Then it was said that the ghost had reappeared
and so frightened the men that they had refused to work. Another story
was set afloat that the bottom had fallen out of the pit, and the iron
chest containing the treasure had sunk beyond recovery. The simple fact
was that the cunning fellows never expected to find a dollar.
These strange stories agitated Nyack for several weeks, and under their
influence Chapman so managed to divide opinion that Hanz had to bear the
greater share of blame for bringing distress on the poor people. One and
then another of his neighbors would chide him, and say it was all his
fault that they had lost their money and had nothing to show for it but
these worthless bits of paper.
To add to Hanz's troubles, Chapman entered his house one day, and openly
reproached him for bringing distress on his friends. "You know you have
done wrong, old man," said he, assuming the air of an injured man. "You
would not have deceived me--no man would--but that I took you for a
Christian. And when I take a man for a Christian I put faith in him.
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