Tales of mystery and imagination

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM

Impia tortorum longas hie turba furores
Sanguinis innocui, non satiata, aluit.
Sospite nunc patria, fracto nunc funeris antro,
Mors ubi dira fuit vita salusque patent.

Quatrain composed for the gates of a market to he erected
upon the site of the Jacobin Club House at Paris

WAS —sick sick unto death with that long agony and when they
;

at length unbound me, and I was permitted to sit, I felt that my

—senses were leaving me. The sentence the dread sentence of
I —death was the last of distinct accentuation which reached my ears.

After that the sound of the inquisitorial voices seemed merged in

one dreamy indeterminate hum. It conveyed to my soul the idea of

—revolution perhaps from its association in fancy with the burr of a

mill-wheel. This only for a brief period, for presently I heard no more.

—Yet, for a while, I saw but with how terrible an exaggeration ! I saw the
—lips of the black-robed judges. They appeared to me white whiter than
—the sheet upon which I trace these words and thin even to grotesqueness

;

—thin with the intensity of their expression of firmness of immovable reso-
—lution of stern contempt of human torture. I saw that the decrees of

what to me was Fate were still issuing from those lips. I saw them writhe

with a deadly locution. I saw them fashion the syllables of my name
;

and I shuddered because no sound succeeded. I saw, too, for a few

moments of delirious horror, the soft and nearly imperceptible waving of

the sable draperies which enwrapped the walls of the apartment. And then

my vision fell upon the seven tall candles upon the table. At first they

wore the aspect of charity, and seemed white slender angels who would

save me but then, all at once, there came a most deadly nausea over my
;

myspirit, and I felt every fibre in frame thrill as if I had touched the wire

of a galvanic battery, while the angel forms became meaningless spectres,

with heads of flame, and I saw that from them there would be no help.

And then there stole into my fancy, like a rich musical note, the thought

of what sweet rest there must be in the grave. The thought came gently

and stealthily, and it seemed long before it attained full appreciation
;

25 1

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

mybut just as spirit came at length properly to feel and entertain it, the

figures of the judges vanished, as if magically, from before me the tall
;

candles sank into nothingness their flames went out utterly the black-
;;

ness of darkness supervened all sensations appeared swallowed up in a
;

mad rushing descent as of the soul into Hades. Then silence and stillness

and night were the universe.

I had swooned but still will not say that all of consciousness was lost.
;

What of it remained I will not attempt to define, or even to describe
;

—yet all was not lost. In the deepest slumber—no ! In delirium no !
— —In a swoon no ! In death no ! even in the grave all is not lost. Else

there is no immortality for man. Arousing from the most profound of

slumbers, we break the gossamer web of some dream. Yet in a second

afterward (so frail may that web have been) we remember not that we have

dreamed. In the return to life from the swoon there are two stages : first,

that of the sense of mental or spiritual secondly, that of the sense of
;

physical, existence. It seems probable that if, upon reaching the second

stage, we could recall the impressions of the first, we should find these

impressions eloquent in memories of the gulf beyond. And that gulf is
— Howwhat ?
at least shall we distinguish its shadows from those of the

tomb ? But if the impressions of what I have termed the first stage are

not at will recalled, yet, after long interval, do they not come unbidden,

while we marvel whence they come ? He who has never swooned, is not

he who finds strange palaces and wildly familiar faces in coals that glow
;

is not he who beholds floating in mid-air the sad visions that the many may

not view is not he who ponders over the perfume of some novel flower
;;

is not he whose brain grows bewildered with the meaning of some musical

cadence which has never before arrested his attention.

Amid frequent and thoughtful endeavours to remember amid earnest
;

struggles to regather some token of the state of seeming nothingness into

which my soul had lapsed, there have been moments when I have dreamed

of success there have been brief, very brief periods when I have conjured
;

up remembrances which the lucid reason of a later epoch assures me could

have had reference only to that condition of seeming unconsciousness.

These shadows of memory tell, indistinctly, of tall figures that lifted and

— — —bore me in silence down down still down till a hideous dizziness

oppressed me at the mere idea of the interminableness of the descent.

They tell also of a vague horror at my heart, on account of that heart’s

unnatural stillness. Then comes a sense of sudden motionlessness through-

out all things as if those who bore me (a ghastly train ! ) had outrun, in
;

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I SAW THEM FASHION THE SYLLABLES OF MY NAME 25 *



THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM

their descent, the limits of the limitless, and paused from the wearisomeness

of their toil. After this I call to mind flatness and dampness and then

—;

all is madness the madness of a memory which busies itself among

forbidden things.

—Very suddenly there came back to my soul motion and sound the

tumultuous motion of my heart, and, in my ears, the sound of its beating.

Then a pause in which all is blank. Then again sound, and motion, and

—touch a tingling sensation pervading my frame. Then the mere con-
—sciousness of existence, without thought a condition which lasted long.

Then very suddenly, thought and shuddering terror, and earnest endeavour
,

to comprehend my true state. Then a strong desire to lapse into insensi-

bility. Then a rushing revival of soul, and a successful effort to move.

And now a full memory of the trial, of the judges, of the sable draperies,

of the sentence, of the sickness, of the swoon. Then entire forgetfulness

of all that followed of all that a later day and much earnestness of en-
;

deavour have enabled me vaguely to recall.

So far, I had not opened my eyes. myI felt that I lay upon back,,

unbound. I reached out my hand, and it fell heavily upon something

damp and hard. There I suffered it to remain for many minutes, while I

strove to imagine where and what I could be. I longed, yet dared not*

to employ my vision. I dreaded the first glance at objects around me. It

was not that I feared to look upon things horrible, but that I grew aghast

lest there should be nothing to see. At length, with a wild desperation

Myat heart, I quickly unclosed my eyes. worst thoughts, then, were

confirmed. The blackness of eternal night encompassed me. I struggled

for breath. The intensity of the darkness seemed to oppress and stifle

me. The atmosphere was intolerably close. I still lay quietly, and made

myeffort to exercise reason. I brought to mind the inquisitorial pro-

ceedings, and attempted from that point to deduce my real condition.

The sentence had passed and it appeared to me that a very long interval
;

of time had since elapsed. Yet not for a moment did I suppose myself

actually dead. Such a supposition, notwithstanding what we read in

—fiction, is altogether inconsistent with real existence ; but where and

in what state was I ? The condemned to death, I knew, perished

usually at the auto-da-jes, and one of these had been held on the

myvery night of the day of trial. Had I been remanded to my

dungeon, to await the next sacrifice, which would not take place for

many months ? This I at once saw could not be. Victims had been

in immediate demand. Moreover, my dungeon, as well as all the

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condemned cells at Toledo, had stone floors, and light was not altogether

excluded.

A fearful idea now suddenly drove the blood in torrents upon my

heart, and for a brief period I once more relapsed into insensibility.

Upon recovering, I at once started to my feet, trembling convulsively
in every fibre. I thrust my arms wildly above and around me in all

directions. I felt nothing yet dreaded to move a step, lest I should be
;

impeded by the walls of a tomb. Perspiration burst from every pore, and

stood in cold big beads upon my forehead. The agony of suspense grew
at length intolerable, and I cautiously moved forward, with my arms
extended, and my eyes straining from their sockets in the hope of catching

some faint ray of light. I proceeded for many paces but still all was
;

blackness and vacancy. I breathed more freely. It seemed evident that
mine was not, at least, the most hideous of fates.

And now, as I still continued to step cautiously onward, there came

thronging upon my recollection a thousand vague rumours of the horrors

of Toledo. Of the dungeons there had been strange things narrated

—fables I had always deemed them but yet strange, and too ghastly to

repeat, save in a whisper. Was I left to perish of starvation in this sub-

terranean world of darkness or what fate, perhaps even more fearful,
;

awaited me ? That the result would be death, and a death of more than
customary bitterness, I knew too well the character of my judges to doubt.

The mode and the hour were all that occupied or distracted me.

My outstretched hands at length encountered some solid obstruction.

—It was a wall, seemingly of stone masonry very smooth, slimy, and cold.

I followed it up stepping with all the careful distrust with which certain
;

antique narratives had inspired me. This process, however, afforded me
no means of ascertaining the dimensions of my dungeon, as I might make

its circuit and return to the point whence I set out without being aware of

the fact, so perfectly uniform seemed the wall. I therefore sought the knife

which had been in my pocket when led into the inquisitorial chamber but
;

it was gone my clothes had been exchanged for a wrapper of coarse serge.
;

I had thought of forcing the blade in some minute crevice of the

masonry, so as to identify my point of departure. The difficulty, never-
theless, was but trivial although, in the disorder of my fancy, it seemed at

;

first insuperable. I tore a part of the hem from the robe and placed the
fragment at full length, and at right angles to the wall. In groping my way

around the prison, I could not fail to encounter this rag upon completing
the circuit. So, at least, I thought but I had not counted upon the extent

;

2 S4

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM

of the dungeon, or upon my own weakness. The ground was moist and

slippery. I staggered onward for some time, when I stumbled and fell.

My excessive fatigue induced me to remain prostrate and sleep soon
;

overtook me as I lay.
Upon awaking, and stretching forth an arm, I found beside me a loaf

and a pitcher with water. I was too much exhausted to reflect upon this

circumstance, but ate and drank with avidity. Shortly afterward, I

resumed my tour around the prison, and with much toil, came at last
upon the fragment of the serge. Up to the period when I fell, I had
counted fifty-two paces, and, upon resuming my walk, I had counted

—forty-eight more when I arrived at the rag. There were in all, then,

a hundred paces and, admitting two paces to the yard, I presumed the
;

dungeon to be fifty yards in circuit. I had met, however, with many

angles in the wall, and thus I could form no guess at the shape of the

— —vault, for vault I could not help supposing it to be.
I had little object certainly no hope -in these researches but a vague
;

curiosity prompted me to continue them. Quitting the wall, I resolved to

cross the area of the enclosure. At first, I proceeded with extreme

caution, for the floor, although seemingly of solid material, was treacherous

with slime. At length, however, I took courage, and did not hesitate to

—step firmly endeavouring to cross in as direct a line as possible. I had

advanced some ten or twelve paces in this manner, when the remnant

of the torn hem of my robe became entangled between my legs. I stepped

myon it, and fell violently on face.

