MANY years ago, I contracted an intimacy with a Mr. William
Legrand. He was of an ancient Huguenot family, and had once been
wealthy; but a series of misfortunes had reduced him to want. To avoid
the
mortification consequent upon his disasters, he left New Orleans, the city
of his forefathers, and took up his residence at Sullivan's Island, near
Charleston, South Carolina.
This Island is a very singular one. It consists of little else than the
sea
sand, and is about three miles long. Its breadth at no point exceeds a
quarter of a mile. It is separated from the main land by a scarcely
perceptible creek, oozing its way through a wilderness of reeds and slime,
a favorite resort of the marsh-hen. The vegetation, as might be supposed,
is scant, or at least dwarfish. No trees of any magnitude are to be seen.
Near the western extremity, where Fort Moultrie stands, and where are
some miserable frame buildings, tenanted, during summer, by the fugitives
from Charleston dust and fever, may be found, indeed, the bristly palmetto;
but the whole island, with the exception of this western point, and a line
of
hard, white beach on the seacoast, is covered with a dense undergrowth
of
the sweet myrtle, so much prized by the horticulturists of England. The
shrub here often attains the height of fifteen or twenty feet, and forms
an
almost impenetrable coppice, burthening the air with its fragrance.
In the inmost recesses of this coppice, not far from the eastern or more
remote end of the island, Legrand had built himself a small hut, which
he
occupied when I first, by mere accident, made his acquaintance. This soon
ripened into friendship --for there was much in the recluse to excite interest
and esteem. I found him well educated, with unusual powers of mind, but
infected with misanthropy, and subject to perverse moods of alternate
enthusiasm and melancholy. He had with him many books, but rarely
employed them. His chief amusements were gunning and fishing, or
sauntering along the beach and through the myrtles, in quest of shells
or
entomological specimens;-his collection of the latter might have been
envied by a Swammerdamm. In these excursions he was usually
accompanied by an old negro, called Jupiter, who had been manumitted
before the reverses of the family, but who could be induced, neither by
threats nor by promises, to abandon what he considered his right of
attendance upon the footsteps of his young "Massa Will." It is not
improbable that the relatives of Legrand, conceiving him to be somewhat
unsettled in intellect, had contrived to instil this obstinacy into Jupiter,
with
a view to the supervision and guardianship of the wanderer.
The winters in the latitude of Sullivan's Island are seldom very severe,
and in the fall of the year it is a rare event indeed when a fire is considered
necessary. About the middle of October, 18--, there occurred, however,
a
day of remarkable chilliness. Just before sunset I scrambled my way
through the evergreens to the hut of my friend, whom I had not visited
for
several weeks --my residence being, at that time, in Charleston, a distance
of nine my miles from the Island, while the facilities of passage and
re-passage were very far behind those of the present day. Upon reaching
the hut I rapped, as was my custom, and getting no reply, sought for the
key where I knew it was secreted, unlocked the door and went in. A fine
fire was blazing upon the hearth. It was a novelty, and by no means an
ungrateful one. I threw off an overcoat, took an arm-chair by the crackling
logs, and awaited patiently the arrival of my hosts.
Soon after dark they arrived, and gave me a most cordial welcome.
Jupiter, grinning from ear to ear, bustled about to prepare some
marsh-hens for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits --how else shall
I
term them? --of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown bivalve, forming a
new genus, and, more than this, he had hunted down and secured, with
Jupiter's assistance, a scarabaeus which he believed to be totally new,
but
in respect to which he wished to have my opinion on the morrow.
"And why not to-night?" I asked, rubbing my hands over the blaze, and
wishing the whole tribe of scarabaei at the devil.
"Ah, if I had only known you were here!" said Legrand, "but it's so
long since I saw you; and how could I foresee that you would pay me a
visit this very night of all others? As I was coming home I met Lieutenant
G--, from the fort, and, very foolishly, I lent him the bug; so it will
be
impossible for you to see it until morning. Stay here to-night, and I will
send Jup down for it at sunrise. It is the loveliest thing in creation!"
"What? --sunrise?"
"Nonsense! no! --the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color --about the size
of a large hickory-nut --with two jet black spots near one extremity of
the
back, and another, somewhat longer, at the other. The antennae are --"
"Dey aint no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin on you," here
interrupted Jupiter; "de bug is a goole bug, solid, ebery bit of him, inside
and all, sep him wing --neber feel half so hebby a bug in my life."
"Well, suppose it is, Jup," replied Legrand, somewhat more earnestly,
it seemed to me, than the case demanded, "is that any reason for your
letting the birds burn? The color" --here he turned to me --"is really
almost
enough to warrant Jupiter's idea. You never saw a more brilliant metallic
lustre than the scales emit --but of this you cannot judge till tomorrow.
In
the mean time I can give you some idea of the shape." Saying this, he
seated himself at a small table, on which were a pen and ink, but no paper.
He looked for some in a drawer, but found none.
"Never mind," said he at length, "this will answer"; and he drew from
his waistcoat pocket a scrap of what I took to be very dirty foolscap,
and
made upon it a rough drawing with the pen. While he did this, I retained
my seat by the fire, for I was still chilly. When the design was complete,
he
handed it to me without rising. As I received it, a loud growl was heard,
succeeded by a scratching at the door. Jupiter opened it, and a large
Newfoundland, belonging to Legrand, rushed in, leaped upon my
shoulders, and loaded me with caresses; for I had shown him much
attention during previous visits. When his gambols were over, I looked
at
the paper, and, to speak the truth, found myself not a little puzzled at
what
my friend had depicted.
"Well!" I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, "this is a strange
scarabaeus, I must confess: new to me: never saw anything like it before
--unless it was a skull, or a death's-head --which it more nearly resembles
than anything else that has come under my observation."
"A death's-head!" echoed Legrand --"Oh --yes --well, it has
something of that appearance upon paper, no doubt. The two upper black
spots look like eyes, eh? and the longer one at the bottom like a mouth
--and then the shape of the whole is oval."
"Perhaps so," said I; "but, Legrand, I fear you are no artist. I must wait
until I see the beetle itself, if I am to form any idea of its personal
appearance."
"Well, I don't know," said he, a little nettled, "I draw tolerably --should
do it at least --have had good masters, and flatter myself that I am not
quite a blockhead."
"But, my dear fellow, you are joking then," said I, "this is a very
passable skull --indeed, I may say that it is a very excellent skull, according
to the vulgar notions about such specimens of physiology --and your
scarabaeus must be the queerest scarabaeus in the world if it resembles
it.
Why, we may get up a very thrilling bit of superstition upon this hint.
I
presume you will call the bug scarabaeus caput hominis, or something of
that kind --there are many titles in the Natural Histories. But where are
the
antennae you spoke of?"
"The antennae!" said Legrand, who seemed to be getting
unaccountably warm upon the subject; "I am sure you must see the
antennae. I made them as distinct as they are in the original insect, and
I
presume that is sufficient."
"Well, well," I said, "perhaps you have --still I don't see them;" and
I
handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing to ruffle his
temper; but I was much surprised at the turn affairs had taken; his ill
humor
puzzled me --and, as for the drawing of the beetle, there were positively
no
antennae visible, and the whole did bear a very close resemblance to the
ordinary cuts of a death's-head.
He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple it,
apparently to throw it in the fire, when a casual glance at the design
seemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant his face grew violently
red --in another as excessively pale. For some minutes he continued to
scrutinize the drawing minutely where he sat. At length he arose, took
a
candle from the table, and proceeded to seat himself upon a sea-chest in
the farthest corner of the room. Here again he made an anxious
examination of the paper; turning it in all directions. He said nothing,
however, and his conduct greatly astonished me; yet I thought it prudent
not to exacerbate the growing moodiness of his temper by any comment.
