Beadle's Dime Novels, No. 91: The Lost Cache

"The Lost Cache: A Tale of Hidden Treasure" Two young men in antebellum St. Louis examine a mysterious, aged map promising buried treasure. Harry Chenault, a fur-dealer's son, and Samuel Myers, an engineer, investigate the document allegedly obtained from an old trapper who acquired it from a dying Crow Indian—who claimed a white captive had hidden gold in the mountains. Myers applies logical and surveying expertise to authenticate the map's technical details: its geographical accuracy regarding the Missouri headwaters and Lewis Fork, precise bearing measurements ("W 21:15 S"), and cryptic directional notation suggesting the creator possessed engineering knowledge. The men debate whether to pursue the treasure, ultimately deciding to mount an expedition westward with pack-mules and armed men. The narrative begins following their departure from an Oregon frontier post heading toward the Rocky Mountains.