These stories are about fabulous mines abandoned by De Soto's soldiers; ingots carried partway across the Ozarks long ago, stashed in some moment of danger and never recovered; lodes of precious metal known only to local Indians; and thieves' and murderers' plunder that still lies hidden underground.

Anyone with an interest in the history and lore surrounding treasure will want to read these books. -KLIATT ReviewBy putting many miles on his pickup truck, scouring many old books, journals, and maps, and interviewing countless Ozark natives, W.C. Jameson compiled Buried Treasures of the Ozarks, a collection of 43 legends from Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. As they are handed down and passed around, these tales share certain elements--mysterious strangers bearing maps, social eccentrics who die rich but spurned, good folk who squander their lives on the search for treasure. Again and again, an untimely death (from pneumonia!) or cave-in, a sudden flagging of hope or interest calls searchers away just when they're on the verge of discovering untold riches. But despite their common themes, the stories are always rooted in local detail and at least partly verifiable fact. And again and again a reader is left with the haunting image of gold or silver deep in some Ozark cave, waiting to be exposed once more to the light of day. These American stories of outlaws and treasure teach readers the importance of resourcefulness, courage and responsibility.