Wolfert Webber, or Golden Dreams by Washington Irving
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was extensive, and as his dream had indicated no precise spot, he had to dig at random . the winter set in before one tenth of_the scene of promise had_been explored .

the ground became frozen hard, and_the nights too cold for_the labors of_the spade .

no sooner, however, did the returning warmth of spring loosen the soil, and_the small frogs begin to pipe in_the meadows, but Wolfert resumed his labors with renovated zeal . still, however, the hours of industry were reversed .

instead of working cheerily all day, planting and setting out his vegetables, he remained thoughtfully idle, until the shades of night summoned him to_his secret labors . in_this_way he continued to dig from night to night, and week to week, and month to month, but not a stiver[1] did he find . on_the contrary, the more he digged the poorer he grew . the rich soil of_his garden was digged away, and_the sand and gravel from beneath was thrown to_the surface, until the whole field presented an aspect of sandy barrenness .

[1] aDutch coin, worth about two cents; hence, anything of little worth .

in_the meantime, the seasons gradually rolled on . the little frogs which had piped in_the meadows in early spring croaked as bullfrogs during the summer heats, and then sank into silence . the peach tree budded, blossomed, and bore its fruit . the swallows and martins came, twittered about_the roof, built their nests, reared their young, held their congress along the eaves, and then winged their flight in search of another spring . the caterpillar spun its winding sheet, dangled in_it from_the great buttonwood tree before_the house, turned into a moth, fluttered with_the last sunshine of summer, and disappeared; and finally the leaves of_the buttonwood tree turned yellow, then brown, then rustled one by one to_the ground, and whirling about in little eddies of wind and dust, whispered that winter was at hand .

Wolfert gradually woke from_his dream of wealth as_the year declined . he had reared no crop for_the supply of_his household during the sterility of winter . the season was long and severe, and for_the first time the family was really straitened in its comforts . by degrees a revulsion of thought took place in Wolfert's mind, common to_those whose golden dreams have_been disturbed by pinching realities . the idea gradually stole upon him that he_should come to want . he already considered himself one_of_the_most unfortunate men in_the province, having lost such an incalculable amount of undiscovered treasure, and now, when thousands of pounds had eluded his search, to_be perplexed for shillings and pence was cruel in_the extreme .

haggard care gathered about his brow; he went about with a money- seeking air, his eyes bent downward into_the dust, and carrying his hands in_his pockets, as men are apt to_do when they_have nothing else to_put into them . he_could_not even pass the city almshouse without giving it a rueful glance, as_if destined to_be his future abode .

the strangeness of_his conduct and of_his looks occasioned much speculation and remark . for_a_long_time he_was suspected of being crazy, and then everybody pitied him; and at_length it began to_be suspected that he_was poor, and then everybody avoided him .

the rich old burghers of_his acquaintance met him outside the door when he_called, entertained him hospitably on_the threshold, pressed him warmly by_the hand at parting, shook their heads as he walked away, with_the kindhearted expression of " poor Wolfert," and turned a corner nimbly if by chance they saw him approaching as_they walked the streets . even the barber and_the cobbler of_the neighborhood, and a tattered tailor in an alley hard by, three of_the poorest and merriest rogues in_the_world, eyed him with_that abundant sympathy which usually attends a lack of means, and there_is not a doubt but their pockets would_have_been at his command, only that_they happened to_be empty .

thus everybody deserted the Webber mansion, as_if poverty were contagious, like the plague-- everybody but honest Dirk Waldron, who still kept up his stolen visits to_the daughter, and indeed seemed to wax more affectionate as_the fortunes of_his mistress were on_the wane .

many months had elapsed since Wolfert had frequented his old resort, the rural inn . he_was taking a long, lonely walk one Saturday afternoon, musing over his wants and disappointments, when his feet took instinctively their wonted direction, and on awaking out of a reverie, he_found himself before_the door of_the inn . for some moments he hesitated whether to enter, but his heart yearned for companionship, and where can a ruined man find better companionship than at a tavern, where there_is neither sober example nor sober advice to_put him out of countenance ?