Presently he took from his coat pocket a wallet, placed the paper carefully
in it, and deposited both in a writing-desk, which he locked. He now grew
more composed in his demeanor; but his original air of enthusiasm had
quite disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much sulky as abstracted. As the
evening wore away he became more and more absorbed in reverie, from
which no sallies of mine could arouse him. It had been my to pass the night
at the hut, as I had frequently done before, but, seeing my host in this
mood, I deemed it proper to take leave. He did not press me to remain,
but, as I departed, he shook my hand with even more than his usual
cordiality.
It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had seen
nothing of Legrand) when I received a visit, at Charleston, from his man,
Jupiter. I had never seen the good old negro look so dispirited, and I
feared that some serious disaster had befallen my friend.
"Well, Jup," said I, "what is the matter now? --how is your master?"
"Why, to speak de troof, massa, him not so berry well as mought be."
"Not well! I am truly sorry to hear it. What does he complain of?"
Dar! dat's it! --him neber plain of notin --but him berry sick for all dat."
"Very sick, Jupiter! --why didn't you say so at once? Is he confined to
bed?"
"No, dat he ain't! --he ain't find nowhar --dat's just whar de shoe pinch
--my mind is got to be berry hebby bout poor Massa Will."
"Jupiter, I should like to understand what it is you are talking about.
You say your master is sick. Hasn't he told you what ails him?"
"Why, massa, taint worf while for to git mad bout de matter --Massa
Will say noffin at all ain't de matter wid him --but den what make him
go
about looking dis here way, wid he head down and he soldiers up, and as
white as a gose? And den he keep a syphon all de time --"
"Keeps a what, Jupiter?"
"Keeps a syphon wid de figgurs on de slate --de queerest figgurs I
ebber did see. Ise gittin to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to keep mighty
tight eye pon him noovers. Todder day he gib me slip fore de sun up and
was gone de whole ob de blessed day. I had a big stick ready cut for to
gib him d--d good beating when he did come --but Ise sich a fool dat I
hadn't de heart arter all --he look so berry poorly."
"Eh? --what? --ah yes! --upon the whole I think you had better not be
too severe with the poor fellow --don't flog him, Jupiter --he can't very
well stand it --but can you form no idea of what has occasioned this illness,
or rather this change of conduct? Has anything unpleasant happened since
I saw you?"
"No, massa, dey ain't bin noffin onpleasant since den --'t was fore den
I'm feared --'t was de berry day you was dare."
"How? what do you mean?"
"Why, massa, I mean de bug --dare now."
"The what?"
"De bug --I'm berry sartain dat Massa Will bin bit somewhere bout de
head by dat goole-bug."
"And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition?"
"Claws enoff, massa, and mouff too. I nabber did see sich a d--d bug
--he kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. Massa Will cotch him
fuss, but had for to let him go gin mighty quick, I tell you --den was
de time
he must ha got de bite. I didn't like de look ob de bug mouff, myself,
no
how, so I wouldn't take hold ob him wid my finger, but I cotch him wid
a
piece ob paper dat I found. I rap him up in de paper and stuff piece ob
it in
he mouff --dat was de way."
"And you think, then, that your master was really bitten by the beetle,
and that the bite made him sick?"
"I don't tink noffin about it --I nose it. What make him dream bout de
goole so much, if tain't cause he bit by de goole-bug? Ise heerd bout dem
goole-bugs fore dis."
"But how do you know he dreams about gold?"
"How I know? why cause he talk about it in he sleep --dat's how I
nose."
"Well, Jup, perhaps you are right; but to what fortunate circumstance
am I to attribute the honor of a visit from you to-day?"
"What de matter, massa?"
"Did you bring any message from Mr. Legrand?"
"No, massa, I bring dis here pissel;" and here Jupiter handed me a note
which ran thus:
My DEAR --
Why have I not seen you for so long a time? I hope you
have not been so foolish as to take offence at any little
brusquerie of mine; but no, that is improbable.
Since I saw you I have had great cause for anxiety. I
have something to tell you, yet scarcely know how to tell it,
or whether I should tell it at all.
I have not been quite well for some days past, and poor
old Jup annoys me, almost beyond endurance, by his
well-meant attentions. Would you believe it? --he had
prepared a huge stick, the other day, with which to chastise
me for giving him the slip, and spending the day, solus, among
the hills on the main land. I verily believe that my ill looks
alone saved me a flogging.
I have made no addition to my cabinet since we met.
If you can, in any way, make it convenient, come over
with Jupiter. Do come. I wish to see you tonight, upon
business of importance. I assure you that it is of the highest
importance.
Ever yours,
WILLIAM LEGRAND
There was something in the tone of this note which gave me great
uneasiness. Its whole style differed materially from that of Legrand. What
could he be dreaming of? What new crotchet possessed his excitable
brain? What "business of the highest importance" could he possibly have
to
transact? Jupiter's account of him boded no good. I dreaded lest the
continued pressure of misfortune had, at length, fairly unsettled the reason
of my friend. Without a moment's hesitation, therefore, I prepared to
accompany the negro.
Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, all
apparently new, lying in the bottom of the boat in which we were to
embark.
"What is the meaning of all this, Jup?" I inquired.
"Him syfe, massa, and spade."
"Very true; but what are they doing here?"
"Him de syfe and de spade what Massa Will sis pon my buying for him
in de town, and de debbil's own lot of money I had to gib for em."
But what, in the name of all that is mysterious, is your 'Massa Will'
going to do with scythes and spades?"
"Dat's more dan I know, and debbil take me if I don't blieve 'tis more
dan he know, too. But it's all cum ob de bug."
Finding that no satisfaction was to be obtained of Jupiter, whose whole
intellect seemed to be absorbed by "de bug," I now stepped into the boat
and made sail. With a fair and strong breeze we soon ran into the little
cove to the northward of Fort Moultrie, and a walk of some two miles
brought us to the hut. It was about three in the afternoon when we arrived.
Legrand had been awaiting us in eager expectation. He grasped my hand
with a nervous empressement which alarmed me and strengthened the
suspicions already entertained. His countenance was pale even to
ghastliness, and his deep-set eyes glared with unnatural lustre. After
some
inquiries respecting his health, I asked him, not knowing what better to
say,
if he had yet obtained the scarabaeus from Lieutenant G--.
"Oh, yes," he replied, coloring violently, "I got it from him the next
morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that scarabaeus. Do you
know that Jupiter is quite right about it?"
"In what way?" I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart.
"In supposing it to be a bug of real gold." He said this with an air of
profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked.
"This bug is to make my fortune," he continued, with a triumphant
smile, "to reinstate me in my family possessions. Is it any wonder, then,
that
I prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I have
only
to use it properly and I shall arrive at the gold of which it is the index.
Jupiter, bring me that scarabaeus!"
"What! de bug, massa? I'd rudder not go fer trubble dat bug --you
mus git him for your own self." Hereupon Legrand arose, with a grave and
stately air, and brought me the beetle from a glass case in which it was
enclosed. It was a beautiful scarabaeus, and, at that time, unknown to
naturalists --of course a great prize in a scientific point of view. There
were
two round, black spots near one extremity of the back, and a long one
near the other. The scales were exceedingly hard and glossy, with all the
appearance of burnished gold. The weight of the insect was very
remarkable, and, taking all things into consideration, I could hardly blame
Jupiter for his opinion respecting it; but what to make of Legrand's
agreement with that opinion, I could not, for the life of me, tell.
"I sent for you," said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had completed
my examination of the beetle, "I sent for you, that I might have your
counsel and assistance in furthering the views of Fate and of the bug"--
"My dear Legrand," I cried, interrupting him, "you are certainly unwell,
and had better use some little precautions. You shall go to bed, and I
will
remain with you a few days, until you get over this. You are feverish and"--
"Feel my pulse," said he.
I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the slightest indication of fever.
