Part 28 (2/2)
”Now let's see what's inside this hunting horn,” Nancy suggested.
While Ned held the beautiful instrument, she put her hand down inside the tube. Her fingers touched something metal. She pulled out a heavy solid-gold chain and cross.
”That's exquisite!” Bess exclaimed.
”And worth a fortune, I'll bet,” Dave added. Next Nancy removed a man's large signet ring with a religious design on it. She tugged at the next piece but could not move it.
Finally she said, ”Ned, you try.”
The object was wedged in tightly. Ned rocked the horn from side to side and finally the metal object in it gave way. He pulled out a slender bra.s.s box.
”This is a surveyor's kit,” Dave remarked as Nancy raised the lid. ”Pere Franois must have been a surveyor as well as a missionary.”
Carefully Nancy removed an egg-shaped piece of metal with a rotted fragment of string attached to it.
”That's a plumb bob,” said Ned. ”It hangs on the end of a line to find the center of gravity.”
”And here's a compa.s.s,” George added. ”What's this?” Nancy asked, picking up a bra.s.s tube.
”Pere Francois could have used that for sighting,” said Ned. ”Today we look through a telescopic instrument called a transit.”
Nancy slid her finger into the tube. ”Something's in here!” she exclaimed, and pulled out a tiny roll of paper. ”It must be the message that tells about the treasure!”
The handwriting on the paper proved to be in French and some of the words were old-fas.h.i.+oned, but Nancy managed to translate them. She read aloud:”'This tree is quarter of a mile east from an ancient Indian burial mound. It is large, overgrown, and the rounded top is gone. I dug into it from the side and found fine objects. Then war came. I put them back and filled in the hole.
”'The Iroquois are destroying the Algonquin. The last village I was in was attacked and I fled, but the arrow wound I received is festering and I shall die. I will hide my few precious possessions in this hollow oak. Then I will put a note in a light crock, seal it, and send it downstream. I pray the note will be picked up by a settler. These belongings were brought by me from France to New France.'”
As Nancy paused, George remarked, ”New France is now Canada, isn't it?”
”Yes,” Nancy answered, then went on reading:”'I have marked my journey from one Indian village to another by placing lead plates I brought from France upon oak trees near Indian settlements. Arrows I made on the signs show the direction of my travels. One plate is left which has no arrow. I will use it to mark this tree.' ”
The young people stood silent, awed by what they had just seen and learned.
Finally Ned said, ”Nancy, I don't think you realize what a tremendous find you've made.”
The young detective merely smiled. ”Evidently someone found the crock with the note, and the story became a legend.”
George patted her friend on the back. ”And then Nancy Drew turned the legend into a true story.”
Carrying the copper box with the fabulous hunting horn with them, Nancy and her friends returned to the farmhouse. As the truck clattered in, Theresa and the young archaeologists began appearing from all directions to find out what their friends had learned.
”It must have been a good day,” said Julie Anne. ”You're all smiling!”
Nancy jumped down and said, ”My smile is as wide as the Illinois river country.” She told of their finding Bob and the capture of Kadle and his pals.
”How marvelous!” Julie Anne exclaimed. Ned and Dave now lifted down the copper box. Nancy opened it and displayed the beautiful hunting horn.
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