Treasure on the Bayou

Ghosts and Treasure

Unsurprisingly, Patricia, who is a sophomore, had to introduce herself in each of her classes at school. In her geometry class, a few boys in the back asked where she lived, causing a lot of snickering. When she told them that she lived in the old Higgins ranch on the bayou, the snickering stopped.

"You live in that run-down shack with the pond? I hear it is haunted and that the old man guards a buried treasure from the pirate Jean Lafitte," a boy with purposefully unkempt blonde hair and holes in his blue jeans drawled to fits of laughter from his buddies.

"Well we haven't found the treasure, but we did find alligators in the pond. Want to go swimming?" Patricia was not going to let these jokers get the best of her.

After school, dad met his two children near the front of the school. They got in the car and as usual, dad asks, "How was your first day?"

"Everyone wants to know about our haunted house and the treasure. Dad, you neglected to tell us those two things in your history lesson yesterday." Atticus complained.

"Yeah Dad. I had the same thing happen to me." Patricia chimed in. "It seems that Jean Lafitte, the pirate, buried some treasure on our property. Do you know anything about that?"

"Nope, never knew anything like that. Don't know if there is or not." Changing the subject, Larry Higgins added, "I have parent open house tonight at the school. Want to come?" Both teens shook their heads and the rest of the drive home was in silence. Well as silent as the old minivan could be on the rough country roads.

Silently, Atticus whispered to Patricia, "Why didn't you tell dad about your dream?"

Patricia replied so quietly Atticus had to get close to hear, "I think he has enough to worry about without adding fuel to the haunted mansion rumors. I'll tell him later."

"So where do you think the treasure is?"

"Really? You believe those rumors?" Patricia gave Atticus her exasperated look.

"All rumors are usually based on facts. I say we should find it before anyone else does. I can't wait to go exploring." Atticus rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

They said hi to their mother and ran to change out of their school clothes. "Bye mom, we are going to explore a little before dinner, and yes, we are staying away from the pond and the Hall of Justice." Patricia chimed as they rushed out the door, the wooden screen door slamming behind them.

They wandered aimlessly for a while as they chatted about pirates and all of the many water-way entrances that pirates could have used to access the property from the bayou. On their return to the house, they came across a large bunch of prickly pear cacti surrounding a light pole. "Could that be it?" Atticus asked. "I'm not going near that!"

They walked the rickety fence line for a while and periodically, they would see mounds of dirt and large holes, some dry, some full of water. "Why are there all these holes. Look, this one look pretty recent with foot prints and shovel marks. Who would be digging here and why?" Patricia thought out loud.

"Hey did you see that? There are two guys over there watching us!" As soon as Patricia turned to them they took off. "Hey get back here! What are you doing on our land?" Atticus shouted.

"The more I think about it, it is not safe to be out here alone. Let's go tell mom." Patricia looked worried enough that for once, Atticus didn't argue with her.

So they headed back to the house. On their way, they saw the alligator sunning on the bank of the pond. It was huge. "How do you catch an alligator?" Atticus wondered.