"But you may be ill and yet have no fever. Allow me this once to
prescribe for you. In the first place, go to bed. In the next"--
"You are mistaken," he interposed, "I am as well as I can expect to be
under the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me well, you will
relieve this excitement."
"And how is this to be done?"
"Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition into the
hills, upon the main land, and, in this expedition, we shall need the aid
of
some person in whom we can confide. You are the only one we can trust.
Whether we succeed or fail, the excitement which you now perceive in me
will be equally allayed."
"I am anxious to oblige you in any way," I replied; "but do you mean to
say that this infernal beetle has any connection with your expedition into
the
hills?"
"It has."
"Then, Legrand, I can become a party to no such absurd proceeding.
"I am sorry --very sorry --for we shall have to try it by ourselves."
"Try it by yourselves! The man is surely mad! --but stay! --how long
do you propose to be absent?"
"Probably all night. We shall start immediately, and be back, at all
events, by sunrise."
"And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when this freak of
yours is over, and the bug business (good God!) settled to your
satisfaction, you will then return home and follow my advice implicitly,
as
that of your physician?"
"Yes; I promise; and now let us be off, for we have no time to lose."
With a heavy heart I accompanied my friend. We started about four
o'clock --Legrand, Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with him the
scythe and spades --the whole of which he insisted upon carrying --more
through fear, it seemed to me, of trusting either of the implements within
reach of his master, than from any excess of industry or complaisance.
His
demeanor was dogged in the extreme, and "dat d--d bug" were the sole
words which escaped his lips during the journey. For my own part, I had
charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while Legrand contented himself with
the scarabaeus, which he carried attached to the end of a bit of whip-cord;
twirling it to and fro, with the air of a conjuror, as he went. When I
observed this last, plain evidence of my friend's aberration of mind, I
could
scarcely refrain from tears. I thought it best, however, to humor his fancy,
at least for the present, or until I could adopt some more energetic
measures with a chance of success. In the mean time I endeavored, but all
in vain, to sound him in regard to the object of the expedition. Having
succeeded in inducing me to accompany him, he seemed unwilling to hold
conversation upon any topic of minor importance, and to all my questions
vouchsafed no other reply than "we shall see!"
We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a skiff,
and, ascending the high grounds on the shore of the mainland, proceeded
in a northwesterly direction, through a tract of country excessively wild
and
desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. Legrand led
the way with decision; pausing only for an instant, here and there, to
consult what appeared to be certain landmarks of his own contrivance
upon a former occasion.
In this manner we journeyed for about two hours, and the sun was just
setting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than any yet seen.
It was a species of table land, near the summit of an almost inaccessible
hill, densely wooded from base to pinnacle, and interspersed with huge
crags that appeared to lie loosely upon the soil, and in many cases were
prevented from precipitating themselves into the valleys below, merely
by
the support of the trees against which they reclined. Deep ravines, in
various directions, gave an air of still sterner solemnity to the scene.
The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly
overgrown with brambles, through which we soon discovered that it would
have been impossible to force our way but for the scythe; and Jupiter,
by
direction of his master, proceeded to clear for us a path to the foot of
an
enormously tall tulip-tree, which stood, with some eight or ten oaks, upon
the level, and far surpassed them all, and all other trees which I had
then
ever seen, in the beauty of its foliage and form, in the wide spread of
its
branches, and in the general majesty of its appearance. When we reached
this tree, Legrand turned to Jupiter, and asked him if he thought he could
climb it. The old man seemed a little staggered by the question, and for
some moments made no reply. At length he approached the huge trunk,
walked slowly around it, and examined it with minute attention. When he
had completed his scrutiny, he merely said,
"Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life."
"Then up with you as soon as possible, for it will soon be too dark to
see what we are about."
"How far mus go up, massa?" inquired Jupiter.
"Get up the main trunk first, and then I will tell you which way to go
--and here --stop! take this beetle with you."
"De bug, Massa Will! --de goole bug!" cried the negro, drawing back
in dismay --"what for mus tote de bug way up de tree? --d--n if I do!"
"If you are afraid, Jup, a great big negro like you, to take hold of a
harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by this string --but,
if
you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall be under the necessity
of breaking your head with this shovel."
"What de matter now, massa?" said Jup, evidently shamed into
compliance; "always want for to raise fuss wid old nigger. Was only funnin'
anyhow. Me feered de bug! what I keer for de bug?" Here he took
cautiously hold of the extreme end of the string, and, maintaining the
insect
as far from his person as circumstances would permit, prepared to ascend
the tree.
In youth, the tulip-tree, or Liriodendron Tulipiferum, the most
magnificent of American foresters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, and often
rises to a great height without lateral branches; but, in its riper age,
the bark
becomes gnarled and uneven, while many short limbs make their
appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of ascension, in the present
case, lay more in semblance than in reality. Embracing the huge cylinder,
as
closely as possible, with his arms and knees, seizing with his hands some
projections, and resting his naked toes upon others, Jupiter, after one
or
two narrow escapes from falling, at length wriggled himself into the first
great fork, and seemed to consider the whole business as virtually
accomplished. The risk of the achievement was, in fact, now over, although
the climber was some sixty or seventy feet from the ground.
"Which way mus go now, Massa Will?" he asked.
Keep up the largest branch --the one on this side," said Legrand. The
negro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but little trouble;
ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his squat figure could
be
obtained through the dense foliage which enveloped it. Presently his voice
was heard in a sort of halloo.
"How much fudder is got for go?"
"How high up are you?" asked Legrand.
"Ebber so fur," replied the negro; "can see de sky fru de top ob de
tree."
"Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the trunk
and count the limbs below you on this side. How many limbs have you
passed?"
"One, two, tree, four, fibe --I done pass fibe big limb, massa, 'pon dis
side."
"Then go one limb higher."
In a few minutes the voice was heard again, announcing that the
seventh limb was attained.
"Now, Jup," cried Legrand, evidently much excited, "I want you to
work your way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see anything
strange, let me know."
By this time what little doubt I might have entertained of my poor
friend's insanity, was put finally at rest. I had no alternative but to
conclude
him stricken with lunacy, and I became seriously anxious about getting
him
home. While I was pondering upon what was best to be done, Jupiter's
voice was again heard.
"Mos' feerd for to ventur 'pon dis limb berry far --'tis dead limb putty
much all de way."
"Did you say it was a dead limb, Jupiter?" cried Legrand in a quavering
voice.
"Yes, massa, him dead as de door-nail --done up for sartain --done
departed dis here life."
"What in the name of heaven shall I do?" asked Legrand, seemingly in
the greatest distress.
"Do!" said I, glad of an opportunity to interpose a word, "why come
home and go to bed. Come now! --that's a fine fellow. It's getting late,
and, besides, you remember your promise."
"Jupiter," cried he, without heeding me in the least, "do you hear me?"
"Yes, Massa Will, hear you ebber so plain."
"Try the wood well, then, with your knife, and see if you think it very
rotten."
"Him rotten, massa, sure nuff," replied the negro in a few moments,
"but not so berry rotten as mought be. Mought ventur out leetle way pon
de limb by myself, dat's true."
"By yourself! --what do you mean?"
"Why I mean de bug. 'Tis berry hebby bug. Spose I drop him down
fuss, and den de limb won't break wid just de weight ob one nigger."
"You infernal scoundrel!" cried Legrand, apparently much relieved,
"what do you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? As sure as you let
that beetle fall! --I'll break your neck. Look here, Jupiter! do you hear
me?"
"Yes, massa, needn't hollo at poor nigger dat style."
"Well! now listen! --if you will venture out on the limb as far as you
think safe, and not let go the beetle, I'll make you a present of a silver
dollar as soon as you get down."
"I'm gwine, Massa Will --deed I is," replied the negro very promptly
--"mos out to the eend now."
"Out to the end!" here fairly screamed Legrand, "do you say you are
out to the end of that limb?"
"Soon be to de eend, massa, --o-o-o-o-oh! Lor-gol-a-marcy! what is
dis here pon de tree?"
