Dinosaur Stakeout

by Judith Silverthorne

  Without speaking, Daniel and Mildred Roost stumbled forward over rough terrain, through tall woody plants and knots of vegetation. When they made it to the outer edge of the treeline, they stopped to rest under a clump of giant cycad ferns. The air was humid and the day already hot although the sun had not yet fully risen. They mopped the sweat off their brows and retrieved their water bottles, taking deep drinks to refresh ­themselves.

  “The variety of vegetation is incredible,” said Dr. Roost, peering out of the fronds at magnolia trees, huge redwoods, flowering bushes, and rampant vines that twined throughout their surroundings. The foliage was lush and green beyond ­belief.

  “Look at the height of those horsetails.” She referred to a stand of ­thirty-­metre trees that resembled giant asparagus ­plants.

  “Do you know these are one of the plants that survived from prehistoric time? They’re ­dwarf-­like now, though,” Mildred Roost ­said.

  Daniel nodded. From everything he had read, many of the major groupings of plants that evolved during the Later Cretaceous period were closely related to today’s flora. He mentioned this fact to Dr. ­Roost.

  “Yes. And there’s the proof,” she agreed. “You’d almost think we were in some exotic place like southern China, instead of staring at the landscape of ­sixty-­five million years before our time. That is, until you look at the creatures,” she chuckled softly, pointing back the way they’d ­come.

  The seashore was still active with strange reptiles sipping at the water’s edge and ­bird-­like creatures prodding for food in the sand with long, thin, pointy beaks. Dr. Roost grabbed her camera again and shot the world around them from every angle she could manage. Together they watched huge moths and bees with bulging eyes dipping into flourishing blossoms. One flew up to them, almost touching Daniel’s face, but they were neither food nor danger, and it soon flew ­off.

  Iridescent gold and green dragonflies hovered nearby, some of them with wings spanning as wide as Daniel could spread his one arm to the side of his body. The forest echoed with sharp screeches, low drones and rustlings, snapping trees, and an eerie, cawing ­clamour.

  “Maybe we should move on,” Daniel suggested after a few moments. They could take more time once they’d accomplished their mission and had found a safe haven. “I’d like to get to the Edmontosaurus before our luck runs out.”

  “Agreed,” said ­Mildred.

  As Daniel pressed his way through the lush, dark undergrowth, he carefully pushed back branches and huge leaves, taking stock of the situation before he stepped forward. Mildred followed his lead and kept quiet, moving only when he signalled it was safe to do so. Occasionally, she flicked at a crawling or flying insect that threatened to land on one of them. Her cane came in handy for pushing aside vegetation ­too.

  Suddenly, Daniel rounded a bush and came to an abrupt stop. They’d almost ­broad-­sided an Ankylosaurus. It stood ­tank-­like. Its heavy shield of plated armour covered its entire huge body, except for its underbelly and short legs. It seemed to be searching for soft vegetation on the ancient floodplain floor, digging with its hooves for tuberous roots in the moist ­earth.

  Mildred whispered excitedly in Daniel’s ear over the gentle snuffling and snorting of the creature. “This is the first proof that Ankylosaurs ever lived in Saskatchewan! I was sure they had.”

  Daniel nodded; he’d seen them on his last trip. But as far as research went, the remains of this ­plant-­eater had only been found in Montana, Wyoming, and ­Alberta.

  “Will you look at that wide, thick skull,” said Mildred, snapping pictures. “No wonder they had such tiny brains. There wasn’t any room for them.”

  They stared at the creature, taking in its flat, triangular skull that was nearly one metre long and very broad and thick. Massive knobs and plates of bone were embedded in the skin along the back and sides of its entire body, which ended in a ­club-­like tail made of bony tissue encased in tough reptilian ­skin.

  Daniel was so intent on watching the Ankylosaurus grazing on ­low-­lying plants that he hardly noticed the increased whirring and loud booming sounds around them until Mildred nudged him. He listened. Something like a foghorn on a boat sounded and then an answering ­call.

  “I bet that’s hadrosaurs,” said Dr. ­Roost.

