Critical Reading For Exams / Long Reading Comprehension 8

The following is an excerpt from The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe. 

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 po-  sition. 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 spades. 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  interested—nay, even excited. Perhaps there was something, amid all the extravagant demeanor of Legrand—some  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 mould frantically with his claws. In a few seconds he had uncovered a mass of hu-  man 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.  A. 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 process—perhaps that of the Bi-chloride of Mercury. This box was  three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep. It was firmly secured by bands of wrought  iron, riveted, and forming a kind of open trelliswork over the whole. On each side of the chest, near the top, were  three rings of iron—six in all—by means of which a firm hold could be obtained by six persons. Our utmost united  endeavors served only to disturb the coffer very slightly in its bed. We at once saw the impossibility of removing so  great a weight. Luckily, the sole fastenings of the lid consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drew back—  trembling and panting with anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of incalculable value lay gleaming before us. As the  rays of the lanterns fell within the pit, there flashed upwards a glow and a glare, from a confused heap of gold and  of jewels, that absolutely dazzled our eyes. 

I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. Amazement was, of course, predominant. Legrand  appeared exhausted with excitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter’s countenance wore, for some minutes,  as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in nature of things, for any negro’s visage to assume. He seemed stupified—  thunderstricken. Presently he fell upon his knees in the pit, and, burying his naked arms up to the elbows in gold, let  them there remain, as if enjoying the luxury of a bath. 

It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse both master and valet to the expediency of removing the treasure. 

It was growing late, and it behooved us to make exertion, that we might get every thing housed before daylight. It  was difficult to say what should be done, and much time was spent in deliberation—so confused were the ideas of all. 

We, finally, lightened the box by removing two thirds of its contents, when we were enabled, with some trouble, to  raise it from the hole. The articles taken out were deposited among the brambles, and the dog left to guard them, with  strict orders from Jupiter neither, upon any pretence, to stir from the spot, nor to open his mouth until our return.