human
Now, resumed Roger,
gpt
I confess that I am unable to see it, answered Harry.
human
We have already ascertained that by that method we get, first of all, the numbers 49, 37, and 38, and, as I remarked, we have no letters corresponding to those numbers.
gpt
No, I agree with you there, replied Roger.
human
But how are we to know that Jose selected the number 1 for his letter A, 2 for the letter B, and so on? It is not very likely that he would, as that method of procedure would make the solving of the cipher a fairly easy matter, and we should have translated it by now. It is much more likely that he took some other number for his letter A, say 15, or 40, or any number rather than 1.
gpt
Well, in that case we are just as far off the solution as at first, for how can we possibly tell, except by experiment, what numbers correspond to the right letters? And it would take us weeks to discover it by that method.
human
I agree with you that we certainly should be a very considerable time in arriving at the solution if we tried to do it simply by experiment, said Roger.
gpt
But I do not propose to set about it in that way. Now think, Harry, what letter occurs most frequently in the English tongue.
human
Well, replied his friend,
gpt
I have never given any thought to the matter, so I couldn't say immediately; but I should say that the letter A occurs as often as any.
human
It certainly does often occur, as you say, agreed Roger;
gpt
Bravo, Roger, shouted Harry;
human
S-s-sh--! Roger whispered.
gpt
Be quiet, man; do you want to bring those spies and jailers upon us? For you assuredly will, if you make much of that row.
human
I am sorry, said Harry.
gpt
For the moment I had forgotten where we were, and I felt so sure that you had hit upon the right method of translating the cipher that I shouted without thinking.
human
Do not speak for a few moments. Even then I thought I caught the sound of some person outside the door; I pray Heaven that they may not come into the cell!