　doubt　that　here　was　the

'devil's　seat'　alluded　to　in　the　MS。；　and　now　I　seemed　to　grasp　the

full　secret　of　the　riddle。



〃The　'good　glass；'　I　knew；　could　have　reference　to　nothing　but　a

telescope；　for　the　word　'glass'　is　rarely　employed　in　any　other

sense　by　seamen。　　Now　here；　I　at　once　saw；　was　a　telescope　to　be

used；　and　a　definite　point　of　view；　ADMITTING　NO　VARIATION；　from

which　to　use　it。　　Nor　did　I　hesitate　to　believe　that　the　phrases；

'forty…one　degrees　and　thirteen　minutes；'　and　'northeast　and　by

north；'　were　intended　as　directions　for　the　leveling　of　the　glass。

Greatly　excited　by　these　discoveries；　I　hurried　home；　procured　a

telescope；　and　returned　to　the　rock。



〃I　let　myself　down　to　the　ledge；　and　found　that　it　was　impossible

to　retain　a　seat　upon　it　except　in　one　particular　position。　　This

fact　confirmed　my　preconceived　idea。　　I　proceeded　to　use　the　glass。

Of　course；　the　'forty…one　degrees　and　thirteen　minutes'　could

allude　to　nothing　but　elevation　above　the　visible　horizon；　since

the　horizontal　direction　was　clearly　indicated　by　the　words；

'northeast　and　by　north。'　　This　latter　direction　I　at　once

established　by　means　of　a　pocket　compass；　then；　pointing　the　glass

as　nearly　at　an　angle　of　forty…one　degrees　of　elevation　as　I　could

do　it　by　guess；　I　moved　it　cautiously　up　or　down；　until　my

attention　was　arrested　by　a　circular　rift　or　opening　in　the　foliage

of　a　large　tree　that　overtopped　its　fellows　in　the　distance。　　In

the　center　of　this　rift　I　perceived　a　white　spot；　but　could　not；　at

first；　distinguish　what　it　was。　　Adjusting　the　focus　of　the

telescope；　I　again　looked；　and　now　made　it　out　to　be　a　human　skull。



〃Upon　this　discovery　I　was　so　sanguine　as　to　consider　the　enigma

solved；　for　the　phrase　'main　branch；　seventh　limb；　east　side；'

could　refer　only　to　the　position　of　the　skull　upon　the　tree；　while

'shoot　from　the　left　eye　of　the　death's　head'　admitted；　also；　of

but　one　interpretation；　in　regard　to　a　search　for　buried　treasure。

I　perceived　that　the　design　was　to　drop　a　bullet　from　the　left　eye

of　the　skull；　and　that　a　bee…line；　or；　in　other　words；　a　straight

line；　drawn　from　the　nearest　point　of　the　trunk　'through　the　shot'

