The Dutchman's Secret
Encyclopedia
The Dutchman's Secret is a 1999 Donald Duck
comic story by Don Rosa
. It is a direct sequel to his 1998 story The Vigilante of Pizen Bluff and is one of his most historically accurate stories.
is in his Money Bin together with Donald Duck
and Huey, Dewey and Louie
, having just finished telling a story about his encounter with famous American Old West
legends such as the Dalton Gang
, Phineas T. Barnum, Buffalo Bill
, Annie Oakley
and Geronimo
. It is only now that Scrooge learns that the poster
that was the original cause for the earlier adventure also contains a secret map leading to the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine
, one of the biggest lost treasures in the United States
. Scrooge, Donald and the boys thus set off on a new adventure to find this treasure.
The Ducks travel to the mountains of Arizona
, where the lost mine is said to be located. There they meet a shady character who presents himself as a tourist guide and map vendor. He tells the Ducks the story of the lost mine: The mine was originally discovered by an expedition created by Don Miguel Peralta, who had been given a map to the treasure as a reward for funding the repairs of the Jesuit church of Arizpe, but because of an Apache
ambush, only one man, Gonzales Peralta, survived the expedition. He left markings on the ground leading to the treasure, which Jacob Waltz then marked in his map, which now belongs to Scrooge.
The Ducks start on an expedition to follow Waltz's map and find the treasure. However, right at the start, the map is accidentally destroyed, so the Ducks have to use their own intelligence to decipher Peralta's markings and find the treasure. They eventually succeed, but the shady tourist guide has followed them, and traps them in the mine, intent on claiming the entire mine for himself. Eventually, the Ducks manage to escape and get back to town, where the robber has already been arrested, thanks to Scrooge's clever advance thinking. However, Scrooge has no legal claim to the treasure, as it has all along been the property of the Native American
Pima tribe, so Scrooge is forced to render it to their possession - receiving ten million dollar
s as a reward.
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
comic story by Don Rosa
Don Rosa
Keno Don Hugo Rosa, known simply as Don Rosa, is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other characters created by Carl Barks for Disney comics, such as The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.-Early life:Don Rosa's grandfather,...
. It is a direct sequel to his 1998 story The Vigilante of Pizen Bluff and is one of his most historically accurate stories.
Plot
The story begins approximately fifteen minutes after the end of The Vigilante of Pizen Bluff, where Scrooge McDuckScrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Scrooge is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a red or blue frock coat, top hat, pince-nez glasses, and spats...
is in his Money Bin together with Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
and Huey, Dewey and Louie
Huey, Dewey and Louie
Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck are a trio of fictional, anthropomorphic ducks who appear in animated cartoons and comic books published by the Walt Disney Company. Identical triplets, the three are Donald Duck's nephews. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were created by Ted Osborne and Al Taliaferro, and first...
, having just finished telling a story about his encounter with famous American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
legends such as the Dalton Gang
Dalton Gang
The Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
, Phineas T. Barnum, Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
, Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley , born Phoebe Ann Mosey, was an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter. Oakley's amazing talent and timely rise to fame led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which propelled her to become the first American female superstar.Oakley's most famous trick is perhaps...
and Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
. It is only now that Scrooge learns that the poster
Poster
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
that was the original cause for the earlier adventure also contains a secret map leading to the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine
Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine
The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine is reportedly a very rich gold mine hidden in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona in the United States...
, one of the biggest lost treasures in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Scrooge, Donald and the boys thus set off on a new adventure to find this treasure.
The Ducks travel to the mountains of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, where the lost mine is said to be located. There they meet a shady character who presents himself as a tourist guide and map vendor. He tells the Ducks the story of the lost mine: The mine was originally discovered by an expedition created by Don Miguel Peralta, who had been given a map to the treasure as a reward for funding the repairs of the Jesuit church of Arizpe, but because of an Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
ambush, only one man, Gonzales Peralta, survived the expedition. He left markings on the ground leading to the treasure, which Jacob Waltz then marked in his map, which now belongs to Scrooge.
The Ducks start on an expedition to follow Waltz's map and find the treasure. However, right at the start, the map is accidentally destroyed, so the Ducks have to use their own intelligence to decipher Peralta's markings and find the treasure. They eventually succeed, but the shady tourist guide has followed them, and traps them in the mine, intent on claiming the entire mine for himself. Eventually, the Ducks manage to escape and get back to town, where the robber has already been arrested, thanks to Scrooge's clever advance thinking. However, Scrooge has no legal claim to the treasure, as it has all along been the property of the Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Pima tribe, so Scrooge is forced to render it to their possession - receiving ten million dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
s as a reward.