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The boat
rushed across the loch, it's engine churning the water in its wake. A
moss-covered rock jutted out of the water. “There it is,” Fish shouted.
“I've got the map. The treasure is supposedly buried on the other side of
that island. Go around to the back of it.” James Edward Cameron Ross
pointed to the left.
“You're
awfully bossy for a ten year old,” his older brother said. “Maybe I should
toss you overboard and you can swim with the other fish, Fish.” Harry
rustled Fish's reddish brown hair.
“Leave
him alone, Harry. You're always teasing him. This time he knows what he's
talking about,” Chips scowled.
“You're
lecturing me? A girl named Chips? How did your parents ever come up with
that nickname from Fiona Moira Campbell?” Harry steered the boat towards
the rocky shore.
“It
doesn't matter, does it. Just do as Fish asks,” Chips said.
“Yes,
Ma'm.” Fourteen year old Harry rode the boat onto the pebbles. “There.
We're here on Haggis Island. I suppose we're going to see wild haggis
running around.” The boy roared with laughter.
Ignoring
him, Fish said, “I found this map behind an old picture Mum and Dad had in
the loft. I think it's real. It says there's a chest of gold buried here.”
“Who
buried it here? There were no pirates in this area, unless I missed
something in my school studies,” Harry said.
“Not
pirates, Harry; the Spanish Armada. During the war a Scottish ship, the
HMS Ormsdon, captured a Spanish ship. They took all the treasure, gold,
emeralds, rubies and all that, and put it in their hold. They were on
their way back to Edinburgh when a storm came up and carried the ship
clear up here. It finally crashed into Haggis Island and sunk. Two men
from the coast watched the ship flounder and rowed over to this island.
Their names were Angus McGregor and Walter Lamont. They found the
wreckage, salvaged all the gold and jewels and then rowed back home.
Neither of them wanted anyone else to find it.” Fish took a deep breath.
“Why
didn't they go back and get it later and when did you hear such story?”
Harry glanced at his brother.
“I
learned about it in school. They didn't go back to get it because they
both went out fishing the next day and their boat sunk. The only reason
anyone knows about the gold is because one of the men told his wife.
People have been searching for the gold since that day. The map was hidden
by Angus McGregor and stayed that way until I found it a few days ago.
I've been researching the shipwreck and it's true, Harry. Chips and I want
to find it.”
“Fish and
Chips. What a team! I hope you find it and that I get my share for riding
you over here in the dingy.” Harry stepped out of the boat. “Come on. Help
me tie this up and we'll search for the gold. I hope your map has good
directions.”
The three
of them looked around the ancient volcanic rock.
“There's
not much on this island, is there, Fish?” Chips crunched her nose to the
side. “Looks rather barren. There's hardly a tree or a bush in sight. I
agree with Harry. I hope the map is accurate.”
Fish
pulled it out of his pocket. “Here we are right here,” he pointed, showing
the others their location. “It says we have to climb to the highest spot
of the island. That's high, don't you think?”
“I hope
we don't die trying to get up there. The rock is covered with wet moss and
bird poop,” Chips said, shaking her head. “Why do we have to climb to the
highest point? Surely they didn't bury it up there. Everyone knows you
bury treasure in the sand on the beach.”
“Not
always,” Harry added. “The sea erodes the beach. It's been over 400 years
since they buried it. The sand surely would have been washed away. Of
course, they weren't planning on leaving it in there for that long. Let's
just follow the map and see what happens. If nothing else, I'm having a
good time watching the two of you make total fools of yourselves.”
Fish and
Chips ignored him. A trail wound its way up to the top, though narrow and
slippery. Flocks of screeching birds flew into the air with each step they
took. “I can see our house,” Fish said. “I can see your house too, Chips.”
“Me too.
This loch is much larger than I thought it was,” she said.
“Answer
me this, Fish. If the ship was carried by the sea up the coast, how on
earth did it wreck on this island in the middle of a loch?” Harry put his
arms on his hips.
“This is
a salt water loch, or at least part of it is,” Fish answered.
“Salt
water? Don't be daft, lad.” Harry sat on the jagged stones. “I know it's
tidal. I've just never thought much about it before now.”
“A sea
river comes into the loch during high tide. It mixes with the fresh water,
so by the time it comes here, it's pretty diluted. The ship must have
drifted in during high tide.” Fish shrugged his shoulders.
“All
right, Fish. We're up here. What do we do next?” Chips didn't feel like
spending her entire day on top of the rock admiring the scenery.
“What's
the rush? What else is there to do? I'm tired of looking for birds in the
moor and I'm tired of digging up blocks of peat. At least here we don't
have to do chores.” Fish glanced at the map. “We have to go down this
other side about half way. There's a cave.” He showed them the path on the
map.
