CONTEST.......The Best Story About A Hunt

[Mighty AP]

Buckle up boys n' girls, lets have a contest! Please submit your best stories about a hunt, the story does NOT have to be true so let your imaginations run wild! Pictures help! Cynangel has graciously agreed ( ) to judge the stories & choose the best one..........flattery, bribes & gifts are encouraged. The winner will receive a brand spankin' new custom diggin' tool & I've been known to drop a lil' silver goody or two in the handle. We'll let this run about a week or until the entries slow down, Good Luck to all! ...........let the games begin!

 

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[bigscoop]

Here you go, a little treasure hunting history to help get things started:

The Legend of Buttox

Now this treasure hunting story goes back a long time, even before that Columbus guy ever set foot on what we now call North America. Truth is, a famous treasure hunter named Buttox was here way before Columbus, as is the case with just about every other continent as well. You see, Buttox was perhaps the greatest treasure hunter ever to live, and in fact, he was responsible for covering up most of the richer discoveries archeologist have dug back up over the last couple hundred years. The Aztecs, the Myans, those famous Egyptian kings, why heck, old Buttox discovered these places long before white men even heard rumor of their existence.

Now nobody ever really knew the man’s birth name, or where it was that he actually originated from, so I think it’s important that I should tell you the true story of how old Buttox got his name, the name that would follow him around very closely for the rest of his life. You see, it all started in the deepest of Africa, while old Buttox was searching for the golden city of Alantis, which he eventually found and buried so well ain’t nobody been able to find it to this very day.

Anyway, it was while he was doing some exploring in the African brush that his famous name suddenly fell upon him. After having sneaked away from the main camp with only a single native guide that looked like a big pirate old Buttox heard a noise and when he turned around he saw this startled lion preparing to leap at him. So old Buttox did the only thing that made any sense, he quickly curled up into a ball in an attempt to play dead so that the leaping lion would no longer feel threatened by his unexpected presence. Well, as timing would have it that lion was already well into his leap when Buttox curled up into that ball and when that lion came down his head went right up the behind of old Buttox. The lone native guide, that big pirate looking fella, would later say that he couldn’t tell who was screaming the loudest, the lion or old Buttox. But anyway, once the screaming subsided and the dust finally cleared old Buttox was alive and the poor lion was dead. And this was the single event that eventually earned old Buttox his famous name.

You see, at the time, the natives of the region blended names for their strongest warriors on account of the weapon used and the strength of the warrior. Hence the combination, “Butt” and “Ox”. In their minds old Buttox had used his butt with the strength of an ox while suffocating that poor lion. Now as one might expect, poor Buttox was spitting fur balls out his rear for about three weeks after that event, and as it were, that big old pirate looking native guide hung them fur balls around his neck on account that he believed those tangled wads of fur would chase away bad spirits, or for that matter, just about all spirits. Anyway, that’s how old Buttox got his name, the name that would serve to closely follow him around for the rest of his life. So now when you hear someone make reference to their buttox you’ll know a little history about where that name/term came from.

Well, there you go. Now you know the real truth behind the legend of Buttox, and it’s all 100% true, I swear it!
Sincerely,
Dr. I.M. Lyon

 

[packerbacker]

Silver?....SILVER!!!........I got copper!

 

[GopherDaGold]

My story, in poem form:


On a cold and bitter, dark winters night,
Temps in the nineties, sun shining bright,
Mcgearhead and plehbah, each raised a toast
And wagered each other, who'd find the most,

"You swing a mean coil, pleb said to mcgear,
But once and for all, we'll settle it here",
They chose a tot lot, known for trinkets and clad,
The occasional token, or a ring lost by dad.

"We'll count up our change when we are done,
The man with the most is the man who has won.
The loser says sorry for all that he's said,
And let's the world know via Treasure Net thread."

After their handshake, they both got to swinging,
Eyes to the ground, detector coils singing,
Digging and probing, sometimes pinpointing,
A good day for both, not at all disappointing.

When it was over, they counted their money,
Looked at each other, something felt funny,
They knew from then on, their friendship would deepen,
You see, T-Net faithful, they both were dead even!

