Wecrossedthecreekattheheadoftheislandbymeansofaskiff；and，ascendingthehighgroundsontheshoreofthemainland，proceededinanorthwesterlydirection，throughatractofcountryexcessivelywildanddesolate，wherenotraceofahumanfootstepwastobeseen。Legrandledthewaywithdecision；pausingonlyforaninstant，hereandthere，toconsultwhatappearedtobecertainlandmarksofhisowncontrivanceuponaformeroccasion。
Inthismannerwejourneyedforabouttwohours，andthesunwasjustsettingwhenweenteredaregioninfinitelymoredrearythananyyetseen。Itwasaspeciesoftableland，nearthesummitofanalmostinaccessiblehill，denselywoodedfrombasetopinnacle，andinterspersedwithhugecragsthatappearedtolielooselyuponthesoil，andinmanycaseswerepreventedfromprecipitatingthemselvesintothevalleysbelow，merelybythesupportofthetreesagainstwhichtheyreclined。Deepravines，invariousdirections，gaveanairofstillsternersolemnitytothescene。
Thenaturalplatformtowhichwehadclamberedwasthicklyovergrownwithbrambles，throughwhichwesoondiscoveredthatitwouldhavebeenimpossibletoforceourwaybutforthescythe；andJupiter，bydirectionofhismaster，proceededtoclearforusapathtothefootofanenormouslytalltulip-tree，whichstood，withsomeeightortenoaks，uponthelevel，andfarsurpassedthemall，andallothertreeswhichIhadtheneverseen，inthebeautyofitsfoliageandform，inthewidespreadofitsbranches，andinthegeneralmajestyofitsappearance。Whenwereachedthistree，LegrandturnedtoJupiter，andaskedhimifhethoughthecouldclimbit。Theoldmanseemedalittlestaggeredbythequestion，andforsomemomentsmadenoreply。Atlengthheapproachedthehugetrunk，walkedslowlyaroundit，andexamineditwithminuteattention。Whenhehadcompletedhisscrutiny，hemerelysaid，“Yes，massa，Jupclimbanytreeheebberseeinhelife。”
“Thenupwithyouassoonaspossible，foritwillsoonbetoodarktoseewhatweareabout。”
“Howfarmusgoup，massa？”inquiredJupiter。
“Getupthemaintrunkfirst，andthenIwilltellyouwhichwaytogo-andhere-stop！takethisbeetlewithyou。”
“Debug，MassaWill！-degoolebug！”criedthenegro，drawingbackindismay-“whatformustotedebugwayupdetree？-d-nifI
do！”
“Ifyouareafraid，Jup，agreatbignegrolikeyou，totakeholdofaharmlesslittledeadbeetle，whyyoucancarryitupbythisstring-but，ifyoudonottakeitupwithyouinsomeway，Ishallbeunderthenecessityofbreakingyourheadwiththisshovel。”
“Whatdematternow，massa？”saidJup，evidentlyshamedintocompliance；“alwayswantfortoraisefusswidoldnigger。Wasonlyfunninanyhow。Mefeereddebug！whatIkeerfordebug？”Herehetookcautiouslyholdoftheextremeendofthestring，and，maintainingtheinsectasfarfromhispersonascircumstanceswouldpermit，preparedtoascendthetree。
Inyouth，thetulip-tree，orLiriodendronTulipferum，themostmagnificentofAmericanforesters，hasatrunkpeculiarlysmooth，andoftenrisestoagreatheightwithoutlateralbranches；but，initsriperage，thebarkbecomesgnarledanduneven，whilemanyshortlimbsmaketheirappearanceonthestem。Thusthedifficultyofascension，inthepresentcase，laymoreinsemblancethaninreality。Embracingthehugecylinder，ascloselyaspossible，withhisarmsandknees，seizingwithhishandssomeprojections，andrestinghisnakedtoesuponothers，Jupiter，afteroneortwonarrowescapesfromfalling，atlengthwriggledhimselfintothefirstgreatfork，andseemedtoconsiderthewholebusinessasvirtuallyaccomplished。Theriskoftheachievementwas，infact，nowover，althoughtheclimberwassomesixtyorseventyfeetfromtheground。
“Whichwaymusgonow，MassaWill？”heasked。
“Keepupthelargestbranch-theoneonthisside。”saidLegrand。Thenegroobeyedhimpromptly，andapparentlywithbutlittletrouble；ascendinghigherandhigher，untilnoglimpseofhissquatfigurecouldbeobtainedthroughthedensefoliagewhichenvelopedit。Presentlyhisvoicewasheardinasortofhalloo。