“Let's
get going then. It looks like it might rain later. We'd better hurry,”
Chips said.
They
clambered down the trail, careful not to slip. “Is this it? It looks like
a cave.” Harry stuck his head inside.
“Go in
and find out then.” Chips leaned her hand on the rim of the cave. “Watch
out for haggis. They say wild haggis live in caves.”
“Very
funny, Chips.” Harry ducked his head and went into the cave. Fish and
Chips followed. “It's dark. Did one of you bring a torch?”
“I did,”
Fish said. He pulled one out of his pocket and handed it to his brother.
“Here.”
Harry
turned it on and shone it about the cave. “I can't see any treasure chests
in here.”
“It's not
buried in here. We have to look for a marking. The marking points to a
key,” Fish said.
“A key?
They buried a key to the chest in a cave under a marking? This sounds like
its out of a Robert Louis Stevenson book. I suppose you're not going to
tell me we have to make a bargain with a ghost?” Harry swung the beam of
the torch along the walls.
“The
marking looks like a...” Fish didn't finish.
“A skull
and crossbones? Come on, Fish. This is a joke,” his brother said.
“No, it's
not. It's real. We're not looking for a skull and crossbones. We are
looking for a triangle with a circle inside it. I doubt very much if Angus
or Walter spent too much time carving something elaborate on the cave
wall. Start looking.” Fish ran to the back of the cave and ran his hands
along it, feeling for an indentation.
“I found
it,” Chips shouted. “It's a triangle with a circle inside, just like you
said.” She followed the point of the triangle down to the ground. Brushing
the dirt out of the way, she felt a hole. “I think I've got it.” She stuck
her fingers in and pulled out a long, rusty key.
“It's a
key!” Harry took it from Chips, shining the torch on it. “It's rusted and
definitely old-fashioned.”
Fish ran
over to them. “Wow! It is real. Now all we have to do is follow the map to
the treasure.”
“Does X
mark the spot?” Harry burst out laughing. “Sorry, Fish,” he said, seeing
his brother's scowl.
“Where do
we go next, Fish?” Chips took the key and put it in her pocket. “It'll be
safe in here.”
“We have
to go down the trail. There's another cave and it can only be found when
the tide is out.” Fish stood high above the entrance to the cave and
stared down. “The tide is out right now. Come on before it starts coming
in again.”
“Fish,
the sky's getting dark. I don't want to be stranded out here all day and
night.”
“Don't
you trust my boating skills, Chips?” Harry poked her in the ribs.
“Not
really. My dad has a hard time with a boat in the stormy waters of this
loch. You know about that. Your dad nearly drowned a few years ago,
Harry.” Chips frowned and glanced at the sky.
“She's
right. Let's get on with this.” Harry headed down the trail. “We need to
get to the bottom.” Half an hour later they stood in front of the cave.
“The tide is out. Let's go inside. What are we looking for this time?”
“They
carved a square with a triangle inside,” Fish said.
Harry
shook his head. “They weren't very creative, were they.”
“Use the
torch, Harry and let's find the marking. Once we find it, Fish, what
then?” Chips stepped into the cave. Water rushed in, splashing on her
legs. “The tide's starting to come in. Well?”
Fish
looked at the map. “There's a stone in the shape of a horse. We need it to
get into the chest.”
“A horse?
Why in the world do we need a horse-shaped stone to get into the treasure?
Sounds like Angus and Walter were a wee bit off their heads if you ask
me.” Harry twisted his fingers around in a circle just off his ear.
“Madmen.”
“Harry,
if you're going to be negative, just go sit in the boat and wait.
Otherwise be quiet and help look for the square. Use the torch.” Chips
sighed. “Start looking. I don't like this at all. The tide's coming in and
there's a storm on the horizon. Let's just hurry up and do this.”
It only
took a few minutes to find the marking and the stone. Fish put it in his
pocket and they rushed out of the cave just as the waves rolled in. “That
was close. We'd have been trapped in there and drowned,” Harry said.
“What
next, Fish?” Chips felt her pocket to make sure the key was still there.
“Back
down to the beach. After we get off the rock, we have to take fifteen
steps.”
“Fifteen
of your size steps, or fifteen of Harry's size steps?” Chips looked down
at the map. “It doesn't say. I suppose it would be more Harry's size.
Walter and Angus were grown men.”
Once they
reached the sand, Harry took the steps, stretching his legs as far as he
could. “Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. This is it then?”
“It
should be.” Fish looked around.
“What's
wrong, Fish?” Chips showed concern.
