The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1870-04-09


proceeded to scrutinize the parchment
more closely Upon turning itaoser; 1
saw my own Sketch upon the reverse,
just as had made it. Myffsliiea,: now,
was mere surprise at the reaiIy'femark.
able similarity of outline-at the singular
coincidence involved in the. fact, itlrat
unknown to me, there should have been
a skull upon the other side ofIhe parch-
ment, Immediately beneath ny figure of
the scarnberis, aud that thfsskull; NOS
-enly IN outline, but in sizsishoald so
closely resembletmy drawing. eI say the
singularity of this coincidchceeabsoldtely
stupified me for a time. This il the usual
effect of such condolences The mind
struggles to establish q. counexionAa
sequence of cause and effcct--and, being
unable to do so, suffers species of tenn.
porary paralysis. But, when Ifecovercd
from this stupor, there dawned upon me
gradually conviction whici- startled me
even far more than the coincidence. |
began distinctly, positively, "a remember
that there had been no drawing upon the
parchment when l made MS sketch of
the scoroJo"s. l became perfectly GER
tain of this tor recollccted turning up
first one side and then the other, in
search of the cleanest spot. Had the
skull been then there, of cotirsse I could
not have failed to notice it. IA ere was
indeed mystery which fclt.it 'iinnposs
iblc to exrlain; but, even at that early
moment, there seemed to climber, family,
within the most remote and secret cham
bers of my intellect, siow-@orm-like c
conception of that truth which last
nights adventure brought tosso magnii
cent Il demonstration. art,sc at once,
and putting the parchment securely away.
dismissed all farther reflection until |
should be alone.
When you had gone, ana When j Jupi-
ter was fast asleep, l betodk myself to
more n,ethsdi"al inxestigaton of The
afain:a Ia thts FIRST place 1 considered
the p,anner.in which the pasaIi6isnt had
come into my possrssi1s 4slu -v,v,,
where We discovered the scdrdbuuS was
on the coast Of the maia land. about Il
mile eastward of the island and but a
short distance above high water mark
Upon E:y 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 towards him, looked about
him fer Il leaf, or something of that ma.
ture, by which TO take hold of it. 1t
was ut 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 Netr the spot where
we fond it, | observed the remnants OIL
the hull of what appeared to have been
a sh p's long boat. The wreck seemed tc
have been there for great while for
the resemblance to boat timbers could
scarcely be traced
We'll, Jupiter picked up the parch.
mcnt, wrapped the beetle in it, aud gave
it to me Soon afterwards We turn ID td
so home, and on the way met Lieutenant
c.. showed him the insect, and he
begged me to let him take it to the fort
Upon my conscuiing, lie thrust il forth.
with into his waistcoat pocket, without
the parchment in which it had been
wrapped, aud which | 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 oncc-you know how
enthusiastic he is on all subjects con
nected 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 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 possession; for the cir
cumstnnces impressed ME with peculiar
force.
No doubt you think me fanciful-
but l had already established Il kind of
co""erion. had put together two links