The Dutchman's Secret is a 1999 comic by Don Rosa, serving as a sequel to The Vigilante Of Pizen Bluff chapter of The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, and was originally published in the Danish Anders And Co, while the first U.S publication was Uncle Scrooge #319 in 2003. The story revolves around the search for the legendary Lost Dutchman's Mine
, using a map given to Scrooge by fellow prospector Jacob Waltz in 1890.
Very shortly after the ending of The Vigilante of Pizen Bluff (as in around 20 minutes or so), Uncle Scrooge is still trying to peel the old poster for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show out of the scrapbook album without destroying the priceless treasure map drawn on the back. Unfortunately, the glue his sister Hortense used when putting the album together is so strong it might as well be carved into stone. Luckily, since Scrooge never throws anything away, Huey, Dewey and Louie find the original glue amongst the old office supplies from the early days of the Money Bin, allowing them to soften up the dried glue with a fresh coat, and gently remove the poster. Sure enough, the map is there, albeit so faded that only Donald can read it properly, revealing the location of the legendary mine in the mountains of Arizona. With these directions, the Ducks are off on another adventure - with Donald in charge of the map, as he managed to glue it to his hand in his excitement.
Once in Arizona (specifically, the small town of Apache Junction), the Ducks discover that while the Dutchman's Mine itself has never been found, its general location isn't exactly a secret - the area is a popular destination both for tourists and would-be treasure hunters, with the locals making a tidy profit from both groups. While watching an argument between three old souvenir salesmen over who the gold actually belongs to, our heroes are approached by a shady-looking character named Moe, who claims to be an expert on the lost mine. While the maps he sells to tourists are about as genuine as a twenty-dollar Rolex, Moe does know his stuff; in 1847, the wealthy Don Miguel Peralta was given a mysterious map as a reward for restoring the Jesuit church in Arizpe, leading to a massive trove of rose quartz gold ore in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona, as discovered by Peralta's sons. Unfortunately, the Apache indians considered the area to be part of their sacred lands, and brutally massacred the intruders, with the only survivor being Gonzales Peralta, who carved a petroglyph map on a boulder after the original map was lost in the attack. While the petroglyph map still exists as a popular tourist attraction, it's never been properly deciphered, and the Peraltas never made it back to the gold before Arizona became part of the United States a year later, costing them their claim.
After hearing the story, and yet another incident with the glue, the Ducks prepare to head off into the mountains, though Moe mocks them for their confidence, thinking they're just another group of wannabes. However, after Donald blurts out that Scrooge has a significant advantage in an actual, legitimate map, Moe starts having second thoughts, not to mention that the name McDuck sounds oddly familiar...
After a day of hiking through the rocky, inhospitable, yet very scenic, terrain, the Ducks finally arrive at the Peralta rock map, and like most people before them, find it to be incomprehensible nonsense. Unfortunately, this is when things start going wrong; while waiting for the glue on the poster map to dry off in the sun, a passing roadrunner accidentally gets it stuck on its foot, and in the ensuing struggle with Donald, which takes them through a cactus patch, the map is torn to shreds, not to mention leaving Donald significantly worse for wear. However, there is one bit of hope - while the direct route to the Lost Mine is now lost to them, the Ducks have one clue that no other treasure hunters had, the fact that Jacob Waltz defaced the petroglyph map when he first traveled to the mine to keep others from using it. Using Donald's sharp eyesight, the Ducks are able to tell which marks are different, as Waltz had proper steel tools when he made the alterations, while the original map was carved with a rock and chisel. Deciphering the correct marking with the Woodchuck Guidebook, the Ducks are led to a second, even older set of carvings hidden under a stone, marked with the initials "EFC". However, unbeknownst to our heroes, Moe has secretly followed them from Apache Junction, having found the name "Buck" McDuck in some old newspapers, and correctly guessing that Scrooge was not only in the area during the Western days, but that he knows a lot more than he's letting on...