  Daniel knew the only hadrosaur that had ever been found in the province was the Edmontosaurus saskatch-ewanensis, like ­Roxanne.

  “We shouldn’t be far from the female one with the eggs that I found before.” He kept his voice low so as not to startle anything. “I think it could be Roxanne.”

  As they proceeded, small creatures skittered through the underbrush, avoiding them with little squeaks. Once Daniel narrowly missed stepping on a multicoloured snake. Oversized insects buzzed languidly in the freshness of the early morning. He wasn’t sure if they would attack or not, so he found a small branch and waved it about in the air around him. Mildred used her cane, swatting with determination and keen ­interest.

  Intermittently, the ground trembled beneath their feet. Some huge creature must be in the area. The tenseness in Daniel’s body increased the farther they probed into the forest. Huge redwood trees obscured their view ahead in the still mounting dawn. On top of that, the foliage was so dense everywhere, they couldn’t see very far in any direction. Daniel began seeing large, shadowy shapes that turned out to be clumps of thick fern or tight stands of trees. What he thought were oddly shaped branches and undergrowth turned out to be creatures. Perils surrounded them in all shapes and ­sizes – ­airborne and land-­roving.

  He was prepared to dart away and always kept a tree in sight that he could easily climb, but fretted about Mildred Roost. The best she’d be able to do was hide in some underbrush, but that would be of little use. She followed behind him at a surprisingly agile pace through the thick tangle of growth, although she breathed heavily and stopped often to snap photographs. Daniel took those opportunities to tie bits of tape on the bushes about every fifteen to twenty metres, ensuring they’d be able to follow their trail ­back.

  “This is incredible,” she spoke softly to Daniel. “I can’t believe my good fortune in being here!”

  “So far, so good,” he answered, turning to look at ­her.

  “Yes, I know we’re not out of the woods yet.” She laughed at her own ­joke.

  Even without the heat of direct sun, her face was flushed and beads of sweat dotted her forehead, although she didn’t complain. But Daniel could see the exertion of pushing through the thick foliage was taking its toll on ­her.

  “Would you like to take a little break for some water?”

  She nodded. Daniel found another huge cycad and they pushed under some large fronds, then each drew a bottle of water from their backpack. Mildred’s eyes were alert as she looked around ­her.

  “We’ll be in an open meadow soon,” Daniel explained. “We’ll have to cross it to get to the Edmontosaurus.”

  “That means even more danger.” Her lips tightened in concentration. “If something happens, Daniel…” she started to ­say.

  But Daniel ­protested.

  “No listen,” she insisted. “I want you to save yourself.”

  Daniel looked at her in horror. “Don’t even say it! I wouldn’t leave you behind.”

  “You may not have a choice,” she answered grimly. “And I won’t be responsible for your not getting back.”

  Daniel shook his head passionately. “We’re both going to get back!”

  Deep down, though, he worried that neither one of them would see home again. Why had he ever let Dr. Roost come with him? An old lady was still an old lady. He bet she couldn’t even run. He heard her sigh and tuck her water bottle back into her pack. Daniel returned his too, and they set off ­again.

  All of a sudden, loud snorting growls came from just ahead of them. The little hairs at the back of Daniel’s neck stood on end. He halted and Mildred Roost nearly ran into him. He motioned with his finger against his lips for he
r to keep silent and move back along the trail. As quietly as they could, they pushed the vines and ­low-­lying branches out of their way. Without knowing what it was, they’d have to circle around it. Daniel wasn’t sure which way was the best to go. He’d have to climb a tree to get his bearings. But he didn’t want to leave Dr. Roost on the ­ground.

  He voiced his dilemma to ­her.

  “You go ahead and climb,” she said, patting her backpack. “I have a few tactics in mind. All we need is right in here.”

  “Was that why you took so long to pick up the plaster from town yesterday?” Daniel asked, suddenly realizing that Dr. Roost had known all along about his plans and had intended on coming with him. Her expression was one of innocence, but Daniel could tell by the twinkle in her eyes that he was right. There was no time to ask what she’d brought in preparation for the trip. The snorting was getting ­closer.

  Quickly, Daniel found what looked like a secluded enough spot off the beaten trail, and picked out a suitable climbing tree. Then they searched for a good place for Mildred Roost to hide while she ­waited.

