White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume], July 02, 1857, Image 1

About White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872

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SOL. BlILLERt EDITOR ASD TCBLISIIEB. THE CONSTITUTION AND THE UNION. TERMS $2.00 PER AXMJIf. n 1DTASCE
VOLUME 1. WHITE CLOUD, KANSAS, THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1857. """" NUMBER 5.
. 1
i
In
OITB I1TI05AX FLAG.
Fliaf oat Bat HuSoa'a atripee Bad ataA,
The fiorioaa ataadard of tks free;
l"fc. buan km ia rraaW wan,
The kallowed fm of Likrnjr. ''
C awaataia tea, ii van draa,
Wkrer dwell d Aw ad Ion;
- O'M him wbro FwnW nwtyfi aleeey
CefcaBkia'a Bag anil freely m
1 taise kifb Ike bight, aeapicieat tog,
. Fiwarev twirl aad learirefeav
,'haareet,aa,erjBa,ai erar, -
The ejieAliaf beaaer, widely tog,
BkaB prewllf war. o'er land mi
Aad Freedoert aatken, aweetrf rase ,
eaowreooatryajebilee!
, Ok! bl Dm wm dot Bf MmU,
TW Mjbw cn f Mnrniaf foU,
.' Tb fl Librtly!
flsiwi in Mb, MB Hnm-t dom
' BmwtimiM h Wrfj lona, ,
That all iniwuei km fcaa s kam
'Oa Frtadooit eaaatrratad Aaad.
FBaf eat aar aaaaoy" kaaaat wioVa
Oai aaikkwatta Many
On I'am Bmmui PnM,
White lloau Ifcat rilkaa diadaM. .
' TaaraAnraartkabrilliaBtMan
8haR tadleata Ika auaasth aTalli
Lat aB ka waaa af eiril fran,
Thai aana af aMaanka Fiaedaart felt
S05O OF THE TOIOX
' Xaiai tha bawar of lha Uaiaa,
Saaad a anoe, kaap tba Map;
Ti Iba aifiial Bag ttmj,
. Oathakua-aadoto tkadnp.
KaDy, ftaaaMa, mai Ika t'aloa
Baik! Ika katth 07 an kaar .
Tbj Ika aoraaaat afaar blhara
. Saaaaitfaiaadagaaditaaat.
N
Firht fee It, am praeloaa Caioa,
Tu Ika karilara kaqaaalfcad
Baagfct with klaad oat iadwn baanrad
. . Daaaac tkaa Ika air Ikay braalkad.
' Btrlka a faad ktow km Ika Uaiaa,
' Ta aWn lorad it loaf aad anil;
Old an fray la FraadeaiS arrrioa,
LM roar kktn aa Mim laD.
Arika a gad blow far Ika Uaiaa,
Ta wkaataaaru with paMioa flaw)
Toaof awa atatkiffar diitiaeliaa,
Laad tka kattla Oa tba foa.
AA J wha deajiiaj theCaloa?
' AA ja who that railoo aiaf
Tkay ara ikon ka lack la break it
- - Jmf h Vj m Ml tkry kaar. -
Hatekiaf kau betwaao itf aeetaa;
Briafiar lortk tamal war, :
Vadar aorar of raligtaa:
Sark ai tkan tba uailon ara.
Boat tka loaf rod af tka Uaiaa,
Waka tka faardt aad au ha valU;
Kaiia tha drawbridga oa Ika foanoM
Brmiai far ballet, aataa fcf bailil
I EKVEE KISS AUD TELL.
BY C. CHAUNCET BUSJL
t kriatd a awid, Om atkar aifM,
Bat wka aka aras, I mar aot tad;
flrr eras atcta a Ika diamaada krirkt,
Aad aoft at tkow aflubel
.Bat I am ktu aad tall
-flertoa kuk af Virjia aaaw.
Vfcaaa aa tkaafbt of a akaaU dH;
. Hn vaiea waa mj aaraat aad taw,
' Aadkkatbaaaicaaf laakal
Batlaararkiaaaadtan.