"Well!" cried Legrand, highly delighted, "what is it?"
"Why taint noffin but a skull --somebody bin lef him head up de tree,
and de crows done gobble ebery bit ob de meat off."
"A skull, you say! --very well! --how is it fastened to the limb? --what
holds it on?"
"Sure nuff, massa; mus look. Why dis berry curous sarcumstance, pon
my word --dare's a great big nail in de skull, what fastens ob it on to
de
tree."
"Well now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you --do you hear?"
"Yes, massa."
"Pay attention, then! --find the left eye of the skull."
"Hum! hoo! dat's good! why dar ain't no eye lef' at all."
"Curse your stupidity! do you know your right hand from your left?"
"Yes, I nose dat --nose all bout dat --'tis my left hand what I chops de
wood wid."
"To be sure! you are left-handed; and your left eye is on the same side
as your left hand. Now, I suppose, you can find the left eye of the skull,
or
the place where the left eye has been. Have you found it?"
Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked,
"Is de lef' eye of de skull pon de same side as de lef' hand of de skull,
too? --cause de skull ain't got not a bit ob a hand at all --nebber mind!
I
got de lef' eye now --here de lef' eye! what mus do wid it?"
"Let the beetle drop through it, as far as the string will reach --but
be
careful and not let go your hold of the string."
"All dat done, Massa Will; mighty easy ting for to put de bug fru de
hole --look out for him dar below?"
During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter's person could be seen; but
the beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now visible at the end
of
the string, and glistened, like a globe of burnished gold, in the last
rays of
the setting sun, some of which still faintly illumined the eminence upon
which we stood. The scarabaeus hung quite clear of any branches, and, if
allowed to fall, would have fallen at our feet. Legrand immediately took
the
scythe, and cleared with it a circular space, three or four yards in diameter,
just beneath the insect, and, having accomplished this, ordered Jupiter
to
let go the string and come down from the tree.
Driving a peg, with great nicety, into the ground, at the precise spot
where the beetle fell, my friend now produced from his pocket a
tape-measure. Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk of the
tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg,
and
thence farther unrolled it, in the direction already established by the
two
points of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fifty feet --Jupiter
clearing
away the brambles with the scythe. At the spot thus attained a second peg
was driven, and about this, as a centre, a rude circle, about four feet
in
diameter, described. Taking now a spade himself, and giving one to Jupiter
and one to me, Legrand begged us to set about one to digging as quickly
as possible.
To speak the truth, I had no especial relish for such amusement at any
time, and, at that particular moment, would most willingly have declined
it;
for the night was coming on, and I felt much fatigued with the exercise
already taken; but I saw no mode of escape, and was fearful of disturbing
my poor friend's equanimity by a refusal. Could I have depended, indeed,
upon Jupiter's aid, I would have had no hesitation in attempting to get
the
lunatic home by force; but I was too well assured of the old negro's
disposition, to hope that he would assist me, under any circumstances,
in a
personal contest with his master. I made no doubt that the latter had been
infected with some of the innumerable Southern superstitions about money
buried, and that his phantasy had received confirmation by the finding
of
the scarabaeus, or, perhaps, by Jupiter's obstinacy in maintaining it to
be "a
bug of real gold." A mind disposed to lunacy would readily be led away
by
such suggestions --especially if chiming in with favorite preconceived
ideas
--and then I called to mind the poor fellow's speech about the beetle's
being "the index of his fortune." Upon the whole, I was sadly vexed and
puzzled, but, at length, I concluded to make a virtue of necessity --to
dig
with a good will, and thus the sooner to convince the visionary, by ocular
demonstration, of the fallacy of the opinions he entertained.
The lanterns having been lit, we all fell to work with a zeal worthy a
more rational cause; and, as the glare fell upon our persons and
implements, I could not help thinking how picturesque a group we
composed, and how strange and suspicious our labors must have
appeared to any interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon our
whereabouts.
We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said; and our chief
embarrassment lay in the yelpings of the dog, who took exceeding interest
in our proceedings. He, at length, became so obstreperous that we grew
fearful of his giving the alarm to some stragglers in the vicinity; --or,
rather,
this was the apprehension of Legrand; --for myself, I should have rejoiced
at any interruption which might have enabled me to get the wanderer home.
The noise was, at length, very effectually silenced by Jupiter, who, getting
out of the hole with a dogged air of deliberation, tied the brute's mouth
up
with one of his suspenders, and then returned, with a grave chuckle, to
his
task.
When the time mentioned had expired, we had reached a depth of five
feet, and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest. A general pause
ensued, and I began to hope that the farce was at an end. Legrand,
however, although evidently much disconcerted, wiped his brow
thoughtfully and recommenced. We had excavated the entire circle of four
feet diameter, and now we slightly enlarged the limit, and went to the
farther depth of two feet. Still nothing appeared. The gold-seeker, whom
I
sincerely pitied, at length clambered from the pit, with the bitterest
disappointment imprinted upon every feature, and proceeded, slowly and
reluctantly, to put on his coat, which he had thrown off at the beginning
of
his labor. In the mean time I made no remark. Jupiter, at a signal from
his
master, began to gather up his tools. This done, and the dog having been
unmuzzled, we turned in profound silence towards home.
We had taken, perhaps, a dozen steps in this direction, when, with a
loud oath, Legrand strode up to Jupiter, and seized him by the collar.
The
astonished negro opened his eyes and mouth to the fullest extent, let fall
the
spades, and fell upon his knees.
"You scoundrel," said Legrand, hissing out the syllables from between
his clenched teeth --"you infernal black villain! --speak, I tell you!
--answer me this instant, without prevarication! which --which is your
left
eye?"
"Oh, my golly, Massa Will! ain't dis here my lef' eye for sartain?"
roared the terrified Jupiter, placing his hand upon his right organ of
vision,
and holding it there with a desperate pertinacity, as if in immediate dread
of
his master's attempt at a gouge.
"I thought so! --I knew it! --hurrah!" vociferated Legrand, letting the
negro go, and executing a series of curvets and caracols, much to the
astonishment of his valet, who, arising from his knees, looked, mutely,
from
his master to myself, and then from myself to his master.
"Come! we must go back," said the latter, "the game's not up yet;" and
he again led the way to the tulip-tree.
"Jupiter," said he, when we reached its foot, come here! was the skull
nailed to the limb with the face outward, or with the face to the limb?"
"De face was out, massa, so dat de crows could get at de eyes good,
widout any trouble."
"Well, then, was it this eye or that through which you let the beetle
fall?" --here Legrand touched each of Jupiter's eyes.
"'Twas dis eye, massa --de lef' eye --jis as you tell me," and here it
was his right eye that the negro indicated.
"That will do --we must try it again."
Here my friend, about whose madness I now saw, or fancied that I
saw, certain indications of method, removed the peg which marked the
spot where the beetle fell, to a spot about three inches to the westward
of
its former position. Taking, now, the tape-measure from the nearest point
of the trunk to the peg, as before, and continuing the extension in a straight
line to the distance of fifty feet, a spot was indicated, removed, by several
yards, from the point at which we had been digging.
Around the new position a circle, somewhat larger than in the former
instance, was now described, and we again set to work with the spades.
I
was dreadfully weary, but, scarcely understanding what had occasioned
the change in my thoughts, I felt no longer any great aversion from the
labor imposed. I had become most unaccountably interested --nay, even
excited. Perhaps there was something, amid all the extravagant demeanor
of Legrand --some air of forethought, or of deliberation, which impressed
me. I dug eagerly, and now and then caught myself actually looking, with
something that very much resembled expectation, for the fancied treasure,
the vision of which had demented my unfortunate companion. At a period
when such vagaries of thought most fully possessed me, and when we had
been at work perhaps an hour and a half, we were again interrupted by the
violent howlings of the dog. His uneasiness, in the first instance, had
been,
evidently, but the result of playfulness or caprice, but he now assumed
a
bitter and serious tone. Upon Jupiter's again attempting to muzzle him,
he
made furious resistance, and, leaping into the hole, tore up the mould
frantically with his claws. In a few seconds he had uncovered a mass of
human bones, forming two complete skeletons, intermingled with several
buttons of metal, and what appeared to be the dust of decayed woollen.