  “There.” She pointed to a snarl of fallen tree trunks covered with vines and rotting debris that had left enough space for her to crawl ­into.

  “Let’s check it out first,” Daniel suggested, remembering some of the strange creatures he’d discovered on his other ­trips.

  Dr. Roost poked her cane into the opening. Daniel shuddered at the thought of what she might be ­disturbing.

  “I don’t think you should do that,” he said. What if it were a den for baby ­meat-­eating ­dinosaurs?

  Dr. Roost retrieved a flashlight and bent to take a look and declared it safe. “I’ll be right here.”

  Daniel nodded and scrambled up the tree as quickly as he could. By the time he reached a good vantage point, he was breathing heavily. He dug out the binoculars and surveyed the scene below, following the path they’d just come down. His stomach became one balled knot as he saw the creature they’d almost run into. He had to get down to Dr. Roost as soon as he could. A Troodon was bounding their ­way.

  Daniel slid halfway down the tree, but the close sounds of the Troodons crashing through the trees made him ­freeze.

  “Dr. Roost,” he called as loudly as he ­dared.

  She poked her head out of the den of fallen logs. Quickly, he told her what was coming. She looked at him in horror, knowing that a Troodon would rip them apart in ­seconds.

  “You’ll have to get as far back in as you can,” he said. “Quick!”

  Mildred Roost ducked back into the hole, just as the Troodon made the last turn around a bush and skidded to a stop beneath Daniel’s tree. Balancing itself with its tail, it slashed towards Daniel with its long, clawed fingers. Daniel scooted higher up the tree again as fast as he could, not daring to look down until he figured he was ­safe.

  By then the creature’s big, keen eyes had spotted Dr. Roost’s hiding place. It sniffed around the opening, clawing at the dirt with its ­sickle-­like toes. Then it tried to reach in with its claws on the end of its shorter ­arms.

  Daniel had to do something! Dr. Roost must be terrified, and what if it managed to snag her and drag her out with its long powerful legs? Known to have a relatively large brain, the Troodon was thought to be very intelligent. Daniel was sure it knew something alive and worth eating was inside. It wouldn’t give up ­easily.

  Quickly, he swung his backpack around and rummaged through it. The whole scene was a like a déjà vu. Every time he came to the past, he ended up a tree with something attacking him from below! Aha! He grabbed a package with some sandwiches, and with as much force as he could, he threw one far down the path. The Troodon sprang after it and snatched it in a ­millisecond.

  “Don’t move a muscle, Dr. Roost. And don’t answer me or it will know for sure you’re in there,” called Daniel, as the ­fast-­moving ­meat-­eater dashed back towards them. Hopping over to the tangle of branches where Mildred Roost hid, it attacked the brush like a giant, rabid ­wolf.

  “I’m trying to think of something to distract it long enough so we can get you out of there,” he yelled again, just as the Troodon leapt at the bottom of his tree trunk once ­more.

  If only they were close together, Daniel could drop the cone and they’d be back home, safe. Somehow he had to get her out of there and they had to escape the ­Troodon.

  Chapter Nine

  Then Daniel remembered his whistle. Yanking it out, he blew on it shrilly several times. The creature paused in momentary confusion, but then let out an angry, ­high-­pitched snarl and vaulted back over to Dr. Roost’s hiding spot. It attacked the fallen debris with renewed vigour. As some of the brush began to fall away, he heard Dr. Roost scrabbling back as far as she ­could.

  “Stay where you are!“ Daniel yelled, knowing he had to come up with another plan quickly. “I’ll tell you when to come out.”

  He repositioned himself and dug out more sandwiches. It was the only distraction he could think ­of.

  “Get ready,” Daniel yelled. Then, flinging several as far and as fast as he could in a wide arc, he prepared to scuttle down the ­tree.

  The Troodon took the bait, diving after the sandwiches one after another as they lay scattered throughout the forest floor. The creature was fast, though, and Daniel knew he’d barely have time to get down before it returned. And then what? They’d both be stuck on the ground and he might not make it over to Dr. Roost’s lair in ­time.