“I forgot
to bring a spade. What will we dig it up with?”
“Our bare
hands, I suppose.” Harry knelt and started moving wet sand to the side.
“Well? Are you two going to leave me to do all the work, or are you going
to help?”
Fish and
Chips knelt and pushed the sand out of the way. They dug until the hole
was deep enough for Fish to stand it.
“Where's
the treasure chest?” Harry tapped his foot on the sand.
“I'm not
digging one more handful, Fish. This has been a complete waste of time.”
Chips rambled on.
Fish eyed
the walls. “I see something. Jump down in here with me.”
“No way.
One of us has to stay up here. Besides that, the tide is coming in and in
a few minutes that hole will be under water.” Harry refused to move.
Chips
jumped into the hole. “There is something.” She and fish dug with their
fingers. “It's a chest. It's true. There is a chest.”
Harry
changed his mind and jumped in. “I'll help you.”
Ten
minutes later they had the chest in their hands. Harry said, “You two
climb out and stand near the hole. You're going to have to help me from up
there.” He grabbed the sides and struggled to lift it to his knees. “Grab
it. It's heavy.”
Fish and
Chips reached down, grabbed the handles and pulled it out onto the ground.
Harry
climbed out and the three of them sat staring at it. The first waves
lapped at their feet. “Let's take this to higher ground.”
“What
about our boat? Did we pull it far enough so that the tide doesn't carry
it out?” Chips glanced at Harry.
“Yes, I
think so. Let's take the chest back to the boat. We can take it home and
open it there.” Harry dragged it across the sand. “Are you going to help
me with this thing or just stand there all day?”
Chips
stood behind the chest and pushed it. “We don't have to climb back the way
we came, do we? Can't we walk around the beach?” She looked at the
incoming waves. “If we hurry, I'm sure we can make it.” Huffing and
puffing, they hauled it all the way around the island.
“There's
the boat!” Fish left the other two with the chest and ran. “The tide is
about to carry it out. Run!”
“Hey! Get
back here and help!” Chips felt the first raindrops fall, splattering on
her face. She and Harry lugged the chest to the dingy. She looked at the
sky. Gray clouds, dark and heavy, unloaded their moisture on the island.
“We're doomed. We can't possibly go home in this weather. Harry, we're all
going to have to help lift this thing into the boat.”
“If we
put it in the dingy, then the waves might carry it and the dingy away,”
Harry said.
“What?”
Fish glanced at the waves. “The storm's not that bad.”
“We're
going to have to take it to the cave,” Harry said.
Chips
glared at Fish. “Now, pull the boat onto the sand.”
The waves
grew and the rain came down harder with every passing moment. “All right.
Let's get to the cave and wait this storm out. We can open the chest in
the cave,” Fish said.
“It will
be nearly impossible to carry this heavy chest all the way up there.
However, I might be motivated if I knew it held rubies and emeralds and
gold.” Harry snickered.
“You're
right. We should open it right here. I'm rather excited, aren't you?” Fish
winked at Chips. “We might become the richest people in Scotland in just a
few minutes.”
Chips
reached into her pocket. “Here's the key.”
Harry
opened the lid. “What? There's another compartment. Give me that
horse-shaped stone, Fish.” Harry pushed it into a matching shaped hole.
The second lid popped open.
“Bottles?” Chips stared at the glass.
Fish
lifted one of them up. “It's Spanish wine. That's their treasure? We did
all this work for a case of wine?”
Chips
laughed. “This is brilliant.”
Harry
laughed too. “Wine? I suppose to 16th century men this would be
a treasure. Say, if this wine is over 400 years old, it must be worth a
pretty penny. I say we take it to Hamish McMillan at the Heather and
Thistle Inn. He'd probably give us a few quid for it. At least we can
have enough money for a fish supper, eh Fish?” Harry nudged his brother.
Fish
sighed. “I wanted it to be gold and jewels, not wine.”
“Don't
fret, Fish. We'll have lots of other adventures. I hear there's a load of
Celtic treasure buried in the Garlochie Hills. Maybe we can search for
that.” Chips patted Fish on the back.
“Enough
of this, glum behavior. We'll get paid a pretty penny for this wine.”
Harry slapped Fish on the shoulder.
They
spent the next few hours telling stories of ghosts and robbers and even
shared a few haggis tales. The storm passed and Harry took them and their
cache of wine back to shore. Immediately they headed for the Heather
and Thistle Inn. Hamish was quite pleased to see the wine, paid them
enough to bring long-lasting smiles to their faces. After a fish supper,
Fish and Chips and Harry headed home, knowing they'd never forget their
day at Haggis Island. |