 

[olepossum]

the year was 1863 and it was nw missouri a wagon load of yankee weapons were on the move across to kansas city it was delivered to the train depot in st joseph missouri accidentaly . so the army said the frieght man at the train depot was to deliver it to west port at his cost so on its way it did go . it made stops in weston mo. and platte city mo. some where between platte city and west port armory the wagon load of rifles and ammunition disappered. there were 1/2 dozen creeks and switch backs nothing to take a wagon down and they had no courier reports of regular confederate army or rebel troops in the area .it would be hard to prove it but when a guerilla unit was around a particular area that was their way of fighting you never seen them untill they were ontop of you. after the news spread it was a free for all yank and reb units were all over the area looking for the wagon load of guns and ammo . there was a lot of blood spilled on both sides and for the first time it wasnt spilled for lincoln or davis it was for the power those weapons would give to the finder .after 2 months of looking they finally gave up around 1888a few guns were found in the caves in the n kc area but never a full wagon full . around the mid 1990s and the first part of the 2000s they started building a strip mall .one of the workers that were moving some large boulders found a sink whole toped off with the big boulder of red rock they went inside to look around and found a wagon in a well preserved state of being able to hook a team to it and drive it out if there was a way to do it .the wagon was found full of rifles and sweaty old black powder rounds and kegs of lead bars bullet molds and 3 strong boxes full of new lincoln made cash and several pounds of silver dollars and gold coins in many different denominations . the state swooped in to claim it as a accient historical find but the owner of the property stopped them by giving the rifles and other war relics to the confederate mueseum in richmond virginia and donated the cash and coins to different mueseums and kept a few million dollars of the old coins and cash for him self as a collection for his new hobbie and due to some new rule the government could not take his treasure from him because it was a hobbie of his and he would take it around to different educational institutes for show and tell . now dont we all wish a treasurehunt of the size was ours nd could end like that.

 

[Cynangyl]

This is gonna be SUCH fun!

 

[bigscoop]

" Cynangel has graciously agreed ( ) to judge the stories & choose the best one..........flattery, bribes & gifts are encouraged."

My, Cynangel, has anyone ever told you that your avitar has really beautiful eyes.

 

[Mighty AP]

Cyn......even though I'ma girl and don't swing that way....I love your buns......(inside joke)

Gopher, very nice poem dude and I love the pic of McGearheads & Plehbahs avatars melded.........

Bigscoop, nice job suckin' up to the judge!

Very nice stories so far people, this is gonna be fun, eh?

 

[Iron Patch]

KKC and the PA Colonial Frontier - Kirk's redemption!


The alarm rang and there was to be no wussy gardening for Kirk on this Sunny, hot and humid Saturday. It was going to be the day where Kirk put a Capitol "K" in KKC with a killer find to break out of his multi-week slump. This was not to be the day for the skunk mobile, or even meager finds of any sort, this was to be his day for the big one!

So climbing out of bed Kirk made his way to the kitchen to await Kyle and Zeus and carb up on coffee and co co puffs. It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door and KKC was in full detecting force and about to make their way to the PA Colonial frontier to find something which would awe the forum. Twenty minutes of driving, and 100 miles an hour of detecting talk, finally they made it to what was going to be the field of dreams! Kyle was first out of the car and swinging, followed by Zeus, and lastly Kirk... but it didn't matter being 3rd, because he had a plan. Unbeknownst to the other two Kirk had spent near the entire night uncovering the mystery of the lost GW cache, and pinpointing it's location to the corner of the field where a creek ran through. With KKC detector three fired up Kirk made the 100 yard walk down the field not really expecting much, but what if the GW cache was really there! Arriving to the bottom and still doing more dreaming than concentrating on signals, a sharp sound on his analog detector near blew his ears off. Was this to be the cache, or just another old tractor part, or maybe a modern broad axe. Only time would tell.


Not knowing whether to dig first, or yell to Kyle and Zeus, Kirk decided to do both which looked and sounded more like he was being attacked and trying to kill a large snake, but it did get their attention. By the time the boys made it within a foot ball throw Kirk was down about two feet and found what looked like a large chest with a brass plate clearly marked GW! Kirk began to scream like a school girl GW CACHE! GW CACHE! GW CACHE! Screaming like a school girl was of course nothing new to be hearing from Kirk, but once it was realized what he was saying was when Kyle and Zeus dropped their detectors and began to sprint to see what he had found, and what they anticipated to possibly be the most historical find ever dug detecting. Now there was three shovels ripping into the ground at a furious pace, but only for a minute, Kirk had stopped, and had his head down with tears running down his cheek. Kyle looked over and said what's wrong man, to which Kirk replied.... I'm just so happy man, this is the greatest day of my life! Kyle seemed both puzzled and touched until Zeus turned around and said DIG YOU IDIOTS! WE HAVEN'T FOUND NOTHING YET BUT A BIG BOX!!!


