Gasparilla's Treasure (Trip Mongomery Book 1)

by Scott Clements

  It did not matter. Trip could work his way backwards from Pappy’s conclusions. Each symbol represented a number or a direction. He didn’t really know what each symbol meant, but he got the basic idea. Trip spent the next four hours trying to figure out each symbol’s meaning, and then he saw something that changed everything. There was a single symbol in Pappy’s calculations that he could not find anywhere else. It was the fox symbol, and Pappy should have used the owl symbol.

  “They made a mistake,” he said softly. “They were looking in the wrong place.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Josh and Sarah sat in the lunchroom, an empty seat at their table. They were talking about Trip. Trip was supposed to have math with Josh second period, but he never showed up. Finally, nervous and tired, Trip arrived and flopped down at their table.

  “Where were you?” Josh asked. “You weren’t in class.”

  “What happened with your Mom?” asked Sarah. “Is she still mad at me? I sure hope she isn’t mad at me.” Her brow wrinkled anxiously.

  “You know,” said Josh casually, “when I didn’t see you this morning, I thought about calling the police. I was pretty sure that she killed you.”

  “No,” said Trip wearily. “Nothing like that. Look. I want you guys to see this.”

  Trip quickly laid out the map pieces on the table. Although tired, he was talking so fast that he sounded like an auctioneer.

  “OK, check this out,” Trip started. “I looked at the map, and I realized that these symbols matched the symbols on the old cast iron plate and when I compared them to the map they’re exactly the same. And because I didn’t have the book, I had to figure out how they used the symbols as map coordinates, and when I substituted the fox symbol with the owl symbol from the old man, there it was...” He had to stop to take a breath.

  Josh and Sarah looked at Trip like he had completely lost it.

  “Did you by any chance stay up all night trying to figure this out,” asked Sarah, “and then drink a ton of coffee to try and stay awake?”

  “Well, yeah,” said Trip, eyes wide. “How did you know? Did you know I’ve never had coffee before? It seems to really help you stay awake.”

  “Dude,” said Josh. “I don’t know what your mom did to you, but you have completely lost it.”

  “Slow down, Trip,” said Sarah. “You’re not making sense. What’s going on?”

  Trip took a deep breath and gathered himself before he spoke again. He grinned like a Cheshire cat.

  “All that matters is,” said Trip at a normal speed, “is that they were looking in the wrong place. That's why they couldn't find the treasure. They were looking in the wrong place!”

  “Are you serious?” said Josh, gripping the side of the table in disbelief.

  “Yes,” said Trip. “I compared the plate to the map, and figured out how Dad and Pappy read the symbols.”

  “But they were wrong?” asked Sarah.

  “That's right,” said Trip. “When I checked the map against the plate, it all matched. But there was one symbol out of place. There is an old faded symbol on the back of the plate, and when added to the original sequence, it changes the way you rotate the numbers by a small amount. They used the little fox symbol thing, but it’s supposed to be the little owl looking one.”

  Trip decided not to mention the man that appeared in smoke. He thought that would be too much.

  “Brother,” said Josh. “I thought you were losing me, but it turns out I was lost before you even started.”

  “Look at this symbol,” said Trip patiently, referring to the underside of the plate. The owl symbol was still there, but it no longer appeared new. It looked as worn and old as the rest of the symbols. “That is the owl symbol. But…” said Trip, “it should be right here.” He pointed at the fox symbol on the map.

  Sarah and Josh raised their eyebrows, shaking their heads.

  “Huh?” said Josh.

  “It doesn’t matter, guys,” said Trip. “The point is, I know where it is. I know where to find Gasparilla’s treasure.”

  Josh and Sarah exchanged a worried look. Earlier, they discussed how this treasure hunt was leading Trip in the wrong direction. He was forgetting his homework and sneaking out, and they realized they were partially to blame. And now he was talking complete nonsense.

  Moments later, Trip finished laying out some satellite images he had printed off the internet.

  “Where did you get those?” asked Josh. “I thought your mom took your computer.”

  “She did,” said Trip. “That's why I was late today. I went to the copy center up on the corner and used their internet.”

  Trip referred to the satellite images as he continued.

  “They were looking here, at the Fountain of Youth. But when I rearranged the grid lines according to the new shifting symbol...”

  “Cut to the chase,” said Josh. “I’m trying to decide whether to believe you, or have you put in the loony bin.”

  “OK, fine,” said Trip. “When you add in the new information, we need to go right here.”

  Trip pointed to an area very close to the original X on the map. It was just off the designated paths, but still within the Fountain of Youth Park.

  “Are you sure?” asked Sarah. “This sounds crazy!”

  “Yes, I'm sure!” said Trip, determined. “We're skipping school tomorrow, and we're going to find that treasure.”

  After school, Trip was in a hurry to get home. He did not want Mom to have any reason to suspect he was up to something. He was alone when Eli approached.

  “Look, Twit,” said Eli.

  “It's Trip,” said Trip.

  “Look, Twit,” Eli repeated. You're going to tell me why you've been running all over St. Augustine. I’ve been looking through that book of yours and I have some questions.”

