Dinosaur Stakeout

by Judith Silverthorne

  “Hello, Daniel,” said Dad, appearing from behind the stack of firewood with Mr. Lindstrom just behind him. “How’s it going?”

  “Great.” Daniel glanced over at the Nelwins. “Should I go help them?”

  Both men shook their heads in ­unison.

  Dad said, “They have to learn the full value of consequences.” Then he asked how the Nelwins did at the ­barn.

  “Okay,” answered Daniel. “So, what would you like me to do?”

  “Would you mind checking the horses?” Dad ­asked.

  Mr. Lindstrom agreed. “See how they’re doing for water and such, seeing as how this is their first day here.”

  “You bet,” said Daniel, happy to have a responsible job to do, although he doubted it was as important as Dad and Mr. Lindstrom made it out to be. They were probably trying to spare his feelings, because they figured he couldn’t do much strenuous physical work. Still, it kept him ­occupied.

  He puttered about with his dad and Mr. Lindstrom, doing the less demanding chores, readying the campsite for all the guests, until Jed’s two youngest sisters called them for lunch. When they arrived back in the yard, Dad and Mr. Lindstrom hopped out of the jeep and went straight into the outdoor kitchen to wash up. But when Daniel poked his head in, his Mom asked him to wash Cheryl ­outside.

  “The rest of you can wash out there too.” She threw him a couple of older ­towels.

  Daniel headed to the trough and water pump with Cheryl chattering and squirming, as she tried to get down to pet Dactyl, who had just arrived. The rest of the group, including Jed’s sisters and the Nelwins, straggled ­behind.

  He set Cheryl down at the low wooden trough, which normally was used for watering the livestock. She splashed her hands into the water, laughing as she got herself wet. Daniel primed the pump and caught fresh water in a basin. He returned it to its wooden stand and washed his hands. Then he propelled Cheryl over and washed hers. By the time their hands were dry, Craig and Todd had joined them. Wordlessly, the brothers washed ­up.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry,” Daniel said to break the ­silence.

  “Suppose so,” Todd grunted, bending to plunge his hands under the stream of water that Craig ­pumped.

  Craig caught the last of the water with his hands and gave a quick rinse. Lindsay and her sisters strode up then and Craig pumped the water for them with one ­hand.

  “Thanks,” Lindsay said, seeming surprised at Craig’s helpfulness. Then she reached for Cheryl. “Can I take her now?”

  “Sure.” Daniel handed her over. Cheryl did one of her koala bear hugs around Lindsay and they trotted off with Leanne and Lucy beside them, stopping to pick wildflowers to tuck in their ­hair.

  Hurrying to the camp kitchen, Daniel found Craig and Todd loitering outside under the tree with the swing on it. From inside the building, they could hear the scraping of benches and clatter of utensils, along with the chattering of several ­voices.

  “Come on,” he called, quickening his pace. “The others are already eating.”

  Timidly, Craig and Todd followed Daniel ­inside.

  “You can sit right over here, boys,” Mom indicated a bench behind the table where the three of them would ­fit.

  She passed them glasses filled with ice cubes and juice, and the others began handing dishes of food to them. Daniel filled his plate with ham and cheese sandwiches, some dill pickles, and a mound of potato salad. Craig heaped on extra potato salad. Todd stacked his plate full of sandwiches, and then he looked guiltily around, because he’d almost decimated them ­all.

  “Eat hearty,” said Dad. “I know there are plenty more!”

  After they’d eaten, the Nelwins hung about under the trees, waiting for Dad and Doug Lindstrom to finish gathering some tools they needed. Mr. Pederson appeared unexpectedly in the yard, and walked straight over to ­Daniel.

  “How’s it going, lad?” he asked cheerfully.

  “Great! How about with you at the dig?”

  “Couldn’t be better,” he said. His face crinkled with a ­smile.

  “You’ve found something?” Daniel ­whispered.

  “We’ll see,” he said, his eyes lit with excitement. Then he turned serious. “I need to talk to you about the quarry. I think we’re soon going to need quite a bit more overburden removed.”

  “Maybe I could come out and dig tomorrow morning?” Daniel ­suggested.

