Treasure of Kings: Being the Story of the Discovery of the "Big Fish," or the Quest of the Greater Treasure of the Incas of Peru

In Short

Major Charles Gilson’s Edwardian yarn sends young Dick Treadgold from the Sussex coast into the uncharted Peruvian jungle alongside the iron-willed frontiersman John Bannister. Pursued by the cruel hunchback Amos Baverstock, the party races to uncover a legendary hoard hidden by the Incas centuries before. Written for the early twentieth-century boy’s market, the novel survives on its unflagging momentum, vivid South American wilderness, and atmospheric set pieces—from lethal insect swarms and subterranean tunnels to the tragic madness born of unbridled greed.

The Story

The adventure opens on the Sussex coast, where young Dick Treadgold overhears a trio of scoundrels plotting against his hero, the rugged adventurer John Bannister. The leader of these men, a cunning hunchback named Amos Baverstock, seeks a secret map revealing the location of the "Big Fish"—a vast Inca treasure brought four hundred miles from Cuzco and hidden deep in the Peruvian wilderness. Before Dick can warn his friend, he is snatched by the conspirators, bundled aboard the barque Mary Greenfield, and carried across the Atlantic toward South America.

On board, Dick suffers through mutiny and captivity, yet finds a quiet ally in the boatswain William Rushby. Rushby helps the boy pass word back to England regarding where he hid a piece of the map in a Sussex rabbit hole. Upon reaching the South American coast, Dick is marooned in the steaming inland jungles. Bound and left to die under a brutal sun, he survives a torrential downpour and is discovered by a tribe of shy, primitive woodlanders.

Dick escapes his captors and eventually meets Atupo, an injured priest who guards the ancient ruins of Cahazaxa. Atupo reveals the history of the Inca gold and the tragedy that befell his people when Baverstock’s gang first attempted to plunder the tomb years earlier. Joining forces with the priest, Dick witnesses the native archers ambush the treasure hunters using poisoned arrows, though the treacherous Baverstock once again escapes through sheer luck and ruthless gunfire.

Driven deeper into the primeval forest, Dick learns to survive alone. Armed with a native blow-pipe and guided by the cryptic directions on his map fragment, he tracks the course of the Brook of Scarlet Pebbles. He navigates pitch-black subterranean waterways, dodges deadly anacondas, and braves pools crawling with electric eels. In the heart of the jungle, he finally gazes upon the "Big Fish"—a massive subterranean vault packed wall-to-wall with centuries-old stacks of Inca gold.

Yet the treasure brings little joy. Realizing how the lure of wealth corrupts men’s souls, Dick chooses to leave the golden horde buried and presses westward toward the Andes to find a way home. Before he can escape the wilderness, he is reunited with John Bannister, who has crossed the ocean and tracked his young friend through thousands of miles of ocean and rainforest.

Together with their former enemy Forsyth, who has turned against Baverstock, Bannister and Dick confront the hunchback. Driven insane by his obsession, Baverstock locks himself inside the treasure vault, only to be driven mad by the darkness. In a final, desperate flight through the dense jungle undergrowth, the slobbering, ghost-like villain plunges into a murky pool with his heavy load of stolen gold strapped to his back, sinking beneath the water to his doom. With the villain dead and the treasure left behind in the dark, Bannister and Dick turn their backs on the wilderness and begin the long journey home to England.

How It Unfolds

A dangerous discovery Dick Treadgold eavesdrops on three men hiding in the Sussex sand-hills and learns that the ruthless hunchback Amos Baverstock is hunting his friend John Bannister for a map to a hidden Inca fortune.

Kidnapped and sea-bound Captured by Baverstock’s accomplice Gilbert Forsyth before he can spread the alarm, Dick is forced aboard the Mary Greenfield and sails for South America, forming a secret alliance with the boatswain William Rushby during a shipboard mutiny.

Abandoned to the elements Left tied to a post in the tropical wilderness to perish of thirst, Dick survives a sudden rainstorm and is freed by a primitive forest tribe, who take him into their woodland village.

