Gertrude Warner - The Mystery of the Lost Mine

Just then the door opened, and a grizzled old man with a straggly gray beard stepped inside. He wore dirt-stained khaki pants and a sun-bleached denim shirt. A crumpled felt hat nearly hid his eyes.

“Boy, he’s a real old cowboy,” Benny said.

Luis lowered his voice. “That’s Jake. He’s a prospector. He lives up in the hills. He comes in here every morning for a cup of coffee and some supplies.”

Henry noticed Tom Parker slip out the back door. Tom always seemed so friendly. Why didn’t he greet Jake the way he did everyone else?

Janine spoke sharply to the prospector. “I’m not giving you any more credit, Jake. Pay up your bill.”

“I’ll pay you back with interest,” said the old man. “I promise.”

She snorted. “Your promises are like dust in the desert! I mean it, Jake. No food or supplies until you pay at least part of your bill.”

“He doesn’t have any money!” Violet said, concerned. “And he’s hungry!”

Henry looked at Jessie. “What do you think?” Since Grandfather was out all day, Henry and Jessie were in charge of the Aldens’ money.

“Let’s give him five dollars,” Jessie said. She couldn’t bear to see that old man go away hungry.

Henry went over to Jake. “I see you’re a little short,” he said, handing him a five-dollar bill.

“Many thanks,” the old man said. “You won’t be sorry. I’ll pay you back soon. With interest!”

“What does he mean, ‘with interest’?” Benny asked.

“It means he’ll pay back our five dollars, plus some extra,” Henry replied.

Janine took the money Jake paid her and stuffed it in her apron pocket. He shuffled back to the camping goods section.

“Next time, don’t pay any attention to the old coot,” she told the Aldens as she cleared their places. “He’s got gold fever.”

“What is gold fever?” Violet wondered when the woman left, clattering plates.

“Have you ever heard of the Lost Dutchman’s mine in the Superstition Mountains?” Luis asked.

The Aldens shook their heads.

“Over a hundred years ago,” Luis began, “a prospector claimed he found a fantastic gold mine somewhere in the Superstition Mountains. On his deathbed, he told his nurse how to find the mine. The nurse and two friends tried to locate the mine, but they never did. They told other people about the mine, and the story spread.”

“And Jake is searching for the Lost Dutchman’s mine?” Henry asked.

Just then Mr. and Mrs. Garcia came in. Overhearing Henry’s question, they sat down and picked up the story.

“A lot of people have looked for the Dutchman’s mine,” said Mr. Garcia. “Jake is not alone. Gold fever is highly contagious. People get excited at the mention of gold.”

Mrs. Garcia added, “People can look all they want, but no one can dig for gold in the Superstition Mountains. It’s the law.”

“Then why is old Jake still looking?” Jessie asked. “If no one has found it in a hundred years, why does he believe he can find it?”

Mr. Garcia answered. “Not too long ago, some tourists found some small stone slabs with pictures carved on them. The stones were supposed to be maps, with clues to the location of the gold mine. If a person figured out the clues, they would find the mine. Like a treasure hunt.”

“Where are the stones?” Benny asked. He liked the idea of a treasure hunt!

“They’re in a museum in Mesa,” said Luis. “I’ve seen them and have pictures of the stones in our RV.”

“Can we see the pictures?” Henry asked eagerly.

“Sure.”

“Luis, we’ll be leaving on our hike after we eat,” Mrs. Garcia told her son. “Would you like to come with us or stay with the Aldens?”

“I’d rather stay with my new friends.” He looked eagerly at Henry. “If that’s okay?”

“You bet,” Henry said.

They all left the restaurant. Luis led the way to his trailer and opened the door.

“Wow!” Benny commented when he stepped inside. “You sure have a lot of rocks!” Boxes overflowed with rocks in all shapes and sizes.

“I told you my parents are geologists. They can’t resist picking up specimens.” Luis took a folder from a drawer. “Here are the photographs of the stones.”

Violet studied the pictures. Most of the stones were rectangular. One was heart-shaped. The heart-shaped stone fit into a heart-shaped hole in a larger stone.

“Why is this stone different from the others?” she asked.

“Some people think this stone points to Weaver’s Needle,” said Luis. “That’s a landmark in the Superstition Mountains. It’s one of the clues the prospector told his nurse, so everyone believes the mine is near the needle. If you look at Weaver’s Needle a certain way, it looks like a half-buried heart.”

“How can a needle look like a heart?” asked Benny.

Luis shrugged. “I don’t think the rock looks like either one. But the name stuck, I guess.”

Henry noticed the stones were etched with squiggles and strange symbols. He squinted at some foreign words. “Do you know what that says?”

Luis grinned. “It’s Spanish, which I happen to speak and read. It means, ‘look for the heart’ or ‘follow the heart.’ ”

“Look for the heart,” Jessie repeated thoughtfully.

“I have a question,” Benny said. “Where are the Superstition Mountains?”

Luis spread his hand toward the brown hills behind the campground. “Right out there.”

Henry felt a quiver of excitement. “We have pictures of the maps and Grandfather said we could explore. Why don’t we look for the mine!”

“Yes!” agreed Benny eagerly. “We need a new adventure.”

“Will you come with us, Luis?” Jessie asked. “After all, you have the map pictures.”

“Well—” Luis hesitated. “I think it’s too far for us to go without horses, but we could do some exploring in the area. Who knows what we might find.”

“Yayyy!” Benny jumped up and down. “We’re off again!”

“Let’s get started,” Henry said. “We’ll go back to our trailer and get supplies.”

Luis opened the door for them. As he did, a woman scurried away from the door.

It was Mrs. Clark.

She smiled guiltily. “Just hunting for my earring. I thought I lost one near here.”

Violet stared at her. Mrs. Clark was wearing a lot of jewelry, including a gold chain and several chain bracelets. But no earrings.

Was the woman really looking for an earring? Or was she trying to listen to what they were saying about the lost mine?

“Do you think we’ll find the mine by lunchtime?” Benny asked Violet.

She clambered over a rock in the trail, then held out her hand for her brother.

“I doubt it, Benny,” Violet said. “Luis said some people spend their whole lives looking for the mine.”

Ahead on the trail, Luis stopped so the Aldens could catch their breath.

“It’s best to go out in the desert early in the morning,” he told them, “before the sun gets too hot. Drink water, even if you aren’t thirsty. If you wait till you are, you’re already becoming dehydrated.”

The Aldens uncapped their canteens and took a long drink.

They all wore hats, sturdy shoes, and heavy socks. Luis had warned them that in the Superstition Mountains both plants and animals could sting or bite.

“Why is there a Superstition Mountain in the Superstition Mountains?” Jessie asked, confused.

Luis laughed. “Superstition Mountain is a special mountain in the Superstition Mountain range.”