The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 1

by Edgar Allan Poe

  THE GOLD-BUG

  What ho! what ho! this fellow is dancing mad!

  He hath been bitten by the Tarantula.

  _--All in the Wrong._

  MANY years ago, I contracted an intimacy with a Mr. William Legrand.He was of an ancient Huguenot family, and had once been wealthy; buta series of misfortunes had reduced him to want. To avoid themortification consequent upon his disasters, he left New Orleans, thecity 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 threemiles long. Its breadth at no point exceeds a quarter of a mile. It isseparated from the main land by a scarcely perceptible creek, oozing itsway through a wilderness of reeds and slime, a favorite resort of themarsh hen. The vegetation, as might be supposed, is scant, or at leastdwarfish. No trees of any magnitude are to be seen. Near the westernextremity, where Fort Moultrie stands, and where are some miserableframe buildings, tenanted, during summer, by the fugitives fromCharleston dust and fever, may be found, indeed, the bristly palmetto;but the whole island, with the exception of this western point, anda line of hard, white beach on the seacoast, is covered with a denseundergrowth of the sweet myrtle, so much prized by the horticulturistsof England. The shrub here often attains the height of fifteen or twentyfeet, and forms an almost impenetrable coppice, burthening the air withits fragrance.

  In the inmost recesses of this coppice, not far from the eastern or moreremote end of the island, Legrand had built himself a small hut, whichhe occupied when I first, by mere accident, made his acquaintance.This soon ripened into friendship--for there was much in the recluseto excite interest and esteem. I found him well educated, with unusualpowers of mind, but infected with misanthropy, and subject to perversemoods of alternate enthusiasm and melancholy. He had with him manybooks, but rarely employed them. His chief amusements were gunning andfishing, or sauntering along the beach and through the myrtles, in questof shells or entomological specimens;--his collection of the lattermight have been envied by a Swammerdamm. In these excursions he wasusually accompanied by an old negro, called Jupiter, who had beenmanumitted before the reverses of the family, but who could be induced,neither by threats nor by promises, to abandon what he considered hisright of attendance upon the footsteps of his young “Massa Will.” Itis not improbable that the relatives of Legrand, conceiving him to besomewhat unsettled in intellect, had contrived to instil this obstinacyinto Jupiter, with a view to the supervision and guardianship of thewanderer.

  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 isconsidered necessary. About the middle of October, 18-, there occurred,however, a day of remarkable chilliness. Just before sunset I scrambledmy way through the evergreens to the hut of my friend, whom I hadnot visited for several weeks--my residence being, at that time,in Charleston, a distance of nine miles from the Island, while thefacilities of passage and re-passage were very far behind those ofthe 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 anovercoat, took an arm-chair by the crackling logs, and awaited patientlythe 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 somemarsh-hens for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits--how else shallI term them?--of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown bivalve, forminga new genus, and, more than this, he had hunted down and secured, withJupiter’s assistance, a scarabæus 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, andwishing the whole tribe of scarabæi at the devil.

  “Ah, if I had only known you were here!” said Legrand, “but it’s so longsince I saw you; and how could I foresee that you would pay me a visitthis very night of all others? As I was coming home I met LieutenantG--, from the fort, and, very foolishly, I lent him the bug; so it willbe impossible for you to see it until the morning. Stay here to-night,and I will send Jup down for it at sunrise. It is the loveliest thing increation!”

  “What?--sunrise?”

  “Nonsense! no!--the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color--about the sizeof a large hickory-nut--with two jet black spots near one extremity ofthe back, and another, somewhat longer, at the other. The antennæ are--”

  “Dey aint no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin on you,” hereinterrupted 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 mylife.”

  “Well, suppose it is, Jup,” replied Legrand, somewhat more earnestly,it seemed to me, than the case demanded, “is that any reason for yourletting the birds burn? The color”--here he turned to me--“is reallyalmost enough to warrant Jupiter’s idea. You never saw a more brilliantmetallic lustre than the scales emit--but of this you cannot judgetill 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 andink, 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 fromhis 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, Iretained my seat by the fire, for I was still chilly. When the designwas complete, he handed it to me without rising. As I received it, aloud growl was heard, succeeded by a scratching at the door. Jupiteropened it, and a large Newfoundland, belonging to Legrand, rushed in,leaped upon my shoulders, and loaded me with caresses; for I had shownhim much attention during previous visits. When his gambols were over, Ilooked at the paper, and, to speak the truth, found myself not a littlepuzzled at what my friend had depicted.

  “Well!” I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, “this is astrange scarabæus, I must confess: new to me: never saw anything like itbefore--unless it was a skull, or a death’s-head--which it more nearlyresembles than anything else that has come under my observation.”

  “A death’s-head!” echoed Legrand--“Oh--yes--well, it has something ofthat appearance upon paper, no doubt. The two upper black spots looklike eyes, eh? and the longer one at the bottom like a mouth--and thenthe shape of the whole is oval.”

  “Perhaps so,” said I; “but, Legrand, I fear you are no artist. I mustwait until I see the beetle itself, if I am to form any idea of itspersonal appearance.”

  “Well, I don’t know,” said he, a little nettled, “I drawtolerably--should do it at least--have had good masters, and flattermyself that I am not quite a blockhead.”

  “But, my dear fellow, you are joking then,” said I, “this is a verypassable skull--indeed, I may say that it is a very excellent skull,according to the vulgar notions about such specimens of physiology--andyour scarabæus must be the queerest scarabæus in the world if itresembles it. Why, we may get up a very thrilling bit of superstitionupon this hint. I presume you will call the bug scarabæus caput hominis,or something of that kind--there are many similar titles in the NaturalHistories. But where are the antennæ you spoke of?”

  “The antennæ!” said Legrand, who seemed to be getting unaccountably warmupon the subject; “I am sure you must see the antennæ. I made themas distinct as they are in the original insect, and I presume that issufficient.”

