B.C. and the Lord's Prayer and signed "A.C.,
1785;" a gourd, a few glass beads, and a Chinese opium-pipe; and
lastly, a thick paper roll bound in yellow-stained parchment.
The roll was tied about with string, and the string was sealed, in
coarse wax without imprint.
Miss Belcher dived a hand into a fold of her skirt, and drew forth a
most unladylike clasp-knife.
"Now for it!" said Miss Belcher.
CHAPTER XIX.
CAPTAIN COFFIN'S LOG.
As she severed the string the roll fell open and disclosed itself as
a book of small quarto shape, bound in limp parchment, with strings
to tie the covers together. Its pages, measuring 9 and 3/4 by 8 in.,
were 64, and numbered throughout; but a bare third of them were
written on, and these in an unformed hand which yet was eloquent of
much. A paragraph would start with every letter drawn as carefully
as in a child's copy-book; would gradually straggle and let its words
fall about, as though fainting by the way; and so would tail into
incoherence, to be picked up--next day, no doubt--by a new effort,
which, after marching for half a dozen lines, in its turn collapsed.
There were lacunae, too, when the shaking hand had achieved but a few
weak zigzags before it desisted.
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