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 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.
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