The First Clue

As I have gone alone in there 
And with my treasures bold, 
I can keep my secret where, 
And hint of riches new and old.

The first clue which needs to be solved is the first stanza; not within the first stanza - the clue is the first stanza.

Look above at the words again, then let's make it into a sentence - it is a complete thought, a complete sentence.

As I have gone alone in there and with my treasures bold, I can keep my secret where, and hint of riches new and old.

How have I come to the conclusion that the first clue is the first stanza?

1. The entire poem is grammatically correct.
2. The first stanza is a complete thought, in a complete, single sentence.

When you read The Thrill of the Chase, Fenn talks a lot about his lack of education, how he prayed for D's (the implication being that he'd at least get a passing grade), and how he's just not that smart.  To create a poem that is grammatically correct is not something an uneducated person just gets lucky with - it is carefully crafted to be grammatically correct, it does not just happen.

So then, we have a complete thought, in a sentence - what does it mean?  I'll explore that in upcoming posts.