Bar liaa aa aWiin, awaat aad tad,
Aad aba waa aby aa a faaaDa;
Ska kiaatd aaa bask aad tkaa aka aad,
' Jaat Ska aar ekaraiaf laabal
Bat I arrar kiaa aad aaR.
fried Calf.
' (From fie Pkilaitlpkim Dollar Netupaper.)
THE GOLD-BUG.
A PRIZE STORY.
- - BY EDGAR A. P0EES1.'
- " "
, What W ! arka! W ! tte Maw ia daaaiaf aaad ;
' Ba kalk kaaa ktttao ky tka Taraatabt.
. A'J is tar rraa-. .
Many jroan ago, I eontnctd an Intimacy with
Mr. William Lf grand. He was of aa ancient
Hngnenot family, and had one beea wealthy s
but leriet of misfortune had reduced him to
want. . To avoid the mortification consequent
. upon his disasters, he left New Orleans, the city
of his forefathers, and took np his residence at
. Snlliran's bland, near Charleston, South Caro
lina. .
1 This island Is a Tery singular one. It consists
' , of Utile else than the sea sand, and is about
three miles long. Its breadth at no point ex
. cetds a quarter of a mile. It is separated from
the main land by a scarcely perceptible creek,
lag its way throcgh a wilderness of reeds and
alime, a tararita resort of the marsh hen. The
regaUtioo, as might be supposed, is scant, or at
least dirarfish. No trees of any aTjagrutade are
ta be seen. Near the western extremity, where
Fort Moultrie stands, and where are some mia
. ersble frame buildinrs, tenanted, daring, the
summer, by the fugitives from Chaiieeton dust
, and ferer, may be found indeed the bristly paJ
, metto, bat the whole Island, with the exception
of this western point and a line of hard white
. beach on the sea-coast, is covered with a dense
widergrowth of the sweet myrtle, so moch prised
by the horticulturists of England. ' The shrub
, here often attains the height of fifteen or twen
. sy feet, and forms an, almost impenetrable
. jacevbtrtheaing the air with its fragrance.
la the inmost recesses of this coppice, not far
,from the eastern or more remote end of the is
land, Legraad had built himself small hut,
which he occupied when I first, by me. acei-
dent, Jflsde b
cd ink. r-i . . - "nea.
him well educated, with unusual powers of mind,
but Infected with misanthropy, and subject to
perverse moods of alternate en thus! asm and mel
ancholy. He had with him many books, but
rarely employed them. His chief amusements
were gunning and fishing, or sauntering along
the bank and through the myrtles in quest of
shells, or entomological specimens; his collec
tion of the latter might hare been envied by 1
Swammerdamm. In these execrsions he wss
usually accompanied by an old negro, called Ju
piter, who had been manumitted before the re-
verBtsrtUlre fimilr, but who could be induced,
neither by threats nor by promise, 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 in
tellect, had contrived to instil this obstinacy in
to Jupiter, with a view to the supervision and
guardianship of the wanderer. '
The winters in the latitude of Sullivan's Is
land are seldom very severe and, ia the fall of
the year, it is a rare event indeed when a fire is
considered necessary. About the middle of Oc
tober, 19 , 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 miles from the
Island, while the facilities of passago 'and re-
passage were very far behind those of the pres
ent day. Upon rescuing tne nut I rapped, as
was my custom, and getting no reply sought
for the key where I knew it was secreted, un
locked (he door and went In. jfine fire was
blazing sport the hearth. It was a novelty and
by no means an unwelcome one. I threw off an
overcoat, took an arm-chair by the crackling
logs, and waited patiently the arrival of my
hosts.
Soon after dark they arrived and gave me a
most cordial welcome. Jupiter, grinning from
ear to oar, 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, be had hunted
down and secured, with Jupiter's assistance, a
sceraiams 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 blaxe and wishing she whole
tribe of tcarabai at the devil.
'Ah, if I had only known yon were here!'
said Legrand, ' but it's so long since I sow you;
and how could I forac tfcat yoa weald pay me a
visit this very night of all others? As I was com
ing 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 the mor
ning. Stay here to-night, and I win send Jup
down for it at sunrise. It is the loveliest thing
in creation!' "
Ybat? sunrise?
