Snake River

Henry Anderson awoke one Saturday morning to the sound of roosters crowing, the same as he did almost every other day on his family’s farm in Ashton, Idaho. The sun was just coming up and Henry knew that if he didn’t get moving his mother would be in shortly to have another one of her famous “talks”, about the importance of starting the day with gratitude and positivity. Henry didn’t mind the hard work that living on a farm demands, but he would much rather be out exploring in the woods or trout fishing on Snake River as most other teenagers were doing during their summer vacation.

Henry quickly got up, got dressed, devoured his breakfast, and headed out to perform his morning chores. He finished his chores as quickly as he could and stopped to ask his father if he needed him to do anything else. His father told him no and thanked him for his help. He also told Henry that he fixed his metal detector and that he could use it if he promised to be more careful with it from now on. Henry agreed and excitedly started to get ready for a day of treasure hunting. “And be back before dinner time or your mother will come looking for you again, said Henry’s father.” Henry agreed and off he went.

Joseph is Henry’s best friend and neighbor, well, if you call the only family within three miles “neighbors”. Joseph was riding his bicycle up the dirt driveway towards henry’s house when Henry met him. “Are you ready for some fishing?” asked Joseph, “I bet we catch a monster today”. “Not today”, Henry replied, “today we are off to find buried treasure.” Joseph looked disappointed, “aww, come on, all we ever find is rusted nails and wagon parts.” “Today is the day we find something good!” exclaimed Henry. “Okay then” Joseph replied begrudgingly, “But I get to use the machine first and you get to dig.” Henry agreed and grabbed the shovel and his backpack full of the supplies he prepared for the day, and they headed towards the woods.

A few miles and two hours of disappointment later Henry finally heard a very long and strong beep coming from the metal detector. Joseph came running over with the shovel, “what do you think it could be?” “Only one way to find out!” Henry replied. Joseph began to dig and after only three attempts, he pulled out a very large rusty nail. “Ugh, not again, I told you that’s all we would find.” Henry’s heart sank, he thought for sure that this would be the find of a lifetime. Henry looked over to Joseph as he filled the hole back up with dirt, “I’m sorry Joseph, we should have just went fishing, let’s head back.”

The boys packed up the backpack and started heading towards the farm. About a mile from the house they stopped under an old maple tree for lunch. This was Henry’s favorite tree as it sat alone in the middle of a very large potato field. As Henry started to set down the detector it beeped so loudly that both boys jumped backwards before they realized where the noise came from. Henry said, “I must have left it on, did you hear that?”. Joseph immediately grabbed the shovel and began to dig. This time, whatever they had found would require more effort as the hole was already two feet deep and they did not find anything. “Try the machine again”, said Joseph. Henry replied, “good idea”, and as quickly as the detector pointed down it began beeping. Henry was thinking that whatever it was it must be large, and then he heard a big bang. Joseph had hit something with the end of his shovel. The boys looked at each other wide eyed with excitement. They uncovered what appeared to be an old trunk and, after struggling with it for a while, they managed to pull it out of the hole and onto the ground.

“What do you think is in it?” asked Joseph. “Well”, replied Henry, “only one way to find out.” Joseph grabbed the shovel and whacked away at what appeared to be a very old lock. It finally flew off the trunk and Henry quickly opened it. The boys saw an old blanket which they yanked out and threw next to the tree. Under the blanket was a metal container and a little black notebook. Henry sat the notebook down and they focused on opening the metal container. When they finally managed to open it, they both dropped it and stared in amazement. Out of the container fell a large piece of gold in the shape of a snake with small green Jewels where the eyes should be and a pile of money. They boys stood there for a moment not knowing what to say to each other when finally, Joseph blurted out “We’re rich!”

Henry looked around and had a very distinct feeling that someone was watching but he did not see anyone or anything around them. “Pick it all up and put it back. We have no idea who this belongs to or who may come looking for it.” said Henry. “No way!” said Joseph, “finders, keepers!” Henry thought about it carefully as he was counting the money. “Twenty thousand, Joseph… There is twenty thousand dollars and that snake is probably worth a lot more” said Henry. The boys quickly packed everything back into the chest and hauled it all to the farm as quickly as they could.

Henry and Joseph hid the trunk under some hay in the barn. “we need to tell our parents about this” said Henry. Joseph agreed but the boys both sat down for a minute to look at the black notebook. When they opened the notebook a folded-up piece of paper fell out. Henry unfolded it and realized that it was a map of Snake River with a big black X on it near a waterfall halfway down the river. “I know where that is” said Joseph, that ‘s where Samuel Hutchins died last year when he tried to jump off the falls. He slipped on a rock, broke his neck and drowned before they could pull him out.” “That place is off limits now.” Henry looked back at the book, flipped the page and started reading through pages of notes on a mysterious treasure hidden away by an indigenous tribe hundreds of years ago. The next part caught Henry’s attention; “I found the hidden treasure in a cave under the falls. I took as much as I could carry including this beautiful golden snake from a tunnel that I opened within the cave and I have been cursed ever since. They are hunting me now.”

Henry flipped to the last page, it appeared to be hastily written and was barely legible; “This is my treasure! I will be back for it once I know it is safe and that they are no longer following me. I just need time to figure this all out. Jimmy, if you are dumb enough to come looking for this chest after everything that we have been through, or if someone else happens to find it, I implore you, put it back! It is cursed! There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, they always find me. So, I am burying this curse and making a run for it. PUT IT BACK!”

Joseph looked at Henry, “Cursed? I don’t believe in any of that nonsense, and who the heck is Jimmy? We need to go find the rest of the treasure! Henry, what else do you think is in that cave?” “Well Joseph”, Henry replied, “Only one way to find out!”.