CAVE OF DISCOVERY
Copyright 2007 by Steven & Margaret Larson
Cover Art Copyright 2007 by Betty Rieffer
Smashwords Edition
Published by Margaret Larson at Smashwords
Dedicated to John Michael - May you discovery the true treasures in life.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold. Thank you for respecting the work of the authors.
Other books available by these authors
FANTASY BOOKS
Murky Manor
Worlds Within
The World Beyond the Door
A COLLECTION OF WRITINGS
Thoughts on the Wind
Available at: www.lulu.com/larsonworlds
Visit us at our web site www.home.earthlink.net/~larsonworlds
CONTENTS
Finders Keepers
The Hummer
A Dark and Stormy Night
Books, Bats, and Maps
A Meeting with Maneater
The Picture and the Poem
The Girl in the Cave
The Great Wagon Robbery
What’s It Worth?
Another Strike It Rich Sundae
The Conquistador
A Monk’s Journal
Lose the Dagger
Trapped
Keep the Change
Conspiracy Theories
Full Circle
CHAPTER 1 - FINDERS KEEPERS
Treasure,” Jason said.
“Oh come on – treasure? You’ve been watching too many pirate movies,” Daniel said.
“Then why is it called Treasure Town?”
“The only treasure in this town is the money the tourists spend. Forget looking for treasure. I’ll race you to the boulder!”
“Are you crazy? It must be 100 degrees out here!” But Daniel had already sprinted out of sight. Jason stumbled through the underbrush into a clearing. After the dimness of the woods, the sunlight was blinding. He fumbled for his sunglasses. The relentless sun beat on his head, making the glasses slide down his sweating face.
A huge boulder loomed up in front of him. He heard Daniel call his name, but his voice seemed far away. The shade at the base of the boulder looked inviting, and he collapsed in a heap, feeling a small relief from the sun.
His hand landed on something cold and he jerked it back. Looking down, he picked up what looked like a huge quarter.
Gravel and dust cascaded down the rock, and several pebbles slid down his shirt. He looked up and saw Daniel’s grinning face hovering over the edge.
“Knock it off,” he said. He tried to wipe his neck, but it turned the dirt to mud. “Come down here. I’ve found something.” He shrugged the loose debris out of his shirt as Daniel clambered down the rock to join him in the shade.
“What’d you find?” Daniel said. Jason wondered how Daniel always managed to stay so clean. He looked the same as when they left the hotel that morning and wasn’t even sweating.
“It’s the largest quarter I’ve ever seen,” Jason said.
Daniel took the coin. “It’s a Spanish Milled Dollar. We sell these in the gift shop.”
“It’s a stupid souvenir? How can you tell?”
“Easy. It says copy on it. Dad also puts his initials on the ones we make.”
“Uncle Matt makes these things?”
“Yep. It was Mom’s idea. You know how she’s into genealogies. That’s why she has me taking Spanish this summer. Her ancestors made the real Spanish Milled Dollars, and now we make the replicas. She calls it inflation. Dad says it pays for the classes.”
Jason’s eyes widened. “I read about people who make counterfeit coins,” he said. “I think they’re called coiners.”
Daniel gave him a disgusted look. “They aren’t counterfeit. That’s why we mark them copy. They’re souvenirs.” He flipped the coin over and frowned.
Jason leaned toward him and said, “Where does it say copy?”
“That’s funny. This one isn’t marked.”
“You mean it is counterfeit?”
“I mean it might be the real thing. Where did you find it?”
“Right where you’re sitting.” Jason’s mind started racing. What would his parents say if he found a real treasure? If it was big enough, Dad could turn down the job transfer and they wouldn’t have to move.
“Is it worth a lot?” he asked.
“Could be worth a hundred dollars. Let’s show it to Bradley. He’ll know if it’s real and how much it’s worth.”
A hundred Jason thought, and the slim hope faded away. That wouldn’t begin to replace his dad’s job.
“Why was it lying out here?” Jason asked.
“Arrgh, I know not, matey.” He leaned forward. “Perchance it’s part of a buried treasure. How say you? Shall we seek to find the skeleton what’s been set to guard the chest?”
“Okay, okay. If I stay out here much longer the sun will turn me into a skeleton.”
Daniel grinned. “Come on. Let’s go to the museum and talk to Bradley. It’s air conditioned,” he added.
“I’m in. Who’s Bradley?”
“The Assistant Curator at the museum, and,” he winked, “Katie’s latest boyfriend.”
“When does your sister have time to date? I thought all she did was study,” Jason said as he struggled to his feet.
It was mid July and Jason hoped that August wasn’t going to be even hotter. It had been different last year when Daniel made the trip north to spend the summer with him. They went swimming in the lake and hiking in the woods. In the cool evenings there were cookouts in the big backyard.
But that was all far away, and no one was there now. His parents were trying out the new job, and the house was closed up for the summer. If the job worked out, he’d be starting school in the fall in a big city far away from everything he knew. He was glad to be spending the summer with his cousins, even if it was hot.
They parked their bicycles in the rack at the museum. As they entered the building, he soaked up the welcome air conditioning. Daniel led the way down a hall passing a sign that read Employees Only.
“Are we going the right way?” Jason asked. He stopped and pointed to the sign, but Daniel wasn’t paying attention. Jason had to run to catch up, and together they entered a long narrow room.
At the far end, an older man sat at a desk holding a piece of pottery as he thumbed through a book. He reminded Jason of his grade school principal.
They went up to the counter where a slim man peered through a magnifying glass at an ancient gold earring.
Daniel laid his head on the counter. Looking through the other side of the glass he said, “My what big eyes you have.”
“What’s on your mind, Danny?” he said without looking up.
He lifted his head and placed the coin on the counter. “Look what we found, Bradley.”
Bradley took a deep breath and stretched. Pushing his glasses up, he rubbed his eyes. He picked up the coin. “You brought me a souvenir?”