In the confusion attending my fall, I did not immediately apprehend

a somewhat startling circumstance, which yet, in a few seconds afterward,

my myand while I still lay prostrate, arrested
attention. It was this :

chin rested upon the floor of the prison, but my lips, and the upper portion

of my head, although seemingly at a less elevation than the chin, touched

nothing. At the same time, my forehead seemed bathed in a clammy

vapour, and the peculiar smell of decayed fungus arose to my nostrils.
I put forward my arm, and shuddered to find that I had fallen at the very

brink of a circular pit, whose extent, of course, I had no means of ascer-

taining at the moment. Groping about the masonry just below the margin,

I succeeded in dislodging a small fragment, and let it fall into the abyss.

For many seconds I hearkened to its reverberations as it dashed against

the sides of the chasm in its descent at length, there was a sullen plunge
;

into water, succeeded by loud echoes. At the same moment, there came a

sound resembling the quick opening and as rapid closing of a door over-

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TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

head, while a faint gleam of light flashed suddenly through the gloom, and

as suddenly faded away.

I saw clearly the doom which had been prepared for me, and congratu-
lated myself upon the timely accident by which I had escaped. Another

step before my fall, and the world had seen me no more. And the death

just avoided was of that very character which I had regarded as fabulous

and frivolous in the tales respecting the Inquisition. To the victims of its

tyranny, there was the choice of death with its direst physical agonies, or

death with its most hideous moral horrors. I had been reserved for the

latter. By long suffering my nerves had been unstrung, until I trembled at
the sound of my own voice, and had become in every respect a fitting sub-

ject for the species of torture which awaited me.

—Shaking in every limb, I groped my way back to the wall resolving

there to perish rather than risk the terrors of the wells, of which my imagina-

tion now pictured many in various positions about the dungeon. In other

conditions of mind, I might have had courage to end my misery at once,

by a plunge into one of these abysses but now I was the veriest of
;

—cowards. Neither could I forget what I had read of these pits that the

sudden extinction of life formed no part of their most horrible plan.

Agitation of spirit kept me awake for many long hours, but at length

I again slumbered. Upon arousing, I found by my side, as before, a loaf

Aand a pitcher of water. burning thirst consumed me, and I emptied
—the vessel at a draught. It must have been drugged for scarcely had I

Adrunk, before I became irresistibly drowsy. deep sleep fell upon me,

Howa sleep like that of death. long it lasted, of course I know not but
;

when, once again, I unclosed my eyes, the objects around me were visible.

By a wild, sulphurous lustre, the origin of which I could not at first deter-

mine, I was enabled to see the extent and aspect of the prison.

In its size I had been greatly mistaken. The whole circuit of its walls

did not exceed twenty-five yards. For some minutes this fact occasioned

—me a world of vain trouble vain indeed for what could be of less im-
;

portance, under the terrible circumstances which environed me, than the

mere dimensions of my dungeon ? But my soul took a wild interest in

trifles, and I busied myself in endeavours to account for the error I had

committed in my measurement. The truth at length flashed upon me.
In my first attempt at exploration I had counted fifty-two paces, up to

the period when I fell : I must then have been within a pace or two of

the fragment of serge in fact, I had nearly performed the circuit of the

—;

vault. I then slept and upon awaking, I must have turned upon my

256

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM

— Mysteps thus supposing the circuit nearly double what it actually was.

confusion of mind prevented me from observing that I began my tour w-ith

the wall to the left, and ended with the wall to the right.

I had been deceived, too, in respect to the shape of the enclosure.

In feeling my way I had found many angles, and thus deduced an idea of

great irregularity so potent is the effect of total darkness upon one arous-
;

ing from lethargy or sleep ! The angles were simply those of a few slight
depressions, or niches at odd intervals. The general shape of t^e prison

was square. What I had taken for masonry seemed now to be iron, or

some other metal, in huge plates, whose sutures or joints occasioned the

depression. The entire surface of this metallic enclosure was rudely

daubed in all the hideous and repulsive devices to which the charnel

superstition of the monks has given rise. The figures of fiends in aspects

of menace, with skeleton forms, and other more really fearful images, over-

spread and disfigured the walls. I observed that the outlines of these

monstrosities were sufficiently distinct, but that the colours seemed faded

and blurred, as if from the effects of a damp atmosphere. I now noticed

the floor, too, which was of stone. In the centre yawned the circular pit

from whose jaws I had escaped but it was the only one in the dungeon.
;
—All this I saw indistinctly and by much effort for my personal con-

dition had been greatly changed during slumber. I now lay upon my back,
and at full length, on a species of low framework of wood. To this I was

securely bound by a long strap resembling a surcingle. It passed in many

convolutions about my limbs and body, leaving at liberty only my head, and
my left arm to such extent, that I could, by dint of much exertion, supply
myself with food from an earthen dish which lay by my side on the floor.
I saw, to my horror, that the pitcher had been removed. I say to my

—horror for I was consumed with intolerable thirst. This thirst it appeared
—to be the design of my persecutors to stimulate for the food in the dish

was meat pungently seasoned.

Looking upward, I surveyed the ceiling of my prison. It was some

thirty or forty feet overhead, and constructed much as the side walls. In

myone of its panels a very singular figure riveted whole attention. It

was the painted figure of Time as he is commonly represented, save that,

in lieu of a scythe, he held what, at a casual glance, I supposed to be the

pictured image of a huge pendulum, such as we see on antique clocks.

There was something, however, in the appearance of this machine which

caused me to regard it more attentively. While I gazed directly upward
at it (for its position was immediately over my own) I fancied that I saw

R 257

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

it in motion. In an instant afterward the fancy was confirmed. Its sweep

was brief, and of course slow. I watched it for some minutes somewhat in

fear, but more in wonder. Wearied at length with observing its dull move-

ment, I turned my eyes upon the other objects in the cell.

A myslight noise attracted notice, and, looking to the floor, I saw

several enormous rats traversing it. They had issued from the well which

lay just within view to my right. Even then, while I gazed, they came up

in troops, hurriedly, with ravenous eyes, allured by the scent of the meat.

From this it required much effort and attention to scare them away.

It might have been half an hour, perhaps even an hour (for I could take

but imperfect note of time), before I again cast my eyes upward. What

I then saw confounded and amazed me. The sweep of the pendulum

had increased in extent by nearly a yard. As a natural consequence its

velocity was also much greater. But what mainly disturbed me was the

—idea that it had perceptibly descended. I now observed with what horror
—it is needless to say that its nether extremity was formed of a crescent of

glittering steel, about a foot in length from horn to horn the horns up-
;

ward, and the under edge evidently as keen as that of a razor. Like a

razor also, it seemed massive and heavy, tapering from the edge into a

solid and broad structure above. It was appended to a weighty rod of

brass, and the whole hissed as it swung through the air.

I could no longer doubt the doom prepared for me by monkish in-

Mygenuity in torture. cognizance of the pit had become known to the
—inquisitorial agents the pit whose horrors had been destined for so bold
—,
,
a recusant as myself the pit typical of hell and regarded by rumour as

the Ultima Thule of all their punishments. The plunge into this pit

I had avoided by the merest of accidents, and I knew that surprise, or

entrapment into torment, formed an important portion of all the gro-

tesquerie of these dungeon deaths. Having failed to fall, it was no part

of the demon plan to hurl me into the abyss and thus (there being no
;

alternative) a different and milder destruction awaited me. Milder ! I

half smiled in my agony as I thought of such application of such a term.

What boots it to tell of the long, long hours of horror more than mortal,

during which I counted the rushing oscillations of the steel ! Inch by

— —inch line by line with a descent only appreciable at intervals that seemed
— —ages down and still down it came ! Days passed it might have been
—that many days passed ere it swept so closely over me as to fan me with

its acrid breath. The odour of the sharp steel forced itself into my

—nostrils. I prayed I wearied heaven with my prayer for its more speedy

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descent. I grew frantically mad, and struggled to force myself upward

against the sweep of the fearful scimitar. And then I fell suddenly calm,

and lay smiling at the glittering death, as a child at some rare bauble.

There was another interval of utter insensibility it was brief for,
;;

upon again lapsing into life, there had been no perceptible descent in the

—pendulum. But it might have been long for I knew there were demons

who took note of my swoon, and who could have arrested the vibration
—myat pleasure. Upon
recovery, too, I felt very oh ! inexpressibly

sick and weak, as if through long inanition. Even amid the agonies of

that period the human nature craved food. With painful effort I out-

stretched my left arm as far as my bonds permitted, and took possession

of the small remnant which had been spared me by the rats. As I put a

port on of it within my lips, there rushed to my mind a half-formed thought

—of joy of hope. Yet what business had I with hope ? It was, as I say,
—a half-formed thought man has many such, which are never completed.
—I felt that it was of joy of hope but I felt also that it had perished in its

;

—formation. In vain I struggled to perfect to regain it. Long suffering

had nearly annihilated all my ordinary powers of mind. I was an imbecile

—an idiot.

The vibration of the pendulum was at right angles to my length.

I saw that the crescent was designed to cross the region of the heart. It

—would fray the serge of my robe it would return and repeat its operations

— —again and again. Notwithstanding its terrifically wide sweep (some

thirty feet or more), and the hissing vigour of its descent, sufficient to

sunder these very walls of iron, still the fraying of my robe would be all

that, for several minutes, it would accomplish. And at this thought I

paused. I dared not go further than this reflection. I dwelt upon it with

—a pertinacity of attention as if, in so dwelling, I could arrest here the

descent of the steel. I forced myself to ponder upon the sound of the

—crescent as it should pass across the garment upon the peculiar thrilling

sensation which the friction of cloth produces on the nerves. I pondered

myover all this frivolity until teeth were on edge.
—Down steadily down it crept. I took a frenzied pleasure in contrast-
—ing its downward with its lateral velocity. To the right to the left
—far and wide with the shriek of a damned spirit ! to my heart, with the

stealthy pace of the tiger ! I alternately laughed and howled, as the one

or the other idea grew predominant.

—Down certainly, relentlessly down ! It vibrated within three inches

— —of my bosom ! I struggled violently furiously to free my left arm.

259

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!

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

This was free only from the elbow to the hand. I could reach the latter,

from the platter beside me, to my mouth, with great effort, but no farther.

Could I have broken the fastenings above the elbow, I would have seized

and attempted to arrest the pendulum. I might as well have attempted

— —to arrest an avalanche ! still inevitably down ! I gasped and
Down still unceasingly

struggled at each vibration. I shrunk convulsively at its every sweep.

My eyes followed its outward or upward whirls with the eagerness of the

most unmeaning despair they closed themselves spasmodically at the
;

descent, although death would have been a relief, oh, how unspeakable

Still I quivered in every nerve to think how slight a sinking of the ma-

chinery would precipitate that keen, glistening axe upon my bosom.

—It was hope that prompted the nerve to quiver the frame to shrink.
— —It was hope the hope that triumphs on the rack that whispers to the

death-condemned even in the dungeons of the Inquisition.