' Nonsense! no! the bug. ' It is of a brilliant
gold eolor about the site of a large hickory-
nut with two jet black spots near one extrem
ity of the back, and another, somewhat longer,
at the other. The amtenum are
Dey ain't aa fin In him, Massa Will, I keep
a tellin on you,' here interrupted Jupiter; de
bag is a goole bug, solid, ebery bit of him, in
side and all, scp him win nebber 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 occasion demanded, ' is that any reason for
your letting the birds burnf The color' here
he turned to me it 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 to-morrow. In
the meantime.! can give you some idea of the
shape.' Saying this, be seated himself at a
small table, on which were a pen and ink, but
00 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,
. . -1 . , ... a. .
rur 1 was suu cniuy. nen toe design was
complete he handed it to me without rising. As
I received it a load growl was heard, succeeded
by a scratching at the door. Jupiter opened it,
and a large Newfoundland, belonging to Le
grand, rushed in, leaped upon my shoulders, and
loaded me with caresses; for I had shown him
moch attention daring previous visits. When
his gambols were over I looked at the paper, and,
to speak the truth, found myself not a little puz
sied at what my friend had depicted. .
WellP I said after contemplating it for some
minutes, this is a strange tctrabm, I must
confess: new to me: never saw anything like it
before unless it waa a skull, or a death's-head
hich it more nearly resembles than anything
else that has come under ara; observation.
A death's-head!' echoed Legrand 'Ob
yes well, it has something of that appearance
upon paper, no doubt The two upper black spots
look Eke eyes, eht and the longer one at the
bottom like a mouth and then the shape af the
whole is oval. - ,
Perhaps so,', said I; but Legrand, I tear
you are no artist. I must wait antil I see the
beetle itself, if I am to form any idea of its per
sonal appearance.' . . -
Well, I don't know, said he, a hole nettled,
I draw tolerobtyaaaaU do it at least have
had good masters, and flatter myself that I aa
not quits a blockhead.' -
' But, my dear fellow, you are joking then,'
said L this is a very passable iaa indeed, I
may aay that it is very ejceffeaf skull, accord
ing to the vulgar notions about such iperiraens
of physiology -ana your mcmrmtnt must be the
queerest aearaaaru in the world if it resembles
It. Why we may get up a very thrilling bit of
superstition upon this hint. I rceecaje you win
call the buesTsicas cawaf or some-
Miinc of that kind there are manv similar titles
9 " - "t where are the am-
' The afraM." said Legiand, who seemed
to be retting unaccountably warm upon the sub
ject; ' I am sure yon most see the anfeanav.
made them as distinct as they are in the onguC
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
was positively aw attennm visible, and the whole
did bear a very close resemblance to the orduia
ry cots of a death's-head. -
. He received the paper very peevishly, and was
about to crumple it, apparently to throw it is the
fire, when a casual glance at the desiga seemed
suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant
his face grew violently red in another as exces
sively pale. For some minutes he continued to
scrutinize the drawing minutely where be sat.
At length be arose, took a candle from the table,
and proceeded to seat himself upon a sea-chest
in the farthest comer of the room. Here again
he made an anxious examination of the paper;
turning it in all directions. He said nothing,
however, and his oviduct greatly astonished me;
yet I thought it pruoent not to exacerbate the
growing moodiness of his temper by any com
ment. Presently he took from his coat-pock
et a wallet, placed the paper carefully in it, and
deposited b9th in a writing-desk, which he
locked. He now grew more composed in his de
meanor; but his original air of enthusiasm had
quite disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much
sulky as abstracted. As the even! ng wore away
he became more and more absorbed in reverie,
from which no sallies of mine could arouse him.
It had been my intention to pass the night at
the hut, as I had frequently done before, but,
seeing my host la this mood, I deemed it proper
to take leave. He did not press me ro 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 bis
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?
bow 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 Wlat
does he complain o?'
Dar! dat's it! him nebber plain of notin
but him berrv sick for all dat'
Very aid.-, 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 U understand what it
is you are talking about You say your master
is sick. Hasn't he told you wliat ails bim?'
'Why, massa, taiu't worf while for to git mad
bout de matter Massa Will say nofin at all ain't
de matter wid him bat den what make him so
bout looking dis here way, wid he head down,
and he soldiers up, and as white as a goose?
