stories by modern american authors-第37节

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still　more　illustrious　for　his　wealth　and　dignity。　　He　had　long

filled　the　noble　office　of　alderman；　and　was　a　man　to　whom　the

governor　himself　took　off　his　hat。　　He　had　maintained　possession　of

the　leather…bottomed　chair　from　time　immemorial；　and　had　gradually

waxed　in　bulk　as　he　sat　in　his　seat　of　government；　until　in　the

course　of　years　he　filled　its　whole　magnitude。　　His　word　was

decisive　with　his　subjects；　for　he　was　so　rich　a　man　that　he　was

never　expected　to　support　any　opinion　by　argument。　　The　landlord

waited　on　him　with　peculiar　officiousness；not　that　he　paid　better

than　his　neighbors；　but　then　the　coin　of　a　rich　man　seems　always　to

be　so　much　more　acceptable。　　The　landlord　had　ever　a　pleasant　word

and　a　joke　to　insinuate　in　the　ear　of　the　august　Ramm。　　It　is　true

Ramm　never　laughed；　and；　indeed；　ever　maintained　a　mastiff…like

gravity　and　even　surliness　of　aspect；　yet　he　now　and　then　rewarded

mine　host　with　a　token　of　approbation；　which；　though　nothing　more

nor　less　than　a　kind　of　grunt；　still　delighted　the　landlord　more

than　a　broad　laugh　from　a　poorer　man。





＇1＇　A　people　of　French　origin；　inhabiting　the　frontiers　between

France　and　Flanders。　　A　colony　of　one　hundred　and　ten　Walloons　came

to　New　York　in　1624。





〃This　will　be　a　rough　night　for　the　money　diggers；〃　said　mine　host；

as　a　gust　of　wind　bowled　round　the　house　and　rattled　at　the

windows。



〃What！　are　they　at　their　works　again？〃　said　an　English　half…pay

captain；　with　one　eye；　who　was　a　very　frequent　attendant　at　the

inn。



〃Aye　are　they；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃and　well　may　they　be。　　They've

had　luck　of　late。　　They　say　a　great　pot　of　money　has　been　dug　up　in

the　fields　just　behind　Stuyvesant's　orchard。　　Folks　think　it　must

have　been　buried　there　in　old　times　by　Peter　Stuyvesant；　the　Dutch

governor。〃



〃Fudge！〃　said　the　one…eyed　man　of　war；　as　he　added　a　small　portion

of　water　to　a　bottom　of　brandy。



〃Well；　you　may　believe　it　or　not；　as　you　please；〃　said　mine　host；

somewhat　nettled；　〃but　everybody　knows　that　the　old　governor　buried

a　great　deal　of　his　money　at　the　time　of　the　Dutch　troubles；　when

the　English　redcoats　seized　on　the　province。　　They　say；　too；　the

old　gentleman　walks；　aye；　and　in　the　very　same　dress　that　he　wears

in　the　picture　that　hangs　up　in　the　family　house。〃



〃Fudge！〃　said　the　half…pay　officer。



〃Fudge；　if　you　please！　　But　didn't　Corney　Van　Zandt　see　him　at

midnight；　stalking　about　in　the　meadow　with　his　wooden　leg；　and　a

drawn　sword　in　his　hand；　that　flashed　like　fire？　　And　what　can　he

be　walking　for　but　because　people　have　been　troubling　the　place

where　he　buried　his　money　in　old　times？〃



Here　the　landlord　was　interrupted　by　several　guttural　sounds　from

Ramm　Rapelye；　betokening　that　he　was　laboring　with　the　unusual

production　of　an　idea。　　As　he　was　too　great　a　man　to　be　slighted　by

a　prudent　publican；　mine　host　respectfully　paused　until　he　should

deliver　himself。　　The　corpulent　frame　of　this　mighty　burgher　now

gave　all　the　symptoms　of　a　volcanic　mountain　on　the　point　of　an

eruption。　　First　there　was　a　certain　heaving　of　the　abdomen；　not

unlike　an　earthquake；　then　was　emitted　a　cloud　of　tobacco　smoke

from　that　crater；　his　mouth；　then　there　was　a　kind　of　rattle　in　the

throat；　as　if　the　idea　were　working　its　way　up　through　a　region　of

phlegm；　then　there　were　several　disjointed　members　of　a　sentence

thrown　out；　ending　in　a　cough；　at　length　his　voice　forced　its　way

into　a　slow；　but　absolute　tone　of　a　man　who　feels　the　weight　of　his

purse；　if　not　of　his　ideas；　every　portion　of　his　speech　being

marked　by　a　testy　puff　of　tobacco　smoke。



〃Who　talks　of　old　Peter　Stuyvesant's　walking？　（puff）。　　Have　people

no　respect　for　persons？　（puffpuff）。　　Peter　Stuyvesant　knew　better

what　to　do　with　his　money　than　to　bury　it　（puff）。　　I　know　the

Stuyvesant　family　（puff）；　every　one　of　them　（puff）；　not　a　more

respectable　family　in　the　province　（puff）old　standards　（puff）

warm　householders　（puff）none　of　your　upstarts　（puffpuffpuff）。

Don't　talk　to　me　of　Peter　Stuyvesant's　walking　（puffpuffpuff

puff）。〃



Here　the　redoubtable　Ramm　contracted　his　brow；　clasped　up　his　mouth

till　it　wrinkled　at　each　corner；　and　redoubled　his　smoking　with

such　vehemence　that　the　cloudy　volumes　soon　wreathed　round　his

head；　as　the　smoke　envelops　the　awful　summit　of　Mount　Aetna。



A　general　silence　followed　the　sudden　rebuke　of　this　very　rich　man。

The　subject；　however；　was　too　interesting　to　be　readily　abandoned。

The　conversation　soon　broke　forth　again　from　the　lips　of　Peechy

Prauw　Van　Hook；　the　chronicler　of　the　club；　one　of　those　prosing；

narrative　old　men　who　seem　to　be　troubled　with　an　incontinence　of

words　as　they　grow　old。



Peechy　could；　at　any　time；　tell　as　many　stories　in　an　evening　as

his　hearers　could　digest　in　a　month。　　He　now　resumed　the

conversation　by　affirming　that；　to　his　knowledge；　money　had；　at

different　times；　been　digged　up　in　various　parts　of　the　island。

The　lucky　persons　who　had　discovered　them　had　always　dreamed　of

them　three　times　beforehand；　and；　what　was　worthy　of　remark；　those

treasures　had　never　been　found　but　by　some　descendant　of　the　good

old　Dutch　families；　which　clearly　proved　that　they　had　been　buried

by　Dutchmen　in　the　olden　time。



〃Fiddlestick　with　your　Dutchmen！〃　cried　the　half…pay　officer。　　〃The

Dutch　had　nothing　to　do　with　them。　　They　were　all　buried　by　Kidd

the　pirate；　and　his　crew。〃



Here　a　keynote　was　touched　that　roused　the　whole　company。　　The　name

of　Captain　Kidd　was　like　a　talisman　in　those　times；　and　was

associated　with　a　thousand　marvelous　stories。



The　half…pay　officer　took　the　lead；　and　in　his　narrations　fathered

upon　Kidd　all　the　plunderings　and　exploits　of　Morgan；＇1＇

Blackbeard；＇2＇　and　the　whole　list　of　bloody　buccaneers。





＇1＇　Sir　Henry　Morgan　（1637…90）；　a　noted　Welsh　buccaneer。　　He　was

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