  “Well, well,” I said, “perhaps you have--still I don’t see them;” andI handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing to rufflehis temper; but I was much surprised at the turn affairs had taken; hisill humor puzzled me--and, as for the drawing of the beetle, therewere positively no antennæ visible, and the whole did bear a very closeresemblance to the ordinary cuts of a d
eath’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 designseemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant his face grewviolently red--in another as excessively pale. For some minutes hecontinued to scrutinize the drawing minutely where he sat. At length hearose, took a candle from the table, and proceeded to seat himself upona sea-chest in the farthest corner of the room. Here again he made ananxious examination of the paper; turning it in all directions. He saidnothing, however, and his conduct greatly astonished me; yet I thoughtit prudent not to exacerbate the growing moodiness of his temper by anycomment. Presently he took from his coat pocket a wallet, placed thepaper carefully in it, and deposited both in a writing-desk, which helocked. He now grew more composed in his demeanor; but his original airof enthusiasm had quite disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much sulky asabstracted. As the evening wore away he became more and more absorbed inreverie, from which no sallies of mine could arouse him. It had been myintention 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. Hedid not press me to remain, but, as I departed, he shook my hand witheven more than his usual cordiality.

  It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had seennothing of Legrand) when I received a visit, at Charleston, from hisman, 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 alldat.”

  “Very sick, Jupiter!--why didn’t you say so at once? Is he confined tobed?”

  “No, dat he aint!--he aint find nowhar--dat’s just whar de shoepinch--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 about de matter--MassaWill say noffin at all aint de matter wid him--but den what make him goabout looking dis here way, wid he head down and he soldiers up, and aswhite 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 ebberdid see. Ise gittin to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to keep mightytight eye pon him noovers. Todder day he gib me slip fore de sun up andwas gone de whole ob de blessed day. I had a big stick ready cut for togib him deuced good beating when he did come--but Ise sich a fool dat Ihadn’t de heart arter all--he look so berry poorly.”

  “Eh?--what?--ah yes!--upon the whole I think you had better not be toosevere with the poor fellow--don’t flog him, Jupiter--he can’t very wellstand it--but can you form no idea of what has occasioned this illness,or rather this change of conduct? Has anything unpleasant happened sinceI saw you?”

  “No, massa, dey aint bin noffin unpleasant since den--‘twas fore den I’mfeared--‘twas 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 dehead by dat goole-bug.”

  “And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition?”

  “Claws enuff, massa, and mouth too. I nebber did see sick a deucedbug--he kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. Massa Will cotchhim fuss, but had for to let him go gin mighty quick, I tell you--denwas de time he must ha got de bite. I did n’t like de look oh de bugmouff, myself, no how, so I would n’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 depaper 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 do n’t tink noffin about it--I nose it. What make him dream bout degoole so much, if taint cause he bit by de goole-bug? Ise heerd bout demgoole-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 amI 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 notewhich ran thus:

  MY DEAR ----

  Why have I not seen you for so long a time? I hope you have not been sofoolish 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, orwhether I should tell it at all.

  I have not been quite well for some days past, and poor old Jup annoysme, almost beyond endurance, by his well-meant attentions Would youbelieve it?--he had prepared a huge stick, the other day, with whichto 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 looksalone 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 to-_night_, upon business of importance. Iassure you that it is of the _highest_ importance.

  Ever yours, WILLIAM LEGRAND.

  There was something in the tone of this note which gave me greatuneasiness. Its whole style differed materially from that of Legrand.What could he be dreaming of? What new crotchet possessed his excitablebrain? What “business of the highest importance” could he possibly haveto transact? Jupiter’s account of him boded no good. I dreaded lest thecontinued pressure of misfortune had, at length, fairly unsettledthe reason of my friend. Without a moment’s hesitation, therefore, Iprepared to accompany the negro.

  Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, allapparently new, lying in the bottom of the boat in which we were toembark.

  “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 inde town, and de debbils 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 moredan he know, too. But it’s all cum ob do bug.”

  Finding that no satisfaction was to be obtained of Jupiter, whose wholeintellect seemed to be absorbed by “de bug,” I now stepped into the boatand made sail. With a fair and strong breeze we soon ran into the littlecove to the northward of Fort Moultrie, and a walk of some two milesbrought us to the hut. It was about three in the afternoon when wearrived. Legrand had been awaiting us in eager expectation. He graspedmy hand with a nervous empressement which alarmed me and strengthenedthe suspicions already entertained. His countenance was pale even toghastliness, and his deep-set eyes glared with unnatural lustre. Aftersome inquiries respecting his health, I asked him, not knowing whatbetter to say, if he had yet obtained the scarabæus from LieutenantG ----.

  “Oh, yes,” he replied, coloring violently, “I got it from him the nextmorning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that scarabæus. Do youknow 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 sai
d this with an air ofprofound 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, thatI prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I haveonly to use it properly and I shall arrive at the gold of which it isthe index. Jupiter; bring me that scarabæus!”

  “What! de bug, massa? I’d rudder not go fer trubble dat bug--you mus githim for your own self.” Hereupon Legrand arose, with a grave andstately air, and brought me the beetle from a glass case in which it wasenclosed. It was a beautiful scarabæus, and, at that time, unknown tonaturalists--of course a great prize in a scientific point of view.There were two round, black spots near one extremity of the back, anda long one near the other. The scales were exceedingly hard and glossy,with all the appearance of burnished gold. The weight of the insectwas very remarkable, and, taking all things into consideration, I couldhardly blame Jupiter for his opinion respecting it; but what to make ofLegrand’s concordance with that opinion, I could not, for the life ofme, tell.

  “I sent for you,” said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had completedmy examination of the beetle, “I sent for you, that I might have yourcounsel 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, andI will remain with you a few days, until you get over this. You arefeverish and”--

  “Feel my pulse,” said he.

  I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the slightest indication offever.

  “But you may be ill and yet have no fever. Allow me this once toprescribe 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 beunder the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me well, youwill relieve this excitement.”

  “And how is this to be done?”

  “Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition into thehills, upon the main land, and, in this expedition we shall need theaid of some person in whom we can confide. You are the only one we cantrust. Whether we succeed or fail, the excitement which you now perceivein me will be equally allayed.”

  “I am anxious to oblige you in any way,” I replied; “but do you mean tosay that this infernal beetle has any connection with your expeditioninto 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 doyou propose to be absent?”

  “Probably all night. We shall start immediately, and be back, at allevents, by sunrise.”

