The Legend of the Lightkeeper's Gold
A Summer Camp Mystery Kids Adventure
Ginny Lassiter
Copyright 2014 Ginny Lassiter
Cover Design by Judy Bullard at
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Prologue
Salter Island - 1941
As Keeper of the Salter Island Lighthouse, Elijah Patterwhite was used to picking up the remains of ships that had lost their way in a storm. Jagged rocks and hidden sandbars surrounded the island making even calm seas hazardous to navigate. But ocean storms were deadly. And the violent winter storm that had passed over the island the night before was no different. Elijah shook his head as he studied the water logged items that were washing up onto the beach. Pieces of broken pottery and planks of wood were slowly being pulled in by the tide and dropped onto the sand. Stepping deeper into the foamy waves he hauled a large sea chest farther up out of the water. The lock on the trunk had broken apart in the storm and now the heavy lid lifted away smoothly as Elijah carefully eased it open. Inside he found the possessions of a young sailor. Large black boots and pieces of a German military uniform with medals and ribbons lay crumpled to one side of the chest. Some tin cups and books were thrown here and there among the pieces of clothing as well as a blanket and a canteen. Elijah carefully picked through each item and pushed them to the side as he tried to uncover something with the sailor's name. Having no luck with the canteen or clothing, he finally pulled out a large duffel bag which lay heavily on the bottom of the chest. From the weight of it, Elijah expected to find more books or a metal helmet inside. But his heart skipped a beat at what he pulled out! Three gold metal bars! It was a fortune in gold! But where was the owner of the chest? Had he survived the storm? Elijah didn't think so. The waves were still churning up black foam all along the beach and the sunken ship was nowhere to be seen. The wreck must have happened far out at sea with little hope for survivors. Elijah decided to carry the bars of gold back to his lighthouse and watch for anyone who might come to claim the treasure. But 60 years had passed and no one had ever come. And the treasure in gold was never seen again.
Chapter 1
Salter Island - Present Day
"You know, some kids actually spend their summer vacation on vacation," Grace moaned as she leaned her mop against the bathroom sink. She looked skeptically at the toilet bowl. "I mean seriously. I can't wait to start taking tourists on lighthouse tours or driving around the campgrounds in golf carts!" she smiled longingly. "I'd even settle for standing all day at the cash register!"
"I know, right?" Madison tossed her wash rag into the bucket of suds. Using one hand, she lifted her dark brown pony tail off of her neck. "Man is it hot! And how come the boys aren't here helping us?" she added wiping her hands off on the side of her shorts.
"They're supposed to be at the gift shop bringing down boxes from the attic," Grace picked up her mop and grabbed a bucket of soapy water. As she fixed her own hair into a messy bun, she turned her head to the side as an idea came to mind. "And since the air conditioning has already been turned on over there..., I think it's about time we gave them a hand, don't you think?" she swung her bucket as she walked towards the door.
"Definitely," Madison agreed. She picked up her own pail of dirty water and followed Grace out of the cabin. Together they emptied their buckets and made their way across the sandy walkway.
Every summer the kids from Miss Shoe's Orphanage spend a few weeks helping out at the Salter Island Lighthouse. It's a two hour drive from their home, so they pack up a lot of their stuff and move into one of the cabins at the lighthouse campgrounds. Grace and Madison share the smaller bedroom while Tyler, Scotty and Carter take the bigger room with the two bunk beds. The cabins are small with no TV and only one bathroom. There's also no kitchen but no one really minds because Capt. Jonas Bartholomew, the Ferry boat captain, brings dinner each night with the last Ferry run. It's actually his wife, Hattie Mae, who sends all the good food. Last night she sent a pot of chicken and dumplings and warm chocolate chip cookies for dessert! Having 10 grandkids of her own, she worries that 'those children won't get enough to eat!' From the looks of Capt. Bartholomew, Hattie Mae makes sure he gets enough to eat too! Standing at least six and a half feet tall with sun wrinkled hands and a black captain's hat pulled over his gray hair, he's got a quick smile and a booming voice to go along with his round belly. He and Hattie Mae live in a small gray and white cottage built at the very edge of the coast which the locals call, The Point. They keep their twenty-five foot Ferry docked a short walk from their back door and when Hattie Mae's not cooking, she runs the small ticket office. The office actually looks more like a lemonade stand. It has a sign nailed to the front that says, Ferry Tickets - $10.00 adults / $6.00 children. Together, Hattie Mae and Capt. Bartholomew know everyone on the island. Well, they know almost everyone.
Chapter 2
Deciding to take a break from their bathroom duty, the girls made their way up the steps of the gift shop and set their empty buckets beside the painted black front doors. The gift shop was actually the old Lightkeeper's Cottage that the Park Service turned into a store after the last Lightkeeper left. It was painted white, like all the buildings on the island and was full of souvenirs. Boxes of pictures, maps, books and small toys were spread out on the floor waiting to be displayed in the store. Carter had just opened a box of paperback books called Ghost Stories of Salter Island as the girls walked into the air conditioned room.
"I'm going to read this book back at the cabin," Carter said as he plopped down on the floor and started flipping through the pages.