I saw that some ten or twelve vibrations would bring the steel in actual

—contact with my robe and with this observation there suddenly came over

my spirit all the keen, collected calmness of despair. For the first time

— —during many hours or perhaps days I thought. It now occurred to me,

that the bandage, or surcingle, which enveloped me, was unique. I

was tied by no separate cord. The first stroke of the razor-like crescent

athwart any portion of the band would so detach it that it might be un-

wound from my person by means of my left hand. But how fearful,

in that case, the proximity of the steel ! The result of the slightest

struggle, how deadly ! Was it likely, moreover, that the minions of the

torturer had not foreseen and provided for this possibility ? Was it

probable that the bandage crossed my bosom in the track of the pendulum ?
Dreading to find my faint and, as it seemed, my last hope frustrated, I
so far elevated my head as to obtain a distinct view of my breast. The
surcingle enveloped my limbs and body close in all directions save in

the path of the destroying crescent.

Scarcely had I dropped my head back into its original position, when

there flashed upon my mind what I cannot better describe than as the

unformed half of that idea of deliverance to which I have previously

alluded, and of which a moiety only floated indeterminately through my
brain when I raised food to my burning lips. The whole thought was

— —now present feeble, scarcely sane, scarcely definite but still entire. I

proceeded at once, with the nervous energy of despair, to attempt its

execution.

260

u THEY SWARMEI) UPON ME IN EVER-ACCUMULATING HEAPS



;

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM

For many hours the immediate vicinity of the low framework upon

which I lay had been literally swarming with rats. They were wild,

—bold, ravenous their red eyes glaring upon me as if they waited but for

motionlessness on my part to make me their prey. “ To what food,” I

thought, “ have they been accustomed in the well ? ”

They had devoured, in spite of all my efforts to prevent them, all

but a small remnant of the contents of the dish. I had fallen into an

habitual see-saw or wave of the hand about the platter and, at length,
;

the unconscious uniformity of the movement deprived it of effect. In

their voracity, the vermin frequently fastened their sharp fangs in my

fingers. With the particles of the oily and spicy viand which now re-

mained, I thoroughly rubbed the bandage wherever I could reach it

mythen, raising hand from the floor, I lay breathlessly still.

At first, the ravenous animals were startled and terrified at the change

—at the cessation of movement. They shrank alarmedly back many
;

sought the well. But this was only for a moment. I had not counted

in vain upon their voracity. Observing that I remained without motion,

one or two of the boldest leaped upon the framework, and smelt at the

surcingle. This seemed the signal for a general rush. Forth from the

—well they hurried in fresh troops. They clung to the wood they overran

it, and leaped in hundreds upon my person. The measured movement of

the pendulum disturbed them not at all. Avoiding its strokes, they

—busied themselves with the anointed bandage. They pressed they

swarmed upon me in ever accumulating heaps. They writhed upon my

throat their cold lips sought my own I was half stifled by their thronging
;;

pressure disgust, for which the world has no name, swelled my bosom,
;

and chilled, with a heavy clamminess, my heart. Yet one minute, and I

felt that the struggle would be over. Plainly I perceived the loosening

of the bandage. I knew that in more than one place it must be already

severed. With a more than human resolution I lay still.

—Nor had I erred in my calculations nor had I endured in vain. I

at length felt that I was free. The surcingle hung in ribands from my
body. But the stroke of the pendulum already pressed upon my bosom.

It had divided the serge of the robe. It had cut through the linen beneath.

Twice again it swung, and a sharp sense of pain shot through every nerve.

But the moment of escape had arrived. At a wave of my hand my de-

—liverers hurried tumultuously away. With a steady movement cautious,
—sidelong, shrinking, and slow I slid from the embrace of the bandage and

beyond the reach of the scimitar. For the moment, at least, I was free.

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—Free ! and in the grasp of the Inquisition ! I had scarcely stepped

from my wooden bed of horror upon the stone floor of the prison, when

the motion of the hellish machine ceased, and I beheld it drawn up, by

some invisible force, through the ceiling. This was a lesson which I

took desperately to heart. My every motion was undoubtedly watched.

—Free ! I had but escaped death in one form of agony, to be delivered unto

worse than death in some other. With that thought I rolled my eyes
nervously around on the barriers of iron that hemmed me in. Something

—unusual some change, which, at first, I could not appreciate distinctly

it was obvious, had taken place in the apartment. For many minutes of

a dreamy and trembling abstraction, I busied myself in vain, unconnected

conjecture. During this period, I became aware, for the first time, of the

origin of the sulphurous light which illumined the cell. It proceeded

from a fissure, about half an inch in width, extending entirely around the

prison at the base of the walls, which thus appeared, and were completely

separated from the floor. I endeavoured, but of course in vain, to look

through the aperture.

As I arose from the attempt, the mystery of the alteration in the chamber

broke at once upon my understanding. I have observed that, although

the outlines of the figures upon the walls were sufficiently distinct, yet

the colours seemed blurred and indefinite. These colours had now

assumed, and were momentarily assuming, a startling and most intense

brilliancy, that gave to the spectral and fiendish portraitures an aspect

that might have thrilled even firmer nerves than my own. Demon eyes,
of a wild and ghastly vivacity, glared upon me in a thousand directions,

where none had been visible before, and gleamed with the lurid lustre

of a fire that I could not force my imagination to regard as unreal.

—Unreal Even while I breathed there came to my nostrils the breath

Aof the vapour of heated iron ! suffocating odour pervaded the prison !

A deeper glow settled each moment in the eyes that glared at my agonies !

A richer tint of crimson diffused itself over the pictured horrors of blood.

I panted ! I gasped for breath ! There could be no doubt of the design

—of my tormentors oh ! most unrelenting ! oh ! most demoniac of men !

I shrank from the glowing metal to the centre of the cell. Amid the

thought of the fiery destruction that impended, the idea of the coolness of

the well came over my soul like balm. I rushed to its deadly brink. I
threw my straining vision below. The glare from the enkindled roof
illumined its inmost recesses. Yet, for a wild moment, did my spirit

refuse to comprehend the meaning of what I saw. At length it forced

262

——

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM

—it wrestled its way into my soul it burned itself in upon my shuddering
— —Ohreason.
! for a voice to speak ! oh ! horror ! oh ! any horror but

this ! With a shriek, I rushed from the margin, and buried my face in

—my hands weeping bitterly.

The heat rapidly increased, and once again I looked up, shuddering

as with a fit of the ague. There had been a second change in the cell

and now the change was obviously in theform. As before, it was in vain

that I at first endeavoured to appreciate or understand what was taking

place. But not long was I left in doubt. The Inquisitorial vengeance

had been hurried by my twofold escape, and there was to be no more

dallying with the King of Terrors. The room had been square. I

—saw that two of its iron angles were now acute two, consequently, obtuse.

The fearful difference quickly increased with a low rumbling or moaning

sound. In an instant the apartment had shifted its form into that of a

—lozenge. But the alteration stopped not here I neither hoped nor

desired it to stop. I could have clasped the red walls to my bosom as a

garment of eternal peace. “ Death,” I said, “ any death but that of the

pit ! ” Fool ! might I not have known that into the pit it was the object

of the burning iron to urge me ? Could I resist its glow ? or if even that,
could I withstand its pressure ? And now, flatter and flatter grew the
lozenge, with a rapidity that left me no time for contemplation. Its

centre, and of course its greatest width, came just over the yawning gulf.

—I shrank back but the closing walls pressed me resistlessly onward. At

length for my seared and writhing body there was no longer an inch of

foothold on the firm floor of the prison. I struggled no more, but the

agony of my soul found vent in one loud, long, and final scream of despair.

—I felt that I tottered upon the brink I averted my eyes

There was a discordant hum of human voices ! There was a loud

blast as of many trumpets ! There was a harsh grating as of a thousand

thunders ! The fiery walls rushed back ! An outstretched arm caught
my own as I fell, fainting, into the abyss. It was that of General Lasalle.

The French army had entered Toledo. The Inquisition was in the hands

of its enemies.

263

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THE TELL-TALE HEART

— —RUE ! nervous very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and
T — —sharpened my senses not destroyed not dulled them. Above
am but why will you say that I am mad ? The disease had
;

all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the

heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am

—I mad ? Hearken ! and observe how healthily how calmly I can tell

you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain but once
;

conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion

there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He

had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was
—his eye
!
yes, it was this ! He had the eye of a vulture a pale blue eye,

with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold and so
—— ;

by degrees very gradually I made up my mind to take the life of the

old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever.

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing.

But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I pro-

— — —ceeded with what caution with what foresight with what dissimulation

I went to work ! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole

week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the

—latch of his door and opened it oh, so gently ! And then, when I had

made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed,

closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh,

you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in ! I moved it

—slowly very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man’s sleep.

It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I

—could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha ! would a madman have been

so wise as this ? And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid

— —the lantern cautiously oh, so cautiously cautiously (for the hinges
—creaked) I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture
—eye. And this I did for seven long nights every night just at midnight

but I found the eye always closed and so it was impossible to do the
;

264

THE TELL-TALE HEART

work for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And
;

every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and

spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and

inquiring how he had passed the night. So you see he would have been a

very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve,

I looked in upon him while he slept.

Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening

Athe door. watch’s minute-hand moves more quickly than did mine.
—Never before that night, had I jelt the extent of my own powers of my

sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think

that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream

of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea and per-
;

haps he heard me for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled.

—;

Now you may think that I drew back but no. His room was as black as

pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened, through

fear of robbers), and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the

door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.

I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb

—slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying

out “ Who’s there ? ”

I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move

a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was

—still sitting up in the bed listening ; just as I have done, night after night,

hearkening to the death-watches in the wall.

Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal

— —terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief oh, no ! it was the low

stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged

with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight,
when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening,

with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well.

I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart.

I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise,

when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing

—upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not.

He had been saying to himself “ It is nothing but the wind in the chim-

—ney it is only a mouse crossing the floor,” or “ it is merely a cricket which

has made a single chirp.” Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself

with these suppositions : but he had found all in vain. All in vain ;
because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow

265

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful

influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel—although

—he neither saw nor heard to jeel the presence of my head within the

room.

When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie

—down, I resolved to open a little a very, very little crevice in the lantern.
— —So I opened it you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily until, at

length a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the

crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.

— —It was open wide, wide open and I grew furious as I gazed upon it.
—I saw it with perfect distinctness all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over

it that chilled the very marrow in my bones but I could see nothing else
;

of the old man’s face or person : for I had directed the ray, as if by instinct,

precisely upon the damned spot.