  Sarah and Josh caught up, and Sarah raised her mace.

  “What's going on here?” Sarah asked, mace aimed right at Eli’s face.

  “How many times you gonna pull out that mace?” Eli asked.

  “Until I need to use it,” said Sarah. “After that, I probably won't have to pull it out again because you'll be blind.”

  “Listen, I know this book leads to some sort of treasure,” said Eli.

  Trip put on the worst acting job imaginable.

  “I don't know what you're talking about,” said Trip. “Do you guys know what he's talking about?”

  “No, I don't know anything about any treasure,” said Sarah, joining in, although she was not sure where Trip was going with this.

  “Sure you do, guys,” said Josh. “That's what we've been doing for the past couple of...”

  Josh stops mid sentence as he catches on. “Oh. I mean, no. I don't know anything.”

  “You're going to tell me where that treasure is, or I’m going to show your face where the ground is,” threatened Eli. “ Every day until you do tell me.”

  “If you don't find it by tomorrow,” said Trip, “it will be too late, because that's when we're going to get it.”

  “Trip!” Sarah squeaked, surprised.

  “Oh, did little Twit let something slip?” asked Eli mockingly. “Watch your back, Francis! That treasure is mine.”

  Eli walked away, knocking all of Josh’s books out of his hands with a resounding whack.

  “Why did you do that, Trip?” asked Sarah. “Now he's going to try to stop us.”

  “I'm counting on it,” said Trip calmly.

  “You really are losing it, Trip,” said Josh as he gathered his books. “What are you talking about?”

  “Well,” Trip said smugly. “I'm sure we'll need that book tomorrow. And...”

  He left the words hanging there for them to complete.

  “Eli has the book,” said Sarah, getting it.

  Trip and Sarah start walking away. Josh picked up his last book and chased after them.

  “Yeah, Eli has the book,” Josh said. “I was going to say that, you know.”

 
That night, Trip was in bed looking at an old picture. Pappy and Dad were smiling on either side of Trip, and they were all much younger. It was one of the only pictures he had of his dad. His Pappy and his dad both hunted for this treasure, but he was going to be the one to find it.

  There was a knock at the door. “Trip!” Mom called, and Trip told her to come in.

  “Pappy's OK,” said Mom through her tears. “He just came out of his coma.”

  “Really! Are you serious? Can we go see him?”

  “He's resting,” said Mom. “But we'll go see him after school tomorrow.”

  Mom gave Trip a huge hug, not wanting to let him go. Trip could not believe how full his heart was. First he figured out where the treasure was, and now Pappy was going to be OK. Trip could hardly wait to tell him all the things he had learned about the treasure. And if things went well tomorrow, he could tell Pappy he found it.

  “Everything's getting better, Mom,” said Trip. “This is just the beginning. You'll see.”

  Mom hugged him a little harder.

  CHAPTER 25

  Trip met Josh and Sarah on the way to school. They each had backpacks full of gear they thought they might need for a proper treasure hunt.

  “OK, so is everyone well rested and ready for this?” Trip asked.

  “I guess so,” said Josh. “Are you sure my mom isn’t going to find out? Because, if my mom finds out I skipped school today, I'm a dead man. And worse, she isn’t going to let me compete in the regional gaming competition.”

  “Stop worrying Josh,” said Sarah. “You’re with your two best friends here. Now get your camera out. I want a picture of this momentous occasion.”

  Josh took out his camera and snapped a picture of the three of them. Sarah and Trip peered over Josh’s shoulder at the screen.

  “Look at that,” said Sarah. “We make a pretty good team, don't we?”

  Trip looked at Sarah and Josh, and he thought about how much they had done for him over the past week. There were fights with Eli, clues they figured out, map pieces retrieved, and adventures sneaking around. And now here they were by his side, skipping school because they believed his crazy story about the symbols and the map. These were truly two of the best friends anyone could hope for.

  “Hey,” said Josh. “Did you guys see the fourth member of our team today?”

  “You mean Eli?” said Trip. “I saw him hiding in the bushes earlier.”

  “Well, this is it,” said Sarah. “Are you guys ready?”

  Trip looked again at Josh and Sarah. He was more ready than he could have imagined.

  “Let’s do this thing!” said Trip, and they walked down the road to finish the greatest adventure they may ever have.

  Eli lurked along in the shadows, following their every move.

  A large archway marked the entrance into the Fountain of Youth Park. It was the gateway to their adventure’s conclusion. As they made their way through the archway and down the main path, the huge trees created an amazing canopy of branches. The dappled light made the whole place feel magical.

  They stopped at a large statue of Ponce de Leon. It was here in this park, in April of 1513, that Ponce de Leon first came ashore in the New World and laid claim to the area for Spain, naming the place “La Florida” in honor of the Feast of Flowers.

  And over three thousand years before that, the Native Timucua tribe prospered on this land. Trip thought about the Native American that had visited him in his dreams, and wondered if perhaps he was a Timucua. He swore he saw a fox stop and stare at him before scurrying off into the woods. He looked at Josh and Sarah, but they did not seem to notice anything.

