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

stumbled over a ring of iron which lay
embedded in the loose earth.
Now they worked in earnest, and soon
uncovered a large chest of wood which
was of wonderful hardness and had evil
IDENTIFY been subjected to some chemical
process to insure its preservation in the
ground-prob badly a treatment of bichlo-
ride of mercury. The box resisted their
utmost endeavors to remove it from its
bed, and, seeing the futity of trying to
lift such weight-for it was very heavy
they broke off the lid, and a vision of
vast wealth lay before them glimmering
in the light of the lanterns
Legrand, exhausted by labor and ex-
element, scarcely spoke, and the friend
was stupefied with amazement. Jupiter
threw himself on his knees, and, burying
his bare arms in the gold, let them remain
there, as if enjoying tho luxury of a bath,
while he murmured: ''An' all dis come
trou the Cool Bug-the pretty Cool Bug.
When they had somewhat recovered
themselves it was decided to remove two
thirds of the contents of the chest, Sc
crete them in a neighboring thicket and
leaving the dog to guard them, carry
the chest and what remained in it back
to the hut. This they did after great
labor, for the chest was still immensely
heavy, arriving at Legrands home about
l o'clock in the morning. After resting
for While they had something to eat
and started back for the rest of the treas
ure armed with three stout sacks, which
by good luck happened to be on the
premises.
Daylight appeared as they again reached
the hut and they threw themselves down
to sleep the sleep of absolute exhaustion.
After few hours slumber they arose
and began to examine the treasure. 1t
consisted of coins Of rather more than
$4,000 in value. all of gold, of ancient
date and of various nations. Then there
were diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sap
phires, opals, ETC., broken from their set
tings and thrown loose in the chest. Then
there We're rings. chains and other orna-
ments of gold cruciixes, censers, a great
golden punch bowl, golden sword hilts and
various other articles of great value. They
estima ted the value of the contents of the
chest to be of a million and half dol
lars. "Oh, de pretty Cool Bug MUIR
INJURED Jupiter, 1.-The nice little Cool Bug."
Legrand, seeing that his friend was dy-
ing with impotence to know the mean
ing of all that had taken place, at length
told him the story. He had been on one
of his roaming expeditions to the main
land and was returning to the island by
a route he had not before taken when, as
he came upon the beach, his attention
was attracted by what was apparently
the remains of a boat-a few crumbling
timbers which recent storm had uncov-
cred from it's sandy grave. At the same
time he saw the beetle, one of species
which was new to him and, he believed,
to science AS he took it up the beetle
had bitten him and he had dropped it
as Jupiter had told.
Then Jupiter, as he had also told had
seized a piece of dirty looking paper
which was sticking partly out OF the
sand and with this secured the scara-
beaus. When he offered to make a draw
ing of the bug for his friend later at
the hut and had felt in his pocket for
some old letters his hand had fallen upon
| this piece of paper which, unconsciously
he must have placed In his pocket
when he loaned the bug to the lieutenant.
When his friend had handed back the
drawing. saying it looked more like a
skull than a beetle, Legrand had been
astonished to see on the surface of the
paper, not what he had drawn, but a
skull indeed.
But on the other side of the paper he
found his own drawing. The friend had
looked at the side which had shortly be-
fore been perfectly blank and not at the
side upon which Legrand had drawn his
scarabaeus. What could be tho meaning
of this grewsome happening? He exam
ined the supposed bit of paper. 1t was
parchment, very old, and discolored by
earth and water After his friend had