East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-05-03

ClcducSI spOt. iiou tho ohuh pSch ehOi
there, of course could not have faile'
to notice it. Here was indeed a myster,
which felt it impossible to explain; bu
even at that early moment, there secme'
to glimmer, family, within the most re
mote and secret chambers of my intel
lect, a glow-worm-like conception of tha
truth which, last nights adventure brough
to so magnificent a demonstration.
arose at once, dismissing all further re
Election until | should be alone.
when you had gone, and when Jupiter
was fast asleep, betook myself to more
methodical investigation of the affair
In the first place considered the manner
in which the parchment had come into
my possession. The spot where we dis
covered the scarabeas was on the coast ol
the main land, about mile eastward oi
the island, and but short distance above
high water mark. Upon my seizing it
it gave me sharp bite, which caused me
to let it drop. Jupiter, with his accus-
TONED caution, before seizing the insect,
which had flown toward him, looked
about him for leaf, or something OF
that nature, by which to take hold of it.
1t was at this moment that his eyes, and
mine also, fell upon the scrap of parch-
ment, which | then supposed to be paper.
1t was lying half buried in the sand, a
corner sticking up. Near the spot where
we found it, observed the remnants of
the hull of what appeared to have been
a chino 1oncr baat 'rha ,yroo1- eoan,aJ
to have been there for very great while;
for the resemblance to boat timbers could
scarcely be traced.
well, Jupiter picked up the parch-
ment, wrapped the beetle in it, and gave
it to me. Soon afterward we turned to
go home, and Oh the way met Lieutenant
C. showed him the insect, and he
begged me to let him take it to the fort.
Upon my consenting, he thrust it forth
with into his waistcoat pocket, without
the parchment in which it had been
wrapped, and which | had continued to
hold in my hand during his inspection.
lerhaps he dreaded my changing my
mind, and thought it best to make sure of
the prize at once-you know how enthu-
siastic he is on all subjects connected
with Natural History. At the same time,
without being conscious of it, | must
have deposited the parchment in my own
pocket.
You remember that when ! went to
the table, for the purpose of making a
sketch of the beetle, | found no paper
where it was usually kept. | looked in
the drawer and found none there. |
searched my pockets hoping to find an
old letter, when my hand fell upon the
parchment. ! thus detail the precise
mode in which it came into my posses
sion; for the circumstances impressed me
with peculiar force.
No doubt you will think me fanciful
but i had already established kind of
connection. l had put together two links
Of great chain. There was boat ly-
ing upon a sea- coast, and not far from the
boat was parchment-not paper-with
a skull depicted upon it. You will, of
course, ask where is the Connection /
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.
Il have said that the scrap was parch-
nent, and not paper. Parchment is du-
imperishable. Matters of
little moment are rarely consigned to
since, for the mere ordinary
purposes of drawing or writing, it is not
nearly So well adapted as paper This
reflection suggested some meaning i
'ome relevanoy-in the death's-head. |
lid not fail to observe, also, the form of
he parchment. Although one of the
corners had been, by some accident, de-
'troyed, it could be seen that the original
orm was oblong. 1t was just such
Hip, indeed, as might have been chosen
or memorandum--for q record, of
omething to be long remembered and
carefully preserved"
But l interposcd, you say that the
kull was not upon the parchment when
'ou made the drawing of the beetle
low then do you trace any connection |
'etween the boat and the skull-since
his latter, according to your own admis-
ion, must have been designed (God only
.nows how or by whom) at some period
ubsequcnt to your sketching the scara-
eaY%
'Ah, hereupon turns the whole mys-
cry; although the secret, at this point, l
ad comparatively little difficulty in solv-
ng. My steps were sure and could af-
ord but single result. L reasoned, for
xample, thus: When / drew the scara-
eus there was no skull apparent upon
he parchment. When / had completed
he drawing / gave it to you, and OBJ
erved you narrowly until you returned
!. You, therefore, did not design the
kull, and no one else was present to do
!, Then it was not done by human
gcncy. And nevertheless it was done.
at this stage of my reflections en-
Favored to remember, and did remem-
or, with entire distinctness, every Incl
ent which occurred about the period in
uestion. The weather was chilly (oh
are and happy accidentD and fire was
lazing upon the hearth. l was heated
nth exercise, and sat near the table,
'ou, however, had drawn chair close
D the chimney. Just as 1 placed the
archment in your hand, and as you were
! the act of inspecting it, Wolf, the
Iewfoundland, entered, and leaped upon