up. “The mines? Yes. I’m ready to find them.”
Mr. Veramendi pointed to his map.
“Look here, Jim. I talked to a merchant who just came from that area. He said there are not many people there now. The Comanches have scared them away. Now is the time to look. There will not be people following you to find the mine. The merchant said that the mine is supposed to be in this area.”
Jim looked at the map. He stared at the place where Mr. Veramendi was pointing.
“If the mine is in that area, it shouldn’t be hard to find.”
Mr. Veramendi shook his head.
“Don’t be so sure, Jim. If it were that easy to find, someone would have found it long ago. You’ll have to search the area carefully. I think it’ll take you some time to completely search this place.”
Jim smiled. “Well, Mr. Veramendi, I have nothing but time.”
Mr. Veramendi shook his head.
“You’ll have to be very careful, Jim. The merchant told me that the Comanches were in the area. They attacked his group and he was lucky to escape.”
“I’ll take enough men to fight off the Comanches. When do you want us to leave?”
Mr. Veramendi stood up.
“The day after tomorrow. I’ve already ordered the supplies you’ll need; they should be ready for you. You must tell no one, not even Ursula, what you are searching for. If people hear about this, they’ll follow you.”
“I’ll need to tell the men where we’re going. I can’t ask them to ride into Comanche territory and not know what they’re doing.”
Mr. Veramendi walked over to Jim.
“Wait until you’re on the road for a day. Then anyone who wants to come back can. By the time they get here, you’ll be too far for anyone to catch you. How many men will you take?”
Jim thought for a minute.
“I’ll take ten, including my brother. That should be a large enough group to handle any Indians we might see.”
Mr. Veramendi shook Jim’s hand.
“All right. Your supplies will be waiting for you at the old mission just outside of town. The one they call the Alamo. Good luck, Jim.”
“Thank you, Mr. Veramendi. I think I’ll need some luck.”
As we walked down the street to Jim’s house, he was silent. I could tell he was planning the trip to San Saba. Finally he looked at me and patted my head.
“When we find that mine, Gator, I’m going to get you a fancy collar. What do you think of that?”
I wagged my tail and licked his hand. I wished he would get me a nice bone instead.
Chapter Ten
The sun had set, and the only light came from our campfire. We had been traveling all day and the men were tired. The smell of roasting meat filled my nostrils as I lay next to Jim. A chill was in the air and the fire felt good. The men sat or lay around the fire. There was not much talking. Rezin and Turner checked on the horses and then walked back into our little circle. Rezin sat next to Jim while Turner carved some meat from the roasting buffalo.
“Are you going to tell us where we’re going now?” Rezin asked Jim.
Jim stretched and looked around the circle.
“I guess now is a good time. We’re headed to the area around the old San Saba Mission ruins.”
Turner chewed his bite, then asked, “Why are we going there? There’s nothing there but snakes and Indians.”
Jim looked into the fire.
“There might be something else. Mr. Veramendi told me there’s a story about a lost mine around there somewhere. He said that mine has more gold or silver than we could ever spend. That’s what we’re looking for.”
The men were listening with interest. They would like to find the mine and get all that gold or silver. Turner reached for another slice of meat.
“Why are we being so sneaky? Why didn’t you tell us this before?”
“Mr. Veramendi didn’t want others to know. He was afraid they’d follow us. They’d certainly be in our way.”
Rezin stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants.
“Well, I’m ready to go find this mine. What time do we start
Mr. Veramendi pointed to his map.
“Look here, Jim. I talked to a merchant who just came from that area. He said there are not many people there now. The Comanches have scared them away. Now is the time to look. There will not be people following you to find the mine. The merchant said that the mine is supposed to be in this area.”
Jim looked at the map. He stared at the place where Mr. Veramendi was pointing.
“If the mine is in that area, it shouldn’t be hard to find.”
Mr. Veramendi shook his head.
“Don’t be so sure, Jim. If it were that easy to find, someone would have found it long ago. You’ll have to search the area carefully. I think it’ll take you some time to completely search this place.”
Jim smiled. “Well, Mr. Veramendi, I have nothing but time.”
Mr. Veramendi shook his head.
“You’ll have to be very careful, Jim. The merchant told me that the Comanches were in the area. They attacked his group and he was lucky to escape.”
“I’ll take enough men to fight off the Comanches. When do you want us to leave?”
Mr. Veramendi stood up.
“The day after tomorrow. I’ve already ordered the supplies you’ll need; they should be ready for you. You must tell no one, not even Ursula, what you are searching for. If people hear about this, they’ll follow you.”
“I’ll need to tell the men where we’re going. I can’t ask them to ride into Comanche territory and not know what they’re doing.”
Mr. Veramendi walked over to Jim.
“Wait until you’re on the road for a day. Then anyone who wants to come back can. By the time they get here, you’ll be too far for anyone to catch you. How many men will you take?”
Jim thought for a minute.
“I’ll take ten, including my brother. That should be a large enough group to handle any Indians we might see.”
Mr. Veramendi shook Jim’s hand.
“All right. Your supplies will be waiting for you at the old mission just outside of town. The one they call the Alamo. Good luck, Jim.”
“Thank you, Mr. Veramendi. I think I’ll need some luck.”
As we walked down the street to Jim’s house, he was silent. I could tell he was planning the trip to San Saba. Finally he looked at me and patted my head.
“When we find that mine, Gator, I’m going to get you a fancy collar. What do you think of that?”
I wagged my tail and licked his hand. I wished he would get me a nice bone instead.
Chapter Ten
The sun had set, and the only light came from our campfire. We had been traveling all day and the men were tired. The smell of roasting meat filled my nostrils as I lay next to Jim. A chill was in the air and the fire felt good. The men sat or lay around the fire. There was not much talking. Rezin and Turner checked on the horses and then walked back into our little circle. Rezin sat next to Jim while Turner carved some meat from the roasting buffalo.
“Are you going to tell us where we’re going now?” Rezin asked Jim.
Jim stretched and looked around the circle.
“I guess now is a good time. We’re headed to the area around the old San Saba Mission ruins.”
Turner chewed his bite, then asked, “Why are we going there? There’s nothing there but snakes and Indians.”
Jim looked into the fire.
“There might be something else. Mr. Veramendi told me there’s a story about a lost mine around there somewhere. He said that mine has more gold or silver than we could ever spend. That’s what we’re looking for.”
The men were listening with interest. They would like to find the mine and get all that gold or silver. Turner reached for another slice of meat.
“Why are we being so sneaky? Why didn’t you tell us this before?”
“Mr. Veramendi didn’t want others to know. He was afraid they’d follow us. They’d certainly be in our way.”
Rezin stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants.
“Well, I’m ready to go find this mine. What time do we start
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