Templars Quest Trilogy: The Lost Ark (Books 1-3 The Templars Quest Chronicles)

by Thomas H. Ward

  “Are you talking about the Spanish?”

  “No, this is long before the Spanish. The men helped us and gave us horses and seeds to grow beans.”

  “Did they bring anything with them?”

  “The story goes, they went into the canyon on Bright Angel Trail with supplies and came out many months later. Many of them did not come out. They were buried in the canyon caves, proving they were not Gods. That is the story.”

  “Do you know where these caves are?”

  “Yes, they are in the temples. That is all can tell you. We never go to the caves because it is not good to bother the dead spirits.”

  Pulling out a picture of the Egyptian hieroglyphs, I showed it to him. “I have one more question. Have any of you ever seen these symbols carved in a canyon wall or cave entrance?”

  Eddie said, “Before I answer, what do you have for us? It is not polite to obtain information without giving something in return.” Eddie looked at the dogs. “How about, one of those dogs?”

  “No, we can’t do that because they’re my family.”

  “Then how about one of your guns.”

  I thought about it for a minute. “These are the only guns we have. How about, I give you a thousand green backs.”

  Eddie hesitated for a minute. “Ok, I agree.”

  Maggie pulled the money out of her pocket. It was all in hundred dollar bills. She handed it to me and I passed it to Eddie Moon. He smiled, took the money, and passed it to an old man sitting behind him.

  “We have seen the strange writing in many places in the canyon. If you look for it, you can find it.”

  “Thank you for the information, Eddie Moon.”

  “You are welcome, Jack Gunn. By the way, three days ago some other men came here asking about caves and treasure. I told them the same thing.”

  “Ok, thanks again.”

  “Hey, if you need a guide around the canyon, let me know. They hired my friend, Stephen.”

  “Eddie, those are dangerous men, so I fear your friend may be in danger if they find any treasure.”

  “Thank you for that information. But I think Stephen can take care of himself.”

  “How much is your guide service?” I asked.

  Eddie said, “For me, it’s a thousand per day.”

  “Ok, you’re hired. Can you leave now?” I had a good feeling about Eddie Moon. I thought he could be a big help to us finding our way around the canyon, because we didn’t know crap about the canyon trails.

  “Yes, I am ready to go. Just let me get my gear and gun.”

  “Good, let’s go.”

  Eddie collected some gear, he put in a small bag, and followed us to the truck. I glanced at his gun and it was an old 22 caliber Winchester rifle.

  We beat it out of the reservation. I wanted to get back before it got dark. While riding along, Maggie asked, “Eddie, how well do you know the canyon?”

  “I know it like the back of my hand.”

  I asked, “How well do you know Isis Temple?”

  “I know a secret trail that goes up Isis Temple. Without me you would never find it. But I will not go into the caves with you.”

  “You said caves. Do you mean there is more than one?”

  “Yes, many are in Isis Temple. I will not go inside them.”

  “That’s ok, I understand. I am glad I hired you.”

  The dogs were in the back seat with Eddie and they seemed to like him. Observing Eddie in the mirror, he was petting them. He asked, “What are the names of your dogs?”

  While pointing at them, Maggie replied, “The big one is Adolf and the other is Freda.”

  If the dogs liked Eddie, that made me more certain he was an alright guy. He seemed to be a straight shooter, so to speak. Someone I could trust.

  We arrived back at the canyon just before twilight. I introduce Eddie to Baldwin and Pete. Eddie noticed that we had ATVs. He commented, “These will make the hike out a lot easier.”

  “I’ve hiked the canyon before so I know how hard it is,” I said.

  As the sunset and the canyon grew dark, the colors given off were spectacular. Maggie, Eddie, and I watched the show as we sat on the edge of the cliff in front of the cabins.

  Eddie said, “The Hopi and us call the Grand Canyon, ONGTUPQA.”

  “What does it mean?”

  “The Canyon of Life. We believe human life started in the canyon.”

  I commented, “I’ve always loved the Grand Canyon. It’s so amazing. You’re lucky to live here.”