After narrowly surviving a pit trap Jacob Waltz had used to lure in greedy trespassers and losing his hat in the process, Scrooge discovers a stone cross, once again marked with the initials "EFC", that leads the group through a rattlesnake den overlooking the side of a cliff. Donald, hand still sticky with glue, is saved from a long fall and an abrupt stop thanks to being stuck to the rope he was using, and even better, finds himself right in front of a cave in the middle of the mountainside. As the rest of the Ducks lower themselves down, the sun is beginning to set over the desert, illuminating the mouth of the cave revealing... a castle?!
Not quite - the Ducks have found themselves in a prehistoric cliff dwelling, the settlements once used by the original natives of the area, built right into the mountain. This is the "stone house" mentioned in the legend about the Lost Dutchman's Mine, and sure enough, inside one of the buildings, they find the living quarters once used by Jacob Waltz himself, along with a few letters written during his last visit to the mine, explaining how he himself found it. However, Scrooge couldn't care less about a history lesson, as he's far too distracted by what he found at the back of the stone city - a huge trove of gold ore, just like the Peralta legend said, big enough to take a swim in!
However, Scrooge's triumph is cut short thanks to an uninvited guest - Moe is currently dangling outside the cave entrance, not just holding a gun, but also the rope the Ducks need to leave the cave, which he'll be happy to give back... in exchange for a crateload of gold ore. Predictably, Moe's word turns out to be as trustworthy as his maps, as he shoots the rope the second Scrooge and Donald have used it to lower the gold to the ground, leaving the Ducks stranded while Moe seemingly makes it off with his loot scot-free... though Scrooge seems strangely unconcerned over the issue, being more focused on finding another way out.
Unfortunately, the Lost Dutchman's Mine is lost for a reason - aside from the cave entrance, there doesn't seem to be so much as a rat hole, no matter how little sense this makes, as it seems unlikely the original native inhabitants of the stone city climbed up and down a sheer mountain wall every day. Taking a break from their fruitless search, Donald hands back Scrooge his hat... the same hat Scrooge suddenly remembers losing in the pit trap earlier, yet somehow, Donald found it on a pile of gravel at the back of the cave! Sure enough, in the back there's remains of a wooden staircase, and a massive block of stone blocking an entrance in the roof - the bottom of the pit trap and the original entrance to the cave, placed there long before either Jacob or the Peraltas found the mine. Luckily, the nephews bought a stick of dynamite along with their other supplies, allowing them to unblock the exit... a task that almost takes a nasty turn when Donald once again uses his glue-sticky hand, leading to some improvised golf action before the dynamite explodes.
With the shaft open, the Ducks prepare to hurry back to town and file a claim on the gold before Moe beats them to it, only to find something carved on the granite seal that was blocking the opening, written in latin and signed Eusebio Franscisco Chino - the same "EFC" whose clues led the Peraltas to the mine. The writing reveals that Franscisco was a Jesuit priest who explored the area in the 1690's, and helped the Pima Indians against the invading Spanish. He was the one who convinced the Pima to hide their gold in the cave, in the hopes that their descendants would be safe to reclaim it, but this was forgotten when the Jesuits were expelled from America in 1767, with the map they made eventually falling into the hands of the Peraltas. And, as Scrooge himself can see coming, the Pima Indians, who still live in the area, are the real owners of the treasure, meaning neither Scrooge or Moe can claim it, the latter of whom Donald now notices has left the crate of gold he stole behind at the foot of the mountain.
Two days later back in Apache Junction, Scrooge has settled his business with the Pima Indians; he couldn't get the treasure, but he got one hell of a consolation prize in the form of a 10 million dollar finder's fee. We also find out just why Moe didn't file a claim on the gold before the Ducks made it back from the mine - the Ducks find him in the local jail with the lid to the wooden crate glued to his hands, and the words "ARREST ME - I Robbed Scrooge McDucks Claim In The Cavern Of Spring Bluff Mountain" written on the inside.
Tropes:
- Ambiguously Related: Moe is a dead ringer for the McViper brothers, Scrooge's old enemies from his cowboy days, but Moe's last name is never mentioned, and Scrooge never comments on his appearance.
