At dawn Wesley, Junior, Bill and Dennis woke up to the sounds of footsteps on the dock next to them. It was the language being used that alarmed them. It wasn’t English. They all looked out toward The Dolphin Moon and saw Titus talking to three men, as Zack stood close by. A fishing boat had slipped into the canal and docked early on this bright morning. Apparently a decision was made and the three dark complected men walked back to their boat. Titus and Zach talked for a few seconds, then Titus said in a loud voice so anyone awake could hear him. “Zack, let’s go wake up the Holly Lynne.” All four men aboard the Holly Lynne were half way out of their jungle hammocks by the time Titus and Zack had taken the few steps between the boats and Titus yelled, “Ahoy Holly Lynne!”
“Ahoy Dolphin Moon,” Dennis loudly replied.
“Breakfast in thirty minutes.”
“We’ll be there,” Wesley answered.
Zack told Titus he would be on up in a couple minutes. Titus went on up the stairs to the cabin sprily with a zeal for life in every step as he called out, “On the approach Beth.”
Beth stepped out onto the porch, shutting the door behind her. He handed her something that looked like a white canvas bag. They sat down on the porch in the swing. She took a letter out of the bag and read it as Titus looked on beside her.
“Who were those men?” Bill asked Zack.
“This is international water here. The US Post Office doesn’t deliver this far out. Those were fishermen who are friends of Beth and Titus. They deliver things out here to them including their mail.”
Jr. was the first one up dressed and ready to go.
“Junior, would you help me carry up that ice chest they are sitting off near the Two Nickels?” Zack asked.
“Sure nuff,” Jr. agreed.
“Got to get something out of the Two Nickels, then I’ll be ready,” Zack said as he walked away.
“This sure is a beautiful day. It not only feels great, it smells extremely fresh. Maybe that means we will find something today,” Junior said to Wesley as Zack boarded the Two Nickels.
The breakfast was great. Beth and Marcie decided they needed to visit for the day. The five adventurers were going out on the Holly Lynne and the Two Nickels to look for treasure and fish a little, Zack insisted. Titus was going out to help his friends with something, just what is was, was not made very clear. It was revealed that they came from Cuba.
The waters were not as calm as they had been before the storm. Snow Top was found again. The Holly Lynne was anchored securely on the east side of it. Dennis stayed aboard her and was going to fish while Zack took Bill, Wesley and Junior in the Two Nickels around to the west side of Snow Top. The water on the east and west ends of it dropped off much more slowly. Fishing was good both places. These early hours were for fishing, Zack had persuaded them.
Wesley had bought some deep-sea fishing equipment at a yard sale on Big Pine Key. He had a brand-new, to him, rod and reel and some truly brand-new artificial lures mixed in with some older ones.
Zack found the location he wanted to fish at and shut down the motor on the Two Nickels. Bill was instructed when to drop the anchor. When Zack announced all was ready to start fishing, the lines were hooked, baited and they hit the water. Zack had the chum floating in the water and fish were being caught.
Wesley was fishing with one of his brand new artificial lures he was really proud of, instead of live bait. It was his favorite of all the lures he had bought. Suddenly he let out a, “Oh no.”
Everyone knew he was hung up on the bottom somewhere. They were fishing in 26 feet of water. Wesley talked Jr. into going down with Bill’s tanks and his mask, fans and knife to get his new lure loose for him. Wesley went on and on about how it was his favorite lure. Zack said he didn't think it was a good idea but Wesley insisted because it cost him fifteen dollars and he kept exaggerating about how much he loved that lure!
The chum Zack had been putting out was being eaten by lots of small fish. As Junior went down to see what he could do, a barracuda tore into a yellowtail sniper. Blood entered the water. A school of red snipers came around. Another barracuda attacked a big sniper. More blood flowed into the water like a small red cloud building into a thunderhead. Junior watched the action from the bottom of the ocean, as he was about to unhang Wesley's lure from a piece of dead coral. Suddenly a great white shark appeared. The shark had been attracted to the feeding barracuda by the fresh blood in the water. Junior froze there on the bottom and then hunkered down as low as he could get. To his amazement the anchor started being pulled up as the engine started on The Two Nickels. The boat slowly moved away. Two dolphins swam by. No help. Thanks a lot Flipper. After a few minutes past the snapper, barracuda, and shark were drawn away and completely out of sight. Junior remained still where he was until the bottom of the boat showed up again.
When the motor was killed he slowly, with as little movement as possible, made his way to the back of the boat and it’s entrance ladder. He took off his fins. Wesley took one. Bill took the other. He climbed into the boat and safety.
“Here's your lure Wesley!”
“Bill snickered and said, “You've got something to write home about now.”
Junior looked sideways at Wesley and said, “It was certainly an adventure.”
“Was it worth it?" Bill laughingly ask Junior.
“Ask Wesley,” Jr. returned.
Zack calmly started baiting some more hooks and matter-of-factly stated, “I told you it wasn't a good idea.”
