Adventures in Odyssey

Chris: Hi, this is Chris. We're just about to have a time of wonder, adventure, and excitement. Would you like to join us? Then get ready because you never know what'll happen when you have an adventure in Odyssey.

Now on the Adventures in Odyssey Club, Jane and Olivia are worried. One of us definitely needs to address the whole Zamrin thing. Zamrin? What are you talking about? You're kidding. She's got a major crush, especially after they make a discovery. Oh, what? It's just a bunch of signatures that say Zoe Morris. Zoe Morris as in Cameron Morris as in Cam? Listen now only on the Adventures in Odyssey Club.

Jason Whittaker: Jack.

Jack Allen: Behind the counter, Jason.

Jason Whittaker: I've got a question for you. I was going through some things in Dad's safe and I came across this.

Jack Allen: A plastic box?

Jason Whittaker: Read what's on the bottom.

Jack Allen: Jack and Whit, Cove Cave, Bath, NC. Open it. Oh, my goodness. It's one of the gold coins.

Jason Whittaker: Then you do recognize it.

Jack Allen: Yes, but I haven't seen one in years. I didn't know Whit kept this.

Jason Whittaker: Where did it come from?

Jack Allen: Oh, therein lies the tale. We were about ten years old at the time. Your father always spent the summer in a little town called Bath, North Carolina.

That's what the NC stands for. Right. Bath's an historic place. It was the first town incorporated in North Carolina. Anyway, one summer, he took me with him. We stayed with your Great Uncle Randy.

Jason Whittaker: Oh, yeah. Dad used to talk about him all the time. Wasn't he the town sheriff?

Jack Allen: Yeah. And he had an odd little deputy named Arnie. Anyway, Uncle Randy was not only the sheriff, but he was a great storyteller. We'd sit at his feet in the little jailhouse and listen to him tell these wonderful tales. And in keeping with the history of the area, the stories he liked to tell best were about pirates.

Guest (Male): Closer to the wind, you dogs! She's a galleon of the treasure fleet we've bagged and loaded for bear! Come alongside! Prepare to board her!

Guest (Male): Grappling hooks ready!

Guest (Male): She's a laden fancy, swabs, ready for the taking! Every man that's alive tonight will be hauling gold aboard! Throw hooks!

Guest (Male): Reel in the lines! She's ours, you dogs! Board the side with you! No mercy! Show no mercy! Fire away! I am the commander of this ship!

Guest (Male): Commander? Not much of one if you ask me. Tell me, Commander, what's it like to know your vessel has been scuttled by Blackbeard? Well, speak!

Yule Mosby: Listening to this story ain't part of my jail time, Sheriff.

Jack Allen: Who was that?

Guest (Male): Yule Mosby. He was a mean man. He'd been passing through the town when he started a fight in a bar. That landed him in jail for 30 days, and he wasn't happy about it. Not that it really bothered Uncle Randy.

Randy Whittaker: I know my rights, Sheriff. You can't force me to listen to stuff I don't want to hear. And I don't want to hear your stories.

Arnie: Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you started that fight.

Randy Whittaker: Now, Arnie, take it easy. Fact of the matter is, Yule's right. I guess that's all for today, boys.

Young Whit: That's okay, Uncle Randy. We want to go sailing anyway. Going to take the shallop out and explore the coves. Come on, Jack.

Young Jack: Okay. Bye, Randy. Bye, Arnie.

Randy Whittaker: Bye, Jack. Have fun, but be careful. Pay attention to the tide.

Arnie: Watch out for pirates!

Young Whit: We will!

Arnie: Did you hear what I said, Randy? I said watch out for pirates.

Randy Whittaker: I heard, Arn. I heard.

Jack Allen: The town of Bath is located at the mouth of the Pamlico River as it opens up into the Pamlico Sound. It's a great place to go sailing and let your imagination soar.

Young Whit: Make ready the guns, Ensign Allen! It's the Queen Anne's Revenge!

Young Jack: She's gaining on us, Captain Whittaker!

Young Whit: That's because Blackbeard thinks we're a merchant vessel. He does not know we are one of her Majesty's finest warships! Guns are ready, sir! Give them a broadside, Mr. Allen! Fire! Hooray! We've destroyed her main mast! We did it! We did it!

Young Jack: Well done, Ensign. Well done.

Young Whit: Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Young Jack: Now what?

Young Whit: I don't know. I was going to say border, but if we did that, we'd end up in the water.

Young Jack: Yeah. I wish Blackbeard's ship really was out there.

Young Whit: I don't.

Young Jack: Why not?

Young Whit: Because if it was, it'd be a ghost ship and I don't think I'd like that.