“It’s not marked copy and it’s not one of Dad’s.”
“Is it real?” Jason asked.
Bradley grunted and flipped the coin over. Daniel shifted positions and said, “Well?”
“Is it real?” Jason asked again.
Bradley looked up with the hint of a smile. “You must be Jason,” he said. His ruffled brown hair brushed the top of his wire rim glasses and spoiled what would have been a scholarly look. “Katie said you were here for the summer.”
“What about the coin?” Daniel said.
“Oh, it’s a real coin alright.”
Daniel gave him a disgusted look.
Bradley grinned. “It’s a real Spanish Milled Dollar. And a beauty too. They were very common currency around here until after the Civil War. Where’d you find it?”
Jason watched the older man get up and walk over to their side of the room. He stood in front of a wall that had built in wooden shelves with a few cabinet doors and rows and rows of drawers. Each one had an identification number. Jason wondered what secrets were concealed in each drawer. The man checked his notepad and scanned the labels.
When Jason turned back, he saw Bradley slip the earring off the glass and close his fingers around it, concealing it in his palm. Then he put a piece of pottery in its place.
He started to ask about the earring when he heard the soft sound of the drawers opening and closing behind him. He was sure they contained pieces of the past. Items stored away for study. Each one a slice of time captured and sealed in a drawer.
“We were out hiking by Prospect Point,” Daniel said, interrupting his thoughts. “It was right by that big boulder that looks like a turtle. How much do you think the coin’s worth?”
“It was made in Mexico City about 250 years ago,” Bradley said. “It might be worth a couple hundred dollars if you found a buyer. Not bad for one coin. Course it wouldn’t be a real treasure unless there was a whole kettle full of them.”
Jason focused on the coin. “A kettle full?” he said. “Is that possible?”
“Not likely, but you never know. These coins were in circulation up till about 1870. May have been lost by some unfortunate prospector or trapper going through the area.”
“Or part of the McPherson treasure,” Daniel said.
“McPherson?” Jason said. Then he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. The man was running his hand down the bank of drawers. A gold onyx ring covered his finger and looked too heavy for his hand.
Bradley leaned forward and said in a loud whisper, “Maybe it’s part of some other….undiscovered treasure.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Is there such a thing?”
“Sure,” Bradley said. “There’s a book in the library that documents all kinds of treasure stories about this area. You guys should spend some time in the library. The book’s called Treasure Town Treasures.” He flipped the coin to Daniel. “Be careful when you’re looking around. If you find any artifacts out there let me know. If they’re to have any archeological significance – ”
Daniel finished the sentence with him in a singsong voice, “It’s important that I get to see them exactly as you find them.” Daniel smiled. “I know. We’ll call you.”
As they were peddling home Jason said, “Who was the old man?”
“That’s Victor Smith, the Curator. He’s Bradley’s boss.”
Jason felt the coin in his pocket pressing against his leg. If there was any hidden treasure left in this town, he was going to look for it. But first he had to find out about McPherson.
CHAPTER 2 - THE HUMMER
The ringing jarred Jason awake and he fumbled for the phone. “Daylight in the swamp boys,” the recording boomed. “Tumble out and come on down to breakfast.”
He hung up the phone and looked at the clock. 6:00 a.m.? He fell back on his pillow and closed his eyes. His uncle and aunt ran the old historic Silver Lode Hotel, and the family lived in the group of rooms by the utility and storage areas. The recording was Uncle Matt’s idea of a cheery wakeup call for the boys.
It was warm and humid. Daniel must have already shut off the air conditioning. They were only supposed to run it at night. At home he slept with the window open, and there was usually a cool morning breeze blowing in. But it didn’t look like he would be spending another summer there.
As Daniel opened the bathroom door, steam flowed out making the already stuffy room more uncomfortable. Jason sat up and pulled himself out of bed. On his way to the shower he saw Daniel’s clothes lying on the already neatly made bed. He glanced back at the crumpled sheets on his own bed. He hadn’t even gotten his underwear out of the drawer yet, let alone decided what to wear.
After his shower he put on shorts and the first T-shirt he found. He picked up the Spanish Milled dollar.
“I don’t want to carry this thing around all day,” he said. “Where can I hide it?”
Daniel frowned in concentration as he scanned the room. “I know. We’ll give it to Spidy.” He opened the closet door and pulled down a plastic statue of Spiderman. “An old friend with a secret.” He flipped it upside down and popped off the bottom revealing a cavity large enough to hold the coin. “It wasn’t meant to be a secret compartment, but it works out pretty neat that way.” He placed it back on the top shelf, and they went down to breakfast.
Jason was on his second bowl of cereal when Uncle Matt set his cup down with a thump. “How’d you boys like to join the tour of Haunted Cave today?”
“Haunted Cave?” Jason said.
Katie jumped up. “Oh, but Daddy, I wanted to go before anyone arrives and set up the lighting effects. I have some new ideas that I think will create just the right mood for your story.”
Daniel took a breath, but before he could say anything she added, “It would look good on my college application.” Her smile had an annoying sweetness.
Daniel slumped back in his chair and his breath came out in a “humph.” The boys exchanged oh-be-real looks.
Matt frowned at them and said to his wife. “I suppose the boys could help out in the gift shop this morning.”
Katie rushed to say, “Just ‘til the Hummer gets in. The tour doesn’t start till 11:00.”
Jason felt his stomach tighten. He still remembered working the concession stand last year at summer camp. After his dismal failure at trying to work the cash register, he spent the rest of the week sweeping the floor. “Uh…you mean like waiting on customers?” Jason said.
“Yeah!” Daniel said. “It’ll be great. We can handle it Dad.”
Suddenly he wasn’t hungry anymore.
Jason’s feet felt heavy as he followed his cousin to the snack shop.
