I had no proof on beholding this meaningless assortment of letters that
it had anything to do with my case, but I had a hunch. The question
was how to get possession of it without showing my hand. I kept silent
for a while, and let the discussion rage as to the proper way to
translate it.
My excitable friend McArdle (who did not know me, of course, in my
present character), naturally as the finder of the paper took a leading
part in the discussion. The principals of the company had not yet
emerged from their dressing-rooms. My opportunity came when McArdle
stated in his positive way that it was a code, and that it was not
possible to translate it without having the code-book.
"A code is generally regular words," I suggested mildly, as became the
newest and humblest member of the company. "Nobody would ever think up
these crazy combinations of letters. I should say it was a cryptogram."
McArdle wouldn't acknowledge that he didn't know what a cryptogram was,
but somebody else asked.
"Substituting one letter for another according to a numerical key," I
said. "Easy enough to translate it if you can hit on the key."
One thing led to another and soon came the inevitable challenge.
"Bet you a dollar you can't read it!" cried McArdle.