Young Jack: You afraid?

Young Whit: Right down to my socks. It'd be bad enough fighting a pirate, much less having to fight his ghost.

Young Whit: So, what would you do if Blackbeard's ghost came up to you right now?

Young Jack: Before or after I jumped over the side and swam like crazy for the shore?

Young Whit: I can't believe you're really afraid. Yoo-hoo, Ghost! It's me, John Avery Whittaker!

Young Jack: Whit!

Young Whit: Come on out and show yourself! I dare you!

Young Jack: Are you crazy?

Young Whit: I double dare you! Come on out if you have the courage!

Young Jack: Stop it! Stop it!

Young Whit: Well, no ghosts.

Young Jack: You are crazy.

Young Whit: No, I'm not. Look, even if I did believe in ghosts, they couldn't hurt me.

Young Jack: Oh, yeah? Why's that?

Young Whit: Because I'm a Christian.

Young Jack: So?

Young Whit: So, Jesus is bigger than any ghost. He'll protect me.

Young Jack: Are you sure?

Young Whit: Right down to my socks. Hey, look at that!

Young Jack: Look at what?

Young Whit: The little cove over there. I've never been here when the tide was this low.

Young Jack: So?

Young Whit: Well, don't you see it? Down near the waterline.

Young Jack: Oh, yeah. A cave.

Young Whit: Let's explore it!

Young Jack: You think we should? What about the tide?

Young Whit: It won't be in for hours. Come on. The cave could be full of treasure.

Young Jack: Or full of water.

Young Whit: We won't know unless we try. Are you an explorer or not?

Young Jack: Yeah, okay, let's go.

Young Whit: Hoist the mainsail, Ensign Allen! Make for the Cove Cave!

Young Jack: Aye, Captain Whittaker.

Young Whit: Who knows what we'll find. Maybe even a ghost.

Young Jack: Yeah, not funny.

Young Whit: Sorry, I couldn't resist. It's dry here. This plateau must be above the waterline even at high tide.

Young Jack: I guess.

Young Whit: This would make a great hideout.

Young Jack: Yeah, maybe we should get going.

Young Whit: Relax. Catch your breath. We'll go further in in a minute.

Young Jack: I don't mean further in. I mean back to the boat.

Young Whit: Why? We haven't finished exploring the cave. You're not spooked, are you?

Young Jack: No, I just don't want to get lost, that's all.

Young Whit: Don't be goofy. We haven't made any turns. I can even still see the light from the cave entrance. Now just stop worrying and take it easy. There's nothing in here that can hurt us. Nothing. Bats! Get them down! Get them off me! Get them out of my hair!

Young Jack: I knew we shouldn't have come in here.

Young Whit: Are you kidding? That was great! We stood our ground and fought them off.

Young Jack: Yeah, I guess we did. Where's my flashlight?

Young Whit: Behind you.

Young Jack: Oh. You know, I still think we should—wow!

Young Whit: What? Wow what?

Young Jack: When I picked up my flashlight, the beam was shining on this.

Young Whit: Wow, a gold coin!

Young Jack: Yeah, it looks real old. It was right next to the loose rock. Come on, let's start digging. Hey, there's a piece of board here.

Young Whit: Let's get it out. Then we can use it to dig. Hey, look!

Young Jack: What is it?

Young Whit: It's a leather pouch.

Young Jack: Open it.

Young Whit: Good grief, it's filled with gold coins!

Young Jack: I can't believe it.

Young Whit: Ha, I told you we'd find treasure in here! Come on, let's keep digging. Here, let me use the board. Wait a minute. There's writing on it. Whit, I think you better read this.

Young Jack: What? What is it?

Young Whit: Wow. Dead men tell no tales. This is great!

Young Jack: Great? Are you out of your mind?

Young Whit: Don't you get it? We've discovered a pirate's buried treasure. It may have been put here by Blackbeard himself.

Young Jack: Oh, that makes me feel a lot better.

Young Whit: How can you still be worried about spooks when we're—hey, I found something else. A rope.

Young Jack: A rope?

Young Whit: Yeah, it's tied to something under these rocks. Help me pull on it.

Young Jack: I think we should just leave right now.

Young Whit: Help me pull on it! It could be tied to a treasure chest. Come on.

Young Jack: Oh, all right.

Young Whit: It's giving away. Come on, just a little more. Ghost! Get it off me! Get it off of me!

Young Jack: I knew we shouldn't have stayed here! I knew it!

Young Whit: Take it easy! It's not a ghost. It's just a skeleton.

Young Jack: Yeah, a skeleton that wants his treasure back!