And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-
— myacuteness of the senses ? now, I say, there came to
ears a low, dull,

quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew

that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man’s heart. It in-

creased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into

courage.

But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held

the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray

upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It
grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old

man’s terror must have been extreme ! It grew louder, I say, louder every

—moment ! do you mark me well ? I have told you that I am nervous :

so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence

of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable

terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the

beating grew louder, louder ! I thought the heart must burst. And now

—a new anxiety seized me the sound would be heard by a neighbour !

The old man’s hour had come ! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern

—and leaped into the room. He shrieked once once only. In an instant I

dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then

smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the

heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me
;

it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old
man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he

was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there

266

BUT, FOR MANY MINUTES, THE HEART BEAT ON 266
WITH A MUFFLED SOUND



THE TELL-TALE HEART

many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye
would trouble me no more.

If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe
the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night

waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the

corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.

I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and

deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly

— —so cunningly, that no human eye not even his could have detected any-
—thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out no stain of any kind-

Ano blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. tub had caught

—all ha ! ha !
—When I had made an end of these labours, it was four o’clock still

dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking

—at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, for what

had I now to fear ? There entered three men, who introduced themselves,

Awith perfect suavity, as officers of the police. shriek had been heard by

a neighbour during the night suspicion of foul play had been aroused
;;

information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers)

had been deputed to search the premises.

—I smiled, for what had I to fear ? I bade the gentlemen welcome.

The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned,
was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade

—them search search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I

showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of

my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here
to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my
perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which

reposed the corpse of the victim.

MyThe officers were satisfied. manner had convinced them. I was

singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted

of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished

Mythem gone. myhead ached, and I fancied a ringing in ears : but still
—they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct : it con-

tinued and became more distinct : I talked more freely to get rid of the

—feeling : but it continued and gained definiteness until, at length, I

found that the noise was not within my ears.

—No doubt I now grew very pale ; but I talked more fluently, and with a
—heightened voice. Yet the sound increased and what could I do ? It

267

—

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

—was a low dull quick sound much such a sound as a watch makes when

—, ,

enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath and yet the officers heard it not.

—I talked more quickly more vehemently but the noise steadily increased.
;

I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticula-

tions but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone ?
;

I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the
—observations of the men
but the noise steadily increased. Oh God
!
— —what could I do ? I foamed I raved I swore ! I swung the chair upon

which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise

—arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder 'louder louder !

And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they

— —heard not ? Almighty God ! no, no ! They heard ! they suspected !
— — —they knew ! they were making a mockery of my horror ! this I thought,

and this I think. But anything was better than this agony ! Anything

was more tolerable than this derision ! I could bear those hypocritical

—smiles no longer ! I felt that I must scream or die ! and now again !
—hark ! louder ! louder ! louder ! louder !

“ Villains ! ” I shrieked, “ dissemble no more ! I admit the deed !

— —tear up the planks ! here, here ! it is the beating of his hideous
”
heart !

268

!

THE GOLD BUG

What ho ! what ho ! this fellow is dancing mad
He hath been bitten by the Tarantula.

All in the Wrong

M ANY years ago, I contracted an intimacy with a Mr William
Legrand. He was of an ancient Huguenot family, and had

once been wealthy but a series of misfortunes had reduced
;

him to want. To avoid the mortification consequent upon his
Newdisasters, he left Orleans, the city of his forefathers, and took up his

residence at Sullivan’s Island, near Charleston, South Carolina.

This island is a very singular one. It consists of little else than the
sea sand, and is about three miles long. Its breadth at no point exceeds a
quarter of a mile. It is separated from the mainland by a scarcely per-

ceptible creek, oozing its way through a wilderness of reeds and slime, a
favourite resort of the marsh-hen. The vegetation, as might be supposed,

is scant, or at least dwarfish. No trees of any magnitude are to be seen.

Near the western extremity, where Fort Moultrie stands, and where are
some miserable frame buildings, tenanted, during summer, by the fugitives

from Charleston dust and fever, may be found, indeed, the bristly palmetto
;

but the whole island, with the exception of this western point, and a line

of hard, white beach on the sea-coast, is covered with a dense undergrowth

of the sweet myrtle so much prized by the horticulturist of England.
The shrub here often attains the height of fifteen or twenty feet, and forms

an almost impenetrable coppice, burthening the air with its fragrance.

In the inmost recesses of this coppice, not far from the eastern or more
remote end of the island, Legrand had built himself a small hut, which he
occupied when I first, by mere accident, made his acquaintance. This

—soon ripened into friendship for there was much in the recluse to excite

interest and esteem. I found him well educated, with unusual powers of
mind, but infected with misanthropy, and subject to perverse moods of

alternate enthusiasm and melancholy. He had with him many books,

but rarely employed them. His chief amusements were gunning and

fishing, or sauntering along the beach and through the myrtles, in quest

269

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

—of shells or entomological specimens his collection of the latter might

have been envied by a Swammerdamm. In these excursions he was
usually accompanied by an old negro, called Jupiter, who had been
manumitted before the reverses of the family, but who could be induced,

neither by threats nor by promises, to abandon what he considered his
right of attendance upon the footsteps of his young “ Massa Will.” It

is not improbable that the relatives of Legrand, conceiving him to be some-

what unsettled in intellect, had contrived to instil this obstinacy into

Jupiter, with a view to the supervision and guardianship of the wanderer.

The winters in the latitude of Sullivan’s Island are seldom very severe,

and in the fall of the year it is a rare event indeed when a fire is considered

—necessary. About the middle of October, 18 there occurred, however,
,

a day of remarkable chilliness. Just before sunset I scrambled my way

through the evergreens to the hut of my friend, whom I had not visited for
—myseveral weeks
residence being, at that time, in Charleston, a distance

of nine miles from the island, while the facilities of passage and re-passage

were very far behind those of the present day. Upon reaching the hut

I rapped, as was my custom, and getting no reply, sought for the key

Awhere I knew it was secreted, unlocked the door, and went in. fine

fire was blazing upon the hearth. It was a novelty, and by no means an

ungrateful one. I threw off an overcoat, took an arm-chair by the crackling

mylogs, and awaited patiently the arrival of hosts.

Soon after dark they arrived, and gave me a most cordial welcome.

Jupiter, grinning from ear to ear, bustled about to prepare some marsh-

—hen for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits how else shall I term
—them ? of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown bivalve, forming a

new genus, and, more than this, he had hunted down and secured, with

Jupiter’s assistance, a scarabcens which he believed to be totally new, but

in respect to which he wished to have my opinion on the morrow.
“ And why not to-night ? ” I asked, rubbing my hands over the

blaze, and wishing the whole tribe of scarabcei at the devil.

“ Ah, if I had only known you were here ! ” said Legrand, “ but it’s

so long since I saw you and how could I foresee that you would pay me a
;

visit this very night of all others ? As I was coming home I met Lieutenant

G from the fort, and, very foolishly, I lent him the bug so it will be
,;

impossible for you to see it until the morning. Stay here to-night, and

I will send Jup down for it at sunrise. ”
—“ What ? It is the loveliest thing in creation I

”
sunrise ?
— —“ Nonsense ! no ! the bug. It is of a brilliant gold colour about

270

—

THE GOLD BUG

—the size of a large hickory-nut with two jet black spots near one extremity

of the back, and another, somewhat longer, at the other. The antennce

”
are

“ Dey ain’t no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin’ on you,” here

interrupted Jupiter “ de bug is a goole-bug, solid, ebery bit of him,

—;

inside and all, sep him wing neber feel half so hebby a bug in my life.”

“ Well, suppose it is, Jup,” replied Legrand, somewhat more earnestly,
it seemed to me, than the case demanded “ is that any reason for your

;

— —letting the birds burn ? The colour ” here he turned to me “ is

really almost enough to warrant Jupiter’s idea. You never saw a more

—brilliant metallic lustre than the scales emit but of this you cannot judge

till to-morrow. In the meantime I can give you some idea of the shape.”

Saying this, he seated himself at a small table, on which were a pen and

ink, but no paper. He looked for some in a drawer, but found none.

“ Never mind,” he said at length, “ this will answer ” and he drew
;

from his waistcoat pocket a scrap of what I took to be very dirty foolscap,

and made upon it a rough drawing with the pen. While he did this, I

myretained seat by the fire, for I was still chilly. When the design was

complete, he handed it to me without rising. As I received it, a loud growl

was heard, succeeded by scratching at the door. Jupiter opened it, and a

large Newfoundland, belonging to Legrand, rushed in, leaped upon my

shoulders, and loaded me with caresses for I had shown him much at-
;

tention during previous visits. When his gambols were over, I looked at

the paper, and, to speak the truth, found myself not a little puzzled at

what my friend had depicted.

“ Well ! ” I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, “ this is

a strange scarabcens, I must confess new to me never saw anything

— ;;

like it before unless it was a skull, or a death’s-head, which it more nearly

resembles than anything else that has come under my observation.”

— —A“ death’s-head ! ” echoed Legrand. “ Oh yes well, it has some-

thing of that appearance upon paper, no doubt. The two upper black

spots look like eyes, eh ? and the longer one at the bottom like a mouth

and then the shape of the whole is oval.”
“ Perhaps so,” said I “ but, Legrand, I fear you are no artist. I

;

must wait until I see the beetle itself, if I am to form any idea of its personal

appearance.”

“ Well, I don’t know,” said he, a little nettled, “ I draw tolerably

—should do it at least have had good masters, and flatter myself that I am

not quite a blockhead.”

271

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

my“ But, dear fellow, you are joking then,” said I, “ this is a very
—passable skull indeed, I may say that it is a very excellent skull, according
—to the vulgar notions about such specimens of physiology and your

scarabceus must be the queerest scarabceus in the world if it resembles it.

Why, we may get up a very thrilling bit of superstition upon this hint.

I presume you will call the bug scarabceus caput hominis or something of

—,

that kind there are many similar titles in the Natural Histories. But

where are the antennce you spoke of ? ”

“ The antennce ! ” said Legrand, who seemed to be getting unaccount-

ably warm upon the subject “I am sure you must see the antennce. I
;

made them as distinct as they are in the original insect, and I presume that

is sufficient.”

—“ Well, well,” I said, “ perhaps you have still I don’t see them ”
;

and I handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing to
ruffle his temper but I was much surprised at the turn affairs had taken

—; ;

his ill-humour puzzled me and, as for the drawing of the beetle, there

were positively no antennce visible, and the whole did bear a very close

resemblance to the ordinary cuts of a death’s-head.

