stories by modern american authors-第34部分

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captured　and　sent　to　England　for　trial；　but　Charles　II。；　instead　of

punishing　him；　knighted　him；　and　subsequently　appointed　him

governor　of　Jamaica。



＇2＇　Edward　Teach；　one　of　the　most　cruel　of　the　pirates；　took

command　of　a　pirate　ship　in　1717；　and　thereafter　committed　all

sorts　of　atrocities　until　he　was　slain　by　Lieutenant　Maynard　in

1718。　　His　nickname　of　〃Blackbeard〃　was　given　him　because　of　his

black　beard。





The　officer　was　a　man　of　great　weight　among　the　peaceable　members

of　the　club；　by　reason　of　his　warlike　character　and　gunpowder

tales。　　All　his　golden　stories　of　Kidd；　however；　and　of　the　booty

he　had　buried；　were　obstinately　rivaled　by　the　tales　of　Peechy

Prauw；　who；　rather　than　suffer　his　Dutch　progenitors　to　be　eclipsed

by　a　foreign　freebooter；　enriched　every　field　and　shore　in　the

neighborhood　with　the　hidden　wealth　of　Peter　Stuyvesant　and　his

contemporaries。



Not　a　word　of　this　conversation　was　lost　upon　Wolfert　Webber。　　He

returned　pensively　home；　full　of　magnificent　ideas。　　The　soil　of

his　native　island　seemed　to　be　turned　into　gold　dust；　and　every

field　to　teem　with　treasure。　　His　head　almost　reeled　at　the　thought

how　often　he　must　have　heedlessly　rambled　over　places　where

countless　sums　lay；　scarcely　covered　by　the　turf　beneath　his　feet。

His　mind　was　in　an　uproar　with　this　whirl　of　new　ideas。　　As　he　came

in　sight　of　the　venerable　mansion　of　his　forefathers；　and　the

little　realm　where　the　Webbers　had　so　long　and　so　contentedly

flourished；　his　gorge　rose　at　the　narrowness　of　his　destiny。



〃Unlucky　Wolfert！〃　exclaimed　he；　〃others　can　go　to　bed　and　dream

themselves　into　whole　mines　of　wealth；　they　have　but　to　seize　a

spade　in　the　morning；　and　turn　up　doubloons＇1＇　like　potatoes；　but

thou　must　dream　of　hardships；　and　rise　to　poverty；　must　dig　thy

field　from　year's　end　to　year's　end；　and　yet　raise　nothing　but

cabbages！〃





＇1＇　Spanish　gold　coins；　equivalent　to　15。60。





Wolfert　Webber　went　to　bed　with　a　heavy　heart；　and　it　was　long

before　the　golden　visions　that　disturbed　his　brain　permitted　him　to

sink　into　repose。　　The　same　visions；　however；　extended　into　his

sleeping　thoughts；　and　assumed　a　more　definite　form。　　He　dreamed

that　he　had　discovered　an　immense　treasure　in　the　center　of　his

garden。　　At　every　stroke　of　the　spade　he　laid　bare　a　golden　ingot；

diamond　crosses　sparkled　out　of　the　dust；　bags　of　money　turned　up

their　bellies；　corpulent　with　pieces…of…eight＇1＇　or　venerable

doubloons；　and　chests　wedged　close　with　moidores；＇2＇　ducats；＇3＇　and

pistareens；＇4＇　yawned　before　his　ravished　eyes；　and　vomited　forth

their　glittering　contents。





＇1＇　Spanish　coins；　worth　about　1　each。

＇2＇　Portuguese　gold　coins；　valued　at　6。50。

＇3＇　Coins　of　gold　and　silver；　valued　at　2　and　1　respectively。

＇4＇　Spanish　silver　coins；　worth　about　。20。





Wolfert　awoke　a　poorer　man　than　ever。　　He　had　no　heart　to　go　about

his　daily　concerns；　which　appeared　so　paltry　and　profitless；　but

sat　all　day　long　in　the　chimney　corner；　picturing　to　himself　ingots

and　heaps　of　gold　in　the　fire。　　The　next　night　his　dream　was

repeated。　　He　was　again　in　his　garden　digging；　and　laying　open

stores　of　hidden　wealth。　　There　was　something　very　singular　in　this

