The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.2003, Síða 31

Vol. 58 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
73
In the Red River Valley - The Treasure
Book II, Last Chapter Conclusion
by Johann Magnus Bjarnason
Translated by Nina Campbell
Such was the last letter that Halfan, the
castaway had written. All the main points
about the treasure were the same as in the
letter O'Brian kept for Arnor. At least so it
seemed to us. Both these letters fully
described where the tin can was buried in
the ground and there could be no doubt
where it would be found. The later letter
also gave the name of the hotel, who the
owner had been, and also said that the
house was in Point Douglas and how far it
was from the hotel to Fort Garry. This was
the very information that was missing in
the first letter on the other hand there was
more in the earlier letter about William
Trent and his brother, Henry, and also the
reason that the money had been buried in
the ground.
After we had discussed the matter back
and forth for a while and had come to the
conclusion that the crooked house was the
house that was described in the letter,
O'Brian said that since it was still daylight
we could walk outside and measure the dis-
tance that was stated in both letters. Mr.
Iceland was in full agreement of the pro-
posal, and there was no question of my
willingness in that regard. When we came
outside, O’Brian took a measuring tape and
compass from his pocket and both were
put to use.
First, we measured out 32 fathoms in a
a straight line (one fathom = 6 feet) north-
west from the centre of the north side of
the crooked house and marked the spot
with a small stake, because there was no
oak tree or anything to indicate that a tree
had ever been there. We then measured 5
English yards straight east, and marked
that spot with another small stake. Then we
had to determine if we were exactly 16
yards (English) from the river, but we were
by no means there. When we measured the
distance, we saw that it was 29 English
yards from the spot where the grass roots
began to the edge of the riverbank to where
we had placed the second stake. In addition
there was no inlet or ditch on the bank, and
no house visible directly across the bank on
the other side of the river, or anything to
indicate that a house had ever been there.
There was however, an old ruin on the
south side of the riverbank, but there was
no aspen undergrowth nearby. As well
there were two oak trees on the west bank
north of the crooked house, but they were
about 100 fathoms from it and about 10
fathoms from the river.
That night, when it was dark, O'Brian
borrowed a shovel and dug a hole 3 feet
deep where we had placed the last stake but
nothing happened. There was no treasure
to be found, not even so much as one small
stone. All that came up on the shovel was
just pale Red River valley clay. Old
O'Brian then carefully shoveled the clay
back into the hole, replaced the grass and
patted it down vigorously with the shovel.
“Done” he said, taking off his hat and
wiping the sweat off his brow, “This secret
of the hidden treasure is now dead at last
and buried forever and ever. Amen!”
“No, it is not at all finished yet” said
Mr. Iceland smiling, “We have yet to find
the treasure.”
“And how will that be?” asked
O’Brian
“We have to follow the directions
exactly that are in the letter.”
“I believe,” said O’Brian, “That I have
tried to follow them to the letter as well as
can be.”
“But we started wrong.”
“In what way Mr. Iceland?” asked