“Howmuchfudderisgotforgo？”
“Howhighupareyou？”askedLegrand。
“Ebbersofur。”repliedthenegro；“canseedeskyfrudetopobdetree。”
“Nevermindthesky，butattendtowhatIsay。Lookdownthetrunkandcountthelimbsbelowyouonthisside。Howmanylimbshaveyoupassed？”
“One，two，tree，four，fibe-Idonepassfibebiglimb，massa，pondisside。”
“Thengoonelimbhigher。”
Inafewminutesthevoicewasheardagain，announcingthattheseventhlimbwasattained。
“Now，Jup。”criedLegrand，evidentlymuchexcited，“Iwantyoutoworkyourwayoutuponthatlimbasfarasyoucan。Ifyouseeanythingstrange，letmeknow。”BythistimewhatlittledoubtI
mighthaveentertainedofmypoorfriend’sinsanity，wasputfinallyatrest。Ihadnoalternativebuttoconcludehimstrickenwithlunacy，andIbecameseriouslyanxiousaboutgettinghimhome。WhileIwasponderinguponwhatwasbesttobedone，Jupiter’svoicewasagainheard。
“Mosfeerdfortoventurpondislimbberryfar-tisdeadlimbputtymuchalldeway。”
“Didyousayitwasadeadlimb，Jupiter？”criedLegrandinaquaveringvoice。
“Yes，massa，himdeadasdedoor-nail-doneupforsartain-
donedeparteddisherelife。”
“WhatinthenameheavenshallIdo？”askedLegrand，seeminglyinthegreatestdistress。“Do！”saidI，gladofanopportunitytointerposeaword，“whycomehomeandgotobed。Comenow！-that’safinefellow。It’sgettinglate，and，besides，yourememberyourpromise。”
“Jupiter。”criedhe，withoutheedingmeintheleast，“doyouhearme？”
“Yes，MassaWill，hearyouebbersoplain。”
“Trythewoodwell，then，withyourknife，andseeifyouthinkitveryrotten。”
“Himrotten，massa，surenuff。”repliedthenegroinafewmoments，“butnotsoberryrottenasmoughtbe。Moughtventuroutleetlewaypondelimbbymyself，dat’strue。”
“Byyourself！-whatdoyoumean？”
“WhyImeandebug。’Tisberryhebbybug。SposeIdrophimdownfuss，anddendelimbwon’tbreakwidjustdeweightobonenigger。”
“Youinfernalscoundrel！”criedLegrand，apparentlymuchrelieved，“whatdoyoumeanbytellingmesuchnonsenseasthat？AssureasyoudropthatbeetleI’llbreakyourneck。Lookhere，Jupiter，doyouhearme？”
“Yes，massa，needn’tholloatpoorniggerdatstyle。”
“Well！nowlisten！-ifyouwillventureoutonthelimbasfarasyouthinksafe，andnotletgothebeetle，I’llmakeyouapresentofasilverdollarassoonasyougetdown。”
“I’mgwine，MassaWill-deedIis。”repliedthenegroverypromptly-“mosouttotheeendnow。”
“Outtotheend！”herefairlyscreamedLegrand，“doyousayyouareouttotheendofthatlimb？”
“Soonbetodeeend，massa，-o-o-o-o-oh！Lor-gol-a-marcy！whatisdisherepondetree？”
“Well！”criedLegrand，highlydelighted，“whatisit？”
“Whytaintnoffinbutaskull-somebodybinlefhimheadupdetree，anddecrowsdonegobbleeberybitobdemeatoff。”
“Askull，yousay！-verywell！-howisitfastenedtothelimb？-
whatholdsiton？”
“Surenuff，massa；muslook。Whydisberrycuroussarcumstance，ponmyword-dare’sagreatbignailindeskull，whatfastensobitontodetree。”
“Wellnow，Jupiter，doexactlyasItellyou-doyouhear？”
“Yes，massa。”
“Payattention，then！-findthelefteyeoftheskull。”
“Hum！hoo！dat’sgood！whydareaintnoeyelefatall。”
“Curseyourstupidity！doyouknowyourrighthandfromyourleft？”
“Yes，Inosedat-noseallboutdat-tismylefhandwhatI
chopsdewoodwid。”
“Tobesure！youareleft-handed；andyourleft。eyeisonthesamesideasyourlefthand。Now，Isuppose，youcanfindthelefteyeoftheskull，ortheplacewherethelefteyehasbeen。Haveyoufoundit？”
Herewasalongpause。Atlengththenegroasked，“Isdelefeyeofdeskullpondesamesideasdelefhandofdeskull，too？-causedeskullaintgotnotabitobahandatall-
nebbermind！Igotdelefeyenow-heredelefeye！whatmusdowidit？”
“Letthebeetledropthroughit，asfarasthestringwillreach-buthecarefulandnotletgoyourholdofthestring。”
“Alldatdone，MassaWill；mightyeasytingfortoputdebugfrudehole-lookoutforhimdarebelow！”
