Spanish Gold By Richard E. Flanagan My novel, Spanish Gold, is the second novel of a trilogy telling the tale of the Kincaid brothers in the emerging territory of Texas in the mid 1800’s. The first novel, The Abilene Trail, is under contract with JoNa Books and should be released in 2004. Tal, the oldest Kincaid brother, finds a chest of Spanish gold coins and gold dust in a cave, while returning to the little town of Mystery from Abilene, Texas. The fortune makes the Kincaid brothers the richest men in the emerging state of Texas. Tal brings a sample of the treasure back with him to Mystery, Texas. Mystery is the small town where Tal has met the love of his live, the widow Emmaline Evans. The widow Evans owns the boarding house in Mystery and is called Em by her friends. Tal tells Em about the gold coins and pouches of gold dust he had found. He found the treasure and now he needs to get the treasure to Abilene. Only there will he be able to sell the Spanish coins and convert the gold dust into hard cash. The news of the treasure is overheard by local ruffian, who, with his two friends plans to rob Tal of the gold. G. W. Titus, an old Texas Ranger and his Indian side-kick, Bear show up in Mystery. The old lawman and his Indian friend are on the trail of one of the many owl hoots in the lawless territory. With them is a Blackman named Amos. Amos had been found by Bear, unconscious on the trail, beaten and left for dead by white men that had no love for black men. Amos had been nursed back to health by Bear and chose to remain with the two men who had helped him. Tal asks G. W. and the two men with him to ride with him to help safeguard the treasure on the trip to Abilene. They agree and they make plans to carry the treasure to the bank in Abilene. The four men start on their trip to Abilene and encounter the three outlaws who are intent on stealing the treasure. They become aware of the three men that are following them and wait for them to attack in the cave where the treasure is buried. The attack is thwarted by a band of Apaches led by their war chief, Walking Wolf. The three men are killed by the Indians and their horses, weapons and supplies taken by the Indians. The Indians are unaware of the men in the cave and leave. Tal and his friends continue their journey with the treasure to Abilene. When the treasure is safe in the bank in Abil ene, Tal and his three friends join an Army troop for the trip back to Mystery. While with the Army troop, they are safe from Indian attack. After they break off from the Army troop to continue their trip on the trail to Mystery, they are attacked by Walking Wolf, and arrive in Mystery only after great difficulty. Their frantic ride to Mystery is accomplished only because of the strength of their horses and at the sacrifice of the pack horses. Tal is rejoined with the love of his life, Em, and they start to make plans for the future. G. W. becomes the acting town marshal when the town marshal is killed. Tal and the old ranger, with the help of Bear and Amos, hold the killer in jail until the circuit judge arrives and oversees the trial of the man. The killer is hanged and G. W. becomes the official town marshal of Mystery. Bear returns to his village to live the remainder of his life in the company of his people. Amos agrees to work for Tal on the ranch he intends to build and manage the horses. Tal telegraphs his brothers in Boston and without telling them that they are rich men, asks them to return to Mystery. The two younger brothers return with their friend Isaac Trumble and learn of their good fortune. Spanish Gold weaves the saga of Tal and the treasure, as well as the two younger brother’s adventures on the trip to Boston with their friend Isaac Trumble. Upon the return and the reuniting of the Kincaid brothers, the men start to make plans for building the largest cattle ranch in the territory. The last chapter of the novel provides a transition to the next novel in the series, The Triple K Ranch. Return to Books >>