White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-07-02

eilae hAen tni7 irSAA VI tOuls - ONef, allu tn'
bug business good Cody settled to your salts
faction, youRiIl then return home and follow
my advice implicitly, as that of your physician1
yes, 1 promise: and now let US be OF, fol
We have no time to lose.'
With heavy heart accompanied my friend
We started about four o'clOck-Legand, Jupi
ter, the dog and myself. Jupiter had with hin
the scythcs and spades-tae whole Of which a,
insisted upon carying-more through fear, il
seemed to me, Of trusting either of the imple-
ments within reach of his master, than from any
excess of industry orcomplaisance. His demea.
nor was dogged in the extreme, and dat d-u
bug were the sole words which escaped his lips
during the journey. For my own part, had
charge of couple of dark lanterns, while L6--
grand conlented himself with the seara6aeus,
which he carried attached TO the end of a bit OF
whip-cerd; twirling it to and fro with the air Of
coljuror, as he went. When observed this
last plain evidence of my friends alteration OF
mind, could scarcely refrain from tears. /
thought it best, however, to humor his fancy, at
least for the present, or until could adopt some
more energetic measures with chance of sue
cess. In the meantime endeavOred, but all in
vain, to sound him in regard to the object of the
expedition. Having succeeded in inducing me
to accompany him, he seemed unwilling to hold
conversation upO9 any topic Of minor impor-
lance, and to all my questions vouchsafed no
other reply than We shall seq
We crossed the creek at the head of the is
land by means of skiff, and, ascending the high
grounds on the shore of the main land, proceed
ed, in northwesterly direction, through tract
of country excessively wild and dOsolate, where
lief him head up de tree, and dc crows gone COB
BILE every bit OBJ de meat off,
"A skull, you say.-very wOll.-hOw is it
fastened to the limb7 What holds it orr
Sure huff, massa; mus look. Why dis berry
curious circumstance, pom my word-dare's a
great big nail in de skull, what fastens OBJ it on
to de tree
'well now. Jupiter, do exactly as tell you
do you hearP
.Yes, massa.'
'Pay attention then-and the left eye of the
SKULL
Hum! hoo! OATS good! why dare amt no
lef eye at ALL
fcurse your ss%P:di.g: 20 you know your
right hand frOHl your left1'
'Yes, nose dat--nose all about dat--tis my
lief hand what chops de wood wide
ITO be sure! you are left handed; and your
left eye is on the same side as your left hand
Now l suppose you can find the left eye of the
skSll, or the place where the left eye has been.
Have you found itl'
Here was long pause. At length the negro
asked
Is de lef eye OBJ dc skull, pom de same side
as de lief hand OBJ de skull, tOol-case de skull
amt got not bit oh band at all-neber mind!
got de lef eye nowhere de lef eye.-what
mus do wild it's
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
AN dat done, Massa VIII; mighty easy ting
for to put de bug fru de hole-look out for him
dare below"
'very well.-now just keep as you are for q
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
Furnished gold, in the last rays Of the setting
sun, some of which still family illumined the
eminence upon which we stood. The searG6cus
hung quite clear of any branches, and, if allow
cd to fall, would have fallen at our feet. Lee
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 this, ordered Jupiter to let 60 the
string and come down from the tree.
Driving a peg, with great nicely, into the
ground, at the precise spot whsre the beetle lay,
my friend now produced from his pocket tape
measure. Fastening one end of this at that point
of the trunk of the tree which was nearest the
peg, he unrOlled it until it reached the peg, and
thence farther uHroled 1t, in tie direction AREA
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, second peg was driven,
and about this, as a centre, 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,
had no especial relish for such amusement at
any time, and, at that particular moment,
would most willingly have declined il; for the
night was coming on, and felt much fatigued
with the exercise already taken; but saw no
mode Of escape, aid was fearful of disturbing
nv poor friends equanimity BY a refusal. Could
/ have depended, indeed, upon Jupiter's aid,
would have had no hesitation in attempting 70
get the lrnatic home by force; but vas TOO
well assured of the old negrO's disposition to
hope that he would assist me, under any circum-
stances, in personal contest with his MASTER
| had no doubt that the latter had been infected
with some Of he innumerable Southern super
stitions about money buried, and then his phan-
tasy had received confirmation by the finding Of
the seaTabsss, or, perhaps, by Jupiter's obstina-
cy in maintaining it to be- bug Of real gold
A mind disposed to lunacy would readily be led
away By sueh suegastms-especiaIly II Ginning
in with faEorite prseoneeiFed ideas-and then
called 10 mind the pe6r allows speech about
ihe beetle's being the index Of his foEtnne.-
Upon the whole / vas eadi5 sexed and puzzled,
but, at length, l concluded 70 make virtue OF
necessity-to dig with good xiiIs and thus she