SnakeEater
Full Member
Originally, I was selfishly saving this treasure lead for me alone but since I recently found an even bigger treasure, I felt it was only fair to hand this one off to someone less fortunate than myself so here you go and you’re very welcome.
This true story takes place deep in the heart of the desert within view of both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. To narrow it down just a bit, a riverbank, a spring, and a cave were also in the immediate vicinity.
Sometime in the early 1800’s, 16 wagon loads of gold dust, nuggets, jewelry, coins, bars, – along with rare gems, Spanish armor, silver ore, coins, bars - Aztec artifacts, hand-drawn treasure maps, coins, bars - and just about every other old or ancient valuables you can dream of, was headed west (or east depending on the other version) when it suddenly and unexpectedly came under siege. It was a perfect-storm scenario. Although six-thousand trained men were guarding this incredible treasure, it proved to be no match for the events that would follow. I won’t even mention the additional 60 burros that were loaded down with coins and bars as well. Oops.
Anyway…
Indians, at first chasing a herd of buffalo which was at a full stampede run toward the train, instead turned on the wagon train and attacked the guards with every arrow and spear they could conveniently carry. Mexican bandits, waiting in the bluffs just ahead of the train, used the noise and distraction of the buffalo and Indians to begin sniping off the guardians of this vast treasure. However, many of the guards simply died suddenly from various, unrelated causes… some thrown from their horses, others with massive heart attacks, and a few even shot each other for cheating while at makeshift gambling tables.
And so…
While all of this came into full glory, a rare cloudburst uphill from the same location sent a wall of water 300’ across and 15’ deep speeding toward our parties. A Chinaman, named Nigga Jim, who was brought along to wash the clothes of the guards, ran bow-legged toward the only hill that was not washed away by the flash flood and ended up the only surviving eyewitness to the account. Since he always refused to learn English and never knew Chinese either, this story comes through a lot of pre-sign language motions, grunts, and head shaking but is nonetheless reliable.
In the few seconds that the men with the wagon train had before the buffalo began destroying the wagons and trampling the men, they buried the great treasure and made hasty markers. It was secreted under a chalk-like bluff and in the center of two (or three depending on the other version) great oak trees. A rifle, olla, and candle stick were stuck in the ground, trees, and cliff to mark the site. The olla was accidentally inverted, spilling the gallon or so of water that it contained, so, for those daring enough to seek this treasure, be on the lookout for a wet spot… the olla not the flood by the way.
Some years later, Nigga Jim told a black miner, named Sun Lee, about the great treasure and the two prepared to search for it. They hired an Indian guide that was only a boy when his tribe attacked the wagon train – Oh yea, I almost forgot, there were actually two survivors… sorry.
Yea…
When they reached the last water source some miles from the location, they filled their kegs with water. It is details like this that lend themselves to the truth of this overall account. Is this finally making sense? Good!
After two days journey from this point, the Indian guide refused to go on unless the two men that hired him agreed to exchange names… it was just too confusing for the Indian. The two men agreed but on one condition – that the Indian, who spoke flawless English, would talk with an accent fit for a Redman. This would be the first of many identical demands on the Indian guide’s ancestors only at the hands of Hollywood moguls. Once this was agreed upon, they set out to find the site with only the Chinaman’s fearful and sketchy memory, not to mention the arm he lost in an ore crusher hampering his communication. Either way, they found the site with ease as most of the treasure was being played with by the Indian guide’s people. After all, they did not know the value of the shiny metals and items… did they now?
Jim and Lee were shocked that their guide didn’t tell them that he knew about this playing with of the treasure by his people. Evidentally, it had been going on for many 'moons,' as the Indian told them. To make amends for his oversight, the Indian had his people bring the horses and mules they stole from the California missions to the two men as a gesture of good will. The two men demanded yet one more thing before forgiving the Indian… that they get their original names back.
Once agreed upon, the Indians set about making pack saddles from the wagons that were burnt (or water logged according to the cannonized version) and helped to load up all the treasure for the two men. But the two men, fearing reports of landlubber pirates ahead (you know - the ship in the desert), made the Indians hide their eyes as they secretly buried the treasure where it was supposed to be in the first place. When the last shovelful of dirt was placed to cover the treasure, an unnoticed rattlesnake wrapped around the handle of Nigga Jim’s shovel, woke up and bit the hell out of Sun Lee, only striking distance away. Sun Lee swung at the snake as it was smiling a devious and suggestive grin toward him, missed, and hit Nigga Jim in the skull, killing him instantly. The snake, landing its venomous poison in the chest of Sun Lee, penetrated his heart and killed him in short order (the other version has Lee bit by a rabid sqaw and her husband-brave taking a shovel to Jim in a horrible misunderstanding). This is where the saying. “Red to black, venom lack, red to yellow, kill a fellow” came from although it didn’t make sense until the Coral and Scarlett King snakes were compared many years later.
And finally…
The Indians, interpreting this as a sign from the Great Spirit, fled and never returned to the site. Many have searched for this great treasure, none have found it. I can't say if it is still there. I presume it is still there. Okay, honesty time - I know it’s still there because I have found it, I just couldn’t dig it because of ______.
I’ll let you fill in that blank
Good luck.