Resuming to remove dirt around the chest and finally work it's way to the surface was no easy task, but a filthy sweaty KKC eventually did it, and was only moments away from possibly seeing the riches they uncovered from a two centuries old resting place. Careful not to harm the chest Zeus made attempts to pry it open and Kirk and Kyle watched, but could not participate as they were shaking so much. Then it happened! The chest hinges let out a loud creak and the top opened to show George Washington's full uniform including his Colonial shoes with solid gold buckles. But wait there was more... the entire bottom of the chest was covered with Disme silver coins, hundreds and hundreds of them surely worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a new chapter in Colonial Numismatic history would be written. It was more than any digger could take and Kirk started to feel weak and everything begin to spin. Then he was out.


Kirk! Kirk! the voice said, it was his fiancee, but what was she doing here in the field, how long was I out Kirk asked? Out she answered, you've been asleep all night and Kyle's on the phone, it's raining so they're not going detecting today, so you can come shopping with me. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Don't say it! It was just a dream and I'm back to riding the skunk mobile and dancing Tuesday nights as a Colonial stripper for a few halfpennies.

 

[Cynangyl]

Cyn......even though I'ma girl and don't swing that way....I love your buns......(inside joke)

Gopher, very nice poem dude and I love the pic of McGearheads & Plehbahs avatars melded.........

Bigscoop, nice job suckin' up to the judge!

Very nice stories so far people, this is gonna be fun, eh?

I so totally agree! Great stories!! Bigscoop certainly has the sucking up part down too! lol And as far as the buns joke....you will understand soon enough AP. You folks are certainly putting a lot of creativity into the stories and poems and with an AP digger up for a prize I can surely understand why! You won't find a better digger! Judging the best story is not going to be easy at all, a lot of creativity and talent here! Maybe we should make a book of short stories and have it published!

 

[Mighty AP]

LOL IP!!! I love the pics!!! Keep em coming!

 

[bigscoop]

Cyn......even though I'ma girl and don't swing that way....I love your buns......(inside joke)

Gopher, very nice poem dude and I love the pic of McGearheads & Plehbahs avatars melded.........

Bigscoop, nice job suckin' up to the judge!

Very nice stories so far people, this is gonna be fun, eh?

I so totally agree! Great stories!! Bigscoop certainly has the sucking up part down too! lol And as far as the buns joke....you will understand soon enough AP. You folks are certainly putting a lot of creativity into the stories and poems and with an AP digger up for a prize I can surely understand why! You won't find a better digger! Judging the best story is not going to be easy at all, a lot of creativity and talent here! Maybe we should make a book of short stories and have it published!

If you don't mind me asking, Cynangyl, your avitar's figure, does she workout? Or is that all just natural beauty? You know, if she needs help weeding that garden I'd be glad to do it for her. I'm such a nice guy. I see she has a Mighty AP digger in her right hand, was that a beauty award, I presume?

 

[GopherDaGold]

Lawd, where's my boots?
And I know the inside joke. I've seen... I've drooled.

 

[Cynangyl]

LOL Bigscoop we have a mighty big garden so there is always weeding to do....as far as the AP digger I am sporting...have used that weeding as well and I think it was bribery for buns! Gopher....you lost your boots?! ROFL If you have seen the buns can you tell Warsawdaddy? He has been known to say he thinks they are just a myth! rofl He did, however, award me with the shirt that said my buns were famous so maybe he believes in them now? lol

 

[GopherDaGold]

Gopher....you lost your boots?! ROFL If you have seen the buns can you tell Warsawdaddy? He has been known to say he thinks they are just a myth! rofl He did, however, award me with the shirt that said my buns were famous so maybe he believes in them now? lol

I can only speak for what I have SEEN. I can only dream of using my other senses such as taste and smell,

 

[Kirk PA]

KKC and the PA Colonial Frontier - Kirk's redemption!


The alarm rang and there was to be no wussy gardening for Kirk on this Sunny, hot and humid Saturday. It was going to be the day where Kirk put a Capitol "K" in KKC with a killer find to break out of his multi-week slump. This was not to be the day for the skunk mobile, or even meager finds of any sort, this was to be his day for the big one!

