第 30 节
作者:泰达魔王      更新:2024-07-17 14:41      字数:9321
  gold; in the last rays of the setting sun; some of which still
  faintly illumined the eminence upon which we stood。  The scarabaeus
  hung quite clear of any branches; and; if allowed to fall; would
  have fallen at our feet。  Legrand immediately 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 feetJupiter clearing away the brambles with
  the scythe。  At the spot thus attained a second peg was driven; and
  about this; as a center; 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 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 fantasy had received confirmation by the
  finding of the scarabaeus; or; perhaps; by Jupiter's obstinacy in
  maintaining it to be 〃a bug of real gold。〃  A mind disposed to
  lunacy would readily be led away by such suggestionsespecially if
  chiming in with favorite preconceived ideasand 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 necessityto dig
  with a good will; and thus the sooner to convince the visionary; by
  ocular demonstration; of the fallacy of the opinion 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 labors 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; tied the brute's mouth
  up with one of his suspenders; and then returned; with a grave
  chuckle; to his task。
  When the time mentioned had expired; we had reached a depth of five
  feet; and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest。  A general
  pause ensued; and I began to hope that the farce was at an end。
  Legrand; however; although evidently much disconcerted; wiped his
  brow thoughtfully and recommenced。  We had excavated the entire
  circle of four feet diameter; and now we slightly enlarged the
  limit; and went to the farther depth of two feet。  Still nothing
  appeared。  The gold…seeker; whom 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 labor。
  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?〃
  〃Oh; my golly; Massa Will! aint dis here my 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。
  〃'Twas dis eye; massade lef eyejis as you tell me;〃 and here it
  was his right eye that the negro indicated。
  〃That will dowe 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 labor imposed。  I had become most
  unaccountably interestednay; even excited。  Perhaps there was
  something; amid all the extravagant demeanor of Legrandsome 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
  companion。  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
  mold 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 woolen。  One or two strokes of a spade upturned 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 oblong chest of wood; which; from its perfect preservation and
  wonderful hardness; had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing
  processperhaps that of the