repetition。　　He　passed　another　day　of　reverie；　and　though　it　was

cleaning　day；　and　the　house；　as　usual　in　Dutch　households；

completely　topsy…turvy；　yet　he　sat　unmoved　amidst　the　general

uproar。



The　third　night　he　went　to　bed　with　a　palpitating　heart。　　He　put　on

his　red　nightcap　wrong　side　outward；　for　good　luck。　　It　was　deep

midnight　before　his　anxious　mind　could　settle　itself　into　sleep。

Again　the　golden　dream　was　repeated；　and　again　he　saw　his　garden

teeming　with　ingots　and　money　bags。



Wolfert　rose　the　next　morning　in　complete　bewilderment。　　A　dream；

three　times　repeated；　was　never　known　to　lie；　and　if　so；　his

fortune　was　made。



In　his　agitation　he　put　on　his　waistcoat　with　the　hind　part　before；

and　this　was　a　corroboration　of　good　luck。＇1＇　　He　no　longer　doubted

that　a　huge　store　of　money　lay　buried　somewhere　in　his　cabbage

field；　coyly　waiting　to　be　sought　for；　and　he　repined　at　having　so

long　been　scratching　about　the　surface　of　the　soil　instead　of

digging　to　the　center。





＇1＇　It　is　an　old　superstition　that　to　put　on　one's　clothes　wrong

side　out　forebodes　good　luck。





He　took　his　seat　at　the　breakfast　table；　full　of　these

speculations；　asked　his　daughter　to　put　a　lump　of　gold　into　his

tea；　and　on　handing　his　wife　a　plate　of　slapjacks；　begged　her　to

help　herself　to　a　doubloon。



His　grand　care　now　was　how　to　secure　this　immense　treasure　without

its　being　known。　　Instead　of　his　working　regularly　in　his　grounds

in　the　daytime；　he　now　stole　from　his　bed　at　night；　and　with　spade

and　pickax　went　to　work　to　rip　up　and　dig　about　his　paternal　acres；

from　one　end　to　the　other。　　In　a　little　time　the　whole　garden；

which　had　presented　such　a　goodly　and　regular　appearance；　with　its

phalanx　of　cabbages；　like　a　vegetable　army　in　battle　array；　was

reduced　to　a　scene　of　devastation；　while　the　relentless　Wolfert；

with　nightcap　on　head　and　lantern　and　spade　in　hand；　stalked

through　the　slaughtered　ranks；　the　destroying　angel　of　his　own

vegetable　world。



Every　morning　bore　testimony　to　the　ravages　of　the　preceding　night

in　cabbages　of　all　ages　and　conditions；　from　the　tender　sprout　to

the　full…grown　head；　piteously　rooted　from　their　quiet　beds　like

worthless　weeds；　and　left　to　wither　in　the　sunshine。　　In　vain

Wolfert's　wife　remonstrated；　in　vain　his　darling　daughter　wept　over

the　destruction　of　some　favorite　marigold。　　〃Thou　shalt　have　gold

of　another…guess＇1＇　sort；〃　he　would　cry；　chucking　her　under　the

chin；　〃thou　shalt　have　a　string　of　crooked　ducats　for　thy　wedding

necklace；　my　child。〃　　His　family　began　really　to　fear　that　the　poor

man's　wits　were　diseased。　　He　muttered　in　his　sleep　at　night　about

mines　of　wealth；　about　pearls　and　diamonds；　and　bars　of　gold。　　In

the　daytime　he　was　moody　and　abstracted；　and　walked　about　as　if　in

a　trance。　　Dame　Webber　held　frequent　councils　with　all　the　old

women　of　the　neighborhood；　scarce　an　hour　in　the　day　but　a　knot　of

them　might　be　seen　wagging　their　white　caps　together　round　her

door；　while　the　poor　woman　made　some　piteous　recital。　　The

daughter；　too；　was　fain　to　seek　for　more　frequent　consolation　from

the　stolen　interviews　of　her　favored　swain；　Dirk　Waldron。　　The

delectable　little　Dutch　songs　with　which　she　used　to　dulcify　the

house　grew　less　and　less　frequent；　and　she　would　forget　her　sewing；

