The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-06-01


hours. Little was said, and our
chief embarrassment lay In the
yelping of the dog. who took ex-
ceeding interest in our proceed
ings. He, at length, became so
obstreperous that we grew fearful
OF his living the alarm to some
stragglers In the vicinity-or,
rather, this was the apprehension
OF Legrand-for myself, 1 should
have rejoiced at any interruption
which might have enabled me to
get the wanderer home. The
noise was, at length, very effect
ually silenced by Jupiter, who,
with a logged air of elaboration.
tied the brute's mouth up with
one of his suspenders, and then
returned, with a grave chuckle, to
his task.
When the time mentioned had
expired, we had reached a depth
of five feet, and yet no signs OF
any treasure became manifest. A
general pause ensued, and / be-
gan to hope that the farce was at
an end. Legrand, however, al
though evidently much discon-
certed. wiped his brow thought
fully and RECOMMENDED.
We had excavated the entire
circle OF four feet diameter, and
now we slightly enlarged the
limit, and went to the farther
depth of two feet. Still nothing
appeared. The gold seeker, whom
| sincerely pitied, at length clom-
bered from the pit, with the bit
terest disappointment imprinted
upon every feature, and proceeded
slowly and reluctantly to put on
his coat. which he had thrown off
at the beginning Of his labor. In
the meantime, I made no remark.
Jupiter, at signal from his mas
ter. began to gather up his tools.
This done, and the dog having
been unmuzzled, we turned In
profound silence toward home.
We had taken perhaps a dozen
steps In this direction, when, with
loud oath, Legrand strobe up to
Jupiter, and seized him by the
collar. The astonished negro
opened his eyes and mouth to the
fullest extent, let fall the spades,
and fell upon his knees.
You scoundrel!" said Legrand,
kissing out the syllables from be-
tween his clenched teeth-"you
Internal black villain!-speak, I
tell you!-answer me this instant
without prevarication!-which =
which is your left eyer"
"Oh, my golly, Massa Will!
amt dis here my lief eye for sar-
TIM" roared the terrified Jupiter.
placing his hand upon his right
organ of vision, and holding 1t
there with a desperate pertinacity
as II in immediate dread of his
masters attempt at a gouge.
81 thought SOL knew it,
hurrah!" exclaimed Legrand, let
ting the negro go and executing
a series of curvets and caracols.
much to the establishment OF his
valet, who, arising from his knees,
loked mutely from his master to
myself, and then from myself to
his master.
Come! we must go back" said
the latter, 1.-The games not up
YET" and he again led the way to
the tulip-tree.
Jupiter" said he, when we
reached its foot. come here! Was
the skull nailed to the limb with
the fact outward, or with the face
to the limb"
De face was out, massa, so dat
de crows could get at de eyes
good, widout any trouble"
We'll, then, was it this eye or
that through which you dropped
1.-THE beetled?" - here Legrand
touched each of Jupiter's eyes.
Twas dis eye, massa-de lief
eye-jis as you tell me-" and
here 1t was his right eye that the
negro indicated.
THAT will dove must try it
again."
Here my friend, about whose
madness I now saw, or fancied
that / saw, certain indications of
method, removed the peg which
marked the spot where the beetle
fell, to a spot about three inches
to the westward Of its former po-
sition.
Taking, now, the tape measure
from the nearest point of the
trunk to the peg, as before, and
continuing the extension in a
straight line to the distance of so
feet, a spot was indicated, remov-
ed, by several yards, from the
point at which we had been dig
ging.
Around the new position, a cir
Gle, somewhat larger than in the
former instance, was now describ-
ed, and we again set to work with
the spade.
was dreadfully weary, but
scarcely understanding what had
oocasioned the change in my
thoughts, l felt no longer any
great aversion to the labor i'm
posed. l had become most unac-
countably interested-nay, even
excited.
Perhaps there was something,
amid all the extravagant demeancr
of Legrand-some air of fore
thought. or of elaboration =
which impressed me. / dug eager
ly, and now and then caught my
self actually looking, with some
thing that very much resembled
expectation, for the fancied treas
ure, the vision of which had de-
mented my unfortunate compan-