pretty nearly equivalent to that of
necromancer.

"The doctor had often heard rumors of treasure being buried in various
parts of the island, and had long been anxious to get on the traces of
it. No sooner were Wolfert's waking and sleeping vagaries confided to
him, than he beheld in them confirmed symptoms of a case of money
digging, and lost no time in probing it to the bottom. Wolfert had
long been sorely oppressed in mind by the golden secret, and as a
family physician is a kind of father confessor, he was glad of any
opportunity of unburdening himself. So far from curing, the doctor
caught the malady from his patient. The circumstances unfolded to him
awakened all his cupidity; he had not a doubt of money being buried
somewhere in the neighborhood of the mysterious crosses and offered to
join Wolfert in the search.

"He informed him that much secrecy and caution must be observed in
enterprises of this kind; that money is only to be digged for at night;
with certain forms and ceremonies, and burning of drugs; the repeating
of mystic words, and above all, that the seekers must first be provided
with a divining rod, which had the wonderful property of pointing to
the very spot on the surface of the earth under which treasure lay
hidden. As the doctor had given much of his mind to these matters, he
charged himself with all the necessary preparations, and, as the
quarter of the moon was propitious, he undertook to have the divining
rod ready by a certain night.

"Wolfert's heart leaped with joy at having met with so learned and able
a coadjutor. Everything went on secretly, but swimmingly. The doctor
had many consultations with his patient, and the good woman of the
household lauded the comforting effect of his visits. In the meantime
the wonderful divining rod, that great key to nature's secrets, was
duly prepared.

"The following note was found appended to this passage in the
handwriting of Mr. Knickerbocker. 'There has been much written against
the divining rod by those light minds who are ever ready to scoff at
the mysteries of nature; but I fully join with Dr. Knipperhausen in
giving it my faith. I shall not insist upon its efficacy in
discovering the concealment of stolen goods, the boundary stones of
fields, the traces of robbers and murderers, or even the existence of
subterranean springs and streams of water; albeit, I think these
properties not to be readily discredited; but of its potency in