“It won’t get too busy till lunchtime,” Daniel said. He unlocked the door and flipped on the light. “Want to run the cash register or scoop ice cream?”
“Ice cream. It’s cooler.” With relief, Jason found himself standing behind the counter trying to read the flavors backwards. Anything was better than facing the electronic monster. He still remembered the camp cash register with its poisonous green display light. The cryptic keys that were a trap for his hesitant fingers. The incessant chirping until the drawer flew open like the maw of a ravenous animal, daring him to reach in and make change.
He looked at the clock. They’d been open for five minutes already. What was it Uncle Matt had said? They’d have to fill in until the Hummer arrived. What was a Hummer?
The bell over the door jingled, and for the next couple hours he scooped ice cream and handed out toasted bagels. He was doing okay, but Daniel was a natural. He smiled and chatted with the customers like they were long lost friends. It didn’t take him long to sell out the Haunted Cave tour.
The crowd thinned out to one customer. A stout middle aged woman. As Jason handed her a bagel that was too crisp around the edges, the bell over the door jangled vigorously. A small woman swept into the room letting the door bang behind her. Straightening tables as she made her way to the ice cream counter she talked nonstop.
“Daniel! These tables are a mess! What’s burning?” She stopped in front of the stout woman and eyed the bagel with a triumphant smile.
“My, that bagel is a bit crispy isn’t it?” she said. “Let me take care of that for you.” With a smooth motion she swept the bagel from the startled woman’s hand, dropped it into the trash, and slipped a fresh one into the toaster. “Is the soda machine stocked with ice? Who’s the new kid?”
Jason stared transfixed as she leaned over the ice cream bin. Her hair was cut short and fanned out from her head like a bird with its feathers ruffled.
“Looks like we’re low on Rocky Road and Pistachio.” The toaster popped up. She caught the perfectly toasted bagel, placed it on a plate, and handed it to the customer. “There you go my dear. No charge. Sorry for the wait.”
Hands on her hips, she turned to Jason who hadn’t moved since she walked in the store.
“He’s my cousin, Jason,” Daniel said. “He’s staying with us for the summer.”
She looked Jason up and down. Then she held out a thin bony hand. There was a slight crinkle around her piercing blue eyes. “Pleased to meet you Jason,” she said.
Her grip was like steel making him wince as she squeezed his hand. “First, the burnt bagels,” she said marching past him. She called without looking back, “Coming?”
Daniel shrugged. With reluctance, Jason trudged after the small compact figure. After she showed him how to remove the burnt crumbs from the toaster, she proceeded to give him a tour of the small kitchen. In short choppy sentences she explained how everything worked. His brain was on overload and his head was spinning when he and Daniel left. He would never be able to remember anything she had told him.
“What did you think of the Hummer?” Daniel asked.
“What?” Jason said.
“Mrs. Edith Byrd. Dad started calling her the Hummer after she got her hair cut in that style. She never stops moving. Like a hummingbird. And,” he said, “she’s very territorial.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?” Jason said shaking his head.
He shrugged. “Mom said we were losing money before she came and whipped us into shape. Anyway, I think she likes you.”
“Oh yeah, that’s great,” Jason said.
“Let’s get our bikes and head to Haunted Cave. Come on or we’ll be late.”
CHAPTER 3 - A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT
The boys peddled up the narrow, winding road that led to the cave. It ended at a tiny parking area. Jason passed the empty tour bus and skid to a halt. As Daniel squeezed past him, the handlebars bumped together and he narrowly missed getting his fingers pinched.
A wooden sign tacked to a tree read, Haunted Cave. The arrow pointed to a boardwalk that disappeared into the trees. Voices drifted back from the tour group. Uncle Matt was explaining the geology of the area and how the cave was formed.
“Come on,” Daniel said. “We can catch up. You haven’t missed much. We can see Katie’s new spectacular lighting effects. They better be good since her college is depending on them.”
They joined the group as they were entering the cave. Daylight illuminated the path into the opening for several feet before it was shrouded in darkness. They tagged along at the end of the group and entered the main room of the cave. Matt jumped onto a large flat rock and looked out over the crowd. The wavering torch flame behind him made his enormous shadow dance and flicker on the walls.
“It was a dark and stormy night,” Matt began in a low melodramatic voice. There were a few snickers in the crowd. “Actually,” he continued, “it really was a dark and stormy night. There was no moonlight and no stars out. Peter McPherson was beginning to worry. His mule was tired and stumbling over stones in the path. Not a nice boardwalk like the one we used to come up here, but a rough and narrow trail. He was leading a second mule that was carrying his fortune.”
Jason forgot about the crowd. He felt McPherson’s tension and the dangers of the night closing in around him. Matt’s voice became a soft undercurrent, weaving the story…
All day McPherson felt uneasy as if he were being watched. Now every crack and rustle made his already tense muscles jerk in response. His mule felt the tension and was stubborn about continuing on.
Then it started to rain. Soon he was soaked. The weight from his water logged shirt pulled at his arms making them ache. Flashes of lightening lit up the surroundings giving him brief momentary glimpses of the area. He thought he saw another rider, but wasn’t sure. Another flash revealed a cave entrance. Without hesitation he urged his mule inside.
He brushed his wet hair out of his eyes and shivered from cold and fear. Was there another rider out there who was after his fortune? Would he find the opening to the cave? The smell of wet, steaming mules filled the air. He unloaded his supplies. As he lifted a bag of silver from the pack mule, he noticed a small pile of firewood and ashes from a previous campfire. He dropped the silver and crouched, ready for an attack. His stomach knotted, and his eyes searched the shadows for movement.
A loud crack of thunder made him cry out. The startled mules bolted back down the corridor knocking him over in their fear. Stabbing pain seared his leg as he was thrown against a sharp rock. He scrambled to his feet, and stumbled down the passageway after the mules. A curtain of water poured over the opening to the cave. He plunged through and was absorbed into the storm. When he whistled for the mules, the wind caught his breath and the noise was muffled by the howling blast. In despair he somehow found his way back into the cave.
