True Treasure: Real - Life History Mystery (32 page)

***

The Neighbors Arrival Two Months Later

The work on the home, with four bedrooms, a parlor, dining, and a separate kitchen and an outhouse, took all of the month to complete. “Do not worry about whitewashing.” Mary said.

She told the men to work on a covered roof instead, to which walls could be added later to make a barn, which was more important. Mary knew this from growing up on a hacienda. Shelter for the people, crops, and animals, was paramount. Anything else was a luxury. Fresh water from rain and the falls was abundant, and crops grew year round.

The information she had been provided on the Markus family was sparse and the governor knew no more than she. For all she knew they were bringing furniture and livestock. If not, they would share what they had or pull the carpenters off the governor’s house to make them the necessities.

The morning of the ship’s arrival, they sent a young runner from town carrying a letter. He took it to Mary. She had just sat down to eat a simple lunch of bread, butter, and papaya fruit with her cup of coffee. “Ma’am, a letter. And visitors,” the boy said as he handed her the note. She opened it and read,

Mrs. Graham,

We invite you to meet us at the dock. It has been a long time since our last meeting and I bring good news. If you cannot be torn away from your duties, we hope to see you this afternoon once transport is arranged.

Sincerely,

R. C. Markus

Mary turned to Betsy, “Can you ask the men to take the carts and carriage to the dock to meet our new neighbors? They need help transporting their household from the ship to their new home.”

Mary handed the letter to Betsy who perused it quickly.

“Mary, the letter asks for you to meet them at the dock.”

Mary sighed, “If you and I take room in the carriage, there will be less room for our guests. It looks like it may rain and if their household is mainly women only four will fit. In any case, I am sure it is just a polite formality. I will take a nap, and then change out the hay for the horses. I would like to freshen after that before I greet our new neighbors.”

Betsy looked at the letter again and frowned, “He says it has been a long time since your last meeting and he has good news. Do you know what that could mean?”

Mary took a bite of her papaya and chewed while thinking. “I know no one by the name of Markus. Maybe he has brought us a gift of chickens, goats, or even a cow. I am sure again it is just a turn of phrase. I never had the chance to make the acquaintance of those in polite society. It is entirely possible he has confused me for someone else. Welch and Graham both being common enough names.”

Betsy nodded, “’Tis so. Would you like another drop of brew?” Mary looked in her cup and nodded yes.

“Thank you, Betsy. You have been such a Godsend these many months.”

“And you for me, Mary. I would have been stuck working in one of the sewing factories, or who-knows-what if it were not for your kindness.”

“We single widows must stick together.” Mary said. She was happy to get neighbors, even though between the men, their wives, and now children, she was never truly alone. The Graham’s Treasure farm was working on a schedule similar to the one the men kept on the island. They could openly build homes now and barter for goods, and more women were available for courting, so the men made the most of their lives. What could have been an awful situation was turning into one of true opportunity as the governor of Van Diemen’s Land was working hard at transforming the island from a penal colony into one of true commerce. His modern ideas of land grants, and allowing the prisoners to work at skills they possessed for wages, was slowly changing the minds of the hardened criminals who saw work and opportunity were providing little luxuries only dreamed of in the prisons back home in England.

***

Ray, Della, Irv, Dent, and Roger

Ray and Della heard the pirates call out.

“Sounds like they lost Keiko and Julian, and are searching for them,” Ray whispered to Della. He motioned for her to follow behind as they made their way slowly through the brush towards where they heard the voices calling out in Spanish.

“Your husband is dead, little one. We will find you,” called out one of the men.

Ray stiffened and took aim at where the voice was coming from. He shot.

The shot rang out causing the pirate to scream, “Don’t shoot at me, Paolo!”

A voice called out from further up the mountain side, “I’m not shooting. She must have a gun!”

Another shot rang out followed by one of the men screaming, then silence. Ahead and above, Della and Ray saw the foliage moving in a pattern down toward the path in front of them. Ray motioned for Della to stay back and follow him, out of sight of the panicking gangsters. The gangsters let loose with a volley of shots.

Ray led the way down toward where the path let out onto the beach. Della stuck close behind. They each took position, behind trees that had a clear view of the path that let out onto the beach.

Within minutes one of the panicked gang members came rushing down the path, clutching at his bleeding arm. Ray yelled out, “Stop! Throw your weapon down!”

The man twirled around, brought his weapon up, and fired wildly toward Ray.

The man dropped as Della shot him in the torso. The shot was enough to make him drop to his knees and let go of his weapon. Ray ran up and kicked it away from the man. He stooped to pick it up. Ray motioned for the injured man to stand and pointed toward the cove where their boat was hidden. Irv jogged over from the direction of their boats and said, “He’s bleeding. Let’s fix him up.”

Della said, “I’m a doctor. Where’s the boat’s first aid kit?”

She worked on the man while Ray kept his gun leveled on him.

“How many of you came on shore?”

The man didn’t answer. Ray kicked him in the arm close to the bullet wound in his torso.

“Stop!” The man called out, “Tres. Three! Just three of us.”

“You said the gringo is dead. Where is he?”

Ray motioned like he was going to kick him again.

“I pushed him into the ravine. His body is down there.”

“Where is the ravine?”

“It’s up. It crosses the path.”

“Did you see him die?”

The gangster shook his head, “No. Too much plants.”

Ray said to Irv and Della, “I’m heading up to look for Julian. If he’s not dead, he may need help.”

Della looked up, “Be careful, Ray. I‘ll follow as soon as I’ve stitched him up—without anesthetics.”