He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple it,

apparently to throw it in the fire, when a casual glance at the design

seemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant his face grew

—violently red in another as excessively pale. For some minutes he con-

tinued to scrutinize the drawing minutely where he sat. At length he

arose, took a candle from the table, and proceeded to seat himself upon a

sea-chest in the furthest corner of the room. Here again he made an

anxious examination of the paper ; Heturning it in all directions. said

nothing, however, and his conduct greatly astonished me yet I thought
;

it prudent not to exacerbate the growing moodiness of his temper by any

comment. Presently he took from his coat-pocket a wallet, placed the

paper carefully in it, and deposited both in a writing desk, which he locked.

He now grew more composed in his demeanour but his original air of
;

enthusiasm had quite disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much sulky as

abstracted. As the evening wore away he became more and more absorbed

in reverie, from which no sallies of mine could arouse him. It had been

my intention to pass the night at the hut, as I had frequently done before,
but, seeing my host in this mood, I deemed it proper to take leave. He
did not press me to remain, but, as I departed, he shook my hand with

even more than his usual cordiality.
It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had seen

272

—

THE GOLD BUG

nothing of Legrand) when I received a visit at Charleston, from his man,

Jupiter. I had never seen the good old negro look so dispirited, and I

feared that some serious disaster had befallen my friend.

—“ Well, Jup,” said I, “ what is the matter now ? how is your master ? ”

“ Why, to speak de troof, massa, him not so berry well as mought be.”

“ Not well ! I am truly sorry to hear it. What does he complain of ? ”

— —“ Dar ! dat’s it ! he neber ’plain of notin’ but him berry sick for all

dat.”

—“ Very sick, Jupiter ! why didn’t you say so at once ? Is he confined

to bed ? ”

— —“ No, dat he ain’t ! he ain’t ’fin’d nowhar dat’s just whar de shoe
—pinch my mind is got to be berry hebby ’bout poor Massa Will.”

“ Jupiter, I should like to understand what it is you are talking about.

You say your master is sick. Hasn’t he told you what ails him ? ”

“ Why, massa, ’tain’t worf while for to git mad about de matter

—Massa Will say noffin at all ain’t de matter wid him but den what make

him go about looking dis here way, wid he head down and he soldiers up,
”
and as white as a gose ? And den he keep a syphon all de time

“ Keeps a what, Jupiter ? ”
—“ Keeps a syphon wid de figgurs on de slate de queerest figgurs I

ebber did see. Ise gettin’ to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to keep

mighty tight eye ’pon him ’noovers. Todder day he gib me slip ’fore de

sun up and was gone the whole ob de blessed day. I had a big stick

—ready cut for to gib him deuced good beating when he did come but Ise
—sich a fool dat I hadn’t de heart arter all he looked so berry poorly.”

— — —“ Eh ? what ? ah yes ! upon the whole I think you had better
— —not be too severe with the poor fellow don’t flog him, Jupiter he can’t
—very well stand it but can you form no idea of what has occasioned this

illness, or rather this change of conduct ? Has anything unpleasant

happened since I saw you ? ”

— —“ No, massa, dey ain’t bin noffin’ onpleasant since den ’twas ’jore den

I’m feared ’twas de berry day you was dare.”

“ How ? what do you mean ? ”

—“ Why, massa, I mean de bug dare now.”

“ The what ? ”

—“ De bug I’m berry sartain dat Massa Will bin bit somewhere ’bout

de head by dat goole-bug.”

“ And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition ? ”

“ Claws enuff, massa, and mouff too. I nebber did see sich a deuced

s 273

—

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

—bug he kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. Massa Will

cotch him fuss, but had for to let him go ’gin mighty quick, I tell you

den was de time he must ha’ got de bite. I didn’t like de look ob de bug

mouff, myself, nohow, so I wouldn’t take hold ob him wid my finger,

but I cotch him wid a piece ob paper dat I found. I rap him up in de

—paper and stuff a piece of it in he mouff dat was de way.”

“ And you think, then, that your master was really bitten by the beetle,
and that the bite made him sick ? ”

—“ I don’t think noffin’ about it I nose it. What make him dream

’bout de goole so much, if ’tain’t ’cause he bit by the goole-bug? Ise

heerd ’bout dem goole-bugs ’fore dis.”
“ But how do you know he dreams about gold ? ”

“ How I know ? why, ’cause he talk about it in he sleep— dat’s how

I nose.”

“ Well, Jup, perhaps you are right but to what fortunate circum-
;
stances am I to attribute the honour of a visit from you to-day ? ”
“ What de matter, massa ? ”
“ Did you bring any message from Mr. Legrand ? ”

“ No, massa, I bring dis here pissel ” and here Jupiter handed me a
;

note which ran thus :

My DEAR
,
Why have I not seen you for so long a time ? I hope you have not been

so foolish as to take offence at any little brusquerie of mine ; but no, that

is improbable.

Since I saw you I have had great cause for anxiety. I have something to

tell you, yet scarcely know how to tell it, or whether I should tell it at all.

I have not been quite well for some days past, and poor old Jup annoys
me, almost beyond endurance, by his well-meant attentions. Would you

believe it ?—he had prepared a huge stick, the other day, with which to

chastise me for giving him the slip, and spending the day, solus, among

mythe hills on the mainland. I verily believe that ill looks alone saved me

_a flogging. my . we met.
have made no addition to since
I cabinet

If you can, in any way, make it convenient, come over with Jupiter.

Do come. I wish to see you to-night upon business of importance. I
,

assure you that it is of the highest importance.

Ever yours,

William Legrand

There was something in the tone of this note which gave me great

uneasiness. Its whole style differed materially from that of Legrand.

274

THE GOLD BUG

What could he be dreaming of ? What new crotchet possessed his
excitable brain ? What “ business of the highest importance ” could he
possibly have to transact ? Jupiter’s account of him boded no good. I

dreaded lest the continued pressure of misfortune had, at length, fairly

unsettled the reason of my friend. Without a moment’s hesitation, there-

fore, I prepared to accompany the negro.

Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, all
apparently new, lying in the bottom of the boat in which we were to

embark.

“ What is the meaning of all this, Jup ? ” I inquired.

“ Him syfe, massa, and spade.”

“ Very true but what are they doing here ? ”
;

“ Him de syfe and de spade what Massa Will sis ’pon my buying

for him in de town, and de debbil’s own lot of money I had to gib

for ’em.”

“ But what, in the name of all that is mysterious, is your ‘ Massa

”

Will ’ going to do with scythes and spades ?

“ Dat’s more dan I know, and debbil take me if I don’t b’lieve ’tis

more dan he know too. But it’s all cum ob de bug.”

Finding that no satisfaction was to be obtained of Jupiter, whose

whole intellect seemed to be absorbed by “ de bug,” I now stepped into

the boat, and made sail. With a fair and strong breeze we soon ran into

the little cove to the northward of Fort Moultrie, and a walk of some two

miles brought us to the hut. It was about three in the afternoon when we

arrived. Legrand had been awaiting us in eager expectation. He grasped
my hand with a nervous empressement which alarmed me and strengthened

the suspicions already entertained. His countenance was pale even to

ghastliness, and his deep-set eyes glared with unnatural lustre. After

some inquiries respecting his health, I asked him, not knowing what better

Gto say, if he had yet obtained the scarabcens from Lieutenant .

“ Oh, yes,” he replied, colouring violently, “ I got it from him the

next morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that scarabceus.
Do you know that Jupiter is quite right about it ? ”

“ In what way ? ” I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart.

“ In supposing it to be a bug of real gold .” He said this with an air of

profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked.

“ This bug is to make my fortune,” he continued, with a triumphant

smile “ to reinstate me in my family possessions. Is it any wonder,
;

then, that I prize it ? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon

2 75

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

me, I have only to use it properly, and I shall arrive at the gold of which it

meis the index. Jupiter, bring ”
that scarabceus !

“ What ! de bug, massa ? I’d rudder not go fer trubble dat bug
;

you mus’ git him for your own self.” Hereupon Legrand arose, with a

grave and stately air, and brought me the beetle from a glass case in which

it was enclosed. It was a beautiful scarabceus and, at that time, unknown

—,

to naturalists of course a great prize in a scientific point of view. There

were two round black spots near one extremity of the back, and a long one

near the other. The scales were exceedingly hard and glossy, with all
the appearance of burnished gold. The weight of the insect was very

remarkable, and, taking all things into consideration, I could hardly

blame Jupiter for his opinion respecting it but what to make of Legrand’s
;

concordance with that opinion, I could not, for the life of me, tell.

“ I sent for you,” said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had com-

pleted my examination of the beetle, “ I sent for you that I might have

your counsel and assistance in furthering the views of Fate and of the
bug ”

My“ dear Legrand,” I cried, interrupting him, “ you are certainly

unwell, and had better use some little precautions. You shall go to bed,

and I will remain with you for a few days, until you get over this. You

are feverish and ”

“ Feel my pulse,” said he.

I felt it, and to say the truth, found not the slightest indication of

fever.

“ But you may be ill and yet have no fever. Allow me this once to
”
prescribe for you. In the first place go to bed. In the next

“ You are mistaken,” he interposed, “ I am as well as I can expect

to be under the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me well

you will relieve this excitement.”

“ And how is this to be done ? ”

“ Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition

into the hills, upon the mainland, and, in this expedition, we shall need

the aid of some person in whom we can confide. You are the only one

we can trust. Whether we succeed or fail, the excitement which you now
perceive in me will be equally allayed.”

“ I am anxious to oblige you in any way,” I replied; “ but do you

mean to say that this infernal beetle has any connexion with your ex-

pedition into the hills ? ”
“ It has.”

276

—

THE GOLD BUG

“ Then, Legrand, I can become a party to no such absurd proceeding.”

— —“ I am sorry very sorry for we shall have to try it by ourselves.”
— —“Try it by yourselves ! The man is surely mad ! but stay ! how

”

long do you propose to be absent ?

We“ Probably all night. shall start immediately, and be back, at

all events, by sunrise.”

“ And you will promise me, upon your honour, that when this freak

of yours is over, and the bug business (good God !) settled to your satis-
faction, you will then return home and follow my advice implicitly, as

that of your physician.”

“ Yes I promise and now let us be off, for we have no time to lose.”
;;

With a heavy heart I accompanied my friend. We started about four

—o’clock Legrand, Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with him
—the scythe and spades the whole of which he insisted upon carrying

more through fear, it seemed to me, of trusting either of the implements

within reach of his master, than from any excess of industry or com-
plaisance. His demeanour was dogged in the extreme, and “ dat deuced
bug ” were the sole words which escaped his lips during the journey.

