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THE BIRDS AND SQUIRRELS sang and chattered as the group stood around, trying to figure out what Chet was talking about. There was a lot of head scratching until it finally hit Rory and he snapped his fingers, "I've got it. We just found the guide."
Chet grinned and hitched up his pants, "Yes, sir. Looks like we did." He looked at Donna-Lou, "And if this works out like I think it will, we may not have to go over there."
Donna-Lou shook her head softly, still not understanding what they were talking about. And then it dawned on and her eyes lit up, "The sign back there indicates all the signs on this side of the river work with all the ones on the other side." She looked at Emma and gave her a smile, "And the sign that Emma followed over here, led us right to the guide."
Emma beamed at her own involvement.
Chet nodded, smiling broadly himself.
Let's test out the theory," Rory said. "I'll go get the Range Rover and bring it here."
A few moments later, Rory drove up beside the tree.
Chet opened the door and reached in for the map before Rory had even stopped. Everyone crowded around as Corry and Chet placed the topographical map on the hood of the Range Rover and added this latest sign from. Then they carefully placed the oilskin over top and added the photocopies of the other signs. Donna-Lou and Rory helped align the Confederate flag over the first star.
"Look," Corry said, "if we move the flag this way...this line of stars on the flag points right to where we just found the rider with the star. And this star fits over the top of the one here on the tree...."
"That's it!" Chet said.
Donna-Lou looked over what they had, "So...if we follow the seam...that's the direction there. It angles northwest and over Cherokee ridge on the other side of the river."
Corry nodded eagerly, "You got it, mom. So, according to the distance sign, that's the bird with the six feathers on it ...we have to go six...somethings...."
"Six somethings?" Donna-Lou asked. "What does that even mean?"
"Well," Chet said slowly, "it could be six miles. Or maybe some other old measurement, like chains, rods or sections that they used to use."
Rory pointed to the bottom of the topographical map, "Okay, the legend here on the bottom of this map gives us a scale for 5 miles." He looked at Emma, "Can you grab the pencil and the magic marker in the Range Rover?"
Emma scooted off and quickly returned.
Rory took the pencil and laid it on the scale. Then he used the magic marker to put a line on the pencil, "This gives us the length of five miles." Laying it on the slicker, he said, "So...six miles would put us about...here. Anyone know what's there?"
Donna-Lou shook her head no.
Chet rubbed his chin, "I've been up there a few times. There are a lot of trees up there but it's basically flat country. Hardly a place for a cave."
"Maybe it's buried?" Rory suggested.
Chet shook his head, "No, that would be a different sign." He looked at Corry, "Right?"
Corry nodded, "Right. Different sign."
"Maybe it's in the side of a hill, then?" Donna-Lou asked.
Chet ran his finger over the area and shook his head, "No. The elevations on the topographical map don't really show much in the way of any hills up there."
Emma poked her head between Chet and Donna-Lou, "What about the hat? Or the gun?"
Donna-Lou looked down at her, "What you mean, sweetie?"
"Well, we used all the stuff you got from your house, except the hat and the gun," observed Emma. She ran to the back door of the vehicle and retrieved the Confederate stag hat. She pointed to the emblem, "What about the eight? Maybe it's eight somethings."
Chet shook his head, "No, that insignia refers to the 8th Cavalry."
Rory took a step forward, "Maybe she has something."
"How do you figure?" Donna-Lou asked him.
Taking a moment to think, Rory finally said, "Just think about it. Pride in their past may have been the reason your grandfather put the hat and the gun in the trunk. But it could also be part of the clues to the treasure." He scratched his stubble again, "A serial number from the gun wouldn't make sense. But...."
Donna-Lou gave him a few slow nods, giving it some serious thought as well, "Everything else pertained to the hidden treasure cache. Maybe the hat does too. What do you think, Chet?"
Chet took the stag hat and looked at it, thinking.
Rory placed the pencil against the map again, "The problem is...even if we go 8 miles...we still have nothing of any significance."
"Add them together," Donna-Lou said quickly. "Try 14 miles."
Chet looked at her, "Why?"
"Cause it's the only thing that makes sense," Donna-Lou reasoned. "We only have two numbers to work with, so add them, multiply them, whatever it takes."
Rory used the pencil to estimate 14 miles along the line, "That puts us...right on the edge of this topographical region."
Chet looked closer at where Rory was pointing. He straightened up, "That's the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains."
"That's where it is!" Corry said in excitement. "They moved the treasure to a cave in the Blue Ridge Mountains."
Everybody stood there leaning over the map looking at each other.
Chet looked at Rory and then Donna-Lou, "What do you think?"
Donna-Lou shrugged, "You guys are the treasure experts."
"It makes a lot of sense to me," Rory said. "All the clues seem to point to that conclusion." He looked at Corry, "What do you think?"
Corry nodded, "I think so, too. He looked proudly at Donna-Lou, "You're a real treasure hunter, mom. You did it."
Chet gave Donna-Lou a big grin, "Yeah. He's right. You're a real keeper."
Donna-Lou crossed her arms over her chest, "Sure took you some time to realize that, Mr. Chet Calhoun."
Chet blushed and looked uncomfortable.
"Why don't we just head up there and take a look? That's the only way we'll know for sure," Rory said.
Chet looked relieved with the change in topic. He nodded eagerly, hitched up his pants and looked around, orienting himself and pointing, "Well, if we head directly west that way, we'll catch a highway that heads north. If the KGC is looking for us along the river, they won't expect us to be going west and then north."
Rory nodded, "That sounds like a workable plan."
Donna-Lou gave a subtle shake of her head as she eyed Chet and then turned to Rory. "There's a nice inn up there too. We can stay overnight. And then we can take The Blue Ridge Parkway. It runs across the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains to that area on the map."
"So what are we waiting for? Let's pack up and get going," Rory conceded.
Emma pumped her fist, "Yeah."
"Oh, boy," Corry said with enthusiasm, "we're going to find the treasure of the Knights of the Golden Circle."
Donna-Lou nodded somberly, "Yeah, as long as the Knights of the Golden Circle don't find us first."