Spake As a Dragon (53 page)

“
Father, that day at
Devil’s Den you kept asking Matt and me to get you a Bible. Do you
remember why you wanted a Bible?”

Staring off into the distance without
really seeing Robert answers, “Yes Son, I think I do,
now!”

Chapter
Sixty-One

THE MYSTERY

Once Robert had made an announcement
that he believed he knew what the “2K168” meant. Everyone on the
porch sat waiting in anticipation of the answer.

Robert finally spoke, “All my life, at
least since I was a small lad old enough to know, I have always
thought grandfather’s Bible was important. I did not know why, but
today sitting here among you all it has all come back to me. Father
must have told me about the 2K168, the black feather and the big
Bible while I was young. I must have been so young that I forgot
what he said. The key to the mystery must be in Pappy’s big
Bible.”

Everyone moved from the porch into the
large area of the parlor. Robert requests the Bible and they all
crowd around the table. Under the light from a couple of kerosene
lamps, Robert opens the big book. Looking at those standing around
him he asks, “Now think about the “2K168,” does anyone have any
idea what that could mean?”

Little Lizzie, barely able to squeeze
up to the table says, “Father could that ‘2K’ mean the Second Book
of Kings and the other numbers are the Chapter and
Verse?”

Robert looks at Lizzie and grins,
“From the mouth of babes!”

Robert begins flipping through the Old
Testament looking for the Book of Second Kings, “Come on children,
you all had to remember the books of the Bible in Sunday
School.”

The children start reciting, “Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth,
1
^st
Samuel, 2
^nd
Samuel, 1
^st
Kings,
2
^nd
Kings...”

“
Stop that’s it, okay
here’s 2
^nd
Samuel, 1
^st
Kings
yes...yes...2
^nd
Kings. Now, Chapter Sixteen, yeah here
it is,” scanning down the page with his index finger, “Verse
8:

‘
And Ahaz took the
silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the
treasures of the king's house, and sent
it for
a
present...’

Mattie Ann was the first to speak,
“What does all that mean? Do you understand Father?”

“
I don’t know girl, but it
is certainly a mystery. I suggest we all go to bed, get a good
night’s sleep and maybe with our minds rested and refreshed we
might put this puzzle together.”

* * * * *

The alarm clock sitting on the fence
post next to the barn announced it was sunup; time to begin a fresh
new day. Robert was already awake before the rooster crowed, and
had been for a while; he had spent a terribly restless night.
Robert could not get the Bible verse out of his mind.

At the breakfast table, no one speaks.
It was as if someone had died. No one wanted to be the first to say
something; finally, Mattie Ann clears her throat and says, “I’ve
been giving Pappy Scarburg’s Bible some serious thought...” At this
proclamation the others sniggered and grinned, she paid them no
mind and continued, “Now what if Pappy was trying to tell us about
some real silver and gold?”

“
Ah, Mattie Ann,” said
Stephen, “what are you talking about, you mean
real
silver
and gold?”

“
Now listen up! Mama told
me and Lizzie one day that when that big fight took place at the
Mill, y’all know, the time Pappy Scarburg was hung, Mama you tell
them the story about them heavy wagons and such.”

“
I’ll concede to the story
man – Robert you tell them about the Battle of Scarburg Mill. You
know more about it than anyone.”

“
Now don’t y’all get too
hasty, Mattie Ann I believe you might be on to something. Granny
Scarburg told me that story a hundred times: During the
Revolutionary War and the Battle of Scarburg Mill, there was a
Rebel Captain by the name of John Coker. He and his men were part
of a South Carolina Ranger Regiment that had been escorting and
guarding a couple of heavily loaded wagons from Dahlonega, Georgia
to General George Washington. Granny said during the fight the
Captain burned the two wagons and he and his men escaped into the
woods.”

Stephen, now interested, jumped in,
“What was in the wagons that the Captain had been
guarding?”

“
Granny never said, but I
always had a feeling she knew, but just would not tell what the
wagons contained.”

Luke threw his hat into the
conversation, “Father! What if the wagons were carrying
gold!”

“
While I was imprisoned at
Point Lookout I met a man who became my good friend, his name was
Benjamin Dunway and he was from Dahlonega, Georgia. He said the
only thing worth hauling out of his hometown was gold from the
local mines. Mattie Ann is right – that verse is telling us about
gold, real honest to goodness gold!

“
Good, now we’re on the
right path – anyone else have any ideas? Look at the Bible verse
again, someone must surely see what Grandfather was trying to tell
us.”

Matthew responded, “Father what is the
name of Pappy’s church?”

“
Grandfather John’s
church? Well, they just called it the Meetinghouse, no wait! The
House of the Lord, that’s what the old folks used to call it! I’ll
be darned, I see what you’re getting at Matthew,
‘gold was found
in the house of the LORD,’
that’s what Grandfather is saying!
So, the meaning of the verse is beginning to be revealed, we should
look in the Quaker Meetinghouse to find the gold.”

“
Father, aren’t you
leaving something out?” Asked Luke.

“
No, I don’t think so, we
know where we might find the treasure – in the
Meetinghouse.”

“
Look at the rest of the
verse, it says the ‘gold’ was found in the house of the Lord, but
the ‘treasures’ are in the ‘king’s house’.”

“
Of course! The King’s
House – Scarlettsville’s Masonic Lodge Number One was called ‘The
King’s House’ back in Pappy John’s day. You all have solved
Grandfather’s mystery. We will find the gold in the Church and the
Masonic Hall.”

Luke joins the conversation, “I
believe that might be the meaning of 2K186, but Father, how do we
get inside those two places and start looking. I do not think the
members will be too eager to allow us to go in and start tearing
the floorboards up. I’ll almost have to see that gold to believe it
anyway.”

