The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-05-04
From FIRST page.

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II let myself dOWn TO the ledge"
Il let myself down to the ledge and
found that it was impossible to retain a
seat upon it except in one particular up-
sitiOn. This fact confirmed my precoh-
celveo luea. proceeded TO use the glass.
Of course the Al degrees and IL 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 a pocket compass. Then.
pointing the glass as nearly at an angle
-.e ~ dooraas of elevation as could do it
by guess, moved it cautiously up or
down until my attention was arrested
by circular rift or opening in the foil
age of large tree that overtopped it's
fellows in the distance In the center Of
this rift ! perceived 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 search for buried treasure. I per-
ceived that the design was to drop bull
let from the left eye of the skull and that
a 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 fell), and thence extend
ell to distance of 80 feett. would indicate
definite point. and beneath this point
thought it at least possible that de-
posit Of value lay concealed"
''All this. Isaid. lis exceedingly clear,
and, although ingenious, still simple and
explicit When you left the Bishops
hotel. what them"
why, 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 q glimpse of it afterward. turn az
would. What seems to me the chief in
genuity in this whole business is tho fact
(for repeated experiment has convinced
me it 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, contrived to give
him the slip and went into the hills II
search Of the tree. After much toll
found it. When l came home at night
my valet proposed to give me fogging
With the rest of the adventure believ,
you are as well acquainted as myself"
Il suppose" said l, ''you missed tn;
spot in the first attempt at digging
through Jupiter's stupidity in letting tn
bug fall through the right instead o
through the left eye of the skull"
Precisely This mistake made dit
ference of about q inches in the shot
that is to say. in the position of tn
peg nearest the tree-and had tn
treasure been beneath the shot tn
error would have been Of little moment
but the shot, together with the neares
point Of the tree. were merely two point
for the establishment of q line Of direc
ton. OF course the error, however trivia
in the beginning, increased as we pro
ceeded with the line, and by the time "
had gone 50 feet threw us quite off tn
scent. But for my deep seated impred
sions that treasure was here somewher
actually buried we might have had a
our labor in vain" z
but your grandiloquence and you
conduct in swinging the beetle-how u
cessively odd! was sure you were mad
And why did you insist upon letting fal
the bug instead Of q bullet from tn
shel1r'
'Why, to be frank, felt somewha
annoyed by your evident suspicion
touching my sanity, and so resolved
punish You quietly. in my own way, b
|. a little bit Of sober nystifcation. Fc
this reason swung the beetle, and fo
this reason let it fall from the tree. A
observation Of yours about its gres
weight suggested the latter idea"
Eyes, | perceive. And now there
only one point which puzzles me. Wins
are veto make of the skeletons found j
the hole?'
''That is question am no more abb
to answer than yourself. There SEEM
however, only one plausible way Of ~
counting for them-and yet it is dreat
full to believe in such atrocity as my 50,
gestion would imply. It is clear tn,
| Kidd-if Kidd indeed secratAd this frAa