So climbing out of bed Kirk made his way to the kitchen to await Kyle and Zeus and carb up on coffee and co co puffs. It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door and KKC was in full detecting force and about to make their way to the PA Colonial frontier to find something which would awe the forum. Twenty minutes of driving, and 100 miles an hour of detecting talk, finally they made it to what was going to be the field of dreams! Kyle was first out of the car and swinging, followed by Zeus, and lastly Kirk... but it didn't matter being 3rd, because he had a plan. Unbeknownst to the other two Kirk had spent near the entire night uncovering the mystery of the lost GW cache, and pinpointing it's location to the corner of the field where a creek ran through. With KKC detector three fired up Kirk made the 100 yard walk down the field not really expecting much, but what if the GW cache was really there! Arriving to the bottom and still doing more dreaming than concentrating on signals, a sharp sound on his analog detector near blew his ears off. Was this to be the cache, or just another old tractor part, or maybe a modern broad axe. Only time would tell.


Not knowing whether to dig first, or yell to Kyle and Zeus, Kirk decided to do both which looked and sounded more like he was being attacked and trying to kill a large snake, but it did get their attention. By the time the boys made it within a foot ball throw Kirk was down about two feet and found what looked like a large chest with a brass plate clearly marked GW! Kirk began to scream like a school girl GW CACHE! GW CACHE! GW CACHE! Screaming like a school girl was of course nothing new to be hearing from Kirk, but once it was realized what he was saying was when Kyle and Zeus dropped their detectors and began to sprint to see what he had found, and what they anticipated to possibly be the most historical find ever dug detecting. Now there was three shovels ripping into the ground at a furious pace, but only for a minute, Kirk had stopped, and had his head down with tears running down his cheek. Kyle looked over and said what's wrong man, to which Kirk replied.... I'm just so happy man, this is the greatest day of my life! Kyle seemed both puzzled and touched until Zeus turned around and said DIG YOU IDIOTS! WE HAVEN'T FOUND NOTHING YET BUT A BIG BOX!!!


Resuming to remove dirt around the chest and finally work it's way to the surface was no easy task, but a filthy sweaty KKC eventually did it, and was only moments away from possibly seeing the riches they uncovered from a two centuries old resting place. Careful not to harm the chest Zeus made attempts to pry it open and Kirk and Kyle watched, but could not participate as they were shaking so much. Then it happened! The chest hinges let out a loud creek and the top opened to show George Washington's full uniform including his Colonial shoes with solid gold buckles. But wait there was more... the entire bottom of the chest was covered with Disme silver coins, hundreds and hundreds of them surely worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a new chapter in Colonial Numismatic history would be written. It was more than any digger could take and Kirk started to feel weak and everything begin to spin. Then he was out.


Kirk! Kirk! the voice said, it was his fiancee, but what was she doing here in the field, how long was I out Kirk asked? Out she answered, you've been asleep all night and Kyle's on the phone, it's raining so they're not going detecting today, so you can come shopping with me. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Don't say it! It was just a dream and I'm back to riding the skunk mobile and dancing Tuesday nights as a Colonial stripper for a few halfpennies.

I just busted a gut and clogged an artery laughing so hard. I am such a Colonial loser and all of those GW caches are what my dreams are made of. I can't even dig a copper. Man, I tell ya, that was the best story I have read since I graduated from school in 2004. Thanks for the laugh, IP, and now I am off for an angioplasty.

Kirk

 

[Iron Patch]

KKC and the PA Colonial Frontier - Kirk's redemption!


The alarm rang and there was to be no wussy gardening for Kirk on this Sunny, hot and humid Saturday. It was going to be the day where Kirk put a Capitol "K" in KKC with a killer find to break out of his multi-week slump. This was not to be the day for the skunk mobile, or even meager finds of any sort, this was to be his day for the big one!