The sound of trickling water came from somewhere farther back in the cavern. Water dripped from his clothes onto the bag of silver coins that lay at his feet.
He scanned the cave for a hiding place and spotted a stalagmite column in the shadows near the back wall. He dragged the bag over the rough floor and dropped it into a natural depression stirring up the odor of dust and wet burlap. The column made a good marker for the spot. He was breathing heavy by the time he finished covering it with loose rocks.
Then he built a fire. The smoke made him cough, but soon the dry wood caught the flame and the smoke disappeared as it drifted up to the high ceiling.
His leg throbbed with pain as he stripped off his wet clothing and wrapped himself in a wool blanket. Exhausted, he fell asleep.
A terrible noise of falling rocks woke him in the night. The fire had burned down to embers, and it was too dark for him to investigate. He drifted back into a fitful sleep. When he woke again, light from a full moon filtered into the cave through an opening in the roof.
He built up the fire and dressed in dry clothes. Taking one of the burning sticks for a torch, he made his way to the front of the cave. To his horror he stood staring at what had caused the earlier noise. The entrance had collapsed, and he was trapped.
He limped back to the main chamber and looked up to the opening in the roof. With grim determination he began to climb the wall. He was half way up when a cloud covered the moon and plunged the cave into darkness. Trembling, he sat down on the narrow ledge and waited.
He jerked, and realized he must have dozed off. Morning light now illuminated the room, and he saw that he was about fifteen feet above the cave floor. He trembled at the thought that he had climbed that wall in the darkness. Below he saw the pillar where the treasure was hidden. The sunlight shone on its porous material making it glow a golden color.
It was more dangerous to go down than continue on. Favoring his injured leg, he hobbled over a narrow outcrop with a sheer drop off. Then a path opened up and led to the opening. He climbed the rest of the way up and out.
A cool breeze was blowing, and it was a relief to breathe in the fresh air. The sky was clear and it was late morning. From his vantage point he could see for miles.
Below him an army of Union soldiers were making their way down the same path he had ridden through the woods the night before. He crouched down among the rocks hoping he had not been seen.
An army of Confederate soldiers was coming from the other direction. They would soon meet where the entrance to the cave used to be. Water from the torrential rains had caused mud to slide down the hill taking rocks, branches, and other debris with it. The entrance was now buried under a pile of rubble.
He looked to his right. To his surprise he saw his saddle mule. There was no way to climb back down into the cave to get his treasure, but he now had an opportunity to escape before the armies converged. Favoring his bruised leg he scrambled down the hill, caught the mule, and rode as fast as he dared away from the ensuing battle.
Matt paused, and a silence settled over the chamber. The torchlight flickered, and they heard the faint sound of dripping water deep in the cave. Jason would not have been surprised if McPherson himself had stepped out from the shadows. Then the crowd stirred, and a small child fussed. The spell was broken.
“Over the years,” Matt said, “the debris hiding the entrance was washed away. Not too long after that, a local resident named Silas happened to come through the cave and found the treasure of silver dollars. He claims that McPherson’s ghost showed him where the treasure was hidden.” There were smiles and a few chuckles.
Matt walked over to the pillar and lifted out a bag. Pulling out a coin he held it up to the crowd.
“This is a replica of a Spanish Milled Dollar. These coins circulated in our country from Colonial times to about the end of the Civil War. The treasure Silas found was a large bag of these coins.”
Katie turned on electric torches that were hung on the walls. The chamber and the passageway leading outside were lit up with flickering lights.
“That’s the end of the tour folks, but everyone gets a replica coin. Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop where you can purchase a pendant or key chain to hold your souvenir.”
As Matt was handing out the coins to the tour group, Jason heard a rustling noise behind him. He saw a small boy rolling up a parchment and walking toward the cave entrance. From under a straw hat, fine blonde hair trailed down the back of his neck. His bare feet made no noise. The boy turned, and their eyes met. Then the boy looked past him and saw the tour group. His face turned white, and with a gasp he ran toward the cave entrance.
“Daniel,” Jason said as he pulled on his arm. “A strange boy just ran out of the cave.”
“What?”
“Come on,” Jason said, and dashed toward the entrance. But when they got outside there was no one there. Jason stood looking around puzzled. “He disappeared.”
“Who are we looking for?” Daniel asked.
“The boy in the bib overalls.”
“Bib overalls?” Daniel shook his head. “I’m sure his parents will come looking for him.”
“He wasn’t part of the group.”
“How do you know?”
“He was wearing a straw hat, no shoes, and a long sleeve flannel shirt…”
“Flannel shirt? In this heat?”
“Yeah, strange…and he was rolling up a large parchment that looked like a pirate map.”
“You mean a treasure map? I think the heat’s getting to you. People who aren’t used to the heat sometimes see things you know.”
“I’m not seeing things,” Jason mumbled.
People from the tour group filed out of the cave as they talked and examined their coins on the way back to the bus.
As Matt walked by he said, “See you back at the Silver Lode. Don’t be late for dinner. You know how your mom fusses when we’re not all there on time.”
CHAPTER 4 - BOOKS, BATS, AND MAPS
Daniel had already fallen asleep. Jason lay in bed in the dark room thinking. He wished he were home in the woods behind his house. If he tried real hard he could imagine that the drone of the air conditioner sounded like wind rustling through the trees.
At the edge of the woods was an old maple. He clambered up the trunk and wedged himself into a space between the branches. Leaning back against the rough bark, he could feel life flowing through the tree as the trunk shifted and swayed in the breeze.
When Daniel spent the summer with him they explored the woods and discovered the remains of an old tree house. They transformed the ruins into the deck of a pirate ship and fought battles with imagined enemies. When they weren’t pretending to be at sea, the thick branches and dense leaves of the nearby trees provided camouflage for their hideout.