And den he keep a syphon all de time
' Keeps a what, Jupiter? .
' Keeps a syphon wid de flgfrurs on de slate
the .queerest figures I eber did see. Isegittin
to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to keep mighty
tight eye pon him moovers. Todder dsy 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 n good beatin 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
think you had better not be too severe with the
poor fellow don't flog him, Jupitor 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 yen?'
, ' No, massa, dey ain't bid noffin onpleasant
etaee den 'twas fart den I'm feared '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 the head by dat d n
goole-bug.'
' And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such
a supposition?
C laws enuff, massa, and mouff too. I neb
ber did see sich a d n bug he kick and be 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
most ha got be bite. I didn't like de look ob
de bug jnoufr, myself, no how, so I Wouldn't take
hold ob him wid my finger, but 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
dew-ay.
And you think, then, that your master was
really bittca by the beetle, and that the bite
made him sick?
I don't Unk noffin bout it I nose it What
make him dream bout de goole ad much, if 'taint
cause he bit by de goole-bug? be heerd bout
dem goole -bogs fore dis. - ,
' But how do you know he dreams about
gold?.
'How 1 know 7 why cause he talk about it
in he sleep dat's bow I nose.'
Well, Jup, perhaps yoa- are right; but to
'what fortunate circumstance am I to attribute
tha honor y visit from yon, to-day V
What de matter, massa r
'Did you bring any message from Mr. Le
grand?1
'No, massa, I bring dis here ptssel;' and here
Jopiter handed aie a note which raa tics:
MtDesji '
Why faavw I aot seen yow for so long a time?
I hope you have not beea so foolish as to take
offence at any little aVssuene of mine; but no,
that is improbable. -
Since) I saw yoa I hare had great cause for
anxiety. I have something to tell you, yet scarce
ly knew how to tell it, or whether I should tell
it at an. - I
I hare not been quite well for some days past.
and poor old 'Jup annoys me, almost beyond en
iMiirance, by his well-meant attentions.
Would
Jul
n believe it? he had Dremred a hup stick
arii i j : u u: i t -
w v
giving him the slip, and spt'g the day mlu$
among the hills on the main Mod. I verily be
lieve that my 01 looks alone saved me a flog-
i
I have made no addition t the cabinet since
we met
If you can, hf any way,. nr'e it convenient,
come over with Jupiter,
see you, tt-nighl, upon business of importance.
I assure you that it is of the lighett importance.
Ever, yours, William Lsgusd.
There waj something in the tone of this note
which gave me great uneasiness. Its whole style
differed miterially from that of Legrand. What
could he be dreaming ? What new crotchet pos
sessed his excitable brain? What ' business of
the highest importance ' could me 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 hes
itation, therefore, I prepared to accompany the
negro.
Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe
and three spades, all apparently new, lying in
the bottomVH the boat in which re were to cm
bark. . 1
' What is the meaning of all this, Jup? I In
quired. . -
Him syfc, massa, and spade.
' Ycry true; but what are they doing here 7
' Him de syfeaand de spade which Massa Will
sis pon my buying for him in de town, and de
dcbbU's own lot of money rhad to gib fur cm.'
' But what, in the name of all that is mysteri
ous, is your ' Massa Will ' going to do with
scythes and spades?' (
' Dat's more dan know, and debbil take me
tf I don't blicre 'tis more dan he know, too. But
it's all com 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 two in the
afternoon when we arrived. Legrand had been
awaiting us in eager expectation. He grasped
my hand with a nervous tmpreuemaU which
alarmed me and strengthed the suspicions alrea
dy entertained. His countenance was pale, even
to ghastliness, and his deep-sctf-y; jlnrod with
unnatural lustre. After some inquiries -respecting
his health, I asked him, not knowing what
better to say, if ho had yet obtained the teara
batut from Lieut G .
Oh, yes,' he replied, coloring violently, I
got it from him the next morning. Nothing
should tempt me to part wits that learabaeut.
Do you know that Jupiter is quite right about
it?' -
'In what way V I asked, with a sad foreboding
at heart
,' In supposing it to be a Vug of real gold.'