One or two strokes of a spade upturned the blade of a large Spanish knife,
and, as we dug farther, three or four loose pieces of gold and silver coin
came to light.
At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but
the
countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment. He
urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly
uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot
in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more
intense excitement. During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong
chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation, and wonderful
hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process
--perhaps that of the Bi-chloride of Mercury. This box was three feet and
a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep. It was firmly
secured by bands of wrought iron, riveted, and forming a kind of
trellis-work over the whole. On each side of the chest, near the top, were
three rings of iron --six in all --by means of which a firm hold could
be
obtained by six persons. Our utmost united endeavors served only to
disturb the coffer very slightly in its bed. We at once saw the impossibility
of removing so great a weight. Luckily, the sole fastenings of the lid
consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drew back --trembling and
panting with anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of incalculable value lay
gleaming before us. As the rays of the lanterns fell within the pit, there
flashed upwards, from a confused heap of gold and of jewels, a glow and
a glare that absolutely dazzled our eyes.
I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed.
Amazement was, of course, predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted
with excitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter's countenance wore,
for some minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in the nature of
things,
for any negro's visage to assume. He seemed stupefied --thunder-stricken.
Presently he fell upon his knees in the pit, and, burying his naked arms
up
to the elbows in gold, let them there remain, as if enjoying the luxury
of a
bath. At length, with a deep sigh, he exclaimed, as if in a soliloquy.
"And dis all cum ob de goole-bug! de putty goole-bug! de poor little
goole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style! Ain't you shamed
ob yourself, nigger? --answer me dat!"
It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse both master and valet
to the expediency of removing the treasure. It was growing late, and it
behooved us to make exertion, that we might get every thing housed
before daylight. It was difficult to say what should be done; and much
time
was spent in deliberation --so confused were the ideas of all. We, finally,
lightened the box by removing two thirds of its contents, when we were
enabled, with some trouble, to raise it from the hole. The articles taken
out
were deposited among the brambles, and the dog left to guard them, with
strict orders from Jupiter neither, upon any pretence, to stir from the
spot,
nor to open his mouth until our return. We then hurriedly made for home
with the chest; reaching the hut in safety, but after excessive toil, at
one
o'clock in the morning. Worn out as we were, it was not in human nature
to do more just then. We rested until two, and had supper; starting for
the
hills immediately afterwards, armed with three stout sacks, which, by good
luck, were upon the premises. A little before four we arrived at the pit,
divided the remainder of the booty, as equally as might be, among us, and,
leaving the holes unfilled, again set out for the hut, at which, for the
second
time, we deposited our golden burthens, just as the first streaks of the
dawn gleamed from over the tree-tops in the East.
We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of
the time denied us repose. After an unquiet slumber of some three or four
hours' duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make examination of
our
treasure.
The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, and
the greater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its contents. There
had
been nothing like order or arrangement. Every thing had been heaped in
promiscuously. Having assorted all with care, we found ourselves
possessed of even vaster wealth than we had at first supposed. In coin
there was rather more than four hundred and fifty thousand dollars
--estimating the value of the pieces, as accurately as we could, by the
tables of the period. There was not a particle of silver. All was gold
of
antique date and of great variety --French, Spanish, and German money,
with a few English guineas, and some counters, of which we had never
seen specimens before. There were several very large and heavy coins, so
worn that we could make nothing of their inscriptions. There was no
American money. The value of the jewels we found more difficulty in
estimating. There were diamonds --some of them exceedingly large and
fine --a hundred and ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteen rubies
of remarkable brilliancy; --three hundred and ten emeralds, all very
beautiful; and twenty-one sapphires, with an opal. These stones had all
been broken from their settings and thrown loose in the chest. The settings
themselves, which we picked out from among the other gold, appeared to
have been beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent identification. Besides
all this, there was a vast quantity of solid gold ornaments; --nearly two
hundred massive finger and ear rings; --rich chains --thirty of these,
if I
remember; --eighty-three very large and heavy crucifixes; --five gold
censers of great value; --a prodigious golden punch-bowl, ornamented
with richly chased vine-leaves and Bacchanalian figures; with two
sword-handles exquisitely embossed, and many other smaller articles
which I cannot recollect. The weight of these valuables exceeded three
hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois; and in this estimate I have not
included one hundred and ninety-seven superb gold watches; three of the
number being worth each five hundred dollars, if one. Many of them were
very old, and as time keepers valueless; the works having suffered, more
or less, from corrosion --but all were richly jewelled and in cases of
great
worth. We estimated the entire contents of the chest, that night, at a
million
and a half of dollars; and, upon the subsequent disposal of the trinkets
and
jewels (a few being retained for our own use), it was found that we had
greatly undervalued the treasure.
When, at length, we had concluded our examination, and the intense
excitement of the time had, in some measure, subsided, Legrand, who saw
that I was dying with impatience for a solution of this most extraordinary
riddle, entered into a full detail of all the circumstances connected with
it.
"You remember," said he, "the night when I handed you the rough
sketch I had made of the scarabaeus. You recollect also, that I became
quite vexed at you for insisting that my drawing resembled a death's-head.
When you first made this assertion I thought you were jesting; but
afterwards I called to mind the peculiar spots on the back of the insect,
and admitted to myself that your remark had some little foundation in fact.
Still, the sneer at my graphic powers irritated me --for I am considered
a
good artist --and, therefore, when you handed me the scrap of parchment,
I was about to crumple it up and throw it angrily into the fire."
"The scrap of paper, you mean," said I.
"No; it had much of the appearance of paper, and at first I supposed it
to be such, but when I came to draw upon it, I discovered it, at once,
to
be a piece of very thin parchment. It was quite dirty, you remember. Well,
as I was in the very act of crumpling it up, my glance fell upon the sketch
at
which you had been looking, and you may imagine my astonishment when I
perceived, in fact, the figure of a death's-head just where, it seemed
to me,
I had made the drawing of the beetle. For a moment I was too much
amazed to think with accuracy. I knew that my design was very different
in
detail from this --although there was a certain similarity in general outline.
Presently I took a candle, and seating myself at the other end of the room,
proceeded to scrutinize the parchment more closely. Upon turning it over,
I
saw my own sketch upon the reverse, just as I had made it. My first idea,
now, was mere surprise at the really remarkable similarity of outline --at
the singular coincidence involved in the fact, that unknown to me, there
should have been a skull upon the other side of the parchment, immediately
beneath my figure of the scarabaeus and that this skull, not only in outline,
but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing. I say the singularity
of
this coincidence absolutely stupefied me for a time. This is the usual
effect
of such coincidences. The mind struggles to establish a connection --a
sequence of cause and effect --and, being unable to do so, suffers a
species of temporary paralysis. But, when I recovered from this stupor,
there dawned upon me gradually a conviction which startled me even far
more than the coincidence. I began distinctly, positively, to remember
that
there had been no drawing on the parchment when I made my sketch of
the scarabaeus. I became perfectly certain of this; for I recollected turning
up first one side and then the other, in search of the cleanest spot. Had
the
skull been then there, of course I could not have failed to notice it.
Here
was indeed a mystery which I felt it impossible to explain; but, even at
that
early moment, there it seemed to glimmer, faintly, within the most remote
and secret chambers of my intellect, a glow-worm-like conception of that
truth which last night's adventure brought to so magnificent a
demonstration. I arose at once, and putting the parchment securely away,
dismissed all farther reflection until I should be alone.