They hadn’t really been hiding though. Not like McPherson, who thought someone was stalking him. Someone tracking him down to steal his fortune. Jason opened his eyes. Only the red light of the smoke detector was visible. It glowed in the ceiling like the planet Mars in a dark sky. Had someone really been after McPherson that night, or was it just his imagination?
Either way, he lost the treasure in the cave and narrowly escaped being part of a battle. Jason clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut. If he found a treasure he’d make sure he didn’t lose it. But all he had found so far was one coin.
He wondered how the battle between the two armies had turned out. His eyes popped open. The coin could have been part of a shipment the army was transporting. Or maybe a soldier lost it when he climbed up on the boulder for a look around. It had been lying there all these years. Waiting to be found. He rolled over. Daniel was right. He’d been watching too many movies.
As he fell asleep, he dreamed about the tree house. He was digging a hole under the tree. But no matter how much dirt he took out of the hole, it never got any deeper. He knew that if he dug just a little further he would uncover a kettle filled with silver coins. His shovel hit something hard making a ringing sound. He pulled it out of the dirt, but the ringing kept getting louder. Then it stopped, and someone was shaking him and calling his name. He opened his eyes to see Daniel standing over him.
“Wake up sleepyhead. It’s morning.”
“I was dreaming,” Jason mumbled.
“Must have been some dream. What was it about?”
“Buried treasure by the tree house.”
“That wasn’t treasure we buried. That was a box of rocks from the creek.”
Jason laughed. “I know. I guess I was thinking about McPherson and the treasure Silas found.”
“Well if you want to search for real treasure you’ll have to stop dreaming and check out something really scary. The library. Let’s go look for that book Bradley suggested.”
An hour later they parked their bicycles.
“No cars or bikes allowed on Treasure Avenue,” Daniel said.
“Why’s that?” Jason asked.
“This is where they do the reenactments of the Goldwater Mine robbery. We’ll come back to watch the next show.”
Treasure Avenue was not like Main Street at home. Here the streetlights were topped with pans like the ones used for panning for gold. Gift shops, art galleries, restaurants, and souvenir stands lined the street.
He glanced in the window of a gift shop where a young girl dressed in traditional Indian regalia was arranging moccasins. Their eyes met and she flashed him a smile.
The smell of chocolate swept over him as they passed the open doorway of the Sweet Prospects Candy Shop. A picture of a miner eating fudge grinned down at them from the sign over the door.
They stopped in front of a three story wooden building. Elaborate scrollwork topped the tall double doors. Faded gold ornamental lettering spelled out Ophelia’s Opera House. The traditional masks representing comedy and tragedy were carved into the wood on either side of the doors. He ran his finger over the mask. It too had once been painted, but now it was chipped and faded. Just an illusion of gold.
“How far to the library?”
Daniel laughed and pointed to a sign in the window. In plain black letters it read Library.
“The story is that the town couldn’t make the opera house profitable, so they turned it into a library. Didn’t want to give up on trying to instill some culture in the town.”
Jason made a face as he opened the door. “Mom dragged me to an opera once.”
Inside there was a display table labeled Local Treasures. It had books about hiking in the area, historic sights, regional cooking, a restaurant and hotel guide, but nothing about real treasure. Jason was thinking it must be in another section. Then Daniel picked up a book and wrinkled his nose.
“Try this,” he said holding it out between one finger and thumb at arm’s length.
Jason took the book and Daniel wiped his fingers on his pants. The cover was stained and worn and it had a musty smell. “I’ll check it out on my card,” Daniel said, “but you’ll have to carry it.”
“Don’t suppose they have another copy,” Jason said as he followed Daniel to the check out.
When they got back to the Silver Lode, Katie and Aunt Rosalita were pouring over college brochures. As Jason ate a plain bologna sandwich, he watched Daniel make one of his creations. First he spread the peanut butter. Then he arranged neat rows of potato chips on one side and cucumber slices on the other. He was putting the two halves together when they heard loud voices and squealing from upstairs.
Rosalita looked up. “Maybe you guys could go check that out.”
With exaggerated care, Daniel set down his sandwich. Together they raced up the stairs. As they careened around the corner they collided with the maid and her cleaning cart. Towels and soap packets spilled across the hallway. “Murciélago, Murciélago,” she cried as she squeezed past the upset cart and clattered down the stairs.
“What did she say?” Jason asked as he dodged around the cart.
“Bat,” Daniel called over his shoulder. “This way.”
They ran down the hallway to an open door. A woman was plastered to the outside wall with her hands over her head. “Get it out! Get it out!” she wailed.
Holding his breath and taking cautious steps, Jason looked through the doorway. He spotted the bat sitting on the antique Spanish dresser.
“There it is!” he shouted and waved his arm. The movement startled the bat, and it flew into the bathroom. He leaped over a suitcase, and flung a pillow back on the bed. “Open the window,” he said.
He was in time to see the bat slip through a crack in the wall. “Hurry up. Come in here,” he called.
“That’s an old access panel to the plumbing,” Daniel said. “If it goes in there very far, we’ll never get it out.”
Jason pulled on the access panel door. It stuck. He gave it a hard tug. There was a rasping noise, and the door popped off. He lost his balance. With a cry of alarm, he staggered a few feet and tripped over the suitcase. The door landed on his foot, and he yelled as he crashed into Daniel. They both fell in a heap on the floor. The bat fluttered over their heads and out the open window.
Daniel groaned. “Get off my leg.”
Jason winced with pain as he moved his foot. They both struggled to their feet.
“Well, the bat’s gone,” Jason said. He picked up the door and limped over to the wall. As he started to replace the panel he saw something inside.
“Hey, look at this.” He pulled out a rolled up paper. Daniel peered over his shoulder as he opened it.