He said this with an air of pra found seriousness,
and I felt inexpressibly shocked.
. ' This bug is to make my fortune,' he contin
ued, with a triumphant smile, to re-instate me
in my family possessions. Is it Iny wonder,
then, that I prize H? Since Fortune has thought
Ct to bestow it upon me, I have oily to use It
properly and I shall arrive at the gold of which
it is the index. Jupiter, bring me that tcara-
boat.'
' What! de bug, massa? I'd rudder not go
for to trouble dat bug yea 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 ia which it was enclosed. It was a
beautiful tcarabarut, and, at that time, unknown
to naturalists of course a great prize in a sci
entific point at view. There were two round
black spots near one extremity of the back, and
a longer one near the other. The scales were
exceedingly hard and glossy, with all the appea
rance 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 wkat to make
ofLegsand's concordance with that opinion, I
could not, for the life of me, tell.
I sent for yoa, said he, ia a gnndiloqucnt
tone, when I had completed my examination of
the beetle, ' I sent for yoa, 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,
'yoa are certainly unwell, and had better use
some little precautions. Yoa shall go' to bed, and
I wiU remain with yoa a few days, until you get
over this. .You are feverish and
Feel my purse,' said he. '
I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the
slightest indication of ferer.
'But yoa may be 01 and yet have no ferer.
Allow me, this enco, to prescribe for yoa. U
the first place, go to bed. In the nc it '
Yon are mistaken,' he interposed, I am as
weU as I eaa expect to be under the excitement
which I suffer. If yoa really wish me well, yoa
win relieve this excitement.'
' And how is this to be? '
' Very easily. Jupiter aad aytelf are going
upon aa expedition into the bills upon the main
land, and, in this expedition, we shall need the
aid of some persoa la whom we eaa confide.
You are the only one we can trust. Whether
we succeed or fail, the excitement which yoa
new perceive brine wHl be equally allayed.'
I am anxious to oblige yoa in any way, I
replied; 'but do yoa mean to aay that this infer
nal beetle has any connection with your expedi
tion Into the hills ? - ,
Ithas.' - '
Then, Legrand, I can become a party to DO
such absurd proceeding.' . '
I am sorry very sorry for we shall have to
try it ky ourselves.'
Try it by yourselves! The man is sorely
mad! bat our, how long-do yo propose to be
absent?
i
' Probably all night We shall start immedi
ately, 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 satis
faction, 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 hare no time to lose.
With a heavy heart I acrynpanicd my friend.
We started about four o'clock Legrand, Jupi
ter, the dog and myself. Jupiter had with him
the scythe and spsdes Co whole of wliiou W
insisted upon carrying more through fear, it
seemed to me, of trusting either of the imple
ments within reach of his master, than from any
excess of industry oreomplaisance. His demea
nor was dogged in the extreme, and ' dut d n
bug ' were the solo words which escaped his lips
during the journey. For my own part, I had
charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while La
grand contented himself with the tearakuut,
which he earned 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 tliis
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 suc
cess. In the meantime I endeavored, but au in
vain, to sound him in regard to the object of the
expedition. Having succeeded in induciug me
to accompany him, he seemed unwilling to hold
conversation upon any topic of minor impor
tance, and to an my questions vouchsafed no
other reply than ' We shall see!
We crossed the creek at the head of the is
land by means of a skiff, and, ascending the high
grounds on the shore of the main land, proceed
ed, in a northwesterly direction, tlirough a tract
of country excessively wild and desolate, where
lef him head up de tree, and de crows gone gob
ble every bit ob de meat off.'
A skull, you say! very weU! how is It
fiistened, to the limb? What holds it on?
Sure nun, massa; mus look. Why dis berry
curous sarcu instance, pon mv word dare a 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 vou hear?
i Yes, massa.
Pay attention then find the left eye of the
skull,
' Hum! hoo! dat's good! why dare ain't no
lef eye at all.'
Ci"ro yetr xisp.t ! Jo joo know your
right hand fromour left?
Yes, I nose dat nose all about dat tis my
lef hand what I chops de wood wid.'
' To be sure! you arc left handed; and your
left eye is on the same side as your left band.
