Part 38 (2/2)

”Give ht to be able to do it again”

”What numbers do you want letters for?” inquired John

”Let me see,” mused Fred ”How about eleven and fifteen?”

”Just a second now,” and John began to calculate and count on his fingers just as Grant had done

”Another fakir,” whispered George, but as usual no one paid the slightest attention to him Every one was intent upon the code and tooelse

”Put _k_ in place of eleven, and _o_ in place of fifteen,”

said John after he had apparently satisfied himself as to the correctness of his calculations ”Is that correct, Grant?”

”Absolutely,” said Grant ”You know the systee enviously

”Keep quiet, Pop, and watch me,” ordered Fred, and once erly This is what he wrote:

t-1-k-e-1-3-o-21-r-19-e-4-21-e-n-o-r-t-h-o-n-e-h-21-n-4-r-e-4-6-e-e-t- 6-r-o-13-t-h-e-19-o-31-t-h-e-r-n-e-24-t-r-e-13-t-25-o-6-19-h-1-r-k-r- o-e-k-t-h-e-n-e-1-19-t-6-9-6-t-25-6-e-e-t-1-n-4-n-o-r-t-h-2-25-e-1-19- t-t-h-9-r-t-25-t-h-r-e-e-4-9-7

”You're getting rid of the nue ”It looks like Greek to e,” suggested Fred ”Wouldn't that be awful?”

”Perhaps it's Finnish,” said George ”We got it from a Finn”

”Dey's always ha'd luck,” exclaimed Sam soberly ”Ef some Finn done wrote dat we don't stan' no chance ob eber findin' de treasah”

”You e

”Ah wouldn't be at all s'prised,” said Sam solelish?” de there in the e ”It says r-k-r-o, and then k-t-h-e-n-e Did you ever hear of any words that sounded like that?”

”No, but towards the end it spells tords distinctly,” protested Grant, ”Just see there, n-o-r-t-h, and t-h-r-e-e Certainly they spell _north_ and _three_, don't they?”

”They do,” ade ”That's what puzzlesAre you sure your syste surer all the tiree with you, Grant We'll have it all in a es,” said Fred ”So like that, you know, to make it all the harder”

”You're a cheerful soul,” exclaies we'll be about as badly off as ere before”