"When you had gone, and when Jupiter was fast asleep, I betook
myself to a more methodical investigation of the affair. In the first place
I
considered the manner in which the parchment had come into my
possession. The spot where we discovered the scarabaeus was on the
coast of the main land, about a mile eastward of the island, and but a
short
distance above high water mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it gave me a
sharp bite, which caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his accustomed
caution, before seizing the insect, which had flown towards him, looked
about him for a leaf, or something of that nature, by which to take hold
of
it. It was at this moment that his eyes, and mine also, fell upon the scrap
of
parchment, which I then supposed to be paper. It was lying half buried
in
the sand, a corner sticking up. Near the spot where we found it, I
observed the remnants of the hull of what appeared to have been a ship's
long boat. The wreck seemed to have been there for a very great while;
for
the resemblance to boat timbers could scarcely be traced.
"Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment, wrapped the beetle in it, and
gave it to me. Soon afterwards we turned to go home, and on the way met
Lieutenant G--. I showed him the insect, and he begged me to let him take
it to the fort. On my consenting, he thrust it forthwith into his waistcoat
pocket, without the parchment in which it had been wrapped, and which I
had continued to hold in my hand during his inspection. Perhaps he
dreaded my changing my mind, and thought it best to make sure of the
prize at once --you know how enthusiastic he is on all subjects connected
with Natural History. At the same time without being conscious of it, I
must
have deposited the parchment in my own pocket.
"You remember that when I went to the table, for the purpose of
making a sketch of the beetle, I found no paper where it was usually kept.
I looked in the drawer, and found none there. I searched my pockets,
hoping to find an old letter --and then my hand fell upon the parchment.
I
thus detail the precise mode in which it came into my possession; for the
circumstances impressed me with peculiar force.
"No doubt you will think me fanciful --but I had already established a
kind of connexion. I had put together two links of a great chain. There
was
a boat lying on a sea-coast, and not far from the boat was a parchment
--not a paper --with a skull depicted on it. You will, of course, ask 'where
is the connexion?' I reply that the skull, or death's-head, is the well-known
emblem of the pirate. The flag of the death's-head is hoisted in all
engagements.
"I have said that the scrap was parchment, and not paper. Parchment
is durable --almost imperishable. Matters of little moment are rarely
consigned to parchment; since, for the mere ordinary purposes of drawing
or writing, it is not nearly so well adapted as paper. This reflection
suggested some meaning --some relevancy --in the death's-head. I did not
fail to observe, also, the form of the parchment. Although one of its corners
had been, by some accident, destroyed, it could be seen that the original
form was oblong. It was just such a slip, indeed, as might have been
chosen for a memorandum --for a record of something to be long
remembered and carefully preserved."
"But," I interposed, "you say that the skull was not upon the parchment
when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you trace any
connexion between the boat and the skull --since this latter, according
to
your own admission, must have been designed (God only knows how or
by whom) at some period subsequent to your sketching the scarabaeus?"
"Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at this
point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My steps were
sure,
and could afford but a single result. I reasoned, for example, thus: When
I
drew the scarabaeus, there was no skull apparent on the parchment. When
I had completed the drawing, I gave it to you, and observed you narrowly
until you returned it. You, therefore, did not design the skull, and no
one
else was present to do it. Then it was not done by human agency. And
nevertheless it was done.
"At this stage of my reflections I endeavored to remember, and did
remember, with entire distinctness, every incident which occurred about
the period in question. The weather was chilly (oh rare and happy
accident!), and a fire was blazing on the hearth. I was heated with exercise
and sat near the table. You, however, had drawn a chair close to the
chimney. Just as I placed the parchment in your hand, and as you were in
the act of inspecting it, Wolf, the Newfoundland, entered, and leaped upon
your shoulders. With your left hand you caressed him and kept him off,
while your right, holding the parchment, was permitted to fall listlessly
between your knees, and in close proximity to the fire. At one moment I
thought the blaze had caught it, and was about to caution you, but, before
I
could speak, you had withdrawn it, and were engaged in its examination.
When I considered all these particulars, I doubted not for a moment that
heat had been the agent in bringing to light, on the parchment, the skull
which I saw designed on it. You are well aware that chemical preparations
exist, and have existed time out of mind, by means of which it is possible
to
write on either paper or vellum, so that the characters shall become visible
only when subjected to the action of fire. Zaire, digested in aqua regia,
and
diluted with four times its weight of water, is sometimes employed; a green
tint results. The regulus of cobalt, dissolved in spirit of nitre, gives
a red.
These colors disappear at longer or shorter intervals after the material
written on cools, but again become apparent upon the re-application of
heat.
"I now scrutinized the death's-head with care. Its outer edges --the
edges of the drawing nearest the edge of the vellum --were far more
distinct than the others. It was clear that the action of the caloric had
been
imperfect or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, and subjected every
portion of the parchment to a glowing heat. At first, the only effect was
the
strengthening of the faint lines in the skull; but, on persevering in the
experiment, there became visible, at the corner of the slip, diagonally
opposite to the spot in which the death's-head was delineated, the figure
of
what I at first supposed to be a goat. A closer scrutiny, however, satisfied
me that it was intended for a kid."
"Ha! ha!" said I, "to be sure I have no right to laugh at you --a million
and a half of money is too serious a matter for mirth --but you are not
about to establish a third link in your chain --you will not find any especial
connexion between your pirates and goat --pirates, you know, have
nothing to do with goats; they appertain to the farming interest."
"But I have just said that the figure was not that of a goat."
"Well, a kid then --pretty much the same thing."
"Pretty much, but not altogether," said Legrand. "You may have heard
of one Captain Kidd. I at once looked on the figure of the animal as a
kind
of punning or hieroglyphical signature. I say signature; because its position
on the vellum suggested this idea. The death's-head at the corner
diagonally opposite, had, in the same manner, the air of a stamp, or seal.
But I was sorely put out by the absence of all else --of the body to my
imagined instrument --of the text for my context."
"I presume you expected to find a letter between the stamp and the
signature."
"Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly impressed with
a
presentiment of some vast good fortune impending. I can scarcely say why.
Perhaps, after all, it was rather a desire than an actual belief; --but
do you
know that Jupiter's silly words, about the bug being of solid gold, had
a
remarkable effect on my fancy? And then the series of accidents and
coincidences --these were so very extraordinary. Do you observe how
mere an accident it was that these events should have occurred on the sole
day of all the year in which it has been, or may be, sufficiently cool
for fire,
and that without the fire, or without the intervention of the dog at the
precise moment in which he appeared, I should never have become aware
of the death's-head, and so never the possessor of the treasure?"
"But proceed --I am all impatience."
"Well; you have heard, of course, the many stories current --the
thousand vague rumors afloat about money buried, somewhere on the
Atlantic coast, by Kidd and his associates. These rumors must have had
some foundation in fact. And that the rumors have existed so long and so
continuously could have resulted, it appeared to me, only from the
circumstance of the buried treasure still remaining entombed. Had Kidd
concealed his plunder for a time, and afterwards reclaimed it, the rumors
would scarcely have reached us in their present unvarying form. You will
observe that the stories told are all about money-seekers, not about
money-finders. Had the pirate recovered his money, there the affair would
have dropped. It seemed to me that some accident --say the loss of a
memorandum indicating its locality --had deprived him of the means of
recovering it, and that this accident had become known to is followers,
who otherwise might never have heard that treasure had been concealed at
all, and who, busying themselves in vain, because unguided attempts, to
regain it, had given first birth, and then universal currency, to the reports
which are now so common. Have you ever heard of any important treasure
being unearthed along the coast?"
"Never."
"But that Kidd's accumulations were immense, is well known. I took it
for granted, therefore, that the earth still held them; and you will scarcely
be surprised when I tell you that I felt a hope, nearly amounting to
certainty, that the parchment so strangely found, involved a lost record
of
the place of deposit."
