And so saying, Glenarvan began to scrape off the hard particles that protected the neck. Soon the cork appeared, but very much damaged with the salt water.
“This is a pity,” said Glenarvan; “for if there is any paper in it, it will be in a bad condition.”
“That’s what I fear,” replied the major.
“I will add,” continued Glenarvan, “that this badly-corked bottle would soon have sunk; and it is fortunate that this shark swallowed it, and brought it on board of the Duncan.”
“Certainly,” interposed Captain Mangles; “it would have been better, however, had it been caught in the open sea on a well-known latitude and longitude. We could then, by studying the atmospheric and marine currents, have discovered the course traversed; but with a guide like one of these sharks, that travel against wind and tide, we cannot know whence it comes.”
“We shall soon see,” answered Glenarvan. At the same time he drew out the cork with the greatest care, and a strong saline odor permeated the cabin.
“Well?” said Lady Helena, with a truly feminine impatience.
“Yes,” said Glenarvan; “I am not mistaken! Here are papers!”
“Documents! documents!” cried Lady Helena.
“Only,” replied Glenarvan, “they appear to be damaged by the water. It is impossible to remove them, for they adhere to the sides of the bottle.”
“Let us break it,” said MacNabb.
“I would rather keep it whole,” replied Glenarvan.
“I should, too,” said the major.
“Very true,” added Lady Helena; “but the contents are more valuable than that which contains them, and it is better to sacrifice one than the other.”
“Let your lordship only break off the neck,” said the captain, “and that will enable you to draw them out without injury.”
“Yes, yes, my dear Edward!” cried Lady Glenarvan.
It was difficult to proceed in any other way, and, at all hazards, Glenarvan determined to break the neck of the precious bottle. It was necessary to use a hammer, for the stony covering had acquired the hardness of granite. The fragments soon strewed the table, and several pieces of paper were perceived adhering to each other. Glenarvan drew them out carefully, separating and examining them closely, while Lady Helena, the major, and the captain crowded around him.
II
The Three Documents
These pieces of paper, half destroyed by the seawater, exhibited only a few words, the traces of handwriting almost entirely effaced. For several minutes Lord Glenarvan examined them attentively, turned them about in every way, and exposed them to the light of day, observing the least traces of writing spared by the sea. Then he looked at his friends, who were regarding him with anxious eyes.
“There are here,” said he, “three distinct documents, probably three copies of the same missive, translated into three different languages: one English, another French, and the third German. The few words that remain leave no doubt on this point.”
“But these words have at least a meaning?” said Lady Glenarvan.
“That is difficult to say, my dear Helena. The words traced on these papers are very imperfect.”
“Perhaps they will complete each other,” said the major.
“That may be,” replied Captain Mangles. “It is not probable that the water has obliterated these lines in exactly the same places on each, and by comparing these remains of phrases we shall arrive at some intelligible meaning.”
“We will do so,” said Lord Glenarvan; “but let us proceed systematically. And, first, here is the English document.”
It showed the following arrangement of lines and words:
“That does not mean much,” said the major, with an air of disappointment.
“Whatever it may mean,” replied the captain, “it is good English.”
“There is no doubt of that,” said his lordship. “The words wreck, aland, this, and, lost, are perfect. Cap evidently means captain, referring to the captain of a shipwrecked vessel.”
“Let us add,” said the captain, “the portions of the words docu and ssistance, the meaning of which is plain.”
“Well, something is gained already!” added Lady Helena.
“Unfortunately,” replied the major, “entire lines are wanting. How can we find the name of the lost vessel, or the place of shipwreck?”
“We shall find them,” said Lord Edward.
“Very likely,” answered the major, who was invariably of the opinion of everyone else; “but how?”
“By comparing one document with another.”
“Let us see!” cried Lady Helena.
The second piece of paper, more damaged than the former, exhibited only isolated words, arranged thus:
“This is written in German,” said Captain Mangles, when he had cast his eyes upon it.
“And do you know that language?” asked Glenarvan.
“Perfectly, your lordship.”
“Well, tell us what these few words mean.”
The captain examined the document closely, and expressed himself as follows:
“First, the date of the event is determined. 7 Juni means June 7th, and by comparing this figure with the figures ’62,’ furnished by the English document, we have the date complete—June 7th, 1862.”
“Very well!” exclaimed Lady Helena. “Go on.”
“On the same line,” continued the young captain, “I find the word Glas, which, united with the word gow of the first document, gives Glasgow. It is plainly a ship from the port of Glasgow.”
“That was my opinion,” said the major.
“The second line is missing entirely,” continued Captain Mangles; “but on the third I meet with two important words zwei, which means two, and atrosen, or rather matrosen, which signifies sailors in German.”
“There were a captain and two sailors, then?” said Lady Helena.
“Probably,” replied her husband.
“I will confess, your lordship,” said the captain, “that the next word, graus, puzzles me. I do not know how to translate it. Perhaps the third document will enable us to understand it. As to the two last words, they are easily explained. Bringt ihnen means bring to them, and if we compare these with the English word, which is likewise on the sixth line of the first document (I