Wolfert found several of_the old frequenters of_the inn at their usual posts and seated in their usual places; but one was missing, the great Ramm Rapelye, who for many years had filled the leather- bottomed chair of state . his place was supplied by a stranger, who seemed, however, completely at home in_the chair and_the tavern . he_was rather under size, but deep-chested, square, and muscular . his broad shoulders, double joints, and bow knees gave tokens of prodigious strength . his face was dark and weather- beaten; a deep scar, as_if from_the slash of a cutlass, had almost divided his nose, and made a gash in_his upper lip, through which his teeth shone like abulldog's .a mop of iron- gray hair gave a grisly finish to_this hard- favored visage . his dress was of an amphibious character . he wore an old hat edged with tarnished lace, and cocked in martial style on one side of_his head; a rusty[1] blue military coat with brass buttons; and a wide pair of short petticoat trousers,-- or rather breeches, for they were gathered up at_the knees . he ordered everybody about him with an authoritative air, talking in abrattling[2] voice that sounded like the crackling of thorns under a pot, d--d the landlord and servants with perfect impunity, and was waited upon with greater obsequiousness than had ever been shown to_the mighty Ramm himself .

[1] shabby .

[2] noisy .

Wolfert's curiosity was awakened to_know who and what_was this stranger who had thus usurped absolute sway in_this ancient domain .Peechy Prauw took him aside into a remote corner of_the hall, and there, in an under voice and with great caution, imparted to him all that he_knew on_the_subject . the inn had_been aroused several_months before, on a dark, stormy night, by repeated long shouts that seemed like the howlings of a wolf . they came from_the water side, and at_length were distinguished to_be hailing the house in_the seafaring manner, " house ahoy ! " the landlord turned out with_his head waiter, tapster, hostler, and errand boy-- that_is_to_say, with_his old Negro cuff . on approaching the place whence the voice proceeded, they found this amphibious- looking personage at_the water's edge, quite alone, and seated on a great oaken sea chest . how he_came there,-- whether he had_been set on shore from some boat, or had floated to land on_his chest,-- nobody could tell, for he_did_not seem disposed to answer questions, and there_was something in_his looks and manners that put a stop to all questioning . suffice it to_say, he_took possession of a corner room of_the inn, to_which his chest was removed with great difficulty . here he had remained ever_since, keeping about_the inn and its vicinity .Sometimes, it_is true, he disappeared for_one, two, or three days at_a_time, going and returning without giving any notice or account of_his movements . he always appeared to_have plenty of money, though often of very strange, outlandish coinage, and he regularly paid his bill every evening before turning in .

he had fitted up his room to_his own fancy, having slung a hammock from_the ceiling instead of a bed, and decorated the walls with rusty pistols and cutlasses of foreign workmanship .a greater part of_his time was passed in_this room, seated by_the window, which commanded a wide view of_the sound, a short, old- fashioned pipe in_his mouth, a glass of rum toddy[1] at his elbow, and a pocket telescope in_his hand, with_which he reconnoitered every boat that moved upon_the water . large square- rigged vessels seemed to excite but little attention; but the moment he descried anything with a shoulder- of- mutton[2] sail, or that a barge or yawl or jolly- boat hove in sight, up went the telescope, and he examined it with_the most scrupulous attention .

[1] a mixture of rum and hot water sweetened .

[2] triangular .

all this might_have passed without much notice, for in those times the province was so_much the resort of adventurers of all characters and climes that any oddity in dress or behavior attracted but small attention . in a little while, however, this strange sea monster, thus strangely cast upon dry land, began to encroach upon_the long established customs and customers of_the place, and to interfere in a dictatorial manner in_the affairs of_the ninepin alley and_the barroom, until in_the end he usurped an absolute command over the whole inn . it_was all in vain to attempt to withstand his authority . he_was not exactly quarrelsome, but boisterous and peremptory, like one accustomed to tyrannize on a quarter- deck; and there_was a dare- devil[1] air about everything he_said and did that inspired wariness in all bystanders . even the half- pay officer, so_long the hero of_the club, was soon silenced by him, and_the quiet burghers stared with wonder at seeing their inflammable man of war so readily and quietly extinguished .