“Looks like an old map,” Daniel said. They heard voices in the hall. “Roll it up and let’s get out of here.” He grabbed the panel and shoved it back in place. Jason shut the window as the woman guest came back into the room.
“All taken care of ma’am. Sorry for the trouble,” Daniel said as Jason squeezed past. “I’m sure Mom will give you complimentary passes for the Haunted Cave Tour.”
“That’s all I need. A whole cave full of bats! No thank you.”
They went downstairs. Rosalita looked up. “Crisis averted?”
Daniel’s grin was smug. “Yep. Just a bat. We opened the window and stepped back. The poor little thing was so grateful it fluttered out the window. No problem at all. Probably headed back for Haunted Cave.”
She laughed. “Sure was a lot of commotion for something so simple.”
“That was because Jason tripped over the suitcase.”
Jason grinned. “It was my first bat rescue.”
“We found a map in the wall,” Daniel said. Jason held it up.
“A map. How interesting,” Katie said. She didn’t look up from the brochures. “This is the one with emphasis on Shakespeare.” She pushed a glossy flyer in front of her mother.
Rosalita winked at the boys. “Why don’t you show the map to your dad? He’s in his workroom.” She picked up the brochure.
Daniel grabbed his sandwich and ate it as he led the way behind the hotel to a small brick building. “This is where Dad makes his stuff for the gift shop.”
The room smelled of wood shavings and damp earth. Jason wandered over to a lathe. A half-cut block of wood was clamped in the chuck waiting to be finished. Small statues of soldiers filled an overhead shelf. “Wow,” he said. “It’s a whole army!”
“They’re conquistadors,” Daniel said. “Mom’s ancestors. Though not exactly the kind you want in your history. They’re a lot like pirates.”
“Pirates are good. I don’t have anything interesting like that in my history.” He followed Daniel across the room leaving footprints in the sawdust.
Daniel pointed to a heavy piece of equipment on a workbench. “Dad’s coin press,” he said. He picked up a blank coin. “We get these from a metal company. It goes here,” he set it on an engraved die in the machine. “Then this part comes down with tremendous force and presses the image on the blank and – presto, we have a Spanish Milled Dollar.” He handed him a finished coin from a stack and pointed. “See – it says copy, and those are Dad’s initials.”
Jason put the coin down and followed him through the doorway. It was damp and cool in the backroom. Pottery and stoneware sat drying on shelves. Matt cradled a lump of clay as it spun on a potter’s wheel. He put his thumb into the clay and began pulling it out and upward. Jason watched fascinated as a bowl took shape. The wheel slowed, and Matt looked up. “What’s up boys?”
Daniel held up the roll. “We found a map hidden in the wall in room 29.”
“And what were you doing in room 29?” Matt asked.
“Chasing out a bat. It got into an old access panel in the bathroom. When we took off the panel we found the map.”
Matt wiped his hands on a rag and said, “Let’s take a look.”
He unrolled the map on the workbench and weighed down the corners with stacks of coins. The paper was yellow with age, and several spots had been scorched by fire.
“This looks like a map to Haunted Cave,” Matt said.
“How do you know it’s real and not a souvenir copy?” Jason asked.
“I’m pretty sure this one is old. You can tell by the feel of the paper and the kind of ink.”
“Why would someone hide it in the Silver Lode?” Daniel asked.
“May have belonged to Silas. He used to own the Silver Lode you know. Might even be his treasure map,” Matt said.
“Silas? The one who found the treasure?” Jason asked. Matt nodded.
“He’s a scary old hermit,” Daniel said. “The kids at school say he’s crazy.”
“Crazy or not,” Matt said, “we don’t speak about him that way. Why don’t you pay him a visit and ask him about it? He used to talk about a map.”
“You want me to go to his house and talk to him?” Daniel said.
“He’s harmless,” Matt said. “It would be good for you.”
“You really want me to talk to Silas?” Daniel said.
“It’s probably his map. Seems like a good place to get some information, but suit yourself.” He turned and went in the back room. They heard the whir of the wheel start up.
Jason said, “If we go see this Silas, do you think he’ll want the map back? I mean, if it’s his treasure map…”
“I’m telling you this guy is scary.”
“Your dad thinks he’s okay. Come on Daniel. How bad can he be? If this is a treasure map, we’re holding the key to a fortune. How else will we know?”
Daniel picked up several blank coins. “I don’t think there are any more treasures. It’s all made up stuff for tourists. Just like these coins.” He placed them one by one in a neat stack on the bench.
The door to the workshop opened, and Bradley stood in the doorway. Behind him the sky was clouding over.
“Katie’s up at the Silver Lode,” Daniel said.
“I know, I was just up there. Matt told me to stop by sometime for a tour around his workshop. I think it’s going to rain, and it seemed like a good time to take him up on his offer.”
“Are you going to learn how to make pottery?” Daniel said.
“Well, of course I would like to, but my interest in pottery is in the methods the Native Americans used. The pieces your dad makes on the wheel are more European. But I can learn a lot of useful things from him.”
The light from the window faded as the sky outside darkened. He looked down at the coin press and his cap shadowed his face. It had Turtle Island Gifts written on the brim.
“Today I was hoping to find out about how he makes his coins,” Bradley said. His raised his head. A lightening flash lit up the room revealing a slight smile. “Is he here?”
“In the back,” Daniel said. He turned to Jason. “If we hurry we can beat the rain.”
They dashed to the hotel and bolted through the door. With a crash of thunder, the rain started. It poured down in sheets and beat against the building. In their room the noise of the rain against the windows was a dull roar.
Daniel grinned. “Looks like we can’t see Silas today.”
“It won’t be raining like this tomorrow,” Jason said as he put the map in the closet. “I’ll do all the talking. All you have to do is come with me.”