So climbing out of bed Kirk made his way to the kitchen to await Kyle and Zeus and carb up on coffee and co co puffs. It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door and KKC was in full detecting force and about to make their way to the PA Colonial frontier to find something which would awe the forum. Twenty minutes of driving, and 100 miles an hour of detecting talk, finally they made it to what was going to be the field of dreams! Kyle was first out of the car and swinging, followed by Zeus, and lastly Kirk... but it didn't matter being 3rd, because he had a plan. Unbeknownst to the other two Kirk had spent near the entire night uncovering the mystery of the lost GW cache, and pinpointing it's location to the corner of the field where a creek ran through. With KKC detector three fired up Kirk made the 100 yard walk down the field not really expecting much, but what if the GW cache was really there! Arriving to the bottom and still doing more dreaming than concentrating on signals, a sharp sound on his analog detector near blew his ears off. Was this to be the cache, or just another old tractor part, or maybe a modern broad axe. Only time would tell.


Not knowing whether to dig first, or yell to Kyle and Zeus, Kirk decided to do both which looked and sounded more like he was being attacked and trying to kill a large snake, but it did get their attention. By the time the boys made it within a foot ball throw Kirk was down about two feet and found what looked like a large chest with a brass plate clearly marked GW! Kirk began to scream like a school girl GW CACHE! GW CACHE! GW CACHE! Screaming like a school girl was of course nothing new to be hearing from Kirk, but once it was realized what he was saying was when Kyle and Zeus dropped their detectors and began to sprint to see what he had found, and what they anticipated to possibly be the most historical find ever dug detecting. Now there was three shovels ripping into the ground at a furious pace, but only for a minute, Kirk had stopped, and had his head down with tears running down his cheek. Kyle looked over and said what's wrong man, to which Kirk replied.... I'm just so happy man, this is the greatest day of my life! Kyle seemed both puzzled and touched until Zeus turned around and said DIG YOU IDIOTS! WE HAVEN'T FOUND NOTHING YET BUT A BIG BOX!!!


Resuming to remove dirt around the chest and finally work it's way to the surface was no easy task, but a filthy sweaty KKC eventually did it, and was only moments away from possibly seeing the riches they uncovered from a two centuries old resting place. Careful not to harm the chest Zeus made attempts to pry it open and Kirk and Kyle watched, but could not participate as they were shaking so much. Then it happened! The chest hinges let out a loud creek and the top opened to show George Washington's full uniform including his Colonial shoes with solid gold buckles. But wait there was more... the entire bottom of the chest was covered with Disme silver coins, hundreds and hundreds of them surely worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a new chapter in Colonial Numismatic history would be written. It was more than any digger could take and Kirk started to feel weak and everything begin to spin. Then he was out.


Kirk! Kirk! the voice said, it was his fiancee, but what was she doing here in the field, how long was I out Kirk asked? Out she answered, you've been asleep all night and Kyle's on the phone, it's raining so they're not going detecting today, so you can come shopping with me. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Don't say it! It was just a dream and I'm back to riding the skunk mobile and dancing Tuesday nights as a Colonial stripper for a few halfpennies.

I just busted a gut and clogged an artery laughing so hard. I am such a Colonial loser and all of those GW caches are what my dreams are made of. I can't even dig a copper. Man, I tell ya, that was the best story I have read since I graduated from school in 2004. Thanks for the laugh, IP, and now I am off for an angioplasty.

Kirk

Glad you liked it. It's the only story I have ever written.

 

[Cynangyl]

and a good one indeed! Sure made Kirk's day too! lol

Everyone has great stories!!

 

[bigscoop]

The Lost White Bark Treasure

Wabash County Indiana, population listed as only; “a few”. The city of Wabash was the first electrically lighted city, it was home of the Wabash Cannonball, and it was also the final destination of the Eerie Canal. At one time it was estimated to be one of the wealthiest cities in the land, and then just like that it suddenly died to remain, “just another mid-west town.” For me this is very good as few people are aware of the immense treasure that was buried here back in 1894. The man responsible for the hoard of loot was named Sycamore Tree, a tall lanky man of Irish descent and a ghostly complexion who had earned the notorious nickname, “White Bark”. Back in the day White Bark ran a casino and a “house of many pleasures”, the wealth he amassed was unimaginable and it soon lead to his undoing. In the spring of 1894 White Bart had heard rumors of a robbery that was about to fall upon his place of business so in an effort to save all his wealth he buried it in a secret location somewhere along the Wabash River. Three months later White Bark was shot and killed during a robbery of his establishment, the exact location of his buried loot never disclosed to anyone.

