stories by modern american authors-第30节

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gold；　in　the　last　rays　of　the　setting　sun；　some　of　which　still

faintly　illumined　the　eminence　upon　which　we　stood。　　The　scarabaeus

hung　quite　clear　of　any　branches；　and；　if　allowed　to　fall；　would

have　fallen　at　our　feet。　　Legrand　immediately　took　the　scythe；　and


cleared　with　it　a　circular　space；　three　or　four　yards　in　diameter；

just　beneath　the　insect；　and；　having　accomplished　this；　ordered

Jupiter　to　let　go　the　string　and　come　down　from　the　tree。



Driving　a　peg；　with　great　nicety；　into　the　ground；　at　the　precise

spot　where　the　beetle　fell；　my　friend　now　produced　from　his　pocket

a　tape　measure。　　Fastening　one　end　of　this　at　that　point　of　the

trunk　of　the　tree　which　was　nearest　the　peg；　he　unrolled　it　till　it

reached　the　peg　and　thence　further　unrolled　it；　in　the　direction

already　established　by　the　two　points　of　the　tree　and　the　peg；　for

the　distance　of　fifty　feetJupiter　clearing　away　the　brambles　with

the　scythe。　　At　the　spot　thus　attained　a　second　peg　was　driven；　and

about　this；　as　a　center；　a　rude　circle；　about　four　feet　in

diameter；　described。　　Taking　now　a　spade　himself；　and　giving　one　to

Jupiter　and　one　to　me；　Legrand　begged　us　to　set　about　digging　as

quickly　as　possible。



To　speak　the　truth；　I　had　no　especial　relish　for　such　amusement　at

any　time；　and；　at　that　particular　moment；　would　willingly　have

declined　it；　for　the　night　was　coming　on；　and　I　felt　much　fatigued

with　the　exercise　already　taken；　but　I　saw　no　mode　of　escape；　and

was　fearful　of　disturbing　my　poor　friend's　equanimity　by　a　refusal。

Could　I　have　depended；　indeed；　upon　Jupiter's　aid；　I　would　have　had

no　hesitation　in　attempting　to　get　the　lunatic　home　by　force；　but　I

was　too　well　assured　of　the　old　negro's　disposition；　to　hope　that

he　would　assist　me；　under　any　circumstances；　in　a　personal　contest

with　his　master。　　I　made　no　doubt　that　the　latter　had　been　infected

with　some　of　the　innumerable　Southern　superstitions　about　money

buried；　and　that　his　fantasy　had　received　confirmation　by　the

finding　of　the　scarabaeus；　or；　perhaps；　by　Jupiter's　obstinacy　in

maintaining　it　to　be　〃a　bug　of　real　gold。〃　　A　mind　disposed　to

lunacy　would　readily　be　led　away　by　such　suggestionsespecially　if

chiming　in　with　favorite　preconceived　ideasand　then　I　called　to

mind　the　poor　fellow's　speech　about　the　beetle's　being　〃the　index

of　his　fortune。〃　　Upon　the　whole；　I　was　sadly　vexed　and　puzzled；

but；　at　length；　I　concluded　to　make　a　virtue　of　necessityto　dig

with　a　good　will；　and　thus　the　sooner　to　convince　the　visionary；　by

ocular　demonstration；　of　the　fallacy　of　the　opinion　he　entertained。



The　lanterns　having　been　lit；　we　all　fell　to　work　with　a　zeal

worthy　a　more　rational　cause；　and；　as　the　glare　fell　upon　our

persons　and　implements；　I　could　not　help　thinking　how　picturesque　a

group　we　composed；　and　how　strange　and　suspicious　our　labors　must

have　appeared　to　any　interloper　who；　by　chance；　might　have　stumbled

upon　our　whereabouts。



We　dug　very　steadily　for　two　hours。　　Little　was　said；　and　our　chief

embarrassment　lay　in　the　yelpings　of　the　dog；　who　took　exceeding

interest　in　our　proceedings。　　He；　at　length；　became　so　obstreperous

that　we　grew　fearful　of　his　giving　the　alarm　to　some　stragglers　in

the　vicinity；or；　rather；　this　was　the　apprehension　of　Legrand；

for　myself；　I　should　have　rejoiced　at　any　interruption　which　might

have　enabled　me　to　get　the　wanderer　home。　　The　noise　was；　at

length；　very　effectually　silenced　by　Jupiter；　who；　getting　out　of

the　hole　with　a　dogged　air　of　deliberation；　tied　the　brute's　mouth

up　with　one　of　his　suspenders；　and　then　returned；　with　a　grave

chuckle；　to　his　task。



When　the　time　mentioned　had　expired；　we　had　reached　a　depth　of　five

feet；　and　yet　no　signs　of　any　treasure　became　manifest。　　A　general

pause　ensued；　and　I　began　to　hope　that　the　farce　was　at　an　end。

Legrand；　however；　although　evidently　much　disconcerted；　wiped　his

brow　thoughtfully　and　recommenced。　　We　had　excavated　the　entire

circle　of　four　feet　diameter；　and　now　we　slightly　enlarged　the

limit；　and　went　to　the　farther　depth　of　two　feet。　　Still　nothing

appeared。　　The　gold…seeker；　whom　I　sincerely　pitied；　at　length

clambered　from　the　pit；　with　the　bitterest　disappointment　imprinted

upon　every　feature；　and　proceeded；　slowly　and　reluctantly；　to　put

on　his　coat；　which　he　had　thrown　off　at　the　beginning　of　his　labor。

In　the　meantime　I　made　no　remark。　　Jupiter；　at　a　signal　from　his

