Question

stained oaken door.

waiting seemed very long to mr. czanek as he fidgeted restlessly in the covered motor - car by the terrible old man’s back gate in ship street. he was more than ordinarily tender - hearted, and he did not like the hideous screams he had heard in the ancient house just after the hour appointed for the deed. had he not told his colleagues to be as gentle as possible with the pathetic old sea - captain? very nervously he watched that narrow oaken gate in the high and ivy - clad stone wall. frequently he consulted his watch, and wondered at the delay. had the old man died before revealing where his treasure was hidden, and had a thorough search become necessary? mr. czanek did not like to wait so long in the dark in such a place. then he sensed a soft tread or tapping on the walk inside the gate, heard a gentle fumbling at the rusty latch, and saw the narrow, heavy door swing inward. and in the pallid glow of the single dim street - lamp he strained his eyes to see what his colleagues had brought out of that sinister house which loomed so close behind. but when he looked, he did not see what he had expected; for his colleagues were not there at all, but only the terrible old man leaning quietly on his knotted cane and smiling hideously. mr. czanek had never before noticed the colour of that man’s eyes; now he saw that they were yellow.

little things make considerable excitement in little towns, which is the reason that kingsport people talked all that spring and summer about the three unidentifiable bodies, horribly slashed as with many cutlasses, and horribly mangled as by the tread of many cruel boot - heels, which the tide washed in. and some people even spoke of things as trivial as the deserted motor - car found in ship street, or certain especially inhuman cries, probably of a stray animal or migratory bird, heard in the night by wakeful citizens. but in this idle village gossip the terrible old man took no interest at all. he was by nature reserved, and when one is aged and feeble one’s reserve is doubly strong. besides, so ancient a sea - captain must have witnessed scores of things much more stirring in the far - off days of his unremembered youth.

what occurs in the climax of the short story?

○ the mangled bodies of the robbers were washed in with the tide.
○ the robbers decide to visit the terrible old man because he lives alone and is rumored to be rich.
○ the terrible old man kills the robbers and walks outside and smiles at mr. czanek.
○ the terrible old man speaks to the bottles by name.

Explanation:

To determine the climax, we analyze each option:

• Option 1 describes a result after the climax (the discovery of the robbers' bodies).
• Option 2 is part of the exposition (the robbers' plan).
• Option 3: The moment when Mr. Czanek sees the Terrible Old Man instead of his colleagues, implying the Old Man killed the robbers, is the peak of tension and the turning point (climax) as it reveals the outcome of the robbery attempt.
• Option 4 (speaking to bottles) is likely earlier in the story (maybe rising action or exposition).

Answer:

C. The Terrible Old Man kills the robbers and walks outside and smiles at Mr. Czanek.