RAILCAR GOLD Chapter 3 . . Missing . . Part 4
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 4 of Chapter 3 . . . Missing. A new part will be posted every Thursday. New readers may want to start at the beginning.
CHAPTER 3 . . . MISSING . . . Part 4
The fish liked the plump worms the boys dug out of the riverbank for bait. It did not take long for them to catch several nice ones. Tom showed Dan the hollow tree where several additional fishing poles were stored. Tom revealed, “All these fishing poles are actually community property, just grab one anytime, and return it here.”
Tom continued, “You’ve been formally initiated, by slipping into the river. We’ll take the towpath back.” Dan was initially puzzled, but soon got the point as he followed Tom up to the top of the steep bank and onto the canal towpath.
Dan though the whole wet foot incident peculiar. He just laughed at himself, why didn’t he think of climbing up on the towpath when he was laboring staying on the slippery path after dropping a foot into the river. He concluded this was the standard initiation for new kids in the neighborhood.
When they passed the spot where the two boys had been fishing, Tom warned, “Just make sure you never fish at that spot, even when no one is there. A group of older boys have claimed that spot as there own; they are not to be messed with.”
As the boys reached the bridge spanning the Pennsylvania Canal, Dan asked, “How about fishing spots further down river?” Tom instantly replied, “You do not want to go down there. That area has been haunted ever since the murder.” Dan could see that Tom was genuinely frightened, so he did not push for any details; maybe another time.
Uncle Rufus yelled at Dan as he returned home, “Where have you been?” Dan smiled and held up three nice fish. Rufus continued, “It shouldn’t have taken that long for only three fish. Come here, I’ll teach you how to clean and cook them. Now that you don’t have to deal with school anymore, use all that free time to get good at it, because that will be your job every night. ”
Dan thought, well nice Rufus didn’t last long. His uncle was quickly back to his old ways of demanding Dan do increasingly more and more with the horse training and chores; yet now he had the additional task of being the provider and the preparer of a nightly fish meal.
Over the following weeks, Dan got good at preparing the nightly meal. Tom didn’t come around much anymore, Rufus had told him all to many times, “Dan has work to do and can’t dilly dally about.”
Dan would only see Tom at the fishing hole every now and then. Tom would occasionally suggest that Dan join this group of friends for this or that, however Dan knew he would get into a lot of trouble if he accepted. It got so that Tom didn’t even bother asking any more.
One day in early June, as Dan arrived at the fishing hole, he saw that Tom was already there with Frank, one of their friends. Out of the blue Dan asked, “What’s your next adventure? Because I may be joining you.” Tom was flabbergasted, but then inquired, “Have you ever seen a waterfall?”
Go to Part 5