"Not gonna happen!" Scotty reached out and yanked the book from his best friend's hands. "If you read a book about ghosts, then we'll have to sleep with the lights on again!"
"You mean like when you read, The Haunted Island?" Carter asked. "You know, the one with the floating blue light and the little girl who keeps whispering 'beware of the clam shell... beware of the clam shell,'" Carter snickered because he knew for sure that was Scotty's favorite book.
"It's not a 'little girl' whispering," Scotty accused. "It's a 'ghostly voice' whispering," he shook his head and stared at Carter, "There's a big difference."
Carter reached for the book again but Tyler leaned over both of them to take the book from Scotty.
"Sorry you two," Tyler turned to put the new book on the display shelf. "Since I'm sleeping in the same room as both of you, you're going to have to wait until we get back to Miss Shoe's before you read any more ghost stories. It's hard enough having to listen to you two argue yourselves to sleep every night," he murmured. "And from what I remember, you both wanted to keep the light on!"
Satisfied that the argument was over, Tyler began to pull more books out of the box and place them on the small bookshelf.
"Hey Grace, lets fill these jars with the pencils the print shop sent over this morning," Madison said as she picked up two small boxes labeled Salter Island Print Company. The local printer puts a picture of the lighthouse on pencils, pens, and sheets of paper to sell at the gift shop. They
also print Salter Island Light on Christmas ornaments, key chains, and even on plastic shopping bags. The Christmas ornaments were always the biggest seller. Everyone wants a souvenir of their visit to the lighthouse!
Grace and Madison began filling small jars near the check out counter as the boys stacked books for sale on the bookshelves. Tyler and Carter had just opened a new box of pirate history books when Scotty called out from across the room.
"Hey Carter, help me out!" Scotty was crouched down on the floor peering into the bottom of an old bookshelf. Since the bookshelf was built so close to the fireplace it looked like it could have been used as a wood box to store logs for firewood.
"What are you looking at?" Carter dropped down to his knees and tried to squeeze in beside Scotty.
"There's a loose board wedged in the back of this shelf," Scotty said as he leaned back and rubbed his hands on his shorts. He scooted to the side to make room for Carter to get a better look.
"If we can pry that board out I think we could fit another row of books on this shelf," Scotty explained.
The boys braced their feet on the edge of the bookshelf and leaned in to get a hand on the board. Scotty counted to three and they both pulled as hard as they could - groaning as the board started to wiggle free.
"Got it!" Carter yelled. He lifted up the old piece of wood that had been painted white to match the rest of the bookshelf. Scotty scrambled back to see how much space they'd opened.
"Oh man! Look at this! There's something in here!" Scotty reached his hand into the dark corner.
Thinking it was another large spider or some other kind of bug, Grace and Madison didn't bother to look. Scotty and Carter were always trying to catch frogs, lizards, and bugs back at home. Sometimes Miss Shoe let them bring the creatures in the house, but usually she told them to leave their new pets outside.
"Ahhh.... thanks but we're good," Madison answered. She and Grace rolled their eyes as they started to open another box from the print shop.
"I think you're gonna want to see this," Scotty looked over his shoulder as he scooted back and pulled out an old journal. He flipped it open and scanned through some of the stiff, yellowed pages. "I think this is an old Lightkeeper's Log book," Scotty said. "There's another one just like it in a display case over at the lighthouse." He read the fading black ink on the cover, Elijah Patterwhite, Lightkeeper.
Since this was the third summer the kids had volunteered on the island, they knew the history of the lighthouse. Elijah Patterwhite was the first Lightkeeper when the lighthouse was built back in the early 1900's. He lived in the Lightkeeper's cottage and cared for the light for 60 years until his poor health forced him to step down and let a new Lightkeeper take over. Soon after retiring, Elijah left the island and moved to the mainland to live with his son. Legend says that some time during his 60 years of service, Elijah discovered a treasure and hid it somewhere on the island. But he died before telling anyone where the treasure was hidden. Everyone who lives on the mainland knows the legend of the Lightkeeper's Lost Gold and they love to share the story with tourists. For one thing it's great for business! But no one around here really believes it could be true. After all, it's just an island legend!
Madison and Grace swung back around as Scotty flipped open the Keeper's Log. "Let me see that," Grace said.
Scotty handed the book to her as she knelt beside him.
"Like I said before," Scotty smirked.
"Whatever," Madison mumbled. She scooted behind him to look over Grace's shoulder.
"Looks like the 9 year old is right," Grace said absently as she scanned through the pages. "This definitely belonged to old man Patterwhite." She pointed to the date on the inside cover...1941. "He kept a record book for every year he was the Lightkeeper and from what I remember about island history that was his first year."
"From what I remember about island history, the 1st Lightkeeper's Log was never found," Carter shared a look with Scotty. "Until now."
Chapter 3
Even though it was still early in the day, the sun was blazing hot, shining down through a clear blue sky. "Those kids have been in the gift shop too long," mumbled Solomon Smith as he wiped the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead.
