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。