| Figure 18 (a) (b) (c) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 1 2 3 4 7 5 6 7 T H I S I S Q T T H I S U I T E T R U Q U I S Q U I T E E B U T W E D U E T R U E B U T D W E D |
We mentioned briefly, too, the possibility of finding alternating horizontals, so that only half of the rows can be “anagrammed” together. Such minor problems, and they are numerous, can all be ironed out easily enough once the student is familiar with his type, and columnar transposition, encountered frequently and in all sorts of disguises, is surely the most fascinating of all types. In [Chapter VI] we are to meet it again, this time with an incomplete rectangle.
16. By PICCOLA. (Ordinary columnar).
O E E H E A T F L S V A S Y C I O A E D Q O H D F M C M T C P O G E O
R E U G M I E F U O G C Y W G D Q U U I A L S I E R N O R N R R A T O A Q.
17. By KRIS KROST. (Nihilist).
T C I G R H N L A G T L I S A A O M O R N R I M N N E T R N K S A O E
I S D L E I K H H H E R D F T A S O I E T I H N E B T K E.
18. By MERLIN. (Nihilist. Its keyword has been used as a word-spacer).
T O L F P T E E R B I V O P S N R E W O R L I T T E S E N E T O O H O
F H H E H N Y H I O P F O S T G I P H E I E E T K I N U I B N R A A Y
R R E E W L S T H T E E R D T S E A I R S R E A E R R E P E U E U R S
S U I R R O F E S T R P O P A O R R B E E O N T T E E R T A H E R A R
L A D I O E E Z E L Y A O A Y M S L U L W I Y N N O O S S T G T S H L
W E Y M D M E A R E E U R I Y T P P R N Y N T Y O.
19. By SLEEPY. (Nihilist "route-cipher").
Wants Little Wish Should Long Muster But The Man And Gold Wants If Me
Many Below Mint For Not A So And Nor Of More With Score In Song Wants
Were I That Told Exactly Are Here A Long 'Tis Many 'Tis My But Each
Still Little Would So!
20. By TITOGI. (Ordinary columnar).
T W E I S I A H O D S P O D E R I T O N J E U T A I A S Y S H N T S T
K D N R S W U.
21. By PICCOLA. (Ordinary columnar).
T E E P H B M E F E B N T U X A V E H A R D W X I E L N C V E V R O I
T A F U L B O R O N T H M T M U E F S H O E T T L E D A K E E G D N L
E E N N I O O E B E E E R S T N R Y D C N X O N O E N E X.
(And now try this. Probable word: EXAMPLE).
H E L K L T I P N W H S E S I A X S R R E E A C M C P L T L T E O S D
R A O E E X T I H Y E U H N G E M Y T A S L M A A D S C.
CHAPTER V
Geometrical Types — The Turning Grille
The well-known turning grille, also known as the rotating, or revolving grille, is said to have been originated by an Italian, Girolamo Cardano (or Cardan). Such grilles can be prepared from any substantial material capable of being made into sheets and marked into cells, and may take the form of any geometrical figure which happens to be equilateral. The number of cells to be clipped out, so as to form apertures for the writing of letters, is based on the shape of the grille, as: one-third of the total number for a triangle, one-fourth for a square, and so on; and the writing of the letters is done on a section of paper of the same size and shape as the grille, and preferably ruled off into cells which correspond to those of the grille. After such a grille has been placed on its corresponding section of paper, and a letter has been written through each aperture, the grille is turned a certain number of degrees to a new position on the same section of paper, so as to cover from sight the letters already written, and expose another series of blank cells for the writing of new letters; and this continues until the grille has taken its full number of positions and every cell has been accounted for on the section of paper beneath it. The preferred grille is a square, based on square cells, and takes four positions. Usually it is based on an even number of these cells; otherwise, the full number of cells is not evenly divisible into quarters, leaving an extra central cell which has to be omitted or specially dealt with.
The grille called “Fleissner,” after an Austrian cryptologist, Eduard Fleissner von Wostrowitz, is the perfected Cardan grille as described by Jules Verne in his story, “Mathias Sandorf.” Colonel Fleissner’s grille is a square, taking four positions, and is always based on an even number of cells. In preparing this grille, it is easy enough to select apertures at random in such a way that each one governs its own four cells on the paper beneath, causing each of these to be uncovered exactly once. But concerning the preparation of the grille, there is a phase which affects the value of the cipher itself: unless the grille can be constructed at will, in accordance with a key which is “easily changed, communicated, and remembered,” it requires the keeping on hand of a material apparatus which can be stolen or copied, or which cannot be destroyed in case of emergency.