Now jump forward, to June of 2008, I was hunting along the Wabash River in search of White Bark’s hidden stash. I stoop down for a closer at the huge bullfrog staring up at me, frog leaps and strikes me in the right eye, hospital visit was $394.73. I had to wait two weeks for the swelling to go down before I could take up the hunt again.

July 5st, 2008, and I’m back at it again, safety goggles in place and a new location now under my feet. By my calculations the river had eroded about five feet so I stepped into the six-inch deep water that was suddenly chest high. Doc told me the shot would take care of all leach infections scattered about my lower half but that I should stay indoors and out of the heat for at least two weeks. Hospital visit was $691.97.

July 28th, 2008, and I was back at it again, goggles and leotards in the unbearable heat. My new location was a pile of old wooden pillars just off the riverbank. At first glance it was easy to tell they had been stacked there on purpose. The beaver didn’t attack until I had removed three or four logs. Doc told me my “little willie” would eventually heal but that I would be out of commission for at least one full year. Hospital bill was $17,665.44. New kevalar leotards, $2,000.00. Protective sports cup, $22.95.

June 19th, 2009, and I was back at it again. Goggles, kevalar leotards, sports cup. My new location was a small flat clearing of high ground that was surrounded by a thick growth of trees on all sides. It was the perfect location to stash a pile a loot. About ten minutes into the hunt I got a good target about 10 inches down. It was a small target but I figured it might be a possible clue as to the location of White Bark’s huge stash. I set my detector down and started to dig. Doc wasn’t buying that I had been attacked by a ground squirrel with a pull tab stuck around it’s hind leg but he fixed me up again and sent me the bill, $19,716. 55. He told me it would take 10 to 12 months for the torn tendons in my fingers to heal. Hockey goalie gloves, $167.99.

It is now June, 19th, 2010, and I am ready to start my hunt for White Bark’s buried treasure all over again. Safety goggles, Kevalar leotards, goalie gloves, and during this past healing period I bought myself a good Taser, $127.95. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

 

[Copperhead]

"Screw him" Jack mumbled as he finished loading his detector into his trunk..It was still dark, but the full moon provided enough light to see… Jack wasn’t exactly a boy scout when it came to metal detecting…..Asking permission to detect private land wasn’t a high priority on his to do list…And he had no problem breaking other unwritten rules either…

As he steered the old Pontiac Grand Prix out onto the deserted road, Jacks mind began to replay the previous days events.

While out cruising less than 24 hours ago… on an older undeveloped back road ..Jack had spotted a promising spot to metal detect..He had caught sight of an old iron gate in an overgrown field about 100 feet off the road…After finding a narrow turnoff to park, he quickly and discreetly made a beeline for the distant the gate..A quick survey of the area revealed few clues to the well hidden site..The remains of an old foundation and a dilapidated stone corral of sorts…which the tall grass had hidden from his view from the street…The fact that a portion of the gate was visible was only due to its height …which seemed strangely out of proportion to the low stone enclosure that it protected…

The tall grass was of no concern to Jack…he had detected in worst places before..His persistence and patience would have been admired if his intentions were not so sinister.. After matting down a fairly large area around the foundation, Jack set about detecting…Finding a few early wheaties put him in a good mood…but the unearthing of a stunning 1916 mercury dime…with an S mint mark…thoroughly annoyed him…

He decided to head towards the gate… Upon reaching it, he paused…"How stupid…" Jack mused…The stone walls were only about a foot tall…the gate must have stood a good 6 feet tall…with an old weathered sign that said PRIVATE - KEEP OUT…"Yeah right…that kinda kills the theory of how smart old-time Yankees were" he thought....Hopping over the wall…Jack got no more than a few steps when he tripped…landing hard…and hitting his head on a rock…Only it wasn’t a rock…Bleeding from a gash just above his right eye and his fortunately unbroken machine by his side, Jack vision focused on a small, well worn gravestone…Picking himself up and turning to see what had caused his fall ….Jack was surprised to see another small grave stone…By the time he had composed himself enough to continue, he had managed to count at least 2 dozen memorials to the long dead…"Just as good place to detect as any" Jack said to himself as he tuned his machine…"Maybe the stingy old ba$tards buried their money with them" But before Jack had stamped down a single blade of grass…. he froze in his tracks…