  “You need to mend, lad.” Pederson shook his ­head.

  “But I’m feeling fine now!” he ­protested.

  “And we need you for the tours,” Pederson said, calming Daniel down. “You’re the best we have! Besides, there’ll be plenty more digging later on.”

  Resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn’t be able to do any heavy work for a few days, Daniel guessed what Pederson was going to ­recommend.

  “This might be the time to try Craig and Todd,” Pederson suggested. They’d been asked the day before, and they were ­enthusiastic.

  Daniel started to protest. Even though he’d agreed to the suggestion at first, he wasn’t so sure he wanted them ­on-­site after all. He still didn’t trust them after their attacks on him over the last couple of days. Had they learned their lesson? Even if they had, could they change their behaviour that fast? Yet they had worked hard and quickly so far this morning. Maybe he should give them a ­chance.

  Pederson gave Daniel’s shoulder a squeeze, sensing his doubts. “Let’s see how they do. If they don’t work out, well, there’s nothing lost.”

  “Sure.” Daniel cracked a smile. “I guess we can use all the help we can get.” There was plenty of work to do if they were going to uncover more sections of the fossils that they’d already found before ­fall came.

  “That’s the spirit, lad,” Pederson patted Daniel’s arm. “You can just sit back and watch the rest of us work and enjoy the ­results – ­looks like there may be plenty.”

  Pederson walked over and acknowledged the Nelwins, who were sitting morosely at the picnic ­table.

  “Are you boys ready to do some volunteer work out at the excavation site later today?”

  Instantly, their manner changed and their faces lit up with ­smiles.

  “Yeah.” Todd’s eyes ­brightened.

  Craig looked at Mr. Pederson happily. “Sure!”

  Pederson explained. “It’s not the greatest job. It’s only digging, mind, but it needs to be done so that we can get to the good stuff, but it will give you a chance to see what’s going on.”

  “We’ll be there!”

  “I’ll expect you later this afternoon, then, as soon as you’ve completed your work for Mr. Bringham. Daniel will bring you out.”

  “Okay!” Todd said with a ­smile.

  “Yes, sir!” Craig said with real ­enthusiasm.

  Pederson nodded to the Nelwins. Then he headed into the outdoor kitchen for a quick bite of lunch. The Nelwins spoke excitedly to one another in low voices. Daniel couldn’t make out what they were saying, but somehow he felt okay about Mr. Pederson giving the Nelwins an opportunity to work on the excavation and be part of the group ­excitement.

  A sudden roaring of an engine and grinding of gears turned Daniel’s attention towards the road. He watched as a creaky ’78 Mazda pickup truck with a ­well-­used topper over the box turned into their driveway. Daniel couldn’t tell at first if it was a man or a woman driving, but whoever it was, that person was alone. The truck lurched to a stop a few yards from him; its wheel wells rusted out and nothing much left of the ­fenders.

  The driver’s side door opened. First a metal cane appeared, and then a couple of long, stocky legs in baggy sweatpants. Finally, a tall older woman wearing a Tilley hat squashed onto her head ­emerged.

  “Dr. Roost!” Daniel called as he hurried to her truck. Within moments, she was surrounded by everyone in the ­yard.

  “Hello all,” Mildred Roost pushed her hat higher onto her forehead. “Came to see your new digs.” She laughed at her ow
n pun, as she swept her cane from right to left, taking in people scattered throughout the property, doing various activities. “Looks like you’re right busy.”

  After the introductions were made, everyone tried to speak at once, but Mom broke through. “Can we offer you a drink or something to eat?”

  “A cold drink might be a good idea,” she said. “Could use a speck of shade too,” she ­added.

  As she headed towards the picnic table under the nearby tree, Daniel and Dad followed her with Cheryl in tow. The Lindstroms and Nelwins hung back, making small talk. A moment later, Ole Pederson emerged from the outdoor ­kitchen.

  “Mildred,” Mr. Pederson said, going over to shake her hand. His eyes lit up with pleasure. “How splendid to see you!”

  Mom arrived with a glass of iced tea for Mildred Roost, setting a piece of lemon pie in front of ­her.

  “Can we do anything else for you?” asked ­Dad.