“What drew them away,” Junior asks?
“Zack chummed them away.” Wesley laughed.
Junior shook his head and stated, “Zack is a hero and I was almost the chum.”
They fished for about an hour longer. Bill, Wesley and Junior got anxious about searching for bottles so since they were obviously finished fishing Zack let them out onto Snow Top. The sun was up well into the sky. Bill, Wesley and Junior started walking ankle deep across the thin sand that covered the coral reef island or key. No vegetation grew on it. The white sand shifted like fine powder in places. With the heavier sand settled deep in the cracks, crevices and indentations in the dead coral foundation. After going about a hundred feet Wesley said, “If there was to be bottles filled with heavy gold and sand, after all this time here, they would be settled to the lowest point they could come to rest in. They’d be covered with sand.”
“That’s right,” Bill agreed. “I been wondering why none of these keys show up on any of the new maps. Just show up on Larry’s old one. And why are they called
“Leon’s Cays” on those maps? It’s like they were just wiped off the face of all maps after a time. Uncharted at first, then charted by the Spanish, then unchartered again. Just too small and insignificant I guess.”
Junior grinned, “I like the name. Leon’s Cays. But seriously, must have been named that for Ponce da Leon.”
They walked on and finally made it to the Holly Lynne an hour later. The two nickels was tied up to her starboard side.
Bill sang out the announcement, “Three coming aboard the Holly Lynne.”
“Come aboard,” Dennis called out.
Zach was cleaning fish he had caught. Dennis was looking over Bill’s metal detector. “I think I’ve got it fixed,” he announced as they walked around to the middle of the boat where it was shaded. “Better not submerge the handle but the rest was not hurt or compromised at all. You find anything?”
“No,” Bill answered. “Thanks for fixing it Dennis.”
Zach suggested, “Why don’t you test it out on Snow
Top there where the board goes across to it. The current deposits the sand on this side and I suppose, if they drifted, it could have left them around here. And you know, if I was to hide bottles full of gold and sand, it would be where the water current ran so as to deposit sand on top of them instead of rolling it off of them.”
Top there where the board goes across to it. The current deposits the sand on this side and I suppose, if they drifted, it could have left them around here. And you know, if I was to hide bottles full of gold and sand, it would be where the water current ran so as to deposit sand on top of them instead of rolling it off of them.”
“That makes sense,” Wesley said.
Dennis handed Bill his metal detector. “Here, go try it out. It’s already set on gold.”
Bill took it and went to the bow, walked onto the board aways, sat down on it and ran the metal detector as deep as he dared into the salty water towards Snow Top. A faint reaction was heard. “It’s weak but it says something is down there. It’s only set for gold. You think some gold is really down there?”
Junior and Wesley hurriedly slipped on their scuba gear and went down. They had their gloves on, a gaff hook in one hand and bait net in the other.
Zach looked on with a grin. Dennis watched and had visions of what the old bottles would look like. Bill kept the metal detector pushed down into the water as far as he could without getting the top wet. The reading kept being faint but still there. Wesley and Junior gently raked their gaff hooks through the sand. They both moved something at the same time. Each picked up a bottle at the same moment, looked at each other through the clear water, showed off their finds, pointed up and headed for the surface. They saw nothing but smiling faces as the two bottles were placed on the Holly Lynne.
The bottles had no corks in them. They were full of sand. Bill’s detector showed a trace of gold present.
“I’ll wrap them up so they don’t break and then put them in those big zip lock bags you guys brought along for the fish we been catching. We can sift through the sand for the gold back at Big Pine,” Dennis suggested.
Soon Wesley, Junior, Bill and Dennis were all in the water searching for bottles. Zach stayed on board the Holly Lynne and kept a look out for everything. An hour of searching was rewarded with eleven bottles full of sand but none had remained corked.
Zach asked, “Have you tried sifting the sand through the bait nets any?”
Wesley answered, “No not much. We’ve just been looking for bottles.”
“Try it and see if you can find a chunk or sliver of anything,” Zach suggested.
Ten minutes later Wesley came up with a coin, handed it to Zack and asked, “What is it?”
The other three divers surfaced to see what Wesley had found. Zack cleaned it off a little more, turned it over a couple of times, tested it’s weight in his hand a little then said, “Wesley I believe you’ve found a doubloon.”
“How did you find it Wes?” Bill excitedly asked.
“Used the bait net and grabbed up hand fulls of sand and sifted it through the bait net and there it was.”
The four divers went down leaving their gaff hooks on board with Zack. Three hours passed and seven doubloons lay on the deck of the Holly Lynne.
“I'm dug out,” Bill announced.
“So am I,” Dennis stated.
“Could be more,” Wesley suggested.
“Probably is somewhere but we've gone through this place at least two feet down in a big crescent shape around the key. This was a great place to drop off treasure. On a down current side of Snow Top. That is still dropping it on Snow Top, technically. Just not on top of it but in a very exact spot that could always easily be found. No X needed.
