‘Mr. Tupper’s Treasure’

Jason unwrinkled the map. “There’s the fort,” he said to his twin brother, Josh.

“The gold!” Josh cried. “Let’s go find it.”

The boys rushed across the campground. Jason hopped the short wall. Josh was right behind him.

Jason hadn’t wanted to go on this camping trip. Not until they had found the treasure map in the campground market. It was marked “Tupper’s Treasure.”

As he tapped on the bricks, Jason’s heart knocked against his chest. Gold. Gold. Gold.

Near the base of the wall, his foot hit something solid. “Josh!” he cried. “We’re rich!” Jason held up the glittering nugget. “I can get a new surfboard. I can buy the whole surf shop! What do you want, Josh?”

Josh grinned. “A new computer and every video game ever invented.”

“I’ll carry it,” Jason said. “I’m the oldest.”

Josh rolled his eyes. “By 55 seconds. Big deal.”

To Jason it was a big deal. He wasn’t taking any chances by letting his younger brother carry the gold. He held it tightly in his fist.

“Was that thunder?” Josh asked.

“Yeah,” Jason said. “Let’s hurry.”

They ran to the small bluff they had climbed down on the way to the fort.

“Follow me,” Jason said. He started up the hill.

BOOM! Thunder roared down from the sky.

Jason climbed quickly, squeezing the gold in his hand. Rainwater dripped into his eyes. He glanced back to check on Josh.

Josh wasn’t moving. His eyes filled with terror. His foot was stuck under a heavy rock. He winced with pain.

Jason scrambled back toward his brother. He set the gold down and shoved the rock off Josh’s foot.

Just then, lightning zigzagged across the sky. Rain poured down like a water monster.

SPLAT! The gold slipped down the side of the hill and disappeared in the muddy water.

“The gold!” Josh screamed.

But Jason wasn’t thinking about how rich they were going to be, he was thinking about his brother. Hand in hand, they climbed to the top of the cliff and made it back to camp.

“Don’t tell me,” their father said as he bandaged Josh’s foot, “you had one of Mr. Tupper’s maps.”

Jason’s eyes bugged out at his dad.

“Find any of that fool’s gold?” their dad asked.

“It wasn’t real?” Josh asked. “Hear that, Jason? It wasn’t even real.”

“Even if it were,” Jason said, putting his arm around his brother, “you’re safe, so who cares?”

This story will be on The Times’ website at latimes.com/kids.