Young Whit: Will you cut that out? He's just a bag of bones. There is nothing in here that can hurt us. Nothing.

Young Jack: What was that?

Young Whit: I don't know. It came from deep inside the cave.

Young Jack: It's getting closer!

Young Whit: Now don't panic. It must be some sort of animal or something.

Young Jack: Doesn't sound like any animal I've ever heard.

Jack Allen: We looked deeper into the cave and suddenly it appeared. A haunting figure moving rapidly toward us. It was a giant of a man, only it wasn't a man. His head was glowing. The ends of his hair and beard looked like they were on fire. Strapped across his chest were two old pistols and in his hand was a huge sword which he pointed at us.

Ned Hatch: Who dares disturb me? Leave! Leave if you value your souls!

Jack Allen: Needless to say, we both high-tailed it out of there and back to the boat as fast as our legs could carry us.

Young Whit: Anchor's up! Wait till we get some wind in our sails!

Young Jack: That was too close, way too close.

Young Whit: Maybe, but at least we didn't come away empty-handed. Look, the bag of coins!

Young Jack: Yeah! I want to show them to Uncle Randy back at the jailhouse. This is great! Uncle Randy! Uncle Randy! He's not here.

Young Whit: No one is here. Wait a minute. There's a note. Arnie and boys, had to go to Martin County. We'll be back later. Stay out of trouble. Love, Randy.

Young Jack: Too late for that.

Young Whit: We're not in any trouble. We're probably rich.

Young Jack: What are you doing?

Young Whit: Looking for a book Uncle Randy has on rare coins. I want to know more about what we found before we go back to the Cove Cave.

Young Jack: Are you crazy? You actually want to go back?

Young Whit: Of course! There could be a huge treasure there.

Arnie: Well, if it isn't the explorers. How'd it go, boys? Run into any pirates?

Young Whit: Well, ha ha, that was a good one, Arnie. Remember that book Uncle Randy had here on rare coins?

Arnie: Coins? Oh, yeah.

Young Whit: Well, I can't seem to find it.

Arnie: Of course not. It was a library book. Randy took it back.

Young Whit: Thanks, Arnie.

Arnie: Is that where you're going?

Young Whit: Yeah. Oh, by the way, Uncle Randy left us a note. He went to Martin County and he'll be back soon. See ya. Come on, Jack.

Young Jack: I'm coming, I'm coming.

Arnie: Bye-bye! Watch out for pirates! Oh, pirates. Arnie, sometimes you're just too funny for words. Yule! Yule! Yule, you trying to hide or something? What are you sitting back in that corner for?

Yule Mosby: Because I've been a bad boy. That's why I'm in jail, right?

Arnie: Look, your paperwork came through. You're free to go.

Yule Mosby: Well, that's wonderful news, Deputy. I just want to thank you for all your hospitality.

Arnie: Well, you're welcome. But stay out of trouble and don't go near that bar, understand?

Yule Mosby: Oh, don't you worry, Deputy. I got a much, much better place to go.

Young Whit: Jack, hey! I've got the book. Mrs. Conklen, the librarian, helped me find it. I'm looking up our coins right now.

Young Jack: Yeah, well, I found something too. Look at this. Blackbeard the Pirate. Know what his real name was?

Young Whit: What?

Young Jack: Ned Hatch.

Young Whit: Really?

Young Jack: Yeah, same as that thing we saw in the cave. Wow.

Young Whit: Well, so?

Young Jack: So, the coin is obviously part of his treasure and his ghost is guarding it.

Young Whit: Are we going to go through this again?

Young Jack: You still don't believe that something weird happened?

Young Whit: Yes. That he was a ghost? I don't know.

Young Jack: Yeah, well, you sure ran like it out of the cave.

Young Whit: That's because you were pulling on my arm.

Young Jack: I can't believe you really want to go back there.

Young Whit: Well, I do.

Young Jack: Why?

Young Whit: This is why. Look, the coins we found are Spanish doubloons. They are very rare and extremely valuable.

Young Jack: Valuable?

Young Whit: Extremely! And there could be hundreds more.

Young Jack: Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!

Young Whit: Right behind you, Ensign. Thank you, Miss Conklen.

Miss Conklen: You're welcome, Whit. Come again soon, boys.

Young Whit: Thank you. Let's go down the alley. It's faster.

Young Jack: Right. I have to tell Uncle Randy we're going out again.

Yule Mosby: You ain't telling nobody nothing.

Young Whit: Mr. Mosby!

Yule Mosby: Grab that one, Jocko.

Young Jack: Come here, you! Help!

Yule Mosby: Pull them back into the alley!

Jocko: Why are we doing this, Yule?

