stories by modern american authors-第32节

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cleanest　spot。　　Had　the　skull　been　then　there；　of　course　I　could

not　have　failed　to　notice　it。　　Here　was　indeed　a　mystery　which　I

felt　it　impossible　to　explain；　but；　even　at　that　early　moment；

there　seemed　to　glimmer；　faintly；　within　the　most　remote　and　secret

chambers　of　my　intellect；　a　glow…wormlike　conception　of　that　truth

which　last　night's　adventure　brought　to　so　magnificent　a

demonstration。　　I　arose　at　once；　and　putting　the　parchment　securely

away；　dismissed　all　further　reflection　until　I　should　be　alone。



〃When　you　had　gone；　and　when　Jupiter　was　fast　asleep；　I　betook

myself　to　a　more　methodical　investigation　of　the　affair。　　In　the

first　place　I　considered　the　manner　in　which　the　parchment　had　come

into　my　possession。　　The　spot　where　we　discovered　the　scarabaeus

was　on　the　coast　of　the　mainland；　about　a　mile　eastward　of　the

island；　and　but　a　short　distance　above　high…water　mark。　　Upon　my

taking　hold　of　it；　it　gave　me　a　sharp　bite；　which　caused　me　to　let

it　drop。　　Jupiter；　with　his　accustomed　caution；　before　seizing　the

insect；　which　had　flown　toward　him；　looked　about　him　for　a　leaf；　or

something　of　that　nature；　by　which　to　take　hold　of　it。　　It　was　at

this　moment　that　his　eyes；　and　mine　also；　fell　upon　the　scrap　of

parchment；　which　I　then　supposed　to　be　paper。　　It　was　lying　half

buried　in　the　sand；　a　corner　sticking　up。　　Near　the　spot　where　we

found　it；　I　observed　the　remnants　of　the　hull　of　what　appeared　to

have　been　a　ship's　longboat。　　The　wreck　seemed　to　have　been　there

for　a　very　great　while；　for　the　resemblance　to　boat　timbers　could

scarcely　be　traced。



〃Well；　Jupiter　picked　up　the　parchment；　wrapped　the　beetle　in　it；

and　gave　it　to　me。　　Soon　afterwards　we　turned　to　go　home；　and　on

the　way　met　Lieutenant　G。　　I　showed　him　the　insect；　and　he

begged　me　to　let　him　take　it　to　the　fort。　　Upon　my　consenting；　he

thrust　it　forthwith　into　his　waistcoat　pocket；　without　the

parchment　in　which　it　had　been　wrapped；　and　which　I　had　continued

to　hold　in　my　hand　during　his　inspection。　　Perhaps　he　dreaded　my

changing　my　mind；　and　thought　it　best　to　make　sure　of　the　prize　at

onceyou　know　how　enthusiastic　he　is　on　all　subjects　connected

with　Natural　History。　　At　the　same　time；　without　being　conscious　of

it；　I　must　have　deposited　the　parchment　in　my　own　pocket。



〃You　remember　that　when　I　went　to　the　table；　for　the　purpose　of

making　a　sketch　of　the　beetle；　I　found　no　paper　where　it　was

usually　kept。　　I　looked　in　the　drawer；　and　found　none　there。　　I

searched　my　pockets；　hoping　to　find　an　old　letter；　when　my　hand

fell　upon　the　parchment。　　I　thus　detail　the　precise　mode　in　which

it　came　into　my　possession；　for　the　circumstances　impressed　me　with

peculiar　force。



〃No　doubt　you　will　think　me　fancifulbut　I　had　already　established

a　kind　of　CONNECTION。　　I　had　put　together　two　links　of　a　great

chain。　　There　was　a　boat　lying　upon　a　seacoast；　and　not　far　from

the　boat　was　a　parchmentNOT　A　PAPERwith　a　skull　depicted　upon

it。　　You　will；　of　course；　ask　'where　is　the　connection？'　　I　reply

that　the　skull；　or　death's　head；　is　the　well…known　emblem　of　the

pirate。　　The　flag　of　the　death's　head　is　hoisted　in　all

engagements。



〃I　have　said　that　the　scrap　was　parchment；　and　not　paper。

Parchment　is　durablealmost　imperishable。　　Matters　of　little

moment　are　rarely　consigned　to　parchment；　since；　for　the　mere

ordinary　purposes　of　drawing　or　writing；　it　is　not　nearly　so　well

adapted　as　paper。　　This　reflection　suggested　some　meaningsome

relevancyin　the　death's　head。　　I　did　not　fail　to　observe；　also；

the　FORM　of　the　parchment。　　Although　one　of　its　corners　had　been；

by　some　accident；　destroyed；　it　could　be　seen　that　the　original

form　was　oblong。　　It　was　just　such　a　slip；　indeed；　as　might　have

been　chosen　for　a　memorandumfor　a　record　of　something　to　be　long

remembered；　and　carefully　preserved。〃



〃But；〃　I　interposed；　〃you　say　that　the　skull　was　NOT　upon　the

parchment　when　you　made　the　drawing　of　the　beetle。　　How　then　do　you

trace　any　connection　between　the　boat　and　the　skullsince　this

latter；　according　to　your　own　admission；　must　have　been　designed

（God　only　knows　how　or　by　whom）　at　some　period　subsequent　to　your

sketching　the　scarabaeus？〃



〃Ah；　hereupon　turns　the　whole　mystery；　although　the　secret；　at　this

point；　I　had　comparatively　little　difficulty　in　solving。　　My　steps

