The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-07-16

of them were very old. and as timekeepers
vaiueless; the works having suffered, more or
less, from corrosidn-!hut all were richly jewel
led and in cases Of great worth. We estimated
the entire c0ntents ofbthe chest that night at
million and a.ghalfodollars; and upon the
"a few being retSdned for our own use). it was
found that we bad greatly undervaiued the
treasure. T. .H
animation, and the Intense excitement of the
time had, in some measure, subsidized, Legrand,
who saw that Hps dying with impatience for
solution of this most extraordinary riddle,
entered into full detail of sll the circum-
stances connected with.it.
"You remember" said he, "the night when
/ handed you the rough sketch / had made of
the scarabseus. You reGollet also, that became
quite vexed at yon ,c for insisting that my
drawing resembled deaths 's-head. When you
first made this assertion thought you were
jesting; but afterwards I called to mind the
peculiar spots on the back of the insect. and
admitted to myself that your remark had some
little foundation in fact. Still, the sneer at
my graphic powers irritated me-for am con-
sidered good artist-and, therefore, when you
handed me the scrap of parchment, / was
about to crumple it up and throw it angrily in
| to the fire."
1.-THE scrap Of paper you mean" said I.
"No; it had much of the appearance of pa
per, and at first supposed it to be such, but when
l came to draw upon it, discovered it, at once,
to be piece of very thin parchment. 1t was
quite dirty, you remember. Well, as was in
the very act of crumpling it up, my glance fell
upon the sketch at which you had been looking,
and you may imagine my astonishment when
perceived, in fact, the figure of death's-head
just where, it seemed to me, had made the
drawing of the beetle. For a moment was
too much amazed to think with accuracy. l
knew that my design was very different in
detail from this-although there was certain
similarity in general outline. Presently took
3 candle, and seating myself at the other end
of the room, proceeded to scrutinize the parch-
ment more closely. Upon turning it over I
saw my own sketch upon the reverse. just as
had made it. My first idea, now, was mere
surprise at the really remarkable similarity Of
outline-at the singular coincidence involved
in the fact that unknown to me, there should
have been skull upon the other side of the
parchment, Immediately beneath my figure of
the scarabeus, and that this skull. not only in
outline, but i'll size, should so closely resemble
my drawing. l say the singularity of this
coincidence absolutely stupifed me for time.
This is the usual effect of such condolences.
The mind struggles to establish connection
sequence of cause and effect-and, being
unable to do so, suffers species of temporary
paralysis But, when l recovered from this
stupor, there dawned upon me gradually con-
victiOn which startled me even far moro than
the coincidence. Ibegan distinctly, positively,
to remember that there had been no drawing
upon the parchment when made my sketch
of the scarabaus. became perfectly certain of
this; for / rec0llected turning up first one
side and then the other in search of the cleanest
spot. Had the skull been then there, of course
! could not have failed to notice it. Here was
indeed mystery which ] felt it impossible to
explain but, even at that early moment. there
seemed to glimmer, family, within the most
remote and secret chambers of my intellect, a
glow worm-like conception of that truth which
last nights adventure brought to so magnifi-
cent demonstration. arose at once, and put
ting the parchment securely away, dismissed
all farther reflection until l should be alone.
"When you had gone, and when Jupiter was
fast asleep, betook myself to more meth0di-
cal investigation of the affair. In the first
place / considered tho manner in which the
parchment had c9me into my possession. The
spot where we discovered the scarabSas was on
the coast of the mainland, about mile eastward
of the island, and but short distance above
hghwater mark, Upon my taking hold of it.
it gave me a sharp bite, which caused me to let
it drop. Jupiter withlhis accustomed caution,
before seizing the insect, which had flown to-
wards him, looked about him for leaf, or
something of thatnatute, by which to take hold
of it. 1t was at this moment that his eyes, and
mine also, fell upon the scrap of parchment.
which / then supposed to be paper. 1t was
lying half buried in the sand, q corner stick
ing up. Near the spot where we found 1t, l
observed the remnants of the hull of what
appeared to have been a ships longboat. The
wreck seemed tOhave been there for very great
while; for the resemblance to boat timber
could scarcely be traced.
"Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment,
wrapped the beetle in it, and gave it to me-
Soon afterwards we turned to go home and on
the way met Lieut.. C.. ! showed him the
insect and he begged me to let him take it to
the fort. Upon my consenting, he thrust it
forthwith into his waistcoat pocket without
the parchment in which it had been wrapped.
and which dad 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 ODce-yOu know how en-
thusiastic 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. l 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
had already established kind of connection
had put together two links of great chain.
There was boat lying upon the seacoast, and
not far from the boat was parchment-not a
paper-with skull depicted upon it. You
WILL of course ask where is the connection?'
! reply that the skull, or deaths-head, is the
well-known emblem of the pirate. The flag
of the death 's-head is hOisted in all engage
ments.
Il have said that the scrap was parchment,
and not paper. Parchment is durabe-almost
impcrishable. Matters of little moment are
rarely consigned to parchment; since, for the
mere ordinary purposes of drawing or writing,
it is not nearly SO well adapted as paper. This
reflection suggested some meaning-some rel
evancy-in the deaths 's-head. did not fail to
observe, also tho form of parchment. Although
one of its corners had been, by some accident,
destroyed, it could be seen that the original
form was oblong. It was just such slip, in
deed, as might have been chosen for memo
randum-for record of something to be long
remembered and carefully preserved"
"But," interposed, "you say that the skull
was not upon the parchment when you made
the drawing of the beetle. How, then, do you
trace any connection between the boat and the
skull-snce this latter according to your own
admission, must have been designed God only
knows how or by whom) at some period sub
sequent to your sketching the scarabsus?"
"Ah, hereup0n turns the whole mystery;
although the secret, at this point, had COM
paratively little difficulty in solving. My steps
were sure, and could afford but a single result.