The priest's story Among the stone pillars of the haunted Temple of Cahazaxa, Dick meets the wounded priest Atupo, who relates how Baverstock previously looted the Inca tombs and how native archers attempted to stop the intruders with poisoned arrows.

Following the map Navigating the steaming jungle alone, Dick follows the Brook of Scarlet Pebbles, braves anacondas and electric eels, and discovers the "Big Fish"—a hidden chamber stacked high with ancient gold.

Reunion in the wild Choosing to leave the wealth behind, Dick wanders westward until he is reunited with John Bannister, who has tracked him halfway across the globe to rescue him.

The hunchback's end Baverstock loses his mind inside the vault and flees into the jungle with a sack of gold, ultimately sinking to his death in a dark swamp while Bannister and Dick watch on.

The People

• Dick Treadgold: The young English narrator whose pluck, observational skills, and loyalty to his mentor carry him through kidnapping, marooning, and wilderness survival. He matures from a helpless boy into a resilient woodsman who recognizes that gold brings only ruin.
• John Bannister: A towering, iron-willed frontiersman and soldier who previously survived an attack by Baverstock. Bound by a strict code of honor, he journeys across the ocean and through thousands of miles of wilderness to fulfill his oath to find Dick.
• Amos Baverstock: A hunchback with a long, thin nose and pitiless, bead-like eyes compared to those of a wild pig. Driven entirely by an insatiable lust for gold, his cunning and cruelty gradually curdle into total madness.
• Gilbert Forsyth: A refined, educated gentleman who finances Baverstock’s expedition. Though lazy in speech and given to quoting Latin, his sharp intellect and resourcefulness make him a dangerous adversary until he turns against Baverstock's mindless cruelty.
• Atupo: The last surviving priest of the Cahazaxa temple ruins. Guilt-ridden for inadvertently revealing his people's secrets, he leads native archers against the invaders before guiding Dick through the lore of the region.

In Its Own Voice

"He had the cruellest face I had ever seen; and there was cunning in it, too."

Dick Treadgold reflects on his initial terror upon stumbling across the hunchback Amos Baverstock among the coastal sand-hills.

"Everywhere was gold, stacked upon the floor, piled against the walls."

The narrator captures the staggering sight of the ancient Inca horde hidden inside the subterranean vault of the "Big Fish."

"Gold to him was a living force, the origin of all his strength and evil, the prompter of his actions."

Dick realizes the corrupting power of wealth as he observes the obsessive greed that drives his enemy to destruction.

What It's Really About

Beneath its swift narrative pace, Treasure of Kings explores the stark contrast between noble camaraderie and self-destructive avarice. Gilson contrasts John Bannister’s selfless loyalty with Amos Baverstock’s fanatical obsession. Gold in the novel functions not as a reward to be won, but as a spiritual poison that corrupts everyone who touches it. The book asserts that true treasure lies in human connection, honor, and moral integrity, while material wealth stripped from ancient civilizations yields only madness, isolation, and death in the dark.

Why Read It Today

Fans of classic Edwardian adventure fiction will appreciate Treasure of Kings for its vintage atmosphere, cinematic set pieces, and unabashed yarn-spinning. Gilson writes with a confident, rhythmic cadence that captures the vastness of the South American wilderness and the claustrophobia of its ancient ruins.

Readers should note, however, that the novel carries the unmistakable hallmarks of its era. Modern audiences will encounter colonial perspectives, period-typical depictions of indigenous tribes as "wild men," and romanticized notions of British fortitude. Yet for those interested in early twentieth-century juvenile fiction, the story offers an entertaining, fast-moving time capsule filled with secret maps, subterranean tunnels, and relentless villainy.

<ElicitationsGroup message="To take this further:"> <Elicitation label="Compare this novel to Treasure Island" query="Compare Charles Gilson's Treasure of Kings to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island in terms of themes, villains, and narrative structure."/> <Elicitation label="Explore Edwardian boy's adventure fiction" query="Give me an overview of the Edwardian boy's adventure fiction genre, its major authors, common tropes, and historical context."/> </ElicitationsGroup>