master；　began　to　gather　up　his　tools。　　This　done；　and　the　dog

having　been　unmuzzled；　we　turned　in　profound　silence　toward　home。



We　had　taken；　perhaps；　a　dozen　steps　in　this　direction；　when；　with

a　loud　oath；　Legrand　strode　up　to　Jupiter；　and　seized　him　by　the

collar。　　The　astonished　negro　opened　his　eyes　and　mouth　to　the

fullest　extent；　let　fall　the　spades；　and　fell　upon　his　knees。



〃You　scoundrel！〃　said　Legrand；　hissing　out　the　syllables　from

between　his　clenched　teeth〃you　infernal　black　villain！speak；　I

tell　you！answer　me　this　instant；　without　prevarication！which

which　is　your　left　eye？〃



〃Oh；　my　golly；　Massa　Will！　aint　dis　here　my　lef　eye　for　sartain？〃

roared　the　terrified　Jupiter；　placing　his　hand　upon　his　RIGHT　organ

of　vision；　and　holding　it　there　with　a　desperate　pertinacity；　as　if

in　immediate；　dread　of　his　master's　attempt　at　a　gouge。



〃I　thought　so！I　knew　it！　hurrah！〃　vociferated　Legrand；　letting

the　negro　go　and　executing　a　series　of　curvets　and　caracols；　much

to　the　astonishment　of　his　valet；　who；　arising　from　his　knees；

looked；　mutely；　from　his　master　to　myself；　and　then　from　myself　to

his　master。



〃Come！　we　must　go　back；〃　said　the　latter；　〃the　game's　not　up　yet；〃

and　he　again　led　the　way　to　the　tulip　tree。



〃Jupiter；〃　said　he；　when　we　reached　its　foot；　〃come　here！　was　the

skull　nailed　to　the　limb　with　the　face　outward；　or　with　the　face　to

the　limb？〃



〃De　face　was　out；　massa；　so　dat　de　crows　could　get　at　de　eyes　good；

widout　any　trouble。〃



〃Well；　then；　was　it　this　eye　or　that　through　which　you　dropped　the

beetle？〃　here　Legrand　touched　each　of　Jupiter's　eyes。



〃'Twas　dis　eye；　massade　lef　eyejis　as　you　tell　me；〃　and　here　it

was　his　right　eye　that　the　negro　indicated。



〃That　will　dowe　must　try　it　again。〃



Here　my　friend；　about　whose　madness　I　now　saw；　or　fancied　that　I

saw；　certain　indications　of　method；　removed　the　peg　which　marked

the　spot　where　the　beetle　fell；　to　a　spot　about　three　inches　to　the

westward　of　its　former　position。　　Taking；　now；　the　tape　measure

from　the　nearest　point　of　the　trunk　to　the　peg；　as　before；　and

continuing　the　extension　in　a　straight　line　to　the　distance　of

fifty　feet；　a　spot　was　indicated；　removed；　by　several　yards；　from

the　point　at　which　we　had　been　digging。



Around　the　new　position　a　circle；　somewhat　larger　than　in　the

former　instance；　was　now　described；　and　we　again　set　to　work　with

the　spade。　　I　was　dreadfully　weary；　but；　scarcely　understanding

what　had　occasioned　the　change　in　my　thoughts；　I　felt　no　longer　any

great　aversion　from　the　labor　imposed。　　I　had　become　most

unaccountably　interestednay；　even　excited。　　Perhaps　there　was

something；　amid　all　the　extravagant　demeanor　of　Legrandsome　air

of　forethought；　or　of　deliberation；　which　impressed　me。　　I　dug

eagerly；　and　now　and　then　caught　myself　actually　looking；　with

something　that　very　much　resembled　expectation；　for　the　fancied

treasure；　the　vision　of　which　had　demented　my　unfortunate

companion。　　At　a　period　when　such　vagaries　of　thought　most　fully

possessed　me；　and　when　we　had　been　at　work　perhaps　an　hour　and　a

half；　we　were　again　interrupted　by　the　violent　howlings　of　the　dog。

His　uneasiness；　in　the　first　instance；　had　been；　evidently；　but　the

result　of　playfulness　or　caprice；　but　he　now　assumed　a　bitter　and

serious　tone。　　Upon　Jupiter's　again　attempting　to　muzzle　him；　he

made　furious　resistance；　and；　leaping　into　the　hole；　tore　up　the

mold　frantically　with　his　claws。　　In　a　few　seconds　he　had　uncovered

a　mass　of　human　bones；　forming　two　complete　skeletons；　intermingled

with　several　buttons　of　metal；　and　what　appeared　to　be　the　dust　of

decayed　woolen。　　One　or　two　strokes　of　a　spade　upturned　the　blade

of　a　large　Spanish　knife；　and；　as　we　dug　farther；　three　or　four

loose　pieces　of　gold　and　silver　coin　came　to　light。



At　sight　of　these　the　joy　of　Jupiter　could　scarcely　be　restrained；

but　the　countenance　of　his　master　wore　an　air　of　extreme

disappointment。　　He　urged　us；　however；　to　continue　our　exertions；

and　the　words　were　hardly　uttered　when　I　stumbled　and　fell　forward；

having　caught　the　toe　of　my　boot　in　a　large　ring　of　iron　that　lay

half　buried　in　the　loose　earth。



We　now　worked　in　earnest；　and　never　did　I　pass　ten　minutes　of　more

intense　excitement。　　During　this　interval　we　had　fairly　unearthed

an　oblong　chest　of　wood；　which；　from　its　perfect　preservation　and

wonderful　hardness；　had　plainly　been　subjected　to　some　mineralizing

processperhaps　that　of　the