Daniel stared out the window as the water streamed down the glass. It was dark outside and his distorted reflection looked back at him like a ghost peering in through the rain.
“Okay. We’ll go tomorrow after I get out of class. You do the talking. And just in case it is a treasure map – we leave it here.”
CHAPTER 5 - A MEETING WITH MANEATER
The paved road became gravel as the boys turned onto Pickax Lane.
“Are you sure Silas lives up this road?” Jason asked.
Their bicycles bogged down in the gravel. Jason stood up to peddle as he struggled against the pull on the tires. He hoped it wasn’t too far. The afternoon had become muggy, and the morning breeze had disappeared.
As they came around a curve, he saw a one-story brick house set back from the road. The wrought iron fence around the yard made it look like a park. Small islands of flowers in a dazzling array of colors surrounded manicured bushes. The ancient pickup truck parked in the driveway looked out of place. Its red paint had faded to the color of tomato soup and rust spots abounded. He was puzzled by the weathered bumper sticker that read I Like Ike.
They stopped and faced the iron gate. A flat piece of copper cut out in the shape of a miner with a pickax over his shoulder was welded to the bars. One hand reached out and grasped the gatepost forming the latch. The weathered copper had developed a green patina making the hand look moldy.
Jason swallowed and said, “This is it?”
Daniel said, “Still want to go in?”
Jason wasn’t sure this was such a good idea anymore, but he nodded and reached for the green hand.
“Wait…,” Daniel said.
But Jason had already pulled up the hand and released the gate. From the house came a loud “Caw! Caw! Caw!” An enormous black dog came bounding around the side of the house. Snarling and barking it raced toward the fence.
Jason watched in terror as it snaked along the ground. Saliva dripped from its fangs as it barred its teeth. A few feet from the fence it launched itself.
“Look out!” Daniel shouted as he grabbed the gate and yanked it closed. He crashed into Jason as he tried to get away from the fence. With a yell and a loud clatter they fell to the ground knocking over the bicycles. From the tangled heap, Jason looked up into the dog’s fierce eyes as it leaned over the fence growling at them.
“Maneater!” he heard a voice bellow. The dog barred its teeth. “Maneater, come here.” The dog gave a snort and one last woof before trotting back to the house. Jason sat up and brushed off his jeans. His hands were shaking as he helped Daniel untangle the bikes. They looked over the fence and saw an old man on the porch. The dog sat at his side and glared at the gate. The man bent forward and squinted at them.
“That you Daniel?”
“Yes sir,” Daniel said.
“Well, come on in.” He turned and went back in the house. The dog didn’t move.
Jason looked at Daniel. “Now what?” he asked.
“Maneater,” said the muffled voice from inside the house. “Leave the boys alone.”
The dog lay down on the porch and rested its head on its paws. Jason took a deep breath and opened the gate. Again they heard the “Caw! Caw! Caw!” The dog lifted its head.
Keeping a wary eye on it, Jason took a timid step inside and slowly crept up the path. Time seemed to stop between one step and the next. The muscles in his back twitched, and his legs felt like jelly. He glanced back, comforted that Daniel was following and the gate was still ajar.
He reached the house and put a trembling foot on the bottom step. The dog snorted. It trotted to the other end of the wrap around porch and disappeared around the side of the house.
They hurried up the steps past a carved, wooden raven attached to a speaker, and dashed inside. Jason pulled the door shut. Some of the tenseness left his muscles now that there was a barrier between them and the dog.
They were in a small entryway attached to the living room. The smell of freshly brewed coffee blended with the stale odor of fried bacon and made his stomach queasy. A plate on the kitchen table still held the remains of breakfast. He heard muttering and turned to see Silas pulling a blanket off the sofa in the living room. His head was bald on top. A fringe of white wispy hair floated over his ears and touched the collar of his silk shirt.
“Dog hair,” he said. “Maneater sheds something awful. Hope there’s no burrs on the sofa. He gets them in his coat when chasing varmits, and I can’t always see them nowadays.”
He looked up and his eyes met Jason’s. The blanket slipped unnoticed from his fingers and slithered into a heap on the floor. He frowned. “You from around here? You look familiar.”
Jason slowly shook his head. Suddenly he felt cold and clammy. There was something uncanny about Silas. Maybe Daniel was right about him.
“He’s my cousin,” Daniel said. “Probably a family resemblance.”
Silas grunted. “Have a seat,” he said. He collapsed into the recliner and picked up his coffee mug. The blanket lay forgotten on the floor. He studied Jason over the top of his mug as he took a long noisy drink. The boys sat rigid on the edge of the sofa.
“Now boys. What brings you way out here?”
Jason felt silence settle down over the room like a dark cloud. He knew it was up to him to do the talking. He had promised. But he couldn’t think of anything to say. His throat felt tight. Then almost as if someone else had control of his voice he croaked out, “Treasure.”
Silas burst into a cackle that made Jason’s flesh crawl. “Treasure is it?” Silas said. “What kind of treasure?”
“Well, your treasure. I – I heard you found a treasure. And – I thought – well, I wanted to hear about it from you,” Jason said.
Silas grinned revealing a gold capped tooth. “Ain’t been on the Haunted Cave tour yet, eh?”
“I went on the tour,” Jason said. “But how did you know where to find the treasure? How did you find it when no one else could?”
“Took me twenty years to find that bag of silver. I was a lad a bit younger than you when a stranger came through town. My Pappy owned the Silver Lode and we lived there – same as Daniel and his family do now. Back then it was called the Prospect Inn. I changed the name after I found the treasure.”
“Who was the stranger?” Jason asked.
“His name was…let’s see…Jim. Yes, Jim Bentley. Well, Jim stayed with us, and he had a map with him.”
Jason leaned forward, his eyes bright. “A treasure map?”
“A copy of one. Said he was gonna get rich. It led him to the cave alright.” Silas chuckled. “But he came back from the cave and threw the map in the fire. Said he’d had it with treasure hunting and was never going back to that haunted place.”
