The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe
Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5]
in_fact . still, the sneer at my graphic powers irritated me - for I_am considered 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 astonishment 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 similarity 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 reverse, just as I had made it . my first idea, now, was mere surprise at_the really remarkable similarity of outline - at_the singular coincidence involved in_the fact, that unknown to_me, there should_have_been a skull upon_the other side of_the parchment, immediately beneath my figure of_the scarabus, and that_this skull, not_only in outline, but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing . I_say the singularity of_this coincidence absolutely stupified me for a time . this_is_the usual effect of_such coincidences . the mind struggles to establish aconnexion - a sequence of cause and effect - and, being unable to_do_so, suffers a species of temporary paralysis . but, when I recovered from_this stupor, there dawned upon me gradually aconviction 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 scarabus .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 magnificent a demonstration .I arose at once, and putting the parchment securely away, dismissed all farther 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 possession . the spot where we discovered the scarabaeus was on_the coast of_the main land, 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 towards 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 afterwards we turned to_go home, and on_the way met lieutenant G- .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 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 parchment .I thus detail the precise mode in_which it came into my possession; 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 parchment - 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 . parchment 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 reflection 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_was 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 parchment 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 scarabus ? "

"Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at_this point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving . my steps were_sure, and could afford but a single result .I reasoned, for example, thus: when I drew the scarabus, 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 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 endeavored 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 placed the parchment in your hand, and as_you were in_the act of in .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 colors disappear at longer or shorter intervals after_the material written upon cools, but again become apparent upon_the re- application 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 aglowing 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 of what I at first supposed to_be a goat .a 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 - a 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_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 rumors afloat about money buried, somewhere upon_the Atlantic coast, by Kidd and_his associates . these rumors must_have had some foundation in_fact . and_that the rumors 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 afterwards reclaimed it, the rumors 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 at all, and who, busying themselves in vain, because unguided attempts, to regain it, had given first 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 amounting 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 downwards, 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 re- heated 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:

"53305))6*;4826)4)4;806*;48860))85;1-(;:*8-83(88)5*

;46(;88*96* ? ;8)*(;485);5*2:*(;4956*2(5*- 4)88*;40692

85);)68)4;1(9;48081;8:81;4885;4)485528806*81(9;48;

(88;4( ? 34;48)4;161;:188; ? ;"

" 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 lead 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 ameaning; 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 ."

" and you really solved it ? "

" readily; I_have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand times greater . circumstances, and a certain bias of mind, have led me to_take interest in_such riddles, and it may well be doubted whether human ingenuity can construct an enigma of_the kind which human ingenuity may not, by proper application, resolve . in_fact, having once established connected and legible characters, I scarcely gave

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5]