  “This looks just fine!” said Dr. Roost, digging her fork into the ­meringue.

  “Are you here for a while? Do you need a place to stay?” Daniel asked, excited that she had come to see ­them.

  “Thought I’d stop for bit,” she answered, taking a sip of iced tea and sighing in contentment. “All I need is a place to squat.”

  “We have a spare room in the house,” Mom offered. “It’s a little small, but the bed is comfy.”

  Daniel could see his dad was thinking about the guesthouse at the other end of the caragana hedge, but it wasn’t quite finished yet. There were a few more things they wanted to do inside and out to make it more ­comfortable.

  “Sounds a little too fancy for me. I have my own roof.” She pointed to the back of her truck. “I just need somewhere to park it,” Dr. Roost ­declared.

  “The campsite is just down there.” Daniel pointed down the ­valley.

  “There are still a couple of places,” Dad ­said.

  Mildred tilted her head as if sizing up the suggestions, then she looked around the ­farmyard.

  “I could park in the ­yard – ­maybe over behind that stand of trees. Hope that’s all right with you?”

  Her overbearing manner left little room for discussion, but Daniel’s parents didn’t seem to ­mind.

  “That would leave your campsite for more guests. I’m sure you’re going to be full up soon.” She jerked her head towards the driveway as two more vehicles pulled into the ­yard.

  “Sure thing,” said Dad, ­laughing.

  They watched Lucy and Jed go over to greet the newcomers. Excusing herself, Mom picked up Cheryl and went back to the kitchen, followed by Greta Lindstrom, Lindsay, and Leanne. Moments later, Dad and Doug Lindstrom had the Nelwins in the back of the jeep and they headed back down to the campsite. Daniel hovered beside Mr. ­Pederson.

  “So this is where you’ve created all the excitement.” Mildred Roost pushed her hat up even farther on her forehead and peered at ­Pederson.

  “What really brings you here?” Pederson ­asked.

  “You,” she said simply. “I came to see what you’ve been up to. Uncover anything good lately?”

  Pederson hesitated, and then answered with a

  dismissing shrug of his shoulders. “Nothing much for certain.”

  “You always did hedge about when you were onto something good,” she said, chuckling. Her brown eyes shone excitedly from her wizened face. “Must be something spectacular.”

  Pederson couldn’t stop a crack of a smile. “We’ll see.”

  She fixed piercing eyes on him, but he said no ­more.

  As the two continued their conversation, Daniel felt like an intruder. “Well, I’m off,” he said, finally finding an opening in their ­conversation.

  “See you later, lad,” Mr. Pederson said distractedly.

  Daniel would catch up on their news later. He had other thoughts whirring around in his ­mind – ­like planning his trip to the prehistoric world. Maybe the rest of the day wouldn’t be too busy. But just as Daniel finished that thought, three more vehicles pulled into the yard, one after another. He walked over to show them where to park. Lucy appeared with papers in ­hand.

  For the rest of the afternoon, Daniel, Jed, and Lucy were kept busy sorting the tourists and guiding them on the hiking trails or to the quarry, and taking them to the campsite. Jed and Lucy mostly did the quarry and hiking tours, and Daniel did the horse trails, which he found a little easier on his bruised body. Most people decided to spend the night. Dad and Doug Lindstrom assisted them in choosing spots and setting up their camping gear. In between times, the men worked on finishing the exterior of the guesthouse. Mildred Roost had gone to the quarry with Ole Pederson some time earlier, both of them chatting without any indication of stopping ­soon.

  Daniel guided the Nelwins to help Mr. Pederson about ­mid-­afternoon. Dactyl seemed content to stay in the farmyard. As the trio left sight of the farm buildings, Daniel stopped and pointed to the hills across the valley where different coloured layers of earth were ­evident.

  “Do you see those striation lines?” Todd and Craig ­nodded.

  “Those are sedimentary layers indicating different geological formations. The further you go down, the older they are. The one that’s almost ­black – ­about ­two-­thirds of the way down the valley – is a coal seam that contains the ­K-­T boundary. In it is a white, pasty clay layer that has all the geochemical signatures of meteor impact. That layer separates the Cretaceous and Tertiary ­Periods – ­the extinction of the dinosaur world.”