DuringthiscolloquynoportionofJupiter’spersoncouldbeseen；butthebeetle，whichhehadsufferedtodescend，wasnowvisibleattheendofthestring，andglistened，likeaglobeofburnishedgold，inthelastraysofthesettingsun，someofwhichstillfaintlyilluminedtheeminenceuponwhichwestood。Thescarab鎢shungquiteclearofanybranches，and，ifallowedtofall，wouldhavefallenatourfeet。Legrandimmediatelytookthescythe，andclearedwithitacircularspace，threeorfouryardsindiameter，justbeneaththeinsect，and，havingaccomplishedthis，orderedJupitertoletgothestringandcomedownfromthetree。
Drivingapeg，withgreatnicety，intotheground，attheprecisespotwherethebeetlefell，myfriendnowproducedfromhispocketatapemeasure。Fasteningoneendofthisatthatpointofthetrunk，ofthetreewhichwasnearestthepeg，heunrolledittillitreachedthepeg，andthencefartherunrolledit，inthedirectionalreadyestablishedbythetwopointsofthetreeandthepeg，forthedistanceoffiftyfeet-Jupiterclearingawaythebrambleswiththescythe。Atthespotthusattainedasecondpegwasdriven，andaboutthis，asacentre，arudecircle，aboutfourfeetindiameter，described。Takingnowaspadehimself，andgivingonetoJupiterandonetome，Legrandbeggedustosetaboutdiggingasquicklyaspossible。
Tospeakthetruth，Ihadnoespecialrelishforsuchamusementatanytime，and，atthatparticularmoment，wouldmostwillinglyhavedeclinedit；forthenightwascomingon，andIfeltmuchfatiguedwiththeexercisealreadytaken；butIsawnomodeofescape，andwasfearfulofdisturbingmypoorfriend’sequanimitybyarefusal。CouldIhavedepended，indeed，uponJupiter’said，Iwouldhavehadnohesitationinattemptingtogetthelunatichomebyforce；butIwastoowellassuredoftheoldnegro’sdisposition，tohopethathewouldassistme，underanycircumstances，inapersonalcontestwithhismaster。ImadenodoubtthatthelatterhadbeeninfectedwithsomeoftheinnumerableSouthernsuperstitionsaboutmoneyburied，andthathisphantasyhadreceivedconfirmationbythefindingofthescarab鎢s，or，perhaps，byJupiter’sobstinacyinmaintainingittobe“abugofrealgold。”Aminddisposedtolunacywouldreadilybeledawaybysuchsuggestions-especiallyifchiminginwithfavoritepreconceivedideas-andthenIcalledtomindthepoorfellow’sspeechaboutthebeetle’sbeing“theindexofhisfortune。”Uponthewhole，Iwassadlyvexedandpuzzled，but，atlength，Iconcludedtomakeavirtueofnecessity-todigwithagoodwill，andthusthesoonertoconvincethevisionary，byoculardemonstration，ofthefallacyoftheopinionsheentertained。
Thelanternshavingbeenlit，weallfelltoworkwithazealworthyamorerationalcause；and，astheglarefelluponourpersonsandimplements，Icouldnothelpthinkinghowpicturesqueagroupwecomposed，andhowstrangeandsuspiciousourlaborsmusthaveappearedtoanyinterloperwho，bychance，mighthavestumbleduponourwhereabouts。
Wedugverysteadilyfortwohours。Littlewassaid；andourchiefembarrassmentlayintheyelpingsofthedog，whotookexceedinginterestinourproceedings。He，atlength，becamesoobstreperousthatwegrewfearfulofhisgivingthealarmtosomestragglersinthevicinity；-or，rather，thiswastheapprehensionofLegrand；-formyself，Ishouldhaverejoicedatanyinterruptionwhichmighthaveenabledmetogetthewandererhome。Thenoisewas，atlength，veryeffectuallysilencedbyJupiter，who，gettingoutoftheholewithadoggedairofdeliberation，tiedthebrute’smouthupwithoneofhissuspenders，andthenreturned，withagravechuckle，tohistask。
Whenthetimementionedhadexpired，wehadreachedadepthoffivefeet，andyetnosignsofanytreasurebecamemanifest。A
generalpauseensued，andIbegantohopethatthefarcewasatanend。Legrand，however，althoughevidentlymuchdisconcerted，wipedhisbrowthoughtfullyandrecommenced。Wehadexcavatedtheentirecircleoffourfeetdiameter，andnowweslightlyenlargedthelimit，andwenttothefartherdepthoftwofeet。Stillnothingappeared。