Now the thing to do is to see if
we can't work out the meaning of the code. If it's a code that uses words
for phrases we're probably stuck, but I think it's more likely to depend on
inversions."
"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Jack. "I'm sorry I don't know anything
about codes and ciphers."
"Why, there are two main sorts of codes, Jack, and, of course, thousands of
variations of each of those principal kinds. In one kind the idea is to
save words--in telegraphing or cabling. So the things that are likely to be
said are represented by one word. For instance _Coal_, in a mining code,
might mean 'Struck vein at two hundred feet level.' In the other sort of
code, the letters are changed. That is done in all sorts of ways, and there
are various tricks. The way to get at nearly all of them is to find out
which letter or number or symbol is used most often, and to remember that
in an ordinary letter E will appear almost twice as often as any other
letter--in English, that is."
"But won't this be in German?"
"Yes. That's just why I wanted those names Dick heard. They are likely to
appear in any message that was sent. So, if we can find words that
correspond in length to those, we may be able to work it out. Here goes,
anyhow!"
For a long time Harry puzzled over the message. He transcribed the Morse
symbols first into English letters and found they made a hopeless and
confused jumble, as he had expected.
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