Free The Treasure of El Patron by Gary Paulsen Page B

the boys.
    A tall, muscular policeman dressed in military-style shorts, which exposed a long, puckered scar on his right leg, stood in the center of the street directing traffic. He stopped the oncoming cars and motioned for the boys to cross. “How’s your mama, Tag?”
    “She’s fine, Thomas.”
    The officer raised one eyebrow and slowlylimped across the street with them. “Some saying maybe she works too hard down at that tourist café.”
    Tag smiled at the man, who had been one of his father’s closest friends. “
Some
would probably know. See you around, Thomas.”
    Thomas winked at Cowboy. “You try and keep this no-account white boy out of trouble, hear?”
    “It’ll be hard, but I’ll try.” Cowboy ran to catch up with Tag. “Want me to carry your tank?”
    “No thanks, I’ve got it. Come on, we better hustle if we’re gonna catch Gamell before he closes.”
    Tag led the way to the other side of town and up a steep road to a small, run-down shop with a sign above the door that said DIVING .
    A small silver bell tinkled as they burst through the screen door. An old man with wrinkled grayish black skin and streaks of white in his hair looked up and smiled, showing that he was missing two front teeth. “Tag, boy. What do you know?”
    “I need you to look at my tank if you have time, Gamell.”
    The elderly man put on his glasses and examined the tank in silence. He tapped the gauge. “Here’s your problem. I’ll have it fixed in no time.” He took it apart and began replacing fittings. “You boys going down this evening?”
    Tag nodded. “Thought we’d take another look at Tiger Head reef.”
    Gamell shook his head. “Just like your daddy. Always searching for the big treasure.”
    “It’s out there, Gamell, and I’m gonna be the one to bring it in.”
    Gamell studied the boy with sharp eyes. “I was hoping you would eventually give it up. But I can see you won’t ever quit until you find it.” The old man blew air through the gap between his teeth. “Maybe it’s time I showed you something.” He shuffled out of the room and returned in a few moments with a polished wooden case. He took a rolled-up piece of paper out of it. Gently he slid a faded red ribbon off the document and slowly spread the paper out on the counter.
    The boys crowded in for a closer look. It was a list written in Spanish.
    “What does it say, Gamell?” Tag asked eagerly.
    “It happens to be a ship’s manifest. A ship called
El Patrón
.”
    “I don’t get it—” Cowboy started.
    Tag held up his hand to silence his friend. “Let Gamell finish.”
    The old man cleared his throat. “
El Patrón
was a galleon on its way back to Spain from a trade mission. It went down in a hurricane and most of the crew and passengers were lost. A few members of the crew escaped with this. This manifest is now more than three hundred years old. It lists the silver, gold and other cargo that was aboard
El Patrón
.” He took a second yellowed piece of paper out of the case. “This is another account of the cargo. The unregistered cargo, that is. It’s signed by an Admiral Bartolomé de Campos, who survived the shipwreck.”
    “Shipwreck?” Tag said the word almost reverently.
    “The one your daddy was looking for, Tag.”
    “You know where it is, Gamell?”
    “Not the exact location. All I have is the admiral’s account, which is not too specific.Here; it’s somewhere under this reef.” He pointed at a map taped to the counter. “That’s where your father thought it was.”
    The old man grew solemn and rolled up the paper. “I showed this manifest to your daddy and it was the cause of his death. Thomas lost his job as chief of police because of his hurt leg. I wouldn’t be showing it to you now except I know you’re hardheaded and not going to stop no matter what.”
    “My father was killed in a diving accident, Gamell. His regulator malfunctioned at the bottom of the ocean. Thomas tried to save him and lost