“I think I'll go back down for just one more look,” Bill seemed revived a little with the treasure talk and the seven doubloons and eleven bottles resting high and dry on the Holly Lynne.
“There. In the east-southeast. Is another cloud building,” Dennis pointed out.
“Au, it’s a ways off,” Wesley said. “I’d like one more try at it.”
Zack spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Bill looked all around while asking, “Why? What?”
Junior spotted what. “Old Tom is back!”
“Well I guess I'll call it a day,” Wesley nonchalantly said.
“Yeah. We got plenty for today,” Bill said as he slipped his fines off.
Dennis shook his head, “That's one big shark!"
Back at the cabin Beth and Marcy waved from the screened in porch, as Titus stood ready on the dock to take a line and secure the Two Nickels to it. He and Zack were ready and waiting for the Holly Lynne’s lines as Dennis brought her into dock next.
The treasures were taken up to the cabin. All were inspected by Titus and Beth who agreed the doubloons where real and the bottles appeared very old. “How do they divide up for you boys?” Titus finally asked.
Bill began, “Well there is a doubloon for Larry, Dennis, Zack, Wesley, Junior and me. Number seven is yours Titus. Then there are the eleven bottles full of sand and maybe a little gold shaving. One for Larry, Dennis, Zack, Wes, Jr., me, Marcy, Larry’s two boys, Titus and Beth. That's how we agreed to it all on the way in.
“We appreciate the offer boys but Beth and I have found our own treasures out here on The Deep Blue Sea. You keep all that you found. We insist.”
“We owe you two so much for the food, safe harbor, stories and we did find them on one of your keys," Junior said.
Wesley added, “We got great memories and I just hope I can remember some of those great stories you told so I can share them with the folks back home. Some of these pictures on the walls look a lot like places Junior and I know well up in Arkansas."
“I grew up in Arkansas," Titus said. “Farmed, fished, hunted, then joined the army at about, what turned out to be, the last two months of World War II. Got sent to the Hawaiians. Me and a buddy, Vance, fought the battle of the hula skirts, it's been said. Anyway, I got sent to Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and numerous other places in the Pacific. Vance stayed in Hawaiian. Boy did he ever love pineapples. Anyway I fell in love with the sea. Got out of the army and promptly joined the Navy. Had a lot of ports but ended my career up in the Indian Ocean. Some interesting places over around Madagascar. Saw a bit of Africa where Livingston and Stanley trod. Now in the middle of my Navy career I was stationed in Key West. Met by Beth, fell in love and sure enough, got shipped out not long after I realized I was in love. I told her I'd be back as soon as I’s free. I made my way back to Biscayne Bay, found an old thirty-foot sailing boat called, “The Dolphin Moon" and here we are. And now here you all are. You've come looking for fish and bottles, I understand, and found doubloons. I came down in the Navy and found Beth. I'm happy with my treasure I found in Florida. How about you all?"
“I kind of know what you mean Titus" Bill respectfully said. “I came to Florida without, and found Marcy on Big Pine Key."
“That's the ticket, Titus snapped his fingers and laughed. “Anyway, I've had The Dolphin Moon and Beth ever since. We've lived out here a long time. Had a daughter out here. She got married and had a daughter. Fact is that girl should be bringing some goods out I ordered from her pretty soon. She's a busy girl that granddaughter. Has her own deep sea fishing boat called, “The Himme Way." Got two of the hottest engines in it I've ever seen or heard in a long time. Them Chryslers are something. How you going to divy up the extra loot now?"
Bill, Dennis and Zack talked a bit and decided the extra doubloon should go up to Arkansas with Wesley and Junior to be given to Doretha, their mother. Amy and Marcy should get a bottle apiece.
As the final goodbyes were said on the block, Titus gave them a request. “Now be sure you don't tell about want treasures you've got and especially where you got them. You found the legend of, “Snow Top.” Found bottles and unexpected doubloons. Found news friends. Come back anytime but keep it all mum.”
They waved goodbye. The Tight Schedule with Bill and Marcy aboard slipped away first through the canal, then, The Two Nickels, with Zack went next. The Holly Lynne was last to leave with Captain Dennis at the helm and his crew, Wesley and, Junior.
As they were starting to pick up speed away from the four Keys, a deep sea fishing boat came flying toward them. It slowed as it came near the three boats leaving. Zack waved and the richly tanned girl operating the vessel waved back at him. As it turned toward the east end of the canal and sped up quickly, they all read its name. The Himme Way. About ten minutes later they saw a forty foot, maybe bigger, sailing boat in the distance south of them. It looked like it flew a Jolly Roger, but surely not.
The trip back was beautiful but uneventful. A square groper was seen floating aimlessly along in the water about half way in. Wesley and Junior were curious about it but all remembered Titus' warning about not picking up anything adrift in these waters for a while.
CONTINUED TO BLOG TEN (10) BOTTLES
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