He was man of small stature…who seemed to appear from nowhere…..Wiry ..but well worn…Dressed in dirty overalls, with a small bouquet of freshly picked wild flowers he held in one hand..which was a stark contrast to his appearance…Jacks mind raced as he assessed his predicament…But before Jack could decide what to do… The man spoke…"May I ask what you’re doing here?"….Jack, realized at this point the old man wasn’t capable of doing much of anything to him…He chose to engage the man and stand his ground…"I’m just doing a little metal detecting" Jack puffed…"You do realize you’re in a cemetery don’t you?" The old man responded… Jack didn’t particularly care for the tone in the mans voice…"Well so what" Jack bristled "I doubt any of these folks care…and by the looks of the place..none of their relatives do either.."…

As quick as Jack could blink, the man crossed the short distance between them and had a vice grip lock on his arm with his clawlike hands…This stunned Jack… and seemly caused him to be paralyzed in place…"Let me show you something" the old man said….Jack, who up until a few seconds ago was physically capable of breaking the old mans arm and running, was now in some sort of hypnotic state….He followed meekly… like a small child…. as the old man.,.never releasing his grip… lead Jack to the far corner of the cemetery…Here they came upon a small area about 2 by 2 feet…free of the tall grass…with a small single gravestone in the middle…Mary…was the only inscription in crude block letters…Jack was able to discern that this stone was much "younger" than the rest….

"This is my wife’s grave" the man continued…"She died about 30 years ago…All the other stones you see here are descendants of my family."….…At this point Jack thought he might just be dreaming all this…But it wasn’t a dream…He pulled Jack down to his knees along with himself .."When I was younger I use to come up and sickle this place by hand"…"Put fresh flowers on all the graves too"…"I still come up here everyday…But I’m too old to maintain the whole place anymore, so I just tend to Mary" …"You and your machine are not welcome here"…"Our family had a long time tradition to bury a gold coin with each person…just in case they might need it.."

His voice trailed off as his eyes drifted toward the old foundation…"This cemetery land has been in my family for generations… High stone fences and that gate protected this sacred ground…Over the years….folks without any respect for the dead came and stole most of the field stones that my great great grandfather used to build the stone wall surrounding it"…"Even though the walls are gone, I left the gate so folks might understand that this place is still private and deserves respect"….

Releasing Jacks arm…. the man rose…Jack looked up at him from his knees as if receiving communion…"I’ll have to ask you to leave now and take that fancy metal machine of yours with you"…."Leave me and my family in peace and don’t ever come back. .." the man said in a stern and steady voice.

By the time Jack had come out of the strange trace placed on him by the old man, he was sitting in his car in the turnoff…Still foggy over what had taken place.. he started the car and headed for home…all the while replaying what had occurred…But by the time he got home, he had already convinced himself he was going back…. and going to be leaving with a pocket full of gold …

It was still very early when Jack pulled into the turnoff he had parked in the previous day…There was no way the old man would be up at this hour…wherever he lived…He figured he’d need about a half hour in the cemetery, and should be able to get most….if not all of the gold…As if by luck…the tall gate…silhouetted by the setting moon…. guided him directly to the site…Jack was about to hop the wall and get digging…but stopped and headed over to the gate…"I think I’ll let the old man know I was here" Jack laughed to himself…The gate…although rusty…swung open with ease…Jack donned his headphones, flipped on his machine and stepped through the gate…

The deep hole must have been dug long ago….The sticks that covered the opening held the soil well enough for the tall grass to grow over it…But burdened by Jacks weight… they gave way immediately….

The sun was up by the time Jack came to…Bleeding…again...but amazingly… he hadn’t seemed to have broken any bones…Looking up from the bottom, Jack estimated he had fallen over 30 feet to the bottom….and there was no way for him to get out by himself…Panicked with fear, Jack yelled… but he knew no one would be able to hear him….except maybe the crazy old man when he came to tend to his wife’s grave…Jack had hours to think about what he had done..what had happened and what he would say to the old man…

Finally after almost giving up hope…the light from above was darkened by a shadow…"Help me!..Help me!" …Jack pleaded…After what seemed like forever, Jack heard his familiar voice…"Are you the young man who I caught up here yesterday?" the old man bellowed…..’Yes! Yes! Please help me!" Jack responded …"Hold on" was the reply from above…"Here!" …Jack, curled up at the bottom of the damp pit…felt something hit him in the chest …"You might need this" the old man said…. The light from above dimmed quickly as the large flat rock was being slid over the hole..But the last few rays allowed Jack to make it out….a shiny gold coin…