  “You may think so, but I do not. I want to get a real job and see the world,” Eddie said. “I’ve been trapped here my whole life.”

  “Eddie, believe me, you are lucky. It’s a mean world, full of people who would do you harm. Remember, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence. Here you have security and your tribe to help each other. Your life is not complicated, so you can enjoy God’s wonders.”

  Maggie said, “He’s right, Eddie.”

  “I like you guys,” Eddie said. “I think I can trust you because you seem like honest people.”

  I told him. “I like you, Eddie.”

  “I like you too,” Maggie said.

  “My problem is I can’t find a wife here. There are no women available to marry, who are worthwhile. It is very frustrating. My mother and father died years ago, when I was fifteen. I want my own family.”

  “Well, you need to find a wife at another tribe,” I said.

  It was as if he heard our conversation. Out of nowhere, Black Horse appeared from the darkness. “Jack, who is this new man?” he asked.

  “Black Horse, I’d like you to meet Eddie Moon. He’s from the Havasupai Tribe, located here at the canyon.” They shook hands, while checking each other out. “Black Horse is the Medicine Man for the Comanche Nation, in Oklahoma.”

  Eddie said, “It is nice to meet Black Horse. I have heard many stories about the Comanche Tribe. Your tribe was once the most feared by whites as well as the Indians.”

  “Yes, in the old days we Comanche’ were a very powerful tribe, until the white man came.”

  “I would like to visit the Comanche Nation in Oklahoma. I have never been outside of Arizona. Do you have many young women who are free to marry?”

  Black Horse laughed. Yes, we have many women because our tribe is very large. You are welcome to come and visit anytime.”

  It was getting late, and I was tired from driving eight hours. I needed a drink to relax. I said, “Eddie, you can sleep in cabin number fourteen, because it’s empty.”

  “If you like, you can sleep in my cabin with me and my son. His name is Billy,” Black Horse said.

  “Thank you very much, but I will sleep outside under the stars.” Eddie opened his bag, pulled out a blanket, and laid it on a big flat rock. “That is my bed tonight.”

  Maggie said, “Jack, before we go to bed let’s have snack because we didn’t eat all day.”

  “Yeah, good idea, cause I’m hungry. Do we have any Spam left?” I asked.

  “Yep, I’ll bring out a few cans with some crackers. You like Spam Eddie?”

  “I like it better than steak, but we don’t eat much Spam.”

  After sharing a meal with the two Indians, we retired for the night. Tomorrow would be another busy day.

  HOLY LIGHT

  MAY 31, 2026

  The birds woke me up. It was 5 am and they were chirping away. I peeked out the window and spotted Eddie sitting on the edge of the canyon. After I made two cups of mud, I went outside and gave him one.

  Eddie said, “Thanks, Jack.”

  I sat down next to him and lit up a smoke. I held the pack out in front of him. “Here, you want one?”

  “No thanks. I don’t smoke. When are we going into the canyon?”

  “You told me that your friend Stephen left with those men a few days ago.”

  “Yep, that’s right.”

  “Well, we’re waiting for them to come up before we go down.
But don’t worry, you’re getting paid for every day that you’re with us, even while sitting here on the rim.”

  “Wow, that’s great.”

  “I told you yesterday that the men Stephen went with are really bad guys. They are very dangerous and are trying to steal the treasure of God.”

  “You keep talking about this treasure. What is it exactly?”

  “It’s the most important treasure the world has ever known. Whoever finds it could control the destiny of the United States and maybe the world. If it gets into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous. Do you know what the Ark of the Covenant is?”

  “Wasn’t that the golden box that the Israelites carried around. It had the Ten Commands in it. That’s about all I know.”

  “Well you’re right, but it was also a powerful weapon which was controlled by God. God would talk to the people using the Ark. It’s one of the most holy items that Israelites and Christians believe in.”

  “How does that affect the destiny of the United States?” Eddie asked.