“
You’re right Luke. I will
go into town and talk to the elders of the church and the officials
of the Masonic Lodge. I think when I fully explain what they have
to gain, they will be enthusiastic to oblige, and in fact, they
might even help us search.”

Malinda had been listening quietly to
the entire conversation that was taking place, finally, she spoke,
“Robert you and the boys are forgetting one little fact – even if
you all have the Bible verse figured out correctly we do not own
that gold.”

“
What are you saying
Mother, sure it will be ours, we will have found it!” Said
Luke.

“
No Son, it will not be
yours, it belongs to the government of the United States, remember
this was hidden, if something was indeed hidden, during the
Revolutionary War. That Patriot Captain Coker was guarding those
two heavy-laden wagons on his way to deliver whatever was in them
to General Washington.”

“
But Mother...”

“
No buts, the gold, if any
is found must be returned to the Treasury of the United
States.”

Luke and Matthew still wanted to
argue, “The United States, they are the enemy, give the enemy our
gold? Mother this is not right!”

“
Boys, the United States
was
the enemy, but we are not fighting them anymore – we are
now all citizens of the United States, remember your father’s
excellent speech at the dedication under the old oak? I think he
made it crystal clear - we must all once again become
Americans.”

“
Your mother is right,
this gold is not ours it does truly belong to the government as bad
as I hate to admit. If we find anything it will have to go back to
the original owners. When I meet with the officials of the church
and Masonic Lodge, I will explain this fact to them
also.”

THE MEETING

The day was hot. Late July is always
hot in that part of South Carolina in mid-summer; the air was
filled with dust from the grinding of the corn. Six men had
gathered in the office of Scarburg Mill. Three of the gentlemen
were Elders of the Scarlettsville Meeting House and the other three
were officers of Masonic Lodge Number One.

Elder Lindley raised a question, to no
one in particular, “Why do thee reason Master Robert would invite
the Elders of the Meetinghouse and the Officers of the Masonic
Lodge to assemble ourselves in this dusty place?”

“
You are right Elder
Lindley,” announced Robert entering the room. “Let us remove
ourselves to the area underneath the old oak out in the Mill yard.
It will be cooler and the air fresher out by Mink Creek. There I
will explain my reason for having interrupted your day to come talk
with me.”

The men found resting places around a
couple of the wooden tables left from the 4
^th
of July
festivities. Robert following behind as the men became comfortable,
“I know you are asking why I have invited you here today? I will
dispense from the formality of small talk and get right to the
point. I have reason to believe that something valuable might
possibly be hidden in your church and your masonic lodge,” he said
waving his arm about the men’s heads.

The chief officer of the Lodge Lonnie
Turney asks, “Robert are you saying the valuable item is hidden
both in the church and in our Lodge, how can this be
possible.”

“
I see what you mean
Worshipful Master Turney, I think I misspoke. I did not mean to
imply that the ‘something valuable’ was singular; I believe it to
have a plural implication. I have deduced that this will be found
in you gentlemen’s church,” he said speaking to the Elders, “and
also in your Lodge Lonnie.”

“
In both our places, what
could be valuable hidden in both their church and our Lodge?” Ask
the Worshipful Master.

“
Gold! Gentlemen if you do
not have any pressing appointments for the next hour or so I have a
very interesting story to tell.” They did not and he talked to them
for about an hour and one-half. When he finished, the men sat
speechlessly.

Robert can see the look amazement on
the faces of the men sitting around the two tables, especially the
Superintendent of Works for the Lodge. He is the official who keeps
the inventory, and is responsible for the material possessions of
the Lodge. It is his responsibility to see that the Lodge is
properly prepared before the ceremonies and that everything is
safely locked away at the end of the evening. In Lodge Number One,
the Superintendent is James Earl Brown. James looks at Robert,
“I’ve been a member of Lodge One for nearly fifty years, and
Superintendent for nearly twenty, Robert I know every crook and
cranny of our Lodge and every item within – there is no gold in our
Lodge!”

Elder Lindley parroted almost the same
refrain about the Meetinghouse. He said his Grandfather along with
Jacob Ingram constructed the House of the Lord and he could say
without a shadow of a doubt there wasn’t any gold to be found in
that old building either.

“
I believe both of you
think you are correct, but I also believe that gold is in your two
buildings. Will you help find it? That is the only way we are going
to know for sure.”

THE SEARCH

Nine a.m. the next morning a group of
about thirty men congregated in front of the Meetinghouse. Robert
stepped upon the small entryway porch and addressed the searchers,
“Men we thank you for coming this morning. In a few minutes, we
will enter the good folks of Scarlettsville’s Meetinghouse.
Remember this is in fact ‘the House of the Lord’ and we do not want
to tear this wonderful old building apart. Your duty is to look at
places within the building where things might be hidden – look at
the boards, do they fit properly, what about the nails? Are they
original, or have they been replaced? Check the planks for saw
marks, do they seem original or do some appear different? Some of
you go into the loft and check, a couple more crawl into the belfry
and see what is up there, I guess no one has been up there in
years. Whatever we are looking for is not going to be easy to find,
but I believe with all my heart it is here, we just have to find
it. Good luck, now let’s get to work.”

In an hour or so the Meetinghouse
looks like a plague of rats has overrun the building. Men are on
their knees poking and prodding every board and plank some are even
on their stomachs looking closely to see if they could discern any
imperfections in the surfaces.

At the noon hour, the women folk bring
an assortment of victuals for the workingmen to eat. Robert takes
this opportune time to question each and every man – no one has
seen anything out of the ordinary. “Let’s give it another few hours
and if nothing is found we will call it a day. Again I thank each
and every one of you who has volunteered their time and
efforts.”