The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-01-08
CHAPTER II.
THE PIGEONS HOME.

There was nothing to show whence
the message came or whittier it was be-
ing sent. Only these eighteen words,
each composed of an equal number of
letters. Could they he made into sense
without ,,the key? 1t was not very
likely at least unless it was by some
very clever decipherer And yet the
cryptogram could not be indecipher-
able
The characters told him nothing, and
Sarcany, who was at first much disap.
pointed, stood perplexed. Did the let
ter contain any important news, and
above all, was it of compromising
nature? Evidently these precautions
had been taken to prevent its being read
if it fell into other hands than those for
whom it was intended To make use Of
neither the post nor the telegraph but
the extraordinary means of the carrier
pigeon, showed that it must be some
curious affair that it was desired to
keep quite secret.
Perhaps" said Sarcany, there lies
in these lines a mystery that will make
our fortune"
"And then" answered Zirone, "This
pigeon will represent the luck We have
been running after all the morning.
And was going to strangle it After
all it is important to keep the message,
and we can cook the messenger"
mot so fast, Zirone," interrupted
Sarcany, who again saved the birds life.
Perhaps the pigeon may tell us whittier
it was bound, providing, of course, that
the person who ought to have the mes
sage lives in Trieste"
"And then That will not tell you
how to read the message, Sarcany."
"No, Zirone."
"Nor to know where it came from"
Exactly. But of two correspond
ents shall know one, and that may tell
me how | am to find the other. So, in
stead of killing this bird, we will feed it
and recruit its strength and help it to
reach its destination.
with the letter 7" asked Zirone.
"With the letter-of which l am CO.
ing to make an exact copy and that l
shall keep until the time comes to use
it."
And Sarcany took a notebook from his
pocket, and in pencil he made n careful
fac-simile of the message. Knowing
that in most cryptograms it was import
ant not to alter in the least the form
and arrangement, he took great care to
keep the words in exactly the same
order and position and at the same dis
tances rs in the document. Then he put
the fac-simile in his pocket, the message
in its case, and the case in its place
under the pigeons wing.
Zirone looked on. He did not share
the hopes of fortune founded on this in
cident.
And now?" he asked.
Nov, answered Sarcany, "do what
you can for the messenger"
The pigeon was more exhausted by
hunger than fatigue Its wings were
intact without strain or breakage, and
showed that his temporary weakness was
due neither to shot from sportsman
nor stone from Al street boy. II was
hungly-it was thirsty that was all.
Zirone looked around and found on
the iground few grains of corn which
the bird ate greedily. Then he
quenched his thirst with few drops OF
water which the last shower had left in d
piece of ancient pottery. So well did he
do his work that in half an hour the pig
con was refreshed and restored and
quite able to resume his interrupted
journey.
"If it is going far said Sarcany, "i
its destination is beyond Trieste, it doe.
not matter to us if it falls on the way
for We shall have lost sight of it, and il
will be impossible for us to follow it
But if it is going to one of the houses il
Trieste, its strength is sufficient to take
1t there, for it will only have to fly for
couple of minutes or So"
Right you are, replied the Sicilian
"but how are We to see whara IL drors