Now I suppose you can find tha loft eye of the
si nil, 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 ob do skull, pon de same side
as dc lef hand ob dc skull, too? caase de skull
ain't got not a bit ob a band at all neber 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 fro de hole look out for him
dare below!'
Very weU! now just keep as you are fora
few minutes.
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 starabam
hung quite clear of any branches, and, if allow
ed to fall, would hare fallen at our feet Le
grand immediately took the scythe, and cleared
with it a circular space, three or four yards in
diameter, just beneath the insect, and, having
accomplished tins, ordered Jupiter to let go the
string and come down from the tree.
Driving a peg, with great aicety, into the
ground, at the precise spot whsre the beetle ky,
my friend now produced from bis pocket a tape
measure. Fastening one end of this at that point
of the trunk of the tree wliich -was nearest the
peg, be unrolled it until it roached the peg, and
thence farther unrolled it, in toe direction alrea
dy 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 tliis, as a centre, a rude circle, about
four feet in diameter, described. Taking now a
spade himself, and giving oae to Jupiter aad one
to me, Legrand begged us to set about digging
as quickly as possible. To speak the troth, I
had ao especial relish for such amusement at
any time, and, at that particular moment, I
would most willingly have declined it; fur the
light was coming on, and I felt much fatigued
with the exercise already taken; but I saw ao
Brode of escape, aad waa fearful of disturbing
my poor friend's equanimity b a refusal. Could
I have depended, indeed, upon Jupiter's aid, I
would have had ao hesitatioa ia aUearpting to
get the lunatic home by force; but I was too
well assured of the old negro's disposition to
hope that be would assist me, under aay circam-
tUncos, ia a penooal contest with his mayter.
I had no doubt that the IaUer bad been infected
with some f the irmuaerable Southern super
stitions about money buried, and theh his phan
tasy had reeaired coafirmatioa by tha finding of
the mem-bam, or, perhaps, by Jupiter's obstina
cy ia aiaintfiin?ng it to bC a bog of real gold.'
A mind disposed to lunacy would readily be led
a war by saeh twggaatona especially if chiming
ia with favorite preconcred ideas and thea I
called to mind the poor follow'a speech about
the beetle's being the lu. . 1 of his fortune.
Upon the whole I was sad; vexed and puzzled.
hot, at length, I concluded to make a virtue of
necessity to dig with a good will, and thus the
sooner to convince him, by ocular demonstration,
of the fallacy of the opinions he entertained.
Thj lanterns having been lit, we all fell to
work with a zeal worthy a more rational can"C;
and, as tho glare fell upon our persons and Im
plements, I could not help tliiuking how pictu
resque a groupe we eojnpased, and how strange
and suspicious our labors mustjiave appeared to
any interloper who, by chance, might have stum
bled upon our whereabouts.
We dug very steadily for two-hours. Little
was said; and eur chief -embarrassment lav in
trie yeipnrs or tne iis0", uitm atcE exceeding
Jf the doa w! tict exceeding in -
tere.it in our proceedings He at length became
so obstreperous that we grew fearful of his giv
ing the alarm to some stragglers in the vicinity;
or, rather, this was the apprehension of Le
grand, for myself, I should have rejoiced at
any interruption wliich might have enabled me
to get the wanderer home. The noise was, at
length, very effectually silenced by Ja-piter,'who,
getting out of the hole with a dogged airof de
liberation, 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
bad reached a depth of fire 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 ev
idently much disconcerted, wiped his brow
thonglrtfully and recommenced. . We had exca
vated 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 ap
peared. The gold-seeker, whom I sincerely pit
ied, 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 meantime I
made no remark. Jupiter, at a signal from his
master, began to gather np his tools. This done,
and the dog having been unmuzzled, we turned
in a 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 col
lar. The astonished negro opened his eyes and
mouth to the fullest extent, let fall the spades
and foil upon his knees.
You scoundrel!' suid Legrand, hissing out
the synables from between his clenched teeth
'you infernal black villain! speak, I ten yoa!
answer me this instant, without prevarication!
which which is your left eye?
Oh, my poUr, Mma Will, ain't Jis lvre my
lef eye for sortin?' roared the terrified Jupiter,
placing his hand upon his rigid organ of vision,
and holding it there with a desperate pcrtinad
ty, as if in immediate dread of his master's at
tempt at a gouge.
