Chapter 2 – Questions

Ben sat down at the dining table, and pulling his chair closer to the table, began to read the letters aloud.

"Sister dear,

I cannot bring you this news, as I am presently hiding. But do not fret, for we have struck rich! Maggie, I have drawn you a map of the area. In my future letters, I shall tell you where on the map we have hidden the treasure, so that if my friend and I do not make it out of here alive, then you, at least, shall find the treasure and have it for your own. Remember what this letter says, dear sister. I shall send you some clues. I dare not tell you quite plainly where the treasure is hid, for fear this letter may pass through hands other than your own. But by these clues you should be able to find the treasure.

I hope that you are quite well.

Arthur"

The writing was horrendous, and had caused Ben to stutter more than once, prohibiting him from reading it clearly.

"Where's the map then?" Riley asked Ben, after he had finished reading the first letter.

"I don't know," Ben said slowly, turning the paper over and over in his hand.

"You mean it's not in with those letters? Oh, great! You might as well give up. No map – no hope!"

"No, wait, there is a chance…" Ben started.

"Like the Declaration of Independence!" Abigail cried excitedly.

"Exactly," Ben said.

"We need lemons," Abigail continued. She rushed for Riley's kitchen.

Riley walked after her, "I thought I'd just offer," he said dryly. "Feel free to use one of mine."

"Already have," Abigail said, smiling as she came back with a lemon. She carefully cut the fruit into four segments, and then turned to Riley. "We need cotton buds."

"Fine, I'll go get them," he said, walking off whilst muttering something about turning his home into a cryptographic site instead of organizing it into a home.

He soon returned, and handed the buds to Abigail.

"Do you really think the map is on the back of the letter?" he asked Ben.

"I don't know, but I'm ready to find out," Ben answered.

Abigail ran the cotton bud along the lemon segment, soaking up the acidulous juice. She looked at Ben, who had turned the letter face down, ready for its operation. She handed him the cotton bud, "You do it."

He took it from her, and paused for a moment, with the cotton bud hovering an inch above the paper. Then he began, gently brushing the back of the letter over with the juice. Then he crouched down low next to the paper, and breathed on it, just like he had done on the Declaration of Independence. However, unlike that case, nothing appeared. The page still looked old and stained, and now a little damp – but no map appeared at all.

"See, it has failure written all over it!" said Riley, ever the 'enthusiast'! "If you don't have a map, how are you supposed to know where to look?"

"The letters are meant to have clues. We might be able to find the treasure without the map," Ben said hopefully.

"You know what? I don't like the look of this!" cried Riley.

"Well, before we decide anything else, let's read the other letters," Abigail suggested.

Riley shrugged his shoulders, so Ben sat down once more, and picked up the next letter.

"My sweet Maggie,

You must know where the treasure is kept, so here are some clues.

There's a cave at the mouth of the canyon, sister dear. You have to find the cave to find the treasure. From our lookout you can see the turf growing back over where we buried the treasure.

You must read carefully what I write. The treasure is Beneath the foot of a mountain, which we named after our friend Davis. To find the mountain, you must know that nearby is a curving canyon, whose west wall is covered with trees, and whose east is bare. There is a stream that goes through the canyon. A small cataract has been made by a ten foot drop, and two springs run nearby. Twenty steps east of the treasure, you will find a square rock.

You must not let prying eyes see the contents of this letter, Maggie. Perhaps this is too plain for you, but once you find, you seek still.

Arthur"

Riley was pulling at face at the last sentence, "What is he going on about?" he asked.

"I don't know…yet," Ben said, and picked up the next letter.

"Maggie,

I have not written for some time. The attack we made often haunts us both in this solitude, for death itself holds this valley. Remember every word, and share them with no one. I hope my previous Clues have found their way into your hands only, and that they shall aid you in finding the treasure.

I hope you keep well; perhaps we shall venture out soon.

A"

"How many letters are there?" Riley asked.

"There's nine," Ben answered.

"Three down, six to go," said Riley, in a tone of boredom.

Ben ignored Riley's comment, and picked up the fourth letter.

"Sister Sweet,

I begin to wonder if we shall ever leave off hiding; if I shall ever see you again. Jim suggested that we rebury the treasure, which is why we did it. Do not reproach me for it – I do it for you, the sister that I love. Soon, perhaps, I shall see you again, and we can get the Buried treasure together.

A"

"There's something interesting about these letters," Ben said.

"Is there?" Riley asked. "What could that be? All I have heard so far are some old clues that most people have heard of anyway."

"Some of the words are capitalized mid-sentence."

"Where?" Abigail asked, bending down to look at the letters spread out on the table whilst Riley watched on with his eyebrows raised.

"Here," Ben pointed to the second letter, "and here in the third letter…"

"Beneath, Davis, Clues, Buried…"

"It says something," Ben said as his breath caught in wonderment. "Surely it can't be that simple?"

"But who or what is Davis?" Abigail asked Ben.

Ben picked up the other letters, scanning them for any more clues, but he saw none.

"Ben, could it really be that obvious?" Abigail asked. "Surely someone else could have deciphered that; letters capitalized mid-sentence! Isn't that just obvious – too obvious?"

"That's what I was thinking." Ben said. "It feels like he just gave it to us. And why didn't Maggie find the treasure? Did she? Is that why no one else has found it?"

"Questions." Riley said. "Questions – but no answers!"

"Oh, don't worry about those." Ben said. "We'll get the answers. We always have!"