[1] point of land bend East River below Grand Street, New York City

Here, therefore, as , resorted old inhabitants Manhattoes, where, while some played at shuffleboard[1] and quoits,[2] and ninepins, others smoked deliberate pipe, and talked over public affairs

[1] game played by pushing or shaking pieces of money or metal so as them reach certain marks on board

[2] game played by pitching flattened, ring-shaped piece of iron, called quoit, at fixed object

on blustering autumnal afternoon that Wolfert made his visit inn The grove of elms and willows was stripped leaves, which whirled in rustling eddies fields The ninepin alley was deserted, premature chilliness day had driven the company within doors As Saturday afternoon the habitual club was in session, composed principally of regular Dutch burghers, though mingled occasionally with persons of various character and country, as is natural in place motley population

Beside the fireplace, in huge, leather-bottomed armchair, sat the dictator little world, the venerable Rem, or, as pronounced, "Ramm" Rapelye man of Walloon[1] race, and illustrious antiquity line, his great-grandmother having been the first white child born province But still more illustrious wealth and dignity He had long filled the noble office of alderman, and was man the governor himself took off his hat He had maintained possession leather-bottomed chair immemorial, and had gradually waxed in bulk as he sat seat of government, until course of years he filled its whole magnitude His word was decisive subjects, for so rich man that never expected to support any opinion by argument The landlord waited on him with peculiar officiousness,--not that he paid better than his neighbors, but then the coin of rich man seems always more acceptable The landlord had ever pleasant word and joke to insinuate ear august Ramm true Ramm never laughed, and, indeed, ever maintained mastiff-like gravity and even surliness of aspect; yet he rewarded mine host with token of approbation, which, though nothing more nor kind of grunt, still delighted the landlord more than broad laugh from poorer man

[1] people of French origin, inhabiting the frontiers between France and Flanders colony of one hundred and ten Walloons came to New York in 1624

" rough night money diggers," said mine host, as gust of wind bowled round the house and rattled windows

"What ! are they at their works again ? " said an English half-pay captain, with one eye, who was very frequent attendant inn

"Aye are they," said the landlord, "and well may they be They've had luck of late They say great pot of money dug up fields just behind Stuyvesant's orchard Folks think it must buried there in old times by Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor "

"Fudge ! " said the one-eyed man of war, as he added small portion of water to bottom of brandy

"Well, believe it or not, please," said mine host, somewhat nettled, "but everybody knows old governor buried great deal money Dutch troubles, English redcoats seized province They say, too, the old gentleman walks, aye, and very same dress that he wears picture that hangs up family house "

"Fudge ! " said the half-pay officer

"Fudge, please ! But didn't Corney Van Zandt see him at midnight, stalking about meadow wooden leg, and drawn sword hand, that flashed like fire ? And what can he be walking for but because people troubling the place where he buried his money in old times ? "

Here the landlord was interrupted by several guttural sounds from Ramm Rapelye, betokening that laboring unusual production of an idea As too great man slighted by prudent publican, mine host respectfully paused until deliver himself The corpulent frame mighty burgher now gave all the symptoms of volcanic mountain point of an eruption First certain heaving abdomen, not unlike an earthquake; then was emitted cloud of tobacco smoke crater, his mouth; then kind of rattle throat, as idea were working its way up through region of phlegm; then there were several disjointed members of sentence thrown out, ending in cough; his voice forced its way into slow, but absolute tone of man who feels the weight purse, ideas, every portion speech being marked by testy puff of tobacco smoke

"Who talks of old Peter Stuyvesant's walking ? (puff) Have people no respect for persons ? (puff--puff) Peter Stuyvesant knew better what money than to bury it (puff) the Stuyvesant family (puff), (puff); not more respectable family province (puff)--old standards (puff)-- warm householders (puff)--none of your upstarts (puff--puff--puff) Don't talk of Peter Stuyvesant's walking (puff--puff--puff-- puff) "

Here the redoubtable Ramm contracted his brow, clasped up his mouth till it wrinkled at each corner, and redoubled his smoking vehemence cloudy volumes soon wreathed round his head, smoke envelops the awful summit of Mount Aetna

general silence followed the sudden rebuke very rich man The subject, however, was too interesting readily abandoned The conversation soon broke forth again lips of Peechy Prauw Van Hook, the chronicler club, one prosing, narrative old men who troubled with an incontinence of words grow old

Peechy could, at , tell stories in an evening as his hearers could digest in month He now resumed the conversation by affirming that, knowledge, money had, at different times, been digged up in various parts island The lucky persons who had discovered them had always dreamed three times beforehand, and, worthy of remark, those treasures had never been found but by some descendant good old Dutch families, which clearly proved buried by Dutchmen olden time

"Fiddlestick with your Dutchmen ! " cried the half-pay officer "The Dutch had nothing They were all buried by Kidd the pirate, crew "

Here keynote was touched that roused the whole company The name of Captain Kidd was like talisman in those times, and was associated with thousand marvelous stories

The half-pay officer took the lead, and narrations fathered upon Kidd all the plunderings and exploits of Morgan,[1] Blackbeard,[2] whole list of bloody buccaneers

[1] Sir Henry Morgan (1637-90), noted Welsh buccaneer captured and sent to England for trial, but Charles II , instead of punishing him, knighted him, and subsequently appointed him governor of Jamaica

[2] Edward Teach, cruel pirates, took command of pirate ship in 1717, and thereafter committed all sorts of atrocities until slain by Lieutenant Maynard in 1718 His nickname of "Blackbeard" was given him because black beard

The officer was man of great weight peaceable members club, by reason warlike character and gunpowder tales All his golden stories of Kidd, however, and booty he had buried, were obstinately rivaled tales of Peechy Prauw, who, rather than suffer his Dutch progenitors eclipsed by foreign freebooter, enriched every field and shore neighborhood hidden wealth of Peter Stuyvesant contemporaries

Not word conversation was lost upon Wolfert Webber He returned pensively home, full of magnificent ideas The soil native island seemed turned into gold dust, and every field to teem with treasure His head almost reeled thought how often heedlessly rambled over places where countless sums lay, scarcely covered turf beneath his feet His mind was in an uproar whirl of new ideas As in sight venerable mansion forefathers, little realm where the Webbers had and so contentedly flourished, his gorge rose narrowness destiny

"Unlucky Wolfert ! " exclaimed he; "others can go to bed and dream themselves into whole mines of wealth; but to seize spade morning, and turn up doubloons[1] like potatoes; but thou must dream of hardships, and rise to poverty, must dig thy field from year's end to year's end, and yet raise nothing but cabbages ! "

[1] Spanish gold coins, equivalent to $15 60

Wolfert Webber went to bed with heavy heart, and long golden visions that disturbed his brain permitted him to sink into repose The same visions, however, extended into his sleeping thoughts, and assumed more definite form He dreamed that he had discovered an immense treasure center garden At every stroke spade he laid bare golden ingot; diamond crosses sparkled dust; bags of money turned up their bellies, corpulent with pieces-of-eight[1] or venerable doubloons; and chests wedged close with moidores,[2] ducats,[3] and pistareens,[4] yawned before his ravished eyes, and vomited forth their glittering contents

[1] Spanish coins, worth about $1 each [2] Portuguese gold coins, valued at $6 50 [3] Coins of gold and silver, valued at $2 and $1 respectively [4] Spanish silver coins, worth about $ 20