- Call-Back: Donald's sharp eyesight is one to An Eye For Detail, though there's a bit of a Continuity Snarl - that story ended with Donald pretending to have lost his keen eye for detail to get Scrooge off his back, but in this story, Scrooge knows he has it again.
- Cluster F-Bomb: A PG-rated version done with Symbol Swearing, but Scrooge let's out a long string of profanities that echo across the mountains when he hears that the Pima tribe are the rightful owners of the Dutchman's gold.
- Creator Cameo: Rosa and his wife appear as hikers in one panel, in time to hear Scrooge's reaction to finding out he can't keep the gold echo out across the mountains.Don: Well, I'll be! Now I know why they say the Superstition Mountains are haunted!Ann: I don't know about haunted, but they certainly are rude!
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: "Whew! It's only the dynamite! I thought it was a rattlesnake! I almost- EEEEEK!!!"
- Feathered Fiend: The roadrunner that gets stuck to the map. While at first it just tries to run away, when Donald grabs it, the bird proceeds to drag him through a cactus patch, then pecks the hell out of him until the nephews loosen the glue on his hand.
- Funny Background Event: After blowing up the granite seal, Donald can be seen in the background trying to get rid of a disgruntled bat that got stuck to his glue-sticky hand.
- Good Shepherd: Fransisco Chino, the Jesuit priest who protected the Pimas from the invading Conquistadors, and convinced them to hide their gold in the old cliff settlement, in the hopes that their descendants would be able to benefit from it in peace. His work bore fruit thanks to Scrooge, almost 300 years later.
- Grumpy Old Man: The three vendors in Apache Junction, a German, a Spaniard and an Apache, who spend all their time arguing about the truth of the mine. According to Moe, it's the only hobby they have.
- Hidden in Plain Sight: The entrance to the mine is in plain sight of both the hiking trail and Weaver's Needle (a famous rock formation), but it's so high up that the cave just looks like shadows from a cliff even with the sun right on it.
- I Lied: Moe stranding the Ducks in the mine despite his promises, which both Scrooge and the reader could see coming a mile away, but considering Moe had them all at gunpoint, there weren't a lot of options.
- It's the Journey That Counts: The nephews think this is the reason why Scrooge looks so happy even though he lost the mine. While the adventure didn't hurt, Donald thinks the finder's fee is the main contributor.
- Moral Myopia: After leaving the Ducks stuck in the mine, Moe suddenly realizes that he never checked the crate to see if Scrooge actually put gold in it, and kicks himself for being "such a nice, trusting guy". Much to his joy, there IS gold in it, because unlike Moe, Scrooge keeps his word. However, Scrooge is also not an idiot, so instead he booby-trapped the crate with glue and a message revealing Moe's crime to anyone who sees him, leading to his swift arrest.
- Non-Indicative Name: The Lost Dutchman's Mine was neither owned by a Dutchman (Jacob Waltz was German), nor was it an actual mine, since the treasure consisted of gold ore that had been mined out of the mountains centuries ago.
- Oh, Crap!: Scrooge and the nephews' reaction when they realize that Donald managed to glue a lit stick of dynamite to his hand.
- Properly Paranoid: Since he couldn't guard the gold, Jacob Waltz never filed a claim on it. Instead, he defaced the Peralta petroglyph map, and spred false clues along with the real ones, as well as a sign by the pit trap identifying it as the entrance to the lost mine (which it technically was, just not one most intruders would survive). The results speak for itself - in the near-century since Jacob left for the last time, countless treasure hunters tried and failed to find the mine, with several falling prey to the pit.
- Running Gag: Donald's glue-related misshaps, which last all the way to the final panel of the story.
- The Savage Indian: Back in the 19th century, the area was Apache territory, who were the reason trying to find the mine was so dangerous. Among others, they wiped out the Peralta expidition and killed Jacob's partner.
- Sticky Situation: The glue Hortense used for the scrap book causes no end of trouble for the Ducks. It's incredibly strong (containing among other things whale oil and ox hooves), and almost impossible to budge once it's set, at least without destroying whatever it's sticking to. The only way to get loose is to use fresh glue to loosen up the first layer.
