At the lower end of the garden they passed a kind of vault
in the side of a bank, facing the water. It had the look of a root
house.[1] The door, though decayed, was still strong, and appeared
to have been recently patched up. Wolfert pushed it open. It gave
a harsh grating upon its hinges, and striking against something
like a box, a rattling sound ensued, and a skull rolled on the
floor. Wolfert drew back shuddering, but was reassured on being
informed by the negro that this was a family vault, belonging to
one of the old Dutch families that owned this estate, an assertion
corroborated by the sight of coffins of various sizes piled within.
Sam had been familiar with all these scenes when a boy, and now
knew that he could not be far from the place of which they were in
quest.
[1] "Root house," i.e., a house for storing up potatoes, turnips,
or other roots for the winter feed of cattle.
They now made their way to the water's edge, scrambling along
ledges of rocks that overhung the waves, and obliged often to hold
by shrubs and grapevines to avoid slipping into the deep and
hurried stream.
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