Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-12-18


rule and divided his rectangle into thirty
six squares, nj of equal size. Then OF
these thirty-siy squares nine were marked
as they appeared ON the tracing, and cut
out with the point of a penknife so as to
show through them, when applied to the
message, villa ever signs or letters We're
10 be read
Zirone sat facing Sarcany, and watched
him AS he W, rkei He was deeply inter
ested in the performance, because he
thoroughly understood the system of
cryptogrnphy employed III the CORE
spondence.
"Now that is ingenious, he said,
highly ingenious, and may be of some
use! When | think that each of these
empty squares may perhaps hold mil
lion of money"
And more" said Sarcany.
The work was at an end. Sarcany
rose and put the cut card into his
pocketbook.
THE first thing tomorrow morning |
call on Toronthal, he said.
keep an eve on his cash box"
of he has the message, l have the
grating"
"And this time he will give it up"
He will give it up
"And now we can feed?"
1--WE can feed.
"Come on, then.
And Zirone always blest with
healthy appetite, did full Justice to the
excellent meal lie had, according to his
custom ordered.
In the morning--it was the lst Of June
at eight o'clock Sarcany presented
himself at the bank, and Toronthal gave
orders for him 10 be shown into the
Office Immediately.
There is the grating" was all that
Sarcany said. as he laid the card on the
table.
The banker took it, turned it round
and round, ierked his head first on one
side then the other, and did not seem Mt
all to share in the confidence of his
associate.
Let us try it, said Sarcauy.
"Well, we'll try it.
Toronthal took the fac-simile of the
message from one of the drawers in his
desk and laid it on the table
1t may be recoiiected that the message
was composed OF eighteen words each
containing six letters the words being
quite unintelhgihle. It was obvious
that each letter ought to correspond with
n square of the card and consequently
that the six frt words of the message,
composed of thirtv-six letters. must have
been obtained by means OF the thirty-six
squares
And in the grating tho arrangement Of
the blank squares had been so ingen-
iously thought ont that for every quarter
turn-that is for the four times the
blank squares changed their position
they came i'll different place
1t will be seen that this must be so ::
for if at the first application Of the graf
ing to white parer the figures l to . are
inscribed in each blank space, and then,
after quarter turn the figures 10 to IS,
and then after another quarter turn the
figures 10 to %, and then, after another
quarter turn, the figures % to 80, it will
be found that no square has two num-
bers, and that each of the thirty-six
squares is filed in.
Sarcanv very naturally began en- the six
first words OF the message, intending to
make four successive applications Of the
grating. He then thought of treating
the next six, and then the six finals in
the same way, and thus use up the eigh-
teen words of the cryptogram.
1t need scarcely be said that Sarcany
had told Toronthal what he intended to
do, and that the banker had approved Of
the plan.
Would hepractice confirm the theory
Therein lay all the interest OF the
experiment.
The eighteen words Of the message
uara thaea