  As they approached the location of the original Fountain of Youth, the excitement mounted. Pappy had come here in hopes of finding the treasure, just as Trip did today. And long before that, Ponce de Leon was here drinking from the Fountain of Youth, believing in the legend that anyone who sipped its waters remained young forever.

  Trip paused a moment and thought about what it must have been like for explorers coming to the new land. It must have been a truly mysterious experience. Looking at the foliage around him, Trip thought it was no wonder they thought the place had mystic powers.

  They arrived at the original fountain and looked around. A small hole trickled water into something resembling a well, and statues depicted scenes of the Native Timucua interacting with the Spanish Conquistadores.

  “This is it?” said Josh, disappointed. “This is the famous Fountain of Youth?”

  “I guess so,” said Sarah. “And this is where your dad and Pappy’s trail ended.”

  “Yep,” said Trip. “They thought the treasure was right around here somewhere. I wonder how long they spent looking?”

  Trip opened his backpack and dug around inside.

  “I know I packed those satellite maps in here somewhere. No worries, I know where we're going.” Trip referred to a tourist map of the park. “OK, we're right here at the fountain. And we're trying to get here.”

  “Which means we should go that way,” said Sarah as she pointed.

  Josh didn’t waist any time. He headed in the direction Sarah pointed.

  “Time’s a wasting,” said Josh. “Come on, get the lead out, guys.”

  “That guy is like a roller coaster,” said Sarah, and they chased after Josh.

  Eli stepped out from behind one of the statues and followed.

  Back at Trip’s house, Mom was on the phone and stomped into Trip’s room in a frenzy. She was talking with the school principal and could not believe what she was hearing. Trip was not in school.

  “Yes, I’m sure he’s not here at the house,” said Mom. “I saw him leave for school this morning. I have no idea where he could have gone.”

  Mom started digging through his room. “Well, if you see him, will you please let me know? Thank you.”

  She hung up the phone and noticed some papers sticking out from between his mattress. She snatched up the papers and realized they were satellite images of what looked like the Fountain of Youth State Park. There was a red X in the middle of the park.

  She grabbed the maps and blazed out of the house in a fury.

  Trip, Josh, and Sarah were now on a small path with thick trees and bushes on both sides. They would need to go right through one of the thickest bunches of bushes.

  “Are you kidding me?” said Josh. “You expect me to go through there? That could scratch me all up, and then I would have to explain to my mom where…”

  Sarah barreled through the bushes without a word, followed by Trip.

  “Oh, OK,” said Josh. “I see how it’s going to be.”

  Josh reluctantly followed. When they came out on the other side, they found themselves in a clearing. It was breathtaking. There were natural rock formations, and lush plants everywhere. The Florida aquifer bubbled up through the ground and created a small spring.

  “All right,” said Trip. “This is it.”

  “OK, what now?” asked Sarah.

  “We need the book,” said Trip. “We can't do anything else without the book.”

  “Are you sure this is gonna work?” asked Josh.

  “There's only one way to find out,” said Trip, and he yelled out into the woods. “Eli! We know you’re out there. Come on out.”

  They waited for a few seconds, and nothing.

  “Come on, Eli,” continued Trip. “There’s no need to hide. We know you’re there. If you want us to find this treasure, we need that book. We can't do anything without it.”

  They waited a few more seconds. Trip was about to try again when Eli stepped out of the woods. He had the book in his hand, and he kept his distance.

  “You're not getting this book back,” said Eli.

  “Without it,” said Trip, “we all might as well go home.”

  “And guess what?” said Sarah. “We are not going home.”

  “Well it looks like we have a problem then, don't we?” said Eli.

  At that mom
ent, Trip hurled the cast iron plate at Eli's hand. It hit the mark, and knocked the book to the ground. Wasting no time, Eli rushed Trip. Sarah finally delivered the pepper spray she had promised right in his face. Eli went down in agony. Josh rushed over with some rope and tied Eli's hands.

  “I didn't know treasure hunting was going to be such a yo-yo,” said Josh. “It's boring, it's fun, it's boring, it's fun.”

  Josh made sure the rope was a little extra snug around Eli's wrists.

  “And right now,” continued Josh, “treasure hunting is really fun!”

  “And now,” said Josh, “treasure hunting is boring again.”

  Only a few minutes had passed, and Trip had spread out the four map pieces on the ground. He compared the symbols on the plate to those on the map. Josh sat on the large rocks playing on his portable game while guarding Eli. Sarah studied a page in the book that had some information about the symbols.

  “According to this picture,” said Sarah, “there's a knob or combination that we need. And it looks like it will open a gateway or passageway of some sort.”

  “What?” said Trip. “We're in the middle of the woods! There’s no passage or gate here. We would see it.”

  “I’m not sure,” said Sarah, studying the book again. “I could be wrong, but there are some references here to the Native Americans. Maybe they helped Gasparilla hide the treasure. I’m pretty sure the next step is to find a way to unlock the passage, and then we can figure out where the treasure is.”

  “Well, we're in the right place,” said Trip. “I've looked over these symbols again, and it all adds up.” Trip and Sarah looked around for anything unusual or out of place.