Doubloon Trouble 11

Tornado raced across the landscape, happily stretching his legs. His rider enjoyed the warm air rushing by, letting his thoughts drift back in time to the day he had the most brilliant idea for a place to hide in a game of hide and seek at the hacienda of Javier Fabregás.

A smile appeared on the masked man's face. He was sure Raúl would never have found him there, but Don Javier had witnessed his attempt and stopped him. Young Diego had never seen anyone so angry before. Today he would find out if the reason for Don Javier's anger was about more than just his recklessness, as the don had put it.

Young Diego, in search of a hiding spot, had attempted to climb into the well of his friend's hacienda. He had done so before at his own hacienda, always careful he wasn't caught.

Their own well was a real challenge for the ten-year-old boy and Diego was a boy who loved challenges. The well at his friend's place he considered less of a challenge as it was slightly narrower. It was easier to reach from wall to wall to find a grip.

Just as Diego had lowered himself enough that his head began disappearing, Don Javier had caught a glimpse of him and had literally dragged him up by the scruff of his neck. The old man's face had been contorted by anger as he had shouted at the young boy something about risking his neck.

Afterwards, Diego had been surprised but happy that Don Javier had refrained from telling his father about his escapade. He would certainly have been on the receiving end of an even worse telling off from his old man. Reveling in his memory, Zorro's curiosity peaked again as he marveled about Don Javier's secrecy.

***zzz***

Bernardo's thoughts were running in circles all the way to the pueblo. He couldn't shake off the feeling that Diego was up to something. He knew his younger friend well enough to be sure. The mozo knew Zorro would ride, but it bothered him that he didn't know the exact intentions of his master.

In town, he followed the siblings across the plaza. It was market day and he saw Raúl buying a few things, including a rope.

"What do you want with the rope, Raúl?" Soledad wondered.

"I may need it to recover my sword. I don't know how deep the water level of the well is and I saw how the old rope has rotted away."

"Don't tell me you want to climb down there," Soledad sounded slightly exasperated.

"I don't know, yet. I might have to. But I will cross that bridge when I get there." Raúl smirked.

Soledad shook her head and, looking at Bernardo, she rolled her eyes. Bernardo carefully kept his face neutral but inside he was laughing at their antics.

"Is there anything else we need to get? Because I'm hungry," Soledad asked her brother.

"I think we're all set. Let's all grab a bite to eat at the tavern. We have to decide also if we first best search the cellar or rather the stables. These damned doubloons are starting to get to me," Raúl growled.

"You know, Raúl, I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever find that treasure," Soledad mused. "I know Father must have had a spot to hide all the valuables."

"He had those small compartments in the fireplace," Raúl reminded her. "But they're much too small to contain a whole treasure chest."

"Only a tiny one would fit in," Soledad laughed. "But then we didn't even find a single coin and we've practically torn the place apart inch by inch. "

"Do you remember those gold bars Father once kept for his friend Don Tómas?" Raúl had the look of someone who had just learned a vital piece of information. Soledad frowned.

"You mean to say they were at our hacienda?" She sounded incredulous.

"Si," Raúl confirmed

"I know Father spoke about it briefly at dinner one day." Soledad nodded, remembering.

"The next day, Father believed that Diego and I were out riding. I think you and Mother went to visit at the Torres rancho." Soledad raised her head, looking at her brother with peaked curiosity. "Well, Diego and I weren't riding. We had been, yes, but then we saw Don Tómas in his carriage with his servant and we decided it would be fun to shadow him without him noticing."

"Now what does that have to do with the gold bars?" Soledad queried.

"Well, we were hiding in the vines that were growing on the outer wall. Don Tómas had a fairly big chest with him, about two feet by one. He opened it briefly to show Father and I caught a glimpse at the bars in it. Diego couldn't see them from where he was hidden. But I know, bars in the chest or not, Father couldn't have hidden them in any of the small compartments in the hacienda. There must be another place, a bigger one, where he stored them."

"Well, where could it be? You said the wine cellar would be the most likely place. But maybe Father just used an empty vat to hide the gold," Soledad sighed.

"That's just what I mean," Raúl exhaled loudly. "These doubloons are really getting to me."

"But they would come in handy since we have to refurnish the whole place, so we better keep looking," his sister quipped, stepping into the tavern. Bernardo chuckled silently and followed the siblings.

***zzz***

Zorro arrived at the hacienda and hid Tornado in the brush outside the gate. He entered the patio and went straight to the well. Looking in it he saw it had very little water. On the bottom, he made out Raúls rapier, the handle sticking out of the water. Still Zorro estimated it was about six yards down to reach it.

Tying a forked branch he found in the brush to the end of his whip, he lowered it down and managed to hook the sword's handle into it, pulling everything up. The fox untied the branch and dropped the sword to the ground. Then he went to look down the well again. Scrutinising every stone he was searching for a giveaway.

It took Zorro a good few minutes to finally recognise something out of the ordinary. Half way to the bottom, he noticed four smaller stones arranged in an open rectangle. All the other stones were at least twice the size. It could mean nothing but Zorro thought it was worth a try.

He tied the end of the whip to the metal bar that ran across the opening of the well, usually meant to roll up the rope of the water bucket to lower and retrieve it. He tested if the bar would hold his weight. Satisfied he could us the whip as an emergency rope, he dropped the handle into the well. It came to a stop a few feet above the water line.

