ENDING OF PREVIOUS POST:
"Ya must be dose guys Nala said were helping Ms. Swanson against dem Walkers." Amos moved closer and studied Cash and Billy Joe and then he pointed his pipe at Cash. "Ya must be da man smitten by dat Yankee. I heard tell she's as purdy as a speckled pup."

Is there anything he doesn't know? Cash sipped his coffee and studied the men.

"We're those guys." Billy Joe grinned and looked at Cash. "Think Nala'll bake us one of these pies?" After Cash nodded, Billy Joe continued, "We can't help unless we know if there's a real treasure chest and where it's hidden. Paige says she never heard of it."

"I'm sure she ain't." Amos set his fork down. "The story of da treasure goes all da way back to Bradley Bookman. Either of ya seen him around da house?"

Cash and Billy Joe stared at each other as their faces paled.

Amos laughed. "Ya look like ya done saw a ghost."

"Ain't no such thing as ghosts." Billy Joe straightened his shoulders.

"If ya say so." Amos chuckled. "We better have some more coffee and another slice of dat pie if we's gonna tell dat story."

TODAY'S POST:

After seconds of pie and a coffee pot were brought to the table, Amos chuckled. "So ya dink ya can tame a Yankee woman, heh?" He took a long drink of coffee. "Maybe she wants ya to tame her. Dat's the only way ya can."

Cash studied his plate and shook his head. I can't believe they're having a conversation about Paige and me. He tried to change the subject. "We won't be able to help anybody unless we know if the treasure's real or not. How can it go all the way back to Bradley Bookman? He was killed during the Battle of Chickamauga."

"Ya's be right. He was, but he came back in time for da Missus to deliver da baby, I dink his name was James. Anyways, he helped her." Amos set his cup down. "Ya see Bradley was a ghost dat had business to complete." He fingered the tobacco in his pipe. "I'm a figurin' he ain't finished yet, 'cause he's still hangin' around. My pappy said he'd help Isaiah beat da others at poker. Now, Isaiah I'm purdy sho was one of James brood." Amos put the unlit pipe between his teeth and nodded. "Sho was."

"Amos, let me tell this part." Clyde chuckled. "The fancy men would go back behind the Pirate's House and play poker. They were too fancy to go inside a place of sin. If their women folk ever found out, they'd be sleeping with us colored folks." He laughed. "Well, Bradley being a ghost and all would help his grandson by telling him what cards the other players had."

Amos glanced toward the door opening. "Hey Willie, I ain't seen ya in a month of Sundays. How ya been? Sit a spell. Dese men are wantin' to know about dat Bookman treasure. Ya hear any stories about it?"

"Mr. Amos, I heared tell it's worth millions. Nobody done found it, yet." Willie glanced back at the door. "I don't have time to say what I know. Paul and me's got us a gator in da truck. I need to get some sodas. We got mighty thirsty fightin' it." He motioned for the waitress.

Clyde jumped up. "How big that feller be?"

"I figure about fifteen foot. We saw great grandpappy out there, but we couldn't get close. He's a wiley critter. I think he done laughed at us. He must be goin' on forty years old, maybe more." Willie shook his head. "Take a look see at this one. He's purdy."

All the men rushed outside to look at the alligator in the bed of the old rusted Chevy pickup.

Billy Joe tapped its head. "I ain't never seen one that big. You sure he's only fiifteen feet. I bet he's closer to twenty. Cash, you got your twenty-five foot tape measure?"

Amos held the end of the tape measure at the end of the gator's tail, while Cash pulled it until it reached the nose. The other men looked over Cash's shoulder.

Billy Joe yelled out, "It's twenty-one feet and four inches. Wow! He's a big 'un."

Willie glanced back at the diner. "I best get the sodas. We need to get this guy to the barn and skin him. I can't wait for fried gator."

Paul rubbed his stomach. "My favorite's creole gator stew. Can't beat it."

Amos, Clyde, Billy Joe, and Cash watched as the two men drove away. Amos opened the diner's door. "We best get back to our story tellin'."

After the four men sat, Cash asked, "Where were we?"

"Amos, we need to go back further than Isaiah cheatin' at cards." Clyde took a drink of coffee. "It done got cold. Francine, honey, can you warm up my coffee. The others need help too."

As the waitress poured fresh cups of coffee, Amos continued, "Yep, we need to go back further dan dat." Amos set the pipe by his plate and ate some pie. "Ya know Sherman spent the winter of 1864 in Savannah." He sipped his coffee. "His men had lots of jewels and coins dey done stole from da Southerners before dey burned da plantations on da march to da sea. Dem men gambled with dem pirates and all da stuff got mixed up dependin' on who won and who lost. Dem soldiers hid dat stuff and rumor has it, somehow dem Walkers found it and hid it from dem soldiers." He glanced at Clyde. "You finish with your part. My pie's a wastin'."

Clyde took his last bite of pie and a long sip of coffee. "Bradley told Isaiah what cards da other men had in their hands. So his grandson won all them treasures from Walker and the pirates. Walker lost the title to fifty-five acres of land down by the river, so Bookman had the water rights." He chuckled. "Walker knew Isaiah was cheatin' but couldn't figure out how. This went on for nearly two years. Isaiah done hid that treasure. He must of hid it good. I bet it's in one of them underground tunnels."

"Did anybody ever actually see the treasure?" asked Cash.