***

Keiko

It took a second for her mind to register. It wasn’t a gunshot. It was a rope.
Rope!
She called down again, “I’m securing it!” She picked up the rope and head into the bushes looking for the trunk of a thick tree that would hold their weight. She found one and encircled it twice. She tied it off and headed back to the edge. Julian called up, “Come on down.”

She hesitated then heard the pirates calling out again. One screamed. She looked over the edge into the wall of green and said to herself quietly, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She quickly put on half gloves to prevent rope burn, backed up, grabbed the rope, swung her leg over the edge then the other as she slowly rappelled her way down into the unknown. The crack was narrower at the top to the point where her back scrapped against it on the other side. The growth brushed against her and caught in her hair, giving her the willies. After twenty feet or so she felt Julian’s hands on her legs as he helped her down the last few feet.

She turned to hug him. “You’re okay!”

“The foliage gave me something to grab, branches slowed down my fall, and the walls were close enough together they worked as a natural break.”

Julian held out his arms and showed Keiko the long bloody scrapes from his fall. She hugged him again. “I’m so glad you’re still in one piece.”

He nodded. “Yeah. We’re safer down here for now. This is a dormant volcano. And this is a lava tube where the top broke open. It may connect to others and it will certainly lead to a way out. Let’s follow it further in first.”

“What are you thinking?”

“The lava rock above, the way it was laid out, it was chipped then laid into place. It wasn’t natural. I think Graham placed lava sheets on top to hide it from lazy pirates.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice that!”

“When you have a gun trained on you, it can be hard to pick up on details.”

“Do you think they’ll come back here and search the ravine?”

“No. They’re lazy. The one was wearing a white leisure suit. He’s in no hurry to get dirty. They’ll wait for us to resurface then take care of us.” Julian aimed Keiko’s flashlight at the walls. “I sent a text to Dad last night. Him and his friends I’m sure are watching the island. They’ll be taking care of our gang friends, and then they’ll head up to find us.”

He walked slowly along examining the walls. “I have a gut feeling—”

“Which is why we’re heading deeper into the volcano,” Keiko said as she felt her way forward along the ancient rock walls.

“Keep looking,” Julian said as he turned, feeling through the brambles, he pointed up with his light, “See, the foliage is up above for two or three feet where the dirt is, then it abruptly stops here,” he patted the wall for emphasis, “because it is a lava tube. Follow me.” Julian walked ahead slowly making his way about fifty feet deeper into the mountain. The ravine slit above was no longer there, they were in an unbroken part of the tube inside the volcanic mountain. They came upon an area where branches and foliage arched out and roots covered the right side of the tube. Julian spoke again, “
This dirt
for all these plants shouldn’t be here…”

“It should be hard lava rock!” Keiko said excitedly.

“Right.
Unless
the pirates dug and buried treasure which fell from where
it was
into this part of the tube…”

Keiko started tearing at the earth just as Julian took his knife and started ripping at the thickest part. Keiko heard a clink followed by several others, as did Julian.

They bent down to pick up what had fallen. The light reflected off metal.
Coins. Gold and silver
. She picked one up as did Julian. Keiko stood again and looked where Julian’s knife had ripped into the earth. A piece of canvas hung down. She pulled at it and more coins cascaded down onto the lava tube floor.

“Julian, you found it, Graham’s treasure!”

***

Mary and the Neighbors

Mary awoke from her nap. The darkened skies had lightened as the storm clouds blew safely over dropping their rain further inland. She got up, straightened her brown work skirt, now covered in grass stains, and headed out to the barn to muck out the stalls and lay down new hay for when the horses returned from pulling the carts and carriage.

She had them mucked out and was laying down the new hay when she heard a sole horse and rider come galloping toward the barn. She stuck her pitchfork in the hay mound and hurried out, worried that the rider must be bearing bad news.

Moving from the darkened barn into the bright sunlight she could not make out if she knew the rider who called out, “Mary! Mary!”

The voice—
Mary reached out with her hand losing her balance.
It sounded like Bennett.

“Mary, my love.” The rider dismounted quickly, the look of concern in his eyes—

“Bennett?” Mary collapsed into his arms, half-faint, her heart beating so hard, tears blinding her vision so she couldn’t see if he was real…

“Yes, it is me,”
he whispered into her ear then showered her with kisses. She clung to him, her legs numb, her body feeling his heartbeat while enfolded in his arms, upheld by his strength. He kissed her slowly. When they broke from their kiss she held tight to the back of his neck and whispered, “If I am dreaming do not wake me up.”

He gently took her hands which were still woven tightly around his neck, and brought them down with his. “It is no dream. I am here. And we are together now, forever.”

Bennett gently wiped the tears from Mary’s eyes.

She looked at him and could not look away. “How?”

“Randall. He bribed the hangman. The rope was knotted enough to cause me to pass out but another hidden rope was attached to a belt around my waist which bore the weight and prevented me from dying. I did not know of the scheme until I awoke and was not in heaven, but in a cart filled with dead pirates.” He smiled.

“We then secured papers for travel and purchased a land grant. Randall married Elizabeth. She waited for him all these years. Randall is now Rollo Cullen Markus. I am sorry to have made you wait so long, but I owed it to Randall to secure his position with Elizabeth. I am Benidito now, not Bennett. Benidito Markus, Rollo’s brother.”

Mary fell back against Bennett. “I cannot let you go. I cannot believe you are real.”

She stayed that way until heart calmed then she spoke, “I have kept the men together. I did all I could to keep their spirits up for your sake. But Ben is still with my parents.”