Yule Mosby: Treasure, Jocko. These boys is gonna lead us to a treasure in gold coins. Come on.

Chris: Want to contact us about the episode you're hearing? Visit our website at adventuresinodyssey.com or talk to someone at Focus on the Family. Call 1-800-A-FAMILY, with a parent's permission, of course. We always love hearing from you.

Jack Allen: So Yule and Jocko kidnapped you and Dad?

Young Jack: That's right. Took our coins away from us and managed to sneak us through the town and out to our little shallop at the docks.

Jack Allen: You mean you actually took them back out to the Cove Cave?

Young Jack: We had no choice. We didn't know what they'd do to us. I tell you, I was never more scared of my life. Not only were we in a boat with two bad men, we were going to a cave I thought was haunted.

Jack Allen: What about Dad?

Young Jack: Oh, he was scared too, though he didn't let on. In fact, he was trying to trick Yule and Jocko into not going.

Jocko: How much further?

Young Whit: Not long. You all sure you really want to do this?

Yule Mosby: Well, what do you think? Hey, hush up and steer the boat.

Young Whit: All right. But you've been warned.

Yule Mosby: Warned?

Young Whit: Yep.

Yule Mosby: I said hush up.

Jocko: Wait a minute. Warned about what?

Young Whit: Nothing. Just that—oh, never mind.

Jocko: What? What?

Young Whit: Well, the cave is haunted.

Jocko: It is?

Young Whit: Yes. Remember?

Young Jack: Oh, yeah, it is. Definitely is.

Yule Mosby: Hogwash.

Young Whit: No, believe me, it's true. We saw him when we were here last time.

Jocko: Saw who?

Young Whit: Ghost of Blackbeard the Pirate. He used to sail all over these waters, looting ships.

Young Jack: That's right. And his ghost is guarding that cave.

Yule Mosby: Yule. Oh, they're just trying to scare you, Jocko.

Jocko: But I've heard stories about the ghost living in these coves.

Young Whit: Those stories are true!

Yule Mosby: They just hush up, all of you. There ain't no ghost and that cave ain't haunted.

Young Whit: Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough. There's the cove.

Yule Mosby: I don't see no cave.

Young Jack: No, wait! There it is. The water's lapping into it. The tide's rising. We're too late.

Yule Mosby: Take us in.

Young Whit: But the tide!

Yule Mosby: I said take us in.

Jocko: Yule, maybe we ought to wait.

Yule Mosby: We got time before the tide covers the cave. I've come this far, Jocko. I ain't letting it slip away now. How much further?

Young Whit: The ground is leveling off. We should be there.

Young Jack: We're here. It's a skeleton. We pulled him out of the loose rock along with the sign that says, "Dead men tell no tales."

Jocko: Dead men? Yule, I don't like this at all.

Yule Mosby: Oh, it's just a bunch of old bones. Ignore them. We got business to take care of.

Young Whit: Business?

Yule Mosby: Yes. You two. That skeleton's gonna have company before the day's out. Tie them up, Jocko.

Young Jack: Come here, you! Get off me! No! Stay still!

Young Whit: Stay away from me, Mr. Mosby. I mean it! Come one step closer and I'll beam you with this rock.

Yule Mosby: Just you try. Fire one! Get away from me! Hurry up, Jocko! This one's slipperier than a grease pig. Look at this extra length of rope. Okay, give them here. Tie them up good and tight.

Young Whit: Yeah, good and tight, Jocko. And you'd better use all the rope you can. That way it'll be harder for Yule to tie you up.

Jocko: Tie me up? Why would Yule want to tie me up?

Young Whit: You don't think Yule is actually going to share the treasure with you, do you?

Jocko: He said he would.

Young Whit: Oh, yeah. So did Blackbeard. Remember the skeleton, Jocko? Dead men tell no tales.

Jocko: Now wait just a minute. I know what you guys are trying to do. You're trying to make me think Yule'll double-cross me. Hey, ain't that funny, Yule?

Yule Mosby: Not as funny as you think, Jocko. Now, you boys are pretty smart, ain't you?

Young Whit: Not really. It was pretty obvious what you had in mind.

Yule Mosby: Just about as obvious as your ghost story. But Jocko is too dumb to figure it ain't for real either. I'll be back to take care of you boys later. Right now, it's time to get me a treasure.

Young Whit: What are we going to do, Jack? Jocko's knife fell out of his pocket when Yule hit him. It's under my leg. I almost got it. There! I'll have you free as soon as I can cut my ropes. Hurry! Oh, no. Oh, no. Here he comes again.

Yule Mosby: What's that? Is that you boys? You hush up now.

Young Jack: It's not us! The ghost is for real!

