One, two, three,
four, five, six, seven. Turning squarely around to the left he again
made seven paces. And now he beckoned vigorously to Mary to come and
dig.
For about ten minutes they dug, and then they laid bare a great mass of
rock. "This isn't the place," cried Abner. "I must begin again. I did
not look at the right star. I will take the other one."
For the greater part of that night Abner and Mary remained upon the
beach. Abner would put his back against the tree, fix his eyes upon
another star, stride forward seven paces, and then seven to the left,
and he would come upon a little scrubby pine tree. Of course that was
not the place.
The moon soon began to set, and more stars came out, so that Abner had a
greater choice. Again and again he made his measurements, and every time
that he came to the end of his second seven paces, he found that it
would have been impossible for the pirates to make their excavation
there.
There was clearly something wrong. Abner thought that he had not
selected the right star, and Mary thought that his legs were not long
enough. "That pirate captain," quoth she, "had a long and manly stride.
Seven of his paces would go a far greater distance than seven of yours,
Abner."
Abner made his paces a little longer; but although he and his wife kept
up their work until they could see the early dawn, they found no spot
where it would be worth while to dig, and so mournfully they returned to
their home and their empty cellar.
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