  Then a surprising thing happened. Other smaller creatures darted out of the underbrush and snatched at the sandwiches. In turn, the Troodon pounced on the tiny animals, taking time to devour them in quick, snapping bites as if they were nibbles in a bowl of ­snacks.

  “Now!” Daniel ­yelled.

  With a swiftness that surprised Daniel, Dr. Roost emerged and wrestled herself to her feet with Daniel’s ­help.

  “We’ll have to return to our own time,” he said, reaching for the pine cone in his ­pocket.

  “No!” she said. “We’re just getting started.” She might be an old lady, but Daniel saw the resolve on her weathered ­face.

  “But you’ll have to climb, Dr. Roost,” he explained. “It’s the only way.”

  “I can do it,” she said, with determination. “But you should go home,” she ­declared.

  “No way! Besides you’d be stranded in dinosaur time!” Daniel insisted. “We’ll be fine if we’re in the trees.”

  “Then let’s do it.”

  They ran to a huge tree with sturdy branches that would hold both of them. Dr. Roost hesitated for a second. Then she looked over her shoulder towards the sounds of something crashing through the ­brush.

  “You don’t need to go really high,” he encouraged her. The Troodon wasn’t much taller than an ­ostrich.

  She dropped her cane against the trunk. Daniel cupped his hands, one under the other for strength. She gritted her teeth and stepped into them. A moment later, she grabbed onto a branch, and she hoisted herself up, as Daniel helped boost her into the tree. At first, she clung awkwardly, not ­moving.

  “You have to go a little higher,” he shouted, giving her bottom a hard ­shove.

  She struggled, but managed to inch upwards. Daniel grasped a lower branch and swung himself up. Then he worked his way around the trunk onto some limbs just slightly above her and helped her get higher. Her plump arms had surprising strength in them, and within moments, she was wedged in the crook of a branch, her hat cockeyed, and her clothing askew. Her hair stood out like a scarecrow’s with bits of twigs and leaves stuck in it. Daniel giggled quietly, both from her comical look and from a nervous reaction to fear. Dr. Roost laughed a little too, as she concentrated on staying ­put.

  Daniel balanced himself on another branch nearby, keeping his eye on Dr. Roost. She wheezed and stared about. As she twisted her head this way and that, her Tilley hat caught on a branch and fell to the ground. In the same instant, the vicious creature erupted again from the undergr
owth and pounced on ­it.

  Dr. Roost ­shrieked.

  In a split second her hat was in shreds. Daniel gulped and clung tighter to the tree ­trunk.

  “That could have been one of us!” Dr. Roost panted, her face ­white.

  They stared down as the ­sharp-­clawed ­meat-­eater leapt towards them, snarling fiercely. It scoured the ground at the base of the tree, moving between there and Dr. Roost’s previous den. At one point, it sniffed at her cane and knocked it to the ­ground.

  “Zapsalis!” Mildred Roost suddenly ­screeched.

  “Pardon?” Daniel looked at her with ­surprise.

  “I bet that’s a Zapsalis,” she said. “It’s definitely from the Troodontid family, but smaller. We don’t know too much about this animal, but for certain, it ate meat.”

  “I didn’t think they lived around here,” Daniel ­said.

  “They found the teeth just across the border in Montana, so I guess they were here ­too – ­obviously,” she answered with a nervous chuckle. “Never thought I’d see one quite this close.”

  Daniel wished they weren’t this close ­either.

  Dr. Roost struggled for her camera, nearly losing her balance. Soon she was snapping as many photos as she could of the Zapsalis. After quite some time, the creature gave up and finally wandered off. As Mildred Roost shot photos in every direction that she could see, Daniel surveyed the landscape, trying to decide which way to ­go.

  On higher ground, he could see tall deciduous trees towering above the rushes that lined the various riverbanks. Then he noticed a stronger flow of water. As his eyes followed it, he saw that the mouth of the river connected with the giant shallow sea. This had to be the same river he’d seen the last time he been ­here – ­the one where the female Edmontosaurus ­nested.

  “Uh, Dr. Roost,” Daniel said at last. “I think it’s safe to go now.”