Chapter 4: Camille

On their way back home, Mandie decided that they should pay Uncle Wirt and Aunt Saphronia a visit. Maybe they would know something about the clue.

Mandie knocked on the door of Uncle Wirt's cabin. Uncle Wirt opened it.

"Papoose!" he cried. Mandie hugged the old man. "Come in!"

As they entered, Mandie saw that Tsa'ni was sitting inside with a girl she didn't know.

"Camille!" Sallie exclaimed. The two Indian girls hugged each other.

"This is Camille, a good friend of mine. Camille, this is Mandie, Joe , Jonathan, Celia and you already know Dimar. Everyone nodded in greeting.

"You must be Tsa'ni's cousin", Camille said smiling at Mandie. "I've heard a lot about you." Mandie blushed. She had done a lot of great things for the Cherokee people like

building a new school and a hospital but she still wasn't used to all the praise. "I am part Cherokee," Mandie told Camille. "I like doing things to help out my kin people."

Camille introduced herself to Celia and Mandie moved over to Tsa'ni who seemed a little stunned and embarrassed.

"Hello Tsa'ni, good to see you again," Mandie greeted him politely.

He grunted his greeting. Mandie thought about whether or not she should show Tsa'ni the clue. Even though her cousin was stubborn and hard to work with, he also knew a lot

about Cherokee territory. Mandie took out the clue from her apron pocket. Handing it to Tsa'ni, she rapidly explained what it was and how they found it. Tsa'ni skimmed it quickly

and gave it back to Mandie looking surprised.

"This can not be! Tsali's heirloom was hidden by Talitha Pindar?"

"Yes, my grandmother, or your great aunt, hid clues around Cherokee territory to protect the heirloom from landing in the wrong hands."

Tsa'ni seemed flustered. He showed the clue to Camille, who seemed just as surprised.

"This is great! I love riddles, and happen to know this one."

"Well what's the answer?" Jonathan asked impatiently. " Tsa'ni told me all about finding gold in the cave marked with the name Tsali and the entrance was behind a waterfall."

Camille explained. Joe slapped his forehead.

"Of course! We should have known!" " Even though that was quite a while ago." Sallie commented. Jonathan's stomach grumbled. " What? I'm hungry!" he complained.

Everyone laughed.

After a filling meal of fried chicken, the young people started out to the cave which was in the ruins. " How do we find it in this big mess?" asked Celia. " We should split up."

suggested Joe who wanted to talk to Mandie alone. " Okay! Sallie, Jonathan and Camille can come with me. The rest of you can go that way. Meet back here in 30 minutes."

Mandie directed. " Fine with me." Jonathan said, smirking at Joe. Joe scowled at him. Sallie picked around carefully.

" If I remember correctly, the place with Tsali's message should be around here."

" Great!." Jonathan said, heaving rocks out. Camille and Mandie walked over to bushes. Suddenly Mandie spotted a stone with the letter inscribed on it.

" I found something!" Mandie yelled to the others. Sallie and Jonathan ran over. " It looks like part of Tsali's name." Mandie felt around the rock.

"Look! This rock has a small sliding door!" Mandie slid it open and inside was the envelope. She opened it but found that the message was in Cherokee. " Maybe we should go

back to the others and read it together." she suggested.

They walked back to the clearing and found that the Celia, Joe, Tsa'ni and Dimar were already waiting for them.

"We found the something!" Then they laughed and approached each other.

Mandie and Celia shouted at the same time.

"What happened?" Sallie asked eagerly.

"Okay, y'all tell your story first. Then we'll tell ours," Mandie suggested.

"Alright. We were walking around and then we saw a rock with words on it", Dimar explained. Tsa'ni showed everyone the other half of 'Tsali'. "We don't know if this is related to

the clue, but we can put it in the museum", Joe said.

"Wait! Let me try something", Mandie exclaimed, taking the slab of rock from Tsa'ni. She pushed a thin slab of stone away to reveal an envelope and an old map drawing.

"How did you do that?" Celia asked.

"I figured it would work with this stone since it worked with the other half too", Mandie replied.

"Great work Mandie", Joe complimented, squeezing her hand.

Mandie smiled at him. "Thanks Joe".

Camille explained how they had found a stone with 'Ts' marked on it and Joe, Celia, Tsa'ni and Dimar listened attentively.

After that, Tsa'ni and Camille looked over the Cherokee clue, Celia and Sallie examined the map and Jonathan, Joe and Mandie opened the other envelope.

"Oh good, this ones in English", Jonathan announced. "You read it, Mandie"

Mandie took it and began reading the clue out loud.

"Congratulations. This is your third clue: On the borders, deep inside a hill, use the map to guide you through."

Everyone fell silent, thinking. Tsa'ni spoke up.

"Mandie, do you remember those strangers who were digging up the mountain?" She nodded and motioned for him to go on.

"Well, the mountain was on Cherokee borders so maybe the clue is there." Tsa'ni suggested.

"I looked at the map and it does seem to be in the same spot," Sallie said, nodding. Camille pulled out the map. "This is a map of Deep Creek and X marks the spot where the

clue is. The X is on Cherokee borders." she figured.

Jonathan pumped his fist in the air. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" he exclaimed, running towards the wrong direction and nearly slipping in a puddle.

Dimar laughed. "Wrong way. The borders are this way", he explained, pointing the opposite direction. Jonathan grinned sheepishly.

"We should go tomorrow. It is getting dark," Sallie suggested.