For my own part, I had charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while Legrand

contented himself with the scarabceus which he carried attached to the
,

end of a bit of whipcord twirling it to and fro, with the air of a conjurer,
;

as he went. When I observed this last, plain evidence of my friend’s

aberration of mind, I could scarcely refrain from tears. I thought it

best, however, to humour his fancy, at least for the present, or until I

could adopt some more energetic measures with a chance of success. In

the meantime, I endeavoured, but all in vain, to sound him in regard to

the object of the expedition. Having succeeded in inducing me to accom-

pany him, he seemed unwilling to hold conversation upon any topic of

minor importance, and to all my questions vouchsafed no other reply

than “ we shall see ! ”

We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a skiff,

and, ascending the high grounds on the shore of the mainland, proceeded

in a north-westerly direction, through a tract of country excessively wild

and desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. Legrand

led the way with decision pausing only for an instant, here and there, to
;

consult what appeared to be certain landmarks of his own contrivance

upon a former occasion.

In this manner we journeyed for about two hours, and the sun was
just setting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than any yet

277

:

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

seen. It was a species of tableland, near the summit of an almost in-
accessible hill, densely wooded from base to pinnacle, and interspersed
with huge crags that appeared to lie loosely upon the soil, and in many
cases were prevented from precipitating themselves into the valleys
below, merely by the support of the trees against which they reclined.
Deep ravines, in various directions, gave an air of still sterner solemnity

to the scene.

The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly overgrown
with brambles, through which we soon discovered that it would have been
impossible to force our way but for the scythe and Jupiter, by direction

;

of his master, proceeded to clear for us a path to the foot of an enormously

tall tulip-tree, which stood, with some eight or ten oaks, upon the level,
and far surpassed them all, and all other trees which I had then ever
seen, in the beauty of its foliage and form, in the wide spread of its branches,

and in the general majesty of its appearance. When we reached this tree,

Legrand turned to Jupiter, and asked him if he thought he could climb it.

The old man seemed a little staggered by the quest on, and for some

moments made no reply. At length he approached the huge trunk,

walked slowly around it, and examined it with minute attention. When

he had completed his scrutiny, he merely said
“ Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life.”

“ Then up with you as soon as possible, for it will soon be too dark
to see what we are about.”

“ How far mus’ go up, massa ? ” inquired Jupiter.

“ Get up the main trunk first, and then I will tell you which way to

— —go and here stop ! take this beetle with you.”
—“ De bug, Massa Will ! de goole-bug ! ” cried the negro, drawing

— — —back in dismay •“ what for mus’ tote de bug way up de tree ? d n if

”

1 do !
“ If you are afraid, Jup, a great big negro like you, to take hold of a

—harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by this string but,

if you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall be under the necessity
of breaking your head with this shovel.”

“ What de matter now, massa ? ” said Jup, evidently shamed into
compliance “ always want for to raise fuss wid old nigger. Was only

;

funnin’ anyhow. Me feered debug! what I keer for de bug ? ” Here he

took cautiously hold of the extreme end of the string, and, maintaining
the insect as far from his person as circumstances would permit, prepared
to ascend the tree.

278

THE GOLD BUG

In youth, the tulip-tree or Liriodendron Tulipijerum, the most mag-
nificent of American foresters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, and often

rises to a great height without lateral branches but, in its riper age, the
;

bark becomes gnarled and uneven, while many short limbs make their
appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of ascension, in the
present case, lay more in semblance than in reality. Embracing the

huge cylinder, as closely as possible, with his arms and knees, seizing
with his hands some projections, and resting his naked toes upon
others, Jupiter, after one or two narrow escapes from falling, at length
wriggled himself into the first great fork, and seemed to consider the

whole business as virtually accomplished. The risk of the achievement
was, in fact, now over, although the climber was some sixty or seventy

feet from the ground.
“ Which way mus’ go now, Massa Will ? ” he asked.

—“ Keep up the largest branch the one on this side,” said Legrand.

The negro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but little trouble
;

ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his squat figure could be

obtained through the dense foliage which enveloped it. Presently his

voice was heard in a sort of halloo.

“ How much fudder is got for go ? ”
“ How high up are you ? ” asked Legrand.

“ Ebber so fur,” replied the negro “ can see de sky fru de top ob de
;

tree.”

“ Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the trunk

and count the limbs below you on this side. How many limbs have you
”
passed ?

—“ One, two, tree, four, fibe I done pass fibe big limb, massa, pon

dis side.”

“ Then go one limb higher.”

In a few minutes the voice was heard again, announcing that the seventh
limb was attained.

“ Now, Jup,” cried Legrand, evidently much excited, “ I want you to

work your way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see anything

strange let me know.”
By this time what little doubt I might have entertained of my poor

friend’s insanity was put finally at rest. I had no alternative but to con-
clude him stricken with lunacy, and I became seriously anxious about
getting him home. While I was pondering upon what was best to be
done, Jupiter’s voice was again heard.

279

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

—“ Mos’feerd for to venture pon dis limb berry far ’tis dead limb putty

much all de way.”

“ Did you say it was a dead limb, Jupiter ? ” cried Legrand in a

quavering voice.

— —“ Yes, massa, him dead as de door- nail done up for sartain done

departed dis here life.”

“ What in the name of heaven shall I do ? ” asked Legrand, seemingly

in the greatest distress.

“ Do ” said I, glad of an opportunity to interpose a word, “ why

!

—come home and go to bed. Come now ! that’s a fine fellow. It’s getting

late, and, besides, you remember your promise.”

“ Jupiter,” cried he, without heeding me in the least, “ do you hear

me?”

“ Yes, Massa Will, hear you ebber so plain.”

“ Try the wood well, then, with your knife, and see if you think it

very rotten.”

“ Him rotten, massa, sure nuff,” replied the negro in a few moments,

“ but not so berry rotten as mought be. Mought venture out leetle way

pon de limb by myself, dat’s true.” S’pose I drop him

—“ By yourself ! what do you mean ? ”

“ Why, I mean de bug. ’Tis berry hebby bug.

down fuss, and den de limb won’t break wid just de weight ob one nigger.”
“ You infernal scoundrel ! ” cried Legrand, apparently much relieved,

“ what do you mean by telling me such nonsense as that ? As sure as

you drop that beetle I’ll break your neck. Look here, Jupiter, do you

hear me ? ”

“ Yes, massa, needn’t hollo at poor nigger dat style.”

—“ Well ! now listen ! if you will venture out on the limb as far as

you think safe, and not let go the beetle, I’ll make you a present of a

silver dollar as soon as you get down.”

—“ I’m gwine, Massa Will deed I is,” replied the negro very promptly
—“ mos’ out to the eend now.”

“ Out to the end ! ” here fairly screamed Legrand ; “do you say you

”

are out to the end of that limb ?

—“ Soon be to de end, massa o-o-o-o-oh ! Lor-gol-a-marcy ! what

is dis here pon de tree ? ”
“ Well ! ” cried Legrand, highly delighted, “ what is it ? ”

—“ Why, ’tain’t noffin but a skull somebody bin lef him head up de tree,

and de crows done gobble ebery bit of de meat off.”

280

—

THE GOLD BUG

A — —“ skull, you say ! very well, how is it fastened to the limb ?

what holds it on ? ”

“ Sure nuff, massa mus’ look. Why dis berry curous sarcumstance,

—;

pon my word dare’s a great big nail in de skull, what fastens ob it on to

de tree.”

—“ Well now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you do you hear ? ”

“ Yes, massa.”

—“ Pay attention, then find the left eye of the skull.”

Hum“ ! hoo ! dat’s good ! why dey ain’t no eye lef at all.”

“ Curse your stupidity ! Do you know your right hand from your

left?”

— —“ Yes, I knows dat knows all bout dat ’tis my lef hand what I

chops de wood wid.”

“ To be sure you are left-handed and your left eye is on the same
!;

side as your left hand. Now, I suppose, you can find the left eye of the
skull, or the place where the left eye has been. Have you found it ? ”

Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked :
“ Is de lef eye of de skull pon de same side as de lef hand side of de

— —skull too ? cause de skull ain’t got not a bit ob a hand at all neber mind !
—I got de lef eye now here de lef eye ! what mus’ do wid it ? ”

—“ Let the beetle drop through it, as far as the string will reach but be

careful and not let go your hold of the string.”

“ All dat done, Massa Will mighty easy ting for to put de bug fru

—;

de hole look out for him dare below ! ”

During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter’s person could be seen
;

but the beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now visible at the

end of the string, and glistened, like a globe of burnished gold, in the last

rays of the setting sun, some of which still faintly illumined the eminence
upon which we stood. The scarabceus hung quite clear of any branches,

and, if allowed to fall, would have fallen at our feet. Legrand im-

mediately took the scythe, and cleared with it a circular space, three or

four yards in diameter, just beneath the insect, and, having accomplished

this, ordered Jupiter to let go the string and come down from the tree.

Driving a peg, with great nicety, into the ground, at the precise spot

where the beetle fell, my friend now produced from his pocket a tape-

measure. Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk of the tree
which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg and thence

further unrolled it, in the direction already established by the two points

—of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fifty feet Jupiter clearing away

281

—

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

the brambles with the scythe. At the spot thus attained a second peg

was driven, and about this, as a centre, a rude circle, about four feet in

diameter, described. Taking now a spade himself, and giving one to

Jupiter and one to me, Legrand begged us to set about digging as quickly

as possible.

To speak the truth, I had no especial relish for such amusement at

any time, and, at that particular moment, would most willingly have

declined it for the night was coming on, and I felt much fatigued with
;

the exercise already taken but I saw no mode of escape, and was fearful
;

of disturbing my poor friend’s equanimity by a refusal. Could I have

depended, indeed, upon Jupiter’s aid, I would have had no hesitation in
attempting to get the lunatic home by force but I was too well assured

;

of the old negro’s disposition, to hope that he would assist me, under

any circumstances, in a personal contest with his master. I made no

doubt that the latter had been infected with some of the innumerable

Southern superstitions about money buried, and that his phantasy had

received confirmation by the finding of the scarabceus or, perhaps, by
,

AJupiter’s obstinacy in maintaining it to be “ a bug of real gold.” mind

disposed to lunacy would readily be led away by such suggestions

—especially if chiming in with favourite preconceived ideas and then I

called to mind the poor fellow’s speech about the beetle’s being “ the index

of his fortune.” Upon the whole, I was sadly vexed and puzzled, but,

—at length, I concluded to make a virtue of necessity to dig with a good

will, and thus the sooner to convince the visionary, by ocular demonstra-

tion, of the fallacy of the opinions he entertained.