  “And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when this freak of yoursis over, and the bug business (good God!) settled to your satisfaction,you will then return home and follow my advice implicitly, as that ofyour 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 fouro’clock--Legrand, Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with him thescythe and spades--the whole of which he insisted upon carrying--morethrough fear, it seemed to me, of trusting either of the implementswithin reach of his master, than from any excess of industry orcomplaisance. His demeanor was dogged in the extreme, and “dat deucedbug” were the sole words which escaped his lips during the journey. Formy own part, I had charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while Legrandcontented himself with the scarabæus, which he carried attached to theend of a bit of whip-cord; twirling it to and fro, with the air of aconjuror, as he went. When I observed this last, plain evidence of myfriend’s aberration of mind, I could scarcely refrain from tears. Ithought it best, however, to humor his fancy, at least for the present,or until I could adopt some more energetic measures with a chance ofsuccess. In the mean time I endeavored, but all in vain, to sound him inregard to the object of the expedition. Having succeeded in inducingme to accompany him, he seemed unwilling to hold conversation upon anytopic of minor importance, and to all my questions vouchsafed no otherreply 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 main land, proceeded in anorthwesterly direction, through a tract of country excessively wild anddesolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. Legrand ledthe way with decision; pausing only for an instant, here and there, toconsult what appeared to be certain landmarks of his own contrivanceupon a former occasion.

  In this manner we journeyed for about two hours, and the sun was justsetting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than any yetseen. It was a species of table land, near the summit of an almostinaccessible hill, densely wooded from base to pinnacle, andinterspersed with huge crags that appeared to lie loosely upon the soil,and in many cases were prevented from precipitating themselves into thevalleys below, merely by the support of the trees against which theyreclined. Deep ravines, in various directions, gave an air of stillsterner solemnity to the scene.

  The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly overgrownwith brambles, through which we soon discovered that it would havebeen impossible to force our way but for the scythe; and Jupiter, bydirection of his master, proceeded to clear for us a path to the foot ofan 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 Ihad then ever seen, in the beauty of its foliage and form, in the widespread of its branches, and in the general majesty of its appearance.When we reached this tree, Legrand turned to Jupiter, and asked him ifhe thought he could climb it. The old man seemed a little staggeredby the question, and for some moments made no reply. At length heapproached the huge trunk, walked slowly around it, and examined it withminute 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 tosee 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 togo--and here--stop! take this beetle with you.”

  “De bug, Massa Will!--de goole bug!” cried the negro, drawing back indismay--“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 ofa harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by thisstring--but, if you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall beunder 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 any how.Me feered de bug! what I keer for de bug?” Here he took cautiously holdof the extreme end of the string, and, maintaining the insect as farfrom his person as circumstances would permit, prepared to ascend thetree.

  In youth, the tulip-tree, or Liriodendron Tulipferum, the mostmagnificent of American foresters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, andoften rises to a great height without lateral branches; but, in itsriper age, the bark becomes gnarled and uneven, while many short limbsmake their appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of ascension, inthe present case, lay more in semblance than in reality. Embracing thehuge cylinder, as closely as possible, with his arms and knees, seizingwith his hands some projections, and resting his naked toes uponothers, Jupiter, after one or two narrow escapes from falling, at lengthwriggled himself into the first great fork, and seemed to consider thewhole business as virtually accomplished. The risk of the achievementwas, in fact, now over, although the climber was some sixty or seventyfeet from the ground.

  “Which way mus go now
, Massa Will?” he asked.

  “Keep up the largest branch--the one on this side,” said Legrand. Thenegro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but little trouble;ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his squat figure couldbe obtained through the dense foliage which enveloped it. Presently hisvoice 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 detree.”

  “Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the trunk andcount 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 disside.”

  “Then go one limb higher.”

  In a few minutes the voice was heard again, announcing that the seventhlimb was attained.

  “Now, Jup,” cried Legrand, evidently much excited, “I want you to workyour way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see anythingstrange, let me know.” By this time what little doubt I might haveentertained of my poor friend’s insanity, was put finally at rest. I hadno alternative but to conclude him stricken with lunacy, and I becameseriously anxious about getting him home. While I was pondering uponwhat was best to be done, Jupiter’s voice was again heard.

  “Mos feerd for to ventur pon dis limb berry far--tis dead limb puttymuch all de way.”

  “Did you say it was a dead limb, Jupiter?” cried Legrand in a quaveringvoice.

  “Yes, massa, him dead as de door-nail--done up for sartain--donedeparted dis here life.”

  “What in the name heaven shall I do?” asked Legrand, seemingly in thegreatest distress. “Do!” said I, glad of an opportunity to interposea 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 veryrotten.”

  “Him rotten, massa, sure nuff,” replied the negro in a few moments, “butnot so berry rotten as mought be. Mought ventur out leetle way pon delimb 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, “whatdo you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? As sure as you dropthat beetle 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 youthink safe, and not let go the beetle, I’ll make you a present of asilver dollar as soon as you get down.”

  “I’m gwine, Massa Will--deed I is,” replied the negro verypromptly--“mos out to the eend now.”

  “Out to the end!” here fairly screamed Legrand, “do you say you are outto the end of that limb?”

  “Soon be to de eend, massa,--o-o-o-o-oh! Lor-gol-a-marcy! what is dishere 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, andde crows done gobble ebery bit ob de meat off.”

  “A skull, you say!--very well!--how is it fastened to the limb?--whatholds it on?”

  “Sure nuff, massa; mus look. Why dis berry curous sarcumstance, pon myword--dare’s a great big nail in de skull, what fastens ob it on to detree.”

  “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 dare aint 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 lef hand what I chops dewood wid.”

  “To be sure! you are left-handed; and your left eye is on the sameside as your left hand. Now, I suppose, you can find the left eye of theskull, 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 aint 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--butbe careful and not let go your hold of the string.”

  “All dat done, Massa Will; mighty easy ting for to put de bug fru dehole--look out for him dare below!”

  During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter’s person could be seen; butthe beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now visible at theend of the string, and glistened, like a globe of burnished gold, in thelast rays of the setting sun, some of which still faintly illuminedthe eminence upon which we stood. The scarabæus hung quite clear ofany branches, and, if allowed to fall, would have fallen at our feet.Legrand immediately took the scythe, and cleared with it a circularspace, three or four yards in diameter, just beneath the insect, and,having accomplished this, ordered Jupiter to let go the string and comedown from the tree.

