この英語のミステリー？がよくわかりません。 出だしでの2人の会話でなぜ雇うと決めたのか（剣に詳しそう

この英語のミステリー？がよくわかりません。
出だしでの2人の会話でなぜ雇うと決めたのか（剣に詳しそうでない気がする）、剣がなぜ本物でないと見抜いたのか、教えて欲しいです。ストーリーのあらすじでもいいのでお願いします。
A boy with red hair stopped in the doorway of the Brown Detective Agency.
"Are you any good at swords?" he asked.
Encyclopedia（主人公の探偵のあだ名）did not lift his eyes from his book, How to Build a Nuclear Reactor.
"What kind of a game is swords?" he asked.
"It isn't a game," said the red-haired boy.
"My name is Peter Clinton. I want to hire you."
Peter put two dimes and a nickel on the gasoline can beside Encyclopedia.
The coins clinked. Encyclopedia stopped reading. He looked up, very businesslike.
"How can I help you?" he asked.
"I have a chance to trade my bicycle for a sword," said Peter. "I want tomato sure the sword is real."
You don't think the sword is really a sword?" said Encyclopedia. "What do you think it is?"
"That isn't what I mean," Peter said. "It's a sword from the Civil War---"
"There are thousands of swords left over from the Civil War," said Encyclopedia.
"I know," said Peter. "But how many belonged to General Jackson?"
"Stonewall Jackson?" gasped Encyclopedia. "The great Southern general?"
"This sword is supposed to have belonged Stonewall Jackson," said Peter.
"Bugs Meany says so."
"Bugs?" Encyclopedia straightened up the name. "You want me to make sure the sword really did belong to Stonewall Jackson?"
"yes," said Peter. "Then you'll take the case?"
"I'll take it," said Encyclopedia. "If Bugs is behind the trade, you'll need help."
Peter led the private detective to the Tigers' clubhouse, an unused tool shed behind Mr. Sweeney's Auto Body Shop. The Tigers were busy racing garter snakes.
Bugs made a face when he saw Encyclopedia.
"So Mr. Brains is now a Cvil War know-it-all," said the Tigers' leader. "Well, well!" Maybe you can tell me what Stonewall Jackson did at the Battle of Bull Run."
"Which battle at Bull Run?" asked Encyclopedia. "There are two--one in 1861, the other in 1862."
"Good for you," said Bugs grinning.
"Now don't say this sword isn't the real thing."
Encyclopedia walked to the table on which the sword lay.
Bugs said, "This sword was given to Stonewall Jackson a month after the First Battle of Bull Run."
"If that's true," Peter whispered to Encyclopedia, "the sword is worth ten bikes like mine."
"Twenty," corrected Encyclopedia.
"Read what it says on the blade," said Bugs.
Encyclopedia read:
To Thomas J. Jackson, for standing like a stone wall at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. This sword is presented to him by his men on August 21,1861.
"The sword certainly has been seen a lot of use," said Encyclopedia.
"Did you expect it to look new and shiny?" sneered Bugs. "It's more than a hundred years old."
"It doesn't look like it ever was worth five dollars," Encyclopedia said.
"Never mind how it looks," said Peter.
"Do you think it belonged to General Jackson?"
Before Encyclopedia could answer, Bugs spoke up. "I sure hate to part with the sword," he said. "But Peter wants it to so much I just had to say I'd trade it for his bike."
"Trade? You won't trade with Peter," said Encyclopedia. "This sword never belonged to General Stonewall Jackson."

No.2 ベストアンサー 回答者： Quokka 回答日時： 2020/06/02 21:54

この部分しか読んでいないのでわかりませんが、

探偵は Bugs がよからぬ人物なのを以前から知っていて、
それで Peter が騙されているのだろうと考え、
かわいそうになって、仕事を引き受けたように思えます。

剣が本物でないと見抜いたのは
剣の刃の銘がおかしかったからです。
この部分です。
> the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861.

1861年時点では、その後、おなじ場所で戦いがあり、
1861年の戦いが「最初の戦い」になるとはわからなかったのにもかかわらず、
後年の名称「第一次ブルランの戦い」となっている点。
1861年当時は、単に「XXの戦い」だったはずです。

もうひとつは、「ブルランの戦い」となっている点です。
南軍はこの戦いを「マナサスの戦い」と呼んでいたので、
北軍の使っていた名称が刻まれているはずがないのです。

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Bu …

この回答へのお礼

二つの返答ありがとうございます。分かりやすく理解できました！

お礼日時：2020/06/02 22:25

No.3 回答者： Quokka 回答日時： 2020/06/02 22:13

No.2です。

補足。
"If Bugs is behind the trade, you'll need help."
「Bugs が取引にかかわっているなら、君には助けが必要だ」
と言っているのが、No.2に書いたことの理由です。

No.1 回答者： seiji91 回答日時： 2020/06/02 21:41

typoもあるんで、ザっとしか見てませんが・・・

雇った理由：特に言及してるとは思えないんですが、
あだ名が百科事典だから？
小銭（25セント）でも金に反応するくらいだから真面目に取り組んでくれそう？

見抜いた理由：本物ならバイク10台分の価値があるのに、1台で交換すると言ってるから？

この回答へのお礼

ありがとうございます！参考にさせていただきます

お礼日時：2020/06/02 22:26