The lanterns having been lit, we all fell to work with a zeal worthy

a more rational cause and, as the glare fell upon our persons and
;

implements, I could not help thinking how picturesque a group we

composed, and how strange and suspicious our labours must have

appeared to any interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon

our whereabouts.

We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said and our chief
;

embarrassment lay in the yelpings of the dog, who took exceeding interest

in our proceedings. He, at length, became so obstreperous that we grew

—fearful of his giving the alarm to some stragglers in the vicinity, or,
—rather, this was the apprehension of Legrand ; for myself, I should have

rejoiced at any interruption which might have enabled me to get the

wanderer home. The noise was, at length, very effectually silenced by

Jupiter, who, getting out of the hole with a dogged air of deliberation,

282

—

THE GOLD BUG

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

Afive feet, and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest. general

pause ensued, and I began to hope that the farce was at an end. Legrand,

however, although evidently much disconcerted, wiped his brow thought-

Wefully and recommenced. 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 I

sincerely pitied, at length clambered from the pit, with the bitterest

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 labour. In the meantime I made no remark. Jupiter, at a signal

from his master, 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 a

loud oath, Legrand strode 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, hissing out the syllables from

— —between his clenched teeth “ you infernal black villain ! speak, I
—tell you !—answer me this instant, without prevarication ! which
which is your left eye ? ”

my my“ Oh, ”
golly, Massa Will ! ain’t dis here lef eye for sartain ?

roared the terrified Jupiter, placing his hand upon his right organ of vision,

and holding it there with a desperate pertinacity, as if in immediate dread

of his master’s attempt at a gouge.

—“ I thought so ! I knew it ! hurrah ! ” vociferated Legrand, letting

the negro go, and executing a series of curvets and caracols, much to the

astonishment of his valet, who, arising from his knees, looked, mutely,

from his master to myself, and then from myself to his master.

“ Come ! we must go back,” said the latter, “ the game’s 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 face 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.”

—“ Well, then, was it this eye or that through which you dropped the

beetle ? ” here Legrand touched each of Jupiter’s eyes.

283

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

— — —“ ’Twas dis eye, massa de lef eye jis as you tell me,” and here it

was his right eye that the negro indicated.

—“ That will do we must try it again.”

Here my friend, about whose madness I now saw, or fancied that I

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 position. 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 fifty feet, a spot was indicated, removed, by

several yards, from the point at which we had been digging.
Around the new position a circle, somewhat larger than in the former

instance, was now described, and we again set to work with the spade.

I was dreadfully weary, but, scarcely understanding what had occasioned

the change in my thoughts, I felt no longer any great aversion from the

—labour imposed. I had become most unaccountably interested nay,

even excited. Perhaps there was something, amid all the extravagant

—demeanour of Legrand some air of forethought, or of deliberation, which

impressed me. I dug eagerly, and now and then caught myself actually
looking, with something that very much resembled expectation, for the

fancied treasure, the vision of which had demented my unfortunate com-

panion. At a period when such vagaries of thought most fully possessed
me, and when we had been at work perhaps an hour and a half, we were

again interrupted by the violent howlings of the dog. His uneasiness,

in the first instance, had been, evidently, but the result of playfulness or

caprice, but he now assumed a bitter and serious tone. Upon Jupiter’s
again attempting to muzzle him, he made furious resistance, and, leaping

into the hole, tore up the mould frantically with his claws. In a few

seconds he had uncovered a mass of human bones, forming two complete

skeletons, intermingled with several buttons of metal, and what appeared

to be the dust of decayed woollen. One or two strokes of a spade up-
turned the blade of a large Spanish knife, and, as we dug farther, three or
four loose pieces of gold and silver coin came to light.

At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the

countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment. He

urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly

uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my

boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.

We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more

intense excitement. During this interval we had fairly unearthed an

284

THERE FLASHED UPWARD A GLOW AND A GLARE



—

THE GOLD BUG

oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful

hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process

perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury. This box was three and a

half feet long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep. It was

firmly secured by bands of wrought iron, riveted, and forming a kind

of open trellis-work over the whole. On each side of the chest, near the

— —top, were three rings of iron six in all by means of which a firm hold

could be obtained by six persons. Our utmost united endeavours served

Weonly to disturb the coffer very slightly in its bed. at once saw the

impossibility of removing so great a weight. Luckily, the sole fastenings

—of the lid consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drew back trembling

and panting with anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of incalculable value
lay gleaming before us. As the rays of the lanterns fell within the pit,
there flashed upward a glow and a glare, from a confused heap of gold

and of jewels, that absolutely dazzled our eyes.
I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. Amaze-

ment was, of course, predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted with

excitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter’s countenance wore, for

some minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in the nature of things,

—for any negro’s visage to assume. He seemed stupefied thunderstricken.

Presently he fell upon his knees in the pit, and burying his naked arms
up to the elbows in gold, let them there remain, as if enjoying the luxury

of a bath. At length with a deep sigh, he exclaimed, as if in a soliloquy :

“ And dis all cum ob de goole-bug ! de putty goole-bug ! de poor little

goole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style ! Ain’t you shamed

—ob yourself, nigger ? answer me dat ! ”

It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse both master and valet

to the expediency of removing the treasure. It was growing late, and

it behoved us to make exertion, that we might get everything housed

before daylight. It was difficult to say what should be done, and much

— Wetime was spent in deliberation so confused were the ideas of all.

finally lightened the box by removing two-thirds of its contents, when we

were enabled, with some trouble, to raise it from the hole. The articles

taken out were deposited among the brambles, and the dog left to guard

them, with strict orders from Jupiter, neither, upon any pretence, to stir

Wefrom the spot, nor to open his mouth until our return. then hurriedly

made for home with the chest reaching the hut in safety, but after
;

excessive toil, at one o’clock in the morning. Worn out as we were, it

was not in human nature to do more immediately. We rested until two,

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and had supper : starting for the hills immediately afterward, armed

with three stout sacks, which, by good luck, were upon the premises.

A little before four we arrived at the pit, divided the remainder of the

booty, as equally as might be, among us, and, leaving the holes unfilled,

again set out for the hut, at which, for the second time, we deposited our

golden burdens, just as the first faint streaks of the dawn gleamed from

over the tree-tops in the East.

We were now thoroughly broken down but the intense excitement of
;

the time denied us repose. After an unquiet slumber of some three or

four hours’ duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make examination

of our treasure.

The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, and

the greater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its contents. There had

been nothing like order or arrangement. Everything had been heaped

in promiscuously. Having assorted all with care, we found ourselves

possessed of even vaster wealth than we had at first supposed. In coin

there was rather more than four hundred and fifty thousand dollars

estimating the value of the pieces, as accurately as we could, by the tables

of the period. There was not a particle of silver. All was gold of antique

—date and of great variety French, Spanish, and German money, with a

few English guineas, and some counters, of which we had never seen

specimens before. There were several very large and heavy coins, so

worn that we could make nothing of their inscriptions. There was no

American money. The value of the jewels we found more difficult in

—estimating. There were diamonds some of them exceedingly large and
—fine a hundred and ten in all, and not one of them small eighteen

—;

rubies of remarkable brilliancy ; three hundred and ten emeralds, all

very beautiful and twenty-one sapphires, with an opal. These stones
;

had all been broken from their settings and thrown loose in the chest.

The settings themselves, which we picked out from among the other gold,

appeared to have been beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent identifica-

tion. Besides all this, there was a vast quantity of solid gold ornaments :
—nearly two
hundred massive finger- and ear-rings rich chains thirty
;

of these, if I remember eighty-three very large and heavy crucifixes
; ;

five gold censers of great value ; a prodigious golden punch-bowl, orna-

mented with richly chased vine-leaves and Bacchanalian figures with
;

two sword-handles exquisitely embossed, and many other smaller articles

which I cannot recollect. The weight of these valuables exceeded three

hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois ; and in this estimate I have not

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THE GOLD BUG

included one hundred and ninety-seven superb gold watches three
;

of the number being worth each five hundred dollars, if one. Many of

them were very old, and as timekeepers valueless the works having

—;

suffered more or less from corrosion but all were richly jewelled and in

Wecases of great worth. estimated the entire contents of the chest,

that night, at a million and a half of dollars and upon the subsequent
;

disposal of the trinkets and jewels (a few being retained for our own use),

it was found that we had greatly undervalued the treasure.

When, at length, we had concluded our examination, and the intense

excitement of the time had, in some measure, subsided, Legrand, who saw

that I was dying with impatience for a solution of this most extraordinary'

riddle, entered into a full detail of all the circumstances connected with it.

“ You remember,” said he, “ the night when I handed you the rough
sketch I had made of the scarabceus . You recollect also, that I became

quite vexed at you for insisting that my drawing resembled a death’s
head. When you first made this assertion, I thought you were jesting

;

but afterward I called to mind the peculiar spots on the back of the insect,

and admitted to myself that your remark had some little foundation in

—fact. Still, the sneer at my graphic powers irritated me for I am con-

—sidered a good artist and, therefore, when you handed me the scrap of

parchment, I was about to crumple it up and throw it angrily into the

fire.”

“ The scrap of paper, you mean,” said I.

“ No it had much of the appearance of paper, and at first I supposed
;

it to be such, but when I came to draw upon it, I discovered it at once

to be a piece of very thin parchment. It was quite dirty, you remember.

Well, as I was in the very act of crumpling it up, my glance fell upon the
sketch at which you had been looking, and you may imagine my astonish-

ment when I perceived, in fact, the figure of a death’s-head just where,
it seemed to me, I had made the drawing of the beetle. For a moment

I was too much amazed to think with accuracy. I knew that my design

—was very different in detail from this although there was a certain simi-

larity in general outline. Presently I took a candle, and seating myself

at the other end of the room, proceeded to scrutinize the parchment

more closely. Upon turning it over, I saw my own sketch upon the re-

Myverse, just as I had made it. first idea, now, was mere surprise at the
—really remarkable similarity of outline at the singular coincidence in-

volved in the fact that, unknown to me, there should have been a skull

upon the other side of the parchment, immediately beneath my figure

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TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

of the scarabceus and that this skull, not only in outline, but in size, should
,

myso closely resemble drawing. I say the singularity of this coincidence

absolutely stupefied me for a time. This is the usual effect of such coin-

—cidences. The mind struggles to establish a connexion a sequence
—of cause and effect and, being unable to do so, suffers a species of tem-

porary paralysis. But, when I recovered from this stupor, there dawned

upon me gradually a conviction which startled me even far more than the

coincidence. I began distinctly, positively, to remember that there had

been no drawing upon the parchment when I made my sketch of the

scarabceus. I became perfectly certain of this for I recollected turning
;

up first one side and then the other, in search of the cleanest spot. Had

the skull been then there, of course I could not have failed to notice it.