"But how did you proceed?"
"I held the vellum again to the fire, after increasing the heat; but nothing
appeared. I now thought it possible that the coating of dirt might have
something to do with the failure; so I carefully rinsed the parchment by
pouring warm water over it, and, having done this, I placed it in a tin
pan,
with the skull downwards, and put the pan upon a furnace of lighted
charcoal. In a few minutes, the pan having become thoroughly heated, I
removed the slip, and, to my inexpressible joy, found it spotted, in several
places, with what appeared to be figures arranged in lines. Again I placed
it in the pan, and suffered it to remain another minute. On taking it off,
the
whole was just as you see it now."
Here Legrand, having re-heated the parchment, submitted It my
inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a red tint,
between the death's-head and the goat:
53++!305))6*;4826)4+.)4+);806*;48!8`60))85;]8*:+*8!83(88)5*!;
46(;88*96*?;8)*+(;485);5*!2:*+(;4956*2(5*-4)8`8*; 4069285);)6
!8)4++;1(+9;48081;8:8+1;48!85;4)485!528806*81(+9;48;(88;4(+?3
4;48)4+;161;:188;+?;
"But," said I, returning him the slip, "I am as much in the dark as ever.
Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me on my solution of this enigma,
I am quite sure that I should be unable to earn them."
"And yet," said Legrand, "the solution is by no means so difficult as you
might be led to imagine from the first hasty inspection of the characters.
These characters, as any one might readily guess, form a cipher --that
is to
say, they convey a meaning; but then, from what is known of Kidd, I could
not suppose him capable of constructing any of the more abstruse
cryptographs. I made up my mind, at once, that this was of a simple
species --such, however, as would appear, to the crude intellect of the
sailor, absolutely insoluble without the key."
"And you really solved it?"
"Readily; I have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand times
greater. Circumstances, and a certain bias of mind, have led me to take
interest in such riddles, and it may well be doubted whether human
ingenuity can construct an enigma of the kind which human ingenuity may
not, by proper application, resolve. In fact, having once established
connected and legible characters, I scarcely gave a thought to the mere
difficulty of developing their import.
"In the present case --indeed in all cases of secret writing --the first
question regards the language of the cipher; for the principles of solution,
so far, especially, as the more simple ciphers are concerned, depend on,
and are varied by, the genius of the particular idiom. In general, there
is no
alternative but experiment (directed by probabilities) of every tongue
known to him who attempts the solution, until the true one be attained.
But,
with the cipher now before us, all difficulty is removed by the signature.
The pun on the word 'Kidd' is appreciable in no other language than the
English. But for this consideration I should have begun my attempts with
the Spanish and French, as the tongues in which a secret of this kind would
most naturally have been written by a pirate of the Spanish main. As it
was,
I assumed the cryptograph to be English.
"You observe there are no divisions between the words. Had there
been divisions, the task would have been comparatively easy. In such case
I should have commenced with a collation and analysis of the shorter
words, and, had a word of a single letter occurred, as is most likely,
(a or
I, for example,) I should have considered the solution as assured. But,
there being no division, my first step was to ascertain the predominant
letters, as well as the least frequent. Counting all, I constructed a table,
thus:
Of the character 8 there are 33.
; " 26.
4 " 19.
+ ) " 16.
* " 13.
5 " 12.
6 " 11.
! 1 " 8.
0 " 6.
9 2 " 5.
: 3 " 4.
? " 3.
` " 2.
- . " 1.
"Now, in English, the letter which most frequently occurs is e.
Afterwards, the succession runs thus: a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l m w
b k p q
x z. E however predominates so remarkably that an individual sentence of
any length is rarely seen, in which it is not the prevailing character.
"Here, then, we have, in the very beginning, the groundwork for
something more than a mere guess. The general use which may be made of
the table is obvious --but, in this particular cipher, we shall only very
partially require its aid. As our predominant character is 8, we will
commence by assuming it as the e of the natural alphabet. To verify the
supposition, let us observe if the 8 be seen often in couples --for e is
doubled with great frequency in English --in such words, for example, as
'meet,' 'fleet,' 'speed, 'seen,' 'been,' 'agree,' &c. In the present
instance we
see it doubled less than five times, although the cryptograph is brief.
"Let us assume 8, then, as e. Now, of all words in the language, 'the'
is
the most usual; let us see, therefore, whether they are not repetitions
of any
three characters in the same order of collocation, the last of them being
8.
If we discover repetitions of such letters, so arranged, they will most
probably represent the word 'the.' On inspection, we find no less than
seven such arrangements, the characters being ;48. We may, therefore,
assume that the semicolon represents t, that 4 represents h, and that 8
represents e --the last being now well confirmed. Thus a great step has
been taken.
"But, having established a single word, we are enabled to establish a
vastly important point; that is to say, several commencements and
terminations of other words. Let us refer, for example, to the last instance
but one, in which the combination ;48 occurs --not far from the end of
the
cipher. We know that the semicolon immediately ensuing is the
commencement of a word, and, of the six characters succeeding this 'the,'
we are cognizant of no less than five. Let us set these characters down,
thus, by the letters we know them to represent, leaving a space for the
unknown--
t eeth.
"Here we are enabled, at once, to discard the 'th,' as forming no
portion of the word commencing with the first t; since, by experiment of
the
entire alphabet for a letter adapted to the vacancy we perceive that no
word can be formed of which this th can be a part. We are thus narrowed
into
t ee,
and, going through the alphabet, if necessary, as before, we arrive at
the
word 'tree,' as the sole possible reading. We thus gain another letter,
r,
represented by (, with the words 'the tree' in juxtaposition.
"Looking beyond these words, for a short distance, we again see the
combination ;48, and employ it by way of termination to what immediately
precedes. We have thus this arrangement:
the tree ;4(+?34 the,
or substituting the natural letters, where known, it reads thus:
the tree thr+?3h the.
"Now, if, in place of the unknown characters, we leave blank spaces,
or substitute dots, we read thus:
the tree thr...h the,
when the word 'through' makes itself evident at once. But this discovery
gives us three new letters, o, u and g, represented by + ? and 3.
"Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for combinations of
known characters, we find, not very far from the beginning, this
arrangement,
83(88, or egree,
which, plainly, is the conclusion of the word 'degree,' and gives us another
letter, d, represented by !.
"Four letters beyond the word 'degree,' we perceive the combination
;46(;88*.
"Translating the known characters, and representing the unknown by
dots, as before, we read thus:
th.rtee.
an arrangement immediately suggestive of the word 'thirteen,' and again
furnishing us with two new characters, i and n, represented by 6 and *.
"Referring, now, to the beginning of the cryptograph, we find the
combination,
53++!.
"Translating, as before, we obtain
.good,
which assures us that the first letter is A, and that the first two words
are 'A
good.'
"To avoid confusion, it is now time that we arrange our key, as far as
discovered, in a tabular form. It will stand thus:
5 represents a
! " d
8 " e
3 " g
4 " h
6 " i
* " n
+ " o
( " r
; " t
"We have, therefore, no less than ten of the most important letters
represented, and it will be unnecessary to proceed with the details of
the
solution. I have said enough to convince you that ciphers of this nature
are
readily soluble, and to give you some insight into the rationale of their
development. But be assured that the specimen before us appertains to the
very simplest species of cryptograph. It now only remains to give you the
full translation of the characters upon the parchment, as unriddled. Here
it
is:
'A good glass in the bishop's hostel in the devil's seat twenty-one
degrees and thirteen minutes northeast and by north main branch seventh
limb east side shoot from the left eye of the death's-head a bee line from
the tree through the shot fifty feet out.'"
"But," said I, "the enigma seems still in as bad a condition as ever. How
is it possible to extort a meaning from all this jargon about 'devil's
seats,'
'death's-heads,' and 'bishop's hostel'?"
