The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-07-16
The GOLD-BUG.
The Cipher-IndeX to the Pirates
Treasure.
BY EDGAR A. POE.
Printed by permission Of A. @. Armstrong & Co.,
New York.

"Come! we must 60 back" said the latter,
"the games not up yet; and he again led the
| way to the tuliptree.
Jupiter" said he, when we reached its foot,
"come here? was the skull nailed to the limb
| with the face outwards, or with the face to the
| limb?"
DE face was out, massa, so dat dc crows
| could get at de eyes good, wdout any trouble
"Well, then, was it this eye or that through
| which you dropped the beetle ?"-here Legrand
touched each Of Jupiter's eyes.
"Twas dis eye, massa-de1ef eye-jis as You
tell me-" and here it was his right eye that the
| negro indicated.
"That will dove must try again."
Here my friend, about whose madness now
| saw or fancied that saw, certain indications
| of method, removed the peg which marked
| the spot where the beetle fell, to spot about
three inches to the westward of its former posi-
| tion. Taking, now, the tapemeasure from the
| nearest point of the trunk to the peg, as be-
| fore, and continuing the extension in astraight
Gated, removed, by several yards, from the point
at which We had been digging.
Around the new position circle somewhat
| larger than in the former instance, was now
described, and we again set to work with the
| spades. l was dreadfully weary, but, scarcely
understanding what had occasioned the change
| in my thoughts, felt no longer any great
aversion from the labor imposed. l had be-
| come most unaccountably interested-nay, even
| excited. Perhaps there was something, amid
all the eXtravagant demeanOr of Legrand-s0me
! air of forethought, or of deliberations, which
! impressed me. l dug eagerly, and now and
| then caught myself actually looking, with
| something that very much resembed expecta-
| tion, for the fancied treasure, the vision OF
| which had demented my unfortunate COM
| panion. At q period when such vagaries of
| thought most fully possessed me, and when we
| had been at work perhaps an hour and a half, we
| were again interrupted by the violent howlings
of the dog. His uneasness, in the first instance,
| had been, evidently. but the result of playful
| ness or caprice, but he now assumed a bitter
| and serious tone. Upon Jupiter's again at
tempting to muzzle him, he made furious
| resistance and leaping into the hole, tore up
| the mould frantically with his claws. In q
| few seconds he had uncovered a mass of human
bones forming two complete skeletons, inter-
| mingled with several buttons of metal, and
what appeared to be the dust of decayed WOOL
len. One or two strokes of spade upturned the
blade of large Spanish knife, and, as we dug
farther, three or four loose pieces of gold and
silver coin came to light.
At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could
scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of
| his master wore an air of extreme disappOint-
ment. He urged us, however, to continue our
exertiOns, and the words were hardly uttered
| when I stumbled and fell forward, having
| caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of
| iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
We now worked in earnest, and never did l
| pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
! During this interval we had fairly unearthed
| an OblOng chest of wood which, from its perfect
| preservation and wonderful hardness, had
plainly been subjected to some mineralizing
| process-perhaps that of the bi-chloride Of
| mercury. This box was three feet and a half
| long, three feet broad, aud two and q half feet
| deep. 1t was firmly secured by bands of
| wrought iron, riveted, and forming kind of
! open trellswork over the whole. On each side
of the chest, near the top, were three rings of
| iron-six in abby means of which firm
| hold could be obtained by six persons. Our
! utmost united endeay0rs served only to disturb
| the Golfer very slightly in its bed. We at once
| saw the impossibility of removing so great a
| weight. Luckily, the sole fastenings of the lid
| consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drew
| back-trembling and painting with anxiety.
In an instant, a treasure OF incalcuiable value
| lay cleaning before u.s. As the rays of the
| lanterns fell within the pit. there flashed up
| wards glow and glare, from confused heap
of gold and Of jewels, that absolutely dazzled
our eyes.
/ shall not pretend to describe the feelings
with which gazed. Amazement was, of course,
predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted
with excitement, and spoke very few words.
Jupiter's countenance wore for some minutes
as deadly pallor it is possible, in the nature
of things, for any negrO's vsage to assume He
seemed ified-thunderstrlcken. Presently
| he fell upon his knees in the pit, and, burying
his naked arms up to the elbows in gold, let
them there remain, as if enjoying the luxury
| of bath. At length, with a deep sigh, he ex-
| claimed, as if in solloquy,
And dis all cum oh de gooie-bug! de putty
goole-bug! do poor little goole-bug, what
| boosed i'll dat sabage kind OBJ style! Aint you
shamed OBJ yourself, niger 2-answer me dat )!
1t became necessary, at last. that l should
| arouse both master and valet to the expediency
of removing the treasure. 1t was growing late,
| and it behOoved US to make exertion, that we
might get everything housed before daylight.
1t was difficult to say what should be done, and
1 much time was spent in deliberation-s0 con-
| fused were the ideas Of all. We, finally,
lightened the box by removing two-thirds of its
| contents. when we were enabled, with some
| trouble to raise it from the hole. The articles
| taken out were deposited among the brambles,
| and the dog left to guard them, with strict
orders from Jupiter neither, upon any pretense,
| to stir from the spot, nor to open his mouth
until our return. We then hurriedly made
for home with the chest; reaching the hut IN
| safety but after excessive toll, and at o'clock
| in the morning. Worn out as we were, it was
| not in human nature to do more immed lately.
| We rested until two, and had supper; starting
| for the hills Immediately afterwards. armed
| with three stout sacks, which, by good luck,
| were upon the premises. A little before four
| we arrived at the pit, divided the remainder Of
the booty, as equally as might be, among us,
| and, leaving the holes untitled, again set out
| for the hut, at which. for the second time we
deposited our golden burthens, just as the first
| faint streaks of the dawn CLEANED from over
| the tree-tops in the east.
| We were now thoroughly broken down but
the intense excitement Of the time denied us
repose. After an unquiet slumber of some
three or four hours duration, We arose, as if by
| preconcert, to make examination of our trea-
| sure.
The chest had been full to the brim and we
spent the whole day, and the greater part OF
the next night, in scrutiny of its contents.
| There had been nothing like order or arrange
ment. Everything had been heaped in pro-
| mscuously. Having assorted all with care,
| we found ourselves possessed of even vaster
wealth than we had at first supposed. In coin
| there was rather more than $450O00-esti-
| mating the value of the pieces, as accurately
as we could, by the tables of the period. There
| was not particle of silver. All gold of antique
date and of great variety-French, Spanish
and German money, with a few English
| guineas, and some counters, of which we had
never seen specimens before. There were
several very large and heavy coins, SO worn
that we could make nothing of their inscrip-
| tiohs There was no American money. The
| value of the jewels we found more difficulty in
| estimating. There were diamonds of them
| exceedingly large and fne-a hundred and ten
in all, and not one of them small ;-1S rubies OF
remarkable brilliancy; 80 emeralds all very