and　look　wistfully　in　her　father's　face　as　he　sat　pondering　by　the

fireside。　　Wolfert　caught　her　eye　one　day　fixed　on　him　thus

anxiously；　and　for　a　moment　was　roused　from　his　golden　reveries。

〃Cheer　up；　my　girl；〃　said　he　exultingly；　〃why　dost　thou　droop？

Thou　shalt　hold　up　thy　head　one　day　with　the　Brinckerhoffs；　and　the

Schermerhorns；　the　Van　Hornes；　and　the　Van　Dams。＇2＇　　By　St。

Nicholas；　but　the　patroon＇3＇　himself　shall　be　glad　to　get　thee　for

his　son！〃





＇1＇　A　corruption　of　the　old　expression　〃another…gates；〃　or　〃of

another　gate；〃　meaning　〃of　another　way　or　manner〃；　hence；　〃of

another　kind。〃



＇2＇　Names　of　rich　and　influential　Dutch　families　in　the　old　Dutch

colony　of　New　Amsterdam。



＇3＇　The　patroons　were　members　of　the　Dutch　West　India　Company；　who

purchased　land　in　New　Netherlands　of　the　Indians；　and　after

fulfilling　certain　conditions　imposed　with　a　view　to　colonizing

their　territory；　enjoyed　feudal　rights　similar　to　those　of　the

barons　of　the　Middle　Ages。





Amy　shook　her　head　at　his　vainglorious　boast；　and　was　more　than

ever　in　doubt　of　the　soundness　of　the　good　man's　intellect。



In　the　meantime　Wolfert　went　on　digging　and　digging；　but　the　field

was　extensive；　and　as　his　dream　had　indicated　no　precise　spot；　he

had　to　dig　at　random。　　The　winter　set　in　before　one　tenth　of　the

scene　of　promise　had　been　explored。



The　ground　became　frozen　hard；　and　the　nights　too　cold　for　the

labors　of　the　spade。



No　sooner；　however；　did　the　returning　warmth　of　spring　loosen　the

soil；　and　the　small　frogs　begin　to　pipe　in　the　meadows；　but　Wolfert

resumed　his　labors　with　renovated　zeal。　　Still；　however；　the　hours

of　industry　were　reversed。



Instead　of　working　cheerily　all　day；　planting　and　setting　out　his

vegetables；　he　remained　thoughtfully　idle；　until　the　shades　of

night　summoned　him　to　his　secret　labors。　　In　this　way　he　continued

to　dig　from　night　to　night；　and　week　to　week；　and　month　to　month；

but　not　a　stiver＇1＇　did　he　find。　　On　the　contrary；　the　more　he

digged　the　poorer　he　grew。　　The　rich　soil　of　his　garden　was　digged

away；　and　the　sand　and　gravel　from　beneath　was　thrown　to　the

surface；　until　the　whole　field　presented　an　aspect　of　sandy

barrenness。





＇1＇　A　Dutch　coin；　worth　about　two　cents；　hence；　anything　of　little

worth。





In　the　meantime；　the　seasons　gradually　rolled　on。　　The　little　frogs

which　had　piped　in　the　meadows　in　early　spring　croaked　as　bullfrogs

during　the　summer　heats；　and　then　sank　into　silence。　　The　peach

tree　budded；　blossomed；　and　bore　its　fruit。　　The　swallows　and

martins　came；　twittered　about　the　roof；　built　their　nests；　reared

their　young；　held　their　congress　along　the　eaves；　and　then　winged

their　flight　in　search　of　another　spring。　　The　caterpillar　spun　its

winding　sheet；　dangled　in　it　from　the　great　buttonwood　tree　before

the　house；　turned　into　a　moth；　fluttered　with　the　last　sunshine　of

summer；　and　disappeared；　and　finally　the　leaves　of　the　buttonwood

tree　turned　yellow；　then　brown；　then　rustled　one　by　one　to　the

ground；　and　whirling　about　in　little　eddies　of　wind　and　dust；

whispered　that　winter　was　at　hand。



Wolfert　gradually　woke　from　his　dream　of　wealth　as　the　year

declined。　　He　had　reared　no　crop　for　the　supply　of　his　household

during　the　sterility　of　winter。　　The　season　was　long　and　severe；

a