Kelley (Texas)
New member
Last year Debbie and I drove to Bandera, Texas to spend the afternoon shopping and to get a bite to eat. While Debbie would browse around in a shop, I would sit out front on a bench...shopping is boring to me and I just try to be a good sport about the entire miserable thing.
While sitting on a bench when Debbie was in one of the stores, a man about my age sat down beside me when his wife went inside to shop. We started talking, at first comparing notes about how bored we were. I found out he was from a small town in West Texas and had once owned a small ranch.
We continued talking while the wives moved from store to store, just moved to the next bench in front of the next store. When Debbie finished shopping, I introduced her to my new found friend. We waited a few minutes and my friend's wife came out of the store and we were introduced to her. We chatted for a few minutes, then decided to get a bite to eat and visit some more.
As we ate and talked, my new friend, Roger told me that his Grandfather lived on the original ranch near the small town in West Texas where he and his wife now lived. We talked about horses, cows, coyotes and everything possible related to ranching. We soon had to part ways, but we exchanged telephone numbers and addresses. Roger and Pam came to Bandera once a month to shop and eat, sorta like a one day vacation for them. He said he would call us next time they were coming to Bandera and we could all spend the day together.
Since that day, we have met them several times for the day...and have become good friends. The last time we met was in March and it was at that time Roger found out that I had a metal detector and liked to hunt for old things at old ranches. He said that he would talk to his Grandfather and see if there were any old camp sites, or water crossings on the ranch.
A few days ago, Roger called me at the house. He was very excited, wanted to tell me a story that his Grandfather had just finished telling him.
I might add that Roger's Grandfather is 93 years old. As promised, Roger told his Grandfather about Debbie and I and how we met and became friends. He told his Grandfather about the metal detector and asked him if there were any hidden treasures on the ranch. Roger said his Grandfather sat there for a moment, then got up, went to the kitchen and returned with two beers, one for him and one for Roger.
He told Roger that he was going to tell him where a metal box was hidden...a box he saw when he was a young boy. Unfortunately, this box was not on his ranch, but on the next ranch down the road. It is owned by one of the meanest tempered cowboys in the area...so mean tempered that he has no friends. Roger remembers the man...when Roger entered this man's property years ago while looking for a lost calf, the man confronted him and told him to get off his land.
When Roger's Grandfather was a young boy, he use to roam over the entire area, including the area that this mean tempered cowboy now owns. Roger's Grandfather made extra money by hunting rattlesnakes and selling the snake skins to some folks that used them to make hat bands and belts.
One day while hunting for rattlesnakes on the ranch next door, he spotted a large rattlesnake...the largest one that he had ever seen. As Roger's Grandfather approached the rattlesnake, the snake slowly moved away from him and then just disappeared from sight. Now this was one big rattlesnake and Roger's Grandfather moved forward with extreme caution. There in front of him was a round pit about eight feet across and approximately eight feet deep...the large rattlesnake was at the bottom of the pit, along with several more rattlesnakes. Roger's Grandfather decided to go home and get a rifle...he was in hog heaven because he was going to get several rattlesnakes that day, all in one location.
Roger's Grandfather returned with a rifle and shot those snakes. His next problem was to lower himself into the pit to retrieve the dead snakes. Roger's Grandfather did not tell Roger how he lowered himself into that pit, but we figured he must have used a rope...the pit was only about eight feet deep. Unfortunately for Roger's Grandfather, things turned bad!
When Roger's Grandfather reached the floor of the pit, he started putting the rattlesnakes in a cloth bag. He got distracted because there was a crack in the side of the pit, a crack about 12 inches wide by about three feet high. He looked into the crack and saw that it was a small room and in that room was a large metal chest. It was at this time that it happened...one of the rattlesnakes was not dead and bit Roger's Grandfather on the arm. Roger's Grandfather knew he was in deep trouble and somehow got out of the pit and made it home. Roger said that his Grandfather showed him the scar on his arm. Roger remembers the scar and knew that a rattlesnake had bit his Grandfather when he was a young boy, but did not know how it happened until now.
Roger's Grandfather never returned to the pit on that ranch...and never again hunted for rattlesnakes for extra spending money. He told Roger that he had never told anyone about the box that he saw in the crack in the wall of that pit. As Roger's Grandfather finished telling Roger the story, he drew a crude map of where the pit was located.
In a few weeks, Roger and Pam will be coming to San Antonio to visit us and he will be bringing the map with him. I asked Roger if he thought someone would have discovered the pit and large metal chest by now and Roger said that he really doubted it has been discovered because the area is extremely remote.
If Roger and I decide to look for this pit, several things have to be dealt with, how to get on the property to look for the pit when we know the mean spirited cowboy will not give permission, and we will have to decide if we are capable of doing this when our health might be an issue. I am still having problems with my legs because of my diabetic issue...can my legs hold up to the long hike into the area. I did sit a horse for almost thirty minutes a few weeks ago which indicates that I may be winning this minor health problem...but that is another story in it's self.