  Driving a peg, with great nicety, into the ground, at the precise spotwhere the beetle fell, my friend now produced from his pocket a tapemeasure. Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk, of thetree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg,and thence farther unrolled it, in the direction already establishedby the two points of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fiftyfeet--Jupiter clearing away the brambles with the scythe. At the spotthus attained a second peg was driven, and about this, as a centre, arude circle, about four feet in diameter, described. Taking now a spadehimself, and giving one to Jupiter and one to me, Legrand begged us toset about digging as quickly as possible.

  To speak the truth, I had no especial relish for such amusement at anytime, and, at that particular moment, would most willingly have declinedit; for the night was coming on, and I felt much fatigued with theexercise already taken; but I saw no mode of escape, and was fearfulof disturbing my poor friend’s equanimity by a refusal. Could I havedepended, indeed, upon Jupiter’s aid, I would have had no hesitation inattempting to get the lunatic home by force; but I was too well assuredof the old negro’s disposition, to hope that he would assist me, underany circumstances, in a personal contest with his master. I made nodoubt that the latter had been infected with some of the innumerableSouthern superstitions about money buried, and that his phantasy hadreceived confirmation by the finding of the scarabæus, or, perhaps, byJupiter’s obstinacy in maintaining it to be “a bug of real gold.” Amind disposed to lunacy would readily be led away by suchsuggestions--especially if chiming in with favorite preconceivedideas--and then I called to mind the poor fellow’s speech about thebeetle’s being “the index of his fortune.” Upon the whole, I was sadlyvexed and puzzled, but, at length, I concluded to make a virtue ofnecessity--to dig with a good will, and thus the sooner to convince thevisionary, by ocular demonstration, of the fallacy of the opinions heentertained.

  The lanterns having been lit, we all fell to work with a zeal worthya more rational cause; and, as the glare fell upon our persons andimplements, I could not help thinking how picturesque a group wecomposed, and how strange and suspicious our labors must have appearedto any interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon ourwhereabouts.

  We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said; and our chiefembarrassment lay in the yelpings of the dog, who took exceedinginterest in our proceedings. He, at length, became so obstreperousthat we grew fearful of his giving the alarm to some stragglers inthe vicinity;--or, rather, this was the apprehension of Legra
nd;--formyself, I should have rejoiced at any interruption which might haveenabled me to get the wanderer home. The noise was, at length, veryeffectually silenced by Jupiter, who, getting out of the hole with adogged air of deliberation, tied the brute’s mouth up with one of hissuspenders, and then returned, with a grave chuckle, to his task.

  When the time mentioned had expired, we had reached a depth of fivefeet, and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest. A general pauseensued, and I began to hope that the farce was at an end. Legrand,however, although evidently much disconcerted, wiped his browthoughtfully and recommenced. We had excavated the entire circle of fourfeet diameter, and now we slightly enlarged the limit, and went to thefarther depth of two feet. Still nothing appeared. The gold-seeker, whomI sincerely pitied, at length clambered from the pit, with the bitterestdisappointment imprinted upon every feature, and proceeded, slowlyand reluctantly, to put on his coat, which he had thrown off at thebeginning of his labor. In the mean time I made no remark. Jupiter, at asignal from his master, began to gather up his tools. This done, and thedog having been unmuzzled, we turned in profound silence towards home.

  We had taken, perhaps, a dozen steps in this direction, when, with aloud 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 betweenhis clenched teeth--“you infernal black villain!--speak, I tellyou!--answer me this instant, without prevarication!--which--which isyour left eye?”

  “Oh, my golly, Massa Will! aint dis here my lef eye for sartain?” roaredthe terrified Jupiter, placing his hand upon his right organ of vision,and holding it there with a desperate pertinacity, as if in immediatedread of his master’s attempt at a gouge.

  “I thought so!--I knew it! hurrah!” vociferated Legrand, letting thenegro go, and executing a series of curvets and caracols, much to theastonishment 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;” andhe again led the way to the tulip-tree.

  “Jupiter,” said he, when we reached its foot, “come here! was the skullnailed to the limb with the face outwards, or with the face to thelimb?”

  “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 dropped thebeetle?”--here Legrand touched each of Jupiter’s eyes.

  “Twas dis eye, massa--de lef eye--jis as you tell me,” and here it washis right eye that the negro indicated.

  “That will do--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 spotwhere the beetle fell, to a spot about three inches to the westwardof its former position. Taking, now, the tape measure from the nearestpoint of the trunk to the peg, as before, and continuing the extensionin 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 formerinstance, was now described, and we again set to work with the spades.I was dreadfully weary, but, scarcely understanding what had occasionedthe change in my thoughts, I felt no longer any great aversion from thelabor imposed. I had become most unaccountably interested--nay, evenexcited. Perhaps there was something, amid all the extravagant demeanorof Legrand--some air of forethought, or of deliberation, which impressedme. I dug eagerly, and now and then caught myself actually looking,with something that very much resembled expectation, for the fanciedtreasure, the vision of which had demented my unfortunate companion. Ata period when such vagaries of thought most fully possessed me, andwhen we had been at work perhaps an hour and a half, we were againinterrupted by the violent howlings of the dog. His uneasiness, in thefirst instance, had been, evidently, but the result of playfulness orcaprice, but he now assumed a bitter and serious tone. Upon Jupiter’sagain attempting to muzzle him, he made furious resistance, and, leapinginto the hole, tore up the mould frantically with his claws. In a fewseconds he had uncovered a mass of human bones, forming two completeskeletons, intermingled with several buttons of metal, and what appearedto be the dust of decayed woollen. One or two strokes of a spadeupturned 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, butthe countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment Heurged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardlyuttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of myboot 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 moreintense excitement. During this interval we had fairly unearthed anoblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation andwonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizingprocess--perhaps that of the Bi-chloride of Mercury. This box was threefeet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep. Itwas firmly secured by bands of wrought iron, riveted, and forming a kindof open trelliswork over the whole. On each side of the chest, near thetop, were three rings of iron--six in all--by means of which a firm holdcould be obtained by six persons. Our utmost united endeavors servedonly to disturb the coffer very slightly in its bed. We at once sawthe impossibility of removing so great a weight. Luckily, the solefastenings of the lid consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drewback--trembling and panting with anxiety. In an instant, a treasure ofincalculable value lay gleaming before us. As the rays of the lanternsfell within the pit, there flashed upwards a glow and a glare, from aconfused heap of gold and of jewels, 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 withexcitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter’s countenance wore, forsome minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in nature of things,for any negro’s visage to assume. He seemed stupified--thunderstricken.Presently he fell upon his knees in the pit, and, burying his nakedarms up to the elbows in gold, let them there remain, as if enjoying theluxury of a bath. At length, with a deep sigh, he exclaimed, as if in asoliloquy,

  “And dis all cum ob de goole-bug! de putty goole bug! de poor littlegoole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style! Aint you shamed obyourself, nigger?--answer me dat!”