  “Amazing that we can actually see where the changes happened,” said ­Craig.

  “Yeah, I never thought about what was below us before,” said ­Todd.

  Then Craig, with a curious expression, asked, “Is that about where we were when we went back in time?”

  “Yes,” said Daniel, studying the hillsides. “It’s hard to tell exactly where, because we’re talking about millions of years in time.”

  “Wow.” Todd seemed mesmerized by the ­implications.

  “Weird how you can actually see the past in the present,” said ­Craig.

  “Wait until we get to the quarry,” Daniel said. “You’ll even see more things like that. We have some evidence of garfish skeletons.”

  “But those are fish from now, aren’t they?” asked ­Todd.

  Daniel said, “You’re right. They do live now in the southern United States and in South America, but they’ve existed for millions of years. They look very much the same today, except they are quite a bit smaller. They somehow made it through all the extinctions with many of the other creatures.”

  “I thought everything went extinct with the dino-saurs,” said ­Craig.

  “Not all creatures,” Daniel said. “Some adapted.”

  “You mean everything didn’t just die off right when the meteor struck?” Todd asked in ­amazement.

  “No, the extinction of some creatures took many thousands and millions of years, and some of them evolved over time,” Daniel ­explained.

  “Aren’t birds supposed to be related to the dinosaurs?” asked ­Craig.

  Daniel turned to him in surprise. “How do you know that?”

  “It just makes sense because of the way they both walk.” Craig blushed when Daniel continued to stare at him. “I was looking through your dinosaur book,” he ­admitted.

  Daniel grinned. Craig was getting hooked on paleontology!

  As Todd and Craig discussed the point, Daniel’s mind drifted off again to all the layers of creatures that had lived at various prehistoric times several metres beneath ­them – ­in an alien world so many fathomless years in the ­past.

  He pictured the prehistoric shorebirds they’d seen, wondering exactly what type of insects they ate. Were any of those insects poisonous? And what about the herbivores, would they totally ignore humans? He sure would like to go back and investigate these things in more detail. A sudden trembling swept through him at the thought of the danger he would be in and he quickly brushed the tho
ught ­away.

  They reached the last hilltop and began their descent into the quarry. Daniel couldn’t see any sign of Mr. Pederson or Mildred Roost. Where had they ­gone?

  All at once, he spied Pederson lying on the ground at the edge of a narrow ledge, slightly hidden from view by an overhang. He must have found something! Daniel whistled their special code, but there was no response. He gave another piercing whistle. Nothing ­happened.

  Daniel realized that Mr. Pederson was lying on his back, an unusual position when one was looking for fossils. And he wasn’t moving at all! Not even a finger, nor could Daniel detect any rise and fall of his chest! Daniel didn’t want to alarm the others, but what if something had happened to Mr. Pederson? And where was Dr. ­Roost?

  Daniel hollered as loud as he could, yet held back his fear. “Mr. Pederson!” No answer. “Mr. Pederson!”

  Again, there was no response. “Dr. Roost!” he hollered. “Mr. Pederson!”

  Maybe he’d had a heart attack! Daniel gathered speed as he watched the prone body on the ledge below him. The others followed behind, seeming to sense something exciting, but not realizing Daniel’s ­fear.

  Stumbling down the steep incline, Daniel rounded a curve and ran as fast as he could towards Mr. Pederson’s prone ­body.

  Chapter Four

  As Daniel crunched his way over the cleared terrain of the excavation site, he kicked up clouds of dust. Breathing hard, he kept his eye on Mr. Pederson, still calling as he ­ran.

  “Mr. Pederson! Mr. Pederson!”

  There was no movement. Daniel leapt down to the ledge where Mr. Pederson’s inert body lay, and shouted again as he plopped down beside ­him.

  Suddenly, Mr. Pederson sat up and looked at Daniel with a surprised expression on his ­face.

  “What’s wrong, Daniel?” He rose to his ­feet.

  “Geez, Mr. Pederson, you scared me!”

  “I scared you? You scared the living daylights out of me by almost jumping on top of me,” Mr. Pederson ­complained.