Johnny Bensinger, fifth grader at East Side Elementary, has "borrowed" a few books from the school library. He had his reasons. Now the principal is requesting, over the intercom, information about the missing books. His teacher, Mrs. Bass, is giving him the eye. That's when the adventure begins. Soon it will involve a long dead Confederate General, gold coins, a cemetery full of clues, an angry relative of the General from Spain, local thugs, a priest, a dog named Ratty and a very mysterious French lady who used to be a police detective. There are also the Marshal boys, who seem to be in the middle of everything.

It's the 1950s in middle America. Johnny has enlisted the help of his friends, Devin and Vicki, to help search for clues about a lost fortune that might be hidden somewhere in their small town. The books he took from the library are the key to finding the treasure. The mystery woman called Tumbleweed is either helping or pretending to help, Johnny isn't sure. There is also a slight chance the dog can talk!