  It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse both master and valetto the expediency of removing the treasure. It was growing late, andit behooved us to make exertion, that we might get every thing housedbefore daylight. It was difficult to say what should be done, and muchtime 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. Thearticles taken out were deposited among the brambles, and the dogleft to guard them, with strict orders from Jupiter neither, upon anypretence, 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 insafety, but after excessive toil, at one o’clock in the morning. Wornout as we were, it was not in human nature to do more immediately. Werested until two, and had supper; starting for the hills immediatelyafterwards, armed with three stout sacks, which, by good luck, were uponthe premises. A little before four we arrived at the pit, divided theremainder of the booty, as equally as might be, among us, and, leavingthe holes unfilled, again set out for the hut, at which, for the secondtime, we deposited our golden burthens, just as the first faint streaksof the dawn gleamed from over the tree-tops in the East.

  We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of thetime denied us r
epose. After an unquiet slumber of some three or fourhours’ duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make examination ofour treasure.

  The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, and thegreater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its contents. There hadbeen nothing like order or arrangement. Every thing had been heapedin promiscuously. Having assorted all with care, we found ourselvespossessed of even vaster wealth than we had at first supposed. Incoin there was rather more than four hundred and fifty thousanddollars--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 wasgold of antique date and of great variety--French, Spanish, and Germanmoney, with a few English guineas, and some counters, of which we hadnever seen specimens before. There were several very large and heavycoins, so worn that we could make nothing of their inscriptions. Therewas no American money. The value of the jewels we found more difficultyin estimating. There were diamonds--some of them exceedingly large andfine--a hundred and ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteenrubies of remarkable brilliancy;--three hundred and ten emeralds, allvery beautiful; and twenty-one sapphires, with an opal. These stones hadall been broken from their settings and thrown loose in the chest. Thesettings themselves, which we picked out from among the other gold,appeared to have been beaten up with hammers, as if to preventidentification. Besides all this, there was a vast quantity of solidgold ornaments;--nearly two hundred massive finger and earrings;--richchains--thirty of these, if I remember;--eighty-three very large andheavy crucifixes;--five gold censers of great value;--a prodigiousgolden punch bowl, ornamented with richly chased vine-leaves andBacchanalian figures; with two sword-handles exquisitely embossed, andmany other smaller articles which I cannot recollect. The weight ofthese valuables exceeded three hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois; andin this estimate I have not included one hundred and ninety-seven superbgold watches; three of the number being worth each five hundred dollars,if one. Many of them were very old, and as time keepers valueless; theworks having suffered, more or less, from corrosion--but all were richlyjewelled and in cases of great worth. We estimated the entire contentsof the chest, that night, at a million and a half of dollars; and uponthe subsequent disposal of the trinkets and jewels (a few being retainedfor our own use), it was found that we had greatly undervalued thetreasure. When, at length, we had concluded our examination, and theintense excitement of the time had, in some measure, subsided, Legrand,who saw that I was dying with impatience for a solution of thismost extraordinary riddle, entered into a full detail of all thecircumstances connected with it.

  “You remember;” said he, “the night when I handed you the rough sketch Ihad made of the scarabæus. You recollect also, that I became quite vexedat you for insisting that my drawing resembled a death’s-head. When youfirst made this assertion I thought you were jesting; but afterwardsI called to mind the peculiar spots on the back of the insect, andadmitted to myself that your remark had some little foundation in fact.Still, the sneer at my graphic powers irritated me--for I am considereda good artist--and, therefore, when you handed me the scrap ofparchment, I was about to crumple it up and throw it angrily into thefire.”

  “The scrap of paper, you mean,” said I.

  “No; it had much of the appearance of paper, and at first I supposed itto 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 fellupon the sketch at which you had been looking, and you may imagine myastonishment when I perceived, in fact, the figure of a death’s-headjust where, it seemed to me, I had made the drawing of the beetle. Fora moment I was too much amazed to think with accuracy. I knew that mydesign was very different in detail from this--although there was acertain similarity in general outline. Presently I took a candle, andseating myself at the other end of the room, proceeded to scrutinize theparchment more closely. Upon turning it over, I saw my own sketchupon the reverse, just as I had made it. My first idea, now, was meresurprise at the really remarkable similarity of outline--at the singularcoincidence involved in the fact, that unknown to me, there should havebeen a skull upon the other side of the parchment, immediately beneathmy figure of the scarabæus, and that this skull, not only in outline,but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing. I say thesingularity of this coincidence absolutely stupified me for a time.This is the usual effect of such coincidences. The mind struggles toestablish a connexion--a sequence of cause and effect--and, beingunable to do so, suffers a species of temporary paralysis. But, when Irecovered from this stupor, there dawned upon me gradually a convictionwhich startled me even far more than the coincidence. I begandistinctly, positively, to remember that there had been no drawing uponthe parchment when I made my sketch of the scarabæus. I became perfectlycertain of this; for I recollected turning up first one side and thenthe other, in search of the cleanest spot. Had the skull been thenthere, of course I could not have failed to notice it. Here was indeeda mystery which I felt it impossible to explain; but, even at that earlymoment, there seemed to glimmer, faintly, within the most remote andsecret chambers of my intellect, a glow-worm-like conception ofthat truth which last night’s adventure brought to so magnificent ademonstration. 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 myselfto a more methodical investigation of the affair. In the first placeI considered the manner in which the parchment had come into mypossession. The spot where we discovered the scarabaeus was on the coastof the main land, about a mile eastward of the island, and but a shortdistance above high water mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it gave me asharp bite, which caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his accustomedcaution, before seizing the insect, which had flown towards him, lookedabout him for a leaf, or something of that nature, by which to take holdof it. It was at this moment that his eyes, and mine also, fell upon thescrap of parchment, which I then supposed to be paper. It was lying halfburied in the sand, a corner sticking up. Near the spot where we foundit, I observed the remnants of the hull of what appeared to have been aship’s long boat. The wreck seemed to have been there for a very greatwhile; for the resemblance to boat timbers could scarcely be traced.