The big question is what could be in that metal chest and how did it get there. Who would have hid that metal chest? Is there another entrance to that small room? What about snakes, how do you address that issue? Roger and I have lots to talk about. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)
While sitting on a bench when Debbie was in one of the stores, a man about my age sat down beside me when his wife went inside to shop. We started talking, at first comparing notes about how bored we were. I found out he was from a small town in West Texas and had once owned a small ranch.
We continued talking while the wives moved from store to store, just moved to the next bench in front of the next store. When Debbie finished shopping, I introduced her to my new found friend. We waited a few minutes and my friend's wife came out of the store and we were introduced to her. We chatted for a few minutes, then decided to get a bite to eat and visit some more.
As we ate and talked, my new friend, Roger told me that his Grandfather lived on the original ranch near the small town in West Texas where he and his wife now lived. We talked about horses, cows, coyotes and everything possible related to ranching. We soon had to part ways, but we exchanged telephone numbers and addresses. Roger and Pam came to Bandera once a month to shop and eat, sorta like a one day vacation for them. He said he would call us next time they were coming to Bandera and we could all spend the day together.
Since that day, we have met them several times for the day...and have become good friends. The last time we met was in March and it was at that time Roger found out that I had a metal detector and liked to hunt for old things at old ranches. He said that he would talk to his Grandfather and see if there were any old camp sites, or water crossings on the ranch.
A few days ago, Roger called me at the house. He was very excited, wanted to tell me a story that his Grandfather had just finished telling him.
I might add that Roger's Grandfather is 93 years old. As promised, Roger told his Grandfather about Debbie and I and how we met and became friends. He told his Grandfather about the metal detector and asked him if there were any hidden treasures on the ranch. Roger said his Grandfather sat there for a moment, then got up, went to the kitchen and returned with two beers, one for him and one for Roger.
He told Roger that he was going to tell him where a metal box was hidden...a box he saw when he was a young boy. Unfortunately, this box was not on his ranch, but on the next ranch down the road. It is owned by one of the meanest tempered cowboys in the area...so mean tempered that he has no friends. Roger remembers the man...when Roger entered this man's property years ago while looking for a lost calf, the man confronted him and told him to get off his land.
When Roger's Grandfather was a young boy, he use to roam over the entire area, including the area that this mean tempered cowboy now owns. Roger's Grandfather made extra money by hunting rattlesnakes and selling the snake skins to some folks that used them to make hat bands and belts.
One day while hunting for rattlesnakes on the ranch next door, he spotted a large rattlesnake...the largest one that he had ever seen. As Roger's Grandfather approached the rattlesnake, the snake slowly moved away from him and then just disappeared from sight. Now this was one big rattlesnake and Roger's Grandfather moved forward with extreme caution. There in front of him was a round pit about eight feet across and approximately eight feet deep...the large rattlesnake was at the bottom of the pit, along with several more rattlesnakes. Roger's Grandfather decided to go home and get a rifle...he was in hog heaven because he was going to get several rattlesnakes that day, all in one location.
Roger's Grandfather returned with a rifle and shot those snakes. His next problem was to lower himself into the pit to retrieve the dead snakes. Roger's Grandfather did not tell Roger how he lowered himself into that pit, but we figured he must have used a rope...the pit was only about eight feet deep. Unfortunately for Roger's Grandfather, things turned bad!
When Roger's Grandfather reached the floor of the pit, he started putting the rattlesnakes in a cloth bag. He got distracted because there was a crack in the side of the pit, a crack about 12 inches wide by about three feet high. He looked into the crack and saw that it was a small room and in that room was a large metal chest. It was at this time that it happened...one of the rattlesnakes was not dead and bit Roger's Grandfather on the arm. Roger's Grandfather knew he was in deep trouble and somehow got out of the pit and made it home. Roger said that his Grandfather showed him the scar on his arm. Roger remembers the scar and knew that a rattlesnake had bit his Grandfather when he was a young boy, but did not know how it happened until now.
Roger's Grandfather never returned to the pit on that ranch...and never again hunted for rattlesnakes for extra spending money. He told Roger that he had never told anyone about the box that he saw in the crack in the wall of that pit. As Roger's Grandfather finished telling Roger the story, he drew a crude map of where the pit was located.
In a few weeks, Roger and Pam will be coming to San Antonio to visit us and he will be bringing the map with him. I asked Roger if he thought someone would have discovered the pit and large metal chest by now and Roger said that he really doubted it has been discovered because the area is extremely remote.
If Roger and I decide to look for this pit, several things have to be dealt with, how to get on the property to look for the pit when we know the mean spirited cowboy will not give permission, and we will have to decide if we are capable of doing this when our health might be an issue. I am still having problems with my legs because of my diabetic issue...can my legs hold up to the long hike into the area. I did sit a horse for almost thirty minutes a few weeks ago which indicates that I may be winning this minor health problem...but that is another story in it's self.
The big question is what could be in that metal chest and how did it get there. Who would have hid that metal chest? Is there another entrance to that small room? What about snakes, how do you address that issue? Roger and I have lots to talk about. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)
.i've often wondered if there aren't treasures or burial chambers located out in the rockies of west texas and new mexico that have blocked entrances that may have been only a slit in the side of a mountain.
Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) 