  “No one knows for sure what could happen if it got into the wrong hands and someone opened it. We just wanna make sure no one does that. We just want to make sure the Ark is safe.”

  “I understand your concern. But what makes you think it is in the canyon.”

  “We believe that the Knights Templar brought it here with other treasure items in 1350. We have a holy relic called the Sword of Jerusalem which has a map that pointed the way here. This sword was made seven-hundred years ago. It’s a holy item blessed by God. It has strange wondrous powers if you believe in our Lord.”

  “I know nothing of your God. Most Havasupai do not believe in such a thing.”

  “Here’s a question. Have you ever seen a Hooked X?” I drew a picture in the dirt.

  Eddie looked at it and replied, “I think so, but I don’t recall where. What does it mean?”

  “It was used by the Knights Templar. It is the symbol they used to mark that they had been at a location. When you see this mark that implies that the Knights were involved.”

  “Ok, let me think about.”

  Maggie came out of the cabin and yelled, “Hey, you guys wanna eat. I made some surprise MREs.”

  “Let’s get some chow, Eddie,” I said.

  We walked into the small cabin and I introduce Eddie to Adam. They shook hands and Adam said, “After breakfast I have some more information for you, Grandpa.”

  “That’s great, Adam. I hired Eddie to be our guide in the canyon. We’ll let him listen to what you have to say.”

  I grabbed an MRE and gave it to Eddie. He asked, “What is this?”

  “Breakfast, you dummy. It’s good, just open the bag and eat it.”

  Eddie sat down on the floor, Indian style, and opened the Beef with Noodles MRE. After a couple of spoonfuls, Eddie confirmed he like it.

  I said, “This is what we normally eat. Spam is a treat.”

  Eddie replied, “This is a treat for me.”

  After eating, Adam pulled out the computer pad, which was linked to the SAT phone. “Grandpa, here’s an interesting story. It’s about two backpackers who came into the canyon hiking. They were going to Isis Temple and on the way found a small pyramid made of stones. They wondered who made it and how old it was. It was strange that no one had mentioned this since it appeared to be very old.”

  Eddie said, “That is true. I have seen this little stone pyramid.”

  Adam continued, “Once arriving at the foot of Isis, they climbed to an estimated elevation of about 800 feet above the river. From this point they were able to see several caves above them. The openings in the caves appeared to be sealed shut and they were curious about it. They wondered why they were sealed shut.”

  Eddie said, “All the caves have been sealed by someone.”

  “Interesting,” Adam said. “Since they were expert rock climbers they proceeded further up Isis to the view one of the caves. Reaching the entrance, it was also blocked. The cave entrance appeared to be man-made. On the entrance walls they observed strange writing. It appeared someone had tried to chisel out the writing making it unreadable. Most people didn’t believe their story, but as one person said, why would anyone make it up.”

  “That is very interesting,” I said. “It confirms there are caves in Isis. What else you got, Adam.

  “I told you there are caves in Isis,” Eddie commented.

  Adam continued, “There isn’t much about a hidden treasure in Isis Temple. There’s an article that states how strange it is that Egyptians names were given to many of the carved out mountains in the canyon. It’s also strange that all are located in the so-called forbidden zone. This is the area that hikers are not permitted. Also, all the caves are off limits. No one is allowed inside the caves.”

  Eddie commented, “Our tribe can go anywhere we like.”

  “Interesting. Go ahead, Adam,” I said.

  “One article stated that it’s weird there are no maps showing trails in the area of Isis Temple or any of the so-called temples,” Adam said.

  Eddie spoke up. “There are trails going to Isis. I don’t know why they aren’t on a map.”

  “The government doesn’t want anyone going there, that’s why,” I said. “Look, we don’t know if the treasure is at Isis Temple or not. It could be somewhere else, but it certainly isn’t in the cave that G.E. Kincaid found. That cave has already been looted by the Smithsonian Institute.”

  Adam advised, “Speaking of that, a couple of articles stated that the location of the cave given by Kincaid was a lie. He provided a false location so people wouldn’t go to the real location, which is Isis Temple, according to the article.”