（or　the　spot　where　the　bullet　fell）；　and　thence　extended　to　a

distance　of　fifty　feet；　would　indicate　a　definite　pointand

beneath　this　point　I　thought　it　at　least　POSSIBLE　that　a　deposit　of

value　lay　concealed。〃



〃All　this；〃　I　said；　〃is　exceedingly　clear；　and；　although　ingenious；

still　simple　and　explicit。　　When　you　left　the　Bishop's　Hotel；　what

then？〃



〃Why；　having　carefully　taken　the　bearings　of　the　tree；　I　turned

homeward。　　The　instant　that　I　left　'the　devil's　seat；'　however；　the

circular　rift　vanished；　nor　could　I　get　a　glimpse　of　it　afterwards；

turn　as　I　would。　　What　seems　to　me　the　chief　ingenuity　in　this

whole　business；　is　the　fact　（for　repeated　experiment　has　convinced

me　it　IS　a　fact）　that　the　circular　opening　in　question　is　visible

from　no　other　attainable　point　of　view　than　that　afforded　by　the

narrow　ledge　upon　the　face　of　the　rock。



〃In　this　expedition　to　the　'Bishop's　Hotel'　I　had　been　attended　by

Jupiter；　who　had；　no　doubt；　observed；　for　some　weeks　past；　the

abstraction　of　my　demeanor；　and　took　especial　care　not　to　leave　me

alone。　　But；　on　the　next　day；　getting　up　very　early；　I　contrived　to

give　him　the　slip；　and　went　into　the　hills　in　search　of　the　tree。

After　much　toil　I　found　it。　　When　I　came　home　at　night　my　valet

proposed　to　give　me　a　flogging。　　With　the　rest　of　the　adventure　I

believe　you　are　as　well　acquainted　as　myself。〃



〃I　suppose；〃　said　I；　〃you　missed　the　spot；　in　the　first　attempt　at

digging；　through　Jupiter's　stupidity　in　letting　the　bug　fall

through　the　right　instead　of　through　the　left　eye　of　the　skull。〃



〃Precisely。　　This　mistake　made　a　difference　of　about　two　inches　and

a　half　in　the　'shot'that　is　to　say；　in　the　position　of　the　peg

nearest　the　tree；　and　had　the　treasure　been　BENEATH　the　'shot；'　the

error　would　have　been　of　little　moment；　but　'the　shot；'　together

with　the　nearest　point　of　the　tree；　were　merely　two　points　for　the

establishment　of　a　line　of　direction；　of　course　the　error；　however

trivial　in　the　beginning；　increased　as　we　proceeded　with　the　line；

and　by　the　time　we　had　gone　fifty　feet　threw　us　quite　off　the

scent。　　But　for　my　deep…seated　impressions　that　treasure　was　here

somewhere　actually　buried；　we　might　have　had　all　our　labor　in

vain。〃



〃But　your　grandiloquence；　and　your　conduct　in　swinging　the　beetle

how　excessively　odd！　　I　was　sure　you　were　mad。　　And　why　did　you

insist　upon　letting　fall　the　bug；　instead　of　a　bullet；　from　the

skull？〃



〃Why；　to　be　frank；　I　felt　somewhat　annoyed　by　your　evident

suspicions　touching　my　sanity；　and　so　resolved　to　punish　you

quietly；　in　my　own　way；　by　a　little　bit　of　sober　mystification。

For　this　reason　I　swung　the　beetle；　and　for　this　reason　I　let　it

fall　from　the　tree。　　An　observation　of　yours　about　its　great　weight

suggested　the　latter　idea。〃



〃Yes；　I　perceive；　and　now　there　is　only　one　point　which　puzzles　me。

What　are　we　to　make　of　the　skeletons　found　in　the　hole？〃



〃That　is　a　question　I　am　no　more　able　to　answer　than　yourself。

There　seems；　however；　only　one　plausible　way　of　accounting　for

themand　yet　it　is　dreadful　to　believe　in　such　atrocity　as　my

suggestion　would　imply。　　It　is　clear　that　Kiddif　Kidd　indeed

secreted　this　treasure；　which　I　doubt　notit　is　clear　that　he　must

have　had　assistance　in　the　labor。　　But　this　labor　concluded；　he　may

have　thought　it　expedient　to　remove　all　participants　in　his　secret。

Perhaps　a　couple　of　blows　with　a　mattock　were　sufficient；　while　his

coadjutors　were　busy　in　the　pit；　perhaps　it　required　a　dozenwho

shall　tell？〃







Washington　Irving



Wolfert　Webber；　or　Golden　Dreams





In　the　year　of　grace　one　thousand　seven　hundred　andblankfor　I

do　not　remember　the　precise　date；　however；　it　was　somewhere　in　the

early　part　of　the　last　century；there　lived　in　the　ancient　city　of

the　Manhattoes　a　worthy　burgher；　Wolfert　Webber　by　name。　　He　was

descended　from　old　Cobus　Webber　of　the　Brill＇1＇　in　Holland；　one　of

the　original　settlers；　famous　for　introducing　the　cultivation　of

cabbages；　and　who　came　over　to　the　province　during　the

protectorship　of　Oloffe　Van　Kortlandt；　otherwise　called　〃the

Dreamer。〃





＇1＇　The　Brill　is　a　fortified　seaport　of　Holland；　on　the　Meuse

River；　near　Rotterdam。





The　field　in　which　Cobus　Webber　first　planted　himself　and　his

cabbages　had　remained　ever　since　in　the　family；　who　continued　in

the　same　line　of　husbandry　with　that　praiseworthy　perseverance　for

which　our　Dutch　burghers　are　noted。　　The　whole　family　genius；

during　several　generations；　was　devoted　to　the　study　and

development　of　this　one　noble　vegetable；　and　to　this　concentration

of　intellect　may　doubtless　be　ascribed　the　p