RAILCAR GOLD Chapter 1 . . Eureka . . Part 5
RAILCAR GOLD is a historically accurate multi-generational fictional tale of hidden treasure, primarily set in York County, Pennsylvania during the latter half of the Nineteenth Century. This is Part 5 of Chapter 1 . . . Eureka. A new part will be posted every Thursday. New readers may want to start at the beginning.
CHAPTER 1 . . . EUREKA . . . Part 5
Ashley knew immediately what Stephie was asking about; the ‘Chronicle of Dan DeWyatt.’ Ashley responded, “You know if we asked for that, it would immediately raise suspicions about this trip.”
Stephie adds, “I know. But what if that first clue leads to another clue in the same railcar? We’ll more than likely need the ‘Chronicle’ to help use figure out where to look for that next clue.”
Ashley agreed, “You are absolutely right. If that is the case we may just have to settle for the one clue on this trip. Having the opportunity for solving one clue in Danny’s whole string of clues is better than sitting at home. Who knows, this may end up being the final clue.”
Stephie shrieks, “If that’s the case. Just think of the possibilities. We’ll be rolling in cash. What would you do with Millions upon Millions? Would you still go to college? What kind of car would you buy? Would you buy a place of your own?”
Ashley brought Stephie back to reality; “Lets not start counting our chickens before they’re hatched.”
Danny DeWyatt started writing his ‘Chronicle’ late in life. It was a rags to riches tale about an orphan; a gift for his grandson Sam DeWyatt. Danny’s only child Tom died while serving in the United States Army during World War I. Tom’s wife Sharon and his 2-year-old son Sam survived him.
Sharon re-married, Danny could not stand for and did not trust Sam’s stepfather. Sam DeWyatt was only five years old at the time. This is when the ‘Chronicle’ idea formed for Danny. The tone of the ‘Chronicle’ changed three years later. It was as if Danny was leaving cryptic clues for Sam to solve later in his life.
About this same time, whenever Danny got to play with his grandson Sam, Danny liked to play a code word game. If certain words immediately follow one another, they had a set meaning. Sam liked the game and got good at it. A year later, Danny DeWyatt died unexpectedly. Sam DeWyatt was 9-years old.
On Sam’s 21st Birthday, he was presented with the ‘Chronicle of Dan DeWyatt.’ On the front page his grandfather wrote, “Present to my grandson Samuel on his Twenty-first Birthday,” signed Daniel DeWyatt.
Sam would occasionally read bits and pieces of the Chronicle from time to time. However one day while reading something near the end, Sam picks up on a two word string, it is their code for gold. Sam immediately searched for and finds more and more code words. Many times the de-coded words pointed to certain earlier sections of the Chronicle.
When Ashley and Stephie were 8-years old, their Great-Grandfather Sam DeWyatt told them the tale about a big stash of gold hidden by Danny for him to find. Sam showed them the ‘Chronicle of Dan DeWyatt.’ Sam had very faintly penciled in the de-coded meanings of the strings of code words.
After Sam DeWyatt died, the Grandparents of Ashley and Stephie were willed the Chronicle. Early on, they let Ashley or Stephie read through it pretty much anytime they asked to do so. One time, Ashley really got in trouble with her parents when they discovered her trying to make a copy of several of the pages, even though she was not successful in copying the faint pencil markings made by Sam.
Several times the girls “accidentally” borrowed the Chronicle when going on some of their quests for the gold. One time their grandparents discover this, however covered for them and did not tell their parents.
Ashley did not tell Stephie that she had considered “accidentally” taking the Chronicle yesterday for their trip out to Colorado. She ultimately decided against it, because their parents and grandparents were now in the same frame of mind about them squandering their lives away searching for gold that does not exist.
Ashley falls asleep on the plane trying to recall every little detail in the ‘Chronicle of Dan DeWyatt.’
Go to Chapter 2
