Searching for the Treasure of Jesse James

by Christopher Cloud

Kids at school call Pablo "duct tape" because his shoes are kept together with--you guessed it--duct tape. He's twelve years old, poor, and doesn't have much hope of ever escaping the bullies at school. Then, while swimming in the river by his home, everything changes when young Pablo discovers a twenty dollar gold coin! At the county fair, Pablo buys a treasure map for a dollar. Where does the map claim to lead? To famous criminal Jesse James's hidden stash, of course! Could there possibly be a link between the gold coin Pablo found and the mysterious map? Sick of being made fun of, he decides to go on an adventure that could turn dangerous. He takes along his little sister, Pia, and his cousin, Kiki. To navigate the caves on the map, they hire grumpy guide Monroe. Off they go on a wild three-day treasure hunt filled with dark caves and near death excitement. Will Pablo find the treasure and shut up those school bullies for good, or will his map just get him lost in the wilderness?

180 pages, Paperback

Published February 26, 2015

About the author

Christopher Cloud began writing fiction full time after a long career in journalism and public relations. Cloud graduated from the University of Missouri in 1967 with a degree in journalism. He has worked as a reporter, editor, and columnist at newspapers in Texas, California, and Missouri. He was employed by a major oil company as a public relations executive, and later operated his own public relations agency. Chris lives in Joplin, Missouri, and enjoys golf and hiking.