Here was indeed a mystery which I felt it impossible to explain but,
;

even at that early moment, there seemed to glimmer, faintly, within the

most remote and secret chambers of my intellect, a glow-worm-like

conception of that truth which last night’s adventure brought to so mag-

nificent a demonstration. I arose at once, and putting the parchment

securely away, dismissed all further reflection until I should be alone.

“ When you had gone, and when Jupiter was fast asleep, I betook

myself to a more methodical investigation of the affair. In the first place

I considered the manner in which the parchment had come into my pos-

session. The spot where we discovered the scarabceus was on the coast of

the mainland, about a mile eastward of the island, and but a short distance

above high-water mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it gave me a sharp
bite, which caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his accustomed caution,

before seizing the insect, which had flown toward him, looked about him

for a leaf, or something of that nature, by which to take hold of it. It

was at this moment that his eyes, and mine also, fell upon the scrap of

parchment, which I then supposed to be paper. It was lying half buried

in the sand, a corner sticking up. Near the spot where we found it,

I observed the remnants of the hull of what appeared to have been a ship’s

long-boat. The wreck seemed to have been there for a very great while
;

for the resemblance to boat timbers could scarcely be traced.

“ Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment, wrapped the beetle in it,

and gave it to me. Soon afterward we turned to go home, and on the way

Gmet Lieutenant . I showed him the insect, and he begged me to

let him take it to the fort. Upon my consenting, he thrust it forthwith

into his waistcoat pocket, without the parchment in which it had been

wrapped, and which I had continued to hold in my hand during his

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THE GOLD BUG

inspection. Perhaps he dreaded my changing my mind, and thought it

—best to make sure of the prize at once you know how enthusiastic he is on

all subjects connected with Natural History. At the same time, without

being conscious of it, I must have deposited the parchment in my own

pocket.

“You remember that when I went to the table, for the purpose of

making a sketch of the beetle, I found no paper where it was usually

kept. I looked in the drawer, and found none there. I searched my
pockets, hoping to find an old letter, when my hand fell upon the parch-
ment. I thus detail the precise mode in which it came into my posses-
sion for the circumstances impressed me with peculiar force.

—;

“ No doubt you will think me fanciful but I had already established

a kind of connexion. I had put together two links of a great chain. There

was a boat lying upon a sea-coast, and not far from the boat was a parch-

—ment not a paper with a skull depicted upon it. You will, of course,

ask, ‘Where is the connexion?’ I reply that the skull, or death’s-head,
is the well-known emblem of the pirate. The flag of the death’s-head is

hoisted in all engagements.
“ I have said that the scrap was parchment, and not paper. Parch-

—ment is durable almost imperishable. Matters of little moment are

rarely consigned to parchment since, for the mere ordinary purposes of
;

drawing or writing, it is not nearly so well adapted as paper. This re-

— —flection suggested some meaning some relevancy in the death’s-head.

I did not fail to observe, also, the form of the parchment. Although

one of its corners had been, by some accident, destroyed, it could be seen

that the original form was oblong. It wras just such a slip, indeed, as

—might have been chosen for a memorandum for a record of something

to be long remembered and carefully preserved.”

“ But,” I interposed, “ you say that the skull was not upon the parch-

ment when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you trace

—any connexion between the boat and the skull since this latter, according

to your own admission, must have been designed (God only knows how

or by whom) at some period subsequent to your sketching the scarabceus .”

“ Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery although the secret, at
;

Mythis point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. steps

were sure, and could afford but a single result. I reasoned, for example,

thus : When I drew the scarabceus there was no skull apparent upon the
,

parchment. When I had completed the drawing I gave it to you, and

observed you narrowly until you returned it. You therefore, did not
,
T 289

—a

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

design the skull, and no one else was present to do it. Then it was not
done by human agency. And nevertheless it was done.

“ At this stage of my reflections I endeavoured to remember, and

did remember, with entire distinctness, every incident which occurred

about the period in question. The weather was chilly (oh, rare and happy

accident !), and a fire was blazing upon the hearth. I was heated with
exercise and sat near the table. You, however, had drawn a chair close

to the chimney. Just as I had placed the parchment in your hand, and

as you were in the act of inspecting it, Wolf, the Newfoundland, entered,

and leaped upon your shoulders. With your left hand you caressed him

and kept him off, while your right, holding the parchment, was permitted

to fall listlessly between your knees, and in close proximity to the fire. At

one moment I thought the blaze had caught it, and was about to caution

you, but, before I could speak, you had withdrawn it, and were engaged

in its examination. When I considered all these particulars, I doubted
not for a moment that heat had been the agent in bringing to light, upon

the parchment, the skull which I saw designed upon it. You are well

aware that chemical preparations exist, and have existed time out of mind,

by means of which it is possible to write upon either paper or vellum,

so that the characters shall become visible only when subjected to the

action of fire. Zaffre, digested in aqua regia, and diluted with four times

its weight of water, is sometimes employed a green tint results. The
;

regulus of cobalt, dissolved in spirit of nitre, gives a red. These colours

disappear at longer or shorter intervals after the material written upon

cools, but again become apparent upon the reapplication of heat.
“ I now scrutinized the death’s-head with care. Its outer edges

—the edges of the drawing nearest the edge of the vellum were far more

distinct than the others. It was clear that the action of the caloric had been

imperfect or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, and subjected every

portion of the parchment to a glowing heat. At first, the only effect was

the strengthening of the faint lines in the skull but, upon persevering in
;

the experiment, there became visible, at the corner of the slip, diagonally

opposite to the spot in which the death’s-head was delineated, the figure

Aof what I at first supposed to be a goat. closer scrutiny, however,

satisfied me that it was intended for a kid.”

—“ Ha ! ha ! ” said I, “ to be sure I have no right to laugh at you
—million and a half of money is too serious a matter for mirth but you

—are not about to establish a third link in your chain you will not find

—any especial connexion between your pirates and a goat pirates, you

290

—

THE GOLD BUG

know, have nothing to do with goats they appertain to the farming
;

interest.

“ But I have just said that the figure was not that of a goat.”

—“ Well, a kid then pretty much the same thing.”

“ Pretty much, but not altogether,” said Legrand. “ You may have

heard of one Captain Kidd. I at once looked upon the figure of the
animal as a kind of punning or hieroglyphical signature. I say signature

;

because its position upon the vellum suggested this idea. The death’s-

head at the corner diagonally opposite, had, in the same manner, the air
of a stamp, or seal. But I was sorely put out by the absence of all else

—of the body to my imagined instrument of the text for my context.”

“ I presume you expected to find a letter between the stamp and the

signature.”

“ Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly impressed

with a presentiment of some vast good fortune impending. I can scarcely
say why. Perhaps, after all, it was rather a desire than an actual belief

—;
but do you know that Jupiter’s silly words, about the bug being of solid

gold, had a remarkable effect upon my fancy ? And then the series of

—accidents and coincidences these were so very extraordinary. Do you

observe how mere an accident it was that these events should have occurred
upon the sole day of all the year in which it has been, or may be sufficiently

cool for fire, and that without the fire, or without the intervention of the dog

at the precise moment in which he appeared, I should never have become

aware of the death’s-head, and so never the possessor of the treasure.”

—“ But proceed I am all impatience.”
—“ Well you have heard, of course, the many stories current the

;

thousand vague rumours afloat about money buried, somewhere upon the
Atlantic coast, by Kidd and his associates. These rumours must have

had some foundation in fact. And that the rumours have existed so long

and so continuous, could have resulted, it appeared to me, only from the

circumstance of the buried treasure still remaining entombed. Had Kidd

concealed his plunder for a time, and afterward reclaimed it, the rumours

would scarcely have reached us in their present unvarying form. You

will observe that the stories told are all about money-seekers, not about

money-finders. Had the pirate recovered his money, there the affair

—would have dropped. It seemed to me that some accident say the loss
—of a memorandum indicating its locality had deprived him of the means

of recovering it, and that this accident had become known to his followers,
who otherwise might never have heard that treasure had been concealed

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TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

at all, and who, busying themselves in vain, because unguided, attempts
to regain it, had first given birth, and then universal currency, to the

reports which are now so common. Have you ever heard of any important

treasure being unearthed along the coast ? ”
“ Never.”
“ But that Kidd’s accumulations were immense, is well known. I

took it for granted, therefore, that the earth still held them and you
;

will scarcely be surprised when I tell you that I felt a hope, nearly amount-

ing to certainty, that the parchment so strangely found involved a lost

record of the place of deposit.”

“ But how did you proceed ? ”

“ I held the vellum again to the fire, after increasing the heat, but

nothing appeared. I now thought it possible that the coating of dirt

might have something to do with the failure : so I carefully rinsed the

parchment by pouring warm water over it, and, having done this, I placed

it in a tin pan, with the skull downward, and put the pan upon a furnace
of lighted charcoal. In a few minutes, the pan having become thoroughly

heated, I removed the slip, and, to my inexpressible joy, found it spotted,

in several places, with what appeared to be figures arranged in lines.
Again I placed it in the pan, and suffered it to remain another minute.

Upon taking it off, the whole was just as you see it now.”
Here Legrand, having reheated the parchment, submitted it to my

inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a red tint,

between the death’s-head and the goat

53nt305))6*;4826)4t)4t);8o6*;48t81|6o))85;it(;:r8t83(88)5*t;46(;88*96#
?;8)*f(;48 5);5*t2:*t(;4956*2(5*—4)8Tj8*;4o69285);)6t8)4U;i(t9;48o8i;8:84i;4
8t§5 54)4854528806*8 i(t9;48;(88;4(t?34;48)4f; 161;: 1 88;f?;

“ But,” said I, returning him the slip, “ I am as much in the dark
as ever. Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my solution
of this enigma, I am quite sure that I should be unable to earn them.”

“ And yet,” said Legrand, “ the solution is by no means so difficult

as you might be led to imagine from the first hasty inspection of the
characters. These characters, as any one might readily guess, form a

—cipher that is to say, they convey a meaning but then from what is
;

known of Kidd, I could not suppose him capable of constructing any of

the more abstruse cryptographs. I made up my mind, at once, that this

—was of a simple species such, however, as would appear, to the crude

intellect of the sailor, absolutely insoluble without the key.”

292