The Press., 1893-04-27


 "I let myself doeo4e to the ledge''
 ''I let myself down to the ledge and found that it was impossible to retain a seat upon it except in one particular po- sition. This fact confirmed my precon- ceived idea. proceeded to use the glass. Of course the Al degrees and 13 minutes could allude to nothing but elevation above the visible horizon, since the hori- zontal direction was clearly indicated by the words northeast and by north.' This latter direction at once established by means of 8 pocket compass. Then, pointing the glass as nearly at an angle of Al degrees of elevation as could do it by guess, moved it cautiously up or down until my attention was arrested by 8 circular rift or opening in the foli. age of 8 large tree that overtopped its fellows in the distance. In the center oi this rift 1 perceived 8 white spot, but could not at first distinguish what it was. Adjusting the focus Of the telescope, again looked and now made it out to be human skull.
 "Upon this discovery was so sanguine as to consider the enigma solved, for the phrase main branch, seventh limb, east side could refer only to the position of the skull upon the tree, while shoot from the left eye of the deaths head admitted also of but one interpretation in regard to a search for buried treasure I per ceived that the design was to drop a bull. let from the left eye of the skull and that 8 bee line, or, in other words. straight line, drawn from the nearest point of the trunk through the shot tor the spot where the bullet fe1l), and thence extend ed to distance of 90 feet, would indicate a definite point, and beneath this point I thought it at least possible that de- posit of value lay concealed"
 ''All this, said, 'is exceedingly clear, and, although ingenious, still simple and explicit When you left the Bishops hotel, what then?" ~. .-
 FWhy, having carefully taken the bear ings of the tree, turned homeward. The instant that left the devils seat,' how ever, the circular rift vanished, nor could get a glimpse of it afterward, turn as would. What seems to me the chief in- genuity in this whole business is the fact for repeated experiment has convinced me ii, is fact) that the circular opening in question is visible from no other at tainable point of view than that afforded by the narrow ledge upon the face of the rock.
 ''In this expedition to the Bishops hotel had been attended by Jupiter, who had no doubt observed for some weeks past the abstraction of my de- meanor and took especial care not t.. leave me alone. But on the next day, getting up very early, l contrived to give him the slip and went into the hills in search of the tree. After much toll found it. When came home at night, my valet proposed to give me fogging. With the rest of the adventure believe you are as we'll acquainted as myself"
 ''I suppose" said I, ''you missed the spot in the first attempt at digging through Jupiter's stupidity in letting the bug fall through the right instead of through the left eye of the skull.".
 Precisely. This mistake made diff ference of about 24 inches in the shot that is to say, in the position of the peg nearest the tree-and had the treasure been beneath the shot ths error would have been of little moment, but the shot, together with the nearest point of the tree, were merely two points for the establishment. of line of direc- tion. Of course the error, however trival in the beginning, increased as we pro ceeded with the line, and by the time we had gone 50 feet threw us quite off the scent. But for my deep seated impress sions that treasure was here somewhere actually buried we might have had all our labor in vain"
 "But your grandiloquence and your conduct in swinging the beetle-how ex- cessively odd! was sure you were mad And why did you insist upon letting fall the bug instead of bullet from the shell?'
 "Why, to be frank, felt somewhat annoyed by your evident suspicious touching my sanity, and so resolved to punish you quietly, in my own way, by little bit of sober mystifcation. For this reason swung the beetle, and for this reason let it fall from the tree. An weight suggested the latter idea"
 "Yes, perceive. And now there is only one point which puzzles me- What are we to make of the skeletons found In the hole?''
 ''That is a question am no more able to answer than yourself. There seems, however, only one plausible way of ac- counting for them-and yet it is dread ful to believe in such atrocity as my sug- gestion would imply. It is clear that Kidd-if Kidd indeed secreted this treas ure, which doubt not-it is clear that he must have had assistance in the labor. But this labor concluded, he may have thought it expedient to remove all par ticipants in his secret. Perhaps a couple of blows with 8 mattock were sufficient while his coadjutors were busy in the pit; perhaps it required 8 dozen. Who shall tell?'
 THE END