"I confess," replied Legrand, "that the matter still wears a serious
aspect, when regarded with a casual glance. My first endeavor was to
divide the sentence into the natural division intended by the cryptographist."
"You mean, to punctuate it?"
"Something of that kind."
"But how was it possible to effect this?"
"I reflected that it had been a point with the writer to run his words
together without division, so as to increase the difficulty of solution.
Now, a
not overacute man, in pursuing such an object, would be nearly certain
to
overdo the matter. When, in the course of his composition, he arrived at
a
break in his subject which would naturally require a pause, or a point,
he
would be exceedingly apt to run his characters, at this place, more than
usually close together. If you will observe the MS., in the present instance,
you will easily detect five such cases of unusual crowding. Acting on this
hint, I made the division thus:
'A good glass in the bishop's hostel in the devil's
--twenty-one degrees and thirteen minutes --northeast and by
north --main branch seventh limb east side --shoot from the
left eye of the death's-head --a bee-line from the tree through
the shot fifty feet out.'"
"Even this division," said I, "leaves me still in the dark."
"It left me also in the dark," replied Legrand, "for a few days; during
which I made diligent inquiry, in the neighborhood of Sullivan's Island,
for
any building which went by the name of the 'Bishop's Hotel'; for, of course,
I dropped the obsolete word 'hostel.' Gaining no information on the
subject, I was on the point of extending my sphere of search, and
proceeding in a more systematic manner, when, one morning, it entered
into my head, quite suddenly, that this 'Bishop's Hostel' might have some
reference to an old family, of the name of Bessop, which, time out of mind,
had held possession of an ancient manor-house, about four miles to the
northward of the Island. I accordingly went over to the plantation, and
reinstituted my inquiries among the older negroes of the place. At length
one of the most aged of the women said that she had heard of such a place
as Bessop's Castle, and thought that she could guide me to it, but that
it
was not a castle, nor a tavern, but a high rock.
"I offered to pay her well for her trouble, and, after some demur, she
consented to accompany me to the spot. We found it without much
difficulty, when, dismissing her, I proceeded to examine the place. The
'castle' consisted of an irregular assemblage of cliffs and rocks --one
of the
latter being quite remarkable for its height as well as for its insulated
and
artificial appearance. I clambered to its apex, and then felt much at a
loss
as to what should be next done.
"While I was busied in reflection, my eyes fell upon a narrow ledge in
the eastern face of the rock, perhaps a yard below the summit on which
I
stood. This ledge projected about eighteen inches, and was not more than
a foot wide, while a niche in the cliff just above it, gave it a rude
resemblance to one of the hollow-backed chairs used by our ancestors. I
made no doubt that here was the 'devil's-seat' alluded to in the MS., and
now I seemed to grasp the full secret of the riddle.
"The 'good glass,' I knew, could have reference to nothing but a
telescope; for the word 'glass' is rarely employed in any other sense by
seamen. Now here, I at once saw, was a telescope to be used, and a
definite point of view, admitting no variation, from which to use it. Nor
did
I hesitate to believe that the phrases, 'twenty-one degrees and thirteen
minutes,' and northeast and by north,' were intended as directions for
the
levelling of the glass. Greatly excited by these discoveries, I hurried
home,
procured a telescope, and returned to the rock.
"I let myself down to the ledge, and found that it was impossible to
retain a seat on it unless in one particular position. This fact confirmed
my
preconceived idea. I proceeded to use the glass. Of course, the
'twenty-one degrees and thirteen minutes' could allude to nothing but
elevation above the visible horizon, since the horizontal direction was
clearly indicated by the words, 'northeast and by north.' This latter
direction I at once established by means of a pocket-compass; then,
pointing the glass as nearly at an angle of twenty-one degrees of elevation
as I could do it by guess, I moved it cautiously up or down, until my
attention was arrested by a circular rift or opening in the foliage of
a large
tree that overtopped its fellows in the distance. In the centre of this
rift I
perceived a white spot, but could not, at first, distinguish what it was.
Adjusting the focus of the telescope, I again looked, and now made it out
to be a human skull.
"On this discovery I was so sanguine as to consider the enigma solved;
for the phrase 'main branch, seventh limb, east side,' could refer only
to the
position of the skull on the tree, while shoot from the left eye of the
death's-head' admitted, also, of but one interpretation, in regard to a
search for buried treasure. I perceived that the design was to drop a bullet
from the left eye of the skull, and that a bee-line, or, in other words,
a
straight line, drawn from the nearest point of the trunk through 'the shot,'
(or the spot where the bullet fell,) and thence extended to a distance
of fifty
feet, would indicate a definite point --and beneath this point I thought
it at
least possible that a deposit of value lay concealed."
"All this," I said, "is exceedingly clear, and, although ingenious, still
simple and explicit. When you left the Bishop's Hotel, what then?"
"Why, having carefully taken the bearings of the tree, I turned
homewards. The instant that I left 'the devil's seat,' however, the circular
rift vanished; nor could I get a glimpse of it afterwards, turn as I would.
What seems to me the chief ingenuity in this whole business, is the fact
(for
repeated experiment has convinced me it is a fact) that the circular opening
in question is visible from no other attainable point of view than that
afforded by the narrow ledge on the face of the rock.
"In this expedition to the 'Bishop's Hotel' I had been attended by
Jupiter, who had, no doubt, observed, for some weeks past, the
abstraction of my demeanor, and took especial care not to leave me alone.
But, on the next day, getting up very early, I contrived to give him the
slip,
and went into the hills in search of the tree. After much toil I found
it. When
I came home at night my valet proposed to give me a flogging. With the
rest of the adventure I believe you are as well acquainted as myself."
"I suppose," said I, "you missed the spot, in the first attempt at digging
through Jupiter's stupidity in letting the bug fall through the right instead
of
the left of the skull."
"Precisely. This mistake made a difference of about two inches and a
half in the 'shot' --that is to say, in the position of the peg nearest
the tree;
and had the treasure been beneath the 'shot,' the error would have been
of
little moment; but the 'shot,' together with the nearest point of the tree,
were merely two points for the establishment of a line of direction; of
course the error, however trivial in the beginning, increased as we
proceeded with the line, and by the time we had gone fifty feet, threw
us
quite off the scent. But for my deep-seated convictions that treasure was
here somewhere actually buried, we might have had all our labor in vain."
"I presume the fancy of the skull, of letting fall a bullet through the
skull's eye --was suggested to Kidd by the piratical flag. No doubt he
felt a
kind of poetical consistency in recovering his money through this ominous
insignium."
"Perhaps so; still I cannot help thinking that common-sense had quite
as much to do with the matter as poetical consistency. To be visible from
the devil's-seat, it was necessary that the object, if small, should be
white;
and there is nothing like your human skull for retaining and even increasing
its whiteness under exposure to all vicissitudes of weather."
"But your grandiloquence, and your conduct in swinging the beetle
--how excessively odd! I was sure you were mad. And why did you insist
on letting fall the bug, instead of a bullet, from the skull?"
"Why, to be frank, I felt somewhat annoyed by your evident suspicions
touching my sanity, and so resolved to punish you quietly, in my own way,
by a little bit of sober mystification. For this reason I swung the beetle,
and
for this reason I let it fall from the tree. An observation of yours about
its
great weight suggested the latter idea."
"Yes, I perceive; and now there is only one point which puzzles me.
What are we to make of the skeletons found in the hole?"
"That is a question I am no more able to answer than yourself. There
seems, however, only one plausible way of accounting for them --and yet
it
is dreadful to believe in such atrocity as my suggestion would imply. It
is
clear that Kidd --if Kidd indeed secreted this treasure, which I doubt
not
--it is clear that he must have had assistance in the labor. But, the worst
of
this labor concluded, he may have thought it expedient to remove all
participants in his secret. Perhaps a couple of blows with a mattock were
sufficient, while his coadjutors were busy in the pit; perhaps it required
a
dozen --who shall tell?"