  “Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment, wrapped the beetle in it, andgave it to me. Soon afterwards we turned to go home, and on the way metLieutenant G-. I showed him the insect, and he begged me to let himtake it to the fort. Upon my consenting, he thrust it forthwith into hiswaistcoat 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 sureof the prize at once--you know how enthusiastic he is on all subjectsconnected with Natural History. At the same time, without beingconscious 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 makinga 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, when my hand fell upon the parchment. Ithus detail the precise mode in which it came into my possession; forthe circumstances impressed me with peculiar force.

  “No doubt you will think me fanciful--but I had already established akind of connexion. I had put together two links of a great chain. Therewas a boat lying upon a sea-coast, and not far from the boat was aparchment--not a paper--with a skull depicted upon it. You will,of course, ask ‘where is the connexion?’ I reply that the skull, ordeath’s-head, is the well-known emblem of the pirate. The flag of thedeath’s head is hoisted in all engagements.

  “I have said that the scrap was parchment, and not paper. Parchmentis durable--almost imperishable. Matters of little moment are rarelyconsigned to parchment; since, for the mere ordinary purposes of drawingor writing, it
is not nearly so well adapted as paper. This reflectionsuggested some meaning--some relevancy--in the death’s-head. I did notfail to observe, also, the form of the parchment. Although one of itscorners had been, by some accident, destroyed, it could be seen that theoriginal form was oblong. It was just such a slip, indeed, as mighthave been chosen for a memorandum--for a record of something to be longremembered and carefully preserved.”

  “But,” I interposed, “you say that the skull was not upon the parchmentwhen you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you trace anyconnexion between the boat and the skull--since this latter, accordingto your own admission, must have been designed (God only knows how or bywhom) at some period subsequent to your sketching the scarabæus?”

  “Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at thispoint, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My steps weresure, and could afford but a single result. I reasoned, for example,thus: When I drew the scarabæus, there was no skull apparent uponthe parchment. When I had completed the drawing I gave it to you, andobserved you narrowly until you returned it. You, therefore, did notdesign the skull, and no one else was present to do it. Then it was notdone by human agency. And nevertheless it was done.

  “At this stage of my reflections I endeavored to remember, and didremember, with entire distinctness, every incident which occurred aboutthe period in question. The weather was chilly (oh rare and happyaccident!), and a fire was blazing upon the hearth. I was heated withexercise and sat near the table. You, however, had drawn a chair closeto the chimney. Just as I placed the parchment in your hand, and as youwere in the act of inspecting it, Wolf, the Newfoundland, entered,and leaped upon your shoulders. With your left hand you caressed him andkept him off, while your right, holding the parchment, was permitted tofall listlessly between your knees, and in close proximity to the fire.At one moment I thought the blaze had caught it, and was about tocaution you, but, before I could speak, you had withdrawn it, and wereengaged in its examination. When I considered all these particulars, Idoubted not for a moment that heat had been the agent in bringing tolight, upon the parchment, the skull which I saw designed upon it. Youare well aware that chemical preparations exist, and have existed timeout of mind, by means of which it is possible to write upon either paperor vellum, so that the characters shall become visible only whensubjected to the action of fire. Zaffre, digested in aqua regia, anddiluted with four times its weight of water, is sometimes employed; agreen tint results. The regulus of cobalt, dissolved in spirit of nitre,gives a red. These colors disappear at longer or shorter intervals afterthe material written upon cools, but again become apparent upon there-application of heat.

  “I now scrutinized the death’s-head with care. Its outer edges--theedges of the drawing nearest the edge of the vellum--were far moredistinct than the others. It was clear that the action of the calorichad been imperfect or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, andsubjected 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, upon persevering in the experiment, there became visible, atthe corner of the slip, diagonally opposite to the spot in which thedeath’s-head was delineated, the figure of what I at first supposed tobe a goat. A closer scrutiny, however, satisfied me that it was intendedfor a kid.”

  “Ha! ha!” said I, “to be sure I have no right to laugh at you--a millionand a half of money is too serious a matter for mirth--but you are notabout to establish a third link in your chain--you will not find anyespecial connexion between your pirates and a 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 ofone Captain Kidd. I at once looked upon the figure of the animal as akind of punning or hieroglyphical signature. I say signature; becauseits position upon the vellum suggested this idea. The death’s-head atthe corner diagonally opposite, had, in the same manner, the air of astamp, or seal. But I was sorely put out by the absence of all else--ofthe body to my imagined instrument--of the text for my context.”

  “I presume you expected to find a letter between the stamp and thesignature.”

  “Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly impressed witha presentiment of some vast good fortune impending. I can scarcelysay why. Perhaps, after all, it was rather a desire than an actualbelief;--but do you know that Jupiter’s silly words, about the bugbeing of solid gold, had a remarkable effect upon my fancy? And then theseries of accidents and coincidences--these were so very extraordinary.Do you observe how mere an accident it was that these events should haveoccurred upon the sole day of all the year in which it has been, or maybe, sufficiently cool for fire, and that without the fire, or withoutthe 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 thepossessor of the treasure?”

  “But proceed--I am all impatience.”

  “Well; you have heard, of course, the many stories current--the thousandvague rumors afloat about money buried, somewhere upon the Atlanticcoast, by Kidd and his associates. These rumors must have had somefoundation in fact. And that the rumors have existed so long and socontinuous, could have resulted, it appeared to me, only from thecircumstance of the buried treasure still remaining entombed. Had Kiddconcealed his plunder for a time, and afterwards reclaimed it, therumors 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 theaffair would have dropped. It seemed to me that some accident--say theloss of a memorandum indicating its locality--had deprived him of themeans of recovering it, and that this accident had become known to hisfollowers, who otherwise might never have heard that treasure had beenconcealed at all, and who, busying themselves in vain, because unguidedattempts, to regain it, had given first birth, and then universalcurrency, to the reports which are now so common. Have you ever heard ofany important treasure being unearthed along the coast?”

  “Never.”

