The Hand of Robin Squires

The Hand of Robin Squires, written by Joan Clark, was first published in 1977 and is now available from Puffin Books. It is a historical adventure story that is linked to finds in the famous Money Pit on Oak Island off the coast of Nova Scotia. No one has solved the puzzle of the pit and the underground tunnels, but Joan Clark offers a fictitious possible explanation. When his father, Charles, dies after coming back from America, Robin Squires agrees to join his uncle and help him build an underground complex of tunnels, and assemble a pump that his father had invented. Once he has left England he quickly discovers that his uncle is a pirate, seeking to hide his treasure. Robin, and a captured Mi'kmaq Indian, Actaudin, who has become his friend, are forced to build along with his uncle's black slaves. In the end Robin was chained by a wristlock, and his Uncle had ordered his first mate to murder him after his job was complete because they wanted no loose ends, it was Actaudin who came back to rescue Robin and had to use an axe to cut off Robin's hand in order to remove the lock. Billy Boles (the first mate) pursued them into the wilderness and was mauled by a bear. Robin goes to Boston to pay his passage for England and meets an old sailor who tells him how the Queen's Privateer(The ship they traveled on) went down in a storm which is his story. This story happens in 1703.