The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-10

highlands beyond the creek and came
upon wild, rough country, where the
foot OF man seemed never to have trod.
There were ravines and primeval woods
and here and there were scattered huge
cliffs some of which seemed only prevent
ed from topping into the chasms below
by the support of the huge trees against
which they leaned. The whole aspect of
the region, weird, sombre was made more
gloomy by the shadows of the approach
ing night. Legrand refused to talk and
the only sound which broke the unearthiy
stiffness was old Jupiter's occasional NUT
tering of Dat deuced bug!" In the gloom
of the thickets the Bug seemed to glow
with a strange light of it's own as Lee
grand swung it about.
At length they reached sort of table
land SC thickly overgrown with brambles
that ii was only when Jupiter had, by his
masters orders, cleared a path with the
scythe that they could proceed further
| Thus they came to the foot of an enor-
mously tall tulip tree, the lower branches
OF which were some 60 or 70 feet from
the ground. Legrands friend was as
tonished at the size of the tree and
knew that it must be of extreme age not
only because of it's great height, but be-
cause its bole was rough and gnarled,
and up and down it were several small
shoots or suckers" Legrand ordered
Jupiter to ascend to the first great fork
of the tree and take the Gold Bug along
with him. Jupiter pleaded piteously not to
be compelled to take the Bug, but finally
succumbed to his masters threats and at
length reached the fork and sat there,
holding the Gold Bug dangling from the
whipcord.
Keep up the largest branch-7the one on
this side" now commanded Lagrange, and
poor Jupiter went on and on until they
could catch no glimpse of his squat form.
Can see the sky through de top now,
massa," came down Jupiter's voice. Then
look down and count how many limbs you
have passed on your way up" cried back
Legrand.
Jupiter reported FIVE. "Then go up one
higher-you will then be on the seventh
limb Climb out that limb as far as you
can and tell me what you find" After a
while Jupiter called down that the limb
little way by myself OATS true" What
do you mean?" replied Legrand. DE
Bug,' shouted back Jupiter him berry,
berry heaby. Suppose / drop him down
fust?" Legrand again threatened the ne
gro with dire punishment if he did not
proceed, and added the extra inducement
of a reward of silver dollar If he went
on and did not drop the Gold Bug. A
pause. and then Jupiter shouting in ter
ror. Most out to the end, massa-Lord o.
glory. what am dis?" Legrand was all
animation and delighted excitement
what is it?' he shouted. "'Tain't MOTH
in but a SKULL" replied Jupiter. Some
one done gone left him haid on dis
here tree" How is it fastened to the
tree?'' asked Legrand. sure 'nough, dis
berv funny" replied Jupiter, 'dar's
great. big nail in de skull what fastened
it to the tree"
Ierrand., as calmly as he could in his
state of excitement, directed the negro to
drop the Gold Bug through the left eye
OF tie skull--or the place where the lett
eve had once been. Although they could
not discern the form of Jupiter they saw
the Gold Bug descending at the end OF
the string and in the last rays OF tho
setting sun, which shone on the eminence
on which they stood, it shone like beaten
gold.
Legrand took the scythe and cleared
space below where the beetle hung Then
he ordered Jupiter to let go the string
and come down. He drove, with great
nicely, peg into the ground at the exact
spot where the beetle fell and, producing
a tape measure from his pocket I'M
rolled it and laid 1t down so that it
peg. Then he further unroled it and,
with the tree and the peg as points Of
direction. carried 1t to a point 80 feet