Zorro climbed onto the edge of the well and took off his cape, dropping it next to the sword he'd retrieved. Slowly, using his hands and his feet, he climbed down in the well until his boots almost touched the water. The masked man pushed his legs against the curved wall, having his back against the opposite wall. Now his hands were free to explore those four small stones.

***zzz***

Bernardo was enjoying the last bit of wine in his mug when he saw Sergeant Garcia enter the tavern. The soldier scanned the room, obviously looking for a familiar face to chance on being offered some wine. His face lit up when he saw the threesome at a nearby table.

Soledad was in a conversation with her brother and looked up when the sergeant arrived at their table. She smiled at the military man and Raúl offered him the empty chair to have a seat.

"Gracias, Señor Fabregás," Garcia beamed, accepting the mug of wine the young man proffered him.

"Sergeant, please. The name is Raúl. If you keep calling me Señor Fabregás I will keep thinking you're talking to my late father," Raúl quipped with a smile. "It makes me feel old."

"But of course, Señ... eh, Don Raúl," the sergeant complied, taking a gulp of wine. "By the way, how is Don Diego doing today?"

"Well, Sergeant, he made a much improved impression on me before we left for town. He's resting at the hacienda, while Bernardo here will help us try to find the treasure."

"Oh, I see. Well I do hope you will soon find it. My jail cells are almost overflowing with banditos that want your gold."

Soledad chuckled despite herself. "What will you do with all the prisoners, Sergeant?"

"I received a note from a courier this morning stating that soldiers from Mexico City will escort those banditos back to where they came from."

"Wonderful," Raúl sounded quite cheerful. "Let's drink to that." He raised his glass to his friends. "Salud!"

Soledad, the sergeant and Bernardo copied him. "Salud!"

Raúl pulled a few pesos from his pocket and placed them on the table. Getting up, he waved to the barmaid and indicated the money. Then he turned back to his friends.

"We better get going so we can make use of the sunlight as long as possible."

***zzz***

Down in the well, Zorro tried to find any type of hidden mechanism around the small stones. When pushing them didn't work, he tried pulling them out. He found the two upper ones moved and when he engaged them simultaneously, he heard a gurgling sound underneath him.

Since there was little water in the well it merely took a few moments and all of it was drained, revealing the stone bottom. Gratefully Zorro put his feet down to stand upright.

Now the fox tested the lower stones and found if he pushed only the one to his right, the whole section underneath the top stones turned like a table. Part of the well's wall turned inward, circling on an invisible pin, revealing a chamber big enough to hide a vat of wine.

However, it wasn't a vat the fox found. It was a rather slender box, or chest, made from copper, sealed by an iron lock. Lifting it, Zorro found it wasn't as heavy as he had feared. He was confident the whip would be strong enough to hold it.

Zorro moved the chest to the middle of the well. Threading the handle of the whip through the central handle he turned it so it couldn't slip out easily.

A sparkle from the compartment caught his eye and he looked at it again. A lonely ray of sunshine that found its way down the well reflected in something silvery. Bending down, Zorro recognised a small key.

He picked it up and pocketed it. Then he proceeded to climb up the walls of the well again.

Reaching the top Zorro pulled up his whip and with it the chest. Just as he heaved it over the edge of the well and settled it on the ground he heard several horses approaching.

He untied his whip and donned the cape again, then he placed Raúl's sword on top of the chest and retreated to the wall, right next to the open gate which gave him cover. A smile crept on his face when Raúl came into view, rapidly jumping off his horse and staring at his sword and the chest incredulously.

"How on earth...?" Raúl muttered when his sister and Bernardo joined him. Bernardo, knowing it was Zorro's work, immediately searched the shadows for his friend.

"Is that the chest?" Soledad whispered.

"I... I think so," Raúl rasped excitedly. "But how did it get here? How did my sword get here?"

"If you allow me a few words," a voice from behind them called. The siblings turned in unison as the black clad man stepped out of the shadow and walked a couple of steps towards them.

"Zorro," Raúl greeted while Soledad as well as Bernardo simply beamed at the man. "Am I right to assume this is your doing?"

"Si, Señor," the fox nodded. "As I was retrieving your sword I found a hidden compartment in the well, which contained this chest." He pointed at it.

"I don't know what to say, Señor Zorro. A simple gracias doesn't even begin to cover the thanks we owe you," Raúl said.

Soledad walked up to Zorro as he whistled for his horse. The coal black stallion obediently appeared on the patio.

"Señorita," Zorro called, holding out his gloved hand to her. She looked at it and he uncurled his fingers, revealing the key. "I believe you need this to open the chest."

Taking the key from his hand, Soledad stopped right next to Zorro. She looked up at him and returned his smile.

"Gracias from me, too, Señor Zorro." Her blue eyes briefly locked with his hazel ones. She lifted her hand to touch his cheek but he caught it with his own and pressed a kiss on the back of her hand.

"Hasta la vista, Señorita," he smiled. Then he jumped onto his steed's back and looked at Raúl and Bernardo. "Señores," he nodded, tipping his hat, saluting.

"Vaya con dios...," Soledad called as she watched him canter off, whispering the last word. "...Diego."

THE END

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To my faithful readers - you see the story has come to an end. And how most of you assumed, Soledad has figured out the secret. I'm having half a mind of writing a sequel, what do you think? Oh, and thankZ for all your reviewZ - much appreciated!