  “But that Kidd’s accumulations were immense, is well known. I took itfor granted, therefore, that the earth still held them; and you willscarcely be surprised when I tell you that I felt a hope, nearlyamounting to certainty, that the parchment so strangely found, involveda lost record of the place of deposit.”

  “But how did you proceed?”

  “I held the vellum again to the fire, after increasing the heat; butnothing appeared. I now thought it possible that the coating of dirtmight have something to do with the failure; so I carefully rinsed theparchment by pouring warm water over it, and, having done this, Iplaced it in a tin pan, with the skull downwards, and put the pan upona furnace of lighted charcoal. In a few minutes, the pan having becomethoroughly heated, I removed the slip, and, to my inexpressible joy,found it spotted, in several places, with what appeared to be figuresarranged in lines. Again I placed it in the pan, and suffered it toremain another minute. Upon taking it off, the whole was just as you seeit now.” Here Legrand, having re-heated the parchment, submitted it tomy inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a redtint, between the death’s-head and the goat:

  “53‡‡†305))6*;4826)4‡)4‡);806*;48†8¶60))85;1‡);:‡ *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;4 8†85;4)485†528806*81(‡9;48;(88;4(‡?34;48)4‡;161;: 188;‡?;”

  “But,” said I, returning him the slip, “I am as much in the dark asever. Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my solution ofthis 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 asyou might be lead to imagine from the first hasty inspection of thechara
cters. These characters, as any one might readily guess, form acipher--that is to say, they convey a meaning; but then, from what isknown of Kidd, I could not suppose him capable of constructing any ofthe more abstruse cryptographs. I made up my mind, at once, that thiswas of a simple species--such, however, as would appear, to the crudeintellect of the sailor, absolutely insoluble without the key.”

  “And you really solved it?”

  “Readily; I have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand timesgreater. Circumstances, and a certain bias of mind, have led me totake interest in such riddles, and it may well be doubted whether humaningenuity can construct an enigma of the kind which human ingenuity maynot, by proper application, resolve. In fact, having once establishedconnected and legible characters, I scarcely gave a thought to the meredifficulty of developing their import.

  “In the present case--indeed in all cases of secret writing--the firstquestion regards the language of the cipher; for the principles ofsolution, so far, especially, as the more simple ciphers are concerned,depend upon, and are varied by, the genius of the particular idiom.In general, there is no alternative but experiment (directed byprobabilities) of every tongue known to him who attempts the solution,until the true one be attained. But, with the cipher now before us, alldifficulty was removed by the signature. The pun upon the word ‘Kidd’is appreciable in no other language than the English. But for thisconsideration I should have begun my attempts with the Spanish andFrench, as the tongues in which a secret of this kind would mostnaturally 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 beendivisions, the task would have been comparatively easy. In such caseI should have commenced with a collation and analysis of the shorterwords, 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 thepredominant letters, as well as the least frequent. Counting all, Iconstructed 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, succession runs thus: _a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l m w b kp q x z_. _E_ predominates so remarkably that an individual sentence ofany length is rarely seen, in which it is not the prevailing character.

  “Here, then, we leave, in the very beginning, the groundwork forsomething more than a mere guess. The general use which may be made ofthe table is obvious--but, in this particular cipher, we shall only verypartially require its aid. As our predominant character is 8, we willcommence by assuming it as the _e_ of the natural alphabet. To verifythe supposition, let us observe if the 8 be seen often in couples--for_e_ is doubled with great frequency in English--in such words, forexample, as ‘meet,’ ‘.fleet,’ ‘speed,’ ‘seen,’ been,’ ‘agree,’ &c. Inthe present instance we see it doubled no less than five times, althoughthe cryptograph is brief.

  “Let us assume 8, then, as _e_. Now, of all _words_ in the language,‘the’ is most usual; let us see, therefore, whether there are notrepetitions 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.’ Uponinspection, we find no less than seven such arrangements, the charactersbeing;48. We may, therefore, assume that; represents _t_, 4 represents_h_, and 8 represents _e_--the last being now well confirmed. Thus agreat step has been taken.

  “But, having established a single word, we are enabled to establisha vastly important point; that is to say, several commencements andterminations of other words. Let us refer, for example, to the lastinstance but one, in which the combination;48 occurs--not far fromthe end of the cipher. We know that the; immediately ensuing is thecommencement of a word, and, of the six characters succeeding this‘the,’ we are cognizant of no less than five. Let us set thesecharacters down, thus, by the letters we know them to represent, leavinga space for the unknown--

  t eeth.

  “Here we are enabled, at once, to discard the ‘th,’ as forming noportion of the word commencing with the first t; since, by experimentof the entire alphabet for a letter adapted to the vacancy, we perceivethat no word can be formed of which this _th_ can be a part. We are thusnarrowed into

  t ee,

  and, going through the alphabet, if necessary, as before, we arriveat the word ‘tree,’ as the sole possible reading. We thus gainanother letter, _r_, represented by (, with the words ‘the tree’ injuxtaposition.

  “Looking beyond these words, for a short distance, we again seethe combination;48, and employ it by way of _termination_ to whatimmediately 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, orsubstitute dots, we read thus:

  the tree thr...h the,

  when the word ‘_through_’ makes itself evident at once. But thisdiscovery gives us three new letters, _o_, _u_ and _g_, represented by‡? and 3.

  “Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for combinations of knowncharacters, 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 usanother 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 suggestiveof 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 thecombination,

  53‡‡†.

  “Translating, as before, we obtain

  good,

  which assures us that the first letter is _A_, and that the first twowords are ‘A good.’

  “It is now time that we arrange our key, as far as discovered, in atabular form, to avoid confusion. 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 lettersrepresented, and it will be unnecessary to proceed with the details ofthe solution. I have said enough to convince you that ciphers of thisnature are readily soluble, and to give you some insight into therationale of their development. But be assured that the specimen beforeus appertains to the very simplest species of cryptograph. It now onlyremains to give you the full translation of the characters upon theparchment, as unriddled. Here it is:

  “‘_A good glass in the bishop’s hostel in the devil’s seat forty-onedegrees and thirteen minutes northeast and by north main branch seventhlimb east side shoot from the left eye of the death’s-head a bee linefrom the tree through the shot fifty feet out_.’”

  “But,” said I, “the enigma seems still in as bad a conditio
n as ever.How is it possible to extort a meaning from all this jargon about‘devil’s seats,’ ‘death’s heads,’ and ‘bishop’s hotels?’”

