stories by modern american authors-第34节

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combination　；48；　and　employ　it　by　way　of　TERMINATION　to　what

immediately　precedes。　　We　have　thus　this　arrangement：





the　tree　；4（4＋？34　the；





or；　substituting　the　natural　letters；　where　known；　it　reads　thus：





the　tree　thr＋？3h　the。





〃Now；　if；　in　place　of　the　unknown　characters；　we　leave　blank

spaces；　or　substitute　dots；　we　read　thus：





the　tree　thr。。。h　the；





when　the　word　'through'　makes　itself　evident　at　once。　　But　this

discovery　gives　us　three　new　letters；　o；　u；　and　g；　represented　by

＋；　？；　and　3。



〃Looking　now；　narrowly；　through　the　cipher　for　combinations　of

known　characters；　we　find；　not　very　far　from　the　beginning；　this

arrangement；





83（88；　or　egree；





which　plainly；　is　the　conclusion　of　the　word　'degree；'　and　gives　us

another　letter；　d；　represented　by　！。



〃Four　letters　beyond　the　word　'degree；'　we　perceive　the　combination





；46（；88。





〃Translating　the　known　characters；　and　representing　the　unknown　by

dots；　as　before；　we　read　thus：





th。rtee；





an　arrangement　immediately　suggestive　of　the　word　thirteen；'　and

again　furnishing　us　with　two　new　characters；　i　and　n；　represented

by　6　and　*。



〃Referring；　now；　to　the　beginning　of　the　cryptograph；　we　find　the

combination；





53＋＋！。





〃Translating　as　before；　we　obtain





。good；





which　assures　us　that　the　first　letter　is　A；　and　that　the　first　two

words　are　'A　good。'



〃It　is　now　time　that　we　arrange　our　key；　as　far　as　discovered；　in　a

tabular　form；　to　avoid　confusion。　　It　will　stand　thus：





5　represents　a

！　　　　　〃　　　　　　d

8　　　　　〃　　　　　　e

3　　　　　〃　　　　　　g

4　　　　　〃　　　　　　h

6　　　　　〃　　　　　　i

*　　　　　〃　　　　　　n

＋　　　　　〃　　　　　　o

（　　　　　〃　　　　　　r

；　　　　　〃　　　　　　t

？　　　　　〃　　　　　　u





〃We　have；　therefore；　no　less　than　eleven　of　the　most　important

letters　represented；　and　it　will　be　unnecessary　to　proceed　with　the

details　of　the　solution。　　I　have　said　enough　to　convince　you　that

ciphers　of　this　nature　are　readily　soluble；　and　to　give　you　some

insight　into　the　rationale　of　their　development。　　But　be　assured

that　the　specimen　before　us　appertains　to　the　very　simplest　species

of　cryptograph。　　It　now　only　remains　to　give　you　the　full

translation　of　the　characters　upon　the　parchment；　as　unriddled。

Here　it　is：





〃'A　good　glass　in　the　bishop's　hostel　in　the　devil's　seat　forty…one

degrees　and　thirteen　minutes　northeast　and　by　north　main　branch

seventh　limb　east　side　shoot　from　the　left　eye　of　the　death's　head

a　bee…line　from　the　tree　through　the　shot　fifty　feet　out。'〃





〃But；〃　said　I；　〃the　enigma　seems　still　in　as　bad　a　condition　as

ever。　　How　is　it　possible　to　extort　a　meaning　from　all　this　jargon

about　'devil's　seats；'　'death's　heads；'　and　'bishop's　hostels'？〃



〃I　confess；〃　replied　Legrand；　〃that　the　matter　still　wears　a

serious　aspect；　when　regarded　with　a　casual　glance。　　My　first

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