I thought so! I knew it! hnrrah! vocife
rated Lr-rrand, letting the negro go, and execu
ting a series of curvets and earacoU, 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 had reached its
no trace of a human footsteps was to be seen
Legrand led the way with decision; pausing on
ly for an instant here and there, to consult what
appeared to be certain landmarks of his own con
trivance upon a former occasion.
In tliis manner we journeyed for about two
hours, and the sun was just setting when we en
tered a region Infinitely more dreary than any
vet seen. It was a species of table-land, near
the summit of an almost inaccessible hill, dense
ly wooded from base to pinnacle, and interspersed
with huge crags that appeared lo lie loosely up
on the soiland, in many eases, 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 clam
bered 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 as a path to the foot of aa
enormously tall tulip-tree, which stood, with
some eight or ten oaks, upon the level, aad far
surpassed them all, and all other trees whioh I
had thea ever sscn, In the beauty of its foliage
and form, in the wide spread of its branches, and
in the general atajesty of It appearance. When
we reached this tree, Legrand toned to Jupiter,
and asked his if he thought he could climb it
The old nwuweemed a little staggered by the
question, and for some moments, made ao reply.
At length he approached the tree, walked slow
ly round its huge trunk, and examined it with
mute attention. When be had completed his
scrutiny, he merely said
Yea, massa, Jup climb any tree he eober aee
in he life.'
Then up with yea as soon aa poaaible, for it
win soon be too dark to see what we ara about.'
How far mu go up, massa? inquired Jupi
ter. Cct up the mala frank first, and thea I wffl
teH yoa whidi way to go and here stop 'take
this beetle np with yoa.
De bug, Massa Will! de roole bug' cried
the bcsto. drawirur bade ia dismay ' what for
mns tote de bug way op de tree ? d a if I do?
If yoa are afraid, J op, a great big aegro Hie
yoa, to take bold af a harmless little dead bee
tle, why yoa can carry it ap by this string tot
if yoa da not take it up with yoa ia soma way,
I shall be under the necessity of breaking your
bead with the shoveL
What de matter, now, massa?" said Jos, ev
idently shamed into compliance; always want
for to raise fuss wid eld nigger. ' Was only fua
mn any how. Me feered de bug! what I kecr
for de beg?
Here he took Atttioosiy hold of extreme
Ad of the string, and, miis-;,,, the moect as
far from his per, cirennrcta would ,. j
mit, preparerl - I
In youth, the tulip tree, or Lirpiiewinm 7V
Upiftrtm, the most magnificent of American fo
resters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, and often
rises to a great height without lateral Jbraachaa; -but,
la its riper age, the bark becomes gnarled!
and uneven, while many short limbs make their
appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of
sseension, in the present case, lay mere ia sem
blance than reality. Embracing; the huge cylin
der, as closely as possibly, whh his arras sad
knees, seizing with his hands soar prajscUoos,
ud resting his naked toes upon others, Jupiter
1 after sue or two narrow escapes front aUtiag,'al " "
length wriggled himself into the first great fork,
and seemed to consider the whole business aa
virtually accomplished. The rial of the achieve
ment was, in fact, now over, although tha
climber was some sixty or seventy feet from the
ground.
Which way mus go now, Massa WiU? be
asked.
Keep np the largest branch the one an this
side, said Legrand.
The negro obeyed him promptly, and apparent
ly with but little trouble; ascending higher and
higher, until no glimpse of his squat figure could
be obtained tlirough the dense foliage which en
veloped it Presently his voice was heartf in a
sort of halloo.
How much furder is got for go?
How high up are you? asked Legrand.
'Ebber ao fur, replied the negro; ' can lee de
sky fro de top ob de tree.'
Never mind the skv. but attend to what I
sa Look down the trunk and count tha Baba
below you on this aide. How many limbs have -
yoa passed?
One, two, three, four, five I gone pas fiba
big limb, massa, pon dis side.' '
Then go one limb higher.'
In a few minutes tha voles waa heard again.
announcing that the seventh limb was attained.