  “I confess,” replied Legrand, “that the matter still wears a seriousaspect, when regarded with a casual glance. My first endeavor wasto divide the sentence into the natural division intended by thecryptographist.”

  “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 wordstogether without division, so as to increase the difficulty of solution.Now, a not over-acute man, in pursuing such an object would be nearlycertain to overdo the matter. When, in the course of his composition, hearrived 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 thisplace, more than usually close together. If you will observe the MS., inthe present instance, you will easily detect five such cases of unusualcrowding. Acting upon this hint, I made the division thus: ‘A goodglass in the Bishop’s hostel in the Devil’s seat--forty-one degrees andthirteen minutes--northeast and by north--main branch seventh limb eastside--shoot from the left eye of the death’s-head--a bee-line from thetree 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; duringwhich 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, ofcourse, I dropped the obsolete word ‘hostel.’ Gaining no information onthe subject, I was on the point of extending my sphere of search, andproceeding in a more systematic manner, when, one morning, it enteredinto my head, quite suddenly, that this ‘Bishop’s Hostel’ might havesome reference to an old family, of the name of Bessop, which, time outof mind, had held possession of an ancient manor-house, about fourmiles to the northward of the Island. I accordingly went over to theplantation, and re-instituted my inquiries among the older negroes ofthe place. At length one of the most aged of the women said that shehad heard of such a place as Bessop’s Castle, and thought that she couldguide me to it, but that it was not a castle nor a tavern, but a highrock.

  “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 muchdifficulty, when, dismissing her, I proceeded to examine the place. The‘castle’ consisted of an irregular assemblage of cliffs and rocks--oneof the latter being quite remarkable for its height as well as for itsinsulated and artificial appearance I clambered to its apex, and thenfelt much at a loss as to what should be next done.

  “While I was busied in reflection, my eyes fell upon a narrow ledge inthe eastern face of the rock, perhaps a yard below the summit upon whichI stood. This ledge projected about eighteen inches, and was not morethan a foot wide, while a niche in the cliff just above it, gave ita rude resemblance to one of the hollow-backed chairs used by ourancestors. I made no doubt that here was the ‘devil’s seat’ alluded toin 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 atelescope; for the word ‘glass’ is rarely employed in any other senseby seamen. Now here, I at once saw, was a telescope to be used, and adefinite point of view, admitting no variation, from which to use it.Nor did I hesitate to believe that the phrases, “forty-one degreesand thirteen minutes,’ and ‘northeast and by north,’ were intended asdirections for the levelling of the glass. Greatly excited by thesediscoveries, I hurried home, procured a telescope, and returned to therock.

  “I let myself down to the ledge, and found that it was impossible toretain a seat upon it except in one particular position. This factconfirmed my preconceived idea. I proceeded to use the glass. Of course,the ‘forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes’ could allude to nothing butelevation above the visible horizon, since the horizontal direction wasclearly indicated by the words, ‘northeast and by north.’ This latterdirection I at once established by means of a pocket-compass; then,pointing the glass as nearly at an angle of forty-one degrees ofelevation 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 thefoliage 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, atfirst, distinguish what it was. Adjusting the focus of the telescope, Iagain looked, and now made it out to be a human skull.

  “Upon this discovery I was so sanguine as to consider the enigma solved;for the phrase ‘main branch, seventh limb, east side,’ could refer onlyto the position of the skull upon the tree, while ‘shoot from the lefteye of the death’s head’ admitted, also, of but one interpretation, inregard to a search for buried treasure. I perceived that the design wasto 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 ofthe trunk through ‘the shot,’ (or the spot where the bullet fell,) andthence extended to a distance of fifty feet, would indicate a definitepoint--and beneath this point I thought it at least possible that adeposit 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 turnedhomewards. The instant that I left ‘the devil’s seat,’ however, thecircular rift vanished; nor could I get a glimpse of it afterwards, turnas 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) thatthe circular opening in question is visible from no other attainablepoint of view than that afforded by the narrow ledge upon the face ofthe rock.

  “In this expedition to the ‘Bishop’s Hotel’ I had been attendedby Jupiter, who had, no doubt, observed, for some weeks past, theabstraction of my demeanor, and took especial care not to leave mealone. But, on the next day, getting up very early, I contrived to givehim the slip, and went into the hills in search of the tree. After muchtoil I found it. When I came home at night my valet proposed to giveme a flogging. With the rest of the adventure I believe you are as wellacquainted as myself.”

  “I suppose,” said I, “you missed the spot, in the first attempt atdigging, through Jupiter’s stupidity in letting the bug fall through theright instead of through the left eye of the skull.”

  “Precisely. This mistake made a difference of about two inches and ahalf in the ‘shot’--that is to say, in the position of the peg nearestthe tree; and had the treasure been beneath the ‘shot,’ the error wouldhave been of little moment; but ‘the shot,’ together with the nearestpoint of the tree, were merely two points for the establishment ofa line of direction; of course the error, however trivial in thebeginning, increased as we proceeded with the line, and by the timewe had gone fifty feet, threw us quite off the scent. But for mydeep-seated impressions that treasure was here somewhere actuallyburied, we might have had all our labor in vain.”

  “But your grandiloquence, and your conduct in swinging the beetle--howexcessively odd! I was sure you were mad. And why did you insist uponletting fall the bug, instead of a bullet, from the skull?”

  “Why, to be frank, I felt somewhat annoyed by your evident suspicionstouching my sanity, and so resolved to punish you quietly, in my ownway, by a little bit of sober mystification. For this reason I swungthe beetle, and for this reason I let it fall it from the tree. Anobservation of yours about its great weight suggested the latter idea.”

  “Yes, I perceive; and now there is only one point which puzzles me. Whatare we to make of the skeletons found in the hole?”

  “That is a question I am no more able to answer than yourself. Thereseems, however, only one plausible way of accounting for them--and yetit is dreadful to believe in such atrocity as my sugges
tion would imply.It is clear that Kidd--if Kidd indeed secreted this treasure, which Idoubt not--it is clear that he must have had assistance in the labor.But this labor concluded, he may have thought it expedient to removeall participants in his secret. Perhaps a couple of blows with a mattockwere sufficient, while his coadjutors were busy in the pit; perhaps itrequired a dozen--who shall tell?”