Winkle: the Eel-Man 169 



puzzling at first, but, when the light was 

 stronger, I saw that the man, now dead, had 

 scratched upon the floor, in unmistakable 

 manner, these letters : 



A; 



!- Vs 



I have had somewhat to do with hiero- 

 glyphics and traced the significance of Indian 

 messages scratched upon slabs of stone, but 

 here was something new. My free transla- 

 tion ran : C. Abbott : bis own / or, in still 

 plainer language, Winkle meant me to have 

 what money he had left. I sought no one's 

 advice, but afted as probate judge, executor, 

 and legatee. No harm was done. After 

 Winkle was buried there was nothing left. 



