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The first thing the ferryman did when he reached the cabin was to close and fasten the door, to prevent interruption, and the next to draw from his pocket the mysterious letter, which he spread upon the table before him.

To make himself master of its contents was a work of no little difficulty. Silas did not know much about books, and, besides, some of the characters that were intended to represent letters were so badly printed that it was hard to tell what they were intended for. He read as follows:

"December 15—In the Mountings.

"I write this to inform whoever finds it that I have a secret to tell you. I was born in Europe, and am now forty years of age. I am a gentleman, and my father is a rich man and a large land-owner. I am the second son, and fell in love with a girl when I was twenty years of age.

"Everything went well till my older brother came home from the war, and when she found out that I was not entitled to the estates, she left me, and went to concerts and balls with my brother, and that was something I could not stand. So I sent her a bottle of sody-water, with my best wishes, and I put in strickning, and the next day she was dead. The doctors said she died of heart disease, but I knew better. So I told my father that I was going to America. So he gave me five hundred pounds in money—"