Casey and Kiley’s Gold Rush Adventure

By Mike Keenan

Brother and sister, Casey and Kiley, go back in time again with their alien friend Tuttle. In this adventure, they travel to Weaverville, a famous mining town in Northern California, during the 1850s. The Gold Rush era comes alive as the children encounter wild animals, stagecoach robbers, miners, kidnappers, and something dangerous protecting a mine.

Casey and Kiley work together with two pioneer girls, the Sheriff, his deputies, and a grizzled fur trapper to help find a missing young boy who the Weaverville townspeople say was taken by Bigfoot.

Can they find him?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798823008976

Mike Keenan

Mike Keenan is a loving father who writes stories to entertain his family.

Book preview

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

For Judy whose love of Trinity County

inspired this story.

Chapter 1

A young girl and her older brother sat at a weather-beaten picnic table bolted to a wooden dock that stretched out over the clear water of Lewiston Lake. The two children sat across from their stepmother with a view of the lake. It was a cool autumn afternoon. They could smell the fresh scent of pine from the thousands of giant trees that surrounded the lake. Hundreds of ducks swam lazily on the calm surface of the water. Their quacking carried in the still air.

Okay, said their stepmother, explain this to me again.

The young girl glanced over at her brother. Again? she asked, looking exasperated.

Yes, Kiley, again, she answered. This is still hard for me to believe.

All right, I’ll start with Tuttle.

Hold on, said their stepmother putting her hand up. I think I understand Tuttle. He is a robot that looks like a bird. However, he is actually an alien whose original body no longer exists. His brain is inside a robot body that was built to look like he did when he was alive. It was placed there hundreds of years ago by the Monitors after his planet was destroyed.

Yes, Judy, that’s right, said Kiley. He was from a planet of birds.

A planet of birds? questioned their stepmother.

Her brother Casey looked over at his sister. She nodded her head.

Tuttle’s planet was a civilization of beings that looked similar to our birds, explained Casey. There were many types of birds that lived together in harmony. Their planet was covered with water. Trees and vegetation were plentiful, which provided the food and shelter they needed. It was warmed by a red sun. Something caused the planet to leave its orbit and move closer to the sun. As the planet moved closer, the sun began to dry up the water and kill the plant life. The Monitors discovered the problem but could not prevent the planet from continuing to get closer to the sun. They offered the beings an opportunity to leave the planet and join them. Only a few species of birds went with the Monitors. Tuttle was one of them.

What happened to the planet? asked Judy.

Sadly, it was destroyed. It eventually crashed into the sun, said Casey. Tuttle showed us pictures. It was a beautiful planet.

That is very sad, said their stepmother.

It is, said Casey. Kiley nodded sympathetically.

So now Tuttle is an Observer for the Monitors, Judy continued. The Monitors are highly intelligent aliens that watch over and protect the Universe. Observers, like Tuttle, are sent to planets throughout the universe where the Monitors want to gather information.

Correct, said Kiley.

Got it, said Judy. Now what happens with the information the Observers collect for the Monitors?

The Monitors study the information to determine if action needs to be taken to protect a planet and its inhabitants or to prevent a planet and its beings from destroying other planets or beings. If they predict a threat, the Monitors send the Peacekeepers. The Peacekeepers are alien warriors that step in and stop the threat, explained Kiley.

So, you met Tuttle and went on your first adventure back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth? asked their stepmother.

Yes, the children answered in unison. Even though they were not twins, they often had the same thoughts at the same time.

Then you had three more adventures with Tuttle?

Yes, said the children again at the same time.

Well, it’s still very hard for me to believe. Your story seems like one of those low budget science fiction movies your father likes to watch.

We wouldn’t lie to you, said Casey.

I’m not so sure about that, but I do believe you, said Judy with a sigh.

That made the children smile.

Now you’re off to meet Tuttle again? their stepmother asked.

They both nodded.

How do you know when and where to meet him?

Since our trip into outer space, he is able to send us messages, said Casey.

Casey and Kiley received the messages through a device