  “What about the other Temples? Did you read anything about them?”

  “Yes, there is a YouTube video that shows the Temples and Towers with Egyptian names. The peaks clearly match the star pattern of the Orion Constellation. They match the position of the Orion stars perfectly, which suggests the canyon pyramids were not entirely formed by natural erosion from the river. They were helped by man or aliens. You have to watch this video; it’s all mapped out to see.”

  I said, “That is very weird because the belt of Orion is what the pyramids in Egypt match. The Orion Constellation is a key. If the formations in the canyon match exactly the star pattern of Orion, then it can be assumed that it has something to do with aliens, or where the so-called Gods came from. This proves a connection to the Egyptians. That’s incredible.”

  “I have two more stories from an article in Treasure Magazine. Some men claim they found Montezuma’s treasure in the Grand Canyon, so they think.”

  “Montezuma was the King of the Aztec’s in Mexico, which was invaded in the 1500’s by Hernando Cortez, who was from Spain,” I commented.

  “Yeah, that’s right. Anyway, these stores are believable. The article states that in 1867 a man named James White drifted ashore on a make-shift raft close to a small farming town, south of the canyon. It is believed that he passed through the Grand Canyon on this flimsy raft. He was in pretty bad shape and the town people nursed him back to health.

  “The story goes that he was prospecting north of the canyon and was attacked by Indians, losing all his gear. Making it through the rapids, he was washed ashore in the canyon and wanted to escape the heat. He spotted a cave and crawled inside to rest. A day later, he was found in the cave by some Indians holding torches inside the dark cavern. Looking around the large cavern he saw piles of golden idols, masks, and weapons of all types. The hilts were embedded with gems and made of gold. White had never seen such weapons or jewelry. For some reason, the Indians did not kill him, but gave him some food and sent him on his way down the river. White tried to find the cave again over the years but never did.”

  I said, “If that story is true, the cave was near the river. He was in bad shape, so he couldn’t hike up the cliffs to a cave. But back then, the level of the river was a lot higher than it is now, maybe by a hundred feet. What’s the n
ext story?”

  “In this story, a man claims he found an Aztec treasure in the canyon. In 1902, a guy named Jake Johnson, who was also a prospector, broke his leg while mining near St. George, Utah. He was near death when he was found by a Paiute Indian and his squaw. They nursed him back to health and he gave them his camping gear for helping him.

  “One day while the brave was out hunting, a mountain lion attacked the woman. Johnson happened to be there and killed the cat before the woman was severely injured or killed. Johnson and the Indian became good friends. While Johnson was still recovering, the Indian told many stories about his people. One story was about a great treasure hidden long ago.

  “The legend states that an expedition, made up of many warriors, came from the south escorting a long line of men carrying wooden boxes full of treasure. They went into the canyon, descending down the main south rim trail. The treasure was hidden in a cave somewhere. Half of the men came back out of the canyon with just their weapons. The other half of the men remained there guarding the treasure. After many years, the remaining guards married into the local Indian tribes, and started a new life.”

  “I have heard this story. It is true because some of our people are lighter skinned than others,” Eddie said.

  Adam glanced at Eddie. “That’s interesting. We should a DNA check of those people.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea, Adam,” I said. “Continue the story.”

  “Anyway, Johnson didn’t believe the treasure story and begged the Indian to see the treasure to prove it really existed. Finally, the Indian agreed to take Johnson to the treasure for saving his wife’s life. The Paiute took him on a five day trip by horse. On the fifth day, at sunrise, he blindfolded Johnson and took him down a steep grade. After several hours, they stopped.

  “The blindfold was removed after they entered a large cave and he saw a golden treasure from the light of the touches. The Indian told him he could take whatever amount he could carry on his body. Johnson stated that it was clear they were in the Grand Canyon. He had managed to obtain a peek outside the cave, spotting high cliffs and a river. He filled his pockets with gold before he was blindfolded again when they left the cave. After climbing up a steep trail, the blindfold was removed many hours later, when it was dark.