Oh, and this is not really copy written - that part, and only that part, was a joke.
Glenn
This true story takes place deep in the heart of the desert within view of both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. To narrow it down just a bit, a riverbank, a spring, and a cave were also in the immediate vicinity.
Sometime in the early 1800’s, 16 wagon loads of gold dust, nuggets, jewelry, coins, bars, – along with rare gems, Spanish armor, silver ore, coins, bars - Aztec artifacts, hand-drawn treasure maps, coins, bars - and just about every other old or ancient valuables you can dream of, was headed west (or east depending on the other version) when it suddenly and unexpectedly came under siege. It was a perfect-storm scenario. Although six-thousand trained men were guarding this incredible treasure, it proved to be no match for the events that would follow. I won’t even mention the additional 60 burros that were loaded down with coins and bars as well. Oops.
Anyway…
Indians, at first chasing a herd of buffalo which was at a full stampede run toward the train, instead turned on the wagon train and attacked the guards with every arrow and spear they could conveniently carry. Mexican bandits, waiting in the bluffs just ahead of the train, used the noise and distraction of the buffalo and Indians to begin sniping off the guardians of this vast treasure. However, many of the guards simply died suddenly from various, unrelated causes… some thrown from their horses, others with massive heart attacks, and a few even shot each other for cheating while at makeshift gambling tables.
And so…
While all of this came into full glory, a rare cloudburst uphill from the same location sent a wall of water 300’ across and 15’ deep speeding toward our parties. A Chinaman, named Nigga Jim, who was brought along to wash the clothes of the guards, ran bow-legged toward the only hill that was not washed away by the flash flood and ended up the only surviving eyewitness to the account. Since he always refused to learn English and never knew Chinese either, this story comes through a lot of pre-sign language motions, grunts, and head shaking but is nonetheless reliable.
In the few seconds that the men with the wagon train had before the buffalo began destroying the wagons and trampling the men, they buried the great treasure and made hasty markers. It was secreted under a chalk-like bluff and in the center of two (or three depending on the other version) great oak trees. A rifle, olla, and candle stick were stuck in the ground, trees, and cliff to mark the site. The olla was accidentally inverted, spilling the gallon or so of water that it contained, so, for those daring enough to seek this treasure, be on the lookout for a wet spot… the olla not the flood by the way.
Some years later, Nigga Jim told a black miner, named Sun Lee, about the great treasure and the two prepared to search for it. They hired an Indian guide that was only a boy when his tribe attacked the wagon train – Oh yea, I almost forgot, there were actually two survivors… sorry.
Yea…
When they reached the last water source some miles from the location, they filled their kegs with water. It is details like this that lend themselves to the truth of this overall account. Is this finally making sense? Good!
After two days journey from this point, the Indian guide refused to go on unless the two men that hired him agreed to exchange names… it was just too confusing for the Indian. The two men agreed but on one condition – that the Indian, who spoke flawless English, would talk with an accent fit for a Redman. This would be the first of many identical demands on the Indian guide’s ancestors only at the hands of Hollywood moguls. Once this was agreed upon, they set out to find the site with only the Chinaman’s fearful and sketchy memory, not to mention the arm he lost in an ore crusher hampering his communication. Either way, they found the site with ease as most of the treasure was being played with by the Indian guide’s people. After all, they did not know the value of the shiny metals and items… did they now?
Jim and Lee were shocked that their guide didn’t tell them that he knew about this playing with of the treasure by his people. Evidentally, it had been going on for many 'moons,' as the Indian told them. To make amends for his oversight, the Indian had his people bring the horses and mules they stole from the California missions to the two men as a gesture of good will. The two men demanded yet one more thing before forgiving the Indian… that they get their original names back.
Once agreed upon, the Indians set about making pack saddles from the wagons that were burnt (or water logged according to the cannonized version) and helped to load up all the treasure for the two men. But the two men, fearing reports of landlubber pirates ahead (you know - the ship in the desert), made the Indians hide their eyes as they secretly buried the treasure where it was supposed to be in the first place. When the last shovelful of dirt was placed to cover the treasure, an unnoticed rattlesnake wrapped around the handle of Nigga Jim’s shovel, woke up and bit the hell out of Sun Lee, only striking distance away. Sun Lee swung at the snake as it was smiling a devious and suggestive grin toward him, missed, and hit Nigga Jim in the skull, killing him instantly. The snake, landing its venomous poison in the chest of Sun Lee, penetrated his heart and killed him in short order (the other version has Lee bit by a rabid sqaw and her husband-brave taking a shovel to Jim in a horrible misunderstanding). This is where the saying. “Red to black, venom lack, red to yellow, kill a fellow” came from although it didn’t make sense until the Coral and Scarlett King snakes were compared many years later.
And finally…
The Indians, interpreting this as a sign from the Great Spirit, fled and never returned to the site. Many have searched for this great treasure, none have found it. I can't say if it is still there. I presume it is still there. Okay, honesty time - I know it’s still there because I have found it, I just couldn’t dig it because of ______.
I’ll let you fill in that blank
Good luck.
Oh, and this is not really copy written - that part, and only that part, was a joke.
Glenn
![:-\](https://www.treasurenet.com/smilies/undecided.gif "Undecided :-\")
too much & too heavy to carry.
