Beadle's Dime Novels, No. 91: The Lost Cache — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE INTERNAL EVIDENCE. | 18 toward the head-waters of the Mistouri; “here is the very place, I think, that is represented in the little map.- See where the Missouri, bending southward, is fed by the streams of the mountains ; and see where the Lewis Fork cuts into the range, or ought to. The atlas, if my engineering skill. and observa- tion amount to any thing, is not correct, and the little map is right, or nearly so. That circumstance inclines me to believe in the authenticity of the document, as the old map must have been made by a person who was well acquainted with the locality.” “Tam glad to hear you say so, and think there is a great deal of force in your argument. Internal evidence, if it is really conclusive, is always the best.” “TI suppose it would. not require very conclusive evidence to convince you of the existence of that buried treasure, but I.am not disposed to believe so easily. Let us look a little further. This document is evidently the production of an educated man, and, very probably, of an engineer. The di- rections say: ‘ W 21:15, and that can mean nothing else than west 21 degrees 15 minutes south. The bearings and distances are given as only one acquainted with surveying would be likely to give them. It is also evident that he made it—if it is not an imposition—for his own private use, to serve as a guide for finding the treasure, if he should return; and that he has endeavored to make it ambiguous, so that-it might not be comprehended, if it should fall into other hands.” “ But what conclusion do you come ta?” impatiently inter- rupted Harry. “Don’t go too fast, my boy; you must let me work it out in my own way, or I shall never make any thing of it. The maker of the map has given us no measure for his distances ; he does not tell us whether he means feet, or chiains, or rods, or miles, If the map had been forged by a surveyor, I think it likely that he would have expressed. his distances in chains and links. That circumstance inclines me to believe it is not a forgery, though it is but slight evidence. I conclude that your old trapper must have lent himself to the imposition of some Other person, or the white captive imposed on the Indian, or the document is genuine, and there is really such a treasure buried.” Cconmiclooolks.comn) _} os. Pd