The Lost Gold of the Montezumas: A Story of the AlamoStoddard, William O.
General
The Lost Gold of the Montezumas: A Story of the Alamo
Stoddard, William O.
Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.) -- Siege, 1836 -- Juvenile fiction
Red Wolf had seen silver money, and any coin was to him a "dollar," but
it was a matter concerning which he knew very little. It was
altogether "white man's medicine," and of a very powerful kind. He
knew that, at least, and his next thought was uttered aloud.
"Tetzcatl not see dollars. No find. Red Wolf talk to Big Knife.
Great chief know. Heap take."
Very strong was his convictions that if Tetzcatl had at any time
discovered that stuff, he would have hidden it again or carried it
away. He did not regard the Tlascalan as his friend by any means, nor
did he consider him as any kind of white man. Colonel Bowie was his
chief just at this time, and he would know what to do with dollars.
Therefore there could be no hesitation as to the right course to be
pursued. Somehow or other this affair was to be reported to the Texan
hero and to him only.
All that Red Wolf said or did, nevertheless, brought clearly out a
well-known trait of savage character. That is, he had no clear idea of
"value," and so he was not ready for "money." All of his thorough
education as a brave of the Lipans had not taught him to count. He
would have been as poor a hand at a bargain as if he had been a whole
council of great chiefs selling half a new State to the agents of the
United States.
His most exciting idea concerning his discovery was that he had found
something which he believed would be of especial interest to Big Knife.
He gathered the scattered coins and put them into the hole. He lifted
the uppermost bags to find out how heavy they were, but he did not open
any of them. He put down the last bag that he lifted with a low-toned
exclamation of "heap medicine," as if it awed him.
Only a few minutes of work were then required to cover the opening with
fragments of _adobe_. After that the young treasure-finder, who did
not know what he had found, turned and walked away toward the pond.
He must have been thinking of other matters while he walked, for he
turned quickly and went to his mustang. Up came the lariat-pin, and
once more the sorrel, after being watered was led into the greater
security of the chaparral.
"No Tetzcatl come," he remarked, as he went. "Too many Comanche."
He had been a reckless, foolhardy young fellow, and he said so, in
remaining so long out of cover, when he knew what enemies were hunting
for him. He tethered the pony and found for himself a thicket from
which he had a good view of the pond and its surroundings. No smoke
was now arising from the _adobe_.
Patiently, silently, he lay and waited and an hour passed slowly by.
Then he suddenly crouched lower and fitted an arrow to his bow-string.
"Ugh!" he said. "Horse foot come!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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