Now, Jup, cried Legrand, evidently much
excited, I want yoa to work your way out npoa
that limb as far as yoa can. If yoa tee anything
strange, let me know.'
By this time what little doubt I might hare
entertained of my poor friends insanity, waa pot
finally to feet I had ao alternative bat to eoa
clude him stricken with lunacy, and I became
seriously anxioua about getting him borne.
While I was pondering upon what was best to ba
done, Jupiter's voice was again heard.
Mos feered to ventur pon dis limb, berry far
'tis dead limb putty much all de way.'
Did you say it waa a sVaef limb, Jupiter?
cried Legrand, la a quavering voter -
Yea, massa, hire, dead aa de rlmrr nail dono
op for aartain done departed'die here life.'
What in the name of heaven shall wa do?
asked Legrand, seemingly in the greatest dis
tress. Do?' said I, glad of aa opportunity to inter
pose a word, why, coma heme, and go to bed.
Do that's a fine fellow. It's getting tate, and
besides, yoa remember your promise.'
Jupiter,' cried hekwithout heeding me in tho
least, do yoa hear meT -
Yes, Massa Will, bear yoa ebber so plain.'
Try the wood weU then with your knife, and
see if you think it rerjr rotten.'
Him rotten, massa, sura miff,' replied tha
negro, ia a few moments, but not to berry rat
ten as might be. Mought ventur out Ieetle way
pon de limb by myself, dat's true.'
By yourself! what do you meanT
Why I mesa de bug. Dis berry hebby buff.
Spose I drop him ddwa fuse, and dea da limb '
won't break wM just de weight ob one nigger.'
Yoa infernal scoundrel ! cried Lerrraod, ap
parently much reHeved, what do yoa mean by
telling me such noivense as that ? As aura is rots
drop that beetle I'll break your neck. Look here
Jupi tcr, do yoa hear me T
' Yes, aussa, needn't noHo at poor nerro dat
style.'
WeU, sow listen if yon will venture out on
the limb as far as you think safe, and not let go
of tha beetle, I'll make yoa a present of a silver
dollar as aooa aa yoa get dowa-'
rmgwine, Massa WiU deed I reolied
the negro, very promptly' mes oat to de eeod
now.'
Oaf a Ik ei." here fairly screamed Le- .
grand; 'do yoa say yon are out to the end of
that limb?
Soon ba to da eend, ma sua 0 a 0 o-a-h!
Lor-gor-a-nurey! What it dis hero pon da
treer -
Wen." cried Legrand, highly delighted, -what
to !tr
' Why tain't noffin bet a ikulT aowebodr bin
foot, 'come here! Was the skull Bailed to the-
Omb with tha face outwards, or with tba face tot-'
the Grab?
De face was out, massa, ao dat de crew
could gK at de eyes good, widout any trouble.' .
well, then, was it this eye or that throarli
which yn dropped the beetle?
Hera Legrand touch each of Jupiter's
Twaa dis eye, massa de let eye Bs aa yoa "
teH me,' and here it was his right eye that tha
aegTO indicated. .
'That win do we must try it again T
CneUtmn urxt aw.)
Eadid, tha BuUhematiciaa, being asked by a
King whether he eeald aot explain bis art to
bim, ia a mora eompendloas manaer, replied: -
There it ao royal road to toesetry.' Other
things may be seized by rni-hl, or purchased try.
money; but knowkdgt ia to ba rained aoTy br -
study, and atady to be proeeeuWd m rwtirrotlQ.-
A eotemporary remarks that tha aww Wpate.
aa efTeotual damper oa anonymoaax lateta'
Tbeee who send them ire bow coeaaagsdtd pay
three cents, which, to Inch mesa ae farrparas .
a much greater ps-ug thaa their wSa&xMX
poasiWy inflict, ba any one ea.
A wife cruutot stake boa eeWortabte- wae
- dean T and ny loves " aad - pets "t t
band, and don't sew tba Vacua on Hi aytr
uP'a. M his drawers.
fbe silent eye is oftoa tho mate
f cowrseroT thaa the noUy toagaav-
Mamstoa ties as many. lBPtor
,1
i
"a tsteem.
. r" Nateral
4 and "wne
a c:
-
HP"''
wrfdlU tree-