“Haunted?” Jason said. “What do you mean, haunted?”
Silas whispered, “Saw McPherson’s ghost, he did.” Then he nodded and collapsed back in the chair, wheezing.
“McPherson? Isn’t he the one who hid the treasure?” Jason said.
“Yep. Got rich out west, but I guess he didn’t want just anyone finding his treasure back here. So after he died, he sorta moved into that cave of his. To keep watch.”
“Have you seen the ghost?”
His eyes narrowed and glinted as he studied Jason. “Sure have. Him and others.” A sinister smile curled at the side of his mouth. “And if you’re there in the moonlight, you’ll meet them too.”
Jason squirmed in his seat. Daniel gave him an I-told-you-so poke.
“So, the map burned up?” Jason said.
“Oh no lad. It was early spring and Pappy had a fire going, but the day was warm. The fire had burned low and was banked for the evening. Of course the coals was hot, and the old map started to burn right away. I was a spry young lad then with my head full of treasure tales. Well I jumped right up and grabbed that map from the fire while Jim was busy talking to my Pappy.”
Silas paused. His eyes were unfocused and he seemed to have forgotten they were there. When he spoke, his voice was soft as if he were talking to himself.
“It was the strangest thing,” he said. “That old map was on fire and I slapped it out with my bare hands.” He held up his hands showing them his palms. “And wouldn’t you know? Not a burn did I take from puttin’ out that fire.”
“Was it damaged too bad for you to read?”
“Not for me, lad. That map led me straight to Haunted Cave. Right outside the entrance I found this here dollar.” He tapped his belt buckle where a Spanish Milled Dollar was encased.
“I was sure there was more treasure in that cave. I searched it from top to bottom and nary found another thing. Leastways I didn’t find no treasure. Heard a lot of voices and saw some strange things.” He looked hard at Jason before continuing.
“One night I was there when the full moon was shinning into that cave. It lit up that pillar till it looked like it was made out of silver itself. For years, I figured that was all the treasure there was. Just a pillar full of moonshine.”
“So what happened to the map?”
“Can’t rightly remember. Didn’t matter though. I’d looked at it so many times I had it memorized. All safely right here,” he said, and he tapped his head.
Jason wasn’t sure how safe Silas’ memory was. He wondered about the strange things inside the old man’s head.
“But you did find the treasure,” Jason said.
“Reckon I did. I was out chasing my dog. He wasn’t a good mannered dog like Maneater. When that old dog got something in his head, twern’t nothing gonna get it out. He woke me up in the middle of the night with his barking and carrying on. Led me through the woods a hollering and shouting after him. Then we came up on Haunted Cave and that mean old dog went in. I didn’t want to go in there in the middle of the night I can tell you.”
Jason squirmed. It was hot in the room, and the clock’s ticking vibrated in his head.
“The moon was full and the wind was blowing the clouds till they was a scooting across the sky. I called that dog, but he weren’t listenin’. I went up to the entrance and looked in. That’s when that crazy old dog came tearing out so fast he almost knocked me over. Then I saw a light.”
“In the cave?” Daniel said.
He nodded. “It was real dark where I was standing, but I could see there was an oil lamp burning farther in.”
“Someone else was there?” Jason said.
“I figured I’d find out. So I crept real quiet like and stayed in the shadow. There was McPherson unloading his mule. He dropped a heavy bag to the ground and reached for a second one. I leaned forward to see what he was doing and it set loose a shower of pebbles. He dropped the second bag and crouched as he looked my way.”
“Did he see you?” Jason said.
“I couldn’t tell, but I was right scared. I was chiding myself for not being more careful and wondering if a ghost could do me harm. Then there was a loud crack of thunder, and the mules charged straight for me. I forgot all about McPherson. I started to run, and tripped in the dark. I expected to be trampled, but suddenly it got real quiet. When I opened my eyes, the oil lamp was gone and moonlight filled the cave.”
“What happened to McPherson and the mules?” Jason said. He was beginning to think that Silas was making the whole thing up to see how gullible they were.
Silas shrugged. “I reckon they was ghost mules like McPherson himself.”
“Ghosts?” Jason said.
Silas narrowed his eyes. “Wasn’t the only ghosts I’ve seen in that haunted place. Then the moonlight faded out and the oil lamp was back. I shrank into the shadows.”
“Who did you think you saw that time?” Daniel said. Jason elbowed him.
“Didn’t think – I knew who it was,” Silas said. “It was McPherson of course. He had his back to me and was dragging one of the bags across the floor. He dumped it by a pillar, and covered it with some rocks. Then he picked up the other bag. There was another crack of thunder, and the oil lamp went out. It was dark and quiet. I found my way out by following the flashes of lightening. When I got to the cave entrance it was raining.”
“What about your dog?”
“Durndest thing. Never did see that dog again. But it seemed like a fair enough trade. The dog for the treasure, you know. Went back the next day and found the treasure right where I saw McPherson bury it. Now what do you think of that?”
Jason heard a soft clicking coming down the hall. Maneater loomed in the doorway. His stomach tightened. The dog’s nails tapping on the hardwood floor continued as it crossed the room and sat down a few inches from him.
“Um – Mr. Silas, sir?” Jason said.
“Seems you have his seat youngun,” Silas said and then broke into his rasping cackle.
The dog laid its head on Jason’s knee and looked up at him. One lip was pulled back showing a sharp fang.
“Dad gives tours of the cave all the time and he’s never seen a ghost,” Daniel said. “Maybe McPherson left after you found the treasure.”
Silas scowled and his face turned a little red. “You can think what you want. It’s not everyone that sees ‘em. Old Jim Bentley, he saw McPherson right enough. Told about how he saw him unpacking his gold.”
Download this book for your ebook reader.
(Pages 1-29 show above.)