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 10 was about three in the afternoon when we arrived. Legrand had been awaiting us in eager expectation. He grasped my hand with a nervous empressement, which alarmed me and strengthened the suspicions already entertained. His countenance was pale even to ghastliness, and his deepset eyes glared with unnatural luster. After some inquiries respecting his 20 health, I asked him, not knowing what better to say, if he had yet obtained the scarabæus from Lieutenant G-. 30 "Oh, yes," he replied, coloring violently, "I got it from him the next morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that scarabæus. Do you know that Jupiter is quite right about it?" "In what way?" I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart. "In supposing it to be a bug of real gold." He said this with an air of profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked. "This bug is to make my fortune,” he continued, with a triumphant smile, "to reinstate me in my family · possessions. Is it any wonder, then, 40 that I prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I have only to use it properly and I shall arrive at the gold of which it is the index. Jupiter, bring me that scarabæus!" "What! de bug, massa? I'd rudder not go fer trubble dat bug-you mus git him for your own self." Hereupon Legrand arose, with a grave and stately air, and brought me the beetle 50 from a glass case in which it was enclosed. It was a beautiful scarabæus, and, at that time, unknown to naturalists-of course a great prize in a scientific point of view. There were two round, black spots near one extremity of the back, and a long one near the other. The scales were exceedingly hard and glossy, with all the appearance of burnished gold. 60 The weight of the insect was very remarkable, and, taking all things into consideration, I could hardly blame Jupiter for his opinion respecting it; but what to make of Legrand's agreement with that opinion, I could not, for the life of me, tell. "I sent for you," said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had completed my examination of the beetle, 70 "I sent for you that I might have your counsel and assistance in furthering the views of Fate and of the bug-" "My dear Legrand," I cried, interrupting him, "you are certainly unwell, and had better use some little precautions. You shall go to bed, and I will remain with you a few days, until you get over this. You are feverish and-" "Feel my pulse," said he. I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the slightest indication of fever. "But you may be ill, and yet have no fever. Allow me this once to prescribe for you. In the first place, go to bed. In the next-" 80 "You are mistaken," he interposed; "I am as well as I can expect to be 96 under the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me well, you will relieve this excitement." "And how is this to be done?" "Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition into the hills, upon the mainland, and, in this expedition, we shall need the aid of some person in whom we can confide. You are the only one we can trust. Whether we succeed or fail, the excitement which you now perceive in me will be equally allayed." "I am anxious to oblige you in any way," I replied; "but do you mean to say that this infernal beetle has any connection with your expedition 10 into the hills?" "It has." "Then, Legrand, I can become a party to no such absurd proceeding." "I am sorry-very sorry-for we shall have to try it by ourselves." "Try it by yourselves! The man is surely mad! But stay-how long do you propose to be absent?" "Probably all night. We shall start 20 immediately, and be back, at all events, by sunrise.” the air of a conjuror, as he went. 50 We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a skiff, and, ascending the high grounds on the shore of the mainland, proceeded in 70 a northwesterly direction through a tract of country excessively wild and desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. Legrand led the way with decision, pausing only for an instant, here and there, to consult what appeared to be certain "Yes, I promise; and now let us be landmarks of his own contrivance 30 off, for we have no time to lose." "And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when this freak of yours is over and the bug business (good God!) settled to your satisfaction, you will then return home and follow my advice implicitly, as that of your physician?" With a heavy heart I accompanied my friend. We started about four o'clock-Legrand, Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with him the scythe and spades-the whole of which he insisted upon carrying, more through fear, it seemed to me, of trusting either of the implements within reach of his master, than from 40 any excess of industry or complaisance. His demeanor was dogged in the extreme, and “dat d-d bug" were the sole words which escaped his lips during the journey. For my own part, I had charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while Legrand contented himself with the scarabæus, which he carried attached to the end of a bit of whipcord, twirling it to and fro, with upon a former occasion. In this manner we journeyed for 80 about two hours, and the sun was just setting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than any yet seen. It was a species of table-land, near the summit of an almost inaccessible hill, densely wooded from base to pinnacle, and interspersed with huge crags that appeared to lie loosely upon the soil, and in many cases were prevented from precipitat- 90 ing themselves into the valleys below merely by the support of the trees against which they reclined. Deep ravines, in various directions, gave an air of still sterner solemnity to the scene. The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly overgrown with brambles, through which we soon discovered that it would have been impossible to force our way but for the scythe; and Jupiter, by direction of his master, proceeded to clear for us a path to the foot of an immensely large tulip tree, which stood, with some eight or ten oaks, upon the level, and far surpassed them all, and all other trees which I had then ever 10 seen, in the beauty of its foliage and form, in the wide spread of its branches, and in the general majesty of its appearance. When we reached this tree, Legrand turned to Jupiter and asked him if he thought he could climb it. The old man seemed a little staggered by the question, and for some moments made no reply. At length he approached the huge trunk, 20 walked slowly around it, and examined it with minute attention. When he had completed his scrutiny, he merely said: fuss wid old nigger. Was only fun- 50 In youth, the tulip tree, or Lirioden- a great height without lateral branches; but in its riper age the bark becomes gnarled and uneven, while many short limbs make their appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of ascension, in the present case, lay more in semblance than in reality. Embracing the huge cylinder, as closely as possible, with his 70 arms and knees, seizing with his hands some projections, and resting his naked toes upon others, Jupiter, after one or two narrow escapes from "Then up with you as soon as falling, at length wriggled himself possible, for it will soon be too dark into the first great fork, and seemed to see what we are about." to consider the whole business as "Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life." "How far mus go up, massa?" in- virtually accomplished. The risk of 30 quired Jupiter. "Get up the main trunk first, and then I will tell you which way to goand here-stop! take this beetle with you." "De bug, Massa Will! De goole bug!" cried the negro, drawing back in dismay; "what for mus tote de bug way up de tree? D-n if I do!” · "If you are afraid, Jup, a great big 40 negro like you, to take hold of a harmless little dead beetle, why, you can carry it up by this string-but, if you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall be under the necessity of breaking your head with this shovel." "What de matter now, massa?" said Jup, evidently shamed into compliance; "always want fur to raise the achievement was, in fact, now over, although the climber was some 80 sixty or seventy feet from the ground. "Which way mus go now, Massa Will?" he asked. "Keep up the largest branch, the one on this side," said Legrand. The negro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but little trouble, ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his squat figure could be obtained through the dense foliage 90 which enveloped it. Presently his voice was heard in a sort of halloo. "How much fudder is got for go?" "How high up are you?" asked Legrand. "Ebber so fur," replied the negro; "can see de sky fru de top of de tree.' "Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the trunk and count the limbs below you on this side. How many limbs have you passed?" "One, two, tree, four, fibe-I done pass fibe big limb, massa, pon dis side." "Then go one limb higher." In a few minutes the voice was 10 heard again, announcing that the seventh limb was attained. "Now, Jup," cried Legrand, evidently much excited, "I want you to work your way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see anything strange, let me know." By this time what little doubt I might have entertained of my poor friend's insanity was put finally at 20 rest. I had no alternative but to conclude him stricken with lunacy, and I became seriously anxious about getting him home. While I was pondering upon what was best to be done, Jupiter's voice was again heard. "Mos feerd for to ventur pon dis limb berry far-'tis dead limb putty much all de way." "Did you say it was a dead limb, 30 Jupiter?" cried Legrand in a quavering voice. "Yes, massa, him dead as de doornail-done up for sartain-done departed dis here life." "What in the name of Heaven shall I do?" asked Legrand, seemingly in the greatest distress. "Do!" said I, glad of an opportunity to interpose a word, "why, come home 40 and go to bed. Come now! That's a fine fellow. It's getting late, and, besides, you remember your promise.' "Jupiter," cried he, without heeding me in the least, "do you hear me?" "Yes, Massa Will, hear you ebber so plain." "Try the wood well, then, with your knife, and see if you think it very rotten." "Him rotten, massa, sure nuff," 50 replied the negro in a few moments, "but not so berry rotten as mought be. Mought ventur out leetle way pon de limb by myself, dat's true." "By yourself! What do you mean?” "Why, I mean de bug. 'Tis berry hebby bug. Spose I drop him down fuss, and den de limb won't break wid just de weight ob one nigger." "You infernal scoundrel!" cried 60 Legrand, apparently much relieved, "what do you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? As sure as you let that beetle fall, I'll break your neck. Look here, Jupiter, do you hear me?" "Yes, massa; needn't hollo at poor nigger dat style." "Well, now listen! If you will venture out on the limb as far as 70 you think safe, and not let go the beetle, I'll make you a present of a silver dollar as soon as you get down." "I'm gwine, Massa Will-deed I is," replied the negro very promptly, "most out to de eend now." "Out to the end!” here fairly screamed Legrand; "do you say you are out to the end of that limb?" "Soon be to de eend, massa- 80 0-0-0-0-oh! Lorgol-a-marcy! what is dis here pon de tree?" "Well!" cried Legrand, highly delighted, "what is it?" "Why, 'tain't nuffin but a skullsomebody bin lef him head up de tree, an de crows done gobble ebery bit ob de meat off." "A skull, you say! Very well! how is it fastened to the limb? What holds 90 it on?" "Sure nuff, massa; mus look. Why, dis berry curous sarcumstance, pon my word-dare's a great big nail in de skull, what fastens ob it on to de tree." "Well, now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you do you hear?" Driving a peg, with great nicety, 50 "Yes, massa." "Pay attention, then! Find the left into the ground at the precise spot eye of the skull." where the beetle fell, my friend now "Hum! hoo! dat's good! Why, dar produced from his pocket a tapeain't no eye lef at all." "Curse your stupidity! Do you know your right hand from your left?" "Yes, I nose dat-nose all bout dat -'tis my lef hand what I chops de 10 wood wid." "To be sure! you are left-handed; and your left eye is on the same side as your left hand. Now, I suppose you can find the left eye of the skull, or the place where the left eye has been. Have you found it?" Here was a long pause. At length At length the negro asked, "Is de lef eye of de skull pon de same side as de lef hand 20 of de skull, too? Cause de skull ain't got not a bit ob a hand at all— nebber mind! I got de lef eye now— here de lef eye! What must 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 30 easy ting for to put de bug fru de hole-look out for him dar below!" During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter's person could be seen; but the beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now visible at the end of the string, and glistened like a globe of burnished gold in the last rays of the setting sun, some of which still faintly illumined the eminence 40 upon which we stood. The scarabæus 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. measure. Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk of the tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg, and thence farther unrolled it, in the direction already established by the two points of the tree and the peg, 60 for the distance of fifty feet-Jupiter clearing away the brambles with the scythe. At the spot thus attained a second peg was driven, and about this, as a 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. 70 To speak the truth, I had no especial relish for such amusement at any time, and, at that particular moment, would most willingly have declined it; for the night was coming on, and I felt much fatigued with the exercise already taken; but I saw no mode of escape, and was fearful of disturbing my poor friend's equanimity by a refusal. Could I have depended, so 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 90 superstitions about money buried, and that his fantasy had received confirmation by the finding of the scarabæus or, perhaps, by Jupiter's obstinacy in maintaining it to be “a bug of real gold." A mind disposed to lunacy would readily be led away by such suggestions, especially if |