were　sure；　and　could　afford　but　a　single　result。　　I　reasoned；　for

example；　thus：　When　I　drew　the　scarabaeus；　there　was　no　skull

apparent　upon　the　parchment。　　When　I　had　completed　the　drawing　I

gave　it　to　you；　and　observed　you　narrowly　until　you　returned　it。

YOU；　therefore；　did　not　design　the　skull；　and　no　one　else　was

present　to　do　it。　　Then　it　was　not　done　by　human　agency。　　And

nevertheless　it　was　done。



〃At　this　stage　of　my　reflections　I　endeavored　to　remember；　and　DID

remember；　with　entire　distinctness；　every　incident　which　occurred

about　the　period　in　question。　　The　weather　was　chilly　（oh；　rare　and

happy　accident！）；　and　a　fire　was　blazing　upon　the　hearth。　　I　was

heated　with　exercise　and　sat　near　the　table。　　You；　however；　had

drawn　a　chair　close　to　the　chimney。　　Just　as　I　placed　the　parchment

in　your　hand；　and　as　you　were　in　the　act　of　inspecting　it；　Wolf；

the　Newfoundland；　entered；　and　leaped　upon　your　shoulders。　　With

your　left　hand　you　caressed　him　and　kept　him　off；　while　your　right；

holding　the　parchment；　was　permitted　to　fall　listlessly　between

your　knees；　and　in　close　proximity　to　the　fire。　　At　one　moment　I

thought　the　blaze　had　caught　it；　and　was　about　to　caution　you；　but；

before　I　could　speak；　you　had　withdrawn　it；　and　were　engaged　in　its

examination。　　When　I　considered　all　these　particulars；　I　doubted

not　for　a　moment　that　HEAT　had　been　the　agent　in　bringing　to　light；

upon　the　parchment；　the　skull　which　I　saw　designed　upon　it。　　You

are　well　aware　that　chemical　preparations　exist；　and　have　existed

time　out　of　mind；　by　means　of　which　it　is　possible　to　write　upon

either　paper　or　vellum；　so　that　the　characters　shall　become　visible

only　when　subjected　to　the　action　of　fire。　　Zaffre；　digested　in

aqua　regia；　and　diluted　with　four　times　its　weight　of　water；　is

sometimes　employed；　a　green　tint　results。　　The　regulus　of　cobalt；

dissolved　in　spirit　of　niter；　gives　a　red。　　These　colors　disappear

at　longer　or　shorter　intervals　after　the　material　written　upon

cools；　but　again　become　apparent　upon　the　reapplication　of　heat。



〃I　now　scrutinized　the　death's　head　with　care。　　Its　outer　edges

the　edges　of　the　drawing　nearest　the　edge　of　the　vellumwere　far

more　DISTINCT　than　the　others。　　It　was　clear　that　the　action　of　the

caloric　had　been　imperfect　or　unequal。　　I　immediately　kindled　a

fire；　and　subjected　every　portion　of　the　parchment　to　a　glowing

heat。　　At　first；　the　only　effect　was　the　strengthening　of　the　faint

lines　in　the　skull；　but；　upon　persevering　in　the　experiment；　there

became　visible；　at　the　corner　of　the　slip；　diagonally　opposite　to

the　spot　in　which　the　death's　head　was　delineated；　the　figure　of

what　I　at　first　supposed　to　be　a　goat。　　A　closer　scrutiny；　however；

satisfied　me　that　it　was　intended　for　a　kid。〃



〃Ha！　ha！〃　said　I；　〃to　be　sure　I　have　no　right　to　laugh　at　youa

million　and　a　half　of　money　is　too　serious　a　matter　for　mirthbut

you　are　not　about　to　establish　a　third　link　in　your　chainyou　will

not　find　any　especial　connection　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　thenpretty　much　the　same　thing。〃



〃Pretty　much；　but　not　altogether；〃　said　Legrand。　　〃You　may　have

heard　of　one　CAPTAIN　Kidd。　　I　at　once　looked　upon　the　figure　of　the

animal　as　a　kind　of　punning　or　hieroglyphical　signature。　　I　say

signature；　because　its　position　upon　the　vellum　suggested　this

idea。　　The　death's　head　at　the　corner　diagonally　opposite；　had；　in

the　same　manner；　the　air　of　a　stamp；　or　seal。　　But　I　was　sorely　put

out　by　the　absence　of　all　elseof　the　body　to　my　imagined

instrumentof　the　text　for　my　context。〃



〃I　presume　you　expected　to　find　a　letter　between　the　stamp　and　the

signature。〃



〃Something　of　that　kind。　　The　fact　is；　I　felt　irresistibly

impressed　with　a　presentiment　of　some　vast　good　fortune　impending。

I　can　scarcely　say　why。　　Perhaps；　after　all；　it　was　rather　a　desire

than　an　actual　belief；but　do　you　know　that　Jupiter's　silly　words；

about　the　bug　being　of　solid　gold；　had　a　remarkable　effect　upon　my

fancy？　　And　then　the　series　of　accidents　and　coincidentsthese

were　so　VERY　extraordinary。　　Do　you　observe　how　mere　an　accident　it

was　that　these　events　should　have　occurred　upon　the　SOLE　day　of　all

the　year　in　which　it　has　been；　or　may　be　sufficiently　cool　for

fire；　and　that　without　the　fire；　or　without　the　intervention　of　the

dog　at　the　precise　moment　in　which　he　appeared；　I　should　never　have

become　aware　o