Young Whit: Now who's the dumb one, Yule?

Yule Mosby: Stop that lying, boy, and hush up that noise!

Young Whit: We're not making it, Yule! Listen! It's coming from deeper in the cave!

Young Jack: There he is! There he is!

Yule Mosby: No! It can't be! It can't be!

Ned Hatch: Who dares disturb me? Leave! Leave if you value your souls!

Jack Allen: Yule was so scared, he turned and ran straight into a dark passageway. Only, it wasn't a passageway. It was a cave wall. He's out cold.

Young Whit: You too. I wish I was! Whit, here he comes!

Young Jack: I'm free! Come on, stand up! Let's get out of here! Back down the slope, quick!

Ned Hatch: Wait! Stop! Come back here!

Young Whit: Keep going, keep going! I can't see! I can't—we're in water! The tide's come in! The cave entrance is submerged! We'll have to swim for it! My hands are still tied!

Ned Hatch: Hold back, the two of ye!

Young Jack: We're trapped! Dear Lord, protect us! Here he comes!

Ned Hatch: Ye'll go no further. Ye'll stop right there.

Young Whit: No! No! You can't be real! There's no such thing as ghosts!

Ned Hatch: You're right. I'm not a ghost. And if you value your lives, you'll come with me.

Young Jack: What?

Ned Hatch: The tide has a very strong undertow at the mouth of the cave. It'll suck you right under. You must come out of there now!

Young Jack: Whit, what should we—whoa!

Jack Allen: Suddenly, I felt my footing slip right out from under me. The undertow pulled me down into the water. My hands were still tied, so I couldn't swim. I thought I was a goner. Then Whit grabbed me.

Young Whit: Jack! I got you!

Ned Hatch: Put them up, boy! Come on, reach! I've got it! Pull! Pull! All right, there we go. You're both safe now. We're all safe.

Jack Allen: Blackbeard untied me and tied up Yule and Jocko. He then took us back up through the cave to the surface where he called Sheriff Randy and Arnie on his telephone. They arrived a short time later and carted off Yule and Jocko.

Randy Whittaker: Ned, I don't know how to thank you.

Ned Hatch: The best way would be to make sure they stay off my property, Sheriff. That is what you're paid for.

Randy Whittaker: Right, Ned. Sorry.

Young Jack: His name is really Ned Hatch?

Randy Whittaker: Yes, it is.

Young Jack: Is he a pirate?

Randy Whittaker: No, he's a near-hermit who owns the cove and the property surrounding it. He just uses the Blackbeard get-up to scare people away.

Young Whit: You mean you knew about him all the time?

Randy Whittaker: I did.

Young Jack: Did he know about the treasure in the cave?

Randy Whittaker: No, he didn't. But it wouldn't have mattered even if he did. Ned doesn't care about money. He just wants to be left alone. That's why he said you can keep the coins you found.

Young Whit: Really?

Randy Whittaker: Yep. Under one condition. Stay off his property.

Young Jack: Absolutely! We won't have any problem with that. Right, Whit?

Young Whit: Well...

Young Jack: Whit!

Young Whit: I'm kidding, I'm kidding!

Jason Whittaker: Well, then what did you do with the coins?

Jack Allen: Oh, we sold them to a museum for a nice sum that paid our way through college. Minus this one, of course. As it turned out, that bag was all the treasure there was. After Ned died, the museum bought his land and searched the cave thoroughly, but they never found anything.

Jason Whittaker: So you and Dad made out really well.

Jack Allen: Yes. But I came out of the experience with something more valuable than gold coins.

Jason Whittaker: Really? What?

Jack Allen: Well, this may sound strange considering how little we talked about it at the time, but the conversation your dad and I had in the boat when we first went to the cave planted a seed in my mind about Jesus. And while I didn't accept Him right there, that seed later blossomed in ways I couldn't even begin to imagine. But that's another story.

Chris: Sounds like Jack has a lot of great stories up his sleeve about his life and his childhood with Whit. I hope he won't wait too long to tell us the next one. But that's all for this adventure, except to say if you ever want to write to us, just send your card or letter to Adventures in Odyssey, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80995.

Or in Canada, write to Box 9800, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 4G3. And when you do, ask about how you can get your own copy of today's episode. It's called "Blackbeard's Treasure." That address again is Adventures in Odyssey, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80995.

Adventures in Odyssey is a presentation of Focus on the Family. Blackbeard's Treasure was written and directed by Phil Lollar. Our production engineer was Bob Luttrell. Music by John Campbell and our executive producer, Chuck Bolte. And I'm Chris, hoping you'll join us again next time for more Adventures in Odyssey.