Publisher's Synopsis
One of the biggest treasures thought still to be hidden in America is the shipment of the Mexican treasury just before Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico was executed by a Mexican nationalist firing squad. He sent his wife ahead early to Europe to receive the entire treasure, but neither he, nor the treasure ever made it. Six Missourians hired to assist the Austrian Guards in taking a 15-wagon team train in which the treasure was disguised as flour barrels from Mexico through West Texas to the port of Galveston, killed the wagon masters somewhere between Horsehead Crossing over the Pecos River and Castle Gap, a deep cut "V" between Castle Mountain and King Mountain. Estimates of the value of the treasure continue to escalate over time as the gold, silver, minted coins, metal plate, and jewels achieve greater historical value, not to mention the intrinsic price increases of the gold and silver. This historical fiction is based on fact. The treasure has never been found. The last estimated worth was over $10,000,000. I now estimate the value to be at least $200,000,000, although it could be considered priceless for its historic value. Only one man survived the trip after he and his six friends shot the entire wagon master crew, and then were killed by a marauding Comanche band themselves. He made it to Fort Concho, but was barely alive. As he lay dying, he drew a map of the Castle Gap area with markers of where the treasure was buried and gave it to Doctor Black, an appropriate name for the occasion. Dr. Black got together with a friend several months later and set out to find the buried treasure. They had not counted on the rapidly shifting dirt and sand, or the rapid degeneration of vegetation from the raw powerful gusts of West Texas storms. They never found the treasure. Countless legal and illegal parties blasted holes at night with dynamite on a ranchers property, and then tried to find the treasure by day, have searched over the past 150 years plus, but failed. Emperor Maximilian lost his life, Carlota, his empress went mad. The treasure sits somewhere laughing at the world.
