Publisher's Synopsis
An old man takes his city-slicker grandson on a fishing trip so the boy can shake hands with nature. To while away the hours, he recollects a story from his childhood - an adventure set in 1960 involving a precocious 12-year-old boy called Bug. Having purchased a packet of old letters at an estate sale, Bug uncovers hidden clues to solving the mysterious death of a depressed tycoon, one Royal Conrad, as well as the whereabouts of Conrad's missing treasures that have lingered since 1887.
Bug, accompanied by his older cousin Danny and his tall friend Cobbie, embark on a three-day adventure through the rugged but beautiful forests of North Georgia, chased all the while by a diabolical history professor and his Twinkie-obsessed henchman, Mister Strange. Join Bug, Danny, and Cobbie as they face fire-shooting bears, speeding locomotives, stump spiders, raging hounds and other dangers along the backwoods trail that leads to an astonishing discovery that changes their lives forever.
