Professor Bates and company accidentally come into possession of a diary that provides the details of the robbery of a shipment of silver over one hundred and thirty years ago. To their knowledge the silver has never been found. While trying to determine if it is worth their while to see if it can be uncovered other forces become aware of the possibility and the race is on to see if the missing silver really exists and, if found, claim a finders fee worth millions.

Joshua Bates is a retired banker. He now teaches business classes at a small college in Colorado. The tragic death of one of his students leads to the exploration of an old mine. The mine is perceived to be cursed by those in the area. Near-death experiences of Professor Bates and his associates while they try to explore the mine seem to justify everybody's suspicions. Events finally lead to the uncovering of a murder plot that points to illegal activities on the other side of the world. Those activities place Professor Bates and his entourage in great danger without their knowledge. This is the first installment of The Clock Struck series featuring Professor Bates and his associates in Wasatch, Colorado.

Reproduction of the original: The Clock Struck One by Fergus Hume

A student from Wasatch College is found very early in the morning sitting by the side of a highway in the mountains north of Wasatch, Colorado in a terror-induced trance. Further investigation by Professor Bates and his associates in Wasatch find evidence of a long hidden secret. The next few weeks in Dr. Bates' life are filled with adventure and terror at every turn, culminating in a discovery that will revise history in the Mountain West forever.

She, who was born before her marriage, turned into a complete slut with the contempt and curses of the entire world. That damn stinky man ate her whole body, yet did not show himself. That night, she could still vaguely remember how he robbed and occupied her, how his neck interweaved with her hot body and his tempting breathing.