It had been ten years since computers had ended Solomon's job as the Salter Island Lightkeeper - taking over after Elijah Patterwhite finally stepped down. Solomon knew the mystery of the lost gold was more than a legend. It was real! Somehow old man Patterwhite had found a fortune and hidden it on the island. And Solomon knew the key to finding the gold started with the first Lightkeeper's Log Book. He'd searched for too many years for anything or anyone to keep him from finding it!
Chapter 4
Grace flipped to the back of the Keeper's Log and scanned for the last entry, December 24, 1941. The handwritten notes recorded daily weather conditions, ship sightings, and even personal notes by the Lightkeeper. As she moved her finger down the last column Grace whispered,
December 23, 1941 - Heavy squall lashed island throughout night. Light was down for 30 minutes before generator was turned on. Running lights of red and white were seen deep out at sea.
December 24, 1941 - Contents of ship wreck began washing ashore. Sea chest, clothing, recovered.
December 25, 1941 - Have recovered 3 G.B. Owner unknown. Will hold in safe keeping, for the lost soul of the sea; ........... Sassafras tree.
No one said anything at first but 5 sets of eyes were as big as soccer balls!
"The legend is true!" Madison cried. "There really is a hidden treasure on the island!"
"See!" Scotty cried. "I told you!" pointing to the Log book. "Haven't I told you?!" he turned to Carter demanding an answer.
"There might be a treasure hidden on the island," Tyler said. "But remember, we don't even know what the treasure is. I mean, 3 G.B. could be anything," he added skeptically. "Does the Keeper's Log have any other entries in it?" Tyler turned to Grace as she shifted it onto her lap.
Turning to the last few pages of the Log, Grace skimmed to the bottom. "That's it. I guess old man Patterwhite hid this log book while he waited for someone to come claim the treasure," Grace looked up and snapped the book closed.
Scotty pulled a bag of Skittles out of his pocket and popped some into his mouth. Chewing thoughtfully he said, "So from his notes, Patterwhite kept the treasure near.... something, something, Sassafras tree.'" He poured a few more into his hand. "Seems like we need to find a Sassafras tree," he tossed a Skittle up and caught it in his mouth. Smiling at his own cleverness, he looked around to find everyone frowning at him.
"What'd I say?" Scotty shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, yeah," Madison agreed. "But we need to find the Sassafras tree. The problem is that on this island, there's a lot more than one."
Tyler leaned against the edge of the bookshelf and scratched his head. "But the island only has one maritime forest. And I think if he wanted to hide something for a long time, he'd choose somewhere sheltered from storms, like ...."
"The campground!" Tyler and Madison cried at once.
"Exactly!" Grace placed the Keeper's Log onto a round table near the door and grabbed Madison's hand, yanking her up from the floor. "We're lucky the campground isn't open yet for tourist season!" she winked at the others as they made their way out of the gift shop. "We can dig around without anyone wondering what we're doing!"
Scrambling to keep up, Carter and Scotty struggled to hold onto the bag of Skittles. Passing them back and forth as they walked, Scotty called out, "So...um...., can someone Google a Sassafras tree? Cause I have no idea what they look like!"
Chapter 5
Solomon cracked open a bottle of water just as 5 kids came sprinting out of the gift shop. He quickly stepped back into the shadow of the building as the last two boys scrambled past him. Luckily they were too busy passing a bag of candy back and forth to notice he was watching them.
"Thought those kids would never come out of there," he complained to himself. H
e was just stepping up to the gift shop when one of the boys called out, "...someone Google a Sassafras tree?"
Solomon growled. "What do they need to know about a Sassafras tree?" he thought as he rubbed his aching knee. Ever since his fall in the stairwell of the lighthouse, Solomon had suffered with a stiff knee that made him walk with a limp. Just one more reason why the treasure on the island should be his! Climbing the steps of the gift shop one at a time, he hobbled inside to see what the kids had discovered.
It didn't take long to find the old Keeper's Log sitting on the large, round table near the entrance. "Patterwhite's Lightkeeper's Log!" Solomon snarled. He limped to the table and flipped open the book. Skimming quickly to the back he read the last entries. "I knew the treasure was real!" he cried.
But now those kids knew it was real too. Deciding he should keep an eye on what else they found out, he hobbled out of the shop and over to an old 4 wheeler that he kept on the island. Cranking it up, he slowly followed their trail.
Chapter 6
The Salter Island Campground is on the North side of the island behind a bank of sand dunes that protect it from high tides and storm surges. A sandy boardwalk helps guide tourists across the island from the lighthouse and boat docks. Surrounding the actual campsites is a large maritime forest that provides shade and privacy for the campers during the peak of summer season.
"Alright guys. Are you sure you know what you're looking for?" Madison asked. She tucked her smart phone back in her pocket and looked at Carter and Scotty hopefully.
"I think we've got it," Carter mumbled. "I mean, seriously, you've only shown us 50 different pictures of sassafras leaves, sassafras trees, sassafras bark and sassafras tea!"
"I know, right?" Scotty complained. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a half eaten candy bar. Peeling back the wrapper, he took a bite and wiped his sticky fingers off on his shorts. "Carter, me and you will spread out to the right and Grace and Madison can take the trees on the left. Tyler, you work your way through the middle of the campground." He pointed to the left and right with his chocolate bar.