[1] reckless .

and then the tales that he_would tell were enough to_make a peaceable man's hair stand on end . there_was not a sea fight, nor marauding nor freebooting adventure that had happened within_the last twenty years, but he_seemed perfectly versed in_it . he delighted to_talk of_the exploits of_the buccaneers in_the West_Indies and on_the Spanish main .[1] how his eyes would glisten as he described the waylaying of treasure ships; the desperate fights, yardarm and yardarm,[2] broadside and broadside;[3] the boarding and capturing huge Spanish galleons ! with what chuckling relish would he describe the descent upon some rich Spanish colony, the rifling of a church, the sacking of a convent ! you_would_have thought you heard some gormandizer dilating upon_the roasting of a savory goose at Michaelmas,[4] as he described the roasting of some Spanish don to_make him discover his treasure,--a detail given with a minuteness that made every rich old burgher present turn uncomfortably in_his chair . all this_would_be told with infinite glee, as_if he considered it an excellent joke, and then he_would give such a tyrannical leer in_the face of_his next neighbor that_the poor man would_be fain to laugh out of sheer faint-heartedness . if anyone, however, pretended to contradict him in any of_his stories, he_was on fire in an instant . his very cocked hat assumed a momentary fierceness, and seemed to resent the contradiction ." how the devil should you_know as_well as I ? I tell you it_was as I_say;" and he_would at_the same time let slip a broadside of thundering oaths[5] and tremendous sea phrases, such as had never been heard before within these peaceful walls .

[1] the coast of_the northern part of South_America along the Caribbean sea, the route formerly traversed by_the Spanish treasure ships between_the old and new Worlds .

[2] Ships are said to_be yardarm and yardarm when so near as_to touch or interlock their yards, which are the long pieces of timber designed to support and extend the square sails .

[3] " broadside and broadside," i .e ., with_the side of one ship touching that of another .

[4] the feast of_the archangel Michael, a church festival celebrated on September 29th .

[5] " broadside of thundering oaths," i .e ., a volley of abuse .

indeed, the worthy burghers began to surmise that he_knew more of_those stories than mere hearsay . day after day their conjectures concerning him grew more and more wild and fearful . the strangeness of_his arrival, the strangeness of_his manners, the mystery that surrounded him,-- all made him something incomprehensible in their eyes . he_was a kind of monster of_the deep to_them; he_was amerman, he_was a behemoth, he_was aleviathan,-- in short, they knew not what he_was .

the domineering spirit of_this boisterous sea urchin at_length grew quite intolerable . he_was no respecter of persons; he contradicted the richest burghers without hesitation; he_took possession of_the sacred elbow chair, which time out of mind had_been the seat of sovereignty of_the illustrious Ramm Rapelye .Nay, he even went so_far, in one of_his rough, jocular moods, as_to slap that mighty burgher on_the back, drink his toddy, and wink in_his face,--a thing scarcely to_be believed . from this_time Ramm Rapelye appeared no more at_the inn . his example was followed by several of_the most eminent customers, who were too rich to tolerate being bullied out of_their opinions or being obliged to laugh at another man's jokes . the landlord was almost in despair; but he_knew not how to_get rid of_this sea monster and_his sea chest, who seemed both to_have grown like fixtures, or excrescences on_his establishment .

such was_the account whispered cautiously in Wolfert's ear by_the narrator, Peechy Prauw, as he held him by_the button in a corner of_the hall, casting a wary glance now_and_then toward the door of_the barroom, lest he_should_be overheard by_the terrible hero of_his tale .

Wolfert took his seat in a remote part of_the room in silence, impressed with profound awe of_this unknown, so versed in freebooting

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